"An army general with two brigades at his command pursued eight hundred fleeing rioters all the way from Genoa to Rome, only to let hundreds escape and capture just twenty-six prisoners, while suffering nearly a thousand casualties of his own. Most importantly, why should our Austrian Empire spend money and send troops over Sardinia and the Pope?" Count Kolowrat said indignantly.
The Austrian Empire's military had no division-level units. Each infantry brigade consisted of two infantry regiments, with around five thousand men in total.
"Prime Minister, this is also for the sake of stability and unity around the Empire's borders. As for military operations, I know nothing about them. Why don't you ask Count Latour what he thinks?"
At that moment, Count Latour wished he could dive under the table or hide in some corner where no one would find him.
The military operation in Italy had seemed like a farce staged by a troupe of third-rate writers and a cast of last-minute actors, constantly slapping the Austrian military in the face.
Besides, Count Latour had no desire to get caught up in the struggle between Metternich and Count Kolowrat.
But when he heard Friedrich List speak, he knew he could not escape.
"Ten thousand against eight hundred—that's a considerable advantage. General Lich may have been careless. Although the campaign took a few twists and turns, the Austrian Empire was ultimately victorious," Count Latour replied awkwardly.
"Latour, let me put it for you. Prince Metternich took bribes from General Lich, which is why that incompetent general has repeatedly escaped the punishment he deserved. More than a hundred thousand soldiers and civilians have died because of his incompetence. If their coffins were laid end to end, they'd stretch all the way from Vienna to Budapest."
Friedrich List found it hard to believe, but seeing Count Kolowrat's indignant expression, he couldn't think it was feigned.
In fact, he had recently heard plenty of rumors about Prime Minister Metternich in Vienna—taking bribes, living a debauched life, and using his personal relationship with the emperor to influence state affairs.
"Do you have proof?"
"Of course." Count Kolowrat said, tossing a document in front of Friedrich List.
"This details all the private gifts Prince Metternich and his family have received over the years."
Friedrich List took his glasses from his breast pocket and carefully examined the document.
After only two pages, he was appalled. The document recorded all of Metternich's dirty dealings, from when he began serving as a diplomat in Dresden in 1801 to the present.
The bribes he had received included gold, silver, horses, land, mansions, jewelry, works of art, factories, seagoing ships, and weapons.
The sums involved were unbelievable.
In truth, to some extent, Metternich was taking the blame for others.
For example, when someone wanted to bribe the emperor, the emperor naturally couldn't accept the bribe directly, so he needed Metternich as a front man.
And when Prince Esterhazy's property was previously confiscated, it should have been sold off and added to the treasury.
But Francis II liked the property and didn't want the money to go into the treasury, so after Metternich went through a series of maneuvers, it became royal property.
Inside the Hall of Mirrors, Friedrich List was deeply shaken. Seeing his reaction, Kolowrat knew the moment had come.
"I know it's hard to accept all at once, but that's the truth. And, Mr. List, do you know why Prince Metternich is so eager to join the Zollverein?"
"Isn't it for the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Mr. List, you're an expert. Haven't you noticed the business opportunities in the Zollverein?"
"Business opportunities?" Friedrich List was momentarily confused. As far as he was concerned, the Zollverein was overflowing with business opportunities. How was he supposed to know which one Count Kolowrat meant?
"Your Excellency, the Austrian Empire hasn't officially joined the Zollverein yet. And there are opportunities everywhere within it. Which one do you mean?"
"Of course, the railway concessions."
That answer truly astonished Friedrich List. After all, there was only one railway in all of Austria at present.
In 1824, Franz Anton received a special fifty-year license from the government, permitting him to build a horse-drawn railway 139 kilometers long, or about eighty-six miles.
The line would connect Budweis, on the banks of the Vltava River in southern Bohemia, with Linz, a Danube River port city in Upper Austria, forty-eight miles to the south.
Although Anton had obtained the exclusive concession for the railway, the Imperial government had demanded an enormous return in exchange.
Even so, Franz Anton still made a handsome profit.
Seeing how lucrative railway investment was, the whole of Germany went railway-mad.
The German Federation's smaller and medium-sized states were especially enthusiastic. They rushed to invest in railway construction, lest vital trade routes pass through neighboring countries and bypass them.
This was in stark contrast to the anxiety among the German states, which were frantically building railways to gain control over the trade routes taking shape.
Back in Austria, there was no sense of urgency at all.
It wasn't until 1830 that engineer Franz Xaver Riepl, together with banker Salomon von Rothschild, submitted a proposal to the government, seeking approval for a far more ambitious steam railway project.
The line would connect Vienna with the iron and coal mining region of northern Moravia, as well as the salt mines in Galicia, farther to the east.
Once the railway opened, Moravia, Silesia, Galicia, and Bukovina would all be connected.
But His Majesty the Emperor rejected the proposal, claiming the black smoke belched by steam locomotives might cause pneumonia.
Now Kolowrat, the Austrian Empire's finance minister, had brought the matter up again.
Had His Majesty the Emperor changed his mind? Friedrich List immediately realized this was an enormous opportunity.
Coming from Count Kolowrat, this was highly credible.
"And surely the Austrian Empire's finance minister wouldn't run off with my money too," Friedrich List thought.
"But we'd still have to sign a formal contract," Friedrich List said to himself.
Then he thought that this was the perfect moment for the Austrian Empire to join the Zollverein. If he could secure an exclusive concession for an important route, wouldn't he soar to success?
Become a managing director, marry a beautiful rich woman, and reach the pinnacle of life.
"Sign a contract? Mr. List, I mean selling the railway concessions. His Majesty the Emperor has recently been considering restarting Austria's railway construction program. Even if His Majesty doesn't want to, Metternich will bring it up again."
Friedrich List was confused. If the emperor had approved railway construction, shouldn't they seize the opportunity to find a promising route and take a gamble?
"Your Excellency, shouldn't we seize this opportunity and invest in building railways? This is an enterprise that serves the nation and its people, earns merit for generations to come, and makes a fortune!"
Kolowrat waved his hand and smiled. "Have you ever seen a gambler who wins every time?"
"No. What do you mean?" Friedrich List asked, puzzled.
"No matter how lucky a gambler is, one day his luck will run out. But the man who runs the casino will always make a profit."
"You mean selling the railway concessions?"
"Exactly. The railway business is doing very well right now, but who can guarantee it'll stay that way forever? Rather than stake our entire fortunes and lives on it, we should sell the opportunity. At least that guarantees we'll make money without fail." Kolowrat looked at Friedrich List expectantly.
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