A new band begins to take place, and with Johann Strauss the Elder's "Radetzky March" ringing the beginning of the most important event of a ball, the waltz.

In the nineteenth century, a classic court ball was generally arranged as follows, starting with a polonaise, which lasted about fifteen minutes, a grand procession in which all were to participate, also jokingly known as "walking talk", followed by the Lille dance, composed of various dance steps freely combined, accompanied by Scottish bagpipes and sheepskin drums.

The third dance is the ornate waltz, which is different from the mazurka that follows as a solo dance, which places too much emphasis on the dancer's technique, and the joyful and spontaneous nature of the Kotijon dance, which relies on a series of repetitive movements that fly, spin, romantic, and crazy in the air.

The waltz originated in Germany, and it is also the pride of every German, the dance music made by the German Johann Strauss father and son for the waltz, such as the "Radetzky March" and "The Sound of Spring", etc., are familiar to everyone, and the elder Strauss and his eldest son composed nearly 300 waltzes in total.

And that's not all, Johann Strauss Sr. had three sons who were all masters of composition, the eldest son was known as the "King of Waltzes", and the second and third sons were also famous composers and conductors of the famous Strauss family orchestra in Europe in the 19th century.

The orchestra that performs the waltz and later the mazurka in the Womb today is the Strauss family band from Vienna conducted by the youngest son of Strauss the Elder, Eduard Strauss.

When the Berlin aristocrats saw the orchestra skillfully sounding the prelude under the baton of Eddie (Edward Strauss's nickname), everyone at the ball was stunned! Waltzing to the accompaniment of the Strauss family band is a rare thing.

The crown princess looked at the world-famous waltz band, covering her mouth with a handkerchief and couldn't believe her eyes. All the bands of the palace tonight were arranged by Empress Augusta herself, and the first two bands playing Pollonaise and Lille have made the crown princess impeccable, and the appearance of the Strauss family band in front of her is simply the biggest surprise of tonight's ball for the crown princess.

The crown princess tried to sort out her mood, turned to find the position of Empress Augusta, and then respectfully made a standard curtsy to her mother-in-law.

Empress Augusta also smiled and gracefully bowed to her daughter-in-law, the unhappiness between her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law for many years was finally loosened at this moment.

The crown prince couldn't wait to put his arms around his wife, and happily spun on the dance floor accompanied by music. Also happily spinning and flying are William and Elizabeth. There are also countless pairs of men and women dancing in the hall from right to left, like colorful clouds from right to left.

Waltz like a whirling wind,

Crazy spinning round and round,

Like the spin of youthful life,

Pair after pair flashed in front of him.

Queen Eugenie looked at the familiar face of the orchestra conductor Eddie, and said to her best friend with a smile, "Mary, the princess was able to invite Eddie, this is your credit, right?" ”

"Oh, this is all prepared by my daughter-in-law herself, and I am surprised to say it." Empress Augusta denied with a smile.

"Mary, although the Vicky personality misses the queen very much, but she is a good boy with a good heart. In fact, when Vicky was a girl, I wanted to tell the queen to marry her to France, but I didn't expect to be preempted by you. Empress Eugenie said half-jokingly.

"Dear Maria, what's so bad about marrying into Germany? If you want to, you still have a chance. For example..."Empress Augusta drew Empress Eugenie's gaze to her granddaughter, Mary.

"Don't even think about it! I'm not going to send my granddaughter to the Prussian court and be oppressed by these blue-skinned monsters! Empress Eugenie said angrily.

"Oh, dear Maria, don't be so serious, there are lovely people in the Blue Skins, like my little Jojo. Then let's guess if my little Jojo will ask your little Mary to dance a third dance. Empress Augusta made a bet with Empress Eugenie.

"Hmph, my little Mary has been educated by me since she was a child, and she knows very well whether she should accept the invitation of her male partner." Empress Eugenie accepted the offer without showing any weakness.

