Hohenzollern Castle

April 13, 1866.

Today marked the completion of Hohenzollern Castle. Prince Constantin had specifically invited several important members of the family to celebrate here.

Hohenzollern Castle was the birthplace of the House of Hohenzollern and the spiritual symbol of the family.

The castle had been built in the eleventh century. Around 1100, when the founding ancestor Burchard I was enfeoffed as Count of Zollern—whose domain lay between the upper Neckar, the Swabian Alps, and the upper Danube—he began construction of the castle. However, the old castle was later destroyed.

The family reinforced the castle and added defensive works, making it the House of Hohenzollern's refuge in times of war. Because of its perilous terrain, it had once been a strategic prize contested by the French and Austrians. A brutal battle had taken place here, in which enemy troops besieged the castle for nine months and the garrison within starved to death alive. Amid the chaos of war, the old castle was never completed according to plan. After changing hands several times, it was ultimately abandoned.

In 1844, Wilhelm IV, who had inherited the Prussian throne, mentioned in a letter the fond memories he had left in this castle at the age of nineteen—especially looking out at the world whenever the sun set. Rebuilding the castle had therefore become a dream of his youth.

Reconstruction of the present-day Hohenzollern Castle had begun in 1850, funded jointly by Prussia and Hechingen. Historically, it would not be completed until 1867.

But after Ernst made his fortune through industry, the Hechingen Royal Family's funds became more abundant, so Ernst decided to accelerate the castle's construction.

After discussing it with the Prussian Royal Family, Ernst sped up construction of the new Hohenzollern Castle. The workers toiled day and night, allowing the castle to be completed a year ahead of schedule.

At the same time, Ernst repurchased ownership rights from the Prussian Royal Family, raising the Hechingen Royal Family's share in Hohenzollern Castle to fifty percent.

After all, this was his own home. It represented not only the glory of the House of Hohenzollern, but also the dignity of the Hechingen branch.

King Wilhelm I of Prussia, worried over war funds, happened to sell off part of the ownership rights. Although royal funds and state finances were separate, it was cheaper for the royal family to invest its money in building the kingdom than to let commercial banks buy government bonds. After all, middlemen had to take their cut.

Everyone attending the castle's completion ceremony today was a prominent figure in the House of Hohenzollern. The Hechingen branch had only Prince Constantin and Ernst.

As King Wilhelm I was preparing for war, the Prussian Royal Family sent Crown Prince Frederick—Frederick III, the Emperor for a Hundred Days, after whose death Wilhelm II would ascend the throne—as its representative at the ceremony.

There were also many members of the Sigmaringen branch, including Prince Karl Anton and his two sons. His eldest son, Prince Leopold—whose own eldest son Leopold would become a candidate for the Spanish throne in 1870; the question of Leopold's right of succession to the Spanish throne was one of the direct causes of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871.

As for Prince Karl Anton's younger son Karl—the future Emperor Carol I of Romania—he was someone Ernst envied. Karl was now in Romania and on the verge of ascending the Romanian throne, so he could not attend.

Among the Hohenzollern family members present, only Ernst and Leopold had futures "without light." Leopold had once had the chance to become King of Spain, only to be blocked by the French. As for Ernst, there was even less to say—he had only the title of Prince of Hechingen to inherit.

Ernst's advantage over Leopold lay in the East African colony. Thus, after the future world war, Ernst could still slip away to East Africa and continue throwing his weight around, while poor Leopold's descendants could only live off their ancestral estate on the European continent.

Yet from this perspective, the descendants of his younger brother and the Prussian Royal Family were even more pitiful: one would lose the Romanian throne, the other the throne of the German Empire. Compared to that, perhaps Leopold would feel a little better. (Evil grin.)

Ernst swore that if East Africa developed well in the future, he would lend these relatives a hand. He meant it sincerely. For instance, the Prussian Royal Family had supported Ernst greatly; otherwise, how could it have been so easy for him to obtain military orders and armory contracts? That was the benefit of a powerful family.

As for Ernst's deceased mother, Eugénie de Beauharnais, she had been the daughter of Eugène de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg. Eugène de Beauharnais had many children, but the only one still alive now was Josephine, the former Queen of Sweden.

Those were more or less Ernst's important relatives. At present, the House of Hohenzollern was Ernst's true pillar of support.

"...The reconstruction of Hohenzollern Castle marks the House of Hohenzollern climbing another step upward. I hope it will stand forever upon the soil of Germany alongside the House of Hohenzollern."

After the Prince of Hechingen finished his speech, applause erupted below the stage. Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Karl Anton then delivered speeches on behalf of the Prussian Royal Family and Sigmaringen respectively.

That evening, at the reception.

"Hi, Cousin Leopold. Why are you drinking alone?" Ernst greeted him.

"I'm mainly worried about whether Karl's affairs in Romania are going smoothly. Romania is no good place right now. Though he has the family's support, the painful experience of the previous Grand Duke of Romania shows that the situation there is far from stable."

"Don't worry. Leaving aside Karl's other abilities, his experience leading troops alone is quite impressive. As long as Karl can establish contact with the Romanian military, those Romanian opposition members will definitely not dare make any rash moves," Ernst reassured him. There was reason for saying so: Karl had spent years in the military and had even participated in the Second Schleswig War.

"Ah, I hope so! I heard you've been doing quite well recently, Ernst. It seems Uncle Constantin never considered having you develop your career in the military."

Hearing that, Ernst said self-mockingly, "Your cousin knows nothing whatsoever about military affairs. I can't compare to you brothers, so I'd better not bring disaster upon the kingdom's army."

"I heard from Father that you acquired a colony in East Africa. Has it been going smoothly?" Leopold changed the subject.

"Haha, East Africa truly can't compare with Europe. Right now, I'm merely doing some agricultural cultivation there, producing raw materials for my own factories in the future. It's only a small business," Ernst said with a smile.

"What are you three talking about?" Crown Prince Frederick walked over.

Crown Prince Frederick was the oldest of the three. Both he and Leopold had spent their time in the Prussian Army, and he had only met Ernst a few times, so he knew very little about him.

"Your Highness, Ernst and I were discussing some trivial matters. I merely heard that Ernst had developed a colony in East Africa, so I was rather curious," Leopold said.

"Colonies are indeed useful places. The British maintain their maritime hegemony through their vast colonies. Unfortunately, Germany has never been unified, wasting the opportunity for overseas expansion for nothing. By now, those rich colonies have already been carved up by Britain, France, and other countries. What remains is likely no more than scraps from the edges," Crown Prince Frederick said with a sigh.

Ernst seized the opportunity to say, "That is why our efforts should now be focused on completing the unification of the German territories. Only a powerful Germany can compete with those great powers."

Leopold and Frederick nodded in agreement.

Frederick said, "That is Prussia's mandate from Heaven: to complete the unification of the German territories. The House of Hohenzollern cannot shirk its responsibility."

Those words brimmed with killing intent and were clearly aimed at the Austrian Empire. It seemed Prussia's upper ranks had already reached a consensus: they would devote their full strength to dealing with the Austrian Empire.