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

Chapter 1964 Winning again

Of course, Franz's silence didn't mean others wouldn't speak out. Especially the British and French media, who had already launched a massive propaganda campaign throughout the Holy Roman Empire.

The Austrians, of course, didn't feel much. For so many years, the Austrian Empire had been debating with Britain and France, and they had long been numb to their arguments. Moreover, their continuous victories had cultivated a strong sense of cultural confidence.

However, the new citizens in the German region were quite surprised. They hadn't expected the Empire to win again so unexpectedly, and felt rather regretful.

The empire's propaganda machine wouldn't let this opportunity pass. These people didn't believe in the narrative logic of Britain and France at all; they genuinely thought they were right.

However, decades later, when people finally unraveled the mystery and discovered the truth behind the fog, they were even more shocked—Frantz's policies had always stood up to scrutiny.

A series of joyous celebrations wiped away the economic crisis that had been building up for years.

Of course, there are still undercurrents behind the laughter and joy. After all, in this era, it is an unspoken rule for bureaucrats to use loopholes in national policies and their power to seek personal gain. Anyone who does not do so will be regarded as a fool or an oddball.

In this era of slow information transmission, it is indeed difficult to profit from such short-term consumption vouchers, but it depends on who is using them.

For those at the bottom, doing three or five transactions is probably the limit, but for those at the top with extensive connections, they have plenty of ways to do it.

With proper coordination from all sides, you can definitely make a fortune.
However, this kind of thinking and behavior was seen as very dangerous by the Austrians, and almost no officials in the Austrian Empire were willing to cooperate with them. Even their relatives in the Austrian Empire would try to dissuade them.

"You're all so cowardly! What's there to be afraid of? We have people all over the upstream and downstream!"

Besides, who doesn't do it this way? Can the imperial government possibly manage it all? You've been an official for so long, don't you understand this basic principle?"

Hank Graf looked at his distant relative from Vienna with a look of utter disappointment. Despite his military background, he was as cowardly as a mouse.

“Cousin, the situation in the Austrian Empire is different from yours. The emperor himself is very persistent about it, and he is no ordinary emperor.”

Hundreds, even thousands, of people are arrested every year; there's no escaping it.

Leopold Graf was also very helpless. If it were anyone else, he would have arrested them long ago and wouldn't have wasted time talking here. But after all, the other party was his cousin who had married his cousin.

"Leopold, you don't understand! If it's really as you say, then we should do it even more!"

"why?"

Leopold simply couldn't understand any of this.

"Think about it, the war has just ended, and the entire Confederation is in turmoil. They don't want to cause any trouble at this time, do they?"
Do they want another civil war, or a peaceful transition?
We haven't harmed the country's interests; we're just ensuring that the money goes where it's supposed to.

Hank Graff's point seemed valid, but Leopold was still somewhat worried.

"But can we really win?"

Hank Graf looked helpless.

"Can you change your military mindset? The officialdom isn't a battlefield! Nobody will do useless things without considering the consequences!"

Look at those guys outside, they're no different from serfs or livestock!
Would you start a war over whether a flock of chickens or geese are well-fed or warmly clothed?

Hank Graf paused, a look of pride appearing on his face.

"You think Franz Joseph I has it all figured out? Let me tell you, he's the emperor in Vienna, but here I am the emperor!"

"But the Prussians are all wiped out, that's nearly 400,000 people. No matter what, our family can't gather 300 people."

Moreover, the empire's army was inexhaustible; what defeated Prussia were merely some ragtag troops that couldn't even be considered front-line soldiers.

Leopold was a typical military cadet, and his thinking differed somewhat from that of traditional nobles; he preferred to approach problems from a military perspective.

"Enough! That's not the point! The point is that you must report the numbers I gave you truthfully!"
I'll give you a large sum of money afterwards, otherwise we're both finished!

Venice Port.

"Mr. Hank Graf, Captain Leopold Graf, I hope you enjoy the Namibian sun and beaches, and reflect on your mistakes."

"Thank you."

Hank Graff, annoyed, immediately yelled at his cousin.

"Shut up!"

The customs registration administrator was already used to it; he was just curious why these promising nobles and officials would do such a foolish thing.

