"I just wanted to ask you, Franz, what do you think your mother wants you to marry Archduke Karl?"

His Majesty the Emperor's tone remained as gentle as usual, and he did not express any opinion of his own.

But of course Aglon knew that without his acquiescence, how could his mother have the ability to do anything for herself?

He may not necessarily like Teresa, but he must be happy to see himself continue to be an Austrian through and through.

He had already considered a similar scenario beforehand, so he quickly replied.

"Archduke Karl is famous and meritorious, and I have always revered him very much; As for Princess Teresa, although I had not been in contact with her before, she was very kind and friendly to me after we met, which made me feel very happy. Therefore, if I can be favored by Her Royal Highness the Princess, it must be an incomparable honor for me. But...... I don't think I have enough capital to attract her and her father......"

After hearing him say this, His Majesty the Emperor and Luisa looked at each other.

"That is, you are not against it?" Emperor Franz asked directly.

I don't object to it - Aglon had wanted to say that, according to his calculations, he could use the fame of Archduke Karl to give him more room to act.

But as soon as the words came to his lips, he remembered what he had just said in front of Princess Sophie......

"All I can say is that I'm happy to give it a try...... But I don't have any confidence that I will be approved by His Highness. So, in the end, it became this answer.

"Alas, what a stubborn child." After listening to his answer, the mother Luisa couldn't help but laugh dumbly, she thought her son was shy, "What are you embarrassed to admit?" At your age, it's time to think about life as an adult. ”

"Okay, don't blame. Young people are a bit shy, and Franz is an introvert, so it's good to be able to express himself to this extent. His Majesty the Emperor nodded, indicating that he had understood the young man's thoughts, "In addition, your objective concerns do exist, so it is natural that you have a little bit of gains and losses......"

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "However, you don't have to worry so much, as my grandson, you have dignity that is not inferior to any king and grandson. And Carl I know him, he's not a vulgar snob, he doesn't value money that much, as long as you can show that kind of quality that can impress people, I think he will consider it. As for Teresa, as long as her father nods, her own thoughts are not so important, you should treat her as a friend, be kind to her, and she will naturally get used to it after a long time. ”

"Your Majesty......!" Before Aiglon could reply, Archduchess Louisa was a little dissatisfied, "You have taken Teresa too lightly, I don't think it should be." It was, after all, about the happiness of two young men, and if Teresa was adamantly opposed to it, then I would withdraw my efforts and nullify my proposal, for I did not want to be the object of her life's hatred, nor to be the creator of the tragedy. ”

His Majesty the Emperor was a little stunned by his daughter's sudden toughness, but soon understood, and he inadvertently reminded her of her dreamy past career as Empress of the French Empire.

At that time, she seemed to have been sent to France by herself with this attitude...... Although it was the need of the country, he always felt a little sorry for his daughter.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I lost my words." His Majesty the Emperor smiled awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Luisa, I didn't mean that, Teresa's idea is of course very important."

This is what the Emperor said, and indeed in the eyes of the vast majority of the world, as it was, and so did the Habsburg tradition.

Metternich once openly said when he brokered the marriage of Napoleon and Louisa that the princesses were just tools for marriage.

"Well, since Franz has no objection to this, let's put it on the family's agenda in earnest." Emperor Franz changed the subject, breaking the awkward atmosphere, "Whatever the outcome, it's good to make this place lively." ”

As he grew older, His Majesty the Emperor had lost hope of continuing to add Ding, and because of their respective circumstances, the two sons and grandsons had not been able to come to the world for a long time, and his knees were quite desolate, so sometimes he would be extremely nostalgic for the bustle of Schönbrunn Palace when he was a child.

"Franz, I want you to show what you deserve so that your mother and I won't be disappointed."

Then, with a gentle wave of his hand, he motioned for the mother and son to leave, and Aglon retired, and he could clearly see the exhaustion on His Majesty's face.

With the departure of Luisa's mother and son, the spacious office suddenly seemed even more empty.

His Majesty the Emperor closed his eyes and pretended to sleep for a while, until he had regained his spirit, and then he opened his eyes again.

"What did Metternich say?" He looked at the papers on the table and asked.

"Prime Minister Metternich is quite satisfied with the people chosen by the court." The attendant behind him replied respectfully, "He proposes to continue to hold the surname Bonaparte in his hands by marriage, and of course he does not want to be shared by a foreign royal family." ”

"When he talks about royalty, he talks to the vendors about the goods on the shelves." His Majesty the Emperor frowned, showing some impatience. "I really fear that after my death, he will have personal rule over the country in the name of the Habsburgs."

His Majesty's fears were not unfounded, for Crown Prince Ferdinand was born with mental illness and intellectual impairs, and if he died and the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, he would not be able to achieve personal rule and would have to rely on the Prime Minister's assistant – or regent – to do so.

Historically, Metternich did exactly that, and he enthusiastically manipulated a marriage in which Ferdinand, the crown prince, married Mariana, the princess of Sardinia, and the princess spent decades of her life caring for this mentally ill person.

