Engagement

By this point, Ernst more or less understood. This Princess Karina was probably the butterfly effect caused by his appearance, or perhaps this universe was not merely a parallel universe to the one from his previous life. Well, no matter what, it was better to keep uncertain factors under his control.

This Karina was the first person Ernst had encountered in this world who differed from history. Lenoir and the others did not count, since their altered fates had been actively driven by Ernst.

Karina had been born before the memories of his previous life awakened. In other words, she had been born when Ernst was six years old.

When he was six, he had still been a little brat, playing the tyrant in the manor all day long. Back then, he could not have influenced anyone else.

Moreover, Ernst had a vague premonition that something major would happen if he did not marry her in the future.

Just think about it: how much history had he changed since awakening? The Hohenzollern Conglomerate was one, the East African colony was another, and he had indirectly changed the fates of a whole group of people.

That Princess Karina of Austria held no low status, and the nineteenth century was an age when anything was possible.

Could it be that she would stage a return to Mexico as Her Majesty the Queen to avenge her father, or inherit the Habsburg throne and rebuild the Roman Empire? (It was not that I meant to do this on purpose. Just think how unlucky Franz was: his younger brother was executed by the Mexicans, his wife was assassinated in Italy, his son committed suicide for love, and his future designated heir was shot dead by Serbs.)

Having said all that, Ernst also had his own interests to weigh. He had always been planning a colonial trade route from Prussia, the German Empire, through the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Mediterranean Sea, and finally to the East African colony.

Prussia required no concern at all; it was practically like his own home.

Italy was Prussia's ally and could still be put to use before the First World War.

There was even less need to mention the East African colony. He had personally participated in planning and building it. In East Africa, his word was law.

Only in the Austro-Hungarian Empire did he have the least influence. If a marriage alliance could now solve the problem of political influence within the Austro-Hungarian Empire, that would be ideal.

And the East African colony was poor! Prussia, Germany alone definitely could not support it. The Austro-Hungarian Empire, equally vast, had to be added in.

So many resources had gone to waste when the Austro-Hungarian Empire disintegrated. What a pity. Ernst was willing to take over the mess.

"Father, let it be Princess Karina of the Habsburgs! We truly do not have much influence in Austria. Through this marriage alliance, we can better spread the family's industries across the whole Greater Germany region. From the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, it would improve the security of our industries."

That was the truth. If this goal were achieved, no conflict on the European continent would be able to affect Ernst's great undertaking of developing East Africa.

Either the German or Austro-Hungarian Navy alone could easily be pinned down and killed at sea, let alone a tiny merchant fleet.

The Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea were Germany's only two routes to the open sea. Germany was slightly better off, since the Atlantic Ocean lay at its northwest corner, but beyond it stood a colossal behemoth like the Great British Empire.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire's overseas outlet lay in the Adriatic Sea. Geographically, it seemed even worse than Germany's, but the actual threat it faced was not as great. It was not that Ernst looked down on Italians; it was simply that their performance in the last Battle of Lissa had been too humiliating.

If the British wanted to blockade Germany's coast, it would be easy. But for the Italians to blockade the Austro-Hungarian Empire's coast, they would have to be dreaming. After all, the Austro-Hungarian Empire could directly threaten Italy by land, and in the future Prussia, Italy, and Austria-Hungary would form an alliance. With Prussia mediating between them, their relationship would not be too poor.

"Mm, all right. I'll go to Vienna and discuss it with the Habsburgs at once. Just wait for my news!"

With that, Constantin set off for Vienna.

Meanwhile, in Austria, Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

"Mother, Karina is still so young. Isn't it too early to discuss marriage?" Emperor Franz said helplessly to his mother.

"Hmph, what do you know? It is because you and your younger brother were both so troublesome after getting married and caused so many problems that I dare not let Karina follow in your footsteps," Empress Dowager Sophie said.

At the mention of his own marriage, Franz did not dare speak. The relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was a worldwide problem; even an emperor could not escape it.

As for his younger brother, Maximilian I, he had gone to that bottomless pit called Mexico and stubbornly insisted on his own course. Even now, he refused to believe his family and continued dreaming of being emperor.

"This time, I will personally choose the marriage partners for the younger generation. Back then, I spoiled you two brothers too much, which is why we ended up with this pile of vexing troubles," Empress Dowager Sophie said.

