Chapter 7: It's Time to Show Some Real Skill

"Why are you bullying Grandpa!" Franz cried as he ran over.

Seeing his grandson running toward him, Franz II subconsciously pushed Prince Esterházy, who was standing beside him, away. He patted his grandson’s head and said, "What’s wrong? Grandpa is the Emperor; no one can bully me."

"Then why are they surrounding you? They were just trying to grab your arm! I saw it all, they’re trying to bully you!"

"I did not! I didn't mean to! You little brat, don't talk nonsense!" Esterházy, accustomed to being imperious, could not bear being falsely accused for no reason and blurted out.

Prince Esterházy realized he had made a mistake and wanted to start explaining.

Prince Metternich and Count Kolowrat were initially shocked, but as seasoned political veterans, what hadn't they seen before?

"Esterházy, remember your place! How dare you speak to Archduke Franz like that!" Metternich’s implication was clear: did Esterházy have no respect for the Imperial family?

Count Kolowrat was not as subtle as Metternich; he roared directly, "What are you trying to do to the Emperor! How dare you!"

Count Kolowrat was more vicious; he effectively framed Prince Esterházy as having malicious intent toward the Emperor. Although Archduke Franz was not the Emperor yet, who could guarantee he wouldn't be in a few decades?

With these two bigwigs backing him up, Franz saw that the time was ripe. He didn't need to say anything; he only needed to do one thing: cry!

Initially, Emperor Franz II hadn't paid much attention, thinking Prince Esterházy was just being overly agitated. But after the two old schemers fanned the flames, a nameless fire rose in the old Emperor's heart. Coupled with Franz’s sudden wailing, he could no longer suppress his anger and casually threw his golden wine goblet at Prince Esterházy.

As the saying goes, when one's luck is down, even drinking water gets stuck in the teeth. Esterházy subconsciously blocked, and the goblet happened to bounce back, striking Franz II squarely on the forehead.

Things had escalated! Seeing the situation turn sour, Esterházy wanted to see if Franz II was injured.

But the Minister of War, Count Thürheim, roared and charged forward.

"His Majesty is injured! Protect His Majesty!"

Archduke Louis, who stood beside Franz II, was the Emperor's own brother and the commander of the Imperial Guard. Though not particularly bright, he was absolutely loyal to Franz II personally.

The moment Franz II was hit by the goblet, Archduke Louis stood by his side. Hearing someone shout "Protect His Majesty," he subconsciously drew his sword.

The sword in Archduke Louis's hand was the only weapon in the entire Hall of Mirrors. As soon as he drew it, the atmosphere in the hall became instantly tense. The Imperial Guards knew the Archduke wasn't very sharp, but the nobles and their entourages did not, and the room descended into chaos.

Archduke Louis saw Esterházy rushing toward his brother and immediately swung his sword. He only intended to separate the two, and Esterházy dodged in time, remaining unhurt.

But to those watching below, it looked like something else entirely.

Because he did not trust Germans, the entourage Esterházy brought this time, with the exception of Petru, only understood Hungarian.

Seeing this scene, Esterházy’s followers were instantly incensed.

"Kill the Austrian Emperor and seize his throne." This was a common topic of conversation among Hungarian nobles. While the great lords spoke of it as a joke, the lesser nobles listening did not see it that way.

Furthermore, as Esterházy’s retainers, they recognized only Prince Esterházy, not some Austrian Emperor.

Esterházy’s followers made a move to rush the throne and finish off the old Emperor.

The Imperial Guards in the Hall of Mirrors might have lacked combat prowess, but their loyalty was guaranteed. After all, many had served the House of Habsburg for generations, some even for over a dozen.

The entire Hall of Mirrors suddenly erupted into motion. Esterházy’s followers charged toward the Emperor’s throne as if their lives depended on it.

The Imperial Guards fought desperately to block them; some stood in the middle of the imperial path, while others threw themselves at Esterházy’s guards.

The captain of the Guard even rang the alarm bell, which hadn't sounded in hundreds of years.

Soon, the eight hundred guards on duty throughout the palace received the news and rushed frantically toward the Hall of Mirrors.

A purple firework exploded over the palace. Seeing this, the city defense forces and the commander of the Vienna garrison immediately assembled their troops, preparing to support the palace.

Inside the Hall of Mirrors, Esterházy’s followers had all been subdued. Count Thürheim took the opportunity to tackle Prince Windisch-Graetz and land a few punches.

Prince Metternich hid behind a pillar and only emerged once the chaos had subsided.

Count Kolowrat found a noble he disliked and gave him a sound beating.

Only Baron Bruck, an upright man, tried to block Esterházy’s followers and was knocked down with a punch.

The doors were kicked open, and a large detachment of guards flooded into the hall, surrounding everyone.

Esterházy looked at all of this in disbelief. He couldn't believe his eyes; how could it have come to this?

To be honest, Franz hadn't expected it either. He had only intended to sideline Esterházy, the leader of the opposition.

He hadn't expected him to be completely sidelined for good.

Franz II rubbed his head where he had been struck, his heart filled with terror and anger.

"Esterházy, what else do you have to say for yourself!"

"I... I... I didn't mean it. For God's sake, believe me."

Franz II stood up, walked toward the collapsed Esterházy, and drew the sword from Archduke Louis's hand.

Seeing this, Esterházy was overcome with fear. He kept pushing himself backward on the floor with his hands, repeating, "My ancestors served the Empire, they bled for the Empire..."

Franz II remained expressionless and raised the sword.

"I have 3 million florins in deposits at the Vienna Bank."

Franz II’s sword stopped in front of Esterházy. Esterházy felt a warmth beneath him; he was likely going to need a change of pants.

Franz II took a deep breath. "Esterházy, you have shown poor judgment in men and mistakenly brought an assassin into the palace. In consideration of your ancestors' merits and the fact that you were deceived, I hereby strip you of your title, confiscate all your assets in Vienna, and order you to return to Hungary immediately. You are forbidden from setting foot in Vienna for the rest of your life."

Franz II turned and walked toward the throne, tossing the sword back to Archduke Louis.

Archduke Louis sheathed the sword and waved his hand at the guards.

Prince Esterházy was dragged out by two guards, his eyes vacant, as if half his life had been taken from him.

The Esterházy family owned vast lands in Hungary, but most of their wealth was invested in properties in Vienna. So, saying it cost him half his life was no exaggeration.

Compared to Prince Esterházy, his followers were not so lucky. Petru, having been brought by Esterházy, was taken out by the guards as well.

Petru thought he would likely spend the rest of his life in prison. But then he saw a guard pull a garrote from a bag. He wanted to run, he wanted to scream, but someone stuffed a rag into his mouth.

Petru felt someone pull him from behind, and the noose tightened around his neck. The guard behind him began to twist the handle at the other end of the garrote.

The handle turned round and round. Petru struggled violently due to oxygen deprivation, his hands clawing at the noose in a desperate attempt to save himself, but his captor was an old hand and gave him no chance. Petru’s feet kicked the ground twice, and then he stopped struggling.

A total of thirteen corpses were loaded onto a special carriage, to be sent out of the palace at dusk.

(End of chapter)