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

Chapter 1977 Through Draft

Viscount Stratford felt extremely frustrated. It seemed that nothing good ever happened to him when he came to Vienna, but he had no choice but to come, and even had to say some insincere words to praise this city that he loathed.

However, the others could not understand Viscount Stratford's feelings. They only knew that the man in front of them had already met a righteous end, since such words could be considered a diplomatic incident.

Even if the Austrian Empire hadn't pursued the matter, his political career would have been ruined.

But nobody cares about this hopeless guy. All activities in high society are social, and everyone must do their best to present themselves, win the favor of others, or build their image.

In fact, what the Viscount Stratford said would not have been a big deal in the past, and might even have been interpreted as frankness.

However, times have changed. Britain was once an unassailable force, but now that invincible, towering pedestal of civilization is gone, and there is little awe left in its memory.

On the contrary, the Austrian Empire grew stronger and stronger, becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

A peaceful transition during the generational shift is possible, but it's unlikely that no one will be involved in favoritism or backstabbing.

Moreover, with the Holy Roman Empire already established and many small countries incorporated into it, they would naturally choose to side with Austria.

If you continue to waver like you have in the past, then you're truly out of touch with reality.

However, not everyone is politically astute; some royal families have begun to indulge in unrestrained behavior after relinquishing power.

The most direct manifestation of this is that many people enjoy taking the elevator, but they still want to maintain appearances. For example, going down to pick someone up is a very reasonable excuse.

On the other hand, those who reached the summit had a completely new feeling: everything seemed so small, even the awe-inspiring church.

Those magnificent buildings, palaces, and wide streets are now just simple geometric shapes.

Humans are no different from ants; the crowds thronging below the building are nothing more than a swarm of ants.

Those people with names, surnames, and stories are now nothing more than tiny black dots.

Even the wind seemed to have changed; without the obstruction of trees and buildings, it became wild and unrestrained.

That direct contact with primal power can make one's legs feel shorter, but for these great figures it is a very strange feeling.

The fear of heights and the godlike sense of control are irresistible.
The ornate decorations on the twelfth floor seem insignificant, even somewhat bland.

However, the time they could indulge themselves was short-lived, and these people were still secretly causing trouble.

The entire banquet was like an underground trade fair, but instead of trading specific items, it was a genuine exchange of resources.

Franz did achieve unification by chance, but only at the governmental level.

The royal families of various countries still possessed substantial resources, thus initiating a new round of alliances and counter-alliances. Fortunately, Franz was prepared for this; he knew very well that seeking a permanent solution was unrealistic.

“Look at those mediocre people. They’re chasing after nothing but petty gains. What are you doing keeping these guys around?”

Nicholas I's words were hard for Franz to believe, after all, this was tradition, the rule, the game law that maintained the political ecology of the monarchy.

Under Franz's astonished gaze, the Tsar continued.

"I've had enough of those idiots. I'll kill them all sooner or later, and make sure the clouds can no longer block out the light."

These melodramatic lines did not awaken Franz's melodramatic spirit; he immediately spoke seriously.

“Father-in-law, there is a reason why this system and rules have been able to last for nearly a thousand years.”

Any reform must be carried out with utmost caution, otherwise the tragedies of Britain and France will be repeated.

In fact, apart from Louis XVI, King Charles I of England was publicly beheaded by Cromwell for treason as early as 1649.

Although it seemed strange that Franz would say such things, Nicholas I nodded. The latter was not yet ready to commit, but he also sensed something was amiss.

"If anything happens to me, I'll leave my family in your care. My biggest worry is Alexander; that brat is always so irresponsible."

But he can only be my successor. If he were to encounter the same situation I did, I hope you could help him and, in the meantime, eliminate the rebellious ministers within our country.

Those greedy and foolish fellows will destroy Russia sooner or later. They are short-sighted, selfish, and cowardly. They are not even as good as the serfs.

