The Imperial Age with the Resurgence of Han Style
Chapter 248 Qi people are everywhere
Chapter 248 Qi people are everywhere
January 1731, 1, Vienna.
The most prominent feature of the interior of the Hofburg Palace is the carefully designed magnificence, but overall, the palace presents a strange patchwork style, which is a combination of the banquet of the gods on Mount Olympus and the Spanish monks. The simplicity of the army was combined with the strict discipline of the barracks...
The costumes of the masters in the palace are Spanish-style, and the main color is black. The costumes of the palace attendants are the same color as the imperial coat of arms - always a black double-headed eagle on a golden background.
The carriage driver's clothing is always different from others, a yellow velvet leather jacket and a yellow velvet hat with a white feather on the hat.
All royal carriages were also black, and the emperor only rode in his red "chariot." The emperor and his court ministers all wore Spanish costumes, covered with short Spanish cloaks, all black with prominent lace.
Of course, on festival days, the emperor would wear gold brocade or red with gold embroidery.
The only accessory borrowed from other countries is the long powdered wig from France, probably worn since the time of Leopold I.
Currently, in the entire court, His Majesty the Emperor forces everyone to act in strict accordance with the Spanish court etiquette, and it seems that he is always worried about the throne that the Habsburg family lost.
In fact, Spanish traditions had long been deeply rooted in the Vienna court, and the emperor made few innovations. This is not so much a Spanish style as a Habsburg style, a style that deliberately resists the strong French influence.
The Imperial Minister of State, Margrave Alois Stogel of Graz, got off the carriage, paused, and smoothed the wig on his head with his right hand to ensure that the hairstyle would not be messy, so as not to lose etiquette in front of His Majesty the Emperor. Then, in front of the attendants, Under the guidance, enter the palace.
The Habsburg family does not have this problem, and there is a traditional precedent for women to participate in politics. Charles VI's own sister, Maria Elisabeth, had been in charge of the Austrian Netherlands on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor since 1725.
To this end, the emperor recruited many knowledgeable scholars and monks to compile and compile a detailed historical record that fully explained the Habsburg family's lineage. It was necessary to remove past legends and hearsay and provide a large amount of evidence and historical facts. , to promote the sanctity and authority of the family's ruling empire and to withstand the most demanding court challenges.
His Majesty the Emperor planned to build a dynastic temple that would become the holiest shrine of the Habsburg family. The monastery, surrounding St. Leopold's tomb in Klosterneuburg, was to be built on a hill outside the city, overlooking the Rhine.
As early as ten years ago, many people, whether in the Austrian court or in various European countries, gradually formed a consensus that although His Majesty the Emperor himself could not accept it, his daughter Maria Theresa would succeed him to the throne. The practice of direct male succession to the throne is coming to an end.
In a sense, the trouble this incident brought to the Habsburg family was not as serious as that of a country like France. Because, in France, women cannot give orders.
Therefore, His Majesty the Emperor needs a new temple, an "imperial mausoleum" located within the empire.
However, Charles VI still wanted to leave the imperial crown to the Habsburg family, to his only heir, and to his daughter.
In addition, His Majesty the Emperor also chose an extremely "suitable" husband for his daughter, Franz Stefan, Duke of Lorraine, thus achieving the purpose of marrying the two oldest families in Europe and explaining the future of the empire to the world. The heir's illustrious status.
Strictly speaking, Maria Theresa could rule Hungary and Bohemia as Queen, and Austria as Archduchess. However, she could not get the right to be elected to sit on the throne of the emperor.
Because, according to the ancient laws of Charlemagne, known as the Salic Code, only men can be elected to the imperial throne.
By this time, it seemed that the Habsburg dynasty was coming to an end.
“…the monastery architecture of the revival of the Baroque style was an extraordinary attempt…to reestablish…the bond between the Empire and the Kingdom of God…Our Austrian Baroque palaces were an attempt to pursue this complete unity of harmony…Churches , cloisters, bell tower, royal drawing room, library, art collections, and countless display cabinets of natural objects, together form an indivisible whole.”
