Chapter 1: A Monarch from Another Era?

1834, Austrian Empire, Vienna.

Blue skies, clear river water—this was a livable city, but it did not resemble the capital of a great nineteenth-century power.

A relatively gloomy sky, accompanied by severe smog and black rivers—while not environmentally friendly, these were absolute symbols of a nation’s strength in this era, such as London in the United Kingdom.

Inside a classic building with a Baroque exterior, the interior was designed in the Rococo style. The antique furniture on display was eclectic, ranging from Oriental porcelain to raw Baltic amber, containing everything one could imagine.

Its owner was none other than Franz II, the last monarch of the Holy Roman Empire and the first monarch of the Austrian Empire.

Franz II was currently facing a choice, a difficult one: whether to choose an excellent successor or to stick to tradition.

Perhaps due to the affection grandparents often feel for their grandchildren, Franz II had been extremely doting on this special grandson ever since Franz was born. A healthy male infant without any intellectual disabilities was his hope, and the hope of this empire.

(That’s right, the Austrian Empire at the time was indeed facing the problem of having no qualified heir.)

But today, Franz II’s eldest grandson had taken five letters in the nursery and arranged them into a combination he could not ignore.

"A.E.I.O.U."

That was the phrase Frederick III had left behind at St. Stephen's Cathedral, still engraved upon the shrine to this day.

At the same time, this was the only way Franz Joseph could think of to catch the old Emperor's attention.

"Austria is destined," Franz II murmured.

Frederick III was the last Holy Roman Emperor to be crowned by the Pope in Rome. However, he could not be considered an excellent emperor. When faced with Hungarian aggression, his own strength was insufficient, his vassals were passive and lazy, and his allies stood by and watched, forcing him to flee westward in a panic.

He wanted to carry out reforms and eliminate deep-seated ills, but it all came to nothing amidst the opposition of the great nobles.

In the end, he had to live a life of seclusion, finding joy in studying astrology and alchemy.

Was Franz II any different? His grandmother, Empress Maria Theresa, was so dazzling that the successors who followed seemed dim and lusterless.

What was even more terrifying was that the radical reforms of Joseph II (the emperor before last) and the "shock therapy" of Leopold II (the previous emperor) had plunged all of Austria into chaos. At the same time, their arch-rival, France, had produced a figure like Napoleon.

In that era named "Napoleon," Franz II and the Holy Roman Empire, which stood against him, naturally became the background scenery of the times. The capital was captured twice, daughters were married off to sue for peace, and the Holy Roman Empire was dissolved.

Franz II harbored too much resentment in his heart, yet his legal heir, his eldest son Ferdinand, seemed unable to shoulder the heavy burden of reviving the empire. His second son also lacked the talent to govern the country.

However, Franz II’s eldest grandson was a special child. Although Franz Joseph’s behavior was somewhat strange, he had shown high intelligence from a young age. It was just that Franz was too young, and the Austrian Empire had no precedent for an eldest grandson bypassing the eldest son to inherit the throne.

Franz II still remembered the War of the Austrian Succession caused by the Pragmatic Sanction.

But on the other hand, there were things deeply rooted in his soul that he could not forget for a long time. That was the dream of a great power—a dream every emperor had.

Which emperor in this world did not hope to expand their territory and see their country prosper? Never mind emperors; even commoners hoped to live in a powerful nation. Who would want to live in a country torn by the flames of war, where the people were destitute and gunfights broke out the moment one stepped outside?

But Franz II had failed to achieve this, and had even let the country slide toward decline step by step. He knew in his heart that he no longer had the opportunity, so he could only pin his hopes on the next generation.

The intellectually disabled eldest son, or the autistic second son? They clearly lacked the ability; at the very least, they would not do better than he had. Franz II truly did not want this declining Austria before his eyes to be the peak of the empire's future.

What Franz II did not know was that, historically, the Austrian Empire would only experience three monarchs before becoming a mere shell of itself after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, replaced by the Austro-Hungarian Empire—a "doll empire"—which would then completely vanish into the long river of history after World War I.

At this moment, his eldest grandson, Franz Joseph, did not know how conflicted Franz II was. His soul came from a later age; although the nineteenth century had neither computers nor mobile phones, he had at least been born into the imperial family and should have been able to be a playboy.

But he soon realized that the identity he had gained through transmigration was the historically famous tragic emperor—Franz Joseph. His romance with Empress Sisi was known to all.

Yet his brothers, parents, children, and wife all departed before him. His empire successively became the background scenery for the rise of Germany and France, and later completely collapsed in World War I.

Franz Joseph’s life could only be described as a tragedy, though even that was not enough to describe it. He was the last monarch of the Austrian Empire and the first of the Austro-Hungarian Empire; two years after his passing, the Austro-Hungarian Empire perished, shattering into pieces.

However, at this moment, what worried Franz most was not these things, but the debt problem of this country and this family. The debt of over a billion florins was truly exaggerated.

At this time, the Austrian imperial government’s annual fiscal revenue was about 110 million florins, while annual expenditures exceeded 100 million florins. Calculated this way, even if the debt accrued no interest, it would take the Austrian Empire over a hundred years to pay it off.

Franz could not help but feel a surge of sorrow.

Fortunately, the current Franz Joseph had been born early enough, though this body seemed unable to do much. All he could think of was to try his best to please the old Emperor and catch his attention.

After all, the old Emperor held real power, unlike Ferdinand, whose decrees would later have to be approved by a Regency Council. If the old Emperor were happy and bestowed some manors or industries, Franz would have his startup capital. Combined with his vision, which far exceeded the era, he would surely be able to make a fortune. At least, that was what Franz thought.

The reason Franz was so urgent was that the first time node that would change the fate of the Austrian Empire was drawing closer.

In 1834, the German Customs Union (Zollverein) was established. The Austrian Empire refused to join, which sounded the death knell for the empire from that moment on.

On the other hand, the anxious Franz II decided to go and ask God. Of course, he didn't really intend to go to Heaven to ask God, but rather to the church to ask God’s messengers.

In the East, since ancient times, when emperors were indecisive, they always liked to seek divination. Even in modern times, people look at horoscopes for no reason, ask Tarot cards for small matters, and calculate Bagua for big ones.

The East was like this, and the West was the same. Thus, Franz II appeared at the entrance of St. Stephen's Cathedral.

Seeking investments and votes!

(End of chapter)