Eagle’s Glory

"I just wanted to ask you, Franz, what do you think your mother wants you to marry Archduke Karl?"

His Majesty's tone was still as gentle as usual, and he did not express any opinion of his own.

But of course Aigron knew that without his acquiescence, how could his mother have the ability to make a case for herself?

Maybe he doesn't necessarily like Theresa, but he'd be happy to see himself continue to be an Austrian through and through.

He had already thought about a similar scenario beforehand, so he responded quickly.

"Archduke Carl is very famous and has outstanding achievements, and I have always admired it very much; and Princess Teresa, although I have not communicated with her before, but after meeting her, she is also very kind and friendly to me, which makes me very happy. So if I can get the favor of Her Royal Highness, it must be my unparalleled honor. But... I don't think I have enough capital to attract her and her father..."

After hearing what he said, His Majesty the Emperor and Louisa looked at each other.

"In other words, you don't object?" Emperor Franz asked directly.

I have no objection—Aegron originally wanted to say that, according to his calculations, with the fame of Archduke Karl, he could gain more room for action.

But as soon as the words came to his mouth, he remembered the words he said in front of Princess Sophie just now...

"All I can say is, I'm happy to try it... But I'm not confident that I can get His Highness's approval." So, it finally turned into this answer.

"Oh, what a stubborn child." After listening to his answer, the mother Luisa couldn't help laughing, she thought her son was shy, "Why are you embarrassed to admit it? At your age, yes It's time to think about life as an adult."

"Okay, no need to scold. Young people are a bit shy, and Franz is an introverted child, so it's good to be able to express his position to this level." His Majesty the Emperor nodded, indicating that he already understood the young man's thoughts, "In addition, your objective concerns do exist, so it is natural for you to worry about gains and losses..."

After pondering for a while, he spoke again, "However, you don't have to worry so much. As my grandson, you have the dignity of no less than any king or grandson. And Carl, I understand him, he is not a vulgar snobby. Man, he doesn't care that much about money, as long as you can show that kind of impressing quality, I think he will consider it. As for Teresa, as long as her father nods, her own thoughts are not that important Now, you can treat her as a friend, be kind to her, and she will get used to it over time."

"Your Majesty...!" Before waiting for Aegron to reply, Grand Duchess Louisa was a little dissatisfied, "You are too contemptuous of Teresa, I don't think it should be. After all, this is about the happiness of the two young people, if If Teresa is firmly opposed to this matter, then I will take back my efforts and let my proposal be voided, I do not want to be the object of her life's hatred, and I do not want to be the creator of tragedy."

His Majesty the Emperor was a little surprised by his daughter's sudden tough attitude, but he quickly understood, and he inadvertently reminded her of his dreamy career as a queen of the French Empire in the past.

At that time, she seemed to have been sent to France by himself with this attitude... Although that was what the country needed, he always felt a little guilt towards his daughter.

"Oh, sorry, I made a blunder." His Majesty the Emperor smiled awkwardly. "Sorry, Luisa, I didn't mean that, and of course Teresa's thoughts are also very important."

Although it is said in the mouth, in the eyes of the emperor, or in the eyes of the vast majority of the world, things are like this, and the tradition of the Habsburg family is also the same.

Metternich once publicly said when matching Napoleon and Louisa's marriage that the princesses are nothing but marriage tools.

"Well, since Franz has no objection to this matter, let's put it on the family's agenda seriously." Emperor Franz changed the subject and broke the awkward atmosphere, "No matter what the result is, It's a good thing to make it a little more lively here."

With the increase of age, His Majesty the Emperor has lost the hope of continuing to have children, and the two sons have been unable to come to the world because of their respective circumstances, and their knees are quite desolate, so sometimes he will be very nostalgic for Meiquan when he was a child. The excitement of the palace.

"Franz, I want you to do what you deserve so that your mother and I will not be disappointed."

Then, he waved his hand gently, motioning for the mother and son to leave, Aegron resigned knowingly, and he could clearly see the exhaustion on His Majesty's face.

With the departure of Louisa's mother and son, the spacious office suddenly became more empty.

His Majesty the Emperor closed his eyes for a while and then opened his eyes again when his spirit was recharged.

"What did Metternich say?" he asked, looking at the papers on the table.

"Prime Minister Metternich is quite satisfied with the candidates selected by the court." The valet behind him replied respectfully, "He proposed to use marriage to continue to hold the surname Bonaparte in his hands, and of course he did not want to be used by foreign royal families. Share and take ownership."

"When he talks about the royal family, there is no difference in the way he discusses the goods on the shelves with the merchants." His Majesty the Emperor frowned, showing a little impatient. "I'm really worried that after I'm gone, he will have personal rule over the country in the name of the Habsburg family."

His Majesty the Emperor's worries are not groundless, because the Crown Prince Ferdinand has a congenital mental illness and mental retardation. If he dies and the Crown Prince ascends the throne, he is destined to be unable to achieve personal rule and can only rely on the Prime Minister's assistance— Or the Regent.

In history, Metternich did indeed do this. He also manipulated a marriage in high spirits, allowing the crown prince Ferdinand to marry the princess Marianna of Sardinia. The princess lived for decades to come. All wasted on taking care of this mental patient.

