While Aigron and Prince Talleyrand were discussing how to rein in Austria and Metternich in the Tuileries Palace, the "protagonist" in their discussion, Prince Metternich, was also in his official residence at the moment.
, thinking distractedly.
Of course, he did not have the ability to predict the unknown. He could not foresee the "treacherous conspiracy" that was secretly brewing in Northern Italy and the Savoy family at this moment. He was worried about other things.
As the prime minister of a big country, especially a big country in decline, there are enough things in the world to upset him.
The first thing on the list is naturally his power and status.
From being admired by Emperor Franz, to being promoted all the way to the position of Prime Minister, for more than 20 years, he has been a very popular minister in this huge country, making all the changes; and he has indeed used the trust and power given by the Emperor to achieve what he is today.
His reputation has also allowed the international structure he painstakingly built to continue to this day.
However, Youdao flourished but declined. As time passed quietly, while Metternich felt that his body was old and frail, he also clearly realized that his power, which was as solid as a rock, was slowly weakening.
shake.
Within the imperial government, a new opposition force gradually emerged and slowly began to compete with him.
The leader of this force is Count Crowwater.
This man was a Bohemian nobleman, not a traditional German lord, but he was appreciated by His Majesty the Emperor and rose rapidly within the imperial government. In 1826, he was elected to the Council of State by His Majesty the Emperor and officially became an important minister.
One; in 1827, His Majesty the Emperor put him in charge of managing the empire's finances, and just recently, His Majesty the Emperor also handed over his private treasury and palace properties to the count for joint management.
Although Prince Metternich was still deeply trusted, he could not say anything about the count's promotion. He could only watch the count's rapid rise and eventually became his biggest political enemy.
What does it mean to be Prime Minister and lose control of the empire's finances? It means cutting off an arm, or worse.
The reason for this situation is because the count's ability is stronger than Metternich's. Can Metternich be unable to fight back?
Of course not, it's just that as a referee, His Majesty the Emperor often "deviates" in the struggle between the two parties and deliberately supports a powerful group that can compete with the Prime Minister.
Metternich knew that this was not because the emperor did not trust him, nor that he planned to abandon him, but it was the emperor's instinct to let his important ministers compete with each other.
But even knowing this, Metternich would still itch with hatred when he thought of Earl Klawat's repeated restrictions and offenses against him.
The Earl not only rose to prominence, but in order to consolidate his power, after gradually taking control of the empire's financial power, he began to work hard to form gangs, promote close friends and reject dissidents. In just a few years, under the leadership of Metternich,
A force that should not be underestimated formed in the government. They sang in unison. Although they did not dare to openly confront the Prime Minister, they were emboldened and deliberately used various bureaucratic means to perfunctory and delay the Prime Minister's orders, which made Metternich feel more and more like himself.
The power is like being stuck in the mud and cannot be used.
Because of this, Prime Minister Metternich became increasingly anxious and dissatisfied with the current situation. He was not only dissatisfied with the weakening of his power, but also dissatisfied with the empire itself——
In this era when the empire was declining, all kinds of vigorous reforms were originally needed to save the situation. However, due to the emperor's various political tactics, the government was fragmented and fighting with each other. Who had the energy to "save the situation"?
"Current situation"? If things continue like this, what should we do if we encounter any crisis?
But even if he felt some resentment in his heart, Metternich did not dare to express it in front of His Majesty the Emperor.
He has been the Prime Minister of Austria for many years, and it can be said that he has fully experienced the emperor's harshness and indifference. This was a situation deliberately created by His Majesty, so how could it be changed?
Therefore, he could only worry while helplessly continuing his previous work as a paper framer for his empire. At least his position as prime minister was still stable for now, and that was enough.
If the current situation can be said to be "just enough", then the "future" is even more worrying.
The old emperor is getting older day by day, and his health is getting worse and worse. As someone who can see His Majesty at any time, although he doesn't know how long his "holy life" will be, he can sense that His Majesty's body is already like the wind.
If you are still alive, you may be called by the Lord one day.
Maybe it will be tomorrow, maybe it will be a few years later, but whether he is willing or not, objectively speaking, he must prepare for the situation after the death of His Majesty the Emperor.
And this point made Prime Minister Metternich feel even more sinister.
For more than twenty years, as His Majesty the Emperor's most trusted minister, he had to maintain a tit-for-tat stance with the royal princes. His Majesty, who was suspicious and seriously ill, would not be willing to see the Prime Minister and his imperial disciples get together.
And this also means that his relationship with the Habsburg clan has always been very tense.
However, the rapid rise of Earl Crowwater is different. As a "newcomer", he does not have such a heavy burden. In addition, he is extremely smooth in dealing with people, so his relationship with the princes is getting along well——
In other words, if His Majesty the Emperor dies suddenly, and the Crown Prince suffers from mental illness and is unable to rule the country normally, the power of the relatives will suddenly increase, and if he is not careful, he may be overthrown by the relatives of the Habsburg family.
Abandon and replace your political opponents with the power of the empire.
Having held a high position for many years, power was almost Metternich's second life. How could he be willing to see his power fall away and be forced to step down?
Therefore, you must prepare for a rainy day now and find a way out for yourself, otherwise it will definitely be too late to find a solution when the trouble comes.
===========================
After meeting with His Majesty the Emperor again, the Prime Minister did not rush back to his official residence, but stopped by to visit Princess Sophie.
And he was quickly received by the prince and concubine.
Before, Her Royal Highness Sophie was a little haggard due to her long-term seclusion, but now she is very different. She has regained her healthy complexion, her face is white and rosy, and her expression is much calmer, with a slight smile on her face.
smile.
While meeting His Excellency the Prime Minister, her white fingers were also gently caressing the pet cat in her arms, showing her elegance and calmness.
This woman is getting more and more radiant! Metternich thought with a little sadness.
At first, His Majesty the Emperor was furious because she indirectly let Duke Lechstadt escape. Although he kept it secret from the outside world in order to cover up his scandal, he actually put her under house arrest, like a prisoner.
He originally thought that this arrogant and arrogant princess would fall into despair and lose her former glory, but he did not expect that in just a few years, things would change, and she seemed to be shaking again and becoming arrogant again.
Why did she turn over?
It is not so much an internal factor as it is an external factor.