Chapter 15: Internal Troubles (Part II)

"You're pulling this kind of move?" Count Kolorau's words left Friedrich Liszt wide-eyed with astonishment.

"But what should we do?" Friedrich Liszt was clearly tempted; after all, a deal with zero capital was irresistibly attractive to anyone.

"It's simple. Our Emperor currently trusts you immensely. You can take advantage of this excellent opportunity provided by His Majesty's trust to find a way to obtain an operating franchise from him. As long as we work with one heart and seamless cooperation, a win-win situation will naturally follow."

Strangely enough, humans are peculiar animals; the transition from being full of passion to self-degradation can happen in an instant.

Faced with immense temptation, few can maintain their original principles.

Count Kolorau's proposal could allow Friedrich Liszt to earn more money than he had earned in the previous several decades combined.

Seeing Friedrich's expression, Kolorau knew he had successfully pulled this extremely dangerous economist to his side. He would undoubtedly become a secret weapon for dealing with Metternich in the future.

Kolorau understood that it was difficult to retain people with only ideals and convictions; only shared interests and shared sins could bind them tightly.

At the same time, just as Count Kolorau had predicted, Prince Metternich found his old associate, the titan of Austrian banking and the man in charge of the Rothschild family in Vienna: Salomon Rothschild.

"Salomon, my old friend, I have some tremendous news to tell you."

"Dear Metternich, you are truly my lucky star. You always have so much good news; what have you brought me this time?"

The two had known each other for many years and shared many common interests. There was no need for excessive pleasantries; after a few simple greetings, they got straight to the point.

"With the approval of His Majesty Franz II, the Northern Company Railway has been announced as established. Congratulations, you are to become the creator of the first steam railway within the Austrian Empire. This will be a historic moment, and the people will remember your achievements."

In truth, the Rothschild family possessed its own intelligence network; Salomon had already learned this news before Metternich arrived and had even prepared a generous gift for the Prince.

However, the fact that Metternich had come in person today was highly unusual. Nevertheless, it happened to be a good opportunity to see his old friend.

"You flatter me; I am merely a businessman. This is all thanks to His Majesty's wisdom and your assistance," Salomon Rothschild said modestly before continuing.

"Your Excellency, for matters like this, you could have simply sent your steward, Berg. Why come in person? I suspect you have more than just this one piece of good news to tell me," Metternich said with a smile.

"Salomon, you are as clever as ever; nothing escapes you. There is another piece of good news. According to the original plan, the line operated by the Northern Railway Company will run from Vienna to Brno, then through Olomouc to Lviv, thereby connecting Vienna with Moravia, Silesia, Galicia, and Bukovina."

Metternich took the tea handed to him by a servant, blew on it, and set it aside as it was perhaps too hot, then continued.

"Now, His Majesty Franz II has granted you permission to add an additional line. This line starts south in Vienna, passes through Prague, and ends in Dresden. Once the Austrian Empire officially joins the German Customs Union, you should know just how much potential this route will unleash."

Even if Austria did not join the German Customs Union, this route would have been highly sought after in history because it passed through all the wealthiest regions.

If things went according to Metternich's words, the Rothschild family would possess a railway line that completely covered northern Natelania. The total length would reach a staggering 1,100 kilometers, connecting the most developed regions of Natelania; its economic value was self-evident.

"Prime Minister, please convey my sincere thanks to His Majesty. The Rothschild Bank will always be a friend to the House of Habsburg." As he spoke, several burly men entered through the door, laboriously pulling a cart carrying a large iron chest.

"Metternich, my old friend, I have specially prepared a gift for you, but you must promise me one thing."

Metternich was a veteran of the political world; he knew that a greedy man like Salomon Rothschild must be planning a larger scheme. He did not answer.

Metternich's silence was within Salomon Rothschild's expectations. He ordered his subordinates to open the chest. The heavy chains were removed, and the lid was slowly opened to reveal it was filled with neatly arranged gold bars.

"There are one thousand five hundred gold bars here, each a standard one hundred ounces. If you can convince His Majesty to accept my proposal, I am willing to provide another two thousand gold bars as a token of my gratitude."

A single hundred-ounce gold bar was worth approximately 4,250 florins, equivalent to the military pay of an ordinary soldier for forty-two and a half years. The total value of this gift was equivalent to seventeen thousand years of pay for an ordinary soldier.

Furthermore, gold is extremely dense—three times that of iron—so it was entirely possible for a large iron chest to hold 1.5 tons of gold.

"Salomon, my friend, what exactly is it that you want?"

"The Southern Railway Company."

"To be blunt, my friend, that condition will be very difficult to meet," Metternich replied.

"Your Highness, I know you have been constantly worrying about the North Italians. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As long as we build the railway to Venice, we can bind the interests of the Italian merchants and nobles to the interests of the Empire. When that time comes, the Italians will never again be able to resist the rule of the Austrian Empire."

Metternich knew these words even without Salomon Rothschild saying them.

However, the railways of Natelania could not be controlled by a single person or a single company; His Majesty would never allow it. Having served Franz II for so many years, he knew exactly where the Emperor's bottom line lay.

Moreover, personally, he did not want Salomon Rothschild to control the entire Austrian transportation system. Because if he did, this "Emperor" Salomon would become even more arrogant.

This Salomon Rothschild liked to compare his family to the world's sixth great power. His subordinates naturally catered to his preference by calling him "the Emperor."

While Salomon Rothschild enjoyed the title, he did not allow others to mention it in public; after all, there was another Emperor in Vienna.

The reason Metternich had come in person was that he feared Salomon Rothschild had ambitions for the Southern Railway. To this end, Metternich had planned to negotiate the Vienna-to-Dresden route from the Emperor to satisfy Salomon Rothschild's appetite.

"Salomon, you know that our Emperor is an extremely cautious man. He will not put all his eggs in one basket, and he certainly will not allow one person to take away his basket."

Metternich's words were very clear, but Salomon Rothschild seemed to have no intention of giving up.

"Please reconsider with His Majesty. If His Majesty requires it, the Rothschild Bank is willing to provide His Majesty with a personal interest-free loan of ten million florins."

Salomon Rothschild's persistence was not merely because he saw the future of the Austrian Empire's railways, but because a French friend had given him a promise.

As long as Salomon could secure the Austrian railways and transfer control to a French company, or provide assistance to France at a critical moment, he would become France's most important friend.

The road for Austria to join the German Customs Union was long and arduous. Even before joining, the various factions within the government had already begun dividing up the interests.