While Charles was still celebrating Matilda's birthday, a much grander banquet was taking place at Schönbrunn Palace in Austria, thousands of miles away.

"His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!"

With the sound of the attendants, His Majesty Franz-Joseph I, the current Emperor of Austria, walked forward step by step on the carpet with a deliberately slow pace, and along his route, the officials and guards of the court stood solemnly on both sides, watching the monarch.

The young emperor was slender, wearing a blue gown, his face was a little pale from overwork, but his expression was very calm, as if he had painted some of the majesty that an emperor should have.

The Emperor and his attaché were followed by the heads of the princely families of the Empire and their wives, followed by the ministers of various countries in Austria, then the ministers of government and their wives, and the marshals and generals of the Imperial army...... They slowly walked into the hall following the Emperor in an order that had been established over the centuries. The momentum of the empire was vividly displayed at this moment.

Isn't the majesty of the royal family reflected by these cumbersome etiquette and grand pomp?

Surrounded by attendants, His Majesty the Emperor walked into the hall, although he was the focus of everyone's attention, but he suddenly sat down, and the long dining table was noisy for a while. After him, princes and nobles also flocked in, and the untitled gentlemen were taken to other rooms by the court's ceremonial officials to enjoy the royal buffet.

The seats at the table were also according to the imperial etiquette. It is arranged according to the level of rank, and the emperor does not need to bother more. So, in people's sight. He gently picked up the cutlery and officially announced the start of the dinner.

"The poor Austrian Empire is now decaying to the point of no return, it has become a zombie, lifeless and hopeless, and no one can bring it back to life. Its current monarch is an idiot, and Franz-Joseph, who has high hopes, is just a new abscess on this zombie......"

Although he was so ridiculed by the Count of Dilieron. But from the outside, the historic Habsburg royal family is still pretentious and glamorous. And the emperor himself...... Although pale and thin. He looks melancholy and looks preoccupied, but he is still a pretty blonde boy. Well, should it be said that it is small fresh meat?

Maybe it's because I've long been accustomed to a big scene, even if it's such a grand banquet. The emperor, who had only been on the throne for less than a year, was still at ease. chatting with the people on both sides.

It seems that this is a commonplace banquet in the palace.

However, the whispers around him were a little louder than usual, and as they whispered conversations, they occasionally swept their eyes over the Emperor and the people beside him, looking at them either puzzled, excited, or both.

They reacted so violently. Of course, it has to do with the people who accompany the emperor to dine next to him today.

To the right of the emperor sits Prince Schwarzenberg, the prime minister of the current empire and a dignified power; He is now the most trusted minister of His Majesty the Emperor. There is even a kind of chengdù that is regarded as a teacher—but at this moment, the attention is more focused on another person, the young man who sits to the left of the emperor.

Truth be told, this man they knew most of them, and some of them had been friends with for many years, was only surprising because of the fact that he was Richard von Metternich, the son and heir of Prince Metternich, who had just returned from a foreign country.

Richard-von-Metternich (1829-1895), the eldest of Metternich's three wives and became the second Prince of Metternich in 1859 at the age of 30.

Like his father, he entered the diplomatic service as an adult, becoming secretary of the Austrian embassy in France in 1855 and serving as Austrian ambassador to France from 1859 to 1870.

It is also worth mentioning that in 1856 he married his own niece Polina (then 20 years old, the daughter of his half-sister) - this kind of intragamy was not uncommon in European society at the time, and was not confined to high society.

The lady was also well-known in French social circles at the time, and became a close friend of Empress Eugénie. 】

The 20-year-old has a handsome face, short brown hair, and a face contour that has the charm of his father. He was dressed in a ceremonial gown, smiling incessantly, and responding appropriately to the emperor's inquiries.

His presence on such an occasion would not have caused such a commotion, but it was not the same now, in the tumultuous year of 1848, when his father, Prince Metternich, had to resign and leave Austria for exile because of the riots of the citizens of Vienna, and also lost the favor of the new Emperor Franz-Joseph.

Today, however, Richard von Metternich is once again next to the Emperor...... Does this mean that Prince Metternich, who has lost power, has regained the favor of the king? People are speculating in their hearts.

However, at this time, the emperor and the two princes ignored their gaze and continued to talk seemingly cordially.

"Your Majesty, thank you very much for taking the time to inquire about my father's health, and my father is very happy......" After talking for a while, Richard bowed his head respectfully to the Emperor, "He wants me to tell you that he is in good health now, but because he is worried about the country and His Majesty, he sometimes has trouble sleeping." In addition, since I am not yet able to return to my country, he asks me to express my sincerest gratitude to you. ”

Yes, just in August of this year, Prince Metternich received a letter from His Majesty the Emperor, which expressed the Emperor's cordial condolences to the Prince in an enthusiastic pen. It also ignited the hope that the prince would return to Austria for the rest of his life.

It was in order to achieve this goal that he allowed his son to return to his homeland and curry favor with the Emperor and His Excellency the Prime Minister.

