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

Chapter 1233 Business (Part )

Prince Albert let go of his hand awkwardly, but Victoria glared at him. She did not like her eldest son, who was already 8 years old and yet could not recognize all English letters, even worse than his -year-old brother.

The most hateful thing is that this little brat is talking nonsense and I don’t know where he learned it from.

"Have you finished your homework?"

"I-I'm done!"

Edward said stubbornly.

"Humph."

Victoria sneered, completely losing the look of a little bird in Albert's arms.

"Miss Mary."

"Please give your orders, Your Majesty."

"Check his homework. Rewrite every mistake ten times and every blank twenty times."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

This made Edward anxious.

"You stinky bitch! When I become king I'll give you homework every day!"

"Not until I die! A hundred times! Miss Mary, don't let him leave the room until he finishes writing."

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Feeling the warmth of the family, Prince Albert's tense nerves finally relaxed. He had been busy with the World Expo recently, and the war technology of the Austrian Empire left a deep impression on the British.

Especially the airships, which have become a nightmare for the British. The British Navy is invincible on the sea, but it can do nothing about the things above its heads.

In order to resolve the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, the British must have their own airships.

Prince Albert summoned the best engineers and craftsmen in Britain for this purpose, and offered a reward to the public for the technology to manufacture airships.

The technical requirements for airships are not very complicated, but they are not something that can be accomplished overnight. Although there is always a brave man under a big reward, reckless action is also called courting death.

Under the stimulation of money and honor, people died almost every day in airship experiments. This made Prince Albert very upset, thinking that those people would even disregard their lives for money.

But British government officials didn't think it was a big deal. Even the families of the deceased did not blame him after receiving the compensation. After all, who wouldn't do that?
After exchanging pleasantries with Victoria and her husband, Leopold I presented them with gifts.

"Hey, why don't I see Edward? I brought him a gift too."

"he"

Before Prince Albert could finish his words, Victoria stepped hard on his foot.

"He is ill."

Prince Albert immediately understood and quickly changed his words.

"Yes! He is ill."

Leopold I looked at the embarrassed expressions of Victoria and her husband and did not continue to ask questions. Instead, he sighed.

"You two have such a good relationship. You are still inseparable after so many years."

"Uncle, you and sister-in-law are very..."

Before Prince Albert could finish his words, he was elbowed in the ribs and began to cough involuntarily.

Even if Prince Albert had not been busy with the World Expo, he would not have known much about the secret affairs of the royal palaces of various countries.

His impression of Leopold I and his wife still remained from several years ago, when the old husband and young wife were a very harmonious couple and were a model couple that everyone envied.

In history, Queen Louise was indeed a good wife and mother, and a very competent queen who neither caused trouble for her husband nor could she comfort her subjects.

However, with the Luxembourg Crisis, Belgium was defeated and divided, and finally had to live under the name of France.

As the eldest daughter of Louis Philippe, Queen Louise had no problem living under the protection of France. However, Leopold I could not stand it and regarded this kind of life as a shame. He vented all his hatred for Louis Philippe on his wife.

Cracks gradually appeared in the relationship between the two sides, and the ladies of French upper society liked to spread rumors.

This made Queen Louise, whose husband had fallen from power, feel humiliated. She hoped that Leopold I could regain his spirits, but the latter felt that he was humiliating himself. After all, living under someone else's roof would make it difficult for even a real man to realize his ambitions.

This led to a misunderstanding between the two sides, and then Queen Louise's "good friends" began to instigate this good girl to seek excitement.

Queen Louise, a young, beautiful and noble woman, soon became the target of Parisian playboys.

Under the temptation of these experienced lovers, Queen Louise soon lost herself. Leopold I was not incompetent. He knew he was wrong, but he could not forgive his wife.

They were still a model couple in front of others, but gradually became strangers behind others' backs.

Victoria couldn't explain all this to her husband, so she had to change the subject.

"Uncle, what brings you to London?"

"I want to discuss a business deal."

"Business? Are you short of money?"

Prince Albert asked with some confusion, as he had never seen the king come in person to discuss business.

Suddenly, Prince Albert felt an unfriendly gaze staring at him. Victoria was looking at him as if he were an idiot. Prince Albert awkwardly let out two dry laughs.

Leopold I's expression did not change much. Years of forbearance had allowed him to cultivate his energy very well. Moreover, as an elder, he knew that Albert had done it completely unintentionally.

"I really need money. Belgium is not the Belgium it used to be."

The area of ​​the Duchy of Belgium was only one-fourth of the area of ​​the Kingdom of Belgium, and it had lost all its ports and industrial areas, and had become an agricultural country at this time.

Coupled with the full-scale war in 1848 and the heavy taxation of the Second French Republic, it is no exaggeration to say that Belgium had become a wasteland at this time.

With both his country and his family in ruins, Victoria could understand why Leopold I would take such a risk.

Prince Albert could relate to this matter even more. Although he had never lost territory, as a man he could understand that kind of pain.

"Uncle, what do you want to do? We will definitely help you."

Victoria's eyelids were twitching. Although she sympathized with Leopold I's situation, she did not dare to make any promises easily.

I don’t know if my husband is stupid. How can it be a trivial matter that can make a king speak?

Especially for a proud man like Leopold I, the matter that made him bow his head must be no small matter. The business he mentioned might be to take back his homeland in Belgium.

Although Victoria had not been involved in politics for a long time, she knew that Britain and Russia were currently in a heated dispute over the issue of Polish religious conversion.

If it was just Russia, Britain could still barely cope with it, but if the Austrian Empire was added, Britain would most likely repeat the same mistakes.

Under such circumstances, it would be too hasty to agree immediately.
"I have discovered gold in South Wales and I want to take up some contracts for it."

When they heard about gold, Victoria and her husband no longer showed any joy on their faces, but instead looked even more worried.

They have heard too many stories like this. There is a group of people who specialize in telling these stories to the nobles and the rich, and then defrauding their funds and running away.

"Uncle, is your information reliable?"

Although he had a bad feeling, Prince Albert still asked the question.

"Uncle, if you need it, we can lend you some. The British royal family still has some surplus wealth."

Victoria was much more reasonable on this matter.

Leopold I immediately understood what the two were thinking.

"You don't think I've been deceived, do you?"

Victoria and her husband nodded heavily. In fact, Leopold I thought about it himself and felt that if those words had not come from Franz's mouth, he would probably have regarded them as crazy talk.