‘No results’ is just how most people see it. In reality, Maximilian I’s restoration movement has actually made some progress in recent years. People group together according to what they are. Whatever kind of leader you have, that is the kind of followers you attract. It can be said that Maximilian I’s restoration organization has gathered more than ninety percent of Mexico’s idealists. While their practical abilities may be lacking, they can be gradually cultivated. What matters most is that these people are willing to shed blood for Mexico. After staying in the Holy Roman Empire for so many years, the former hot-blooded youths have all become old men. It is hard not to mature. After decades of exile, the ambitious and opportunistic types have been washed away. Those who remain can truly be considered Maximilian I’s core supporters. Expecting them to return home and fight warlords in open battles is unrealistic, but they can still handle propaganda work. Over ten years ago, the restoration group began reaching into the student community and recruited a large number of highly educated reserves. After multiple failed coup attempts, Maximilian I was forced to accept Franz’s advice and shift the restoration strategy from armed uprisings to education. Under the slogan ‘A strong youth makes a strong nation’, they threw their support into primary and secondary education and called on members of the restoration group to return home and become teachers. Through the efforts of two generations, the restoration movement now has followers everywhere. In recent years, many high-profile members who were once wanted by the government have even been able to return and openly deliver speeches supporting the restoration. Unfortunately, Maximilian I’s abilities are limited. He failed to design a strict organizational structure, and his control over members is very weak. It feels somewhat like the early Republic of China. There are people waving the banner everywhere, but very few can actually be commanded. Faced with such a chaotic restoration movement in Mexico, the pragmatic Frederick naturally looked down on it. As for his uncle, who cannot even manage his own followers, there was nothing more to say. As an emperor, he somehow ended up being reduced to a symbolic spiritual leader who could be picked up or cast aside whenever people wished. To put it simply, as long as Maximilian I stayed in Vienna, he was everyone’s spiritual guide, the beacon of Mexico. But the moment he planned to return home, everyone suddenly turned into the vanguard of the anti-monarchy camp. After struggling for decades and spending tens of millions of guilders, his final reward was a reputation that was neither impressive nor useful. With that much money, could it not have been used for something better? To the members of the Habsburg dynasty, using that money to hire mercenaries and fight their way back would have been far better than squandering it like this. Even Franz, who had suggested focusing on education, never expected the situation to devolve to this point. They had all intended to quietly slip in some private influence, but as the money passed through so many hands, the whole plan gradually went off course. Out of the millions spent, probably less than one tenth actually ended up where it should have. In the eyes of many, Maximilian I had become the perfect victim, someone who could be easily sweet-talked into giving money. Those who waved his banner were either after the funding or the connections. If nothing else, having Maximilian I’s name attached meant that even buying weapons came with a discount. Because of this, aside from the Mexican government which had no choice but to keep up appearances, the warlords naturally abandoned all restraint. Using the emperor’s name brought material benefits, but more importantly, political advantages. It allowed them to offset the government’s claim to moral legitimacy and openly contest its authority. From this perspective, as long as Maximilian I remained abroad as a distant spiritual leader, everyone at home could claim to be a loyal subject of the emperor. In theory, once the monarchist faction revived, Maximilian I could slowly extend his influence into Mexico again, relying on the prestige of being the rightful ruler, as long as he had the strength and the will to do so. With supporters cheering for him at home and the Holy Roman Empire backing him from abroad, all he needed was the right moment to hire a mercenary force and march back to Mexico. Unfortunately, although many opportunities presented themselves, Maximilian I failed to seize even one. After nearly twenty years of fruitless attempts, the House of Habsburg members who had been supporting him finally lost all hope. Of course, Maximilian I was not entirely useless. While other abilities may be questionable, his social skills were outstanding. His fundraising power alone proves this. To raise over tens of millions of guilders by relying on donations makes him one of a kind. It is hard to imagine anyone in the future surpassing him. With such a wide network of friends, his life would have been much easier if he had never been persuaded into becoming the Emperor of Mexico. In fact, he would likely have become a rising star in the political scene of the Holy Roman Empire. The