Even serfs know how to defend their homes and country, yet these serfs would desert in the face of battle. They are neither willing to obey nor have any discipline whatsoever.
Their so-called loyalty is a joke; they are only loyal to themselves, and their dirty laundry is so extensive that even the spies couldn't keep up with it all.

Nicholas I clearly lost control after a few drinks.

"What do you mean by 'capital'?"

While Nicholas I's sudden question seemed a bit out of line, Franz understood his meaning.

"Of course, the capital is where the monarch resides."

Nicholas I's expression was complex, a mixture of relief, reassurance, and anger.

“That’s right, a capital city naturally has a place where the monarch resides, but I’ve been in Constantinople for so many years, where are they?”

"Let's look at the scenery instead."

Nicholas I nodded and walked toward the observation deck.

The observation decks here have been repeatedly reinforced and feature specially designed panoramic glass, ensuring absolute safety.

However, Nicholas I had heard that the wind here was quite interesting, and he wanted to experience it for himself. As luck would have it, at the same time the Tsar opened his window, the Viscount of Stratford also opened his window on the other side.

The wind roared in like a flood that had found a breach, tearing away tablecloths, blowing out candles, napkins, flower petals, and even the vegetables used for decoration.

The wine glasses and silverware clattered to the ground one after another, and the ladies quickly held down their skirts and hats.

The giant chandelier began to sway, some people screamed, and others ran around covered with tablecloths. But the musicians' playing grew even more passionate, and the rousing melodies only made the crowd seem more comical.

Franz, on the other hand, was not surprised by this, after all, it was not his first time on the top floor, nor was it the first time he had seen such a scene.

No matter how chaotic or ridiculous the scene may be, it's fine as long as there are no reporters or unnecessary people around.

Franz was also curious why people would do this. The chaos didn't last long; security personnel in the lobby quickly closed the windows. As for why they didn't stop it earlier?
How could these high-ranking envoys from various countries possibly listen to the advice of a waiter?

Even after the wind stopped, the good mood of the royals from various countries did not disappear. In fact, some suggested that they go for a walk in the wind.

The reason this group was so generous was because the person who opened the window was Tsar Nicholas I and the British diplomatic ambassador, Viscount Stratford.

If it were someone else, they probably wouldn't receive this kind of treatment.
What Prince Albert was really interested in was the food on the table, with all sorts of tropical fruits and seafood as if they were free.

And then there's authentic Russian black caviar, which isn't an ingredient that's easy to come by.

Turtle soup, which was highly regarded in British high society, was relegated to the margins of society. In fact, apart from the British, who liked the taste of money, most European nobles and royalty did not particularly enjoy the flavor.

The reason why turtle soup was able to leave its mark in history is largely due to the strength of Britain. Others had no choice but to follow suit, which allowed it to become a top luxury dish at high-end banquets.

However, when it comes to actually eating the food, people still vote with their feet.

The expensive and unpalatable soup was naturally ignored. After Prince Albert took a few sips, he realized why everyone around him had left it uneaten; it was indeed not very good compared to the other delicacies.

Looking at those extravagant dishes, no one would doubt the strength of the Austrian Empire. After all, for many small countries, it would take the entire nation's resources to afford just this one meal.

King Pedro V of Portugal, who had just turned 21, had always been called the hope of Portugal, and his role model was Franz.

The two do indeed have many similarities, such as showing amazing talent in their youth and being proficient in multiple languages.

However, Franz's actions were driven by the need for his rule, while Pedro V's were purely out of personal interest.

Pedro V ascended the throne at the age of 16, displaying the same drive for reform, the same emphasis on education, the same focus on hygiene, and the same commitment to technological development.
Pedro V was the absolute protagonist of his own world, so he was very interested to see what someone who could be his equal would be like.

Pedro V even planned to talk to Franz for three days and three nights to see what Franz was really made of.

He had been in Vienna for so many days, but he hadn't really had a proper conversation with Franz, which made him very resentful.

However, after the banquet, Pedro V finally realized a problem: he had never been qualified in the first place.