When Joey heard the warm and cheerful waltz, he really wanted to invite Mary to dance with him, but looking left and right, Mary's face was flat, and he really couldn't figure out whether he should invite or not.

"Mary, this band is playing the Radetzky March!" Joey didn't have the words to find it.

"Uncle Eddie is the conductor, and the Strauss family band plays, of course, the best waltz." Mary replied nonchalantly.

"yes, no wonder it's so good! Mary, such a beautiful dance music, if you don't go down and dance it, is it a waste? Joey thought he had found a good excuse.

"Joey, have you just forgotten what I said about the etiquette that gentlemen and ladies should observe at a ball?!" Mary said to Joey with a straight face.

"Ah, this, I..... Okay....." Joey bowed his head in frustration.

"Stupid, stupid Joey, you won't just invite me to see, don't have the courage to ask me! Look at your brother, you've invited Princess Elizabeth to dance! Mary rebuked Joy in her heart.

Suddenly, Joey raised his head, stared at Mary, and said with great courage, "Dear Mary, may I have the honor of asking you to waltz?" ”

"I'm sorry Joey, it looks like I just turned you down." Mary raised her head arrogantly and said in her heart, "Hmph, stupid, it's late, why didn't you just invite it directly!" ”

After rejecting the waltz invitations of many inviters, Empress Eugenie saw this scene from afar, and said to her best friend proudly, "Dear Mary, what do I say, my little Mary was personally educated by me, and knows how to refuse men!" ”

Queen Augusta, who also insisted on not entering the waltz for the sake of gambling, said unwillingly, "Maria, waltz has only passed one cycle, and there are two more cycles!" Then he added indignantly in his heart, "Joey, you little fool, use your brains, find a good way to invite Mary to dance, don't let grandma lose face!" ”

The second loop of Radesky's march sounded, and Joey looked at the crowd dancing in the arena and said to Mary, "Mary, I seem to remember that you invited me to the first dance, and although I am not yet married, I don't mind dancing two more dances with the same man." ”

Mary turned her head to look at Joey without speaking.

"I'm thinking, for example, if Mr. Mary is willing to invite Miss Joy to do a waltz, Miss Joy is willing to accept the invitation, but I wonder what Mr. Mary thinks?" Joey covered his face, a shy gesture overflowing.

Mary looked at Joey, her big lake blue eyes tightened, she couldn't suppress her smile anymore, her white teeth bit her lower lip, and after thinking for a moment, she coughed lightly and said, "Dear Joey... Miss, would you like to enjoy the light and let me waltz with you? With that, he forced a smile and stroked his chest with his left hand, and with the etiquette of a man, he invited Joey to dance together.

"Dear Mr. Mary, I would be glad!" Joey cheekily curtsied Mary before holding out his hand.

Empress Eugenie was stunned by this scene, pointed at Joey with the fan in her hand tremblingly, turned her head to Empress Augusta and said angrily, "What is this, can you still deceive people to dance together like this?" Your Joey is really, so brazen! ”

Empress Augusta also looked surprised, "To be able to deceive people to dance together, oh, he is indeed brazen enough..... But, Maria, I won the bet anyway. Ha, don't say it, Joey's cleverness is like mine, but this brazen look really looks like his grandfather. ”

Joey didn't care what brazenness was, he just pulled Mary and threw himself into the waltz of light and romantic dance music.

Revolve!

Revolve!

Spin again!

Count Andrach saw the old prime minister get up from the table from afar, and after having someone take his place under the pretext of being anxious, he hurriedly got up and chased after the old prime minister.

After roughly figuring out the old emperor's tepid attitude towards the German-Austrian alliance at the card table just now, Count Andrách knew that the key to signing the German-Austrian contract fell on the old Prime Minister Bismarck.

