In the Palace of Vienna, Franz was quite interested in the Russian government’s proposal for smuggling. Money delivered to the doorstep was money he would be foolish not to earn. Even though most of this money originally came from loans provided by his own country, every guilder he earned back now meant one less guilder lost in the future. If they wanted the Russians to “fulfill their debts,” the Russian government needed to have money in the first place. The Russo-Japanese War was a bottomless pit, and on top of that was the revolutionary wave brewing within the empire. Because the population had shrunk, the social contradictions within the Russian Empire were slightly more manageable than in the original timeline. However, this easing applied only to the traditional core regions. The newly occupied territories such as Poland, Bulgaria, Afghanistan, and the various khanates in Central Asia had not seen a single day of peace. Nicholas II had inherited an absolute mess. For a long time, Russian rule over these regions had relied entirely on traditional feudal methods, suppressing local resistance with brute force. If this were a hundred years earlier, such a method would have worked. Given enough time, the people would eventually accept their fate. Russia had extensive experience in this. Its vast territory had been acquired in exactly this way. Unfortunately, this was the twentieth century. Nationalism was sweeping across the world, and the old feudal model of rule was becoming increasingly outdated. If Russia could win the war against Japan, then all of this could be kept under control. Victory would suppress domestic social tensions. But defeat would be another matter entirely. And behind all this was a hidden mastermind steering events, constantly digging a deeper pit for the Russian Empire, as if afraid they might not fall in on their own. Well, Franz knew perfectly well how deep the pit was, because he was the one who dug it. Even if the Russian government managed to escape disaster, they would still lose several layers of skin. Whatever other consequences might come later was still uncertain, but one thing was guaranteed: the government’s finances would collapse. Since a loss was inevitable, the only choice was to reduce that loss as much as possible. As for offending the Japanese through “smuggling,” that was not even worth worrying about. It was not as if they had never offended Japan before. During the Philippine War, when the Holy Roman Empire sided with Spain, they had already angered Japan once. This time would simply deepen the grudge. In this regard, even Franz had to admire the Meiji government. They were the ones who truly embodied the phrase “able to bend and stretch.” Even when filled with hatred and gritting their teeth inside, they forced themselves to endure it. Not only did they behave humbly on the surface, but they also refrained from taking petty revenge in secret. There were rewards for such behavior. The Japanese government acted so obediently that even Emperor Franz the Great, who fully intended to give them trouble, felt a little embarrassed to make a move. In fact, the Holy Roman Empire’s navy had a real training plan in mind. Since a direct war with Britain was looming and no one was confident, they wanted to find a weaker enemy first, fight a real battle, and boost morale. Unfortunately, the empire simply lacked such opponents. Aside from beating the Kingdom of Sardinia in the past and participating in the campaign against the Ottoman Empire, the navy had rarely seen action. Most of the time they were just playing a minor supporting role. The European War should have been an ideal opportunity, but the French Navy was simply too strong. After a few probing engagements, both sides tacitly chose to settle the conflict on land. In hindsight, that decision was absolutely correct. Training was not the same thing as suicide. At the time, the French and Austrian navies were evenly matched. A naval showdown would only have benefited the British. And that was the end of it. In recent years, the Holy Roman Empire had fully upheld Franz’s declared “love of peace.” Not only did it refrain from launching external wars, it had even mediated multiple international disputes and made important contributions to global peace. The navy wanted a chance to prove itself, and Franz supported this. The problem was that aside from the mighty British Empire, no other country was willing to give them such an opportunity. For example, Japan. Right after the European War ended, under Franz’s instruction, the Holy Roman government immediately intervened forcefully in the Philippines conflict and openly took Spain’s side. They even made it clear to Japan that the empire had just finished the European War and was in its weakest state, and therefore could not afford to send troops across the world for Spain. But the Japanese government refused to take the bait. They understood the “language of the martial world” perfectly. It was true that the Holy Roman Empire could not send a distant expedition, but that did not mean it lacked the ability to intervene. If Japan refused to show respect, the empire could still give them a beating right next door in Austrian Southeast Asia. The clever Meiji government not only gritted its teeth and accepted the terms of the European Alliance, but even its retaliatory actions afterward were directed entirely at Spain, having nothing to do with the Holy Roman Empire. The Vienna Conference had just concluded, and Franz had personally led the drafting of the new international rules. No matter what happened, he could not slap his own face. Soon after, the Anglo-Japanese Alliance was formed, and from that point on there was no chance to give Japan any trouble. It was not only Japan. Other countries behaved the same way, each one slippery and hard to pin down, never giving the Holy Roman government any excuse solid enough to justify starting a war. Franz always believed that respect was something given mutually. Since other countries were willing to show the Holy Roman Empire respect, the Holy Roman government had to return that respect as well. The only country that refused to show respect was Britain, yet the Holy Roman Empire’s navy could not defeat the British anyway. Naturally, the plan to gain real combat experience was abandoned. In the end, the