Chapter 24 After Joining the Alliance

Vienna, Lion Pride Hotel.

Unlike the Caesar Hotel, which is filled with aristocratic atmosphere, the layout of Lion Pride is very simple, giving people a sense of simplicity and lightness, with only a few porcelains as embellishments.

Austrians like to decorate their rooms with porcelain to show their financial strength and taste.

In the past, in Europe, the price of porcelain was very expensive, which was definitely the best reflection of financial strength and strength.

There are many bands in the hotel that take turns to play for guests, and the lion statue in front of the door is the hotel's signature.

In a VIP room, Friedrich Liszt is repeatedly counting his share. A full one million florins, although it is still unconvertible banknotes, it still makes him ecstatic.

This is the first time he has felt the benefits of power, but Count Korolov's words always linger in his ears, making him unable to sleep and eat.

"Metternich is a beast with a righteous appearance. He enjoys the benefits of power alone, but always lets his secret police investigate the corruption of officials. Once he finds out, he does not report it to the emperor, but uses it as a threat to squeeze the blood out of them."

Friedrich Liszt has seen the miserable appearance of several officials who were arrested. They were dragged away by the secret police like dead dogs, and came back in tattered clothes and trance.

Is Metternich sending people to keep an eye on him now, trying to extort money from him? This made Friedrich Liszt unable to sleep or eat.

After all, in Friedrich Liszt's eyes, all this money was earned by his hard work, but he could be extorted at any time, which made him both afraid and angry.

He thought that as long as Count Korolaf said, he could overthrow Metternich.

In this way, they can rest assured.

In another room, Count Korolaf was drinking with Count Latour.

"Didn't you say that the situation is unclear and we shouldn't get involved? Why did you get involved first? It takes more than one or two million to build a railway." Count Latour spoke first.

"What a joke. Once a gambler, you'll be a gambler for life. As a gambler, how can you not take a gamble when you see this opportunity?" Korolov replied with a smile.

"Why don't you choose somewhere else? Why did you choose this route that no one wants? The Semmering area is full of mountains, but no one has built a railway in the mountains, let alone a canyon." Count Latour asked.

"I didn't ask you to invest, why do you care about this?"

"I know Trieste is important, but isn't it a bit too hasty now?"

"What do you think is the possibility of my success?" Count Korolov asked back.

"At most 20%." Count Latour replied.

"20%, that's not bad for a gambler. You know, there is a common gambling tool in the East called dice, and it has six sides, which means six possibilities." Count Korolov gestured the shape of the famous dice.

"But why can't you wait a little longer, at least an experienced engineer will do it." Count Tural continued.

"There must be someone who eats the wolfberry first." Count Korolaf replied calmly.

Wolfberry, also known as tomato, was once considered a highly poisonous food.

It was discovered in the 16th century, and it was not until the 18th century that a fearless painter took a bite and found that it was not as poisonous as the legend said, but it made his appetite increase.

Only then did the wolfberry complete the transformation from an ornamental plant to food.

"But what is this for?" Count Latour asked puzzledly.

"I am an embezzler. No one in the entire Austrian Empire is more greedy than me except that old bastard Metternich. I have made profits for myself and for my family. Now it's time to make profits for the country." Count Korolaf said righteously.

"Very good, come, I toast you, the embezzler." Count Latour smiled and raised his glass.

"To the Empire." Count Korolaf also raised his glass.

At the other end of Vienna, the Kaiser Hotel.

"He's just a bandit!" Solomon Rothschild was extremely angry. He raised an expensive porcelain, raised it high and put it down gently, picked up a cheap plate, and threw it hard on the ground.

With a crisp sound, the porcelain plate was smashed to pieces.

Several fragments fell on Metternich's leather shoes, but Prince Metternich ignored the fragments.

"Solomon, I said that His Majesty would not allow anyone to take his basket." Metternich said.

"Damn it! Where's my money! He is not an emperor, he is just a bandit and a rogue. Are my 1,500 gold bars just going to go down the drain?" Solomon Rothschild roared.

"Solomon, you should know that he is an emperor."

"So what! I am Solomon Rothschild!" Solomon roared.

"Solomon, for the sake of our friendship, I remind you again that this country belongs to His Majesty, and you and I are his subjects." Metternich's tone was cold.

Like a cold water poured over his head, Solomon immediately woke up.

Then he broke into a cold sweat. He had dominated the financial world of the Austrian Empire for many years, and all the bankers in Austria followed his lead. Whether it was the emperor or the ministers, or the country had major projects, they all needed his support.

However, since the Austrian Empire joined the German Customs Union, North German bankers have been pouring into Austria.

Solomon Rothschild could ask his brothers in Frankfurt not to lend money to the Austrian Empire. But he could not stop those profit-seeking North German financiers.

With the capital injection from North Germany, Austria's debt problem was greatly alleviated.

And the mainstream bankers were optimistic about the future of Austria joining the German Customs Union, and jumped on this big ship full of holes.

The Austrian Empire has begun to solve the debt problem, and one of the ways to solve the debt problem is to solve the creditors.

Just like King Philip IV of France did to the Knights Templar, once and for all.

And it is rumored that Emperor Franz II used a sword to force Prince Eltházy to surrender in the palace, thus occupying his property.

It seems that arresting a Jewish banker is nothing to do such a crazy act.

As for the charges, Prince Eltházy is not needed, let alone him as a Jew.

At this time, the reputation of the Jews was very notorious, and cases of persecution of Jews were not uncommon in European countries.

Needless to say, Russia has also experienced many incidents of expelling Jews in Austrian history.

It's just that Franz II was notoriously weak, so people forgot his existence.

Thinking of this, Solomon Rothschild made a move he had never done in his life. He bent down and took out a handkerchief to clean Prince Metternich's leather shoes.

"Your Excellency, forgive my recklessness. His Majesty, please take the money if you need it. You can pay it back at any time. I will not charge any interest. Please consider our friendship for many years." Solomon said very sincerely.

"I have good news to tell you. His Majesty has approved another route from Prague to Bavaria for you."

Now all the routes that can involve the German Customs Union are good routes. Solomon naturally knows this. He said quickly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, God bless our Emperor Franz II."

"I have another thing to do."

"What is it."

"Your Majesty said, settle the balance."