Chapter 16: Fairness

Frankfurt, Headquarters of the German Customs Union.

"Damn it! The Hungarians of Austria cannot join, and the Poles in the Kingdom of Prussia should get out too!"

"Yes! Get the Poles out!"

Friedrich Ancelin was weary of this endless arguing, and now someone had pointed their finger directly at the Poles within Prussian territory.

"Austria has cut ties with the Hungarians, so Prussia should also cut ties with those Poles!"

"Exactly! Why should those filthy Poles enjoy the benefits of the German Customs Union?"

At this moment, the representative from Baden felt the timing was right. He had long since been bribed by the French; his purpose was to assist the Prussians in preventing Austria from joining the German Customs Union.

Now, seeing the Prussian side in decline, he had another objective: to attempt to bring France into the German Customs Union. Although this was nearly impossible, the French had promised him lavish rewards.

They had also told him exactly how miserable his end would be if he failed to act.

Baden bordered France and was most heavily influenced by it; many times, it was forced to act as the vanguard for the French.

He called out

"If the Poles of Prussia and the Hungarians of Austria can join our sacred German Customs Union, then the French can join as well. France has a much broader market and better goods..."

However, before he could finish his sentence, he was met with fierce opposition from the entire hall, and some people even began to surround him.

"You French lackey! You have no right to stay here!"

"Get out!"

Someone, unknown to all, hurled a wine glass at the representative from Baden. Glass shards and wine splashed all over him, leaving him looking utterly pathetic.

"Oh, damn it! What have you all done? I am an aristocrat!"

This single sentence insulted both the aristocrats and the commoner-born officials in the hall. The aristocrats felt such a person insulted their entire class, while the commoners felt this nobleman looked down upon their origins.

The result was predictable: the angry crowd gave the aristocratic representative from Baden a thorough beating.

Then, a classic scene replayed: the representatives of the German Customs Union, regardless of nationality or social standing, worked together to hurl him out of the window.

Unity was only temporary. Following the sound of shattering glass, the clatter of shards hitting the ground, and a heavy thud, the hall fell temporarily silent.

After a brief period of calm, the arguing resumed.

"Austria cannot join the German Customs Union. It is an autocratic state; Prince Metternich and Franz II have an insatiable desire to pry into the privacy of others."

"True, Austria's secret police are everywhere!"

"We cannot tolerate such an autocratic nation joining our free German Customs Union."

The Prussian side launched a new round of offensives.

Before the representatives supporting Austria could even speak, Anckert of Saxony spoke up again.

"You talk as if Prussia isn't autocratic. You have plenty of spies as well. Taking advantage of the fact that the German Customs Union was just established and its systems are imperfect, your spies have infiltrated various countries to gather commercial and military intelligence. We in Saxony have already caught over a dozen. I don't need to tell you what kind of ambitions the Prussians have, do I?"

The representatives supporting Austria immediately counterattacked.

"Exactly, Prussia is also an absolute monarchy. Where is the freedom?"

"If you ask me, since the Prussians act so lawlessly, we should let Austria send their secret police to supervise the operation of the Union."

"Yes! Austria is already the presiding state of the German Confederation; it should supervise and manage the operation of the German Customs Union."

Friedrich Ancelin's nose was practically crooked with rage. Why did this damned Saxon always have to make things difficult for him?

"Lord Anckert, are you targeting my country, or is this the intention of your Saxon King, Anton I?"

Anckert said with a smile.

"I just find it funny. You Prussians are exactly the same as the Austrians, so why can you join the German Customs Union while the Austrians cannot? Is it because you want to play the whore while trying to act like a saint?"

"The German Customs Union belongs to Prussia!"

Anckert sneered.

"Listen to that. Prussia hasn't even become the chair of the German Customs Union yet. Setting trade rules, planning trade routes, blocking other countries from joining—do you truly believe this German Customs Union belongs solely to Prussia?"

"You're lying! You—" Friedrich Ancelin was becoming incensed.

At that moment, the representative from Frankfurt pulled him aside and said, "Let us proceed to the vote."

Friedrich Ancelin regained his composure.

"The German Customs Union was indeed initiated and established by Prussia, but all representatives within the Union are equal. I propose that we decide by vote, with the decision to admit Austria based on the majority of votes."

"Decide based on the majority of votes? Does every state in the Confederation have the same number of votes? Are the votes of Hesse-Städt and Bavaria the same?" the Bavarian representative asked.

Friedrich Ancelin answered confidently.

"Of course the votes are equal. Only then can the fairness and justice of the Union be reflected."

Friedrich Ancelin knew well that the number of states standing on his side would absolutely exceed those on Austria's side. This was an open scheme; he didn't need to do anything but wait.

"I think this is unfair. Because Prussia occupies an important position in Germany, many small states are forced to pass through Prussian territory. Therefore, there is no guarantee they won't lean toward you," Anckert said.

Friedrich Ancelin smiled.

"We Prussians will not do such a thing; this is all mere speculation of yours. If Austria fails to obtain more than half the support within the Union, it will only prove that rejecting Austria is the will of the people."

At this point, a representative stood up.

"I have a request."

"Please, speak."

At this moment, Friedrich Ancelin felt victory was in his grasp and appeared quite magnanimous.

"I request a secret ballot. Whether Austria joins the German Customs Union or not, small nations like ours do not have the capacity to withstand the wrath of either Prussia or Austria."

Friedrich Ancelin thought it made sense; the small states on his side would indeed worry about retaliation from the Austrians. After all, Metternich and his secret police were notorious.

"No problem. Of course it will be a secret ballot. You have nothing to fear; no one will retaliate against you," Friedrich Ancelin readily agreed, offering everyone peace of mind.

Once there were no further objections, the voting officially began.

The 36 members of the German Customs Union held a total of 36 votes. If the side supporting Austria's entry reached a majority, the Union would approve Austria's admission; if not, it would be rejected.

"To ensure fairness, all ballots will be collected in public by Miss Agathe, the lead dancer of the Nice Dance Troupe from France. Then, we will open the ballot box right here in the center of the hall to announce the results."