Chapter 235 Ernst who wants to cause trouble but doesn’t want to contribute
Just when the two brothers Franz and Ferdinand were "asking for help, brothers and sisters," Franz didn’t know What luck did you have today? Another uninvited guest came to my door.
"Your Majesty, Grand Duke, His Highness Ernst is here again." Maid News reported.
Under normal circumstances, servants and guards would let Ernst go directly when they saw him. Because Ernst came to Schönbrunn Palace so frequently, Franz gave him this privilege, but today Ferdinand Nan was also there, so the servant chose to inform him first.
“Hmm!” Franz and Ferdinand glanced at each other at the same time. What a coincidence today. Ferdinand, Ernst’s future father-in-law, had never met Ernst before. Princess Charlotte (Queen Carlotta) met Ernst once, but at that time Princess Charlotte, who was eager to reunite with Ferdinand, did not communicate much with Ernst.
"Let him in!" Franz asked his brother.
The malicious Franz wanted to see Ernst's reaction when he saw Ferdinand. The slightly raised corners of his mouth betrayed his inner thoughts.
"Hmph! Call that boy in, I want to see if his quality is worthy of my Karina."
Franz waved his hand, and the servant immediately understood Said: "Yes, Your Majesty!"
......
Why is today different from the past? Ernst stood waiting outside the palace gate. In the past, he could enter easily, but now he was stopped. Could it be that Franz had something important to do or was meeting some important person? I haven’t heard of any big names coming to Austria!
The more he thought about it, the more he felt uneasy. Ernst felt as if he had become a prey. What was going on? I have never had this sense of crisis since I awakened my past life memories.
Intuition told Ernst, otherwise it would be better to go back today! Anyway, what I came to talk about was not important, and it would be the same if I came back tomorrow. I was about to retreat and run away, when the servant had already arrived.
"Your Highness Ernst, Your Majesty invites you to come over."
"Oh, good!"
Ernst complied.
"By the way, is there a special person in the palace today?"
"There should be no special person!" The servant replied, how could there be a special person! This is Schönbrunn Palace, so Ferdinand doesn’t count. After all, the Archduke of Austria is still a member of the royal family and lived here before, so it definitely doesn’t count! This is how the servant understood it.
"That's good, I'll go in first." Ernst said, and then walked inside on his own.
……
As soon as he stepped into the door with his left foot, Ernst immediately felt two pairs of eyes staring at him. He looked closely and saw that there was an extra person next to the sofa where Franz was usually alone.
Ernst looked at it, but Ferdinand observed Ernst carefully.
“I’m going!” Ernst’s heart felt cold, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees in an instant, “Isn’t this Archduke Ferdinand! Why is he here?”
Ernst recognized his father-in-law at a glance. In fact, Ernst had known Ferdinand in his previous life. After all, the picture of Ferdinand lying on the coffin board was so impressive.
(Picture, readers who are less courageous should not click on it to view.)
Anyone who knows a little bit about the history of Mexico cannot avoid Maximiliano I anyway. After all, if there is a ranking of the foreign monarchs who were executed in modern times, Charles I of England, Louis XVI of France, and Nicholas II of Tsarist Russia are the three. After this, Maximiliano I will definitely be on the list.
Ernst in this generation has naturally paid more attention to Ferdinand since he got engaged to Princess Karina. He has seen several photos and portraits.
Although Ferdinand shaved his beard for some unknown reason, Ernst still recognized him at first sight. Ferdinand without a beard looked energetic and clean. This habit was actually from Ferdinand. Dinan grew up in East Africa. East African immigrants originally had fewer beards (the population as a whole is relatively young), so Ernst fixed them all up when they immigrated to East Africa. East Africans have to trim their hair and beards once a month. After all, failure to pay attention to hygiene can really lead to death in East Africa. And the Hechingen Daily Necessities Company happens to produce razors and hair clippers, and the cost is very low, so it is promoted Very thorough.
Ferdinand has lived in East Africa for so long, and he has learned to shave his beard like the East Africans, and it is indeed very convenient in East Africa. He has lived in Mombasa, Dar es Salaam and now The temperature in Bagamoyo is relatively high, above 30 degrees most of the time. Think about it on such a hot day, the thick hair and beard plus sweat are really sloppy.
“Are you Ernst?” Ferdinand spoke first after looking carefully.
"Yes, father-in-law." Ernst immediately became well-behaved and alert.
Franz, on the other hand, covered his mouth and snickered unkindly. Although he was stroking his beard, this was the first time he saw Ernst like this.
"You are good at clinging, but Karina hasn't married that brat yet!" Ferdinand said.
