Persian Empire 1845

Chapter 276 Refutation
In Prague Castle that evening, Franz sat on the sofa drinking wine; he hadn't been this enthusiastic in a long time.

"I didn't expect Bohemia to actually be willing to do this, but what will those people in Vienna say now?"

Naser al-Din said from the side, "After all, you have ruled for over 400 years. As long as you satisfy some of their needs, they will be very docile."

In political terms, this would be called weakness, but Austria certainly needs to change.

The Czech Republic's most important asset is its economy. As the empire's most vital source of revenue, its development is crucial to Austria's economy and finances. Therefore, better laws are needed.

As the newly appointed Minister of the Interior, Agnor Romuald Govuchowski was responsible for assisting the Emperor in formulating the electoral criteria for the Bohemian Parliament. The criteria stipulated that only male citizens aged 25 and above who had paid more than 15 thalers (Austrian currency) in taxes were eligible to vote, while those aged 30 and above who met the requirements were eligible to be elected.

This severely restricted the voting rights of many people, but even so, there were still quite a few throughout Bohemia. Both the older and younger generations supported this policy, believing it to be the beginning of a solution to the Czechoslovakian crisis.

Franz saw the drafting of the legal documents and knew it had been a success when he saw that the locals offered no resistance. Once it was running, all problems could be solved.

But Govoukowski brought him bad news.

"Your Majesty, the Empress Dowager is coming to Prague."

Upon hearing this news, Franz dropped the wine in his hand to the ground.

"What is Mother doing here at this time?"

This is nonsense; she'll definitely scold herself for it. Because he made Bohemians and Germans equal.

"How to do how to do……"

Naserdin looked at the anxious Austrian Emperor; it turned out he was afraid of his mother. But at this moment, he still needed Naserdin's support.

"Calm down. Your mother has come to reprimand you. Do you have to listen to her? She must have heard from others before she came. As long as you continue to persist, even the Empress Dowager can't do anything about it."

Naserdin's words calmed the emperor somewhat, but years of life had still instilled a sense of fear in him. Just as his mother had raised two children in succession, he had never had the courage to fight for them. This led to a strained relationship between him and his wife.

“Listen, nothing in life is ever smooth sailing. Think of your empire. Even if you don’t love the empire and the throne, would you really abandon your wife?”

These words made Franz realize that he couldn't always obey his mother. He was the emperor, not his mother.

Now he thought of his ancestor Joseph II, who had long been under the oppressive rule of Queen Theresa. After her death, he went on to do whatever he wanted, and a series of reforms pushed the nobility, the church, and the citizens to the opposite side. This was a move that no one else could pull off.

He didn't want to end up like this, but he also didn't want to break ties with his mother. People tend to prefer compromise. But compromise might lead to an even quicker demise.

Another train pulled into Prague station, and Queen Sophie, accompanied by her guards, ladies-in-waiting, and other entourage, walked through the streets of Prague in a grand procession. They looked at the local citizens with a kind of disdain.

Upon arriving at Prague Castle, Franz had been waiting for some time. He quickly stepped forward and kissed his mother's hand.

Hello, Mom!

“Hello, my Franz.” Sophie looked around at the people and told her son to get them out of the way so she could talk to him alone.

"Franz, it has been 10 years since you ascended the throne. In these 10 years, I have been using my own strength to maintain your position."

"Yes, Mom!"

"However," the Empress Dowager changed the subject, "I recently heard that you are going to grant Bohemia rights, which worries me. Don't forget that they were also involved in the turmoil ten years ago."

Franz knew that revolutions of 1848 had occurred everywhere in the empire, but the one in Bohemia was the most moderate. They hadn't declared independence like Hungary; they had merely submitted petitions before finally rising up. If even such a moderate uprising wasn't enough, he'd really be meeting his ancestor Antoinette.

“Mother, please listen to me. Bohemians are very gentle. They just want to participate in the governance of the country, and they will maintain the family’s ruling position in the empire.”

"That won't do either. Once this door is opened, there will be endless troubles. The Hungarians, Croats, and Venetians will all demand this. The empire will definitely split up then!"

The Empress Dowager rebuked Franz sternly, then spoke gently.

"Franz, your policies in Bohemia have made many people feel that you are going to tear the empire apart. You must abandon these policies, and no one will say anything about you except in Bohemia."

Normally, Franz would have compromised at this point. But this time, he didn't want to.

"Mom, I know you've always meant well for me. But the current situation is beyond your imagination."

Since the defeats against Sardinia and France, I must find a way to unite the majority of my subjects. Only this can unite them; if things continue as they are, we may all become like Louis XVI of France.

Sophie looked at him in surprise. She hadn't expected her son to argue with him, even saying he would become Louis XVI. Was this something a king of Austria should say?

"Franz, are you contradicting me?" Sophie asked.

“Mom, I can listen to you on other things, because your decisions are mostly correct. But on this one thing, you must listen to me. This is not only good for the empire, but also for the family's rule. Didn't Queen Theresa also make sweeping changes?”

Using Queen Theresa as an example was indeed a good idea, and Sophie was immediately speechless. But what frightened Franz even more was that his mother wanted to unite with other ministers to depose him. Naserdin told him a story. Long ago, in the far East, there was an ambitious queen who supported two sons to become emperor. However, the first son wanted to break free from her control, so she deposed him. The second son, however, was much more sensible and directly allowed his mother to become emperor. The queen then ascended the throne herself, becoming emperor.

Although he didn't believe his mother wanted to be emperor, the nobles and bishops behind her didn't think so. They only wanted to protect their own small territories and were blind to the problems of the nation. This wouldn't do.

Sophie wanted to say something more, but seeing the determination in her son's eyes, she knew that saying anything more would be of no use.

"Since you insist on doing this, it seems I can't persuade you otherwise. But I hope you can bear all the consequences."

"I will, Mom."

The Queen Mother stayed overnight at the castle with her entourage before leaving; she had no desire to remain in Prague. But what she found even more astonishing was the change in her son; he had never looked so determined before.

(End of this chapter)