Once Maximilian's safety had been confirmed, Franz immediately ordered him placed under house arrest to prevent any mishaps.
There was no helping it. He truly could not trust his unreliable younger brother. As the saying went, if you do not court death, death will not come courting you.
Do not think things were truly safe now. The people who wanted Maximilian I dead could join hands and circle Mexico City several times over.
He would be fine inside the Austrian military camp, where everyone was one of their own and no one would want his life. But if he went wandering outside, there would certainly be no shortage of people taking potshots or tossing bombs.
Of course, keeping him from interfering with the negotiations was also an important consideration. He was a useful bargaining chip in negotiations with the Republican government, one they could freely use to bluff and deceive.
So long as Maximilian I had not officially abdicated, he remained Mexico's legitimate emperor, and any treaty signed with him would carry legal force as well.
Mexico City, inside the Austrian Embassy.
Minister Compton threatened, "Mr. President, this is already our bottom line. For every additional day you delay, your country will have to pay another hundred thousand Divine Shields in military expenses. Dragging this out will do you no good."
President Juárez was deeply uneasy, but his expression remained unmoved as he forced himself to stay calm.
"Mr. Minister, your country's appetite is too great. We have already compensated the victims for their losses. At most, we can pay another one million Divine Shields in military expenses. This is the absolute limit of what we can bear."
Ceding land to offset reparations was the last resort. After the Americans had swallowed several northern states, Mexico's regard for its