The Austrian Ambassador to Sardinia, having received the final ultimatum from Prince Metternich, swiftly set off for the Turin Royal Palace. Before he could take a few steps toward the embassy gates, he suddenly stopped, turned around, and asked the Austrian Empire officer standing there whether he was staying at the embassy or returning to Milan.

Faced with the unexpected inquiry from the Austrian Ambassador, the Austrian Empire officer was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.

After all, Prince Metternich had only requested that he deliver the final ultimatum to the Austrian Ambassador in Turin, with no mention of whether he should promptly return.

However, considering the looming war, the Austrian Empire officer, after a few seconds of silence, quickly provided the ambassador with an answer, saying he would return to Milan at the fastest speed possible.

"Very well then! Safe travels!" the Austrian Ambassador courteously wished the officer well.

Subsequently, the Austrian Ambassador and the officer left the embassy together, albeit heading to very different destinations — one to the Turin Royal Palace and the other to catch the last train back to the border between the Austrian Empire and the Sardinian Kingdom.

...

The Austrian Ambassador, departing in a carriage from the embassy, finally arrived near the Turin Royal Palace after navigating the streets of Turin for about ten minutes.

The soldier guarding the gates of the Turin Royal Palace moved to intercept as the carriage approached, but a nearby officer placed a hand on the soldier’s arm, stopping him.

With a puzzled look, the soldier listened as the officer explained, "This carriage is from the Austrian Embassy; there’s no need to check them!"

"Ah!" The soldier looked at the officer in surprise, just as the carriage swiftly passed by, allowing him a clear view of the people inside.

Indeed, it was the Austrian Ambassador!

Now the soldier was even more amazed and curiously asked, "How did you know?"

The officer smiled slightly, then extended his index and middle fingers as if holding a cigarette.

Understanding the gesture, the soldier handed a cigarette to the officer and lit it for him.

After taking a puff, the officer, with a satisfied expression, responded to the soldier, "It’s simple! If you can remember the style and type of carriages frequently used by each dignitary visiting the palace, you’ll quickly identify who’s inside the carriage!"

"Sir, you remembered all of them?" The soldier asked with wide-eyed surprise.

"Of course..." The officer drew out his words and shook his head in response to the soldier’s eager gaze, "Of course not! There are far too many carriages to remember them all; I’ve only remembered a portion! (The officer gestured to his head with his fingers as he spoke.)

And the Austrian Ambassador’s carriage just happens to be among them!!"

"I see!" The soldier whispered, realizing that remembering even a portion of the carriages could save a lot of trouble.

"Young man, you still have a lot to learn!" The officer patted the soldier’s shoulder and earnestly advised, "It’s never wrong to learn more!

Back in the day, it was because I learned a few more phrases in German that I managed to crawl out of a pile of corpses.

Otherwise, I would have long been just another victim under the Austrian army’s gun!"

"Were you talking about the war in 1848?" The soldier inquired curiously.

"Which other one could it be!" the officer spat on the ground, with a hint of resentment in his tone, "That war was truly humiliating; tens of thousands went over there, and after barely any fighting, we were completely outmaneuvered!

I have no desire to engage with them again!"

"But if we don’t fight them, how can we achieve a unified Italy?" The soldier ventured, dissatisfied.

"Unify Italy!" The officer laughed heartily upon hearing the soldier’s thoughts, "When did you start having such extravagant ideas? How can we possibly defeat them by relying solely on our strength!"

"But we can’t just do nothing!" The soldier answered slightly defiantly, "General Garibaldi once said, as long as we unite, we can surely defeat the Austrians!"

"Unite?!" The officer scoffed, "General Garibaldi, that defeated general, can only fool hot-headed young lads like you!

Wasn’t he also beaten into hiding during that war, and then thought he couldn’t win, so he went off to the Pope State to establish that so-called Roman Republic!

In the end, wasn’t it still crushed by the French Army!"

The officer’s disdain for Garibaldi displeased the soldier, and if not for the hierarchical boundaries, he might have thrown a punch or two.

Though whether he could win in a fight would naturally be a different story.

"Young man, you should focus on how to survive when war comes, that’s the most important thing!" The officer patted the soldier’s shoulder again, saying earnestly, "I’ve seen too many hot-blooded people like you, yet when they truly set foot on the battlefield, they all turn into cowards!

Things like nation, ideals, and future are just nonsense on the battlefield; everything is about surviving!"

"Sir, I don’t agree with you!" The soldier gathered his courage to respond to the officer.

