Make France Great Again

"I will consider the issue of the Polish Duchy thoughtfully!"

Emperor Franz Joseph suppressed the anger in his heart and responded to Empress Dowager Sophie in as neutral a tone as possible.

"As long as you know what to do!" Empress Dowager Sophie nodded in satisfaction. She had not yet realized that her son had become the most exalted being of the Empire, and even as his biological mother, she should not speak to Franz Joseph in such a lecturing tone.

Were it not for Franz Joseph’s sufficient filial piety, Empress Dowager Sophie would have long faced the censure of the Habsburg Court.

[PS: Franz Joseph had already shown enough tolerance towards his mother, Empress Dowager Sophie, and his wife, Princess Sisi. However, his tolerance seemed particularly powerless when facing conflicts between his mother and wife.]

"Mother! If there’s nothing else, I shall take my leave!" Franz Joseph said, bowing to Empress Dowager Sophie.

"Very well!" Empress Dowager Sophie turned to Grand Duke Maximilian and said, "Maximilian, go see His Majesty out!"

"Yes!" Grand Duke Maximilian showed a wry smile and then rose to stand before Franz Joseph, saying, "Your Majesty!"

"Hmm!"

Franz Joseph nodded slightly and left Empress Dowager Sophie’s room, with Grand Duke Maximilian following closely behind.

The two brothers walked silently down the corridor of Mei Quan Palace, one in front and one behind.

It wasn’t until Franz Joseph reached a corner that he stopped, turning to scrutinize Grand Duke Maximilian with a commanding gaze.

Feeling uneasy under Franz Joseph’s intense stare, Grand Duke Maximilian quickly responded earnestly to his brother, "Your Majesty, I only just learned of what Mother said earlier! Had I known sooner, I would never have let her act that way!"

This indeed was not something Maximilian could have done! Franz Joseph thought quietly.

He knew Maximilian’s character all too well, having watched over his younger brother closely.

Realizing this, Franz Joseph’s gaze gradually softened, and he asked Grand Duke Maximilian gently, "Maximilian, be honest with me! Do you wish to be the Grand Duke of Warsaw?"

"Your Majesty!" Grand Duke Maximilian responded solemnly, "I prefer to explore unknown plants around the world rather than rule a nation! If you could just..."

Before Maximilian could finish, Franz Joseph interjected, "Regrettably, revitalizing the Habsburg family is our inherent mission!"

Grand Duke Maximilian shook his head in disappointment, having expected his brother to help him refuse the position of Grand Duke of Warsaw.

"Maximilian, you must seize this period to study diligently!" Franz Joseph continued, with a gleeful smile appearing on his lips.

"Study! Study what?" Grand Duke Maximilian asked in confusion.

"You need to learn the language, environment, and everything related to Poland that you are about to govern!" Franz Joseph said to Maximilian.

"But I still have to return to Trieste! It will be hard to find the time for studying!" Maximilian tried to use naval affairs as an excuse, unable to stand the rigid environment of Mei Quan Palace.

"Suitable persons will be assigned to replace you in naval matters!" Franz Joseph patted Maximilian on the shoulder and said solemnly, "From now on, your only task is to familiarize yourself with all the knowledge of the nation you are to rule!

I will appoint several tutors to teach you personally!"

"Yes!" Grand Duke Maximilian could only nod in agreement.

"Alright! You may go back!" Franz Joseph said to Maximilian, then added, "By the way, when you return, tell Karl to also quickly learn the language of the Lodomeria Duchy (Ukraine Region)! Make sure nothing goes wrong!"

Before Maximilian could fully digest Franz Joseph’s words, Franz Joseph turned and left.

Returning alone to Empress Dowager Sophie’s room, Grand Duke Maximilian relayed Franz Joseph’s instructions to Grand Duke Carl Ludwig.

Grand Duke Carl Ludwig also showed a confused expression.

"Karl, Maximilian, you must seize the time to study; the time left is not much!" Empress Dowager Sophie responded solemnly to the two young men before her.

"Yes!" Grand Duke Carl Ludwig and Grand Duke Maximilian answered in unison.

After the three grand dukes had all departed, Grand Duke Franz Karl, who had been silent, asked in confusion: "Sophie, what exactly is Franz’s intention in having Carl learn the language of the Duchy of Lodomeria?"