Count Andráhi quickly found the Prime Minister at the buffet table, and after pretending to be here to get the food, Count Andráhi greeted Prime Minister Bismarck, "Dear Otto, you are still so fond of sweets at such an old age, you must know that too many sweets are not good for your health. If I hadn't tried the white sausage, I would have thought it would have tasted pretty good. ”

"Oh, it's Gyuro, I thought you were in Berlin tomorrow. It seems that His Royal Highness Frederick's ball is very attractive, so that Count Andrách can't wait to come! By the way, my Imperial Majesty's poker skills are good, right? Bismarck said in a non-yin and non-yang manner.

Count Andrách smiled bitterly, knowing in his heart that the old chancellor was not happy that he had bypassed him to talk about diplomacy with Emperor Wilhelm I. In Bismarck's eyes, diplomacy was the sacrosanct domain of his prime minister.

"My dear Otto, in six months, you won't be able to continue to mock me." Count Andráhi simply went straight to the point and talked to Prime Minister Biss about the opening remarks.

"Gyura, what are you kidding?" The old prime minister frowned, looked at Count Andrahi and asked.

"Otto, I'm not kidding, before coming to Berlin I had already submitted my resignation to His Majesty Franz. Later, for some reason, I agreed to stay in this position for another six months to complete a smooth transition as Foreign Secretary. Count Andráhi continued to smile and said, "I am now the target of the central government of Austria-Hungary, the Hungarian government, and the Austrian government, and everyone is dissatisfied with my Balkan policy. ”

"I've heard some rumors about you in Berlin, but I don't think you should resign. Didn't you sign an agreement with the Ottoman Turks just two days ago to send troops to Bosnia and Herzegovina? Didn't your army praise you for ensuring the security of the southern flank of Austria-Hungary? Besides, don't your fellow Magyars like the Balkan lands very much, and before the Berlin Conference, if it weren't for the Hungarian voice behind you, why would I help you fight for these two territories? Chancellor Bismarck asked unhappily.

"Time has passed, and there are no absolute allies, Otto, my friend." Count Andráhi shook his head with a wry smile, "The current argument in the empire is that a million Slavs in Bosnia and Herzegovina want to devour Austria-Hungary, and all Austrians feel that these Slavs are a burden to their welfare, and my Magyar compatriots are against it for the sake of opposing it because the Czechs welcome their fellow Slavs, and the Czechs have always opposed me." So, I'm alone now. ”

"What about the Croats and Poles, why don't they speak?" Bismarck asked.

"Croats don't like Croats who follow Orthodoxy and Islam." Count Andrásy laughed and said a witty remark, "As for the Poles, forget about them, you know why." ”

Bismarck nodded helplessly, since Germany, Russia and Austria divided Poland, the Poles have been seeking independence, and it is reasonable that the Poles ignore and do not support Count Andrách.

"Emperor Franz didn't keep you?" Bismarck still asked.

"Hehe, I originally intended to put Bosnia and Herzegovina in Transleitania, but the emperor wanted to put it under the Imperial Treasury, so I ...... Otto, the German-Austrian contract I proposed earlier is only for six months. Count Andráhi nodded to the old prime minister.

"Gyuluo, you know who will take over your position as Foreign Minister, if it is convenient for you....." Bismarck asked in a low voice.

"Baron Heinrich Karl von Hemmele has great hopes, Otto, you must know that your fellow Germans have long looked at me unpleasantly, how can a Marza occupy such an important position as a foreign minister." Count Andráhi said with a low chuckle.

"It turned out to be Hemmelle, the echo worm of the Russians, the arrogant and stupid fools, just as stupid as their Bavarian peasant cousins." Bismarck cursed loudly, and the old prime minister didn't care what the Catholics thought of him.

"Tomorrow, Gyuluo, please come to Schulenburg, and we will work together on this treaty." Chancellor Bismarck finally realized that time was running out for him in the matter of the German-Austrian alliance.

As soon as the Radetzky March in the ballroom was played, Count Andráchy looked at the crowd that was about to enter the dining room, and said to the old prime minister with a smile, "Dear Otto, I hope that our German-Austrian contract will become a waltz between Germany and Austria, so that future generations can dance." ”