The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1915 Dawn
As for that notorious thug on Via Micha in Turin, he had just picked up his dagger when he was startled by a single glance from Garibaldi and broke out in a cold sweat.

This thug was a ruthless man who had killed many people, but just one glance at the cripple Joseph and his military uniform made him tremble uncontrollably. He even felt that if he made the slightest move, he would be killed without hesitation.

He had seen many ruthless people, and there were countless ruthless people around him, all of whom had a violent and ferocious aura in their eyes.

However, the person in front of me only showed indifference to life. How many people must one have killed to regard killing as a habit or a job?

Add to that the infamous reputation of the Austrian Empire, with its frequent killings of hundreds of thousands or even millions, and he was terrified just thinking about it.

Sylvia lashed the whip again and again until all was quiet, and the middle-aged woman no longer had the strength to speak.

"Throw her outside the camp."

Sylvia's language was extremely cold; someone nearby clenched their fists, but the words stuck in their throats and couldn't be uttered.

As for the middle-aged woman's husband, he simply lowered his head even further, as if afraid to make eye contact with her.

Even someone as fierce as him was cowering in fear, let alone ordinary people who had been incited; they felt it was better to just stay alive.

"Anyone else want to leave? Get out of here! If you don't leave, shut your mouth! A curfew is in effect from now on. Anyone who talks nonsense again will be dealt with according to military law!"

The commotion of the crowd was finally suppressed. In fact, the middle-aged woman's crime did not warrant such punishment, but at this time, Garibaldi and Silvia only had a little over a hundred people with them, while the crowd gathered at this time numbered in the tens of thousands.

They want to explain, but even if the other party is willing to listen, they need enough time and manpower.

That middle-aged woman may have just been being sarcastic, but at this moment the leader's authority had to be maintained; otherwise, if tens of thousands of refugees were to riot, the casualties from the stampede would likely be far greater than what they had witnessed.

Garibaldi could have done the same, but he was, after all, a hero, and Silvia, as Garibaldi's wife, would have done her best to uphold her husband's authority.

At this point, someone has to do the dirty work.

Many people still chose to leave, but they no longer dared to make a fuss or stir up trouble; they could only quietly disappear into the night.

Time ticked by, and Garibaldi felt tormented every moment, even more so than when he was waiting for the enemy to attack.

Fortunately, a long blast of a ship's horn broke the silence of the night sky, and lights appeared on the river not far away.

"The ship is here!"

A child's excited shout was like a ray of light shining into everyone's hearts, as if there were no more beautiful sounds in the world.

The tall chimneys were like sharp swords piercing the darkness, and dawn arrived, as if everyone was reborn.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted as people seemed oblivious to the cold and hunger, waving their hats wildly and some even jumping excitedly into the water.

The previous gloom had vanished without a trace, and everyone looked devout and holy. Some jumped and cheered, while others knelt and wept.

Only Garibaldi truly understood that the trouble had only just begun. Despite the imposing appearance of the patrol ships, he knew very well that the maximum number of people a single patrol ship could carry was only three hundred.

However, that figure could only be achieved by removing some unnecessary equipment when performing special missions.

However, according to the wartime regulations of the Austrian Empire, a fully armed frigate could only carry a maximum of two hundred people.

After deducting the 80-120 crew members, a single frigate can only save about 100 people.

The Po River frigates consist of 22 patrol vessels, making it a formidable inland waterway force on a global scale.

However, there are at least 20,000 people here now. If each round trip can transport 2200 people, it would take at least ten trips to complete the task.

Time isn't the problem; the real issue is who goes first.

Garibaldi had already witnessed the madness of those people, and now, in their hope of escaping, who knew what crazy things they would do next.

However, the Piedmontese on the shore were still in shock. The Austrian Empire's warships were completely different from what they had imagined. They were not wooden sailing ships, but steam-powered iron-hulled ships.

The dark, gaping cannon muzzles inspired awe, and the arrogant expressions of the soldiers on deck did not offend the people; instead, they made them feel ashamed.