Holy Roman Empire’s navy could only settle down and focus on improving its own skills. It endured until the next revolution in naval technology reshuffled the deck, and only then did it reach out again to challenge Britain’s maritime dominance. Helping the Russians smuggle supplies now was obviously not just for profit, and it certainly was not purely out of loyalty to an ally. If it were simply to assist an ally, then the Holy Roman government would not have supported Russia on one hand while secretly selling weapons to Japan on the other. Even though the Holy ROman government had publicly imposed an arms embargo on Japan, the reality was that more than ninety percent of international trade in army weapons and ammunition came from the Holy Roman Empire. Aside from the two or three countries that had achieved domestic arms production, almost every country’s army equipment was dominated by “Austrian-made weapons.” Even those not yet dominated were on their way. The proportion of Austrian equipment in the Japanese army was also steadily increasing. There was no helping it. France, the only real competitor, had collapsed. Countries that used to purchase French arms had been burned badly. A single directive issued by the anti-French coalition destroyed all of France’s military industry. Machinery was dismantled or smashed by the coalition forces. Forget about spare parts or after-sales repairs. Even ammunition was a matter of using one shell and having one less shell, with absolutely no way to replenish the supply. With the equipment on hand essentially reduced to firewood sticks, it was nearly impossible for countries to avoid large-scale rearmament. As armies around the world replaced their old equipment, Austrian-made weapons, already the dominant force in the market, quickly defeated their remaining competitors and emerged as the sole mainstream choice. To this day, every army in the world uses some form of Austrian equipment. Even British Redcoats are no exception. Weapons become “mainstream equipment” not only because they offer good value for money and wide applicability, but more importantly because they are easy to maintain and their ammunition is easy to procure. In any industry, once large-scale integration takes shape, it becomes extremely difficult for latecomers to break through. Even if some country suddenly develops a more advanced weapon, it does not change the overall situation. Weapons must work as part of a system. The most suitable equipment is the best equipment, not necessarily the most advanced. Selling weapons to both sides was an obvious attempt to make Japan and Russia bleed each other dry so the Holy Roman government could profit. In the international community, this was practically an open secret. Most senior officials who should know already knew, and the Russian government was no exception. Knowing is one thing, but when Russia needed support, its first thought was still its “good ally.” There are no innocent players in politics. Everyone acts out of self-interest. If the Holy Roman Empire were not calculating in its moves, the Russians would never believe it. Compared to hidden tricks carried out in the shadows, the Russians actually preferred this blatant profiteering. After all, most of the Russian government’s money was borrowed from the Holy Roman Empire. If they wanted its debts repaid, it could not allow Russia to lose the war. Most of the time, this logic held true. Once debts reached a certain level, the debtor became the one in control. As long as the Holy Roman government wanted to avoid a Russian default from triggering turmoil in the domestic financial market or even a full financial crisis, it had no choice but to pull Russia up. Unfortunately, this time was an exception. The Russians happened to run into Franz, a man from the “era of monetary credit,” who simply did not treat the money he lent out as something that mattered. Compared to the massive monetary expansion carried out by the central banks of later generations, Russia’s debt was truly insignificant. Once Britain was defeated and the guilder’s position as the dominant international currency was secured, even if Russia defaulted and triggered a financial crisis, the Holy Roman Empire could just copy the Americans and drag everyone else into the water to share the losses. … Looking at the prices written on the document, Franz nodded with satisfaction and said, “Tell the Russians that as a nation that values free trade, the Holy Roman Empire opposes all behavior that undermines free trade. Trade between the Holy Roman Empire and the Qing Dynasty is not something any individual, organization, or national government has the right to interfere with, and the Japanese are no exception. By the way, has the transport route been cleared? It would damage our reputation if the agreement is finalized but the goods cannot be delivered on time.” There was no such thing as “smuggling.” As the world’s hegemon, the Holy Roman government was always the most rule-abiding. Likewise, there was no such thing as an “arms trade.” There was only ordinary commercial trade between the Holy Roman Empire and the Qing Dynasty, which had absolutely nothing to do with the ongoing war between Japan and Russia. As for why ordinary goods ended up becoming weapons, equipment, or various strategic materials, that was a question for God. Anyone curious enough was free to go ask Him directly, and the Holy Roman government could even reimburse the travel expenses. Compared to whatever curiosity the outside world might have, Franz was far more concerned about logistics. The strategic supply consumption of several hundred thousand troops was no small figure. If the supplies were being moved within the Holy Roman Empire, shipping them by sea or rail would be easily manageable. If speed was required, the Empire could simply gather its cargo airships to deal with the urgent demand. Everything was completely different once they entered the Qing Dynasty. Delivering supplies directly into the war zone was clearly impossible. The coastal regions were all in Japanese hands. Even though Russian forces still held a few fortresses, they had no ability to break through the Japanese blockade and transport the supplies back. To ensure the safety of the cargo, detouring was unavoidable. The Qing Dynasty had only a small number