CHAPTER XXII
After wandering around, the Count of Bonaroti was sitting there in the restaurant, smiling at Ernst, nodding at Count Bonaroti and teasing casually: "It seems that Count Bonaroti's body is fine." ”
"It's just a few scrapes, this is the red wine you arranged for Bert to give me this morning, it's very good!"
The red wine of the Esposito family is naturally worse, but it is still better than the ordinary red wine, so the Count of Bonarroti is very stingy to give praise.
With a slight smile, he cut the sausage in front of him, then took a sip of coffee, and filled his stomach before Ernst said: "The assassination of King Umberto I has also been concluded, and I don't have any problem going back......
"His Royal Highness Prince Ernst is leaving today?"
"I'm going to go to Florence to take the train to Vienna first, and the other guards and servants will go back along the same road as before, so that the speed is faster and there is some security."
Count Bonaroti agreed with Ernst's intention to leave by train, which was actually the advice given by Massena during the walk just now, and considering Ernst's decision to agree with Massena's suggestion.
"Bert, did they leave? If not, I'm going to go with them to Florence. ”
Naturally, the Count of Bonarroti understood what Ernst meant, and knew that he was asking about the party escorting Pierre and his party. For this reason, he shook his head and said, "The number of prisoners is a bit large, and they still need the cooperation of the small town magistrate, and they can't leave it in a short time." ”
"Alright, help me inform Lieutenant Colonel Kurt so that he can help me pack my things and tell him that we are going to Florence to take the train back to Vienna."
The servant bowed and saluted before leaving, and watched his back leave Ernst before continuing to eat his own food, and the Count of Bonarroti could not help talking about the train.
"Compared to the speed of horse-drawn carriages, the train is much faster, 80 kilometers per hour can travel from Florence to Vienna in just one day, and it will definitely play an extraordinary role in the war in the future."
Ernst's words made Ernst smile: "But it is too bumpy, and I am sure that no gentleman or nobleman will like such a means of transportation." ”
Recalling his experience of riding the train, Count Bonaroti couldn't help but nod: "I don't want to take it a second time unless I need to hurry." ”
In fact, the Count of Bonaroti was only talking, because two years later he traveled by train to England to seek a cure for his ailment, not only by train, but also for more than a month. (The railroad is not directly connected, so you need to change the itinerary halfway.) If Florencrosa were to get to London directly, it would only take five days to take even if you added the boat. )
After breakfast, with the reluctant farewell of Countess Mosetti and Mara and Adeline, Ernst set out on the road to Florence, where he would take the train back to Vienna, where he had been six years apart.
Bjule, Masséna, Cosimo, who had already convinced the old Bazagli, and a large number of guards, they were all to follow the original route to Vienna under the leadership of André.
Ernst was accompanied by only Bert and Kurt, the young man of Mune, Talo Balbo, and five guards, as well as several of Ernst's large wooden crates.
The road was very calm, and when I came to Florence Ernst, I felt the prosperity of Europe before the First World War for the second time, and the hundred years of peace made it very lively, and the pedestrians on the streets were very happy.
A hundred years of peace means that there are no major battles, and small battles do not count, after all, if you count those periods when there is hardly a real peace in the world.
The poverty and destitution of Italy did not seem to affect Florence, the banks of the Arno River were brightly lit, and small boats drifted through the river from time to time. Of course, the lights are bright, this is only the opinion of the servant who leads the way, after all, it is still daytime, and it is estimated that Ernst will not be able to see how beautiful it is at night.
Bert went to exchange the gold for pounds, and two guards followed him to escort him, leaving only Kurt and Talo Balbo and two male servants of the Bonaroti family.
As for Pierre's wanted criminals, the sheriff of the town was in charge, and the main responsibility of the two servants was to help Ernst buy train tickets and carry things.
Dressed in a suit and a top hat, Ernst stood at the gate of the train station and smiled at the passers-by, most of whom were also dressed as gentlemen, and on the surface it seemed that there was no poverty or poverty.
"I don't know what the situation is in Moravia, but I believe that with these hundreds of thousands of pounds, I believe that the land should be quite rich!"
Whether he is rich or not is only a guess, in fact, the worst cannot be bad, do not forget that Ernst's father was still the crown prince of Austria-Hungary, how could he allow his son to inherit a poor land?
Especially when Archduke Ferdinand was full of guilt, he had to find a way to make it richer, because only then could he get rid of his guilt a little.
Ferdinand may not have been a good crown prince, but he was certainly a good father, and he pampered his children to a degree that no other royal family could imagine.
It is said, just that, that the historical Archduke Ferdinand sent a telegram to his son before he visited Sarajevo, and the content of the telegram was the time of his return and the gifts he would bring back.
If it were other members of the royal family, especially the status of the crown prince, they would never have such a warm side, Ferdinand was definitely a little different in the royal family, and he attached great importance to family affection. Of course, this does not deny his militaristic and brutal side, which is why he is not a good crown prince.
The citizens of Florence were enthusiastic, and when they saw Ernst in front of the train station, they all took the initiative to smile, to which Ernst responded one by one.
"I love Florence and its people."
Kurt, who couldn't guess what Ernst meant for a while, chose to be silent, in fact, in Ernst's heart, what he liked must be snatched, this is his character habit.
In his previous life, he didn't have any capital or ability, he just thought about it, but this life is different from this life, whatever he wants and likes can be held in his hands, which may have factors in his previous life, but it cannot be denied that there is Ferdinand's kind of dictatorship that is inherited from the blood.
"Lord Earl!"
Bert had returned, and he had brought back more than £50,000 at the same time, and this time he did not choose a bank note, but exchanged it all for pounds sterling, along with the previous 150,000 pounds, and of course Bert had brought boxes of coins instead of paper money at Ernst's behest.
Florence is one of the few big cities in Italy, but even so, the entire Florence pound is almost empty of Ernst, and the banks are quite helpless to guard the empty foreign exchange vaults.
The Bank of Rome is a very powerful bank, after all, it is backed by the well-known Vatican Holy See, and fortunately, it is the Bank of Rome, if it is an ordinary small bank, it is estimated that it will not be able to take out so much pound foreign exchange.
Now Britain is still the world leader, and the pound can be compared to the dollar of the new century, whether it is a businessman or a politician! Their most trusted currency, the British pound, is definitely one of them, and the British pound is also quite in circulation in various parts of Europe.
This is also the reason why Ernst has to pay the pound, if it is changed to the Austro-Hungarian krona, the Italian lira, then who dares to guarantee that the currency will not shrink?
With 200,000 pounds in his hand, Ernst walked with his waist much straighter, and he was no longer bothered by the future situation in Moravia.
In terms of purchasing power alone, £1 is equivalent to about £120 in the 21st century, and 200,000 is equivalent to £200 million.
200 million pounds, this wealth is quite a big investment in a small town in the 21st century! Moreover, it is only the beginning of the 20th century, and it is certain that Moravia will change dramatically because of the arrival of Ernst.
PS: Thank you xiaotang246 for the tip, thank you for the reward of the lonely sheep under the moon, I went home yesterday and didn't have a net, I'm sorry for one less!