"What other intention could there be? Of course, he wants to appoint Carl as the ruler of the Duchy of Lodomeria!" Empress Dowager Sophie replied to Franz Karl: "If I am not mistaken, Franz is preparing to..."

...

Early the next morning, under the orders of Emperor Franz Joseph.

Minister of Internal Affairs Bach, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bao’Er, and Advisor Metternich once again came to Franz Joseph’s study.

Franz Joseph first inquired of Minister Bach about the implementation of tax collection within the Austrian Empire.

Bach informed Franz Joseph that, thanks to the assistance of the loyal Bohemian civil servants, the tax collection in most provinces of the Empire (especially in the Hungarian region) was in a profitable state, with only a few, such as Galicia, being in a state of deficit.

"So, even without Galicia, the finances of the Empire can still operate smoothly?" Franz Joseph asked Bach with a smile.

"According to the current results, it is indeed so!" Bach nodded as he replied to Franz Joseph.

"I understand!"

Franz Joseph said softly, and then turned his head toward Advisor Metternich and Minister Bao’Er.

Subsequently, Franz Joseph informed Prince Metternich and Minister Bao’Er that he had thought it over the entire night and believed that the conflicts between the Austrian Empire and the Polish Duchy should be brought to a satisfactory conclusion. He did not want to leave any hidden dangers for his brother, who was about to become the Grand Duke of Warsaw. Therefore, he wanted to confer the title of Grand Duke of Galicia-Krakow upon his brother Maximilian and the title of Grand Duke of Lodomeria upon his other brother, Grand Duke Carl Ludwig.

Prince Metternich immediately realized that Franz Joseph intended to imitate his earlier strategy of limiting France by creating a medium-strength buffer state through the combination of Austrian Poland and Russian Poland.

A Polish Duchy that had conflicts with both Russia and Prussia could absolutely help the Austrian Empire share the military pressure brought by the Kingdom of Prussia and the Russian Empire.

Exchanging a plot of land that was practically useless (during this period Galicia, as an agricultural area, was somewhat dispensable) for a Poland that fully leaned towards the Austrian Empire was indeed a bargain that could only yield profit!

Moreover, as long as the Polish Duchy remained part of the Habsburg Clan, it would not be considered abandonment.

(In fact, Prince Metternich misunderstood; Franz Joseph had not factored in the aspect of a medium-strength state. He simply did not want to create a rift with his brother, who was about to become the Grand Duke of Warsaw, at any future point. That would not be good for either party.)

Prince Metternich praised Franz Joseph’s idea and thoughtfully explained the deep meaning behind Franz Joseph’s actions.

Minister Bao’Er, after hearing Prince Metternich’s explanation, also expressed his admiration for Franz Joseph.

And Franz Joseph himself, upon hearing Prince Metternich’s explanation, also started to doubt if that was indeed his intention.

"Your Majesty, it would be best to also consult with the French Empire about this matter!" Prince Metternich shifted the focus and said to Franz Joseph, "Some countries might try to sabotage this!"

The "some countries" in Prince Metternich’s words naturally referred to the Kingdom of Prussia, which had annexed the Grand Duchy of Poznan.

Once the Austrian Empire restored Galicia, the conflict between the Polish Duchy and the Kingdom of Prussia would sharpen.

In the worst-case scenario, the Poles within the Kingdom of Prussia might revolt collectively as they did in 1848.

"That’s also true!" Franz Joseph nodded in response to Prince Metternich.

And then he assigned the task to Minister Bao’Er.

...

Half a month later, Austrian Foreign Minister Count Bao’Er and his delegation departed Vienna for Paris.

Meanwhile, a thousand miles away from Vienna, on the Crimean Peninsula.

The Anglo-French Alliance Army, stationed near Perekop, was conducting a handover with the last unit of the Russian Army. From the moment this Russian Army unit stepped off the Crimean Peninsula, the entire Crimean Peninsula would no longer belong to the Russian Empire. Colonel Ivanov Gorchakov, who led the unit, and Envoy Gorchakov were bidding their final farewell to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Envoy Gorchakov, I sincerely hope you can defeat the rebels entrenched in the Peterburg Region and uphold the sacred Russian monarchy!" Jerome Bonaparte said hypocritically to Envoy Gorchakov.

"Your Majesty, rest assured! We will certainly defeat those damned traitors and uphold the rights of the Empire!" Envoy Gorchakov looked with a complex expression at the fortress behind Jerome Bonaparte.