"Your Majesty, although His Excellency the Prime Minister is indeed strong at times, his loyalty to the Empire is also unquestionable." The attendant whispered to His Majesty, "To survive this turbulent era, we need an iron man like him. ”

"You're right." His Majesty the Emperor nodded.

Then he shifted his words to the point, "Is there anything else Metternich would like to tell me?" ”

"One more thing." The attendant bowed slightly, and leaned into the ear of His Majesty the Emperor, "According to the information currently obtained, the tariff negotiations between Prussia and the Duchy of Hesse are nearing the end, and it is very likely that an agreement will be concluded to form a customs union. ”

As soon as he heard the news, His Majesty the Emperor's originally relaxed expression suddenly became solemn.

"Wild Prussians!" After a moment, he cursed slightly.

It is no wonder that His Majesty the Kaiser was so angry, for the Austrian Empire saw the efforts of the Prussians and the other German states to establish a customs union not only as an economic influence, but also as a political threat.

Since the Middle Ages, Germany has been divided into a long period of division, with many states, a variety of currency and weights and measures systems, and each secession power has set up its own checkpoints to collect commercial taxes, as a result of which the development of German commerce and trade has been greatly hindered.

With the demise of the Napoleonic Empire in 1815, the national consciousness of the Germans began to rise, and the bourgeoisie became more and more vocal in demanding the abolition of the border checkpoints and the establishment of a unified German market and a unified tariff system.

At the Vienna Peace Conference, the German states were already considering a proposal for a unified tariff system, but while they supported it, the monarchs of the states were hesitant about it, fearing that the economic abandonment of their independent systems would lead to the erosion of the independent sovereignty of the states, and even the emergence of a supranational Germany controlled by the bourgeoisie.

This anxiety was amplified by the peculiarities of the multi-ethnic domination of the Austrian Empire, who feared that the internal unity of Germany would eventually lead to the collapse of the empire.

Metternich turned to delaying tactics, using empty rhetoric to prevaricate and do nothing, trying to make the proposal a dead letter.

In 1818, Prussia promulgated a new tax law, implementing a liberal tax and commercial policy, abolishing the ban on the import of all goods, abolishing domestic taxes and commercial checkpoints, and establishing a unified tax system.

In the years that followed, they struggled to push for a customs union, and the Duchy of Hesse, due to its small size and high economic dependence on Prussia, was the first state to waver, and as it stands, it may be that a formal proposal will soon be reached.

"A Hesse is nothing." The attendant officer looked at His Majesty the Emperor cautiously, not daring to anger the other party again, "But Your Majesty, if other states follow suit, then it will inevitably put our country in a very disadvantageous position......"

"Let Metternich put pressure on the Prussians." His Majesty the Emperor frowned, obviously quite unpleasant, "These Prussians have always been accustomed to pretending to be great powers, and they can't do anything without us. As long as we're tough enough, they'll know what's wrong. ”

"Yes, Your Majesty." The attendant bowed.

=======================================

His Majesty the Emperor's exasperation, the mother and son, who had left the office, of course, had no way of knowing, and they walked side by side down the long corridor towards Aiglon's dwellings.

Although they have been silent with each other, Aglon is in a good mood, and in his heart, his perception of Luisa is much better at the moment.

Whatever her purpose for promoting the so-called marriage plan, it was a good idea in the final analysis, at least it proved that she was not completely indifferent to herself.

"Franz." When she was about to reach the door, Luisa finally stopped. "I know how I treated you before, so I don't expect you to be grateful to me; What I'm doing now may not be enough for a normal mother...... However, in my position, I have done my best. ”

Aiglon also stopped and looked at his mother.

The expression of the female archduke at this moment was both arrogant and reserved, but also with a little expectation.

"I've always wondered." He asked his mother in a low voice, "Why are you so active on this issue?" Obviously I don't care that much about me in normal times. ”

"For you are my eldest son after all, and if you can become the son-in-law of Archduke Karl, it will be one of the few achievements in my ordinary life. It's a comfort...... Luisa sighed, her gaze softened a lot, "Besides, if you are noble, the children of me and Count Nepeg will also be able to add glory." After all, it is impossible for them to marry the royal family...... If my plan succeeds, maybe they can count on you in the future. ”

According to the ancient tradition, only the royal family will marry each other, and the Count of Nepeg is only an ordinary nobleman after all, so his and Luisa's children can no longer be considered royals, but Aiglon is a real royal family - the Bonapartes are married to royalty everywhere, and their descendants are the same.

It's also a kind of alternative "when I beat them badly, they admit I'm one of them".

When Agron heard this, he didn't get angry, but his mother's frankness made him respect.

After years of estrangement, compared with the hypocrisy of mother-son filial piety, perhaps everyone is more open to each other, but more acceptable.

"Yes, I see, ma'am." He nodded, "As long as you continue to take care of me like this, then if I can really soar in the future, I will also take you and the Earl's children with me if I have the chance." I know how to be grateful, even if it's not pure. ”