The Austrian Empire was too large, and Portugal was too small; the two were simply incomparable.

Although the king's personal visit was a great honor, Portugal was simply not on the same level as Britain and Russia.

This banquet certainly had the purpose of showing off wealth and power, but the premise for all of this was that one truly had the ability to do so.

Some were amazed, some were relieved, some were resentful, and some had doubts.
However, this banquet was about to end, and other countries were unable to participate in the subsequent events due to their own considerations.

In fact, Franz's coronation was very low-key, but it was still held in Rome, a city that has been the subject of much controversy.

The Holy Roman Empire is now truly deserving of its name; it is both holy and Roman, and has become a real empire.

The coronation is not the end; as mentioned earlier, it is merely a new beginning.

On the other hand, Nicholas I did not adopt Franz's suggestion because Russia did not have as much money as it publicly disclosed.

Russia falsified a lot of data, but at the time not many people questioned it. Even Franz didn't think much of it because, from his perspective, the Russian data was normal and completely in line with the Austrian Empire's expectations of Russia.

However, Franz overlooked one problem: the fact that Russia's data was normal was itself a very abnormal thing.

In fact, just as he said, Nicholas I abhorred using money to insult the honor of soldiers, and he had no desire to give his money to the British.

Ultimately, Nicholas I decided to send troops to secretly infiltrate the Yukon and Coastal Mountains. After all, the two places were so desolate that the British would have to pay several times, or even ten times, the price to counter infiltration.

Even though the Russians hadn't yet arrived on those lands, Nicholas I had already planned how to develop them, and he even intended to sell off the local land.

On the other hand, there was no chaotic scene after the Vienna event.

In fact, Vienna could indeed handle such a huge influx of visitors at that time, although everything would become extremely congested.

But the profits are also enormous, as Vienna is a major consumer city. The more tourists, the more revenue.

Moreover, from a certain perspective, this was also a way to earn foreign exchange. A characteristic of the Austrian Empire was that much of this money would eventually end up in Franz's hands.

The previous economic crisis was further digested at this time, and many people could not even see the shadow of that economic crisis in the Austrian Empire.

However, Franz still needed to proceed with the reforms cautiously, as the newly formed Holy Roman Empire's economy remained fragile.

In particular, in the North German region, takeover cannot be equated with integration.

Franz has only made a good start so far; there is still a long way to go before he can fully digest and integrate the entire North German region.

Putting aside everything else, the tax collection alone has already given the Imperial Treasury a major headache. Although Franz had already reduced the number of states by merging with those of the same lineage, the number of states being absorbed into the Empire this time is simply too large.

Each state has its own independent financial system, and the old debts and complex relationships make everything very time-consuming and tricky.

Historically, the Prussians chose to simply give up and let everyone do their own thing, only sharing the burden when the country faced difficulties.

As for the consequences of this system, everyone should be well aware. It prevents the formation of a unified military, but funds for maintaining the army, conducting diplomacy, building infrastructure, and research can be borrowed when needed.

But when it really comes down to it, not being able to clench your fist can be fatal. And when that time comes, there's nowhere to borrow money.

Historically, the German Empire owed a great deal to the German Customs Union; otherwise, the country would have simply collapsed without even needing a war.

The situation faced by the Austrian Empire was far more complex and extensive than that faced by the Prussians.

Of course, Franz never intended for those states to continue with the old system from the beginning, thus eliminating their hopes and reducing a lot of trouble.

However, things are not that simple; it's not as easy as just sending a few people to take over a country. Moreover, localism and prejudice make tax collection even more difficult.

Taxes are hard to collect from the poor because they don't have cash.

The rich also suffer from taxes because these people have many ways to avoid taxes, and some powerful people even have the privilege of being exempt from taxes.

The newly formed Holy Roman Empire had to sort out these issues one by one before it could address the problems effectively.

Other issues include smuggling and concealing people, which also make tax collection extremely difficult. Many countries have systems that have been repeatedly refined, yet they often reveal numerous loopholes when it comes to implementation.