Ernst's Transformation

At dawn, ancient yet fresh air filled the land of Hechingen, and the traditional agricultural estates brimmed with vigorous life.

Green tree-lined paths, leisurely streams, farmers hard at work in the fields—the town and pastoral scenery of Hechingen blended together in natural harmony.

Ernst sat in the carriage, leisurely admiring the beautiful countryside. Though the Industrial Revolution was unfolding with great fanfare across Europe's fertile lands, remote and secluded Hechingen had not been greatly affected. No towering black smokestacks had sprung from the ground, nor was there the roar of machinery.

Hechingen's population was neither too large nor too small. Its streets were tidy and clean, and though people came and went, they were not crowded. Street vendors sold freshly dug vegetables from the fields and fruit brought from distant places beneath little sheds erected along the roadside. Some shops had begun selling industrially made household goods, though the variety was limited.

There were also little newsstands at street corners selling newspapers. The spread of compulsory education in Germany had made newspapers popular among the masses. Naturally, Ernst's grandfather deserved some credit for that. Prince Friedrich, Ernst's grandfather, had been an enlightened ruler. Though he had achieved nothing in politics, he had genuinely pioneered education and cultural development in Hechingen, and he cared deeply about culture and the arts.

Many German men of letters had praised him highly. At the very least, the intellectuals of Hechingen had benefited, and the region possessed a rather strong cultural atmosphere.

Today was Ernst's first day of recovery, and also the first time he had left the castle to see this brand-new world.

"Tom, stop for a moment. Go get today's newspaper," Ernst instructed his servant.

"Yes, Young Master!" the servant named Tom answered respectfully.

The coachman slowly brought the carriage to a halt before the newsstand. Tom soon got out and bought a newspaper, and Ernst began looking through its contents.

"Stuttgart Weekly" (fictional)

Hmm...

Stuttgart was an important city in southwestern Germany. Newspapers were nothing particularly novel, but Germany had yet to unify at this time, and the newspaper industry was a chaotic mess. Every place had its own local little papers.

Still, the newspapers of this era felt quite novel to Ernst. Unlike the color publications of later generations, these papers contained a hodgepodge of material, packed densely with words and lacking pictures. They were not very intuitive, and they made Ernst's eyes swim.

There were some discussions of municipal affairs, which would not be detailed here. Ernst had little understanding of such matters, and having only just arrived, he found it difficult to relate to them. He continued reading.

"New King Wilhelm I Appoints Prussia's New Chancellor; Bismarck May Change Prussia." Such a plain and unadorned headline.

Hechingen had long since been incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia, but Prussia's unification of Germany was still far in the future. Hechingen and neighboring Sigmaringen both belonged to branches of House of Hohenzollern. Years ago, Prince Constantin and the neighboring Prince Karl had jointly pushed for the two principalities to join Prussia, making them two tentacles Prussia had extended into Southern Germany, where its influence was relatively weak.

The newspaper briefly described Bismarck's résumé. On April 14, 1847, the United Diet of Prussia convened, and he was elected a full representative for Berlin Province. In 1851, he became the Kingdom of Prussia's representative to the Federal Diet in Frankfurt, soon rising to ambassador and serving for eight years. In 1857, he was appointed ambassador to Russia. On September 23, 1862, he became Chancellor and Foreign Minister.

What followed was an analysis of the new Prussian Chancellor's character and remarks, ending with a prediction that Prussia was about to undergo great changes.

It made a great deal of sense...

At least, Ernst thought so. Bismarck was indeed a capable general in Germany's unification. He and Wilhelm I had been of one heart as ruler and minister, joining hands to forge a unified and powerful Germany.

When all was said and done, Hechingen had already bought its ticket for the future and stood on Prussia's side. It could be considered to have contributed to the great cause of unifying the German territories.

But such matters were far too distant for Ernst, who was still a youth. His own fate was not truly in his own hands. When the tide came, if one did not become the helmsman, one was destined to be a lone boat drifting with the waves.

Fortunately, his status was no longer what it had once been. He did not have to struggle bitterly for survival amid the cruelties of this age like ordinary people. Perhaps he could go a step further and become one who rode the waves of the era.

Though the broader currents of the age were stormy and turbulent, its opportunities were beyond imagination. With some knowledge of the future in hand, he naturally ought to strive to advance further.

Of course, the premise was that he had to integrate himself into the background of the times. Otherwise, would he not be wasting such excellent resources for nothing? What would there be left to complain about?

Ernst believed that one should eat as many bowls of rice as one's abilities allowed. For himself, he ought to cultivate his own capabilities and grasp the pulse of the age, rather than indulge in endless fantasies.

Just like in his previous life, Ernst had always sneered at those online political pundits who said, "If I were up there, I could do it too." If such people truly traveled through time and held high office, how would they govern a country well?

When facing history one knew well, one could speak freely online. But once one was actually in the midst of it, one would discover that things were far from simple.

Take a country, for instance. Even if one accidentally knew some information about the future, it was unrealistic to expect subordinates to obey merely because one moved one's lips.

Faced with all manner of complicated situations, it would be difficult to handle them without systematic learning—things such as procedures and rules.

If one became a superior, what should one do on the first day? Who could be counted as one's own people? Would those talented figures one knew about actually act according to one's wishes? All of that was beyond one's control.

In his previous life, Ernst had merely been an engineering consultant. He had never held a high position, and his experience commanding others was practically nonexistent. He was also completely ignorant when it came to interpreting official documents. Even a minor official at the level of village chief might have had more experience than him.

