"But what bargaining chips do we have? The Austrians can't possibly grant us this favor for nothing, can they?"
That was the greatest problem. At present, the United States simply had nothing it could use as a bargaining chip in exchange with the Austrian Empire.
Since they intended to lump war and business together, then with such an imbalance of strength, why should the Austrian Empire do the United States this favor?
Franklin Pierce merely snorted coldly.
"What gave you the nerve to make a move against Canada?"
A cabinet member answered without thinking.
"Obviously because Britain is bogged down on the Near Eastern battlefield and has no time to look west—" At that moment, the cabinet member seemed to realize something and hurriedly added, "But the Austrian Empire hasn't joined the war."
Franklin Pierce laughed.
"Do you really think the Austrian Empire can stay out of this whirlpool? I have reliable information: factories in France and Austria are producing military supplies day and night.
Tell me, if that isn't raising troops and preparing for war, then what is it?"
Seeing that his cabinet had finally fallen silent, President Pierce continued.
"You tell me: with a great war imminent, will the Austrians choose to wisely preserve themselves, or will they throw themselves in without hesitation to help an ally they do not even think highly of?"
In truth, Metternich had not been idle these past years either. Besides localizing California, he had also tried to reshape the political landscape of the California Colony in North America.
Mexico was always a hurdle that could not be bypassed. In Metternich's view, Santa Anna was nothing more than a thug.
He had wanted to replace him, but after conducting a thorough investigation, Metternich discovered that there was not a single qualified replacement in