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

Chapter 1151 Uninvited Guest 2

Chapter 1151 Uninvited Guests*2
Both sides were hypocritically fantasizing about a beautiful future together, when a waiter hurried in and whispered something in Franz's ear.

After hearing this, Franz couldn't help but frown, but then he relaxed again.

"Just in time!"

Franz didn't want to continue wasting time with the dead man in front of him, so he stood up and said.

"Sorry, I have a relative coming to visit. I have to excuse myself."

Franz didn't mind revealing some important information to old Ali. Rather, he hoped that this "secret" would spread, and the more people knew about it, the better.

Although this was a good thing for Austria, Franz's cousin Otto I was too impatient. After all, he was the head of state, and he should not have been so hasty even if he wanted to travel.

Hofburg Palace, Grand Ballroom.

"Oh, my dear cousin, what brings you here?"

"Hush! Franz, how can you say that? You will expose my identity."

Otto I spoke in a low voice while hiding in a black robe, but his voice still sounded loud in the empty banquet hall, and even echoed in the empty hall.

"Cousin, you are traveling with only six people and using a fake identity. Aren't you afraid that you will be dragged to an underground slaughterhouse before you even enter Vienna?"

Otto I's expression froze at first, and then he gave a serious lecture.

"Franz, what are you doing again! Haven't you had enough of the role-playing game? Do you know how many people want to kill you?

Did you know that someone on the black market is offering a reward of one million florins for your death?

"Only one million? How stingy."

Franz still had a nonchalant expression.

"Well, tell me why you're here, cousin."

"How could you not know this, you are so smart?"

"I guess you're visiting relatives, so why are you wearing a black robe?"

Franz tore off Otto I's black robe.

"What are you doing! I, the great King of Greece, suddenly visited the Austrian Imperial Palace late at night. Who doesn't know that we have a conspiracy?"

"Cousin, do you think that if you don't come, others won't be able to see the relationship between our two countries?"

Otto I thought about it and it seemed to be true.

"Well, Franz, what do you think of my plan? I can give up North Macedonia, but the land west of the Marija River must belong to Greece.

I plan to build a navy, and when the next war comes, I will directly attack Constantinople by land and sea, and restore the territory of ancient Greece."

"Cousin, let's eat first."

Franz snapped his fingers, and immediately two lines of waiters came with all kinds of delicacies and filled the table.

Otto I's eating manner was a little awkward, but just like Franz snapping his fingers, he didn't need to be too restrained in front of his brothers.

"Franz, are you jealous of my talent?"

After hearing what Otto I said, Franz almost spit out the juice he had just drunk.

"Ahem, cousin. I will be meeting with the Russian ambassador tomorrow. You can hide and listen. Then we can discuss this matter again."

Otto I nodded. Russia was indeed an obstacle that could not be avoided in the Balkans.

Seeing that the other party agreed, Franz finally breathed a sigh of relief and spoke in a joking tone.

"Cousin, aren't the conditions you are talking about the same as those brought by your ambassador Andronikos? Why did you come here again?"

“You’re asking questions even though you already know the answer! These guys who call themselves nationalists are just boasting! They’re even less efficient than the clowns I hired!
How can these guys represent Greece?"

Otto I looked very angry, then sighed and said.

"My people don't regard me as their king! They just want to undermine my power! I am surrounded by treacherous officials! They are all against me! They are all a bunch of fools without loyalty and honor!

I have less power in this country than when I was a prince in Bavaria!

My annuity is only 1000!"

"A thousand pounds?"

"A thousand florins!"

“Haha, that’s pretty miserable.”

"Not only can I not pay the guards, I can't even afford to keep my sixteen horses and thirty hounds! I have to borrow money from my mother and wife!"

At this point, Otto I's face turned red. It was obvious that this was a great humiliation for him.

Franz also stopped smiling. "Wasn't the annuity one thousand pounds before?"

In fact, one thousand pounds was not a small amount. Most members of the Habsburg family could only receive five thousand to ten thousand florins per year.

(Ten thousand florins is about one thousand pounds.)
The annual pension of most royal family members in Germany is around 3,000 florins, but they basically have their own properties, so their lives are relatively comfortable.

Before Franz's reforms, his annual pension of 12000 florins was the highest ever received except that of Emperor Ferdinand I.

"Hmph! Don't mention it! Those damn guys! When the military funds were insufficient, they deducted them from my pension and even falsely accused me of being warmongering! I can only pretend to be sick."

Franz sighed.

"Have their salaries been deducted?"

"Oh, my goodness! Franz, do you think those guys really live on salaries? Don't be ridiculous, don't say you don't understand!"

"Of course I know, but let me ask you now, have their salaries been deducted?"

"no!"

"Then why do you give in?"

Otto I hung his head.

"I have no money. All my actions need to be approved by the parliament, including the expenditure of the army. If I don't listen to them, the army will lose supplies."

It seems that the top leaders of the Greek Parliament are almost as lacking in experience in struggle as his cousin. Was politics in the Balkans in the 19th century so wild?
"Cousin, you don't have control over the military, politics, finance, and taxation. This won't do. What if something like the French happens someday?"

Otto I put down the pork chop covered with syrup, let out a long breath, and said with a firm look in his eyes.

"Then I shall die like a king."

This statement was very powerful, but Franz knew very well that when the rebellion actually came, his cousin did not do as he said, but chose to escape in disgrace.

Of course, historical choices are always very complicated, and perhaps there were reasons to retreat at that time.

King Maximilian II of Bavaria walked out from a secret room.

"What a coward! I will die like a king. Is that all you can do? If you stayed in Munich, you would be scared to death by those mobs and Jews!"

Maximilian II was the elder brother of Otto I, and both were cousins of Franz.

"Why is this guy here?"

Otto I did not answer Maximilian II's question, but turned to look at Franz.

"Just like you, I ran away secretly."

Maximilian II blushed.

"How can you call it stealing? It's clearly a covert operation."

"Okay, let's just treat it as a family dinner."

Franz finally came out to smooth things over, and the two cousins had to suppress their anger, but he didn't want to continue eating.

"You should at least take control of the army first."