Regent

Time flew by, and by March 11, 1848, the rebels within the city of Vienna had been essentially purged; the remaining small fry could be left to the police.

This sudden rebellion had come and gone quickly, but the influence it exerted had only just begun, and many parts of Austria were already becoming unstable.

Franz had no energy to focus on other regions. There were still nearly forty thousand captives in the hands of the pacification army, and how to deal with them remained a major problem.

Executing them was obviously impossible; he was no bloodthirsty demon, and these people had no deep-seated blood feud with him.

Simply letting them go wouldn't work either. Even if they were treated as coerced accomplices, they had still participated in the rebellion. If they weren't dealt with, what would happen if others followed suit in the future?

Impose a fine?

If they had money, they wouldn't have engaged in this head-lopping business to begin with.

From the start of the pacification to the final conclusion, it had taken less than two days. These people were not die-hard radicals; the true fanatics had long since fled, and those left behind were merely abandoned pawns.

At this moment, Albrecht walked over, bloodshot eyes revealing he clearly hadn't slept well these past few days.

"Albrecht, what are the casualties of the troops?" Franz asked with concern.

"It's fine. There wasn't much actual fighting during this pacification; casualties were no more than three hundred," Albrecht said after a moment's thought.

"That's good. There's nothing else for now, Albrecht, go and get some rest!"

Hearing this news, Franz breathed a sigh of relief; casualties of over three hundred were still within his acceptable range.

However, the rebel casualties were heavy. Over three thousand had been killed on the spot, and there were more than five thousand wounded among the captives—all light injuries, as those with severe wounds had already become corpses.

Preliminary estimates suggested that in this rebellion of less than a week, over ten thousand people in Vienna had lost their lives, the vast majority of whom had been "revolutionized" by the so-called revolutionary party.

The aristocratic residential district had almost been razed to the ground, and the number of confirmed deceased nobles had already exceeded three digits. It was estimated that once this news spread, it would shock the entire European Continent.

With the matters at hand mostly settled, Franz knew it was time to head to the Hofburg Palace; the supreme power of Austria was waiting for him to take over.

After such a massive disaster, it wasn't just Prime Minister Metternich who had to roll out; there was no longer any need for the Regency Council to remain.

At this point, all obstacles blocking Franz from the regency had been cleared.

The nobles and capitalists had both suffered heavy blows this time. The decline of imperial power caused by Ferdinand I's inability to govern was now about to return to the hands of the Habsburg Family.

"Franz, you've finally returned. Your performance this time was excellent!"

The one speaking was none other than Franz's father, Archduke Franz-Charles. Franz deeply doubted that his father could say something with such depth.

However, he soon understood that this was likely instigated by his mother, Lady Sophie, to set the tone for this matter.

"Father, are you all alright? When we suddenly heard the news of the Vienna rebellion, we rushed back overnight. God be praised, we finally made it!" Franz said, feigning excitement.

Watching the performance of the father and son, Archduke Louis wanted to speak but hesitated; it was too late to say anything now.

In this incident, the Regency Council had failed to play its proper role, which had already left the Vienna Court dissatisfied.

Including these Archdukes, everyone expressed doubts about the Regency Council's capabilities and held the Franz who had promptly brought troops back to pacify the rebellion in high regard.

Of course, they had selectively ignored Archduke Albrecht, who had commanded the pacification.

Simply because Franz was one of their own and the Imperial Crown Prince, if the Habsburg Family did not want power to slip away, supporting the Crown Prince's regency was the best choice at this time.

Some were even planning to have Ferdinand I abdicate. With this rebellion, everyone was terrified of the decline of imperial power, fearing another revolution.

Indeed, in their hearts, this rebellion was a manifestation of the decline of imperial power. If the monarch's majesty still held, so many rebellions would not have occurred.

If Franz were willing, he could plot for Ferdinand I's abdication right now, but he had his pride; he couldn't bring himself to force his uncle to abdicate.

Moreover, Austria was currently a powder keg. The Vienna rebellion was merely the first spark; there were still rebellions in Italy, Hungary, Dalmatia, and more to come.

Every rebellion was a blow to Ferdinand I, and the conservative nobles would surely be unable to bear it when the time came.

Historically, it was against this backdrop that Ferdinand I abdicated. The successive rebellions terrified Empress Anna, and the Habsburg Family, fearing that continuing this way would shake their rule in Austria, finally made the decision to have Ferdinand I abdicate.

No, it was to persuade Ferdinand I to abdicate. However, considering the actual situation, Franz believed this persuasion was no different from making the decision for him.

After greeting everyone, they moved on to the main topic: the aftermath.

"Such a major event has occurred, and the cabinet cannot shirk its responsibility. I suggest dismissing the cabinet!" Archduke Louis spoke first.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

Without a doubt, it passed unanimously, and Prime Minister Metternich was dismissed just like that.

"During the Vienna rebellion, the Regency Council failed to fulfill its due duties. I think it would be better to dissolve the Regency Council," Archduke Franz-Charles said.

He had long since wanted out anyway. From the establishment of the Regency Council until now, he had never truly managed anything. It was the perfect opportunity to dissolve it and settle into being a happy parasite.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"

Archduke Louis wanted to curse out loud. What were they all meddling for? Aside from the Emperor, the only ones with the authority to dissolve the Regency Council were the members of the Regency Council itself.

Unfortunately, only two members were present at this time, and one of them was proposing to dissolve the council. Regardless of whether the other Archdukes had the authority, they could at least make up the numbers.

After a moment of hesitation, Archduke Louis finally expressed with resignation: "Agreed!"

There was no help for it; his opposition was ineffective at this moment. Unless all members of the Regency Council stood in unison, there was no way to contend with the Vienna Court.

This was clearly impossible, as Archduke Franz Karl had no interest in politics, and regardless of what considerations he might have, he was bound to support his son's regency.

"I propose that after the Regency Council is dissolved, Crown Prince Franz Joseph shall take up the regency!"

Seeing that the situation was beyond his control, Archduke Louis naturally thought of cutting his losses and very decisively proposed the Crown Prince's regency, making his stance clear.

"Agreed!"

"Agreed!"