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

Chapter 1946 Tomorrow and an accident, who knows which will come first.

Clearly, even before news of Prussia's defeat had spread, various parties had already entered the fray.

Franz admired Lord Palmerston in this respect. Although the old man was wicked, he was indeed calm and collected, and in a sense, he practiced what he preached.

Despite the constant stream of explosive news, the Austrians seemed quite excited. This was because the Prussians had fallen so quickly that the Austrians in the rear hadn't even grasped the situation.

A group of nobles and soldiers who didn't go to the front lines immediately, along with a large number of opportunists and patriots, were still lamenting in the tavern.

There is another group of even more unfortunate victims, who are mostly heirs of large families or pampered children.

To ensure they could go to the battlefield with more dignity, their families commissioned brand-new equipment and magnificent uniforms, as this was considered part of the tradition in aristocratic circles.

However, these high-end custom-made items are often produced very slowly, and some parents and wives even give the tailors money as a gift to ask them to make the items more exquisite.

The tailors were all sensible people and naturally knew the principle that slow and steady wins the race, but when news of the great victory at the front came, all the high-end tailors in Vienna and their families disappeared overnight.

Finn Ziram was a typical Austrian nobleman who went to school, graduated, got married, and had to train in the army before entering government work.

Fortunately, war broke out, and his battalion was randomly selected to be among the first to go to the front lines. Even more fortunately, his parents and wife supported him and prepared him to go to the battlefield in the best possible condition.

Custom-made weapons, custom-made uniforms, and even a custom-made flag—the soldiers' uniforms and weapons were all ready.

However, his military uniform required careful design and precise tailoring. He wanted to argue his case, but the kindness of his family and the tailor's insistence forced him to give in.

Finn Ziram woke up beside his wife as usual, kissed her forehead, and began his daily routine.

He disliked the noise outside, but as a nobleman, he still had to maintain the most basic decorum.

During breakfast, the butler and servants' eyes darted around, and he wondered if they had broken some equipment or knocked over some porcelain.
Finn didn't want to delve into those matters; after all, others would worry about them. Besides, he was about to go to the battlefield, a place where men would fight to the death, and he had long been prepared to die in battle.

If you don't care about life and death, why would you care about those external things?
At that moment, his youngest daughter ran over.

"Jasmine, come to Daddy. What are you holding in your hand?"

"for you."

The little girl said in her childish voice.

Finn unfolded the crumpled newspaper, and his expression instantly went through a process of surprise, excitement, regret, and even remorse.

Finn handed his daughter to the butler, then opened the door and ran out shouting.

"Aaaaaaahh ...

He missed this war, and there may never be another chance to make up for it. The thought of being brought up in banquets or salons in the future filled him with shame, making him want to disappear into the ground.

Embarrassing? Shameful? He didn't know how to face his friends, his family, and his ancestors.

Once outside, Finn realized he had made a huge mistake, because the outside was filled with cheers of victory.

"We've won!"

"We've won!"

The bells, a symbol of victory, continued to ring in his ears, while airships in the sky showered him with candy and small coupons.

What echoed in his mind was a group of people surrounding him and saying things to him.

"You are shameful, you are shameful, you are a disgrace to the nobility."

"Your new military uniform looks great!"

"It's a pity I never saw a battlefield."

"what!"

Finn sprang up from the lawn in an extremely contorted position, his hands covering his face. He suddenly remembered the culprit—yes, that damned, sluggish tailor—and his eyes practically spit fire.

"I'm going to settle the score with him!"

Finn Ziram rushed into the stable, mounted his warhorse, and rode off without regard for the city's rules against unauthorized riding.

His standard major uniform won him many cheers along the way. People made way for him and threw flowers at him, but it only made his eyes more bloodshot.

"Major, when are we going to march into Berlin?"

"You've come to deliver good news, haven't you? I'm a reporter from the Vienna Daily. I can give you a tip."

Is there anything you'd like to say? I can make you famous too.

Finn Ziram paid no heed to the reporter trying to catch up with his warhorse on foot; he had nothing to say now, only wanting an explanation for himself.

