"Invest in all of the Netherlands?"
Amelia still could not understand.
"But that is the Dutch royal family's company, and it owes so much money. Do you expect him to be like you?
That ape king's looks, intelligence, and morals are all converging on those of an ape."
What William III did not know was that his reputation was atrocious—especially among the circles of noblewomen. It was not merely that he and his wife were on terrible terms; his foul temper and incompetence were equally famous.
If most royal women's marriages had not been beyond their own control, almost no one would have been willing to marry him.
Amelia did not believe in the slightest that William III would share money with the people. In truth, aside from Franz, she had only seen those ambiguous records in books.
But if no one else stood to gain, then what was the point of investing in the Netherlands?
"The situation in the Netherlands is complicated. Those local powers possess far too many privileges, as well as the right to interpret 'tradition.'
Their entry into the Holy Roman Empire this time was already half-hearted. If we do not handle it properly and overstimulate one of their nerves, a rebellion will be inevitable.
What is more, the Netherlands differs from the other states. It has colonies, and they lie half a world away from the imperial homeland.
For a smooth transition, we need William III's cooperation."
The Netherlands was indeed a special case. It was unquestionably a unified country, yet the monarch's power and control were both weak.
Since the era of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, the individual provinces had long been controlled internally by oligarchic merchants. No one could dominate national politics; everything could only be decided through factional maneuvering.
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