bookandnovel Chapter 934 Schönbrunn Palace
Chapter 934 Schönbrunn Palace
Chapter 934 Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace, Vienna.
Crown Prince Karl was in a bad mood lately. He was the younger brother of the old emperor, the grandson of Archduke Karl Ludwig, and the nephew of Archduke Ferdinand.
After his uncle Ferdinand's unexpected death, he naturally became the monarch of the "United Kingdom of Germany," one of the most powerful nations in the world, which inherited the mantle of the ancient Holy Roman Empire.
Although he had never received a formal monarchical education and the Demacia he was about to take over was still in the midst of a war that seemed endless, Karl often worried about whether he could bring this turbulent country, which was beset by powerful enemies and internal strife, to a peaceful landing.
But this does not prevent the fact that the Emperor of Germany is a coveted position that any member of the Habsburg family would dream of.
Even the worthless title of Emperor of Mexico has people eager to claim it, let alone the Emperor of Germany.
however.
Rudolph is back.
My cousin, who had been missing for many years and was rumored to have committed suicide for love, has returned.
If he were to relinquish his heavy responsibilities, it wouldn't be such a bad thing. Although he felt relieved, he also harbored some resentment. How could someone who abandoned his country and family responsibilities, eloped with his mistress, and disregarded the honor of his family have the face to come back and seize his throne?
He picked up his five-year-old son, Otto, and gently patted his back, trying to convince himself to prioritize the greater good and the family. But to be able to remain unmoved by the temptation of the throne would make him a saint.
"Your Highness!"
The servant approached with small, quick steps and whispered something in Karl's ear.
Karl was somewhat surprised: "The Texan delegation has arrived? Does His Majesty still require me to come to the palace to attend to state affairs?"
He was overjoyed. The old emperor had been on the throne for more than sixty years and had almost transformed into a political animal. He never did anything unnecessary. The fact that he summoned him to participate in politics meant that the old emperor had no intention of changing his successor.
"Quickly, hand little Otto over to Princess Zeta, and we'll head to the palace immediately."
When Karl arrived at Schönbrunn Palace, he was startled.
The red carpet stretched all the way to the Hall of Mirrors, where heavily armed guards in formal attire lined up to welcome the guests, making it appear as if they were receiving a foreign monarch of equal status.
"Wasn't it supposed to be a delegation from Texas? Judging from their appearance, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Queen Victoria herself has come!"
Crown Prince Karl was somewhat puzzled. Texas was, after all, just an overseas country. Although its strength was decent, in the eyes of these old European white flags, it was naturally a step below European countries.
Even if the president of Texas, Giuliano di Baslicata, were to personally attend, this level of reception would be excessive.
The attendant, unaware of the details, simply said, "Perhaps it's because the Texans agreed to join the war?"
Karl frowned and said, "It doesn't have to be over. Since His Majesty has done this, there must be a deeper meaning behind it. We'll find out soon enough."
But when he arrived at the Hall of Mirrors, he found that all the guests were strangers.
His grandfather, the old emperor who ruled for over sixty years and whom Karl regarded as a "political animal," was now beaming with an extremely warm smile, holding a lady's hand and chatting casually.
He stared wide-eyed, exchanged a glance with the servant, and both felt as if they were dreaming.
Emperor Franz, who was usually serious and rarely smiled, actually showed such a kind smile, like a friendly old grandfather next door.
"Karl is here. Come sit next to Rudolf."
Franz saw Karl, waved his hand, and then ignored him.
Seeing Karl's curious gaze, Rudolf chuckled and said, "That's Viviana, the legendary Candle Knight. You were just a little kid when she became famous."
Karl looked somewhat amazed, yet couldn't help asking with a hint of doubt, "She's the Candle Knight? She truly lives up to her reputation. But you all look so young."
Rudolf shook his head and said, "It's not that we're young, it's that we never experienced those years. After joining the Tower of Babel, time has become meaningless to us. So Karl, don't worry that I'll take your place. What you should do now is learn how to be a qualified crown prince as soon as possible, instead of having wild thoughts."
Carl felt embarrassed that his secret had been exposed, and he quickly replied, "Yes, Uncle."
“Tell me about your philosophy of governing the country. My father used to say that I was an impractical idealist, and I always scoffed at his conservatism and stubbornness. Perhaps you can bring the two of us together?”
Rudolf made a joke that quickly brought the two closer.
He could not stay in this world for long, nor did he have any intention of doing so. His remaining sense of national and familial duty made him happy to introduce his former loyalists and faction members to the new crown prince.
the other side.
The old emperor complained to Lothar, "Captain Lothar, you are, after all, an ancestor of our Habsburg family. How could you give such a good opportunity to the Hohenzollern family? Don't you know how dangerous their schemes are for this country?"
