Chapter 508: Chapter 81: Unintentionally Planting Willows, Willows Grew to Provide Shade
 

Vienna Palace, since the news of the fall of Mexico City was received, Franz’s troubles began.

Even though Maximilian I was unpopular within the Habsburg Family, this did not include Empress Sophie and Archduke Carl.

Maximilian was not a good emperor, but still a good son. He had behaved very well in Vienna and was dearly loved by Empress Sophie and Archduke Carl.

Upon hearing that Mexico was in trouble, they came to inquire about the news. Although Franz repeatedly assured them that Maximilian was safe and staying at the Austrian Embassy, they remained concerned.

Now, Empress Sophie personally reviewed every telegram involving the Austria Central America region and even sent telegrams to Governor Hummel in her own name.

This annoyed Franz considerably, but there was a reason for everything, and he couldn’t really complain. The deep love of parents for their child could lead to some extraordinary actions.

To have some peace of mind for a few days, Franz did not hesitate to choose to inspect the nation, which, of course, was limited to mainland Europe. Asia, Africa, and America were too far away, and in this era, long-distance travel still carried risks.

No sooner had Franz left than Crown Prince Alexandrovich’s European tour entered its final stop—Vienna.

The long-awaited Vienna Grand Hotel Imperial Hall finally opened its doors. It had not been easy; since its completion, it welcomed less than ten guests, not guaranteed even once a year.

In fact, whether it opened made little difference, as the hotel hardly collected any room fees. By customary practice, when royal families visited each other, the host was responsible for the arrangements.

Nonetheless, Franz did hope for more guests, as it also served as advertising. The prestige of the Grand Hotel of Austria had been elevated to claim the title of the world’s largest hotel.

Even though the return on investment was still a distant dream, the hotel’s financial performance had been impressive. Since its opening, the annual turnover had already climbed by three times and was still growing at a rate of thirty to forty percent per year.

Being of palace standards, the luxuriousness of the Emperor’s Hall was self-evident, and its garden landscapes were uniquely distinctive.

However, Crown Prince Alexandrovich, who had just checked in, could not muster the slightest interest in these beauties, his mind consumed by deep worries.

Franz naturally did not need to explain his reason for traveling to the public, and Alexandrovich mistook it to mean that Franz did not wish to meet with him.

Every action of an emperor is politically significant. Franz’s refusal to meet signified that the Russian-Austrian Alliance had come to an end. For Alexandrovich, this was very bad news.

It meant that his European trip had failed. Although he had eased relations with various European countries, it was still not enough to offset the impact of the dissolution of the Russian-Austrian Alliance.

With the emperor absent, Crown Prince Alexandrovich also lacked the enthusiasm for the upcoming diplomatic encounters. After a tentative loan request was rejected by the Vienna Government, negotiations came to an end.

A beautiful “misunderstanding” squandered the chance for the higher echelons of Russia and Austria to meet and resolve their differences.

It wasn’t until a century later, when Franz’s records were declassified, that this misunderstanding was uncovered; historians regarded it as the biggest “political blunder of the 19th century.” Yet scholarly debates were reignited, surrounding this topic, they argued incessantly.

Engaged in inspection tours in Württemberg, Franz naturally hadn’t thought this much. It was unthinkable to rush back to Vienna just because of a visit from Alexandrovich; it would be far too embarrassing. It would be a different story if Alexander II himself had come.

No problem with a Crown Prince meeting another Crown Prince; after all, Franz had left his son in Vienna. Even though he was a bit young, he was still the Austria Crown Prince, and with both parties sharing equivalent statuses, he could certainly complete the reception tasks.

“`

To discuss matters, there was also Austria’s Foreign Ministry. Now with the telegraph, Franz could travel without the need to bring along the higher echelons of the government.

Speaking of distance alone, Württemberg is not far from Vienna, and Austria boasts a well-developed transportation system, making it possible to leave in the morning and arrive by evening.

Not just Württemberg, the distances between Austria and the rest of mainland Europe are not extensive, even Cyprus Island, the furthest point, is only a little over a thousand kilometers from Vienna.

Such a distance, theoretically, could be covered in three days. Of course, this is just theoretical; using ordinary means of transport it would still take about ten days.

