War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

In 1834, Franz was still a little baby (4 years old). He could only stay bored in the royal children's room every day.

Night was the hardest time because an unreliable mother would come to put him to sleep. Mrs. Sophie felt that putting the child to sleep was fulfilling a mother's duty, so Franz couldn't sleep.

The big rabbit is sick, the second rabbit looks at it, the third rabbit buys medicine, the fourth rabbit boils, the fifth rabbit dies, the sixth rabbit carries it, the seventh rabbit digs a hole, the eighth rabbit buries it, the ninth rabbit sits on the ground and cries, the tenth rabbit asks it why it is crying ? Nine Rabbits said, Five Rabbits will never come back once they leave!

The weird lyrics make people think deeply, but the mother doesn't seem to care about the child's reaction. She still sings to herself, occasionally taking a breath, and still complaining in her heart, why is the child still not sleeping? ?

It wasn't that Franz didn't want to sleep, but the strange lyrics entered his brain and lingered in his mind, and he was too frightened to sleep. You must know that this is one of the top ten scary nursery rhymes spread in later generations. Why did Mrs. Sophie choose this nursery rhyme?

Finally, Franz came up with a way to tell a story to coax Madam Sophie to sleep, and then asked the maid to take her away.

Just as Franz took a deep breath, a man smelling of alcohol walked in. This wine smell is very distinctive. It is not just the taste of a certain kind of wine, but the taste of many kinds of wine mixed together.

It was Franz's unreliable father who came. He also knew that he was different from normal people, so he would avoid other people when he came.

Parents all over the world feel the same about caring about their children, whether they are relatives of the emperor or ordinary people.

Ever since, Franz's father came with a jug of wine.

Franz's father only had two hobbies, one was drinking and the other was hunting. He believes that wine is the best thing in the world, because when you are drunk, you will not be tired and will not think of those unhappy things.

Franz had not cried since he was born, so he felt that Franz must be depressed, and he felt that Franz must need to be released. He also remembered what his father once said, "Good things should be shared with your family."

So today he took his ten favorite wines, mixed them together, and went to the children's room. I thought of sharing my favorite wine with my eldest son so that he could grow up quickly. After all, drinking wine alone is not fun.

He poured Franz a drink, poured himself another, and smiled.

Franz's head was full of black lines, and he couldn't help but wonder how the original owner lived to such an old age. Then he walked to the door, opened it, called the maid over and whispered a few words. Then the maid, Mrs. Morcia, screamed, and soon a large group of royal guards and doctors rushed in, and took Franz's unreliable father away.

Hofburg Palace, Hall of Mirrors.

Francis II was taking a nap on the throne. He liked this room, as if he could relive the glory of the Habsburg family.

Yesterday's conversation in St. Stephen's Cathedral, any other "revelation", and those unreliable plans have been forgotten by him. He prefers enjoying the comfort brought by the afternoon sun to those risky moves.

Francis II had never been a brave man. His brother once carried out drastic military reforms, which revitalized the Austrian army and also offended some vested interests.

He did not withstand the pressure and dismissed Archduke Karl, whom Napoleon called his "most powerful opponent." The result is that to this day, those military problems of the last century still plague the Austrian Empire.

Franz II knew very well that Austria's influence at home and abroad was declining, but heavy debts and an intricate network of interests made all reforms stretched, and every time the gourd was pressed, the gourd floated.

Then, he remembered again that he should have listened to the advice of his other brother, Archduke John, to carry out economic reforms and cancel domestic tariffs to suppress the powerful. At that time, Napoleon was invading, and the local powerful factions were severely weakened. With the country united as one, it was a good time for reform, but he did not adopt it.

There is also the recently established German Customs Union, which Austria should also join.

"This is a Prussian conspiracy!"

"We must do something, there can only be one giant in the German Confederation!"

"Once Prussia takes control of the Zollverein, their development will be unstoppable."

At that time, the entire hall was noisy, and every minister was gearing up, as if they were planning to fight before giving up.

Both Finance Minister Korolav, Prime Minister Metternich, and the overestimating Baron Brooke all approached Francis II and stated the pros and cons of joining the German Customs Union, and strongly recommended that the empire join.

Exclusion from the German Zollverein would significantly reduce Austria's influence. However, the nobles in the country were opposed, such as Prince Windigorets, Prince Esterhazy, etc. Franz II felt that he could not ignore these voices, and he had no choice.

There was no way that Franz II couldn't help but smile to himself, with a bit of sadness in it. He felt less like a supreme monarch and more like an old widower being led around by family chores.

Today is the day that the German Zollverein, led by Prussia, was officially established. An eight-year tariff agreement will become the basis for the disintegration of Austria's influence in the future.

In front of the palace, Prime Minister Metternich, Finance Minister Korolav, and Baron Brooke, three people with different political views and almost no contact with each other until death, rarely reached agreement on one thing.

"Austria must join the German Customs Union." Baron Brooke, who has always been upright, was the first to speak. He never liked to show off and firmly believed that everything he did was for the country.

Finance Minister Korolav hates the man in front of him because Baron Brooke always likes to talk about doing it for the country and the people.

Korolav is completely different. He never hides his greed for money and power.

He believes that those who refuse to talk about interests are all hypocrites; or they are a cover-up used by those with vested interests in a certain field to protect their own interests. These hypocrites are often scarier and dirtier than those who are greedy for money and power.

"Austria does not want to join the German Zollverein, but to lead it. Prussia does not deserve to lead the German Zollverein! Germany is the dumping ground for our goods and the origin of our raw materials. Austria does not have a colony of its own. This is unacceptable. !Germany is our first colony."

After Korolaf finished speaking, he looked at Baron Brook provocatively.

"What you are thinking, I will say it for you. I heard from the doctor that holding it in is not good for your health. Don't thank me."

Korolav laughed up to the sky and walked towards the palace gate.

Baron Brooke sneered at Korolaf's behavior and said something disdainful.

"madman."

Then he strode into the palace gate.