After watching the young man leave, Prince Metternich walked to the window again, looking at the scenery outside the window and thinking secretly.
After a while, he strode out of the room and walked towards His Majesty the Emperor's office.
When he came to the door, the attendants saluted him hastily.
"I want to see Your Majesty." He said to the attendant in a matter-of-fact tone.
"Please wait a moment, Your Highness." The attendant opened the door and went in to announce, then immediately turned back.
"Come in, Your Highness."
Prince Metternich walked into the spacious hall, and his Majesty the Emperor was sitting behind the walnut desk, looking up at him.
His Majesty Emperor Franz I, who is several years older than the prince, has gray hair, but there is no sign of energy failure.
He looked at the Prime Minister he appointed with bright eyes, and his expression was serious and rigid, which was perfect for this ancient royal family.
He is not a particularly talented person. The only reason why he sits on the throne is simply because he is the grandson of Queen Theresa. In the first dozen years of his reign, Austria repeatedly failed in wars with France. So much so that it became the backdrop for the rise of Napoleon. Napoleon invaded the capital and signed a city-wide alliance to cede territory and pay indemnities. He was even forced to send his daughter to France to marry in order to maintain his crumbling empire.
Nowadays, although Emperor Napoleon has turned into dust, he still has no confidence in his ability to maintain the power of the empire, so he relies on the army and secret police to maintain his rule. Even his brothers can't help but occasionally Will be monitored.
But even so, he was not a cruel and ruthless monarch. He was willing to create a virtuous image and was quite generous to the people around him.
In the history books, he is just another ordinary witness on the decline of the ancient Habsburg dynasty, and is not remembered by many people. However, at this moment, after all, he is also the master of one of the top powers on the European continent. , no one can ignore his weight.
"Sir, I heard that you just went to see our dear Franz?" After looking at the Prime Minister, His Majesty the Emperor asked first, "What happened?"
"Some things have happened a long time ago, so we must make plans before some things happen." The Prime Minister replied.
"Huh?" His Majesty the Emperor looked at the Prime Minister with some confusion, not understanding what he was talking about.
After all, he is a diplomat. When Prince Metternich speaks, he always brings a bit of the clouds and mist that are unique to diplomats. But it doesn't matter. As an emperor, he can naturally get a detailed explanation.
"Your Majesty, what do you think of our little Franz?" the Prime Minister asked first.
"An excellent child, a very lovely young man." His Majesty the Emperor thought for a moment before replying, "It's a pity that he has the wrong father."
"But the key point is that he had the wrong father, so he was given unrealistic delusions by many people." Prince Metternich replied calmly, "Your Majesty, I believe you still remember that just three years ago, France Several officers declared in the military camp that they would support His Majesty Napoleon II's return to China and his succession to the throne. As the rule of the Bourbon family became increasingly unpopular, this kind of thing had increased day by day in the past few years. What's even more frightening is that this sentiment was not limited to In France, when his mother was in Parma, the Italian people passing by her balcony also shouted Long Live Napoleon II..."
"Really? This is really ridiculous. Franz is obviously just a child..." Perhaps because he heard a disgusting name, His Majesty the Emperor frowned slightly, but it was quickly covered up by a bitter smile. , "Do they think a child can take them to heaven?"
"Yes, of course it is very ridiculous, but political opponents don't care about logic; the important thing is that they want to use that name to oppose Bourbon and us." The Prime Minister looked at His Majesty the Emperor seriously, " I would also like to remind you that a child cannot stay a child forever. Franz will grow up. As he begins to grow up, the hopes of the Bonaparte family's long-dormant supporters will be rekindled, and There are definitely signs of danger now - and I think he may not grow up as a Habsburg or as a German as we would like."
"Are you a little too worried?" His Majesty the Emperor smiled, "You shouldn't spend so much energy on a child."
"He is worth spending all this energy. You know better than me that he is a child with both talent and willpower. Such a person will never be willing to die in obscurity. Therefore, when he grows up one day, will he Will one day suddenly be occupied by fanatical ambition, and then answer the call of those careerists? No one can guarantee this." The Prime Minister continued.
His Majesty the Emperor was silent.
"I just spoke to him, and honestly, his demeanor and his agility, and his sophistication that belies his age, if it were present in any other member of the royal family, I would be pleased for the future of our country... ...However, it is a pity that he is the special one." Prince Metternich's expression was a little strange, as if he was recalling something.
