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

Chapter 1986 Fast and Good
Indeed, the Austrian Empire’s colonies provided the empire with a considerable number of talented individuals each year. These individuals either stayed in the colonies to make their mark or returned to Austria’s homeland to fight again.

After all, they were educated, had property, and their knowledge was far superior to that of the laborers who had fallen to the colonies.

However, in unnoticed corners, many others failed to rise again and became fertilizer for the colonies.

Of course, some motivational speeches are still necessary, since Franz doesn't want them to cause trouble on their own soil. As for the colonies, someone will deal with them.

Not to mention them, even those self-proclaimed scoundrels and ruffians had to live timidly in the colonies.

The early colonies of the Austrian Empire were more like military camps. Although they are not as strict now, many rules have been established.

They treated imperial citizens well and laborers fairly well, but their attitude towards exiled prisoners was far from friendly.

If someone is incompetent and disobedient, it's not surprising that they could be executed.

Generally speaking, the conditions were better in the large colonies, where there was already some infrastructure. However, the living conditions became increasingly harsh in some newly built small colonies or outposts, especially the deeper inland they went.

Some colonies still maintain a casualty rate of over 20% per year, and occasionally settlements even disappear from the map altogether.

Dozens of people died from disease, attacks by Black people, infighting, or some other inexplicable event.

Franz's move in Prussia once again won applause. In fact, the Prussians had long been disgusted with the self-important Junker aristocracy in their country.

The Prussian military myth was indeed very compelling, but it didn't resonate with the common people. Especially after receiving compulsory education, Prussians became increasingly aware of this.

However, the sense of awe that had been formed over thousands of years was not easy to break, especially after hearing that the nobles had been deceived. Many Prussian people shed tears and prepared to join the nobles in fighting against the wicked.

However, after finally bringing the culprits to justice, the expected good days did not arrive.

The factory clock still ticked fast, wages remained low, and workers were still as undignified as ever.

They suddenly felt betrayed, and a burning anger mixed with disappointment and shame was simmering within them.

When the hammer fell once more, the people unhesitatingly chose to stand with Franz. They didn't know if the emperor would keep his promise, but they had successfully avenged themselves against those high-ranking nobles.

Even a brief moment of pleasure is enough to soothe their small and ordinary lives.

"I don't care about any benefits! I just want to make them unhappy!"

This was the most genuine thought among many Prussians. As for risking their lives against the Austrian army for the sake of Prussian nobles or so-called honor, that was absolutely impossible.

In fact, the Prussian nobles did put up some resistance, but in the most disgusting way.

They lacked the courage to take up arms and confront Franz, but they were quite daring to stab him in the back.

Their core logic was that the people didn't need to support them; as long as they didn't support the emperor, they hadn't lost.

In fact, the difference between having public support and not having it makes a big difference, the most obvious being the cost.

Don't be fooled by the fact that the Labor Protection Act benefits most ordinary people and doesn't require their direct opposition. If they simply cooperate passively, the administrative costs will increase exponentially.

With the Holy Roman Empire newly established, Franz faced numerous internal problems as well as the covetous eyes of other great powers.

No one thought he would waste his main energy on an excuse; if he chose to settle for second best, the nobles' prophecy would come true.

"We've said it before, we and they are all in cahoots."

The fulfillment of such a prophecy would greatly enhance the influence of the nobles, but what use would this influence be?
After all, if Franz couldn't control the situation, he would most likely have to bring them back to take charge, just like Bismarck did.

If trust is nonexistent, then self-interest is more reliable.

At least that's what their wisdom tells them.

Of course, they were well aware of the so-called countermeasures, but the nobles had been cultivating this land for hundreds, even thousands of years.

Their reach has already penetrated every corner of the area, and their influence is ubiquitous.

Of course, these guys also learn from others, such as making promotional brochures and forging famous quotes.
"No matter how well the law is written, it still depends on people to enforce it."