Fortunately, he was still young and had time to learn. Now that he had the conditions, he naturally needed to take the initiative and adapt to his new identity.

As Ernst pondered, the carriage unknowingly returned to the castle. It rolled over the bluestone road and entered the courtyard. As he stepped down from the carriage, the old butler came forward to greet him.

"Young Master, the master instructed that you should go to his study after returning. He has something to discuss with you."

"I understand, Butler Keno," Ernst replied.

Following the guidance of his memories, Ernst headed for the study on the second floor. He climbed the wooden staircase and arrived at the long corridor upstairs.

At the end of the corridor was His Highness the Prince's study. It had its own balcony, adorned with pleasing green plants and flowers. From there, one could overlook the estate outside the castle. A wicker chair stood on the balcony, and whenever Prince Constantin had a break, he would lie in it and enjoy the sunlight to ease his fatigue.

Ernst walked unhurriedly to the door and knocked on the study door. Knock, knock...

"Come in!"

He turned the handle and pushed the door open. Prince Constantin was seated behind his desk, reviewing documents from the territory. Seeing that his son had entered, Prince Constantin removed the glasses from his face and set them on the desk.

"You're here, Ernst. How are you feeling?" Constantin asked.

"Much better, Father," Ernst answered, standing respectfully to one side.

"Mm. I called you here today because I wanted to ask whether you have any plans, or rather, any thoughts about the future."

"Uh..."

Ernst pondered for a moment before speaking. "Father, I want to travel across the continent to study."

At Ernst's answer, an imperceptible smile appeared at the corner of Constantin's mouth. He was quite gratified by his son's aspirations, but he still put on a stern expression and asked, "As a noble of the German territories, House of Hohenzollern has always devoted itself to military affairs. Why do you also want to learn that set of tricks from the English?"

Ernst was somewhat nervous, but he steadied himself and began explaining slowly.

"Father, in my view, the times have actually changed. In the Europe of old, the nobility held the greatest ruling power. But now, as industry develops, the power of capitalists is growing day by day across Europe. The French even had a republic before. I have wondered what gave them such encouragement and courage. I believe it was capital. And why were capitalists able to accumulate such vast capital in so short a time? It was precisely because of large-scale mechanized production..."

"Let me interrupt. They are nothing more than clowns leaping about on a stage. Ernst, you think too highly of them!" Constantin said disdainfully.

"Father, please hear me out. Capitalists may indeed be incapable of changing the situation at present, but they are expanding far too quickly. Take England's 'Bill of Rights,' for example, or France's earlier turmoil... The German territories will be the same in the future. Capitalists possess production methods more advanced than ours. Industrialization has accelerated their accumulation of wealth. If we allow them to develop unchecked, they will directly threaten noble rule in the future. Not to mention the distant future—how long has it been since the last Frankfurt assembly? Such history will play out again in the future."

Constantin listened expressionlessly to his son's alarmist words before asking, "Then what do you propose?"

He took the bait! Ernst was delighted as he explained to his father.

"I once heard an old saying from the East: if you cannot beat them, join them. Why can we nobles not also use the capitalists' methods to accumulate wealth?"

"And are you not afraid of separating yourself from the noble class? You should know that, as a great noble, the greatest taboo is lowering one's own status."

"Father, please listen. All under heaven bustle for profit; all under heaven scurry for gain. We nobles exist as a collective bound by shared interests. So long as the family prospers, people will naturally come without being invited..."

After a long-winded bout of persuasion, Constantin seemed to have been convinced. In truth, a prince who had held high office for years did not care about such things at all.

With his vast family estate, there was more than enough for Ernst to enjoy for the rest of his life. Being a second-generation heir who ate, drank, and waited for death was still better than going out to court death.

Though he said otherwise, Prince Constantin truly did not want Hechingen's line to die out. It was strange, really. In the Hechingen branch, he himself had been an only child, and now his son was also an only child. Moreover, he had fathered Ernst late in life. Constantin's greatest wish now was for Ernst to grow up quickly, marry, have children, and give him a grandson to hold.

As for noble honor and the like, that was all nonsense. Constantin's father, Count Friedrich, had experienced the wars against Napoleon, but had only secured the status of a victor by switching sides at the end. Though Constantin himself had also held office in the kingdom, he had virtually no real combat experience.

His son's health was not very good either—or so Constantin believed. It was better to let him honestly inherit the family estate. Naturally, he would not voice such inner thoughts and damage his authority as a father.

The influence of the rough-and-ready Prussian way of thinking still existed in this era. The Junker nobility of North Germany, especially the nobles of Prussia, had left a deep impression on people. Nobles truly were keen on developing their careers in the military.

Naturally, more and more nobles had begun to value cultural education, but most of their investments were actually in literature and art. They paid little attention to practical subjects, and some traditional conservative nobles even foolishly believed that practical disciplines were things for the bourgeoisie to study.

Among nobles, social interaction mattered most. To display their elegance and cultural refinement, most would study such cultural and artistic pursuits. There was even the phenomenon of people funding and encouraging artists to create works simply to show off their appreciation for art, despite having little artistic discernment themselves.

Thus, across all of Europe, the cultural and artistic centers most esteemed by the nobility were Paris and Rome.

But who was Ernst? A former rough-and-ready man of science and engineering. Was this not making things difficult for him? And influenced by the society of his previous life, he also felt that the so-called humanities were not particularly useful.

Of course, things were different now. He certainly had to dabble in them, since these things were the art of slaying dragons for integrating into the noble class. That was what he thought inwardly, but Ernst chiefly wanted to go to Berlin and realize some of his wild ideas. Naturally, he could not say that.