The Holy Roman Emperor's Regret

"Yes, General, it's a draw." The strategist sitting opposite the chessboard pushed his chair back and looked east as well. "Just like this damned battle."

After playing chess for most of the day, feeling rather bored, General Kellermann stood up and stretched. "I heard from the Hussars that there's a nice river on the border of Görlitz, with very fat trout. Let's go fishing tomorrow."

"That's certainly good," the staff officer said, "But it's already close to Saxony, so it might not be very safe."

"It's alright, just bring more guards."

Kellermann put on his coat and lazily walked out of the tent, where the distant boom of cannons could be heard again.

He had hoped to establish merit in Austria and revive the military's declining momentum over the past six months—since the Marquis of Saint-Viran's Rebellion, the military had been tightly controlled by the Royal House and desperately needed a major victory to regain its prestige.

However, after his initial raid was ambushed by the Prussia, resulting in the loss of nearly a thousand men, he never had another opportunity to participate in the war.

The Austrian Army and Prussian Army set up a large number of artillery pieces on the hills of Liegnitz, with the former having more than 230 and the latter 190, and then began to bombard each other day and night.

The dense defensive line of artillery made the Infantry on both sides hesitant to show themselves—they did not have the spirit of the France Royal Guard Legion' Column charge; after entering the artillery range and making a brief attempt, they would immediately retreat.

This has been the most popular combat tactic used by the Prussian and Austrian Army in recent decades: using a large number of fixed artillery positions to stabilize the position, and then finding the enemy's weak points to break through with heavy forces.

However, both sides' commanders were well-versed in this, having fought in the Seven Years' War and the War of the Bavarian Succession, and were very familiar with each other's military tactics, so they were able to defend themselves flawlessly.

And so, the two sides exchanged fire for a month along a stretch of artillery lines that stretched for several kilometers. Apart from the occasional unlucky soul being hit by the enemy's shells, almost no results were achieved.

The loss of a small number of cannons could be quickly replenished by large countries like Prussia and Austria, thus the battle in Silesia reached a stalemate.

However, neither country dared to easily withdraw its troops, fearing that the other would suddenly reinforce its forces and forcibly break through its artillery positions.

So, the two sides, totaling more than 200,000 troops, would routinely come to the front line every day, line up to watch the "fireworks show," and then eat, sleep, and live a very relaxed and carefree life.

The only ones facing financial strain are the national treasuries of Putin and Austria. Maintaining such a large army is no small expense.

Leopold II concluded his inspection of the Silesia front and returned to Vienna with a somber expression.

He was well aware that although Prussia and Austria were currently evenly matched, and Austria even had a slight advantage in terms of military strength, from a strategic perspective, Austria was heading towards defeat.

As the party that has concentrated all its forces to launch the attack, Austria has so far only been hovering on the edge of Silesia and has not made any decisive progress.

In terms of Finance, Prussia, which practiced "militarism," was far more tolerant than Austria.

The former Serfs, as long as they had Potato to eat, dared not have any complaints against the Junkers, while the Junker Nobles were willing to go to the front lines to gain military merit even if they received little or no pay.

In Austria, however, the reforms of his elder brother have led to resistance from the Nobility regarding taxation. If the Finance are disrupted by this war, the entire country will collapse.

Therefore, it is imperative to quickly open up the situation in Silesia and use the victory in the war to stabilize the domestic situation.

As Leopold II pondered, his Carriage came to a stop in Schönbrunn Palace Square. He hurried to Joseph II's Bedroom, gathered his thoughts outside the door, and then knocked to enter.

After reporting on the situation in Silesia, he looked at his weakened brother and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, we must launch a large-scale mobilization as soon as possible, otherwise our Finance will not be able to continue supporting the war until the end of this year at the latest."

He didn't need to remind the sick emperor of the dire straits Austria would face if Silesia were defeated.

"Based on what I've seen on the battlefield, I estimate that at least another 80,000 troops would be needed to achieve a rapid advance in Liegnitz."

Joseph II gazed out the window for a long time before finally speaking with difficulty, "You know, given our current situation, we cannot..."

Leopold II gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and said in a deep voice, "Brother, it is time to suspend the reforms."

"As long as the traditional rights of those Nobility are restored and the extra wages paid to the Serfs are stopped, the Nobility of Hungary and Kiev can immediately organize an army of more than 100,000 men, and at the same time raise a lot of funds from them!"

"In that case, not only Silesia, but we could even advance all the way to Lusatia!"

Lusatia was already part of Prussia's traditional territory, and also included some provinces in eastern Saxony.

Before Joseph II could refuse, he continued, "Furthermore, the Southern Netherlands Rebels will lose the support of the Nobility, thus alleviating the turmoil in the West of the empire."

"I know this is a difficult decision for you, but if we can reclaim Silesia, you will be able to implement reforms more smoothly with the prestige gained from the victory!"

Joseph II sighed listlessly. The reforms to which he had devoted the most energy in his life had become an obstacle to the country's victory.

After a long pause, he shook his head dejectedly. "Let me think about it some more... After all, we were so close to success..."

Just as Leopold II was about to offer further advice, Joseph II changed the subject. "Leo has devised a plan for a full-scale invasion of the Southern Netherlands, and we need another 10,000 troops. Do you think we could allocate some?"

Leopold II took the letter from Leo from his brother's attendant, quickly glanced at it, and hesitated before asking, "He intends to send the France to deal with the Hanover Army?"

"Karl II brought 20,000 troops, plus several thousand Dutch people. If the French Army were to fight them in the Southern Netherlands, it would likely be a long stalemate."

Joseph II paused for a moment before continuing, "Archbishop Constantine promised me that he would gather forces loyal to him to attack Blücher from the north. Leo will surely achieve a breakthrough sooner and then capture Brussels. Oh, General Würmser also approves of this plan."

Constantine was the Archbishop of Diocese of Liège, Liège, as an independent Holy See territory, granted the Archbishop immense power.

Leopold II was silent for a moment, then bowed his head and said, "I will find a way to send reinforcements for General Leo, Your Majesty."

After leaving Joseph II's Bedroom, he muttered to himself, "A decision must be made," and returned to his Carriage, instructing that they proceed to the residence of the State Minister, Kaunitz.

Luxembourg City.

During a brief respite before the Royal Guard Legion headed to Brussels, Joseph arrived in this historic city to preside over the ceremony for the French Steel Technology Association's acquisition of eleven Iron Mine in Luxembourg, as well as the two largest smelting Workshop.