"Oh. The prince is healthy. The Emperor's previous slight smile faded away, he nodded and replied softly, then turned his head to look at the Prime Minister next to him, Prince Schwarzenberg.

He apparently understood the implication in Richard's words, and wanted the Prime Minister to answer.

"I am very pleased that His Royal Highness is in good health." After receiving the emperor's signal, the prime minister immediately answered directly, apparently prepared for this question. "As a subordinate of His Royal Highness the Prince for many years. I have always had great respect and admiration for the Prince, and I am very sympathetic to his current situation. As an outstanding state activist who has made great contributions to the country over the years, he has to be adrift in old age. This is admittedly a great tragedy. Therefore, I very much hope that His Royal Highness will be able to return to the country as soon as possible to retire his old age. ”

Is it just "going home to recuperate"? The young man sighed heavily.

That's right, his prime minister's position was only obtained after his father's exile, how could he be allowed to come back? As for the Emperor's Majesty...... I'm afraid that's what I think. Never mind. It's good to be able to go back to China to live your old age. It's better than dying in a foreign land.

Fortunately, the father and son of the Metternich family were aware of this, so he was not sad.

"You're right, Your Excellency, after the previous mob riots, now my father is exhausted, and he never wants to return to politics again, he just wants to live in the manor in the country......" he quickly said what his father had taught him before, "In addition. During his days in exile, he also kept an eye on the changes in the country. He is convinced that the country, under the leadership of His Majesty and the Prime Minister, will enter a new era of prosperity and prosperity......"

After hearing his answer, the Emperor looked at the Prime Minister again, and then the Prime Minister nodded, obviously satisfied with the answer.

"I would also like to see Prince Metternich soon," His Majesty finally spoke, after a moment of silence, "although he is old and frail, his wisdom will certainly teach us a lot." ”

It's finally done...... Richard breathed a sigh of relief. Now my father can finally return to China.

"Thank you for your leniency, Your Majesty." He sincerely thanked His Majesty again, and the blonde boy just smiled indifferently.

Because the problem of Prince Metternich was perfectly solved, the mood of the three people was much better. At this time, Richard von Metternich was going to amuse the emperor.

"Oh, Your Majesty, look at the face of the Prussian minister, but the iron is blue!" He laughed as exaggeratedly as he could, "Drinking as vigorously as he felt as if he had been beaten." ”

"It was exactly what we needed, but it didn't make him cry." The prime minister next to him replied coldly, "The Prussians are like this, if you don't give them a few hard blows, they don't know how powerful they are at all!" Only by showing strength can you gain their respect. ”

And the emperor just continued to smile.

According to traditional court etiquette, the Emperor was required to have a brief greeting with the ministers of various countries after his attendance - even if it was just a few nonsense words, and the Emperor did so today, except for the Prussian ministers. This kind of unequivocal diplomatic humiliation will obviously make the Minister of Prussia indignant.

"So, what are they going to do about Hesse? Showdown? Richard, of course, understood their intentions, and continued to inquire in order to please the Emperor even more.

"How dare the Prussians have a showdown? Although they usually shout loudly, as long as they show their determination to them, they do not dare to act rashly. The Prime Minister replied with a sneer, taking a sip of his wine, "The Prussians always forget that it is only because of the benevolence of the great powers at the Vienna Conference that they are qualified to pose as great powers on the European stage, and they always need someone to stand up and make them understand this again." ”

[At the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Tsar Alexander I of Russia insisted on swallowing all of Poland. In order to compensate Prussia and at the same time strengthen Prussia against France, Prussia, with the support of the Russian Tsar, received the lands of the Electoral States of Saxony and the Rhine provinces, and its power increased considerably. 】

"You are right, we must limit the arrogant ambitions of the Prussians." Richard hurriedly chimed in, "Germany still has to be led by the Reich after all. ”

"So. This time I intend to teach the Prussians this lesson and return to the Imperial Reichstag in Frankfurt obediently. The Emperor nodded again, his pale face reddening slightly with excitement. If there is a need for war, I will fight. My country needs to prove to the world that it is still a force to be reckoned with. ”

As he had hoped, the Prussians, in the shadow of Austria's apparent might, finally capitulated to the Reich - and for the last time.

"Richard, what are your plans for the future?" After chatting for a while, the Prime Minister asked rather lightly.

"Hmm...... Just as my father had hoped, I wanted to work in the diplomatic service. After a moment's silence. The young man replied.

"Oh, of course, if Metternich's son doesn't enter the diplomatic world. Isn't that a big loss? The Prime Minister nodded, indicating that he understood the idea, "So where do you want to go?" ”

The future Prince of Metternich glanced at the Emperor again, and found that he did not look unhappy. He replied softly. "If you can, it's better to go to France."

"Yes, that's a good choice, don't all young people like Paris?" The Prime Minister smiled again. "Richard, with your family background, it won't be difficult if you want to do that, and I hope you'll have a good time there."

