Chapter 35: Seeds of the Future

Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Franz lay with his head in Talia’s lap, listening to her read the newspaper.

The price of land in the United States was becoming increasingly absurd, which was well within Franz's expectations. What he had not foreseen, however, was that this land fever was spreading from the American East Coast toward the West. This threw Franz into a bit of a scramble, as his plan had been to "harvest" the American pig multiple times.

At this moment, every piece of land sold by the American government was being sold at a premium; yet, even then, buyers would make a small fortune within days. Fortunately, the American wars to expel the Native Americans prevented the real estate frenzy from spreading further west. Otherwise, Franz would have had to consider whether he should start buying land in the West a dozen years ahead of schedule.

Britain had seen a bumper wheat harvest, leading them to dump wheat everywhere, which caused the price to plummet by 40%. Austria’s harvest was also bountiful, and fortunately, there was the German Customs Union and Italy to dump the surplus into, but the situation in Hungary was grim. Hungarian wheat had suddenly lost its market, leading many landowners to switch to other crops to cover their losses—a disaster whose consequences would only become apparent years later.

The "Imperial Faction," represented by Széchenyi, had gained the upper hand. Historically, the "Kingdom Faction" in Hungary had always held the advantage. However, due to the sudden loss of influence of Prince Esterházy, coupled with Austria’s successful entry into the German Customs Union, the power of the original Kingdom Faction had been severely damaged while the Imperial Faction had been strengthened.

The Imperial Faction supported Austrian rule in Hungary and hoped for a complete integration of the two, believing that Hungary’s departure from Austria would be tantamount to suicide and that the best way to protect their interests was to show the Empire the value of Hungary. These people were mostly emerging Hungarian nobles, capitalists, and high-ranking aristocrats who lived long-term in Austria and identified with Austrian culture.

The Kingdom Faction demanded autonomy, prioritizing Hungarian interests above all else, wishing to rebuild the Kingdom of Hungary and draw a clear line against Austria. They viewed Austrians as robbers who had seized their property and kingdom. They argued that Hungarian power must remain in Hungarian hands, that Hungarians should not sacrifice themselves for Austria or the House of Habsburg, and that Austria and the House of Habsburg should repay the debts they owed to Hungary. Some of these were traditional landed aristocrats who held vast tracts of land, many living in Vienna and Paris. They possessed their own estates in Hungary, where they controlled taxes, the judiciary, and even organized their own troops. Their opposition to Austria was largely driven by a desire to seize more power and profit.

The primary supporters of the Kingdom Faction were the so-called "single-garment nobles"—a term for those who possessed noble titles but were so poor they owned only a single set of clothes. These individuals were extremely destitute, desperate to change their status, and sought to achieve social mobility by seizing power through violence.

***

"Austrian explorer Costa is organizing an expedition to the Amazon rainforest to search for a mysterious kingdom hidden deep within. Now seeking philanthropic sponsors; terms of profit-sharing open to negotiation."

This news caught Franz’s attention. It was not the mysterious kingdom in the rainforest that he cared about; as far as he knew, it contained only indigenous tribes and certainly no treasure. What Franz wanted were the seeds of a plant—seeds that would one day change the world.

"Talia, can you contact this explorer?"

"Legends are all lies. If you have more money than you know what to do with, you might consider improving our meals," Talia said, looking down at Franz.

"I don't want any treasure; I want the seeds of a plant."

"A plant? What plant isn't in the royal greenhouse? Is it edible?" Talia asked.

"Ahem, no. But it is said to be a plant that 'weeps.' Wouldn't you like to see that?" Franz attempted to pique her interest.

"A weeping plant? Wouldn't that affect one's mood? It sounds like a sad plant, and it's not even edible," Talia complained.

"Have you never heard of building one's own happiness on the suffering of others?" Franz asked.

"Archduke Franz, you have it wrong. It is that one *should not* build one's own happiness on the suffering of others," Talia corrected.

"Well, right now, I cannot see that weeping plant, and I am in agony. And when I am in agony, I want to build my happiness on the suffering of others." As he spoke, Franz pinched Talia’s thigh.

Talia cried out in pain and begged for mercy.

"Fine, you've convinced me. Now can you tell me what you want those rubber seeds for? If you like playing billiards, ivory is better; rubber is too soft."

Franz had unpleasant memories of billiards. Because he was too short, he had to be held by others to play. Being treated like a throw pillow, with no sense of autonomy, felt awful.

***

Preah Sihanouk, Cambodia.

Upon arriving in Sihanoukville, Ambrosius felt he had been deceived. This was no port; it was clearly just a fishing village. The local Cambodians looked at Ambrosius and his party with terrified eyes. The ancestors of these locals were not fishermen, but honest farmers, but the successive invasions by Vietnam and Siam had left the fields desolate and the people impoverished. The Cambodian government, rather than resisting the invaders, had colluded with bandits and thugs to squeeze the people even harder. To survive, their ancestors had fled to this uninhabited beach to become fishermen.

Guan Jinpan still held some authority; he gave a sharp command that startled the local official so badly he fell to the ground.

"From now on, this place is under the command of Battalion Commander An. Do not cause trouble, or you might lose your head."

It was the first time the local official had seen a high-ranking official of the second rank, and having heard that the fifth-rank Battalion Commander’s surname was "An," he naturally associated it with the royal surname. As for why a member of the royal family would come to such a godforsaken place, the official reasoned that this "An" must have been driven out of Phnom Penh. Having figured this out, the official shut his mouth; there were few people in his jurisdiction anyway, so he let this Battalion Commander do as he pleased.

Although Ambrosius was dissatisfied, the Catholic priests were overjoyed. They had not expected to secure a foothold so easily, and this was a major step for the Church in Southeast Asia. The French, the Spanish, and the Dutch had all been here, but they hadn't left behind even a single church, let alone a base. Furthermore, once the Austrian Empire established a port here, they could preach in Cambodia with peace of mind. The priests had already shared the news of Sihanoukville with their brethren along the way, and they believed that Catholics within Cambodia would soon come to settle here.

The two officers Ambrosius had brought were also very happy; after all, this counted as a small colony, and they might be recorded in history as the first colonists of the Austrian Empire.

Only the diplomat Zacher was filled with worry, for he knew clearly that Austria had neither the plan nor the strength to expand into Southeast Asia at this time.