Franz's aunt had astonishing ambitions, and it was not enough for Saxony to become the largest cotton processor in North Germany.

Surpassing the Austrian Empire and becoming the textile hegemon in the German Customs Union was what she really wanted, so simply expanding production capacity could not satisfy her wishes.

Of course, the Queen of Saxony made this decision after careful consideration and detailed investigation. Thanks to her special relationship with the Kingdom of Hanover, she was able to buy cheaper cotton raw materials, an advantage that the other states of the German Confederation did not have.

Although Austria had Egypt as an import route, after the end of the Turkish-Egyptian war, a large number of local cotton fields were ordered to be converted to grain, resulting in a significant reduction in its cotton production. As a result, Austria had to look to Mexico and the United States.

The former's cotton production has not increased due to years of war and the fact that the income from planting is far less than that of sugar and tobacco. As for the latter, the British have always been the only ones who look to the UK, which is why the French must find a stable cotton source for themselves.

Franz's aunt did not feel that the influence of the Austrian Empire on the North American continent could rival that of France, so she did not choose to communicate with Madame Sophie in response to this market expansion led by the Austrian Empire.

Because she was confident that she would definitely be the final winner, she plunged headlong into the competition for the clothing market.

But then the 180-degree U-turn in US policy dealt a blow to the rest of the German Customs Union.

All countries and individuals who tried to compete with Franz for the market suffered heavy losses, and Saxony was not immune.

Everyone thought that Franz's parents were behind the operation, but the Queen of Saxony was the twin sister of Madame Sophie, and the relationship was naturally extraordinary, so she never expected to be on the list of cheats.

When Queen Maria Anna learns the truth, she prepares to leave for Vienna as soon as possible, trying to play the "family card" to help her recover her losses.

Madame Sophie saw this as an opportunity to win over Saxony, an important northern ally of the Austrian Empire, or she would most likely have given him some money out of sympathy.

Some people may think that Mrs. Sophie is ruthless by nature, and even twin sisters have to calculate. However, in reality, when it comes to complex national interests, we must not hastily think about it from the perspective of human relations, still less can we judge it solely on the basis of simple intimacy and proximity.

Schönbrunn Palace, the dormitory of Madame Sophie.

Franz finally met Madame Sophie's twin sister, who was almost identical, except that the aunt seemed to be ten years older than her mother. Her face was saggy, wrinkled, like that of a housewife who worked all day.

"Hello, Aunt Maria."

"Hello, Franz, I haven't seen you for a few years, but you've grown so tall!"

"You're still so pretty, Aunt Maria."

In fact, Franz is not lying, women in this era age very quickly, and Aunt Maria is already beautiful among women of this age.

"Hey, the years are not forgiving. Unlike your mother, who doesn't have to worry about anything, although she married a husband who didn't care about anything, she gave birth to a capable son. What a blessing! ”

"Alright Mary, let's get down to business. If you go around it any longer, you'll be dizzy by this little ghost. Madame Sophie reminded.

"Alright then, Sophie, I'll get to business. Franz, my aunt lost six million florins this time, and I need you to make up for it. ”

"Isn't it three million?" Mrs. Sophie said with some surprise.

"Didn't I want to test your son if he was stupid?" Queen Maria Anna said with a hint of sarcasm (Archduke Franz Karl is a recognized fool).

"Franz, then, according to what my aunt said, give her six million. Let this person who has never laid eggs be envious. Naturally, Mrs. Sophie would not spare her sisters.

"Then you laid so many eggs, why don't you give me one, and I'll want Maximilian." Queen Maria Anna said half-jokingly.

However, this kind of thing is not uncommon among European royalty.

Madame Sophie actually wanted her children, at least each of them to have a crown, so she was seriously considering it.

"Why?"

"Because the color of this egg is different!" Queen Maria Anna laughed.

The Franz family has full chestnut hair, and only Maximilian is black-haired, so he is often talked about behind his back.

"Dare to say anything, you want to die!" Madame Sophie strangled Queen Maria Anna by the neck, who could only beg for mercy.

"Aunt Maria, do you think this is good, my family's garment factory places an order for 600,000 spindles of cotton cloth in Saxony every year."

Franz said it lightly, but Queen Maria Anna's eyes widened, for Saxony processed no more than 600,000 spindles of cotton cloth a year. And let's not forget that it is the most developed country in North Germany in terms of textile industry. She said incredulously.

"Is this true?"

"Of course it's fake!" Mrs. Sophie was still haunted by her sister's previous words, and now was a good opportunity for revenge.

"Necrotic!"

"Lie to you! Franz is always serious, even if it sounds like braggart a lot of the time. ”

Madame Sophie had a good relationship with her twin sister, and there were no outsiders in her bedchamber, so the conversation could have been more open.

"But I have one condition, the price of Saxon cotton must be the same as that of the Austrian Empire."

Franz's words did not surprise Queen Maria Anna, after all, such a great fortune is almost impossible without any strings attached.

"Naturally, there is no problem, the Saxon leadership, including my husband, has long lost that pioneering spirit, and now there is a flood of liberal ideas in the country, and the mob is ready to revolt and overthrow the country with my husband.

And the police and military personnel of our country are unemployed.

I'm trying my best to win over the powerful, but all they know is that they're vying for power and profit, and they're messing up the whole country. The merchants have long since taken refuge in foreign powers, and the country of Saxony is hopeless."

It can be seen that the queen is too tired to live. Franz glanced at Mrs. Sophie, who nodded, and the former withdrew from the room.

"Don't look down, the crown will fall; Don't shed tears, sluts will laugh. You're the queen of Saxony, there's nothing to fear, and believe me, at least you've got my solid ally behind you. ”

Madame Sophie suddenly remembered what Franz had said, and thought it was amusing and used it. But these words were completely different to Maria Anna's ears, and instantly made her feel that her sister figure was much taller.

"Sophie, you know, the Queen of Saxony doesn't have much power, and I can only do something within my power. It's not like you."

"Dear Mary, I am only a princess, and if you lose your faith, no one can save you. If your husband can't do it, then hold the power firmly in your own hands"

As a barrier between Austria and Prussia, a Saxony that was too weak was not a good thing, because if it was weakened, it would exacerbate the contradictions between the giants of the North and the South.

It would also greatly increase Prussia's influence in North Germany, which the Austrian Empire did not want to see.

As for the seemingly powerful Hanover, it is actually dying step by step, and it is more difficult to create obstacles for Prussia by relying on a group of second-class dealers than to ascend to the sky.

Under the influence of the German Customs Union, the countries that joined the Union were experiencing a golden age of rapid development, and it was only a matter of time before Hanover, a country that was heavily dependent on British goods, would decline.

Saxony, on the other hand, was an important pawn used by the Austrian Empire to counter Prussia. If Austria were to suppress Prussia directly, it would most likely provoke the anger of Protestants throughout North Germany.

And Britain, France, Russia, and the three countries will not sit idly by and watch them unify Germany, so a proxy war is a good option at this time.

(End of chapter)