"Personal...... The individual is one aspect. I think...... I can get there, for the Empire. Well...... Make certain contributions. After a few more moments, Richard von Metternich plucked up his courage and spoke his inner thoughts—it really took courage, and it was not wise to speak his mind before the emperor and the prime minister.

After all, he's still a young man.

"Oh? Contribute to the country? The Emperor was a little curious.

"I ...... That's what I thought. If we deal with the Prussians alone, although we are not afraid of it, it is ...... It's still a bit of a struggle, isn't it? Fighting alone is not a good thing. "As my father said, the whole of Europe is a vast system, and it needs a certain balance, and when Prussia upsets the balance, the other countries should be as disgusted as we are—and it seems to me that the French will be even more disgusted, because they bear the brunt of the same." ”

After hearing his words, the Prime Minister's expression suddenly became stern, and he looked around.

"That's true, but are the French trustworthy now? Not to mention that they've just been so badly injured. At this time, His Majesty the Emperor suddenly spoke, "Besides, Louis Bonaparte was a cunning liar, and he held a grudge against our country, and it would not be of much benefit to be on good terms with them. ”

The emperor looked down on such an upstart as Louis Bonaparte.

The young man's mind flashed through him in an instant.

But to be honest, he himself looked down on it, but ...... Is diplomacy a place where feelings can be intervened? If it's good for the country, what if it's good for a monkey?

However, young people certainly do not dare to let such thoughts come to light.

"Hmm...... You are right, you are right, people like Louis Bonaparte were cunning and cunning, and they were always hard to trust. "However, in the face of national interests, they may not necessarily be emotional." Other than that...... With all due respect, this is no longer the time to talk about principles. ”

As soon as he said the last sentence, Richard already regretted it.

Sure enough, after hearing this slightly didactic sentence, His Majesty frowned slightly, although the delicate facial features and thin eyebrows could not give people much oppressive power, but the identity of the emperor was still enough to scare anyone.

"Your Majesty, I'm just casually stating my opinion, you don't have to take it seriously." Richard von Metternich hurriedly apologized, "It's all my own whims......"

"On this occasion, let's not talk about such a strict topic." Prince Schwarzenberg played the round at the right time, "so many people staring at ......"

"Maybe you have a point." After hearing the Prime Minister's words, His Majesty's brows furrowed again, and he said these words rather coldly, and then continued to eat.

In desperation, Richard could only give up his tirade and follow the meal.

The greatest tragedy of an autocracy is that it often puts the dazed youth and the dying old man in the supreme position, and acts either recklessly and impulsively or in the middle of nowhere.

And the slightly restrained blonde boy in front of him may also be a sad example? This slightly perverse thought crossed the minds of young people.

"Does His Royal Highness plan to continue living in the UK now?" After a while, seeing that the atmosphere had eased again, the Prime Minister asked Richard with a smile.

"No, he plans to go back to live on the mainland," Richard replied quickly, "in Belgium." ”

"You've been following him for a while, and you've seen a lot of strange things about foreign countries, right?" The prime minister was still smiling, and without a trace, he covered up the small unpleasantness between Richard and the emperor just now, "Well, it is good for young people to walk around outside, and it will be much more convenient to be a diplomat in the future." ”

"Thank you." Richard thanked him sincerely.

"Since you have been abroad for a while, have you ever heard of the diplomatic turmoil caused by France a while ago?"

"Diplomatic commotion?" Richard was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, "Do you mean that Mr. Charles de Treville's speech?" That's really interesting. ”

"Well, that's him." The Prime Minister nodded, "What you said before reminded me of him, it's exactly the same, they are all talking about the balance of power and balance in Europe. ”

Why did the Prime Minister suddenly mention this? The young man had some doubts in his heart.

After a moment, he was overjoyed. It turns out that Your Excellency the Prime Minister also supports my view! He's quietly guiding the Emperor.

"Not only that, but he also made a point of saying that France should help Austria restore the balance in Europe." After thinking of this, he quickly replied, "Anyway, what that person said is very interesting, and my father also saw ...... in the newspaper."

"De Treville?" The Emperor lowered his head and groaned, "That's a good surname." ”

"Yes, the de Treville family is a well-known aristocratic family in France, but he is a member of the Napoleonic party, probably because his grandfather is Napoleon's general." Richard carefully explained to the emperor, "This man is not a big man, he is only about my age, and he is already the secretary of state of the French government, and he has a lot of power. It is really commendable to be able to achieve such an achievement at such a young age. ”

"You know a lot, huh?" The Prime Minister was somewhat surprised.

"The newspaper has already introduced him thoroughly." Richard replied with a smile, "What's more, he still has the trust of Bonaparte, and it seems that he may be able to become a figure in the future." His thoughts coincide with mine, and I would like to see him when I have the chance......"

"As things stand, you'll have a chance." The Prime Minister was still smiling and gave Richard an approving look.

"De Treville......" His Majesty the Emperor still muttered, as if he had memorized the surname.

After a few moments, the slender blonde boy stood up again as the court ball began. (To be continued......)