"Your Highness, His Majesty has passed away!"
"What? Gather the Empire's senior ministers at once!" Crown Prince Karl immediately hid the joy on his face, replacing it with an expression of profound grief as he ordered the Servant outside the door.
Before long, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's senior ministers had all arrived at the palace. Even Archduke Friedrich, who had long been absent from the public eye due to his health, came as well. He was the commander of the Austro-Hungarian Imperial Army.
"Gentlemen, the beloved and revered His Majesty Franz Joseph I has returned to the Lord's embrace. This is a matter of boundless grief for the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire!" Crown Prince Karl's eyes were red, and he looked utterly heartbroken.
"Your Highness, His Majesty's return to the Lord's embrace is something for which we should be happy for him. What matters most now is arranging His Majesty's funeral and Your Highness's coronation. His Majesty has passed away, but the Austro-Hungarian Empire cannot be without an emperor. Therefore, I hope Your Highness will take care of your health!" Prime Minister Mario Weber said.
Crown Prince Karl nodded. With Franz Joseph I dead, there was no longer any doubt that he, as the Imperial Crown Prince, would succeed to the throne as the new emperor. Very soon, he would ascend that throne he had dreamed of and become the supreme emperor. The thought nearly made him tremble with excitement.
After deliberation, the Austro-Hungarian Empire's senior ministers decided that Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I's funeral would be held one month later. After all, as an emperor renowned throughout the world, Franz Joseph I's death meant that every nation should send important officials, or even leaders, to pay their respects.
Crown Prince Karl's coronation, meanwhile, would be held half a month after Franz