Do they really not know the facts happening around them?

What makes a group of rural nobles think they can escape punishment? Even top-tier families like Prince Wendy Schreiter couldn't escape sanctions, so where does their confidence come from?

However, it was precisely because of these people that the Austrian Empire's colonies were not lacking in administrative and military talent.

Of course, if they want to return to the imperial system, they must first pass an exam and compete with immigrants and naturalized citizens for a position.

Why is this happening?

Many people couldn't understand why they were discovered, and why the imperial government would go to such lengths.

In fact, over the years, the Austrian Empire's oversight agencies had accumulated experience and developed a highly efficient system that made it easy to identify problems.

Moreover, within the Austrian Empire's system, the general public could provide a great deal of intelligence.

Although some of these are unfounded rumors and subjective speculations, they can still improve efficiency if used effectively.

Although Franz was already well-known in aristocratic circles, many people still didn't believe it. They always thought they were special and didn't believe the facts passed down by word of mouth. They insisted on seeing it for themselves.

Franz himself didn't quite understand why some people would want to try it. Were they really not afraid of death? Or couldn't they see the countless cautionary tales that had been told before?

Corruption is an unavoidable issue in national policy, but what Franz didn't expect was that some inconspicuous little people were also greedy.

If this were in his previous life, Franz would never have believed that a lowly warehouse keeper could embezzle the revenue of a small country; he would have thought the man was taking the blame for someone else.

However, in the Austrian Empire at that time, a small warehouse keeper colluded with a security guard (his brother) and a saleswoman (his wife) to embezzle millions of florins.

Fortunately, the entire consumption voucher program was a trap, so the problem was discovered in time and prevented major losses.

This served as a reminder to Franz, as there had been similar cases before, though he had initially thought they were isolated incidents. Who says mosquito bites don't hurt? A large number of mosquitoes can still kill an elephant.

According to traditional thinking, power is structured like a pyramid, so the higher the position, the greater the damage it can cause.

However, administrative rank is not equivalent to actual power. Some people hold high positions but have little real power, while others may seem like insignificant officials but wield astonishing power.

Especially after Franz seized power at the village level, numerous problems arose in this regard. (This is a long story, I'll write about it later.)
Franz himself was too fond of keeping an eye on important figures, so the Austrian Empire's oversight bodies also liked to keep a close eye on the top echelons.

This top-down regulatory approach has weakened considerably, but fortunately, Franz has mobilized the support of the public.

Without these busybodies and nationalists, many more would have slipped through the net.

It seems the saying "fight tigers and flies together" is true.

The oversight system still needs reform, and those who report substantiated whistleblowing should be rewarded. However, security and authentication measures also need to be improved.
But what shocked Franz even more than these things was that someone had launched a rebellion under the banner of Hungary. Although they had only occupied a grocery store, it had attracted the army.

Because looting and rebellion are completely different things, even the smallest rebellion requires the intervention of the military and the government.

However, the entire rebellion was too strange, and officials at all levels wanted to find out what was going on, since submitting such a report would only cause them trouble.

They were dragged into the interrogation room, and with one blow of a stick, the group confessed. They weren't Hungarians at all, but a group of genuine wealthy young men from the countryside around Vienna.

Their reasoning was also absurd. So many nobles and kings had launched rebellions, yet they hadn't heard of anyone being executed. The emperor was clearly incompetent.

So I thought I'd start a country for fun, since I wouldn't have to pay any price anyway.

All the officials shook their heads upon hearing this; none of them had expected to encounter such a person.

Even if Franz were to punish certain people, he wouldn't write everything down clearly; the newspapers would only lavish praise on the emperor's acts of benevolence.

Being realistic is acceptable, but we cannot ignore the importance of prioritizing.

The death penalty notices were, of course, there were, but those rich kids obviously didn't see them.

That was a diplomatic incident within the Confederation, especially since William I had supreme immunity. What could a bunch of rich kids possibly have to compare to the kings of the Hohenzollern dynasty?

As for Bismarck and the Prussian high command, they have been labeled as victims of deception, and even the soldiers who fought to the death against the Austrian army on the battlefield have not been held accountable.