It was precisely because of their powerful equipment and proud soldiers that the Austrians were always so flamboyant (what they actually saw were Lombards and Venetians).

This is the most direct threat of force, so anyone who dares to harm the Austrian Empire will face the fiercest retaliation.

The thought that they would soon become part of the Austrian Empire and be under its protection made them all puff out their chests and cheer.

Long live the Austrian Empire!

"Reporting, sir!"

Before the visitor could finish speaking, Garibaldi stopped him.

"Let's skip the pleasantries. I only have one question for you: you've seen so many people, how are the officials back home planning to get them back?"

The officer said excitedly.

"Please rest assured, His Majesty the Emperor has personally intervened. We are merely the advance team."

Garibaldi was somewhat puzzled.

"The vanguard?"

The officer continued answering.

“That’s right. His Majesty the Emperor has ordered the borrowing of boats from the people. Once we have ensured our safety, the large fleet will arrive soon.”

Garibaldi was slightly surprised, but he felt that this was very much like the style of His Majesty the Emperor, who would mobilize all available resources whenever necessary.

The Austrian Empire had not enough warships, but that did not mean it also lacked merchant and passenger ships.

However, in many countries, even when they know they cannot mobilize their people, the populace will try every means to avoid conscription. But the Austrian Empire was completely different; the decision was made the moment His Majesty the Emperor made it.

Franz did not dislike individual heroism, but he really disliked his subordinates acting on their own initiative.

However, Franz was still quite willing to help with the rescue of people from the Kingdom of Sardinia, as this would further demonstrate the unpopularity of the Savoy dynasty. Indeed, Franz wanted to completely dismantle the Kingdom of Sardinia; only by utterly destroying it could the Austrian Empire securely develop the Italian peninsula.

As for lending the boat, it was both a favor from Franz and a warning.

In fact, the direct aid provided to people in other countries still drew considerable opposition, even though Sardinia was on the verge of collapse at that time.

There was no way around it; the Austrian Empire was the largest conservative power in all of Europe. And this matter was simply too outrageous, a complete humiliation for the Kingdom of Sardinia.

However, Franz was not short of ideas; the church hadn't been supporting them for nothing. Naturally, they had to step forward and take the blame at this time. In fact, they had to accept the heavy responsibility Franz had thrown at them with a smile.

Of course, the truly devout believers and strategists were overjoyed, as Franz was asking them to do exactly what they had always wanted to do but lacked the ability to.

They would risk their lives for these false accusations.

Now that they have the opportunity, they will naturally give it their all.

Upon seeing the Habsburg banner embroidered with a double-headed eagle and the Papacy's holy banner, most Piedmontese people naturally knelt down.

Without threats or coercion, those who previously shouted "I'd rather die than accept this" are often the ones who kneel down the fastest and shout the most sincerely, because they know very well how to maximize their interests.

Garibaldi and his followers, on the other hand, had complicated expressions. They had spent their lives opposing the Austrian Empire, but in the end, they still had to rely on the Austrians to solve their problems and had no choice but to accept their help.

However, they felt relieved when they saw boxes of supplies being unloaded from the ship and various rescue teams, medical teams, and clergy members disembarking.

The Austrian Empire had a very systematic procedure for disaster relief and rescue, and the Austrian government did not cut corners at this time.

This was all too familiar to those who had lived in the Austrian Empire for many years; the only difference was that the Austrian flag wasn't directly raised. This shows that in Franz's mind, there was no essential difference between the Piedmontese, Lombards, and Venetians.

Garibaldi and his followers sought not only national unity, but also a better life for the majority of people, free from humiliation and oppression.

This naturally includes the humiliation and oppression from their own people; the image of the Kingdom of Sardinia has been ruined in their minds.

A government composed of a cowardly and incompetent monarch, corrupt and harsh officials, and arrogant and shameless nobles could not possibly bring hope to the Italian nation.

Moreover, since Savoy had become French, the kings of the Savoy dynasty were naturally French as well. Why would they fight to the death for those foreigners?

The rulers of Austria, on the other hand, were the Habsburg branch in Italy, and were even the masters of Tuscany before inheriting the throne. They were, in fact, pure Italians.

