March 1835.
The old emperor, Francis II, suddenly began to feel unwell. After examining him, the doctors discovered that his body was on the verge of collapse. He likely had only a few days left.
Francis II left his bedchamber and wandered aimlessly through the palace.
As he walked, he came to his grandson's room. Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps he had wanted to do this all along. None of that mattered now.
Francis II entered Franz's room with a kindly smile, but his complexion was poor, and he seemed weighed down by worry.
Franz had no idea what was going on.
But judging by the news in the papers, the entire Austrian Empire was in the midst of a rare period of growth.
Austria's fiscal revenue in 1833 had been 130,269,877 florins. In its first year after joining the Zollverein, that figure had risen to 146,120,349 florins—far beyond Count Kolowrat and the Ministry of Finance's predictions. A growth rate of 12 percent was more than enough to boast about.
Politically, loans had placed the states of Central Italy firmly in Austria's grasp. And the rulers of the region weren't merely unopposed to hiring Austrian advisers to help govern their countries; they even thought they were getting a bargain by not having to pay the officials themselves.
After Austria joined the Zollverein, its position in the German Confederation became even more secure.
Even the small states that had once followed Prussia's lead were now flocking back to Austria.
After Austria had outmaneuvered Prussia in the last vote, Prussia had been unable to find the traitor. Its foreign minister had also died, and the Polish Restoration Army was stirring up trouble. The Prussians had grown suspicious of everyone.
At home, the nobles and capitalists of Northern Italy also wanted to join the Zollverein and get their share of the spoils, so they were on their best behavior.
The Hungarians were still busy fighting among themselves and wouldn't make any major moves until they had chosen a new leader.
Hungary had also seen the emergence of a new faction: young nobles led by Count Széchenyi.
These men were generally not traditional aristocrats. Their commercial and industrial bourgeois character meant they wanted open markets and free trade. They didn't oppose joining the Zollverein; on the contrary, they supported Hungary joining it.
With the new faction in the mix, the factional struggle in Hungary had grown even fiercer.
All in all, the country was peaceful.
In recent years, France had first suffered a cholera pandemic, then a poor harvest caused by natural disasters, followed by a massive workers' uprising. Now cholera was spreading through France once again.
The Russians were still focused on the Ottomans. As for Austria, they had only sent a few Greater Slavism advocates into Eastern Transylvania to infiltrate the region and spread their ideas.
The spread of Greater Slavism had created a certain danger there. General Von Anton, the local garrison commander, had immediately struck with an iron hand, executing those who deserved it and expelling those who should be driven out.
Though Von Anton's actions were somewhat extreme, the Russians could find no fault with them.
After all, the charges were for disrupting public order. They had made no mention of Greater Slavism.
Austria was a continental power, but also a Mediterranean country. It posed virtually no threat to Britain, so it had drawn little special attention from the British.
The international situation was also becoming more favorable to Austria.
Franz couldn't imagine what the old emperor had to worry about. Then he saw the old emperor hesitate, as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.
So he asked, "Grandfather, what's wrong?"
"Nothing, my boy." Francis II smiled and continued, "Franz, will you answer a question for your grandfather?"
"Of course." Franz set down the newspaper and sat up, ready for the old emperor's question.
"Was I a good emperor?"
"Of course you were, Grandfather. Just look at the papers!" He picked up the newspaper and pointed to the articles.
Francis II took the paper and examined it carefully.
It was full of praise for the Austrian Empire's strength and the emperor's wisdom.
Francis II felt deeply comforted as he read. It had been a long time since anyone had sung his praises.
But after reading a little more, he couldn't help growing irritated. The paper described all the Austrian Empire's recent achievements, but said not a word about the difficulties it was facing.
Still, as he continued reading, Francis II's brow relaxed, and he even began to look pleased.
The paper had torn the surrounding countries to shreds: the French couldn't afford bread, the Prussians had no shoes, and the Russians had to use people to plow their fields. It was as if everyone outside the Austrian Empire lived in utter misery.
The Italian people in particular were practically carrying food and wine to welcome the imperial army.
Such sickening flattery did nothing to dampen Francis II's mood, nor did it make him feel ashamed.
Instead, he ordered the royal steward to print more copies so that every Austrian official could read them.
Franz felt a little embarrassed, but he was also greatly relieved. At least Prince Metternich's press censorship system was working as intended.
If the papers provided to the royal family still contained anything unfavorable to Austria or the royal house, that would be a failure on Prince Metternich's part.
Especially after joining the Zollverein, Austria would become the focus of the entire German region. Any small blemish could be magnified out of all proportion, affecting national policy and even threatening the regime.
The people could use newspapers to learn about the country, but an emperor must never rely on newspapers alone.
"Franz, today I'll tell you the secret of being an emperor. It's a secret your grandfather only learned after decades on the throne." The old emperor looked expectant.
Franz was a little surprised. He didn't consider the old emperor a successful ruler, but he decided to listen anyway. He didn't want to spoil the old man's mood.
Francis II cleared his throat and took a deep breath, doing his best to bring his body into the best possible condition.
"To be an emperor, you must have the bearing of a king. That means not only dignity and courtesy, but also resolve and a sense of responsibility. If you can't understand that, then be a savage tyrant—but never let people see your weakness."
"Your grandfather was once a weak emperor. That's why Napoleon, Talleyrand, the French, the British, the Russians, the Prussians, those two-faced ministers, and the Hungarians—all of them turned against me!"
Francis II seemed agitated, but then he smiled.
"But one day, when I picked up a sword, they all feared me. They feared me as their emperor. They feared I would rebuild the Holy Roman Empire. They feared I would bully them. No one dared bully me or this country anymore, and now the whole country has begun to prosper. It's just a pity I realized it too late."
Tears slid from the corners of Francis II's eyes as he continued.
"Your uncle isn't fit to rule this country, and your father lacks the talent for it too. One day, you will be its master. Remember what your grandfather told you. When you rebuild the Holy Roman Empire, you must have me buried with the title of Holy Roman Emperor."
Franz was a little stunned, but he nodded.
Francis II turned back and added, "Remember to have lots of children."
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