Franz’s nationwide tour would certainly exclude islands like Cyprus for a very simple reason—he gets seasick.

Taking a special train, one could reach any major city on the Austrian mainland from Vienna in no more than three days.

This was the reason Franz could afford to go on a trip on a whim; he could return to Vienna promptly if necessary.

It turned out that young and brash Crown Prince Alexandrovich couldn’t take the strain. After staying in Vienna for a week and not seeing Franz return, he hotfooted it back to his own country.

No one would have thought that this inconspicuous visit of Alexandrovich to Europe would usher in the prelude to the breakdown of the Russian-Austrian Alliance.

A beautiful misunderstanding led the Russians to believe that the Vienna Government had decided to abandon the Russian-Austrian Alliance, prompting the Tsarist Government to cozy up to the British.

But all of this belonged to the future. Franz claimed this trip was for inspection purposes, when in fact it was more about pleasure and sightseeing.

If it were really an inspection, it would not start with these Sub-States. Even though he was the Shinra Emperor, he also had little to say about the economic development of each Sub-State.

That’s just how the game is played; Franz avoided meddling in matters that he should not. As long as the economic development of the Sub-States was good, that was enough for him.

For an emperor, as long as he could ensure the nation’s peace and the people’s security, his position would be solid. Ambitious careerists were always a minority, and in times of peace, the most they could do amounted to mere rhetoric.

Compared to other European countries, the Germany Region was relatively conservative, with Austria serving as a stronghold of conservative values. Many new ideas were born here but could not flourish.

The reason Paris became the beacon of the free world and the holy land of revolution was primarily that Parisians were receptive to new ideas, often driven by emotion rather than reason.

If one were to study history, they would find that France had become the battleground for European philosophers; any theoretical idea had its first trial in Paris.

…

In Mexico City, upon receiving the notice of Minister Compton’s holiday, the soldiers, who had been subsisting on bread for many days, let out a cheer.

The Mexican Government had the ability to prevent its citizens from doing business with the Austrian Embassy, but not the audacity to hinder the movement of the embassy staff.

Groups of “Austrian Soldiers” could be seen on the streets of Mexico, many of whom were local heavyweights. Even if not originally from Mexico City, they had lived there for many years.

They picked up quite a few bad habits while mixing with Maximilian I. Within the Austrian Embassy, they dared not be reckless, but now that they were out, they had no inhibitions.

Of course, this did not mean they were utterly reprehensible. In fact, under the constraints of Maximilian I, the guards were generally not too bad, albeit a bit short-tempered.

“`

As some of the first to request leave, Captain Mikel and a few colleagues opted to improve their meals, having had their fill of bread for consecutive days.

…

With a loud “bang,” a hand slammed heavily on the table. Captain Mikel roared, “What, you won’t sell to us? Why the hell not? It’s not like I’m not paying!”

The restaurant staff stuttered an explanation, but this did nothing to temper the anger of Captain Mikel and his comrades; if anything, it fueled their rage even more.

This fury wasn’t directed at the server; it was primarily aimed at the Mexican Republic Government. Unfortunately, it was their server who got caught in the crossfire.

The restaurant had been Captain Mikel’s recommendation, and now his frustration was compounded by the loss of face, so he raised his gun with a sneer and said, “Quit your yapping and bring me the steak.”

With the gun trained on his neck, the server naturally didn’t dare to refuse and hurriedly nodded in agreement.

Such behavior, of course, enraged the other customers, and several young men who looked like officers ran over to intervene. They seemed to be around seventeen or eighteen—naive enough to be fearless.

“You bunch of bastards, how dare you force a purchase? If they don’t want to do business with you, that’s their right!”

One “bastards” remark and one mention of “rights” were enough to completely enrage Captain Mikel. They were staunch royalists who hadn’t betrayed Maximilian I even in the direst of circumstances, which was proof enough of their stance; they abhorred liberalism.

Given a choice between reason and fists, they preferred the latter. Without hesitation, the embittered Captain Mikel and his colleagues launched into action. Soon, the young men who’d stepped forward were lying on the floor, howling in pain.

