Holy Roman Empire
Chapter 129: Laying the Groundwork

With the start of compulsory education, internal reforms in Austria have temporarily come to a halt. The government’s resources are limited, and it’s impossible to address all issues simultaneously.

Taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the 1848 revolution, Austria has made significant progress in domestic political reforms. Now was the time to consolidate these successes.

Any reform isn’t solely achieved by government decrees but requires the policies to be implemented on the field.

With the government at all levels bustling with activity, Franz found himself in a relatively relaxed state. He believed that whenever his bureaucrats were occupied with their tasks, it led to smoother days for the emperor.

However, Franz was acutely aware that once they had idle time, issues could arise. Either internal power struggles within the government might intensify, or factions could unite in an attempt to wrest power from the emperor’s hands, or perhaps even both scenarios could unfold simultaneously.

Schönbrunn Palace.

Maid Jenny, in a chattering tone, whispered in Emperor Franz’s ear, “Your Majesty, this is the finest Longjing tea brought back by Viscount Pavel Korchagin from the Qing Dynasty.”

It is said to be from the best water source near the West Lake over there. I never expected tea trees could grow in water. Truly, the world is full of wonders.”

Emperor Franz chuckled and said, “Nonsense, who told you that tea trees grow in water?”

As an emperor, he certainly received no shortage of flattery. Once it became known that Franz enjoyed tea, people naturally tried to cater to his preferences.

As for whether this tea is West Lake Longjing or not, only the heavens know. Franz could at most confirm that it was Longjing tea, but specifying whether it came from West Lake, Yuezhou, or Qiantang was quite a challenge.

Considering the production volume, Franz suspected that even if it was produced in West Lake, it wouldn’t be the finest Longjing tea. Most likely, Pavel Korchagin had been deceived by merchants.

During this era, they couldn’t venture deep into the inland regions, and many people conducting business there fell victim to scams.

“Could it be that scoundrel Pavel Korchagin deceived me? Hmph! I’ll definitely settle the score with him later!” Jenny exclaimed angrily.

She was genuinely upset. As Franz’s maid, many people would try to please her.

For example, with all these tea leaves that had been sent, if Franz were to drink them all by himself, they would probably not be finished even in the next century.

Pavel Korchagin had exaggerated the value of these tea leaves and presented a generous gift to get Jenny to mention them casually in front of Franz.

However, it turned into a big misunderstanding, and the little maid, feeling embarrassed, naturally got angry.

Franz comforted Jenny by gently patting her forehead and saying, “It’s okay, don’t be angry. I suspect he might have been misled too. West Lake Longjing has a history of over a thousand years.

Just a few hundred years ago, it was considered a top-grade tea. In modern times, an emperor from the Qing Dynasty visited West Lake, and he really liked the Longjing tea.

Following his lead, the status of West Lake Longjing in the world of tea rose. The best Longjing teas are now tribute teas and have very limited production, so ordinary people can’t really buy them.

In reality, there is no such thing as the absolute best tea in the world. Everyone’s taste is different, and what you like the most is the best for you.

This tea is still quite good, with excellent color, aroma, taste, and appearance. It can be considered a top-quality product.”

After this little display of knowledge, Franz successfully gained the admiration of the little maid.

……

After this little incident, Franz successfully remembered the name Pavel Korchagin.

Austria was not lacking in talent, even though these individuals may not have left a significant mark in history, primarily due to the circumstances of their time rather than their abilities.

In this era, people who ventured overseas typically fell into three categories: fugitives, those seeking to improve their social status, and those looking to amass wealth.

Regardless of which category they belonged to, Franz considered them to be valuable talents. Once Austria’s overseas colonization plans were set in motion, these individuals would replace opportunities to contribute.

Drinking tea, reading newspapers, and reading books—this was Franz’s leisure time.

He also wished to experience the extravagant and lavish life of indulgence, but unfortunately, he couldn’t afford to tarnish his public image.

Why was the original person an ascetic? A sudden change could easily invite trouble. An emperor isn’t an ordinary person; every word and action can have political consequences.

If Franz were to lead a corrupt lifestyle, it wouldn’t take long for the recently reformed Austrian political scene to fall back into corruption.

For the well-being of over 30 million Austrian citizens, Franz had to continue playing his role, with the most he could allow himself being a little relaxation.

“Your Majesty, Mr. Metternich is here,” the maid’s voice echoed.

“Bring him in,” Franz calmly replied.

The emperor didn’t have fixed days off, and Franz had grown accustomed to being interrupted during his moments of rest.

“Your Majesty, we’ve just received news that the Second Prussian-Danish War has broken out,” Metternich spoke up.