The aristocratic bureaucrats knew this all too well, after all, they were the ones who carried it out in the past. They were very familiar with how local administrative departments operated, how to instigate, sabotage, and even distort the rules to their own advantage.

Their plan was perfect, but they underestimated Franz's anger.

Franz hated these traitors the most. They were weak to outsiders, cruel to their own, and couldn't stand seeing others do well.

Their actions will rapidly erode the credibility of the government and even the entire society.

If these guys manage to do it, Franz will need to pay ten times, or even a hundred times, the price to turn things around.

This would waste Franz's time, perhaps even decades.

He cannot forgive this behavior, so these people must be punished.

Of course, the solution is quite simple: expose the lie with the truth.

However, this kind of thing is easier said than done.

It's not that Franz doesn't intend to keep his promise, nor that he wants to compromise on the Labor Protection Act.

The real problem lies in "time," if Franz's actions do not meet public expectations within a certain timeframe.

Then he would become another swindler. It's not a question of whether he did it or not, or whether he planned to do it or not.

Instead, he must deliver something to others within a certain timeframe and satisfy them.

The issue is that this is a very, very subjective thing. Some people feel that as long as Franz keeps his promise, it doesn't matter even if it happens after his death.

Some people's expectations may be their entire life, or even just the last moment before they die. This timeframe could be thirty to fifty years, or it could be twenty to thirty years.

But some people feel that everything should get better immediately, and their tolerance will not exceed three days.

However, most people's tolerance for the policy is three to six months.

If concrete improvements are seen during this period, the government's credibility will increase. Conversely, failure to do so will lead to greater disappointment.
Of course, it also depends on the specific level of prestige of the state government. If the same problem occurred within the Austrian Empire, Franz would not have needed to worry at all, because the Austrians had a very high tolerance for the imperial government.

Franz said that there was absolutely no need for evidence that those guys were frauds, and the vast majority of Austrians would choose to believe him.

The attempt to smear them is utter nonsense; the tide of nationalism and religion will drown them, not to mention the so-called tradition of loyalty to the monarch.

Later generations, when they hear about loyalty, will only think of a certain figure riding a white horse, but it is undeniable that his absolute control was like the golden headband of Tang Sanzang. But the problem is that it happened in Prussia, at a time when the Holy Roman Empire had just been established and Prussia had just been defeated, which was far too sensitive.

So the question of how to get things done quickly and efficiently was once again placed before Franz, who really hated the feeling of being put on the spot.

Fortunately, Franz never intended to keep his promises; he could offer tangible benefits. Moreover, this framework of benefits was also advantageous to Shinra itself.

The first thing was to make an example of them. Actually, Franz didn't want to do this; he was forced to by them.

Because this method is the fastest to take effect, it can shut most people up in a short time.

Nothing is more convincing than a public trial and a public execution.

Let's not even talk about the fact that most nobles in this era are not clean. Even if they were as great as they claim, it wouldn't be difficult to find a few bad apples.

Of course, one must make an example of someone to deter others, and the selection of the chickens is also important. These chickens don't necessarily have to be the biggest, fattest, or most delicious, but they must be the most familiar and the ones that look the fiercest.

Ironically, a notorious tax official might be as well-regarded by the public as ten heads of top powerful clans.

However, Franz's principle was always to fight both flies and mosquitoes. The public enjoyed seeing notorious tax collectors, but the nobles needed to see the fate of the top families to learn from their mistakes.

At a mine in the Ruhr region, Weber and a team of miners had just finished a fourteen-hour mining operation. Although he was only 24 years old, his back was bent like that of a 42-year-old farmer.

To adapt to life underground, these young men were molded into human-shaped shrimp. Even top dancers would find it difficult to maintain such exaggerated poses.

The tunnels in 19th-century mines were far less wide than they are described in later times; it was simply impossible for an average adult man to stand up straight.