reason he was being mentioned again now was because he had stirred up trouble once more. This time, it had nothing to do with raising money. After so many years, all his financial backers had long grown tired. No one intended to keep subsidizing him. As the princes were dispatched overseas one after another, the revival of the feudal system within the Habsburg dynasty had become an open secret. The older generation was out of the question. Even if they wanted to compete, their bodies would not permit it. Among the younger generation, anyone who had an interest in securing a fief had already begun making moves. Somehow, someone persuaded Maximilian I to join in as well. Naturally, he was not trying to secure land for himself. As the Emperor of Mexico, he simply could not bring himself to compete with his nephews for a fief. But his own reluctance did not apply to his son. As a legitimate descendant of the Habsburgs, securing a portion of the imperial domain for his son would not be difficult. Maximilian I volunteered to lobby on his behalf because he had set his sights on the Yucatán Peninsula, which the Austrian Governor of Central America had conveniently annexed during the turmoil of the Mexican Revolution. A glance at the map made it clear that this was preparation for another attempt to “save Mexico”. With that territory in hand, he could openly recruit troops and rally monarchists from within Mexico to join his cause. The Yucatán Peninsula was no small piece of land. Although its resources were rather mediocre, its size was enormous. After years of annexation and expansion, the portion controlled by the Holy Roman Empire included the future states of Tabasco, Chiapas, Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán, along with parts of Oaxaca and Veracruz. Its total area reached three hundred thousand square kilometers, taking up nearly one quarter of Austrian Central America. To separate such a vast territory, the first person who would refuse was the current governor, Peter. No matter how many assurances Maximilian I gave that it would be only a temporary loan, Governor Peter would not budge when it came to something that directly affected his own power. Without Peter’s cooperation, Maximilian I’s plan naturally could not proceed. With no other choice, he could only look for solutions back home. The Holy Roman government was out of the question. Competing with his nephew for territory would look terrible if word spread. Franz’s authority was overwhelming, and Maximilian had grown up being scolded by his older brother. Back then he still had his mother to protect him. Now, without that shield, he felt even more helpless. In comparison, his nephew Frederick was far easier to talk to. As long as money was not part of the discussion, their relationship remained quite good. And so Frederick found himself at a loss. On one side were his uncle and cousin, and on the other was his own younger brother. Both sides were family, and supporting either one felt inappropriate. If this were not a critical moment in the struggle for hegemony, he would have wanted to seize another portion of Mexico himself and make it a fief for his cousin Bruno. Transferring internal conflicts outward was a common strategy among the great powers. Having served as regent for so many years, Frederick was no longer the simple youth he once had been. As for the opinions of the Mexicans, Frederick had stopped paying attention ever since he gave up hope for the restoration. Unfortunately, some matters must be confronted whether one wants to or not. As the regent and crown prince, Frederick wielded immense influence. Winning his support meant the decision was almost settled. Given this situation, neither side was willing to give up lobbying him. This would have been fine, since it was merely a family matter within the Habsburg dynasty, something that could have been handled privately. Whether it was seizing another piece of territory from Mexico or supporting Austrian Central America in expanding southward to make up the losses at the expense of the Republic of Colombia, both were viable ways to resolve the problem. Somewhere along the way something went wrong, and the news leaked. Overnight, the Habsburg dynasty was pushed into the center of public attention. In fact, this was not the first conflict of its kind. There had already been many internal struggles within the House of Habsburg over the issue of fiefdoms. Franz had long ceased to concern himself with these headaches and left everything for Frederick to handle. Everyone else was manageable. Due to their status, anyone who wanted to acquire land still had to accumulate merits first. Even with preferential treatment, their path was still similar to that of ordinary nobles. They had to work for it. The real point of contention was the sovereign fiefdoms, but only a select few were qualified to compete. They had to be sons of the Emperor. In the short term, the only people eligible to vie for them were Frederick’s three younger brothers and the newly emerged cousin. The Emperor of Mexico was still an emperor. Even though he had no real influence within the Habsburg dynasty, his status alone carried weight. The matter was obviously far more complicated. As the third generation gradually came of age, the number of qualified