Vienna, Hofburg Palace.
Zhu Qiongying, who had been forcibly summoned back, glared at Franz. After all, she had been hailed as the Son of Heaven for so many years, and she had a temper of her own.
After being put through the wringer by Franz time and again, he was now sending her to the Qing Dynasty to take in refugees.
"Do you think you can threaten me? I'm no plaything of yours, to be twisted and squeezed as you please!"
Franz explained.
"No, this isn't a threat."
Zhu Qiongying was secretly delighted. She thought she had won another gamble and was just about to say something when Franz continued.
"It's an order."
Zhu Qiongying's face darkened. She had endured the humiliation before, but now she truly couldn't take it anymore. Still, she drew a deep breath and spoke gently.
"Your Majesty Franz, your demand wasn't part of our previous agreement. Besides, Southern Ming has limited territory, and our population has already reached its limit.
You won't let us compete with the Dutch for land, so what are we supposed to do?"
Franz smiled.
"Simple. Do as I say, and I'll give you a new Jiangnan!"
"Really?"
Zhu Qiongying's eyes lit up. She might not like the man in front of her, but she knew he was someone who kept his word.
"Of course."
Franz replied with certainty, then strode over and swept Zhu Qiongying into his arms.
"But I'm keeping this secret to myself for the rest of my life."
On the other side of the world, Australia, with its 7.74 million square kilometers of land, had only 430,000 residents. Before long, however, its population would quadruple.
That was the allure of gold.
Yet gold in Australia had not been discovered in the familiar year of 1851. It had