Christmas.
As the most important holiday in the European world, it naturally could not be treated carelessly. Hadn't the officers and soldiers sent to the Papal States rushed back to celebrate it?
As usual, Franz held a Christmas dinner at the imperial palace and invited a large number of people to the banquet.
This was Franz's first Christmas since ascending the throne, so everyone attached exceptional importance to it. All those who had been invited and could make it came.
Relatives and friends, key figures from the military and government circles, along with their families—the guest count directly exceeded a thousand. Cups clinked throughout the feast, conversation flowed merrily, and the atmosphere was warm and harmonious.
Franz could tell that everyone was putting on happy faces for his sake. In truth, each of them was bored to death, making dry, lifeless conversation.
Court banquets emphasized etiquette, leaving no room to truly let loose. The children especially could hardly wait for the banquet to end so they could go out and enjoy a happy Christmas.
There was no helping it. Even he, the Emperor, found it unbearably tiresome. Using those glittering gold utensils, Franz had once suspected they were merely gold-plated. After testing them, he discovered he had overthought it—they were indeed solid gold, and his subordinates did not dare deceive their Emperor.
Well, Franz normally did not use those utensils. He generally used silverware, which was said to kill germs and disinfect.
Although Western medicine in this era had moved beyond the primitive treatment of bloodletting, its methods were still far from impressive. Any random illness could take a person's life, so the life-loving Franz decisively made his choice.
After a lavish meal, everyone returned to their own homes. Christmas was better spent with one's own family. Franz had no