After the Berlin Revolution, the Kingdom of Prussia had achieved an initial internal compromise. To divert internal tensions, Frederick William IV and the Liberal Party had deliberately ignited the Prussian-Danish War, hoping to annex the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein.

Finally, under strong pressure from Russia, the Kingdom of Prussia had made concessions, leading to a ceasefire agreement.

“What’s going on? Did the Prussians inform us beforehand?” Franz inquired with concern.

On the issue of Schleswig and Holstein, the Austrian government was the sole supporter of the Prussians.

Despite only providing verbal support, they should not have given up on trying to gain Austria’s support, especially when other European countries were supporting Denmark.

“The conditions between the two sides in the Schleswig-Holstein issue were too far different. Three days ago, negotiations between the two parties broke down, and yesterday, they declared war on each other. Only after the outbreak of the war did the Prussians inform us,” Metternich answered with a furrowed brow.

Clearly, he was very unhappy with the actions of the Prussians. Not even notifying them in advance, wasn’t this disregarding Austria?

Franz, on the other hand, understood the Prussian government’s actions. Even if they had consulted with Austria, the Austrian government would definitely not support their annexation of Schleswig and Holstein.

It was better to create a fait accompli. In that case, Austria could do nothing but reluctantly accept it unless they go to war against Prussia.

“In that case, let’s contact the Russians and make our stance clear. Let them proceed with confidence, and Austria will only offer nominal support to Prussia,” Franz said with a cold smile.

In this era, the Kingdom of Denmark had long been in decline and was no match for the Prussians. However, they managed to secure an alliance with the Russians.

Without full support from Austria, Prussia might have a hard time achieving its goal of annexing Schleswig and Holstein. They first had to check if the Russians would allow it to happen.

While public opinion was important, if it meant getting Prussia and Russia into a conflict, Franz wouldn’t mind going against it once. He had already prepared excuses – the Austrian government doesn’t have the funds for war.

Besides, the Austrian populace hadn’t developed an internationalist spirit. They wouldn’t come out to protest for such a small matter. If anyone dared to clamor for war, Franz wouldn’t hesitate to confiscate their properties to fund the campaign.

“Your Majesty, it’s unlikely for the Russians to launch an attack on the Kingdom of Prussia, otherwise, they would have done so last year.

If we don’t intervene, Prussia could indeed occupy Schleswig and Holstein, which would be very unfavorable for us,” Metternich analyzed.

The Russians didn’t seem inclined to wage war against Prussia for the sake of the Danish people, as it didn’t align with their interests.

If the Russians were reluctant to go to war, it was even less likely that other European nations would be eager to do so. While it was easy to shout slogans, the prospect of actually deploying troops and engaging in warfare would likely give most nations pause.

Austria’s nominal support has also boosted Prussia’s confidence, at least they don’t have to worry about the south.

“Express our discontent to the Prussians, and simultaneously encourage Prussia to believe that they have the unwavering support of the German people.

Secretly contact other German states, so that once Prussia occupies Schleswig and Holstein, we can jointly exert pressure to compel Prussia to grant these two duchies independence.

If necessary, we can launch a preemptive war, offering Prussian-controlled Poland to the Russians in exchange for their military assistance,” Franz pondered and proposed his strategy.

Very well, this is the most ideal scenario. As long as the Prussians aren’t foolish, they should figure it out in advance. After all, they’ve retreated historically, haven’t they?

Franz was laying the groundwork just in case, and if he managed to outwit the Kingdom of Prussia, it would be a huge success.

“Your Majesty, if we want to deceive the Kingdom of Prussia, it’s best not to have secret contact with the German states. Having too many participating countries could make it difficult to maintain secrecy,” Metternich suggested after some thought.

Even though he didn’t believe Franz’s plan would succeed, Metternich didn’t mind giving it a try. If it failed, the Austrian government could afford to have a futile attempt, but if it succeeded, Austria’s position as the leader of the German states would be secure.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will handle this. If the Prussian government doesn’t fall for it, we’ll rely on the nationalists to exert pressure on them and make the Prussians endure the war for as long as possible,” Franz said after some thought.

War is a costly affair, and every day the Prussian-Danish War drags on, the Prussian government would have to spend a significant amount on military expenses.

The more they spent on the war, the less they could invest in domestic development.

While it might not be immediately noticeable after a day or two, if the war dragged on for several months, it could seriously deplete Prussia’s annual financial resources.

You see, the revolutionary governments in Schleswig-Holstein also require financial support from Prussia, and these are pure investments with no immediate returns.

Even if Prussia wins against the Kingdom of Denmark, there’s no prize for them. With Russia as their backer, the Danes won’t have to cede territory or pay reparations.

In history, Prussia succumbed to international pressure and withdrew from this war, only to watch the Schleswig-Holstein revolutionary governments it had supported being wiped out by the Danes.