However, when Finn Ziram arrived angrily at Vienna's most prestigious tailor shop, he was already surrounded by a large group of furious young nobles.

This group of people were in a similar situation to Finn Ziram, mostly young and promising nobles or outstanding commoners.

He even saw the young master of the Aberkörten family, a man who was famous not only in Vienna but throughout the noble circles of the entire Austrian Empire.

Young Master Aberkolten was a genius. While others were still learning to read, he could already write poetry and win competitions. While others were still learning addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, he could already discuss profound questions with mathematics professors.

Young Master Aberkolten's father was known as the "King of Choosing Sides," having made the right choices in every decision. Over the course of twenty years, he accumulated astonishing wealth and was expected to enter the Imperial Council as a true minister before the age of fifty.

What's even more infuriating is that this young master of the Aberkolten family is also very handsome and has excellent military skills. He just graduated first in his class from Teresa Military Academy.

However, at this moment, this outstanding person in everyone's eyes was tearfully smashing the glass of the tailor shop like a primitive man with a stone in his hand.

"Give me back my life."

"Get out here! I challenge you to a duel!"

However, the tailor shop was already deserted; they had long since left Vienna and chartered a ship to the Philippines.

(Note: The Philippines was the Austrian Empire's most distant colony from Vienna at this time.)
In the bars and cafes on the street, some people were pounding their chests in frustration, while others partied all night long, and a large number of wooden wine glasses were smashed to pieces on the tables.

The aroma of beer and barbecue filled the city. Because meat prices were restricted by wartime laws, there was no sudden surge in prices. Instead, people who couldn't afford meat or didn't usually want to eat it came to join in the fun.

All kinds of meat were consumed, so they had no choice but to use carp and flour sausage as substitutes. Many people even found that the taste of boiled fish balls and grilled sausages was acceptable for the first time.

Various artists were also busy, and the whole city was like it was welcoming a grand festival.

"What Prussia? What militarism? We're fighting those northern bandits!"

This hurt the Northern Italians standing nearby, but they quickly accepted it after thinking that Vienna was further north than Lombardy.

"They should have been beaten long ago! Those arrogant fools, how dare they provoke us!"

"Drink up! Aren't the emperor and the government doing this for us?"

"Yeah, I've never been so grateful to live in this country. Are those guys willing to start a war just to make life a little better for people like us?"

"If we had been born in other countries, would we have been hanged long ago?"

"What do you think? How many rioting workers and peasants have the French executed? The Ten Days of Lyon, the Vendée Massacre, the anti-strike laws."

"That's right! The British are even more outrageous! Have you ever seen the British work-study program of 81 days? Just 81 days turned a strongman into a cripple, and he could only spend the rest of his life in bed."

"Tsk tsk. It seems our happiness didn't come easily."

Just as the group was about to make a few jokes, an older foreman walked over and lectured each of the young men who were drinking. "You bunch of bastards, don't be so ungrateful. If you had been born a decade or two earlier, you might not have ended up as miserable as those foreigners, but don't expect to have such a leisurely life."

Have they become arrogant and ignorant after only a few years of being well-fed?
You were lucky to have lived to see a good emperor who created a great era. If you ask me, His Majesty still didn't kill enough.

The young people, who were initially indignant, immediately shrank back, having witnessed too much of the emperor's majesty over the years.

"Boss, is there enough wine? We'll get you some more."

"Come on, let's drink!"

Some new recruits who hadn't yet had a chance to go to the battlefield were very frustrated. In fact, as soon as the news of victory came, they were paid and dismissed.

"Ugh! What a damn bad luck! When I was fifteen, they told me I was too young and to come back at sixteen."

When I was sixteen, they told me that the conscription line had changed.

Then came eighteen, twenty, twenty-one, and now they're telling me the war's over! They don't need me anymore!

The businessmen standing nearby didn't understand what these people were thinking.

"Isn't this a great era? The war was won easily, we won! Our business will be even better in the future!"

At this point, a student who frequently reads newspapers was puzzled.

"Aren't you a businessman? Shouldn't you oppose the emperor because of the new laws he has enacted?"

"Don't talk nonsense! I am a law-abiding businessman! I firmly support the Emperor and the laws of the Empire! Only those unscrupulous businessmen are afraid of this and that! And spouting those fallacies."

