"Fairness"

Frankfurt, headquarters of the Zollverein.

"Damn it! The Hungarians of Austria cannot join, and the Poles within the Kingdom of Prussia should get out too."

"Right! Poles out!"

Friedrich Ancillon grew weary of this endless bickering, especially now that the focus had shifted directly toward the Poles within Prussian borders.

"Austria has made a clean break with the Hungarians, and Prussia should do the same with those Poles!"

"Exactly! Why should those filthy Poles enjoy the benefits of the Zollverein?"

At this moment, the representative from Baden felt the time was right. Having long been bought off by the French, his goal was to assist the Prussians in blocking Austria from joining the Zollverein.

Now, seeing the Prussian side faltering, he had another objective: to attempt to bring France into the Zollverein. Although this was nearly impossible, the French had promised him a handsome reward.

They had also informed him of the miserable fate that awaited him should he fail to comply.

Baden, being close to France, was most heavily influenced by them and often found itself forced to act as the French vanguard.

He called out, "If the Poles of Prussia and the Hungarians of Austria can join our sacred Zollverein, then the French can join as well. France possesses a much broader market and superior goods."

However, before he could finish his sentence, he was met with fierce opposition from the entire hall, and some even began to surround him.

"You lackey of the French! You have no right to stay here!"

"Get out!"

Someone threw a wine glass at the head of the Baden representative. Shards of glass and wine splattered all over him, leaving him looking utterly disheveled.

"Oh, damn it! What have you all done? I am a nobleman!"

This single sentence insulted both the nobles and the common-born officials in the room; the nobles felt he was demeaning their class, while the commoners felt this aristocrat looked down upon their origins.

The result was predictable: the enraged crowd gave the noble-born Baden representative a sound thrashing.

Then, the classic scene repeated itself: the representatives of the Zollverein, regardless of nationality or background, worked together to toss him out the window.

The unity was only temporary. With the sound of shattering glass, the subsequent clatter of shards hitting the ground, and a heavy, muffled thud, the hall fell momentarily silent.

After a brief lull, the arguing resumed.

"Austria cannot join the Zollverein. It is an autocratic state; the desire of Metternich and Francis II to pry into the private lives of others is boundless."

"True, Austria's secret police are everywhere!"

"We cannot tolerate such an autocratic country joining our free Zollverein."

The Prussian side launched a new round of attacks.

Before the representatives supporting Austria could speak, Ankett of Saxony chimed in.

"You speak as if Prussia isn't autocratic. You have plenty of spies yourselves. Taking advantage of the fact that the Zollverein has just been established and its systems are imperfect, your agents have infiltrated various countries to gather commercial and military intelligence. We in Saxony have already caught over a dozen. I don't need to spell out the ambitions of the Prussians."

The representatives supporting Austria immediately counter-attacked.

"That's right, Prussia is also an absolute monarchy. Where is the freedom in that?"

"If you ask me, since the Prussians are acting so recklessly, Austria should send their secret police to oversee the operation of the union."

"Yes! Austria is already the presiding power of the German Confederation; they should oversee and manage the operation of the Zollverein."

Friedrich Ancillon's nose was practically crooked with rage. Why did this damned Saxon always have to go against him?

"Lord Ankett, are you targeting my country, or is this the will of your King of Saxony, Anthony I?"

Ankett smiled and said, "I just find it amusing. You Prussians are exactly the same as the Austrians, yet you can join the Zollverein while they cannot. Are you trying to play the whore and set up a memorial arch for your chastity?"

"The Zollverein belongs to us, Prussia!"

Ankett sneered, "Listen to that. You Prussians haven't even become the chair of the Zollverein yet. Setting trade rules, planning trade routes, blocking other countries from joining—do you really think this Zollverein belongs to Prussia alone?"

"You lie! You—" Friedrich Ancillon was somewhat flustered and angry.

At this point, the representative from Frankfurt pulled him back and said, "Let us proceed to a vote."

Friedrich Ancillon regained his composure.

"The Zollverein was indeed initiated and organized by us, Prussia, but all representatives within the union are equal. I propose that we decide whether to accept Austria by a vote, based on the number of votes."

"Decide whether to accept Austria by the number of votes? Does every state in the confederation get the same number of votes? Are the votes of Hessen-Stadt and Bavaria the same?" the Bavarian representative asked.

Friedrich Ancillon answered confidently, "Of course the votes are the same; only then can the fairness and justice of the union be reflected."

Friedrich Ancillon knew full well that the number of states standing on his side far exceeded those on the Austrian side. In this calculated move, he didn't need to do anything but wait.

"I don't think that's fair. Because you Prussians occupy a vital position in Germany, many small states have no choice but to pass through your territory. Therefore, it is hard to guarantee they won't lean toward you," Ankett said.

Friedrich Ancillon laughed.

"We in Prussia would never do such a thing; all of this is merely your conjecture. If Austria cannot secure more than half the support within the alliance, it only proves that rejecting Austria is the will of the people."

At this moment, a representative stood up.

"I have a request."

"Please, speak."

Friedrich Ancillon felt victory was within his grasp and appeared remarkably magnanimous.

"I request a secret ballot. Regardless of whether Austria joins the Zollverein or not, small states like ours lack the capacity to withstand the wrath of either Prussia or Austria."

Friedrich Ancillon considered this and found it reasonable; the smaller states on his side were indeed worried about retaliation from the Austrians. After all, Metternich and his secret police force were notorious.

"No problem. A secret ballot it is. You need not have any reservations; no one will retaliate against you." Friedrich Ancillon readily agreed, offering everyone a sense of reassurance.

Once there were no further objections, the voting officially began.

The 36 members of the Zollverein held a total of 36 votes. If the side supporting Austria's entry reached half, the alliance would approve Austria joining the Zollverein; if not, it would be rejected.

"To ensure fairness, all ballots will be collected in public by Miss Ajani, the prima ballerina of the Nice Opera Ballet Troupe. We will then open the ballot box right here in the center of the venue and announce the results."