With the old emperor's skill, he was well aware of the danger of the Hohenzollern family's plan to merge the Knights Order State with Brandenburg, and the Knights Order State, which had defeated Tsarist Russia, would inevitably see its territory greatly expanded.
In Franz's view, this move, which could potentially split the entire German state into two parts, north and south, and even shake the Habsburg dynasty's throne, was more despicable than any external enemy.
He only dared to complain a little. This grand welcoming ceremony was mainly to welcome Losa and show him goodwill.
The power that Babel demonstrated in this Eastern Front campaign, and the subversive activities of its dragon legions in St. Petersburg, would have been a catastrophic disaster for any of the participating nations.
"That's why I had His Highness Rudolf remind you. I think, with your wisdom, you've probably already figured out a solution."
Franz smiled wryly and said, "There are always ways, but there's no way to solve it once and for all."
Lothar smiled and said, "There's nothing I can do. The old Elector has entrusted her daughter to me, so I have to give her some dowry."
His Habsburg is not the same as the Habsburg of this world.
The old emperor was willing to acknowledge his relatives, truly proving the saying, "When you're poor, no one cares even in the bustling city; when you're rich, you have distant relatives even in the deep mountains."
"Ha, that old bastard Frederick has no shame in accepting it."
Seeing Viviana's helpless expression, the old emperor could only say, "Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Lothar, there are quite a few young women of marriageable age in the court right now. Would you like to meet them? I don't need Frederick's generous dowry; you can just take them with you."
Losa quickly waved his hand: "That's not necessary."
Looking at his "little granddaughter's" angry eyes, the old emperor couldn't help but laugh and said, "You don't even need to refuse, little Anna won't agree anyway. How long can you two stay here? If there's enough time, I'd like to hold a royal wedding for you that is befitting your status."
This time, before Losa could refuse, Prajna spoke up.
"No need for you to trouble yourself. If Your Majesty has the time, you can first hold a wedding ceremony for His Highness Rudolf and Duchess Mary."
The old emperor's smile faded slightly, and after a long while, he sighed, "If he had the nerve, what would have happened if I had arranged this wedding for him? Back then, he abandoned Stephanie and little Elizabeth and left, and when he returned, he didn't even have the courage to see them."
The atmosphere suddenly became much more somber.
Duchess Marie also returned to this world, but unlike Rudolf, as Lothar's representative, Franz, no matter how dissatisfied he was with his only son, had to fulfill his duties as emperor.
The old emperor felt it was bad luck to even glance at Lady Mary.
Rudolf abandoned his wife and daughter to elope with a country noblewoman and has not been seen for more than ten years. This is even more unpleasant than the legend that Rudolf and Duchess Marie committed suicide together.
On the other side.
Cherinina, Lavinia, and Veneto have already started talking with the Texas delegation.
The leader of the Texan delegation was a familiar face to Lothar and his men, Centurion Leon.
Over the years, Texas has been developing in accordance with Losa's plan, step by step.
By attracting immigrants from Europe, assimilating the native population, developing education and basic industries, Texas enjoyed a golden period of development for more than a decade, finally managing to barely make it into the ranks of the second strongest economies.
At the very least, it was qualified to deal with the enemies of the French colonies.
Therefore, the Texas delegation's arrival in Europe was at the behest of Lothar, and at this most opportune moment, they joined this "war to end all wars."
With the outbreak of internal strife in Tsarist Russia and the defeat of the Allied Powers already decided, even the strongest Franco-Spanish Federation could not possibly stand against the Anglo-German alliance in Europe at the same time.
By joining the war now, Texas can maximize its gains.
Given the vast sphere of influence of the Fascist Federation in the Americas, even taking only one-third of Texas would be an incredibly lucrative gain.
"Is my father in good health?"
Leon smiled and said, "Not bad. Although he has become too lax in his martial arts skills in recent years, his foundation is still there. He should be able to live for another hundred or two hundred years without any problem."
"That's good. How are Valentina and her Saluzzo family doing?"
"Speaking of Miss Valentina, her vision and courage are truly extraordinary. Ten years ago, Miss Valentina defied all opposition and abandoned the ancestral land of Saluzzo, moving the entire clan to Texas and building a city called 'New Saluzzo' on the other side of the Rio Grande River. Now, they no longer run the assassin industry, but mainly operate armed escort of supplies, shipping, and mining."
Leon remarked with some emotion, "Nowadays, the Saluzzo family's business has spread throughout the entire New World, from the Thirteen Colonies to French South America. Everyone knows that the Saluzzo family's bodyguards are the most reliable."
"If the Saluzzo family is so powerful, what about the other wolf families?"
Compared to Cherinina, Lavinia and Veneto were clearly more concerned about the current situation in Texas.
The migration of numerous werewolf families to the New World not only strengthened Texas but also diminished the influence of the original Basilica. Coupled with the issue of immigration, this exacerbated racial tensions between werewolves and humans.
The thought of governing such a country gave Lavinia a headache.