As she spoke, she took Ernst's file into her hands and passed it to Franz.

"Take a look. What do you think of the person I chose this time?"

Franz looked through the file and said, "His looks are only a little better than mine were when I was young, but isn't his status too low? Karina would not be beneath even the princes of those kings."

"What do you know? Where are you supposed to find so many kings and princes to choose from? Besides, there are only so many European royal families, and none have caught my eye so far. Although this Ernst's title is a little low, he is still a legitimate member of the House of Hohenzollern. And Prince Constantin has only him as his sole heir. At the very least, he will become a prince in the future."

"Moreover, his mother died early, so Karina would have no conflicts with her mother-in-law if she married him. This Ernst also knows how to manage businesses. I hear his industries rank among the top thirty in Europe. When Karina marries him in the future, she will have no worries about food or clothing. Being a princess consort would be quite good."

"What about his character, Mother?" Franz asked.

"Rest assured on that point. This time, I investigated carefully. Ernst is already sixteen, yet he is more devoted to his career and has no messy scandals. I have also looked over the course of his life. He truly is a man of action. Not long ago, he went to Venice to organize a fleet, then returned home."

"And he has no bad habits. His daily routine is regular. It is better to seize such an outstanding young man early."

"But Mother, are you really not going to discuss this with my younger brother and his wife?" Franz asked cautiously.

"Hmph, don't mention those two, especially Charlotte. Back then, she kept egging Maximilian on. If not for her, how wonderful it would be if our whole family were together now. If anything happens to your younger brother, I will never forgive her."

Thus, the Emperor of Mexico and the Queen were stripped of their right to act as guardians for their daughter. At this time, Empress Carlota was still in France making a scene, crying, causing a fuss, and threatening suicide as she demanded that Napoleon III keep his promise and send troops to Mexico again.

After speaking with Prince Constantin, who had come to Vienna, the two families agreed to an engagement first. Once Ernst was in his twenties, he could marry Princess Karina.

On November 3, 1866, the two families announced the engagement of Prince Ernst and Princess Karina. (Later generations referred to this event as the renewed union of the House of Hohenzollern and the House of Habsburg.)

Ernst and Princess Karina attended the ceremony and, under the influence of European tradition, exchanged tokens of affection. From then on, Princess Karina of the Habsburgs was Ernst's fiancée.

As someone who had lived two lives, Ernst did not ask for much. As long as she was not too ugly, he could accept it. But Karina truly had an excellent foundation and would certainly become a great beauty in the future. At least in the eyes of their contemporaries, the two were a match of talent and beauty.

Now that his future marriage partner had been decided, Ernst could not simply stand by and watch his future father-in-law die. In the end, Maximilian I was simply too miserable. The throne he had received for nothing was really just Napoleon III's scapegoat. It was one thing for the French to dump the blame for colonizing Mexico entirely onto Maximilian I.

What was truly vexing was that the people of Mexico no longer trusted their emperor. Influenced by the Iturbide dynasty and fanned by the Americans, Maximilian I's orders could not leave the imperial palace, yet he was still forced to bear the blame.

Especially the various Mexican warlords, who simply did not regard Maximilian I as worthy of notice. Juárez of the republican faction, in particular, treated Maximilian I as a thorn in his eye and a splinter in his flesh.

Next year would be when Maximilian I was arrested and executed. Juárez was also a fierce man, willing to offend the monarchs of every European nation and the Habsburgs just to execute Maximilian I.

Ernst wondered whether he could rescue his unfortunate future father-in-law. He could first select a group of outstanding students from Hechingen Academy, disguise them as Indians, infiltrate Mexico, and finally pack Maximilian I up and bring him back to Europe...

There really was a sliver of feasibility. If it failed, he would not lose anything. But if it succeeded, the payoff would definitely be considerable.

Not to mention anything else, the Habsburgs would have to look after him in the future, and the monarchs of Europe would at least see him in a new light.

Ernst wanted to develop East Africa, and in the future he could not avoid dealing with other nations. Otherwise, when the great powers divided Africa in the future, it would be laughable if someone stole his home from under his nose.

For now, he would establish an image of defending the aristocratic class and supporting the monarchical system. In the future, the royal families of every nation would have to put in a few good words for him before their governments, and those governments would also have to fear breaking the rat jar to avoid harming the porcelain.