Holy Roman Empire - Chapter 114

Chapter 114: Chapter 1: Ascension to the Throne

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Translator: 549690339

Time flew by swiftly, and before long, it was the end of August. With the approaching coronation of Franz, Vienna became bustling with activity.

Laughter and joy diluted the shadows cast by the March rebellion.

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The wartime economic system implemented by the government played a significant role in economic recovery, and Austria had escaped the impacts of the economic crisis.

A large number of state-owned enterprises emerged and the implementation of “Labor Protection Law” allowed the working class to take a breather, making life much better for everyone.

Thanks to the long-term positive propaganda by the newspapers, Franz had a good reputation among the people. The public had high expectations for their young monarch.

The face of the Habsburg Family still carried weight; nobility from all over Europe sent important figures to attend the ceremony, making Vienna a gathering place for the elite.

Franz finally got to experience what it meant to be part of the lower half of the Habsburg Family, with relatives scattered all across the European Continent—a messy web of relations that was impossible to untangle.

Fortunately, Europe didn’t pay much attention to seniority; otherwise, Franz would have been dumbfounded. Depending on the perspective, a relative could be your uncle, great-uncle, younger nephew, or cousin…

It was only due to the unstable situation on the European Continent, with many nobles staying in their own countries to steer affairs, that Vienna wasn’t even busier.

The capitalists must be thankful to Franz. His coronation directly elevated the level of commercial prosperity in Vienna.

The guests who came to attend the ceremony were all important figures. They couldn’t step out without a few followers, and now Vienna suddenly had tens of thousands of powerful purchasing customers, making it impossible for business not to boom.

On September 1st, a day full of commemorative meaning, God showed exceptional favor, as if blessing His faithful believers.

Today, the sky above Vienna was especially high, the air exceptionally fresh, and the breeze extraordinarily gentle. Lacking the heat of summer and the bone-chilling cold of winter, the earth was teeming with greenery.

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In this fine and sunny day, Franz ascended to the throne of the Austrian Emperor at the Hofburg, turning a new page in the history of Austria.

Franz didn’t want to comment on how the sacred coronation went; he had only one feeling now—exhaustion.

First, he had to walk through the coronation proceedings like a puppet, then he had to greet a crowd of distinguished guests, leaving him utterly worn out.

In the evening, back in his bedroom, Franz felt an overwhelming sense of emptiness. The luxurious Vienna Palace seemed unable to offer him a trace of warmth.

Emperors are destined to be lonely. A great emperor must abandon unnecessary emotions, which are also a part of the political system.

Emperors are lonely whether in matters of the heart, political ideology, or decision-making for reforms. They also cultivate a heart of stone and the capacity for tolerance in their solitude.

Things are somewhat better in the European Continent, where internal struggles within the royal family are not so severe. Under normal circumstances, there is no need to worry about siblings plotting for power, which is the only good news.

Franz was lucky to have two younger brothers and a sister. The sister who had passed away early need not be considered as she had met God before Franz’s transition, so there could be no talk of sentiment. The remaining siblings all shared a good relationship.

As brothers are there to be teased, Maximilian and Carl Ludwig, the two youths, were pushed by Franz to greet the guests, fulfilling their responsibility as royal family members.

He would spare the youngest sister the trouble; Franz wasn’t looking for problems. Princess Ludwika Victoria, only 6 years old, was in her lively and active years, with pranking being one of her hobbies.

Like his father, Archduke Carl, Franz adored this doll-like sister and indulged her greatly, much to the chagrin of Madam Sophie, who aspired to mold her into a proper princess.

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Looking at the additional gifts in his room, Franz’s cold heart melted. Opening the exquisite gift box, he found a chubby clay figure inside.

The clay figure wore something on its head that might have been a hat or could have been a crown, who knows?

Picking up the note beside it, and reading its content, Franz felt a bittersweet sensation. According to the letter, the clay figure represented the grand image of Franz in his sister’s eyes.

The chubbiness of the figure was one thing—it’s a substandard product, so one couldn’t ask for too much. But missing an arm, what did that mean? Was he, the brother, a disabled person?

Franz could only pin this on the Renaissance. After the European Renaissance, many statues in Europe were missing limbs or had short legs, a phenomenon known as the beauty of imperfection.

This had corrupted the younger generation—imperfection was seen as beauty. So this creation by Princess Ludwika Victoria would be no exception either.

Having resolved to correct this flawed aesthetic view, Franz had already lain down on his bed and quickly drifted into sleep. There was work to be done tomorrow; the young man’s time to enjoy had not yet come.

The next day, Franz woke up early as usual, looking in good spirits. He strolled around Vienna Palace, which also served as a substitute for his training that day.