The officer, hearing the soldier’s rebuttal, responded with a stern face, "Whether I’m right or not isn’t what’s important; your duty now is to obey!"

The soldier had to stand at attention and respond to the officer, "Yes!"

Looking at the youthful-faced soldier before him, the officer sighed and said, "Forget it, I’ll teach you some basic German phrases!

So that you won’t get killed on the battlefield!"

"Sir, are we going to war?" the soldier curiously asked the officer.

"I don’t know!" The officer stroked the stubble on his chin and replied to the soldier, "But it never hurts to learn a bit more!

Just in case it comes in handy!"

...

On the other hand, the carriage carrying the Austrian Ambassador traveled smoothly, only beginning to slow down when it was within 50 meters of the Turin Royal Palace, and finally came to a complete stop at the gates of the Turin Royal Palace.

Looking at the entrance of the Turin Royal Palace from the steps outside the window, the Austrian Ambassador opened the carriage door and then stepped up the steps into the Turin Royal Palace.

Inside the hall of the Turin Royal Palace, the Austrian Ambassador encountered the aide-de-camp of King Victor Emmanuel II.

The aide-de-camp, with a face full of doubt, looked at the Austrian Ambassador and asked, "Ambassador, is there something you need?"

The Austrian Ambassador, with a serious expression, responded to the aide-de-camp, "I have a letter from our Emperor Franz Joseph to your King Victor Emmanuel II, which I wish to deliver to His Majesty!"

Upon hearing the words of the Austrian Ambassador, the aide-de-camp immediately said to him, "Ambassador, please follow me!"

The Austrian Ambassador followed the aide-de-camp to an empty reception room and then said to him, "Ambassador, please wait here for a moment! Our King is chatting with the French Envoy, and it might be a while before he can meet with you!"

The Austrian Ambassador paused for a moment, then resumed, "It’s alright! I’m not in a hurry!"

"Then I won’t disturb you!" The aide-de-camp bowed to the Austrian Ambassador and left the room.

The Austrian Ambassador waited alone in the room for Victor Emmanuel II to arrive. Half an hour later, Victor Emmanuel II entered the room of the Austrian Ambassador.

"I apologize for keeping you waiting!" Victor Emmanuel II said to the Austrian Ambassador.

"It’s nothing!" The Austrian Ambassador shook his head and then handed the final ultimatum from Vienna to Victor Emmanuel II. "Honorable King, this is the final ultimatum from the Austrian Empire, please accept it!"

"What? An ultimatum?" Victor Emmanuel II’s hand trembled slightly when he heard the word ultimatum and took the "letter." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Your Majesty, this is the final ultimatum from the Austrian Empire to the Sardinian Kingdom. We hope Sardinia can give us a prompt response.

Otherwise, we do not rule out the use of force to resolve the issue!" the Austrian Ambassador said to Victor Emmanuel II.

"Response? Response to what?" Victor Emmanuel II asked excitedly.

"All the details are inside!" The Austrian Ambassador pointed to the "letter" and replied to Victor Emmanuel II.

Victor Emmanuel II opened the "letter," and the first section condemned the recent subversive activities by the Sardinian Kingdom in the Duchy of Tuscany, the Duchy of Modena, the Lombardy-Venetia Kingdom, and previously in Naples!

The Austrian Empire hopes that the Sardinian Kingdom can distance itself from them as soon as possible.

The following section is the conditions put forth by the Austrian Empire to the Sardinian Kingdom.

Seal all liberal and nationalist publications within the country;

Immediately disband national defense organizations and other anti-Austrian Empire organizations;

Remove any military or administrative officials accused of anti-Austrian Empire propaganda, with the list of such officials provided by the Austrian Empire;

During the investigation period, disarm the Sardinian Kingdom;

If the Sardinian Kingdom is unwilling to comply with any of these terms, the Austrian Empire will initiate an attack on the Sardinian Kingdom.

...

When Victor Emmanuel II finished reading all the conditions, a nameless rage burned fiercely in his chest.

If the demand from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Sardinian Kingdom to seal nationalist newspapers is considered a 1, then the above five points can certainly be considered a 100.

If Victor Emmanuel II agrees to the conditions of the Austrian Empire, the entire Sardinian Kingdom might as well prepare to capitulate immediately.

These conditions treat the sovereignty of the Sardinian Kingdom as a doormat... no, in the perspective of the Austrian Empire, there might not even be such a thing as the sovereignty of the Sardinian Kingdom!

"Your country’s conditions!" Victor Emmanuel II said to the Austrian Ambassador with as calm yet firm a tone as possible, "I’m afraid I cannot agree!"