“Here, father-in-law, if we don’t speak the same language as one family, there are still three years left, and then we will be completely one family.” Although Ernst had lived two lifetimes, this was the first time he met his father-in-law. , so some are not very skilled in dealing with it. The two people then started a question-type conversation, but Franz on the side was a little embarrassed.
...
"By the way, I went to the shipyard to see the few small gunboats you purchased. The performance is not bad, but I think you should also build a shipyard in East Africa. Don't say you have no money. Just build some small fishing boats first. Anyway, the Sultanate of Zanzibar next door has ready-made ones. You can just copy its shipyard. The technology may not be as good as the European shipyards, but it is still possible to fish along the coast, and it is also convenient to cultivate a small fishing boat. It will be easier to expand the navy in the future by recruiting fishermen with good water skills." Ferdinand suggested.
In addition to considering the naval personnel, the other point of this plan is that it is highly feasible. You don’t even need to spend any money. Just allocate some immigrants to the Zanzibar Sultanate to learn the skills. Anyway, Zanzibar people dare not have an opinion.
"I will arrange it, but why didn't you propose it to my father when you were in East Africa?"
"I only remembered it recently, by the way, why did you come to Schonbrunn Palace?" Ferdinand asked.
"Of course I have something important!"
Franz finally spoke: "You won't come here to ask for help again!"
"That's not the case, I'm here this time "Sending information."
"What information?" Franz asked curiously.
“This is probably not important information, or it is a result I predicted.” Ernst said: “The law enforcement should start soon.”
"Don't you dare to lie?" Franz and Ferdinand were both excited, especially Franz who asked: "Did William I tell you?"
Ernst shook his head.
"I guessed it!"
"Guessed it!" The two of them said in disbelief. Is this the time to joke?
“But I am not talking nonsense. This is the result of my feedback from German companies. Prussia is preparing for a war, and it is self-evident who Prussia has the most tense relationship with at the moment. It can never be with Austria. Fight again!”
In fact, Ernst is talking nonsense. So far, the Prussian army has not mobilized at all, nor has it ordered large-scale supplies from Ernst's companies. The feedback from Ernst's companies is completely false.
"If it is true, it is indeed possible. If Prussia's military changes are to prepare for the unification of South Germany, it is indeed possible to encounter France." Ferdinand said.
"That's right! It's impossible for the French to let Prussia achieve its achievements so easily." They would regard themselves as a gift and bring Prussia to the status of a great power, Ernst added mentally after finishing his words.
"Are you here to remind us of Prussia's ambition to rule South Germany? In fact, the Austro-Hungarian Empire can't do anything now." Franz said.
After saying this, Franz's tone became a little lower. The Austro-Hungarian Empire really couldn't do anything. If the Austro-Hungarian Empire took actual actions, Prussia would control the public opinion and collude with the French. There is no escaping the crime; The hearts of the people in the German region belong to Prussia, and the Hungarian government in the Austro-Hungarian Empire will probably try its best to hold back, because it is beneficial for them to lose southern Germany to Prussia, and they do not want to see Austria or the Germans Be strengthened.
Really nothing can be done? Wrong, Ernst had something to do with Austria-Hungary right now.
"Actually, Your Majesty, the success or failure of the German region has nothing to do with the current Austro-Hungarian Empire. The real enemy of the empire is no longer Prussia! Your real enemy..." Ernst paused deliberately.
"France? Tsarist Russia? Are you here to be a lobbyist for William I?" Franz doubted. The surname Hohenzollern gave Franz reason to believe that it was William I who persuaded Ernst. To stop myself from acting rashly.
"You think too highly of me. There is no way William I would let me be a lobbyist. Besides, you don't know what my character is like. Besides, Your Majesty, you are too extreme!" Ernst finally stopped pretending after so long, and his old image at Schönbrunn Palace reappeared.
“What about Prussia? As you said, the Austro-Hungarian Empire can’t do anything. Why should I be a lobbyist? Moreover, the real enemy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is Prussia’s ally, the soon-to-be-unified Kingdom of Italy. .”
"Italy?" Franz and Ferdinand were a little confused by Ernst's turn.
"Isn't it? Now that Italy has completely got rid of the past state of being dominated by Austria and France. If Italy took advantage of the war between Prussia and France to unify the Papal States, then the Austro-Hungarian Empire would be able to dominate the Mediterranean. It really depends on how the Italians live!”
“Furthermore, Italy has unified the Papal States. I have seen all his territorial demands. Southern Austria is good, there are many Italians.”
Ernst finally realized that he just wanted to disgust this little Italian. If Italy cannot be prevented from annexing the Papal States in the future, then it depends on what the Austro-Hungarian Empire does. Anyway, there is no need to contribute on its own.
(End of this chapter)