of roads and railways. Most transportation still relied on primitive human and animal power. Taking a long detour all the way to the destination was almost no shorter than traveling from Moscow to the Far East. The only advantage was that the climate and environment were much better, unlike Siberia where simply traveling could take half a year. Frederick smiled and said, “Do not worry, Father. The arms dealers are far more proactive than we are. As soon as the war between Japan and Russia broke out, they immediately began gathering strategic materials in the Qing Dynasty. The government only stepped in to mediate and help clear the official channels, which was easy enough to handle. Both Japan and Russia are invading the Qing Dynasty, and there are plenty of people who resent them, including high-ranking officials. They do not dare act openly, but creating trouble for Japan and Russia in secret is something they are very willing to do. At present, we have already connected with the local power holders. Since we offer high transport fees, the locals are very cooperative. The earliest shipments have already entered the grasslands. In another month or so, they should reach the Russians. The amount is not large, but it should be enough to relieve the Russian army’s immediate crisis. As for the remaining orders, we have drawn supplies from Southeast Asia, and everything should be delivered within six months at most.” Profit moves the human heart. Wherever there is war, there are arms dealers. The government does not need to organize anything. The immense profits of the arms trade naturally attract an unending stream of participants. When it comes to predicting and assessing war, no one is more sensitive than arms dealers. Franz even suspected that the moment the attack on the Russian embassy occurred, some arms traffickers had already begun making preparations. Of course, preparing early meant securing the first-mover advantage and claiming the largest slice of the cake. But risk always accompanied profit. If the prediction was wrong and the war failed to break out, it would be a complete disaster. Every era had arms dealers who made fortunes and others who lost everything. If there were ever a ranking of the top ten high-risk professions, arms traffickers would definitely be on the list. Although the agreement was reached between the Holy Roman government and the Russians, the government still needed to maintain its dignity and would never personally step into smuggling. The actual trading operations, of course, would be carried out by the arms dealers who were there to take the blame. Their reputations were already terrible, so they did not mind adding one more stain. After nodding with satisfaction, Franz suddenly added, “I heard that the Russian army has terrible discipline and a very bad relationship with the local population. This is extremely dangerous. Have the Foreign Ministry warn the Russian government that if they want to win this war and need the cooperation of the locals, then they must keep the troops in line. If they cannot do that, then this agreement can be voided immediately. We have no way to deliver supplies to them if the locals are resisting us. This is my order. Do not soften it. Convey it exactly as I said.” Franz was not sure what effect it would have. In any case, some restraint was better than none. Besides, since the emperor himself was giving this warning, no matter how careless the Russian government might be, they could not afford to ignore it. Frederick did not understand why Franz was being so cautious, but he still obeyed. After serving as regent for so many years, he was no longer the boy who questioned everything. Countless experiences had taught him that when he did not understand something, the reason was often exactly what it looked like. Frederick had also witnessed this personally. Many times, a simple and ordinary decree would be interpreted by subordinates in a long chain of meanings. Blaming them was difficult. They were trying to interpret things in a positive direction, and there was no harm in it. Sometimes it even produced beneficial social effects. At first, Frederick found it hard to adapt. Over time, he got used to it. To him, Franz’s warning to the Russian government meant one of two things. Either the Russians had behaved so badly that it was already affecting the war, or Franz simply could not stand it anymore and wanted to change the situation. Both possibilities were plausible, but neither seemed very reliable. If the real intention was to help Russia win the war, the simplest and most effective method was to rally the European Alliance to impose an embargo on Japan. Just like during the Philippine War, when to force the Japanese government out of Southeast Asia, the Holy Roman government led the European powers in imposing an embargo on Japan. The other possibility was even more unlikely. Anyone with an overflowing sense of sympathy could never become a great ruler. For reference, he only needed to think of his uncle, who, due to excessive compassion and idealism, was chased out of Mexico. Even then, that was only because the Habsburgs were powerful and their intervention army intimidated the local factions. Otherwise, whether he could have left Mexico alive would have been uncertain. Within the House of Habsburg, there was little affection for this unlucky uncle who had lost his throne. Frederick was no exception. This had nothing to do with stepping on someone who had fallen. Being at the top of the food chain, they did not need to do anything so pointless. The main reason was that it cost money. To raise funds for his restoration in Mexico, Maximilian I had begged the family for help year after year. When Frederick was young, he had heard about his uncle’s tragic experience and had been moved with sympathy. He generously donated all the pocket money he had saved over the years and even helped gather funds himself. Money was one thing. For the honor of the family, Frederick was willing to give up his pocket money. He did not ask for anything in return, but he expected results. Year after year, the family invested money without seeing any progress. Anyone would feel resentful in that situation. Over time, everyone’s favorable impression of Maximilian I faded away.
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