Internal Strife (Part 2)

"A general leads two brigades to pursue eight hundred fleeing insurgents, chasing them all the way from Genoa to Rome, only to let hundreds escape while capturing a mere 26 prisoners, all while suffering nearly a thousand casualties of his own. The most critical issue is the matter of Sardinia and the Pope; why must our Austrian Empire provide the money and the men?" Count Kolowrat said, his indignation palpable.

In the military system of the Austrian Empire, there is no division-level unit; an infantry brigade oversees two infantry regiments, totaling approximately 5,000 men.

"Prime Minister, it is also for the sake of stability and unity in the regions surrounding the Empire. As for military operations, I do not understand them. You would be better off asking Count Latour for his opinion."

Count Latour wished he could crawl under the table or hide in some corner where he would not be discovered.

This military operation in Italy was like a farce performed by third-rate screenwriters and extras, constantly slapping the face of the Austrian military.

Furthermore, Count Latour had no desire to be dragged into the power struggle between Metternich and Count Kolowrat.

However, upon hearing Friedrich List's words, he knew there was no escaping it.

"Ten thousand against eight hundred—the advantage was overwhelming. General Lich was perhaps careless. Although the process was somewhat convoluted, the final result was still a victory for our Austrian Empire," Count Latour replied awkwardly.

"Latour, let me say it for you. Prince Metternich accepted bribes from General Lich, which is why this incompetent general has repeatedly escaped the punishment he deserves. The number of soldiers and civilians who died because of his incompetence exceeds one hundred thousand. If you laid their coffins end to end, they would stretch all the way from Vienna to Budapest."

Friedrich List found it hard to believe, but seeing the genuine indignation on Count Kolowrat's face, it did not seem like a pretense.

In fact, he had recently heard many rumors in Vienna about Prime Minister Metternich, such as his acceptance of bribes, his promiscuity, and his use of his personal relationship with the Emperor to manipulate state affairs.

"Do you have proof?"

"Of course." After saying this, Count Kolowrat tossed a document in front of Friedrich List.

"This document contains a detailed record of the private gifts accepted by Prince Metternich and his family over the years."

Friedrich List pulled his spectacles from his coat pocket and carefully examined the document.

He had only read two pages, yet he was already shocked to his core. The document recorded all the dark secrets of Metternich from the time he became a diplomat in Dresden in 1801 to the present.

The bribes received included gold, silver, horses, real estate, mansions, jewelry, artwork, factories, merchant ships, and ordnance.

The sheer scale of it was unbelievable.

In truth, Metternich was, to a certain extent, acting as a scapegoat for others.

For instance, when someone wanted to bribe the Emperor, the Emperor would naturally not accept bribes directly, so he needed a white glove like Metternich.

Another example was the property of Prince Esterhazy that had been confiscated; it should have been sold and the proceeds deposited into the national treasury.

However, because Francis II liked the assets and did not want the money to enter the treasury, it became royal property after a series of maneuvers by Metternich.

Inside the Hall of Mirrors, Friedrich List was deeply shaken, and seeing this, Kolowrat knew the time was right.

"I know this is hard for you to accept all at once, but these are the facts. Also, Mr. List, do you know why Prince Metternich is so keen on joining the Zollverein?"

"Isn't it for the sake of the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor?"

"Mr. List, you are an expert; have you not discovered the business opportunities within the Zollverein?"

"Business opportunities?" Friedrich List was momentarily confused, as in his eyes, the Zollverein was full of business opportunities, and he had no idea which one Kolowrat was referring to.

"Count, the Austrian Empire has not yet officially joined the Zollverein. Furthermore, the union is full of opportunities; I am not sure which one you are referring to?"

"The monopoly rights for railways, of course."

This statement truly shocked Friedrich List, as the entire Austrian Empire currently possessed only one railway.

In 1824, Franz Anton obtained a special 50-year permit from the government, allowing him to build a 139-kilometer (about 86-mile) horse-drawn railway line.

This line would connect Budweis along the Vltava River in southern Bohemia to the Danube port city of Linz in Upper Austria, 48 miles to the south.

Although Anton obtained the exclusive franchise for this railway, the imperial government demanded a huge return as a condition.

Even so, Franz Anton still made a handsome profit.

Seeing how profitable investing in railways was, the entire German region went wild.

The various small and medium-sized states of the German Confederation were particularly enthusiastic, rushing to invest in railway construction to prevent important trade routes from passing through neighboring countries and bypassing them.

In stark contrast to the anxiety and frantic investment in railway construction by the German states to control the emerging trade routes, there was no sense of urgency within Austria.

It was not until 1830 that the engineer Franz Xaver Riepl joined forces with the banker Salomon von Rothschild to submit an application to the government, requesting approval for a more ambitious steam locomotive railway project.

This line would connect Vienna with the iron and coal mining regions of northern Moravia, as well as the salt fields of Galicia further to the east.

Once this railway was opened, Moravia, Silesia, Galicia, and Bukovina would be linked together as one.

However, His Majesty the Emperor rejected the proposal, citing that the black smoke emitted by steam locomotives might cause pneumonia.

Now, Kolowrat, as the Minister of Finance of the Austrian Empire, had brought the matter up again.

Could it be that His Majesty the Emperor had changed his mind? Friedrich List immediately realized that this was a golden opportunity.

Coming from the mouth of Count Kolowrat, the credibility was very high.

Besides, the Minister of Finance of the Austrian Empire wouldn't just run off with my money, Friedrich List thought to himself.

"But a formal contract is still necessary," Friedrich List muttered to himself.

He also thought that since the Austrian Empire was at a prime juncture to join the Zollverein, if he could obtain an important monopoly, wouldn't he soar to success?

To become a general manager, marry a wealthy beauty, and reach the pinnacle of life.

"A contract? Mr. List, I mean the sale of railway monopoly rights. His Majesty the Emperor has recently shown interest in restarting Austria's railway construction plan. Even if His Majesty didn't want to, Metternich would bring the matter up again."

Friedrich List was somewhat confused. Since the Emperor had authorized the construction of railways, shouldn't they seize this moment to secure a high-quality route and place their bets?

"Count, shouldn't we seize this opportunity to invest in railway construction? This is a cause that benefits the nation and the people, an achievement for the ages, and a business that can make a fortune."

Kolowrat waved his hand and smiled. "Have you ever seen a gambler who always wins?"

"No. What do you mean?" Friedrich List asked, somewhat puzzled.

"No matter how good a gambler's luck is, there will come a day when it runs out. But the one who runs the casino will always make a profit, no matter what."

"You mean, selling the railway franchise licenses?"

"Exactly. The railway market is doing very well right now. But who can guarantee it will stay that way forever? Instead of staking our entire livelihood on it, it is better to sell this opportunity. At the very least, we can guarantee that we will make a steady profit without any risk." Kolowrat looked at Friedrich List with an expectant gaze.