"I have been observing him. When the news of Napoleon's death came here, although he was crying on the surface, I could see that he did not have any real shock or grief. It was not at all that he had lost the most important person in his life. Look, he was only 10 years old at the time! Do you know what that means? It means that he has a talent that only Talleyrand and I have in adulthood. He lacks that kind of real emotion and is a cold-blooded person. A performer, this kind of person is particularly dangerous and terrifying if he is smart enough, and he cannot be ignored just because he is just a child."
On this point, His Royal Highness, who has always been good at calculation, missed the point. In history, when he learned that he had lost his father, the young King of Rome was devastated. How could he know that there was now a child in this child's body? What about souls that have nothing to do with Napoleon or even this era?
Even if he wanted to truly grieve, this child couldn't grieve. It wasn't because he really lacked human emotions.
"I admit... the risks you mentioned do exist." After quietly listening to the Prime Minister's words, His Majesty the Emperor nodded slightly, finally agreeing with the other party's opinion. "So what do you think he should do?"
"Your grandson is a lovely young man, but more importantly, he is a handy tool, a tool we use to intimidate France. But we should never use this tool. No one can bear it. We can afford the risk of releasing the Napoleonic plague on the European continent again." Prince Metternich's eyes were bright, as if he had recalled something, "We just need to hold him in our hands and make the Bourbon royal family have scruples about us. Well, the tool itself shouldn’t have a mind of its own.”
"I admit that you are right, so what can you do about it?" His Majesty the Emperor asked.
"We should send him to the army for education as soon as possible. Use the training of the army to kill his anger and cultivate his obedience. Let him become an Austrian officer and his potential fans in France will be disappointed." Prince Metternich has long been aware of this issue. "After two years, we will find a suitable wife for him as soon as possible and use the family noose to make it difficult for him to escape."
His Majesty the Emperor listened quietly to the Prime Minister's suggestions and did not feel anything wrong.
Although Aigron is only fifteen now, in this era, it is not uncommon for members of the royal family to get married early. His Majesty the Emperor himself married four times because he was widowed several times. The first marriage was in 1788. He was 20 years old at the time; his father, Emperor Leopold II, was only 18 years old when he married for the first time in 1765.
As for the unlucky King Louis XVI who was beheaded, he was only 15 years old when he married the Austrian princess in 1770. The princess herself was even one year younger than him.
Therefore, it is not shocking to start looking for a marriage partner at this age.
"Sending into the army and marrying..." His Majesty the Emperor began to ponder again, "It is indeed worth considering."
"These are all insurance measures, and they may not all work, but you should at least try them." Seeing that his opinions have been adopted by His Majesty the Emperor, His Highness the Prince's mood improved a lot.
After a pause, he lowered his voice again, "As long as we have a wife and children, if he wants to get rid of control in the future, at least we will have other options..."
When he said this, there was a meaningful pause, and of course His Majesty the Emperor understood what he meant.
"Oh, my poor grandson!" His Majesty the Emperor sighed, "There are always people who want him to live in peace!"
============================================
After receiving His Majesty's approval, the Prime Minister continued to discuss other important issues with His Majesty, and then left.
Before returning to Vienna, he specially summoned Count von Dietrichstein, who was in charge of Aiglon's education.
"Your Excellency, do you have any orders?" asked the Count.
"Has your little master done anything unusual recently?" Prince Metternich asked bluntly.
"As far as I'm concerned, everything is the same as usual, and there is nothing abnormal." The Earl replied respectfully, "In addition, His Highness has always had a tough personality. If he has verbally offended you just now, please forgive him, I think. He didn’t mean to offend you, he usually treats others that way.”
"It sounds like you really think of yourself as a follower of a French prince." The prince glanced at the other party with some displeasure. "We didn't put you next to him just to ask you to intercede for him."
"I have always been a follower of the Austrian royal family, and I will never forget my duties..." the count replied quickly.
"I hope you will not forget this." The prince interrupted him impatiently, "I reiterate, now that he is no longer a child, you can no longer treat him in a leisurely manner. From now on, no matter what If he has any unethical thoughts or actions, you must report them to me in time."
After a pause, he added, "When he makes an extreme move, if it is too late to report it, you can temporarily detain him if necessary. Don't worry about his special status, and then wait for me to deal with it. I am also responsible for everything.”
"Isn't he being detained now..." the count sighed softly.
The prince looked at the earl coldly, with a "you should understand what I mean" expression.
"I understand." The count bowed.
"Well, I wish you all the best." His Royal Highness waved his hand and signaled the earl to leave.
