Chapter 24: After Joining the Alliance

Vienna, the Hotel Lion King.

Unlike the Caesar Hotel, which was permeated with an aristocratic aura, the layout of the Lion King was quite simple, giving off a sense of minimalist lightness, decorated with only a few pieces of porcelain.

Austrians liked to decorate their rooms with porcelain to display their wealth and taste.

In the past in Europe, the price of porcelain was extremely high; it was an absolute testament to one's financial power and status.

Multiple bands played for the guests in rotation within the hotel, and the lion statue in front of the entrance was the hotel's signature landmark.

Inside a VIP room, Friedrich Liszt was repeatedly counting his rightful share. A full one million florins—though they were currently banknotes that could not yet be exchanged—still left him ecstatic.

This was the first time he had felt the benefits brought by power, yet Count Kolorau's words constantly echoed in his ears, leaving him unable to eat or sleep in peace.

"Metternich is a sanctimonious beast. He enjoys the benefits of power exclusively, yet he always has his secret police investigate officials for corruption. Once discovered, he doesn't report it to the Emperor, but uses it as blackmail to bleed them dry."

Friedrich Liszt had already seen the miserable state of several arrested officials; they were dragged away by the secret police like dead dogs, and when they returned, they were in rags and mentally shattered.

Was Metternich currently sending people to watch him, intending to squeeze a sum out of him? This thought kept Friedrich Liszt in a state of constant anxiety.

After all, in Friedrich Liszt's eyes, this money was hard-earned, yet it could be extorted at any moment, leaving him both terrified and furious.

He thought to himself: as long as they followed Count Kolorau's plan to topple Metternich, they could finally sleep soundly.

In another room, Count Kolorau was drinking with Count Latour.

"Didn't you say the situation was unclear and that we shouldn't get caught up in it? How did you end up falling in yourself? Building a railway won't be solved by just one or two million," Count Latour spoke first.

"What a joke. A gambler for a day is a gambler for life. As a gambler, how could I not take a bet when I see an opportunity like this?" Kolorau replied with a laugh.

"Then why did you have to pick this specific route that nobody wants? The Semmering region is full of towering mountains; no one has ever built a railway on those mountains, let alone through canyons," Count Latour asked.

"I didn't ask you to invest, so why do you care?"

"I know Trieste is important, but isn't this a bit too hasty?"

"How much of a chance of success do you think I have?" Count Kolorau countered.

"At most twenty percent," Count Latour answered.

"Twenty percent? That's quite good for a gambler. You know, in the East, there is a common gambling tool called dice, and it has six sides—meaning six possibilities," Count Kolorau said, gesturing the shape of a die.

"But why can't you wait a little longer? At least until you have an experienced engineer," Count Latour continued.

"Someone always has to be the first to eat the wolfberry," Count Kolorau replied calmly.

Wolfberries were also known as tomatoes, which were once believed to be poisonous.

From their discovery in the sixteenth century until the eighteenth century, it wasn't until a death-defying painter took a bite and discovered they weren't as toxic as the legends suggested, but rather quite appetizing, that they completed their transition from ornamental plants to food.

"But what is all this for?" Count Latour asked, puzzled.

"I am a corrupt official. In the entire Austrian Empire, no one is more greedy than that old bastard Metternich. I have profited for myself and for my family; now, it is time to profit for the country," Count Kolorau said righteously.

"Very well. Come, I toast to you, you corrupt official," Count Latour said, raising his glass with a smile.

"To the Empire," Count Kolorau also raised his glass.

On the other side of Vienna, the Caesar Hotel.

"They are nothing but bandits!" Solomon Rothschild was in a state of extreme rage. He picked up an expensive piece of porcelain, held it high, then set it down gently, picked up a cheap plate, and slammed it violently onto the floor.

With a crisp crack, the porcelain plate shattered into pieces.

Several shards splashed onto Metternich's leather shoes, but Prince Metternich ignored the debris.

"Solomon, I told you, His Majesty will not allow anyone to take from his basket," Metternich said.

"Damn it! Where is my money! He isn't an Emperor, he's a bandit, a rogue! Are my fifteen hundred gold bars just gone like that?" Solomon Rothschild roared.

"Solomon, you should know he is the Emperor."

"So what! I am Solomon Rothschild!" Solomon bellowed.

"Solomon, for the sake of our long friendship, let me remind you once more: this country belongs to His Majesty, and you and I are both his subjects," Metternich's tone was icy.

Like a bucket of cold water, Solomon was instantly snapped back to reality.

Immediately, a cold sweat broke out. He had dominated the financial circles of the Austrian Empire for many years; all the bankers within Austria followed his lead. Whether it was the Emperor, the ministers, or major national projects, none could proceed without his support.

However, since the Austrian Empire joined the German Customs Union, North German bankers had been flooding into Austria.

Solomon Rothschild could tell his brothers in Frankfurt not to lend money to the Austrian Empire, but he could not stop those profit-driven North German financiers.

With the injection of capital from North Germany, Austria's debt problems were greatly alleviated.

Furthermore, the mainstream bankers were unanimously optimistic about Austria's future in the German Customs Union, and they were all jumping onto this ship full of holes.

The Austrian Empire had begun to address its debt problems, and one way to solve the debt was to solve the creditors.

Just as King Philip IV of France had done to the Knights Templar, they would settle it once and for all.

Moreover, rumors circulated that Emperor Franz II had previously used a sword to force Prince Elthazy into submission in the imperial palace, thereby seizing his estate.

If he could commit such a mad act, arresting a Jewish banker seemed like nothing.

As for the charges, they weren't even necessary for Prince Elthazy, let alone for a Jew like him.

At this time, the reputation of Jews was quite poor, and cases of persecution against Jews were not uncommon in various European countries.

Russia went without saying, and there had been multiple instances of Jewish expulsions in Austrian history.

It was just that Franz II was famously weak, so people tended to forget his existence.

Thinking of this, Solomon Rothschild performed an action he had never done in his entire life: he bent down, took out a handkerchief, and wiped Prince Metternich's leather shoes clean.

"Your Highness, forgive my recklessness. If His Majesty needs money, let him take it; he can repay it whenever he wishes, and I will charge no interest. I beg you to consider our long friendship..." Solomon spoke with great sincerity.

"I have good news for you. His Majesty has specially approved another route for you, from Prague to Bavaria."

Now, any route involving the German Customs Union was a good route, and Solomon naturally knew this. He hurriedly said

"Thank His Majesty. God save Emperor Franz II."

"There is one more thing."

"What is it?"

"His Majesty says... settle the final payment."

(End of Chapter)