"The huge staircases in these palaces are often unfolded heraldic shields, announcing the final union of these two different worlds in the empire. ... These palaces are both monasteries and palaces, and the cloister is a mansion. These two different seasons, The secular and the sacred, the religious and the political, the scientific and the artistic, are intertwined..."
However, in the eyes of many palace ministers, His Majesty the Emperor's enthusiasm for large-scale construction seems to be based on some uncertain future destiny of the empire.
Emperor Charles VI seemed to want all of Europe to know that the Holy Roman Empire he ruled would be more successful and prosperous than those of previous emperors. His ambitions were comparable to those of Louis XIV and Louis XV, and required the construction of even larger and more splendid architectural wonders.
The thought that many of his ancestors were currently buried on foreign lands simply made the emperor shudder and kept him awake at night.
Unless, unfortunately, the queen dies and he marries a younger woman, which is impossible.
Because His Majesty the Emperor has no sons, unless his queen can experience the miracle that happened to the mother of John the Baptist, it is impossible for him to have a male heir.
At the same time, Charles VI also reached deals with the Russian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia through secret diplomacy, ceding land, and transferring imperial interests, in order to gain support from both countries on the issue of imperial throne succession.
The discussion between His Majesty the Emperor and several scholars and monks came from the main hall. The topic they talked about was about the construction of a large-scale and magnificent monastery.
It was to become a second El Escorial (located in Madrid, Spain) to make up for the regret of the Habsburgs, as that monastery had fallen forever into the hands of the Bourbons.
Five years ago, Austria launched a war against the Ottoman Empire in order to attract Qi's "firepower" in exchange for the Kingdom of England's support on the issue of imperial succession.
However, it was this war that brought serious "trouble" to the empire. Although the imperial army in the later period, led by the great commander Prince Eugen, defeated the Ottoman army, they failed to achieve a decisive victory in the end. The Ottoman Empire fought a war of attrition in Wallachia and Serbia, pushing the already weak imperial finances into the abyss of bankruptcy.
Because there is a powerful financial backer behind the Ottomans, Qi's large loans and continuous military material assistance, so that the Ottomans, who have been losing consecutive battles, can always recover quickly in a short period of time, and then rely on their huge manpower , pushing back the imperial army that had gained the battlefield advantage bit by bit.
Four years ago, Russia suffered a disastrous defeat at the hands of the Qibo coalition and was forced to sign a peace treaty with the Persian Safavid Empire. It gave up all the previously occupied Caucasus territory and turned around to focus on the war with Sweden.
The free-handed Qi people immediately set their sights on the Balkans and sent all the ordnance and supplies they had not consumed on the Caucasus battlefield to Istanbul. As a result, the Ottomans who received assistance immediately rose up again, and one after another newly formed troops marched toward Wallachia and Serbia, preparing to have a good fight with the empire.
Not long after, Qi also joined forces with the Ottomans to open up the Adriatic Sea front and jointly attacked the Republic of Venice, posing a faint threat to the southwestern coastal areas of the empire.
In view of this, Prince Eugen, the commander-in-chief of the army who presided over the frontline operations, strongly suggested that His Majesty the Emperor should stop as soon as possible and end this senseless war so as to preserve the vitality of the empire.
Otherwise, both the empire and the Ottomans would lose in a fight, their strength would be greatly reduced, and the French next door would eventually take advantage.
You must know that when the empire was plunged into a war with the Ottomans, the French quietly accumulated a large number of troops and combat supplies in the border areas of the Austrian Netherlands and the Principality of Lorraine. Their wolfish ambitions were clearly exposed.
