Back in the real world, the argument in the Hall of Mirrors continued.
"His Majesty rules the realm with the nobles, not with the common people."
As the ruling class of this country, the nobles were clearly at odds with the commoners they ruled. As members of the ruling class themselves, they wanted the emperor to put the nobles' interests first.
Meanwhile, Prince Metternich, Count Kolowrat, and Baron Bruck, who supported joining the Zollverein, were nobles too. Even the emperor himself was one.
But those who kept insisting that they should rule the realm alongside the emperor represented neither the country's interests nor those of the ruling class. They represented only their own.
They had two goals. First, to block the paths by which petty nobles and commoners might rise through the ranks. Second, to use their power to collude with domestic and foreign forces, squeezing the people of their own country to the greatest extent possible.
To put it simply, they were bureaucrats, landlords, and compradors.
Though these words came from a pack of self-serving scoundrels, they sounded perfectly reasonable at the time.
Austria was no longer the Holy Roman Empire, divided among countless petty states.
As Emperor of the Austrian Empire, Francis II wielded absolute power.
He had Napoleon—the man who brought the Holy Roman Empire to an end—to thank for that. The Napoleonic Wars had greatly weakened the power of the local nobility, while unintentionally strengthening Austria's central government. The days when a petty noble could raise his own troops and openly defy the state were long gone.
Even the great nobles had seen their power severely curtailed. Take Archduke Charles, the Austrian Empire's greatest landowning noble: he had only a thousand private soldiers, nowhere near enough to stand against the mighty Austrian army.
The other nobles were even less capable of challenging the state.
So if some great noble stood up now and declared, "The emperor won't give me what I want? Then I'll rebel!"
Count Latour would be only too happy to send him on his way.
Just then, a small figure slipped in through the door. The royal guards saw him but did not stop him. After all, he was only a child—and the emperor's favorite grandson, the future master of the country.
The blunt Baron Bruck said,
"Do you mean to govern this country with His Majesty? You care only about your own interests. Do you know how much opening up trade could bring this country? Our finances have always teetered on the brink of bankruptcy. The slightest gust of wind could bring this whole edifice crashing down."
"You're scaremongering! Vienna has more banks than any other city in the world!" (Vienna had more private banks than any other city in the world at the time, but they were all small, and most were barely surviving. They could not begin to compare with London.)
"But who would lend us money? You? Vienna's financial industry is practically monopolized. The state has even had to mortgage part of its customs revenue and public authority to bankers. Can none of you see that?"
"Debts must be repaid. That's only right and proper. Besides, do you think banks in other countries would be willing to lend you money? Stop making excuses and look for the cause in yourself."
Baron Bruck had worked diligently all his life. He was upright and exceptionally capable. (Historically, he was falsely accused, found himself unable to prove his innocence, and took his own life.)
The fact that Austria's finances had not yet collapsed was nothing short of a miracle. He could not accept such accusations from others.
"Do you know how much revenue the Empire brought in last year?" Baron Bruck demanded, beside himself with anger.
Before the other man could answer, Baron Bruck continued.
"130,269,877 florins."
"Do you know the Empire's total debt?"
"1,461,224,893 florins."
"Do you know how much interest the Empire had to pay last year to extend its debts?"
"101,221,096 florins! You don't know!" Baron Bruck roared.
"So what? Heaven Bless Our Emperor; may Austria endure for ten thousand years. Do you think that's all thanks to you?" The speaker was Pietru, an aide to Prince Esterhazy. He was not nervous in the slightest; in fact, he shot back at Bruck.
He had graduated from the University of Vienna with excellent marks and had once aspired to become a judge. But after waiting in Vienna for five years, he had failed to secure a permanent post.
In the end, a classmate had recommended him for a position as an aide in Prince Esterhazy's household. His financial situation improved after he took the job, but he also saw more of the dark side of society. It turned out he was not lacking in talent; he simply had no connections.
The teachers who had constantly preached that he must obey the law were secretly colluding with officials to sell government posts to the highest bidders.
Austria at the time had a system of appointment by royal favor: the emperor himself directly granted official posts. But to be granted a post, one first had to meet the prerequisite—either meet the emperor or make him aware of one's existence.
Prince Esterhazy was one of Hungary's great nobles. Even the emperor could not move against him lightly. Pietru never hesitated to carry out the prince's orders. What if the Austrian Empire fell? As long as Hungary remained and Prince Esterhazy remained, the prince could give him everything he wanted.
Seeing Baron Bruck at a loss for words, Pietru poured more fuel on the fire.
"The Empire's debt has gone unpaid for all these years. Why don't you resign? Leave your position to someone who actually knows what he's doing!"
Baron Bruck was furious and tried to continue the argument. Count Kolowrat stopped him. Though he did not like Bruck, there was no denying his ability. As finance minister, Kolowrat understood better than anyone just how dire Austria's financial situation was.
There were usually only two ways to increase revenue: bring in more or spend less.
He had already cut spending to the bone. He had even withheld soldiers' pay and the imperial household's annuity. If something did not need to be spent, he absolutely would not spend it. Even so, the money left over each year amounted to only around ten million. He could not even imagine the difficulty of using that ten million to deal with debts totaling over a hundred million.
But Bruck had lost his head by now, led astray by the other man's provocations.
"Twenty years! If we join the Zollverein, I guarantee that we'll repay all the Empire's debts within twenty years."
This was no empty promise. Every official in Austria's Ministry of Finance had worked out the figures together. According to their calculations, joining the Zollverein would bring Austria annual economic growth of four percent. Even so, the returns would be enormous.
Kolowrat glanced at Pietru, who was still trying to think of a response.
"Can you do it?"
"I—"
"If you can't, then shut up!" Count Kolowrat had little patience for people like Pietru, who did nothing but run their mouths.
Kolowrat swept his gaze across the room.
"Who among you can guarantee that the Empire's debts will be repaid within twenty years? I'll hand over my position as finance minister to him!"
What a joke! Why should we repay the Empire's debts? the great nobles grumbled inwardly. Besides, they can't possibly be repaid.
In the hearts of the assembled grandees, the Austrian Empire's debt had long ago become a bottomless pit.
Since reason wasn't working, it was time to use force.
Several great nobles led by Prince Esterhazy walked toward Francis II.
"His Majesty rules the realm with the nobles, not with the common people. Do you really want those commoners crawling all over us?"
Francis II hesitated. He truly did not know what to do. As he watched the people below argue in a jumble, he could not tell whom he should listen to. His ministers seemed to have the country's interests at heart, but who could guarantee they had no selfish motives? These nobles seemed useless, but they were his own people.
Seeing Francis II waver, some of them smiled. This was the moment they had been waiting for.
They moved ever closer to Francis II, trying to crush the wavering emperor with their pressure.
"Your Majesty, have you forgotten France's attitude?" At last, one man grew so agitated that he stepped forward and tugged at Francis II's sleeve.
Franz smiled too. This was the very moment he had been waiting for.
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