contenders would multiply. Franz the Great now had fourteen grandsons. The Holy Roman Empire simply did not have enough territory to distribute, nor could it break up its lands into so many small, scattered fiefdoms. And that was not the end of it. If Franz lived long enough, even the fourth generation might join the competition. Under these circumstances, Frederick, as crown prince, had to treat the first major dispute with extreme caution. “Father, Second Uncle wants to appoint Bruno as Governor of the Yucatán Peninsula, but Peter opposes it, and the situation has become very tense. I attempted to mediate several times, but neither side is willing to yield. Recently, the news leaked, and the public is buzzing with rumors.” After hesitating for a long time, Frederick finally decided to break the deadlock and let his father handle the matter personally. He did not want to remain stuck between the two sides, pleasing neither. People tend to grow sentimental with age, and Franz was no exception. One side was his own younger brother, the other was his own son. He was also in a difficult position. He needed to consider the bigger picture while also keeping family ties in mind. It was clearly not an easy problem to solve. As for public chatter, that mattered far less. Over the years, countless tales about royal family dramas had circulated, and all of them eventually faded away without consequence. Compared to those, this so-called dispute between uncle and nephew or between cousins was nothing at all. In a certain sense, the royal family was no different from any ordinary household. Conflicts between members were inevitable, the only difference being the scale of what they were fighting over. Franz asked, “You have interacted with them more. How capable is Bruno? Can he handle the Mexican Empire?” Clearly, compared to the struggle over fiefdoms, Franz cared far more about the ability of the next generation. For any family, no matter how large its inherited fortune might be, the most important thing was always the cultivation of the next generation. If each generation surpassed the previous one, prosperity was inevitable. If each generation declined, the vast estate would simply fall apart over time. Given the current strength of the Habsburg dynasty, it was time to spread its bets. As long as the next generation proved capable, Franz did not mind giving them opportunities. After thinking for a while, Frederick answered honestly, “Bruno is quite capable. Many of the matters involving the Mexican restoration movement are handled by him now. Not long ago, he even established a youth association and attracted a group of students, and he is currently working on improving the organization’s structure. It seems he has realized the importance of building an organized network, and he is preparing to create a new, tightly structured restoration group on top of the existing one. But his methods are still a little immature. What should remain behind the scenes is now being pulled into the open because he could not resist the temptation to stand at the front. The situation in Mexico is far too complicated. With another ten years of experience, he might have a chance of managing it.” After hearing his son’s evaluation, the thought Franz had of supporting him dimmed once again. No one understood better than Franz how much of a mess Mexico was. Even he himself could not guarantee that he would be able to keep it under control. To force someone to the throne when one’s own abilities are lacking is simply jeopardizing them. Maximilian I was the best example. He had originally been doing well in his own country, yet Napoleon III persuaded him to go to Mexico. If Franz, his elder brother, had not reached out to pull him back in time, he might have lost his life there. So many years have passed, and insisting on restoration did not mean that Maximilian had an unusually strong desire for power. It was more of an obsession. Since the father had fallen into that pit, there was no need to drag the son into it as well. However, during his son’s upbringing, perhaps too many ideas about restoration had been unintentionally instilled, and Bruno had inherited Maximilian’s obsession. Seeking a fief for his son now seemed like preparing grounds for a future restoration, but it was also arranging a fallback path for him. Perhaps Maximilian I himself was not even aware of this. It may have simply been an instinctive reaction. Decades ago, he would never have thought this way. Back then, Maximilian I still had the chance to stay in Mexico. As long as he swallowed his pride and went to the Yucatán Peninsula to proclaim himself Emperor of Mexico, with both parents still alive and with Karl and his wife speaking on his behalf, Franz would have had no choice but to support him. Whether he could hold the throne was uncertain, but mounting a counteroffensive would have been possible. Now things were different. Family affection was not limitless, and interests had to be considered. Maximilian I himself was fortunate, since Franz was still there as an elder brother and would not allow him to fall into destitution. But for the next generation, they would merely be cousins. Gaining resources from the family would become much more difficult.
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