Before becoming Emperor of Austria, Leopold II was the Archduke of Tuscany and inherited his father's business acumen, making significant contributions to the development of the region.

Franz II and his brothers Archdukes Karl and Johann were all born and raised in Tuscany.

In fact, Italy was the homeland that Franz II could never return to in his lifetime, and he always considered himself an Italian.

Of course, more importantly, the Austrian Empire was now only one step away from ruling all of Italy, and the Sardinian Kingdom, which was deserted by all and utterly useless, was its final opponent.

At this time, the Austrian Empire completely overwhelmed the Kingdom of Sardinia in politics, economy, military and culture. It could even be said that the two sides were not even qualified to be compared.

Garibaldi even found his own insistence ridiculous, feeling that the oppression of the Kingdom of Sardinia was more benign, and that the rescue by the Austrian Empire was not well-intentioned.

Is it really okay to deceive yourself like this?

They no longer wanted to waste their own and others' lives on that vague and unattainable goal. Rather than such meaningless sacrifices, they would rather devote themselves to the construction of the country and benefit more people.

It's rare to have a wise and benevolent ruler in power, yet they are constantly trying to destroy this prosperous era.

The Austrian Empire did things in a more practical way; at least they could see and touch them, and almost everyone could benefit from them, only to varying degrees.

The more people received in the Austrian Empire, the more responsibilities they had to bear. The gaps were difficult to bridge, but the empire hoped that everyone could survive and have a future to look forward to.

In fact, whether it was joining the army, going to the frontier to develop and build, trying one's luck in the colonies, or taking exams, it was possible to achieve upward social mobility in the Austrian Empire.

In other countries, upward mobility channels have long been blocked. For example, in the Kingdom of Sardinia, the illiteracy rate in rural and mountain villages is close to 100%. In a mountain village with only a few hundred people, the only literate person is a foreign priest. The illiteracy rate in cities is also mostly over 60%.

Sardinia also has an alarmingly high illiteracy rate, exceeding 65% overall.

Nobles enjoyed numerous social privileges, both overtly and covertly. Although feudal obligations and rights had been abolished, many regions still continued the previous traditions.

The new bureaucratic class led by Cavour was even more insatiable. They used their privileges to seize all social resources as much as possible, and a large amount of public resources were divided up by them.

Military rank is determined by one's background; even in technical branches like artillery, specialists can only serve as adjutants.

One can only gain entry to promotion by marrying a nobleman or merchant.

The bishops supported by the Kingdom of Sardinia could even use morality as a weapon, since they had the right to interpret morality.

In fact, according to the research of later Italian economists and historians, northern Italy under the rule of the Austrian Empire, which was known for its autocracy, was much more relaxed than the Kingdom of Sardinia, whether in terms of economy, politics, or culture.

Furthermore, there was something Garibaldi and his followers were completely unaware of due to their status and position: the Turin court actually spoke French.

Many nobles didn't disdain speaking Italian; they simply couldn't speak it.

As for the fairy tale of starting from scratch, just take it with a grain of salt.

"A group of the most talented, capable, and visionary people became wealthy through hard work, then saved money and eventually broke through class barriers, thus driving technological and social progress and the birth of modern society."

(This is from a book, but I can't find the original source. I don't remember it completely, but this is the general idea.)
This bourgeois mythical logic implies that the free market is an equal mechanism that transcends all factors such as birth, status, system, religion, and society, and selects people based solely on merit.

Essentially, it's still the same electoral theory, basically equivalent to the legends of emperors in pre-modern societies, only with a different narrative logic.

In fact, setting aside other factors—which have already been discussed extensively—the most direct and terrifying point is that wealth did not equate to power at that time.

In the 19th century, a super-rich person without the protection of a powerful figure was like a child holding gold; the money in his hands was nothing more than a delicacy that the powerful could easily obtain.

Losing money is considered lucky; many people would be eaten alive, leaving not even bones or scraps.

In fact, this was true not only of the Kingdom of Sardinia, but of most countries in the 19th century.

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