The stubborn Charles VI finally listened to Prince Eugen's advice and sent an envoy to Istanbul to begin negotiating an armistice agreement with the Ottomans. After more than a month of pulling and pulling, the empire returned more than a dozen captured Serbian towns such as Plana, Novac, and Lazarevac to the Ottomans in exchange for an unseemly armistice.
In other words, after nearly three years of fighting, the empire barely gained an inch of territory. Instead, it wasted the lives of tens of thousands of imperial soldiers and more than three million gold groschen.
And all this is in exchange for the Kingdom of England's recognition and corresponding support for the succession to the imperial throne.
In this regard, Prince Eugen once said with regret: "What the empire needs is to recuperate so that it can consolidate its internal affairs and enrich the country and strengthen its military. It cannot rely too much on the verbal commitments and support of other countries, let alone have any faith in the 'national edict'." High hopes.”
Indeed, Charles VI went to great lengths to support his daughter's status as the theoretical heir, constantly promising benefits to the major European powers, even ceding territory and sacrificing the interests of the empire. At the same time, he also tried his best to win over and bribe the various electorate states. and the states within the territory, draining the national finances.
However, His Majesty the Emperor did not pay attention to using military and political power to protect his daughter's right to inherit the throne. This shows his short-sightedness.
In addition to wasting on unnecessary wars, the empire's finances were also used heavily on the emperor's newly built Schönbrunn Palace, libraries, churches, monasteries and other magnificent buildings. The royal family even bought art, books and manuscripts on a large scale. and readings of works praising the Habsburgs.
However, the emperor invested very little in the construction of the empire's army, so that it became increasingly difficult to face the military threat from the Ottomans.
Not to mention, the people's livelihood economy and industrial and commercial development within the empire received almost no financial support, resulting in domestic social conflicts and endless public dissatisfaction.
"Alas!" Alois Stogel, Marquis of Graz, thought of this and couldn't help but sigh slightly.
"Marquis of Graz, are the people of Qi getting restless again?" When Charles VI was discussing the construction plan with Father Friedrich Hill, who was in charge of the construction of Closneuburg Abbey, he heard the Marquis of Graz sigh and couldn't help but frown. He frowned and turned to look at the other person.
These days, he has tasked this minister of state to deal with the armed conflict between the empire and Qi in Istria. He hurriedly came to see him, and he must have brought the latest news.
"Your Majesty, the people of Qi are still relatively... peaceful." The Marquis of Graz bowed slightly to Charles VI and said: "They expressed that they have no intention of having a war with the empire, and hope to reasonably divide the borders with the empire and keep each country's territory. , mutual non-aggression. They also demanded that the empire strictly control its borders and prohibit armed personnel from crossing the border into Istria, let alone fund and support local armed rebels.”
"The residents of Istria are the people of the Lord. As defenders and protectors of the Catholic world, we have the obligation to help them get rid of the rule and ruthless oppression of the pagans." Charles VI said passionately: "If we If the Qi people are allowed to gain a foothold in the Istria Peninsula, they will definitely collude with the Ottomans in the future and launch attacks on the empire from the southwestern coastal areas. Croatia is one of the core territories of the empire, and it is indispensable to the empire. The abandoned territory of God, we must take precautions to protect this sacred territory from being invaded by the evil Qi people. "
"..." When the Marquis of Graz heard this, his head suddenly pounded, and he felt a little helpless that His Majesty the Emperor was so resentful towards Qi.
To be honest, besides being uncomfortable with the Ottomans, many imperial ministers and nobles in private still have a kind of fascination and envy for this country.
This country on the Han continent monopolized the entire eastern trade and also controlled the Indian Ocean Rim. Their commercial tentacles spread almost all over the world, and their level of wealth was beyond compare even to the United Provinces, which was founded on commerce.
Gorgeous silks, exquisite porcelain, fragrant tea, and various exquisite Qi industrial products from the Eastern world were fatal temptations for the Viennese nobles.