These people were all identified as deceived victims, and Franz has granted them a pardon, allowing them to spend the rest of their lives atoneing for their sins.

Of course, not everyone gets this opportunity, such as those who start killing civilians as soon as they enter the country.

Their evil was not out of duty or obligation; they committed it simply because they could no longer maintain the facade. These people wouldn't even have the chance to go to the colonies; they would be hanged to appease the local anger.

However, it also depends on the specific severity of the wrongdoing. As long as no irreversible damage has been caused and the victim has been forgiven, the matter can be handled at the discretion of the court.

Of course, these things will be recorded, and if the perpetrator commits another crime or the victim is harmed again, these things will be brought up again.

The pardoning of high-ranking officials in Bismarck, Prussia, and Hanover was not unexpected for the nobles and officials of the various states.

In developed regions like Germany, consolidating power by massacring local elites is outdated, but it might still be effective in some colonies or areas with fierce resistance.

This can be seen as Franz reassuring the officials and nobles of the German states. If even the Prussians could be pardoned, then what did others have to fear?
This would greatly soothe their unease and fear. Pardoning Bismarck, the culprit, was, in a way, like buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold, and at the same time, it was a demonstration of magnanimity and strength.

After all, if Franz truly believed that Bismarck posed a threat to the entire empire, he would have eliminated him immediately instead of employing him.

Being eliminated is an affirmation of its strength, at least proving its threat and value.

To some, Franz's actions seemed as if he were speaking to an unparalleled powerhouse.

"It's alright, you're weak. Be my tool, that way your talent won't be wasted."

If the emperor had been even slightly weaker, a proud man like Bismarck might have been driven to suicide by shame. But he was Franz, and gaining his approval among the nobility and bureaucracy was already extremely difficult.

As for whether Bismarck had a choice? Would he publicly reject Franz's kindness and then spit at Franz in desperation?
The answer is absolutely not. Not only had he become a sinner in Prussia by this time, but all the Junker nobles and the families of the fallen wanted nothing more than to tear him to pieces.

Even if Bismarck had actually stood up for himself, his deeds would not have been publicized, and he would have been locked up in a mental hospital.

Bismarck had no choice but to grasp at this straw or pray that he would die sooner so as not to implicate his family.

However, it was precisely because of his arrogance that he believed he could definitely make it in the Austrian Empire's officialdom, and he worked even harder than others.

Furthermore, for the sake of political correctness, this war was not a bloody military conquest, but rather the return of brothers who had gone astray.

Therefore, it was about rebuilding the Holy Roman Empire, not starting from scratch.

Franz merely gave his blinded brothers a gentle wake-up call; the German nation was not conquered, but won over by Franz.

There were no losers in this war; everyone was a winner. That's how terrifying the Austrian Empire's winning strategy was—once it started, it was impossible to stop.

Furthermore, during periods of heightened nationalistic fervor, such actions were not supported, since family members could be forgiven.

Of course, those who made mistakes weren't family; they were Jews, Gypsies, or whatever.

As for the incompetent and bad apples mixed in with the officials, Franz has plenty of ways to deal with them, such as this consumption voucher incident.

Such cleanings were already commonplace for officials and nobles of the Austrian Empire, as they were carried out once or twice a year.

For newcomers who had just joined the empire, this was enough to intimidate them. After all, if the emperor wanted to kill someone, they were powerless to stop him.

What's even more terrifying is that the subjects they had been using as bargaining chips turned into Franz's loyal supporters almost instantly.

Those peasants would not sympathize with them, nor would they stand idly by; they might even actively assist the emperor in dealing with them.

Furthermore, Franz's initial plan was not this ambitious; he originally intended to complete these tasks within two or three windows.

The situation at this time was purely unexpected, but objectively speaking, the scale of the newly added territory had already exceeded the Austrian Empire's own capacity limit.

Therefore, Franz needs to maximize the utilization of existing resources for his own benefit.

Moreover, the Austrian Empire needed a sufficient amount of fresh blood to maintain its vitality and prevent it from becoming stagnant.

The common people, of course, did not see the power struggle behind the scenes. What they saw was that all the villains who had been stirring up trouble behind the scenes had been brought to justice, the empire's rule was as solid as a rock, and their future was full of hope.