The war between Japan and Russia was getting closer and closer, but the sharpening of the Japanese and the ignorance of the Russians had no effect on the situation in Europe. Under the surface of calm, intrigue and factionalism are the main themes of European politics.

Since Austria was annexed to the German Empire, Vienna ceased to be one of the political centers of Europe, and Marie, Queen of Austria, lived in Berlin and only went to Vienna with her husband in winter.

Empress Elizabeth escaped the impromptu assassination by the anarchists, and His Majesty Franz Joseph I has been by her side since she was relieved of her burdens to make up for the cold relationship between husband and wife for many years, and to accompany her on her travels. Although Her Royal Highness is still lukewarm to her husband sometimes, the two of them lived quite easily and harmoniously in their later years.

As a result, Schönbrunn Palace is now more of a resort residence for the German royal family than a royal palace of the Kingdom of Austria. But today, Schönbrunn Palace is full of lights, and the plans are staggered. The male aristocrats gathered to talk and talk, and the female aristocrats dressed up and competed for beauty, as if Vienna had returned to the glorious days of the Austrian Empire.

Although in the past, Jochen and Marie would hold banquets and balls when they returned to Vienna for their vacations, but they were not as grand and grand as they are today.

The reason why it is so lively today is that at the invitation of Jochen, His Majesty Vittorio Emanuele III of Italy, and His Majesty Franz Ferdinand I, King of the Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom, came to Vienna for a friendly visit. In order to welcome the two kings, a grand banquet was held at Schönbrunn Palace.

"It's been a long time since I've been here, how does it feel to revisit the same place today?" Jochen said to this Ferdinand I.

"It's been 10 years, the first time I've come back in 10 years, it feels like a dream, time flies so fast, Vienna is still so beautiful, but it makes me feel so strange." Ferdinand I said with a little melancholy.

"You are Mary's brother, the son of Archduke Ludwig, even if you are no longer the crown prince of Austria-Hungary and the grand duke of the Kingdom of Austria, it will not be difficult to return to Vienna? I don't understand why you'd rather go to Berlin than go back to Vienna, and if I hadn't invited Emanuele III this time, you probably wouldn't have come here, right? Joechen said as he gestured to the waiter.

Soon, the waiter came over with two glasses of champagne, and after taking a sip of the glass handed by Jochen, Ferdinand I smiled cheerfully and said: "Not everyone wants to see me again in Vienna, and for some, it is not good news that a former crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is always in Vienna. Although Vienna is my hometown that I will always love, Belgrade makes me feel at ease. ”

Indeed, without the Austrian aristocracy dictating him, without the Hungarian aristocracy obstructing him in every way, Ferdinand was loved by the Croats and Slovenes as an enlightened monarch, and he did not have to be tied as a king. Ferdinand was reluctant to return to Vienna for 10 years, probably because he didn't want to see the faces that made him uncomfortable.

After a pause, Ferdinand added: "Also, Sophia will not feel comfortable here." ”

"Yes, at least Sophia doesn't have to suffer the eyes of the Austrian nobles here, and these old stubborns here don't care if she's the queen of the Croat-Slovenian kingdom or not." Jochen nodded approvingly.

Ferdinand's wife, Sofia Ferdinand, formerly known as Sofia Chhatik, was born in Bohemia and held the title of Countess of Bohemia, but for the Austrian aristocracy, people from Bosnia and Herzegovina were inferior.

Historically, Sophia was recognized as the most suitable candidate for Ferdinand's future wife, the lady-in-waiting of the Grand Duke Marikido, but after Ferdinand's accidentally lost pocket watch was discovered by the Grand Duchess that the photo embedded in it was Sophia, Sophia was brutally kicked out, so Ferdinand decided to marry her, and the relationship was exposed.

However, marriage between nobles and lows was firmly opposed in the Austro-Hungarian upper class at the time, as was the case with Mary's love affair and Ferdinand's at the time. However, in the face of the persuasion of His Majesty Joseph, Ferdinand was willing to give up the throne and did not change his mind, and finally the old emperor compromised, crowned Sophia as the Duchess of Hohenburg, and recognized the marriage between the two.

As a concession, Ferdinand unified that his and Sophia's children could not inherit the imperial throne, the Austrian archdukeship, or any royal property in the future. The wedding took place on July 1, 1900, and Emperor Joseph did not attend the wedding, nor did anyone from the Ferdinand family attend. Only Ferdinand's stepmother, Maria Theresia, and her two daughters attended the wedding.