I don’t know since when, tea has been a must-have drink for the upper class in Europe. According to many scholars and experts, tea has the effect of relieving fatigue and refreshing, and helps prevent epidemics such as cholera and tuberculosis.
I heard that Qi people often hold or sponsor various high-end tea parties in France, Spain, the United Provinces, Prussia, Sweden and other countries and regions to promote Qi culture, the mysterious and elegant Chinese civilization, the grand and gorgeous Han costumes, and The dazzling oriental artifacts are admired by the royal families and nobles of various European countries.
Tea, an expensive and elegant drink, can fully demonstrate the noble character and is naturally sought after by countless people who want to show off their status.
Those exquisite and beautiful porcelains were essential luxury items for aristocrats and wealthy businessmen to decorate their mansions.
As for the clocks and pocket watches produced in Qi, they are almost indispensable "daily items" for powerful people.
Coffee, cocoa, palm oil, pearls, gems, ivory, leather goods, machinery, hardware, steel bars... and newly emerged rubber products, from bulk agricultural products to luxury luxury goods and various industrial products, Qi people It seems that everything can be produced and provided, not only in large quantities, but also at relatively affordable prices.
Can you imagine? The clocks and watches made in Qi were transported across the ocean to Europe, and the price was actually cheaper than those produced by craftsmen in England and France (at this time, the Swiss watch industry had not yet started).
Therefore, although the Austrians dislike the Qi people very much, they like all Europeans the goods they bring. Many nobles and businessmen in the country will purchase Qi products through various channels to satisfy their extravagant and luxurious lives.
Even the Hofburg Palace is filled with many luxurious luxury goods from Qi.
"Marquis of Graz, if there is a war with Qi, will the empire be sure to expel the Qi people from the Balkans and quickly occupy the Istria Peninsula?" Charles VI was silent for a while and suddenly asked.
"Yes." The Marquis of Graz nodded and said: "Qi has deployed up to three thousand soldiers on the Istria Peninsula. If the empire attacks with all its strength, it should be able to win quickly. However, Your Majesty, I suggest that the empire should It’s better not to take risks, Qi is a very formidable opponent. The fact that they can defeat England and force Venice to surrender is enough to prove that their strength cannot be underestimated.”
"Can they still mobilize a large army to invade the empire's mainland?"
"Your Majesty, the Qi people can block all the empire's sea channels and cut off the Ostend Company's eastern trade. They can even capture Naples and Sicily. According to the news from Italy, several Qi warships are approaching. The purpose of deterrence in the ports of Naples (now Naples, Italy) and Palermo is unclear.”
"Hmm..." Charles VI was startled for a moment, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
Naples and Sicily were isolated outside the core territory of the empire, and their defenses were not very high. If the Qi people attacked them, they would probably follow in the footsteps of Venice and be easily captured.
"Your Majesty, the core interests of the empire are in Hungary, Bohemia, and Germany." The Marquis of Graz warned tactfully: "So, we don't need to get entangled with the Qi people in the Istria Peninsula. Even if we expel them The Istria Peninsula is also meaningless to the empire. On the contrary, this move will cause the empire to get into endless trouble and waste the empire's financial resources."
"..." Charles VI was silent.
"Your Majesty, two months ago, with the help of Qi, the Kingdom of Prussia reached a peace agreement with the Kingdom of Sweden and acquired the West Pomerania region." The Marquis of Graz continued: "In this way, Prussia's presence in The North German region will occupy a more favorable situation. This is a big threat to the empire. At the same time, the empire needs to be wary of France's covetousness of the Netherlands and the Principality of Lorraine."
"In fact, resisting the rule of the Qi people by inciting and funding local rebellions has proven to be unfeasible. Therefore, Your Majesty, under the current situation, it is best for us to maintain the necessary peace with the Qi people and not to cause trouble. It’s easy to provoke them.”
"People from Qi..." Charles VI frowned when he heard the news from Prussia, "How come there are people from Qi everywhere in Europe."
(End of this chapter)
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