"Why should I take risks when I can make money by obeying the law?"

The businessmen at the next table also chimed in.

“That’s right! We are all law-abiding businessmen. We follow the imperial laws exactly as they stipulate.”

You can't slander good people!

The hotel owner quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"If you don't understand, don't talk nonsense! We are all law-abiding citizens here! The bad guys have all been killed long ago!"

The craftsmen standing nearby didn't have as many taboos, after all, they didn't want a change of dynasty.

"I'm a carpenter, and they'll definitely need to buy new furniture after the war is over."

"I'm a bricklayer, and they'll definitely build new houses after the war is over."

"Yes! We'll be very busy then."

In a corner nearby, there was a group of laborers selling their labor and farmers who had temporarily come to the city to help out, because many city dwellers had joined the army, and farmers' labor was very cheap during the off-season.

They were simply dressed, had rough skin, and held a low social status, so they habitually avoided crowds and sat in corners.

These people were also very isolated from the world and completely illiterate. If they hadn't entered the city, they wouldn't have known that a war was being fought, let alone that they had already won.

Although they did not directly participate in the war, they all seemed quite proud of themselves.

One of those typical petty bourgeois types said with utter disdain.

"What does this have to do with you?"

The laborers and farmers didn't sense any hostility; they just smiled憨厚ly.

"Because today is a good day."

"What auspicious day?"

"We won the war. The emperor even gave us money."

The drinker who had asked the question earlier said with great disdain.

"What can one Florin do?"

"Enough to buy thirty beers, or maybe some snacks to go with them."

This blunt answer made the other drinkers even more unhappy.

"Are you just going to waste the emperor's rewards like this?"

He intended to give a lecture, but the other party countered with a question.

"What else can we do? Shouldn't we celebrate the Empire's victory?"

"Shouldn't you think about your families and buy them something?"

Those people patted the bundles they were carrying.

"Of course we bought them, with our own money. As for these being the emperor's gifts, I don't think His Majesty would want to see sour faces on this joyous occasion."

The drinker was finally persuaded.

"Makes sense!"

Then he turned to the busy waiter and said.

"Give those gentlemen over there two plates of pickled cabbage! It's on my tab."

Soon, new news came in one after another, but the public did not react much.

They were not troubled by the betrayal and the increase in the number of enemies; they were more likely to laugh at the overestimation of their own abilities. However, some were extremely angry—those who were truly Great Germanists.

The actions of the Kingdom of Hanover, in particular, were not only a betrayal, but also a treason, and a betrayal of their own people.

Of course, the actions of the French were equally intolerable; they attempted to divide the sacred territory of the German Confederation and enslave their own compatriots.

The Frenchman's sudden entry was somewhat unexpected by Franz. He knew that Napoleon III had long coveted Alsace-Lorraine, but he did not expect the other party to be so impatient.

Of course, the Count of Paris was quite capable; he had already begun mobilizing his forces. The Duchy of Alsace-Lorraine had made a considerable fortune over the years, and Guizot and Thiers, sandwiched between France and Austria, had never truly felt secure.

Therefore, they had been secretly accumulating strength and purchasing weapons. When they were finally mobilized, their resources were far greater than Franz had anticipated.

It was clear that the Austrian spies had only seen the surface; these two were indeed very capable. Blanqui cherished his current life, at least he didn't want to return to a France controlled by Napoleon III and the Napoleonic name.

Of course, the choice of commander was somewhat unexpected for Franz; it was Fanny Cotter. The Count of Paris was quite ruthless in some ways, though he might also aspire to be Charles VII.

The Count of Paris actually bestowed upon Fanny Cotter the title of Marshal, making her the first woman in European history to receive an official and formal conferment of the title.

The first thing this remarkable woman did upon taking office was to write a letter to Franz seeking help, which, while somewhat surprising, was perfectly reasonable.

It seems Franz will have to make the trip.

However, Franz was more concerned with how to deal with Prussia and Hanover than with the French invasion.

But in life, you never know whether tomorrow or an accident will come first.

A massive uprising is sweeping across North Germany.