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

Chapter 1920 Transcendence
At this time, the Austrian population on the Philippine islands was increasing rapidly by a thousand people per year, reaching nearly ten thousand in less than ten years.

This surpasses the Spanish's four-hundred-year colonial history, but true control of the entire Philippine archipelago remains a long way off.

Putting aside the fact that the Philippines has nearly four million people, its more than seven thousand islands alone are enough to give people a headache.

Moreover, it was unlikely that the Austrian Empire would invest its precious human resources indefinitely in the Philippines, which was half a world away from its homeland.

In fact, later Americans also relied on the introduction of Chinese laborers to stimulate the local population through a "catfish effect." However, when the Chinese laborers performed well, the United States began to work with the Filipinos to enact the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Franz did not intend to place one side too high, and such a laissez-faire economic policy was not suitable for the Austrian Empire.

In fact, Austria first introduced the outcasts of the shogunate, but the Japanese laborers who had always been very useful developed a sense of superiority in the Philippines.

While they wouldn't collude with the natives, they were beginning to plot a coup. The source was quite reliable, as the informants were the organizers, and there was more than one of them.

Clearly, not all Japanese people enjoy overthrowing their superiors; many prefer to exploit the lives of their fellow countrymen.

These people might be seen as national traitors by the Japanese, but in the eyes of Austria, their colonial overlord, they were loyal subjects who had to be commended.

As the saying goes, "His enemy is my hero," that's all there is to it.

Even if Franz despised traitors, he had to package them as heroes and make them role models for the colonies.

However, before that, he needed to verify the truth of the matter; Franz didn't want to be used as a tool.

However, the results were always absolutely true, and they were even involved in the planning.

This group consisted of highly respected and capable individuals among the Japanese, many of whom were elected as leaders. Theoretically, they would reap the greatest rewards upon their success.

However, these intelligent people knew better than anyone how powerful the Austrian Empire truly was; they simply didn't want to waste their lives on meaningless things.

They comforted themselves in this way while pushing more people into the abyss to increase their achievements.

This continues almost every year, yet some Japanese still dream of overthrowing their superiors.

This situation had not occurred in other colonies, and Franz believed that the lack of competitive pressure, coupled with the numerous islands in the Philippines, gave them this misconception.

Although the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom was under the rule of Emperor Pius IX and Shi Dakai was in charge of military affairs, barely managing to maintain the situation, Franz still did not believe they could win.

Therefore, in order to avoid a repeat of historical tragedies, and also to provide sufficient labor for the Austrian Empire's colonies and to cause trouble for the British, he could leave them a way out.

However, whether it was a fully-fledged army or a civilian group, regardless of whether they were armed or made any promises, the Austrian Empire would not accept them.

Austrian colonies would only accept ordinary people. Franz did not want to see separatist forces or usurpations in his colonies, as such scenarios were all too common in history.

So who were the people who were disliked in the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom and wanted to leave urgently?
In reality, there are many such people. After Hong Xiucai's political purge, everyone felt insecure, especially the families of those who lost power. They were ostracized and suppressed everywhere and had long wanted to leave this place of trouble.

However, the Qing army was not to be underestimated. If they chose to leave, there would probably be nowhere left for them in the land of China.

Then there were those "masters" who were caught up in the situation. They were engaged in the most strenuous physical labor, and while they had no hope of promotion, they wanted to escape, but they had neither the means nor the courage.

Finally, there were the Confucian scholars and artisans, who also had no way out under the bizarre system of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

Even with some reforms, Pius IX was incapable of governing even a small Rome, let alone the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom with its population of over 30 million.

Besides these, there was another group of people who had a very strong desire to leave: the women's battalion of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom.

In the early days of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, there were indeed some outstanding women in the women's camps, but after so many years of development, they degenerated.

The women's camp had been transformed into a women's dormitory. Leaving aside the dirty and sordid activities involved, these women had essentially become hostages and cheap labor.

As for the official media system established by Yang Xiuqing, it pushed the whole thing to an absurd peak. Even true heroines would be suppressed and even wanted to leave this so-called heaven.