However, this is not all, Sophia's position after marriage is extremely embarrassing, and she can only stand behind Ferdinand on formal occasions, and cannot stand side by side with her husband; You can't be in the same box as Ferdinand when you go to the opera; When entering the rooms of the palace alone, the door is only half open; After death, they are not allowed to be buried in the royal cemetery.

It was a coincidence that the Sarajevo incident broke out, and if it weren't for Sofia's embarrassing position in Vienna, Ferdinand would not have fled to Sarajevo with his wife. Because in Vienna she did not look like the wife of the Austro-Hungarian crown prince at all, but more like a servant. Ferdinand took his wife to Sarajevo for a long time in the hope of distracting her, because it was there that Sofia could enjoy the honor of a crown princess.

Now, although Ferdinand and Sophia's marriage was not so miserable, the marriage of a Bohemian noble woman for the king of the Croatian-Slovenian kingdom was blessed and praised by everyone in the whole kingdom.

But the Austrian nobles did not care about this, and although Ferdinand gave up his title in Austria, the Austrians could not draw the head of the king of the Croatian-Slovenian kingdom. But he was a member of the Habsburgs, and the Austrian nobles still had contempt for him marrying a bohemian woman.

Therefore, Ferdinand was also very self-aware not to bring his wife back to this place, even if he very much wanted his wife to be recognized in this place.

"But this time it was in the name of the Crown Prince of the German Empire that I invited the King of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slovenia to visit Wèn, and to be honest, you don't care about the old stubborn faces. Even if they dare not give Sophia face, they dare not give me face, there is no need for you to be so cautious. Jochen reassured.

As an ally of the German Empire, an Adriatic coastal state, and an important nail in the Balkans, the Croatian-Slovenian Kingdom has always been supported by Germany. Moreover, Ferdinand was also Jochen's friend, so when Ferdinand got married, Jochen took Mary to the wedding. As the Crown Prince of Germany, Jochen was also the most important guest at the wedding.

The arrival of Jochen also represented the attitude of the German Empire, and because of the arrival of the German Crown Prince and his wives Queen Austria and Queen Hungary, the Ferdinand family had to be present.

So Ferdinand was very grateful for it. And Ferdinand's wife Sofia also left a good impression on Jochen, gentle, reserved, and considerate, which is a rare match for a somewhat heroic person like Ferdinand.

And the marriage between the two made Mary feel very much, although Mary no longer misses the past relationship, but the situation that is very similar to her original situation also makes her feel very fond of her Ferdinand's brother's wife. So Ferdinand occasionally took his wife to Berlin for visits.

This is also the reason why Jochen is willing to speak for Sophia.

"Even if Sophia came here and could enjoy the courtesies of being a king, no Austrian nobleman would welcome her from the bottom of his heart, and that false etiquette and unexpressed contempt would still make her unhappy, so there was no need for it." Ferdinand said after taking another sip of champagne and shaking his head.

"Well, maybe you're right. But if you have time, bring Sophia to Berlin, and if you're busy, let her come by herself, and it's better for her and Mary to get together more than to stay in the palace. Jochen nodded.

"Then I'll thank you and Mary in advance." Ferdinand raised his glass slightly.

"You know I'm busy too, and if someone can spend more time with Mary, I should say thank you." Jochen touched the glass lightly, making a crisp sound.

The two of them drank the wine in one gulp, and then put the glass down, Ferdinand asked softly, "You didn't invite me this time just to find someone to accompany Mary, did you?" ”

"Of course not, if that's the case, I'll send a telegram directly to Belgrade, so that it won't be so troublesome." Jochen laughed and denied.

"You called the Italians here to re-sign the Triple Alliance?" Ferdinand asked in a low voice.

"It's you, just guess it. That's right, I really want to re-sign the Triple Alliance. Twenty-one years have passed since the signing of the Triple Alliance in 1882, but Austria-Hungary no longer exists, and the terms of the Triple Alliance are no longer suitable for the current situation.

After the disintegration of Austria-Hungary, a series of changes and the surrounding environment have not stabilized, so it is unrealistic to want to sign a new Triple Alliance. Croatia is now on the right track after 10 years of development, with a stable political situation and rapid development, and it also has enough influence in the Balkans.

Therefore, I hope that the Kingdom of Croatia-Slovenia can take the place of Austria-Hungary and, together with Hungary, re-conclude a new Four-Power Alliance treaty that suits the status quo. ”R1152