Chapter 12: Chapter 12 – Glory of the Nobility

Since the agreement between Franz and Archduke Louis had been reached, the two of them resumed their previous casual chat. In fact, Franz had already implicitly acknowledged Archduke Louis’ favor.

It was difficult to pay back a debt of gratitude, but sometimes it was not a bad thing to be burdened with such debt.

For example, from this moment on, Franz had built a relationship with the Archduke, the leader of the conservatives, and was considered a friend. Even though Archduke Louis was his great uncle, family and friendship were not very secure in politics.

Otherwise, why would Franz specifically ask for a favor from Archduke Louis? Was there no other way for Franz, the Imperial Crown Prince, to join the Palace Guards?

If he wanted, Franz could join with or without a title because, traditionally, the Palace Guards only served the monarch, pledging allegiance to the Emperor and then the Imperial Crown Prince.

“Uncle Louis, the climate at the Vienna Court seems to be quite interesting!” Franz said with a hint of a smirk on his mouth.

“Well, it is all because of our Lord Chancellor, who cries for reform every day. His supporters, a bunch of parasitic capitalists, have turned into reformers in the name of uplifting the poor, though we both know the only thing they care about is how to fill their dirty pockets.”

“Our Lord Chancellor turns a blind eye to those vermin, while he stares at us like a hawk, as if we, the nobility, are a cancer to Austria!” Archduke Louis replied, disgusted.

‘“Chancellor Metternich turns a blind eye to the capitalist”? What did he set up the secret police for? Obviously, it was not to spy upon the nobles. Chancellor Metternich is a representative of the nobility, and is, most of the time, a defender of the interests of nobility, except in the case of the abolition of serfdom.’ Franz thought inwardly.

Still, he kept these thoughts to himself. The person he was talking to was the leader of conservatives in  Austria. To voice his thoughts aloud would not bring him any favor Archduke Louis.

“Uncle Louis, since the capitalists can do what they want in the name of uplifting the poor, we can do the same!” Franz smiled and replied.

“Franz, are you joking?” Archduke Louis asked, astonished.

It was nonsense for a noble to hold up the flag of reform. For a noble to promote reform was like cutting a pound of their own flesh. How could they possibly do such a thing?

Franz replied, “No, Uncle Louis, I’m not joking! If the bourgeoisie can propose a reform that favors them, why can’t we, the nobility, do the same?”

There was indeed a consensus among most people that the Austrian Empire had to reform some of its practices, but such reform would harm the interests of the nobility, which was why the conservatives were opposed to it.

Hearing Franz’s proposal, Archduke Louis fell into deep thought. In a sense, Franz’s proposal would allow them to take the initiative and hold the right of reform in their own hands.

He did not think that Franz had ill intentions because the bourgeoisie was also an enemy of the royalty since the reforms they clamored for would definitely deprive the rights of the emperor.

After all, the radicals amongst the reformers wanted to overthrow the monarchy and introduce Republicanism. Looking back at the history of and , no monarch could have good will towards people that wanted to turn their kingdom into a republic.

Franz, the Imperial Crown Prince, naturally would not be an exception; after all, his position determined his opinion. When Franz spoke with him, he used “we” time and again, which was due to his standing. The royalty and the nobility would naturally stand on the same side.

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“Franz, it seems you have something in mind, so what is your plan, then? Can you provide some detail?” Archduke Louis asked, agitated.

Now he dared not to look down upon Franz, who had proved himself to be skilled at politicking.

“Uncle Louis, have you noticed that the bourgeoisie has been demanding the liberation of serfs in the name of freedom and equality?” Franz asked.

“Of course, those vermin shout such political slogans daily. They even made unjustifiable demands for constitutional reform, national autonomy, suffrage and so on.”

“No matter how magnanimous they wish to appear, all of their political maneuvering is simply for their own benefit. They want to abolish serfdom because of the lack of labor force in their factories. They’re a bunch of vampires, to be perfectly honest. You know, the vast majority of factory workers lead a life far worse than serfs. We at least provide our serfs with food, clothing, and shelter, and support them during old age.”

“But the evil capitalists have not the tiniest shred of kindness in their hearts. The people who work for them can rarely survive for more than a decade. And once they are old, they are driven out and left to rot. They worked hard for the capitalists all their lives, only to end up on the street. May God burn those vampires in hell!” Archduke Louis replied, enraged.

Franz had to admit that Archduke Louis’ words contained a hint of truth. The capitalists of the 19th century were greedy and lacked morality. In fact, the statement that workers led a harsher life than serfs was not an inaccurate statement.

The truth also could be surmised from lifespans, as urban lifespans were three to five years lower than that in rural areas. Thus, one could imagine the cruelty of capitalism during this age.

Ordinary workers who were recruited into the factories would see themselves destroyed within ten years, which meant that most of them would only live until the age of forty.

However, most of the nobles were just as cruel as the capitalists. Both factions were composed of vampires, with neither one being holier than the other.

“Uncle Louis, I know what you mean. Since the capitalists can call for the abolition of serfdom under the guise of fighting for the rights of serfs, why can’t we limit the development and growth of capitalism in the name of protecting the welfare of the working class?” Franz asked with a sly smile evident on his face.

For the sake of his future plan, Franz had taken the guise of the feudal aristocracy, full of righteousness and a hatred for the bourgeoisie.

“For the benefit of the working class? I’m afraid that won’t be... well received. It will harm the interests of many nobles should the treatment of workers improve since they also run workshops,” Archduke Louis replied hesitantly.

Looking at the Archduke’s face, Franz became sure that his description provided in history books was quite accurate — the man was indeed indecisive, but that just made him easier to sway.

“A little profit is nothing compared to the glory of the nobility. If there are no restrictions placed on the capitalists, I’m afraid it will not take too long for them to overpower us!”

“Uncle Louis, have you not felt that their influence has grown quite quickly in recent years? If this keeps up, it won’t be long before we will find it hard to suppress them! The glory of the nobility cannot be profaned!” Franz prodded.

Franz’s words made sense at the moment because the nobility had yet to begin transforming into capitalists. Even if a few nobles had invested in industry and commerce, none personally managed such endeavours.

At the moment, it was considered shameful for noble lords to drop themselves down to the same level as the capitalists. This was true for ordinary nobles, not to mention for grand nobles like Archduke Louis.

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