War Palace and Knee Pillow, Austria’s Destiny

Chapter 1151 Uninvited Guests*2

Both parties were hypocritically imagining a beautiful future together, when a waiter hurried in and whispered a few words to Franz's ear.

After listening, Franz couldn't help but frown, but then relaxed again.

"Just in time!"

Franz didn't want to waste time with the dead man in front of him, so he stood up and said.

"Sorry, a relative is visiting, I have to leave."

Franz didn't mind revealing some important information to old Ali, but he hoped that this "secret" would be spread, and the more people knew, the better.

Although this was a good thing for Austria, Franz's cousin Otto I was too impatient. After all, he was the head of state, and he shouldn't be so hasty even if he had to travel.

Hofburg Palace, Grand Ballroom

"Oh, dear cousin, what brings you here?"

"Shh! Franz, how can you say that? You will expose my identity."

Otto I, who was hiding in a black robe, whispered, but it still sounded a little loud in the empty banquet hall, and even echoed in the empty hall.

"Cousin, you only brought six people with you and used a fake identity. Aren't you afraid that you will be dragged to the underground slaughterhouse before entering Vienna?"

Otto I's expression froze at first, and then he taught him earnestly.

"Franz, what are you doing again! Haven't you played enough role-playing games? Do you know how many people want to kill you?

Someone in the black market offered a reward of one million florins to kill you, did you know?"

"Only one million? How stingy."

Franz still had an indifferent expression.

"Okay, tell me why you're here, cousin."

"How could you not know that since you're so smart?"

"I guess you're visiting relatives, so why wear a black robe?"

Franz tore off Otto I's black robe.

"What are you doing! I, the great King of Greece, suddenly visited the Austrian Imperial Palace late at night. Who doesn't know that we have a conspiracy?"

"Cousin, do you think that if you don't come, others won't be able to see the relationship between our two countries?"

Otto I thought about it and it seemed to be right.

"Well, Franz, what do you think of my plan? I can give up North Macedonia, but the land west of the Marija River must belong to Greece.

I plan to build a navy, and when the next war comes, I will directly advance by land and sea, attack Huanglong, capture Constantinople in one fell swoop, and restore the territory of ancient Greece."

"Cousin, let's eat first."

Franz snapped his fingers, and immediately two rows of waiters filled the table with all kinds of delicacies.

Otto I's eating was a bit awkward, but just like Franz snapping his fingers, he didn't need to be too restrained in front of his brother.

"Franz, are you jealous of my talent?"

Hearing what Otto I said, Franz almost spit out the juice he had just drunk.

"Ahem, cousin, I will meet with the Russian ambassador tomorrow, you hide and listen. Then we will discuss this matter again."

Otto I nodded. Russia is indeed a hurdle that cannot be avoided in the Balkans.

Seeing that the other party agreed, Franz finally breathed a sigh of relief and said in a joking tone.

"Cousin, isn't what you said the same as the conditions brought by your ambassador Andronikos? Why do you have to come again?"

"You ask even though you know it! These guys who call themselves nationalists are just bragging! They are not as efficient as the clowns I hired!

How can these guys represent Greece?"

Otto I seemed very angry, and then sighed and said.

"My people don't regard me as their king! They just want to undermine my power! I am surrounded by treacherous ministers! They are all against me! They are all a bunch of fools without loyalty and honor!

My power in this country is not as great as when I was a prince in Bavaria!

My annual pension is only 1,000!"

"One thousand pounds?"

"One thousand florins!"

"Haha, that's pretty miserable."

"Not only can I not pay the guards' wages, I can't even afford my sixteen horses and thirty hounds! I have to borrow money from my mother and wife!"

At this point, Otto I's face was already red, obviously it was a great humiliation for him.

Franz also restrained his smile.

"Wasn't the annual pension one thousand pounds before?"

In fact, one thousand pounds is not a small amount. Most members of the Habsburg family can only receive five thousand to ten thousand florins a year.

(Ten thousand florins is approximately equal to one thousand pounds.)

Most royal family members in the German region have an annual pension of around three thousand florins, but they basically have their own industries, so their lives are still relatively comfortable.

Before Franz's reforms, his annual pension of 12,000 florins was the highest except for Emperor Ferdinand I.

"Hmph! Don't mention it! Those damn guys! They deducted my annual pension when the military expenditure was insufficient, and also falsely accused me of being warmongering! I can only pretend to be sick."

Franz sighed.

"Then have their salaries been deducted?"

"Oh, my God! Franz, do you think those guys really live on their salaries? Don't be ridiculous, don't say you don't understand!"

"Of course I know, but I ask you now, have their salaries been deducted?"

"No!"

"Then why do you give in?"

Otto I hung his head.

"I have no money, and all my actions need to be approved by parliament, including military expenditures. If I don't listen to them, the army will lose supplies."

It seems that the top leaders of the Greek Parliament are almost as inexperienced as their cousin. Was the politics of the Balkans in the 19th century so wild?

"Cousin, you don't have any control over the military, politics, finance, or taxation. This is not possible. What if something like France happens one day?"

Otto I put down the pork chop covered in syrup, let out a sigh of relief and said with firm eyes.

"Then I will die like a king."

This sentence was very powerful, but Franz knew very well that when the rebellion really came, his cousin did not do what he said, but chose to run away in despair.

Of course, historical choices are always very complicated, and there may be reasons to retreat at that time.

King Maximilian II of Bavaria came out of a dark pavilion.

"What a coward! I will die like a king~ Is this all you have? If you stay in Munich, you will be scared by those mobs and Jews and wet your pants!"

Maximilian II was the elder brother of Otto I, and both were cousins ​​of Franz.

"Why is this guy here?"

Otto I did not answer Maximilian II's question, but turned to look at Franz.

"He escaped secretly just like you."

Maximilian II blushed.

"How can you call it stealing? It's obviously a secret operation."

"Okay, let's just treat it as a family dinner."

Franz finally came out to smooth things over, and the two cousins ​​had to suppress their anger, but he didn't want to continue eating.

"You should take control of the army in your own hands first."

"How can we have soldiers without money?"

"You can't even make money as a king?"

"Can you? Lend me some!"

"Do you have the money to pay back!"

"Do you have money!"

Maximilian II and Otto I soon quarreled again.

"Cousin, didn't I give the Greek government a special loan of three million florins before the war?"

"Franz, you said it was given to the Greek government, can they give it to me?"

"What about the money?"

Maximilian II roared with hatred.

"How do I know? It's gone in a flash!"

Otto I spread his hands.

"What do you mean? Are you a pig?"

Seeing that the two brothers were about to fight again, Franz coughed.

"Cousin. I will lend you five million florins personally. You can first take the army into your own hands."