Once the fight was over, nobody dared to disturb Captain Mikel and his comrades as they dined. As for those sent to surveil them by the Mexican Republic Government, they acted as if they saw nothing from start to finish.

As long as no major chaos erupted, such minor incidents were best left unbothered by higher authorities. Dealing with foreign soldiers was something even their superiors didn’t have the jurisdiction to manage.

Managing the situation well meant no reward, and botching it could lead to becoming the fall guy. For a nation transitioning to a semi-colonial society, the Mexican Republic Government found it hard not to be timid.

If it had just ended there, the matter might have faded; conflicts between Mexico City and the major powers were not uncommon, usually ending with the Mexicans at a disadvantage.

However, what made this time different was the main actors in it. No matter what these soldiers’ past identities were, now they wore Austrian uniforms and were, therefore, Austrian soldiers. The Mexican Government couldn’t touch them.

But the wronged youngsters didn’t see it that way, and battered and bruised, they left with vengeance in mind, not content to let things rest.

“Cole, we can’t let this go. If we don’t retaliate, that bunch of bastards will only get bolder!”

Cole retorted, “Kend, what do you plan to do?”

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Kend replied with a cold laugh, “Of course it’s…” He mimed a throat-slitting gesture, and their conversation abruptly ended there.

Don’t let their youth fool you; they too had been through trials by fire and were members of the Radical faction in the Mexican Republic Government.

After a pause, Cole continued slowly, “We must handle this with care and not let any fault slip through. Best if we can pin the blame on…”

…

Captain Mikel and his group, still out and about, were unaware they had been marked by others, as they continued looking for amusement.

There were so many soldiers in the embassy that they took turns resting. Leave was hard to come by, and if they missed this chance, they’d have to wait until next month.

At midnight, the several drunken men stumbled on their way home, supporting each other. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to stay overnight; their wallets simply couldn’t take the strain.

With only their meager military pay, they couldn’t afford to be so wasteful. Indulging occasionally was one thing, but they were far from capable of living a life of constant revelry.

“Bang, bang, bang…”

Gunshots rang out, and the men sobered up instantly, dropping to the ground. They quickly drew their weapons and returned fire into the darkness.

Thanks to the tense situation, the Mexican Republic Government had increased their vigilance, and patrolling officers were summoned by the gunfire.

Captain Mikel narrowly escaped harm, but his companions weren’t as lucky; of the eight who had left together, three were dead and two wounded.

This was just the beginning of the conflict. Several soldiers returned home to find strangers owning their houses, resulting in fierce confrontations.

In just one day, these soldiers on leave caused over a dozen shooting incidents in Mexico City, resulting in dozens of injuries and deaths.

Minister Compton, upon receiving the news, was not angry but delighted. He was no longer worried about the lack of a pretext for intervention. With so many shooting incidents, the Mexican Republic Government had to provide an explanation to Austria.

As for the deceased, Minister Compton could only express his regret and a determination to seek justice. After all, these were the Austrian citizens he had authorized.

Especially concerning the houses that changed owners, these were supposedly “Austrian citizens” whose properties had been forcefully taken. The situation certainly couldn’t be left as it was.

Minister Compton was a smart man. With the Austrian army yet to arrive, this wasn’t the time to antagonize the Mexican Government. Provoking them could lead to mutual destruction, which would be disastrous.

In his view, finding a pretext for intervention, and then politically extorting the Mexican Republic Government under the threat of military force, was the best course of action.

If it came down to the military marching through Mexico, what would the diplomats be needed for?

To avoid overly agitating the Mexican Republic Government, Minister Compton started with a softer approach, latching onto the shooting incidents and demanding the Mexican Government hand over the culprits.

Ordinary Austrian citizens losing their property or even families to brutal murders was momentarily not pursued. Better said, the Mexican Government didn’t even know that these individuals had become Austrian citizens.

Originally, Minister Compton hesitated over granting Austrian nationality to the families of these soldiers, as many did not meet the criteria.

Now there was no need to hesitate. They had to be Austrian citizens, and even the relatives who perished in the great purge could become Austrian citizens.

The greater the number of casualties and property losses, the stronger the position they would have in demanding compensation in the future.