"Your Majesty, although the Prime Minister has a strong attitude at times, his loyalty to the empire is unquestionable." The attendant whispered to His Majesty, "We need a strong-armed figure like him to survive this stormy era. "

"You are right." His Majesty the Emperor nodded.

Then he changed the subject again, "So what else does Metternich have to tell me?"

"There is one more thing." The attendant bowed down slightly and leaned into the ear of His Majesty the Emperor, "According to the information currently obtained, the tariff negotiations between the Prussians and the Duchy of Hesse are coming to an end, and it is very likely that a contract will be concluded. Agreement to form a customs union."

Hearing this news, His Majesty's relaxed expression suddenly became solemn.

"Wild Prussian!" he cursed a little after a while.

No wonder His Majesty the Emperor was so outraged. In the eyes of the Austrian Empire, the efforts of the Prussians and other German states to establish a customs union would not only have an economic impact, but would also bring about a political threat.

Since the Middle Ages, Germany has fallen into a long-term division. There are many states, and the currency and weights and measures systems are even more varied. Each separatist force has also set up its own checkpoints to collect commercial taxes. As a result, the development of German commerce and trade has been greatly hindered. .

With the demise of Napoleon's Empire in 1815, the national consciousness of the Germans began to rise, and the voice of the bourgeoisie became louder and louder, calling for the cancellation of domestic customs and the establishment of a unified German market and a unified tariff system.

At the Vienna Peace Conference, the German states were already considering the proposal to establish a unified tariff system, but while supporting, the monarchs of the states were a little hesitant about it, worried that after giving up their independent systems economically, it would cause various The loss of state independence and sovereignty, and even the emergence of a supranational Germany controlled by the bourgeoisie.

The special circumstances of the multi-ethnic rule of the Austrian Empire further magnified this anxiety. They worried that the unification within Germany would eventually lead to the collapse of the empire.

So Metternich turned to delaying tactics, using empty rhetoric to prevaricate the outside world while doing nothing, trying to make the proposal a dead letter.

However, Prussia picked up this proposal. They not only hoped to unify the German market and develop the economy, but also regarded it as a tool to weaken Austria’s influence within Germany. In 1818, Prussia promulgated a new tax law to promote liberal taxation and commercial policies, abolish the ban on the import of all goods, at the same time abolish domestic taxation and commercial barriers, and establish a unified tax system.

For the next few years, they worked **** the Customs Union initiative, and the Duchy of Hesse, because of its small size and high economic dependence on Prussia, became the first state to falter, and, as things stand, maybe soon A formal proposal will be reached.

"A mere Hessian is nothing." The attendant looked at His Majesty the Emperor cautiously, daring not to offend the other party again, "But Your Majesty, if other states follow suit, it will definitely put our country in a very disadvantageous position... "

"Let Metternich put pressure on the Prussians, and don't let the Prussians get ahead." His Majesty the Emperor frowned, obviously quite unpleasant, "These Prussians have always been accustomed to pretending to be great powers, without us, they can't do anything. As long as we are tough enough , they'll know what's wrong."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The attendant bowed.

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Of course, the mother and son who had left the office had no way of knowing the anger of His Majesty the Emperor. They walked side by side in the long corridor towards Aegron's residence.

Although they have been silent with each other, Aigron is in a good mood, and in his heart, his perception of Louisa is also much better at this moment.

No matter what her purpose was to promote the so-called marriage plan, it was a good intention in the end, at least it proved that she was not completely indifferent to herself.

"Franz." When she was about to reach the door, Louisa finally stopped. "I know how I treated you before, so I don't expect you to be grateful to me; what I'm doing now may not be enough for a normal mother... But, in my position, I've done my best for."

Aigron also stopped and looked at his mother.

The Grand Duke's expression at the moment is both arrogant and reserved, but also with a little anticipation.

"I've always been puzzled." He whispered to his mother, "Why are you so active on this issue? You don't usually care about me that much."

"Because you are my eldest son after all, if you can become the son-in-law of Archduke Karl, then for me this will be one of the few achievements in my ordinary life. It can be regarded as a consolation..." Louisa With a sigh, his eyes softened a lot, "Also, if you are rich and prosperous, the children of Count Nepeg and I can also add glory. After all, they can't marry the royal family... If my plan is successful, maybe they will be in the future. I can still count on you."

According to the ancient feudal tradition, only the various royal families will marry each other. After all, the Count of Nepeg is only an ordinary nobleman, so he and Louisa's children can no longer be considered members of the royal family. On the contrary, Aigron is a real royal family - Bona The Ba family married the royal family everywhere, and so did their descendants.

This is also a kind of alternative "when I beat them bad enough, they will admit that I am one of them".

After Aigron heard it, he was not angry, but his mother's frankness made him respect him.

After years of estrangement, perhaps everyone can be more honest with each other than the hypocrisy of the mother's kindness and filial piety.

"Okay, I understand, ma'am." He nodded, "as long as you continue to take care of me like this, then if I can really flourish in the future, I will also support you and the earl's child if I have the chance. I understand Be grateful, even if the kindness is not pure."