As one of Europe’s most renowned trio of palaces, Vienna Palace was indeed beautiful. Everywhere he looked were dazzling enamel-painted windows and lifelike marble reliefs that seemed touched by Rodin’s hand, animated by Michelangelo’s soul, spirited by da Vinci’s ingenuity, and casual like Raphael’s work…

“Your Majesty, the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers request an audience.”

The clear voice of Maid Jenny rang in Franz’s ears. He still hadn’t quite adjusted—just yesterday, he was addressed as ‘Your Highness,’ and now he had become ‘Your Majesty.’

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This feeling of unease quickly disappeared as Franz responded, “Please, have them come in!”

This early in the morning, Prime Minister Felix and his Cabinet appearing on the doorstep clearly meant there was a serious matter; otherwise, they wouldn’t have acted so precipitously.

“Sit down, everyone. Jenny, tell the kitchen to prepare some extra breakfast.”

Franz knew that most of them had come so early, likely on an empty stomach, and as a good leader, he naturally cared about his subordinates’ well-being.

“Now tell me, what has happened that you’ve come in such a hurry?” Franz asked.

The Austrian Government had been pursuing a policy of stability for the smooth proceeding of the coronation ceremony—it could be said that the nation was prosperous and peaceful; no major incidents were expected to take place.

Prime Minister Felix answered with a grim face, “Your Majesty, the matter of our secret investigation into the Church’s assets is about to be exposed. A document related to the inquiry within the Cabinet was stolen yesterday, and now it’s missing.”

Upon hearing this news, Franz’s good mood vanished instantly. The timing of this leak could not be worse; the Church had deep roots, and auditing their assets wasn’t a task that could be accomplished overnight.

This wasn’t like suppressing rebels where you could simply arrest people and confiscate their homes. The Austrian Government could not be so brutal with these men of the Church.

Franz only wanted their money, life could be spared; the people still needed spiritual solace—they couldn’t all be condemned with a single strike.

Once the leak was out, continuing the investigation slowly would become difficult. There were countless ways to transfer and hide assets, and once these people got wind of it and tidied up their affairs, the Austrian Government would end up with little to show for it.

After thinking, Franz said, “Then let’s take action ahead of schedule. We never expected to completely drain the Church anyway, we just need to confiscate their illegitimate properties and bring them back.

“Land owned by the Church can’t really be hidden, can it?

“Have the Foreign Office negotiate with His Holiness the Pope. Command him to order all the Churches in Austria to sell their land to the government—the proceeds will act as military funding to save the Papal State.”

The opportunity was too good to miss. Now that Pius IX had been driven into exile by the Revolutionaries, Franz had just been crowned yesterday, and Pius IX was currently in Vienna. This blatant quid-pro-quo was not something he could easily refuse.

As for the Austrian Church suffering due to this, what did the Pope care?

The Papal State was the foundation of Pius IX, and the Austrian Church’s loss mostly hurt the local bishops. Paying a small price to reclaim the Papal State was hardly an issue.

“Yes, Your Majesty!” Metternich replied.

Using the Pope against the Church was the best strategy. With a justified cause, the Austrian Government could easily pressure these bishops to compromise.

The Austrian Government was after Church property, not their personal possessions; it wasn’t enough to drive them to desperation.

Having just suppressed domestic rebellion, heads were rolling across many parts of Austria, and the Nobility held a fearful respect towards the government—it was the perfect time to act.

“Your Majesty, why not convene the bishops from all over to Vienna in the Pope’s name and announce this decision to them? Those who oppose can be stripped of their bishopric by Pius IX,” suggested Prime Minister Felix.

Clearly, in a time when ecclesiastical authority was declining, the Pope was no longer considered untouchable. Prime Minister Felix didn’t take Pius IX seriously; if Austria so wished, replacing the Pope wouldn’t be too difficult.

The respect the Austrian Government was currently showing Pius IX was because of their previously agreeable collaboration and simply a matter of a Catholic country showing respect to the Pope.

Hearing Felix’s suggestion, the image of a “Hongmen Banquet” flashed across Franz’s mind. The bishop’s seat wasn’t hereditary; The Vatican had the right to dismiss them.

Although nowadays, most bishop appointments were decided by the local Church, with the Roman Curia merely going through the motions.

Now, if the Austrian Government had need, the Pope could reclaim this right for a short while.

Those who comply will flourish, those who resist shall perish.

Any intelligent person knew that once stripped of their bishopric, their scandals would be thoroughly exposed by the Austrian Government in the shortest time, and there could only be one outcome for them—death.

“Very well, let’s proceed with this.” Franz nodded and said, why resort to bloodshed if one could settle matters civilly?

The Church’s greed and corruption had a long history, and he, a pseudo-Catholic, had no intention of cleansing the Church on God’s behalf.