No matter how much these people wanted to leave, the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom's leadership would not let them go easily, after all, these people were the nation's military supplies.

However, for Franz, this was not a problem at all. As long as they were told that they could exchange their labor for food and weapons, they would immediately pack up these people and send them away on ships.

This way, all three parties are satisfied, so why not do it?

Since the arrival of Chinese laborers, the Japanese have become much quieter. As for the hatred of the Filipino natives, Franz didn't care. In fact, he was afraid that the Filipino natives and foreign laborers would get mixed up.

If they are united, then the Austrian Empire will be the one with a headache.

However, since the three parties speak different languages, even if they truly wanted to join forces, they would inevitably be suspicious of each other, making it at best a false and loose alliance.

Moreover, the Austrian Empire wouldn't actually allow them to join forces, since the Philippines was still quite valuable, which is why Franz was willing to invest so much.

Strategic value can be set aside for now, because while the Philippines is indeed of considerable strategic value to other countries, for the Austrian Empire at that time, there were too many alternatives to its strategic value, so it didn't even rank high.

However, the value of Philippine agriculture is actually very high, and it is very simple and straightforward: sugar, hemp, tobacco and coffee, all of which are high-yield consumer goods, which is why millions of Filipinos have been able to live comfortably for hundreds of years.

At that time, the Philippines was too underdeveloped to meet Franz's requirements.

Another reason Franz developed the Philippines was to avoid putting all his eggs in one basket; a mix of successes and failures among colonies is essential for long-term sustainability.

If a colony lacks nothing, then the Austrian Empire, as the mother country, has many more things to consider.

Of course, if possible, Franz wanted to transport the remnants of the Taiping Army to Australia to compete with the British for territory.

However, this is extremely difficult to implement.
Back at the Hofburg Palace.

"Your Majesty, you have lost."

Miss Fanny von Arnstein leaned against Franz's desk and spoke in a somewhat ambiguous manner. Her neckline was very low, and her fair and round breasts rose and fell with her breath, which was quite beautiful.

"Oh? Really? Then start from the top next time."

Franz spoke casually, but Arnstein and Miss Mia, standing beside him, blushed deeply. "Don't you want to know why the Empire's economic growth has slowed?"

Miss Arnstein looked on expectantly. Franz wasn't one to spoil the mood, although spoiling the mood made him more authoritative, more dignified, and easier to control others.

However, some things are due to personality and upbringing.

"Appreciate further details."

Fanny von Arnstein carefully produced a Prussian internal intelligence document that she had painstakingly obtained.

"A technological revolution has occurred in the Kingdom of Prussia, especially in industries such as textiles, coal, and timber processing, where our technological advantage is diminishing."

Especially in the wool textile industry, the dominance of our Austrian Empire was being challenged. Prussia's labor costs were lower, only a third of ours, giving them an absolute price advantage.

We can currently maintain the situation through existing channels, high-quality products, and a good reputation. However, if the Prussians continue to lower prices, we will lose more market share and cause irreversible damage to our economy.

Miss Arnstein wasn't exaggerating; to prove it, she deliberately made a fierce expression, while Franz didn't react much.

In fact, the progress of Prussian wool textile industry should have hit Britain first, since Britain was the leader in the wool textile industry. However, the Austrian Empire did not control raw material prices as well as Britain, so it was more severely impacted.

As for the cotton textile industry, the Austrian Empire controlled the raw materials, so even if the Prussians wanted to compete maliciously, they had to get enough raw materials first.

"Our country can barely maintain its position in the wool textile industry, but in terms of coal and timber, our country has suffered a complete defeat."

The Prussians had a clear price advantage, and our goods lacked sufficient competitiveness.

Franz nodded.

“Prussia does have excellent resources, and if they are willing to lower their prices, we really can’t compete with them.”

Before Miss Arnstein could speak, Franz continued.

"In fact, the technological revolution in Prussia, or rather the German Confederation, went far beyond this. We faced comprehensive competition in steel, metallurgy, food, machinery manufacturing, and even agricultural products."

