What Must Come Will Come

March 1835.

The old emperor, Francis II, suddenly felt unwell. A subsequent medical examination revealed that the emperor's health was collapsing, and he likely had only a few days left.

Francis II left his bedchamber and wandered aimlessly through the imperial palace.

As he walked, he arrived at his grandson's room. He wondered if this was fate, or perhaps something he had intended to do all along; none of that mattered now.

Francis II entered the room of Franz with a kind smile, though his complexion was poor and he appeared deeply troubled.

Franz did not know what had happened.

But judging by the news currently published in the newspapers, the entire Austrian Empire was in a rare period of ascent.

Austria's fiscal revenue in 1833 was 130,269,877 Florin, and in the first year after joining the Zollverein, it rose to 146,120,349 Florin. This far exceeded the projections of Kolowrat and the Ministry of Finance; a 12% growth rate was certainly something to boast about.

Politically, loans kept the states of Central Italy firmly in Austria's grip. Furthermore, the rulers of Central Italy, rather than feeling resentful or wary of hiring Austrian advisors to help manage their countries, felt they had gained an advantage by not having to pay to maintain their own officials.

After joining the Zollverein, Austria's position within the German Confederation became even more secure.

Even those small states that had previously followed the Prussians closely were now turning back to Austria one after another.

As for the Prussians, they had been outmaneuvered by Austria in the last vote. Unable to identify the mole, having lost their foreign minister, and dealing with the chaos caused by the Polish Restoration Army, the Prussians had become suspicious and paranoid.

Domestically, the nobles and capitalists of Northern Italy, wanting a share of the profits from joining the Zollverein, were acting remarkably docile.

The Hungarians were still busy with their internal infighting and would not make any major moves until they decided on a new leader.

Moreover, a new faction had emerged within Hungary: the young nobles led by Széchenyi.

These men were generally not traditional aristocrats; their nature as industrial and commercial bourgeoisie destined them to hope for open markets and free trade. Far from opposing the Zollverein, they supported Hungary's entry into it.

With the addition of this new faction, the factional struggles in Hungary became even more intense.

In short, the domestic scene was one of peace.

In recent years, the French had first suffered a cholera pandemic, followed by natural disasters that led to reduced grain harvests, and then large-scale worker uprisings. Now, cholera was spreading through France once again.

The Russians still had their sights set on the Ottoman Empire, and regarding Austria, they had only sent some Pan-Slavists into Eastern Transylvania to infiltrate and spread Pan-Slavist ideology.

The spread of Pan-Slavism created a certain hidden danger in the region, but the local garrison commander, Von Anton, immediately took thunderous measures, executing those who needed to be executed and expelling those who needed to be expelled.

Although Von Anton's actions were somewhat extreme, the Russians could find no fault with them.

After all, the charges were for disturbing local public order, with no mention of so-called Pan-Slavism.

As a land power that was also a Mediterranean nation, Austria posed almost no threat to Britain, so it did not attract any special attention from the British.

The international environment was also becoming favorable to Austria.

Franz really could not think of anything for the old emperor to be worried about, and seeing the old emperor hesitate to speak, he had no choice but to ask.

"Grandfather, what is wrong?"

"Grandfather is fine." Francis II smiled and continued.

"Franz, will you answer a question for Grandfather?"

"Yes." Franz put down the newspaper in his hand and sat up straight, waiting for the old emperor to ask.

"Is Grandfather a good emperor?"

"Of course, Grandfather is a good emperor. Look at the newspapers!" Having said this, he picked up the paper and pointed to the news on it.

Francis II took the newspaper and examined it carefully.

It was filled with claims of how powerful the Austrian Empire was and how wise His Majesty the Emperor was.

Francis II felt a sense of relief after reading it, as it had been a long time since anyone had sung his praises.

However, after reading a few more lines, he could not help but feel annoyed. The newspaper only wrote about the recent achievements of the Austrian Empire and did not mention a word about the difficulties the empire currently faced.

Yet, as he read on, Francis II's brow smoothed out, and he even felt a bit happy.

Because the newspaper belittled all the surrounding countries, claiming the French could not afford bread, the Prussians had no shoes to wear, and the Russians had to use people to plow the fields, as if everyone in the world except those in the Austrian Empire lived in misery.

Especially the people of Italy, who were practically welcoming the imperial army with open arms.

These sycophantic words did not affect Francis II's mood, nor did they make him feel ashamed.

Instead, he ordered the imperial steward to print more copies and ensure that every official in Austria read them.

Franz felt a bit embarrassed, but he was also relieved; it meant that Metternich's censorship system had been effectively implemented this time.

If one could still see things unfavorable to Austria or the imperial family in the newspapers supplied to the palace, that would be a dereliction of duty by Metternich.

Especially after joining the Zollverein, Austria would be the focus of the entire German region; any small stain could be infinitely magnified, thereby affecting national policy and even threatening the rule.

The common people could use newspapers to understand the country, but the emperor must never rely solely on them.

"Franz, today I will tell you a secret to being an emperor. This is a secret I only realized after being emperor for decades." The old emperor looked very expectant.

Although Franz was a bit surprised, as he did not consider the old emperor a successful one, he decided to listen attentively; after all, he did not want to dampen the old emperor's spirits.

Francis II cleared his throat and took a deep breath, trying his best to adjust his body to its best state.

"To be an emperor, one must have the aura of a king. And the aura of a king requires not only poise and courtesy but also courage and a sense of responsibility. If you cannot understand this, then even if you must be a barbaric tyrant, never reveal your weakness in front of others."

"My grandfather was once a weak emperor, which is why Napoleon, Talleyrand, the French, the British, the Russians, the Prussians, those duplicitous ministers, and the Hungarians—everyone was targeting me!"

Francis II appeared somewhat agitated, but he soon began to laugh.

"But one day, the moment I picked up my sword, they all feared me. They feared me, their emperor; they feared my reconstruction of the Holy Roman Empire; they feared that I would bully them. No one dared to bully me or this country ever again. Now, the entire nation has recovered, it is only a pity that my grandfather realized it too late."

Tears slid from the corners of Francis II's eyes as he continued.

"Your uncle is not suited to rule this country, and your father lacks such talent as well; the future master of this nation must be you. You must remember your grandfather's words: once you have rebuilt the Holy Roman Empire, you must ensure I am buried with the title of Holy Roman Emperor."

Franz was somewhat dazed, but he nodded nonetheless.

Francis II turned back and added.

"Remember to have many children."

Thanks to book friends Shenzhou Buwu Tianxia Fengdao and Yundong Bafang for their tips, and to Qingdeng Changran, book friend 20190309112007229 for their monthly tickets, as well as everyone for their support.

Also, I will be featured on the recommendation list tomorrow afternoon; please show your support, and I thank you all in advance.