This was due to both technical and cost issues. At the time, there was a less common theory that for a mine to be profitable, the tunnel height should not exceed 4 feet.

How tall is four feet? 1.2192 meters. Not to mention an adult man, even a slightly older boy couldn't stand up straight inside.

Working 14 hours a day in such a cramped and confined space, it's no surprise that one would end up in whatever state afterward.

"Have you heard? This time it's really different. His Majesty the Emperor's Labor Protection Law will protect every one of us. We will have higher wages, better working conditions, and more rest time."

The speaker was a young man who had only been there for three years and had just turned eighteen this year. Although he was also incredibly dirty, there was still a light in his eyes.

This reminded Weber of his past self; he had heard such naive words countless times, and he had tried to change them countless times.

"Didn't they say the same thing last time? Those noble lords have hanged quite a few people! They made many promises, but now we're still living like livestock."

Oh no! The livestock don't work as hard as we do. At least they don't have to work at night, or crawl into those deep, dark, damp burrows where rats scurry around!

The young man opposite him also lowered his head, because the situation was similar to what Weber had described; it was the same scenario they had experienced a month ago.

At the time, everyone thought that earth-shattering changes were about to happen, and they did indeed receive gifts from the emperor, and they had a delicious meal.

But just as he was getting completely drunk, the new foreman arrived before the ten-hour workday.

Ironically, even though there are only 24 hours in a day, and the work is done in two shifts, the nobles still demand that the workers work 14 hours a day.

Such days offer little hope. These nobles don't even bother to pretend; they offer no promises, but instead use their power to oppress people. Anyone who dares to resist is arrested and made an example of.

The people around him fell silent, because they all knew that what Weber said was true, and they were experiencing it all and it seemed impossible to refute it.

Suddenly, the mine gate was kicked open, and the white uniforms of the soldiers stood out against the gray mining area.

The usually ruthless foreman rubbed his hands together and jogged up to the officer.

"Sir, rest assured. As long as I'm here, I guarantee I'll exceed the mission's targets."

The leading officer asked expressionlessly.

"What's your name?"

“Gerhard Wolf, sir.”

The foreman grinned obsequiously, pulling a bag of money from his pocket; he knew the rules. Money was a good thing, but as long as he could hold onto his foreman position, he wouldn't have to worry about it.

This is his wisdom for survival.

However, the officer casually knocked the money bag out of the foreman's hand, and the round silver coins rolled to the ground.

"Gerhard Wolf, you have openly defied the Emperor's orders, murdered workers, forced labor, seized other men's wives and daughters, and extorted money."
You will be tried here; tie him up!

The foreman had a gun, and just as he was about to draw it, a soldier next to him knocked him to the ground with the butt of his gun, and the pistol fell to the ground.

"Still dare to openly resist arrest? Tie him up and search him thoroughly!"

Soon, the arrogant foreman was stripped down to his underwear and hung by the door.

Many people were quite happy to see this lackey suffer. However, the cheers didn't last long, and the miners spontaneously began working again.

Their expressions were indifferent, because they knew that the victory belonged not only to them, but also to the true masters of this place.

No matter how many times the owners change, their jobs will remain the same. In fact, to keep their jobs, they should be even more law-abiding.
The mine's large bell was struck loudly, and the leading officer seemed quite displeased.

"Do they really want us to play along with their act?"

Weber said dismissively, and the surrounding miners were also in low spirits, staring blankly at the well-dressed officer.

"Enough! Stop what you're doing! I need a few people familiar with the mine, and experts will come to inspect its structure later."

If it doesn't meet the Imperial standards, then a complete overhaul is necessary.

Now all the workers are registering here. We need your information to compare with the mine's information.

Please rest assured, the Empire will give you justice.

Soon, the civil official brought in experts from Austria to begin testing, and the results, naturally, were that the test was completely unsatisfactory.

"This is a good start. Isn't it?"

This visible change even made the most burdened old miners nod in approval.

(End of this chapter)