Of course, Franz's silence did not mean others would remain silent. The British and French media in particular had long since blanketed the Holy Roman Empire with overwhelming propaganda.
Naturally, the Austrians felt little about it. For years, the Austrian Empire had been trading ideological blows with Britain and France, and they had long grown numb to their rhetoric. Moreover, their unbroken victories had fostered a powerful cultural confidence.
Yet the new citizens in the German regions were stunned. They had never expected that, without even noticing, the Empire had won again, and they could not help feeling deeply regretful.
The Empire's propaganda apparatus would never let such a good opportunity slip away. These people simply did not believe the logic of Britain and France's narrative; they genuinely believed they were in the right.
Yet decades later, when people finally peeled back the layers and uncovered the truth behind the heavy mist, they were even more shaken—Franz's policies had always stood up to scrutiny.
A string of cheerful celebrations quietly dissolved this economic crisis that had built up over many years.
Of course, beneath the laughter and merriment, undercurrents still churned. In this era, exploiting loopholes in national policy and the power in one's hands for personal gain was an unspoken rule among bureaucrats. Anyone who did not do so would be seen as a fool and an oddity.
In an age when news traveled slowly, profiting from such short-term consumption vouchers was indeed difficult—but that depended on who was doing it.
For those at the bottom, three or five transactions might already have been the limit. But for those high up with extensive connections, there was no shortage of ways.
As long as every side cooperated properly, they could certainly make a killing.
Yet to the Austrians, such thinking