Germany's 38 tariffs, which paralyzed internal communications, were tantamount to tying a man's hands and feet to prevent blood from flowing, and only by abolishing internal tariffs and establishing a unified tax system of the whole federation could state trade and national industry be restored, and in favor of the working class.

—Friedrich Liszt

Friedrich Liszt, the father of the German Customs Union and the challenger of Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, lived a legendary life. (The full name is used here to distinguish it from the musician Liszt.) ）

On 6 August 1789, Friedrich Liszt was baptized in Reutlingen.

(Usually baptism is done on the day of birth)

Friedrich Liszt was born into a family of artisans, and his father was a well-known leatherworker. When he was a student, he also worked part-time as a tanner-making apprentice to help his father.

But soon he showed his incredible talent and passed the Württemberg royal family's exam as a financial officer, becoming a government clerk.

After working in the government for a few years, he was given priority to be sent to university to become a professor because of his work ability.

No one would have imagined that this was only the beginning of his life, after which Friedrich Liszt left the university and became president of the Württemberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

After this he became a member of the Reichstag in Württemberg, when he had just turned thirty.

He then left Württemberg and traveled to the New World (USA). He built a farm in the United States, started a newspaper, started a railroad company, and finally used the money he earned to buy a mine, and wrote the Outline of American Political Economy in his spare time.

He was later appointed Consul General of the United States to the German Confederation by Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

He returned to Württemberg in 1832 and began to draw up a railway network covering all of Germany.

But his plans for a national railway system failed due to feudal secession and the narrow mercenary nature of the bourgeoisie.

In the end, only a castrated version of the 115-kilometre-long railway was obtained, from Leipzig to Dresden.

Friedrich opened a joint-stock company in cooperation with others for the construction of the railway, but the shares that should have belonged to him were deceived by two friends who assured him that the "Leipzig people" were different from the "Yankees" and that the Germans would not deceive the Germans.

The two swindlers convinced Friedrich Liszt that the rest was just a procedure, so he did not sign the deed.

By the time Friedrich Liszt realized that he had been deceived, he had already cashed out and disappeared without a trace.

In the end, instead of bringing him any gains, this investment cost him 10,000 thalers.

Friedrich Liszt, who was a little down-and-out, had to stay in a cheap family hotel.

He dragged his tired body back to his room, only to find that the door was actually hidden.

He immediately rushed into the room, where an old gentleman was leisurely drinking tea, and the attendant standing beside him was quite handsome and burly, and did not squint, and at a glance he knew that he was a servant of the powerful.

The old gentleman put down his teacup and spoke first.

"Mr. Liszt, please be seated."

Friedrich Liszt took off his hat, bowed deeply, and said, "Sir, this is my room." ”

"It's mine now." The old gentleman smiled and took out a piece of paper and motioned for the attendant to show it to Friedrich Liszt.

Friedrich Liszt took a look, and it turned out to be a title deed.

"Can I take my stuff then?" Friedrich Liszt pointed to the cabinet beside him.

"Mr. Liszt, please don't be in a hurry. I'm here to give gifts. ”

"Are you Santa Claus?" Friedrich Liszt asked.

"If you wish, yes. Let's get down to business. My name is Berg Turner, and I'm Master Metternich's butler. Coming today, there are two things, the first is to give a gift and give you back your loss, and at the same time I also brought two friends. ”

Berg clapped his hands, and two big men walked in with two sacks, and then slammed the sacks to the ground with a dull sound.

Then the sack was opened, and it was the two liars who made Friedrich Liszt hate it.

Friedrich Liszt immediately stepped forward and kicked twice, and the two crooks were now tied hand and foot, with rags still stuffed in their mouths, and could only let out two muffled snorts.

"Are they Austria's secret police?" Friedrich Liszt asked.

"No, they're just zealous citizens who happen to be passing by." Berg replied slowly, and then said, "Mr. Liszt, are you satisfied with this gift?" ”

"Satisfied, let's say the second thing." Liszt is a man who understands, and naturally knows that the other party will not be attentive without anything.

"My lord wants to see you, and he thinks you are very talented and should serve His Majesty the Emperor."

"What if I say I don't go?" Liszt asked tentatively, then pointed to the two big men next to him, "Will they catch me in the sack?" ”

"No, Mr. Liszt. My lord is a civilized man, but I'm not. Whether I say you're an X-guy or a dangerous person or something, as long as you have my face, it's enough. Berg stood up and straightened his shirt.

"You convinced me, Mr. Berg."

.................

Vienna, Hall of Mirrors.

Franz II was on the throne, and the ministers and magnates below had their own thoughts, but they seemed to be in good order.

Franz II said triumphantly, "Look, child. Emperor, the most important temperament. You must first have the spirit of a king, and then you can make them bow down. ”

Obviously, the old emperor is floating. But Franz still pretended to be very admired, and said in a childlike tone, "Grandpa, why are the French opposed to our Austria joining the German Customs Union?" ”

"The French are all badasses, they are afraid of us good. We, Austria, are the presidency of the German Confederation and are supposed to protect the interests of the German states, so we must join the German Customs Union. "Franz II wanted to educate his grandson, and accidentally bypassed himself.

Franz saw that the old emperor was digging a hole for himself, so he pushed again.

"Grandpa, grandpa, aren't all bad people who have the same opinion as the French?"

Franz II was silent.

Metternich almost vomited out a mouthful of old blood, which was really the savior of Austria. Unexpectedly, the most obvious thing in the entire royal family was actually a child.

It's just that the magnates in the Hall of Mirrors don't have a good face, especially Prince Wendy Goretz, who feels that the old emperor is looking at him, and his gaze can kill him.

Hurriedly made an excuse and left the Hall of Mirrors as if he were fleeing.

The other magnates saw two bosses, one exiled to Hungary and the other in exile. Their faith also crumbled, and the tree fell apart.

Looking at the crowd frantically fleeing the Hall of Mirrors, Franz II fell into deep thought. Why didn't he find out in the past, it turned out that he trusted a group of traitorous villains.

Count Korolav thought it was good, and it seemed that the workload could be lightened considerably.

The Count of Latour, on the other hand, continued his work, and he felt that those fellows would not give up so easily, and that they had to be guarded against it.

Of course, this also has something to do with the personal character of Count Latour, after all, he is a soldier, and once he makes a mistake, he loses his life.

Now Metternich, Corollaf and Brooke were thinking the same thing, whether to bring the Archduke Franz with them next time.