Franz then changed the subject.

"However, their technology is still far behind ours, and simply lowering wages is not enough to close the gap between us."

Miss Arnstein knew Franz was telling the truth, because even arms dealers in other German Confederation countries used steel from the Austrian Empire.

Regardless of whether they actually need them, they will definitely buy some and store them in the warehouse; this is a way of demonstrating their power.

In fact, after so many years of accumulation and influence from the German Customs Union, Austrian imperial goods have become synonymous with high-end quality.

Whether the states acknowledge it or not, Austrian goods were generally of superior quality and even more sophisticated in appearance.

While beauty is a subjective feeling, Franz has not been working in vain all these years; Austrian aesthetic views have influenced the entire German Confederation.

Especially for the new generation of Germans, they are no longer so resistant to Austria, and many have even discovered, thanks to the spread of education, that they were once part of the Holy Roman Empire.

As for why this situation occurred, it was because Franz had given bribes to the experts and professors who compiled the textbooks.

In fact, the influence of the Austrian Empire was so great at this time that often, without Franz deliberately making any moves, they would eagerly try to get involved with the Austrian Empire on their own.

However, it would be decades before the leaders of the German states discovered these seemingly minor issues.

In addition, the Austrian Empire's infiltration of the German Confederation was all-encompassing, including various aspects of culture, art, entertainment, technology, warfare, economy, food, and even ideology and sentiment.

Of course, initially, the prices of goods in the Austrian Empire were not actually high; they were simply not as high as those goods that were deliberately priced low to capture the market.

Therefore, most people, if they can afford it, still prefer to choose Austrian products.

After all, the Austrian Empire at this time also carried the hopes and glory of the German region, because almost every time the Germans needed to stand up, it was the Austrian Empire that stood up to fight against France, against Britain, and against Russia.

Victory may not have come directly to the people, but they at least avoided war, slaughter, and direct confrontation with danger and turmoil.

The cult of personality has existed in every era. The ancient Greeks worshipped philosophers, while modern people idolize celebrities. The ancient Egyptians worshipped gods, and in the Roman era, Jesus became an idol.

The ancient Roman emperors took the myth of the dead Caesar and then made themselves the sons of God. But what about the emperors in the distant East?
Franz was, in a sense, someone the entire Austrian Empire, and even the entire German Confederation, had watched grow step by step.

Franz's prints have sold over 100 million copies, more than the entire population of Central Europe. His name and photograph frequently appear in newspapers and books around the world.

The number of postcards he issued is impossible to count, and his exposure over the years is unmatched by any superstar in later generations.

But if that alone is not enough to demonstrate Franz's excellence, people's admiration will immediately rise when they compare him to the incompetent rulers of their own country.

At this time, all ordinary people in the German Confederation had a strange affection for the Austrian Empire and Franz, and their past aversion to Austria had long since vanished.

Aside from high-tech industry, the Austrian Empire at this time was able to completely overwhelm all European countries except Russia in agriculture.

The reason why the prices of agricultural and sideline products in the Austrian Empire remained relatively stable was deliberately done by Franz. He did not want the social order of the empire to be too turbulent, and he was also well aware that the empire's industry and service sector could not absorb so many people for employment.

However, Franz never expected the transition to be painless; in the tide of history, someone would inevitably have to endure pain and pressure.

But he hoped this pain would be short-lived and less intense. In fact, in order to reduce costs and increase production, Franz was also re-centralizing the land.

After years of development, there is not much wasteland left in the Austrian Empire.

Even Wallachia and Moldavia, which were newly incorporated into the empire, have been rapidly developed. Within ten years, these lands will be fully developed. Even in Albania, a land of constant warfare, people are clearing land under the cover of gunfire.

In fact, Franz had always advocated for emigration, but people preferred to stay in the country, and a considerable number moved to cities and entered the service sector.

Once the land development within the Austrian Empire is complete, the Austrian Empire's colonies and tertiary industries will experience a surge in growth.