Chapter 1006: Chapter 914: I deeply regret this
Mrs. Scheller squeezed together with a large group of dirty, sticky serfs, her eyes wide open, searching for a na on those papers.
No, she didn’t want to find that na.
Typically, in a noble family like hers, if soone had fallen in battle, the military committee would send soone to notify them at ho.
But this ti, evidently too many had died, and the officers simply didn’t have enough manpower, so she had to confirm it herself.
After reading through the list of nobles, Mrs. Scheller’s shoulders relaxed for a mont.
Her David wasn’t on it.
She double-checked it again before looking at her younger son.
The latter shook his head, indicating he hadn’t seen his brother. Only then did she embrace Lucas tightly, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks.
As long as her David was safe, who cared if the war was won or lost; let His Majesty the Emperor worry about it.
Mrs. Scheller maneuvered around several village won who were sitting on the ground, wailing, and pulled her younger son briskly towards ho: “We’d better leave this afternoon; it’s still too close to Vienna. I must write a letter to your father, asking him to join us in Presburg.”
Upon returning ho, Mrs. Scheller imdiately instructed the servants to pack, and the entire villa was thrown into chaos.
The next morning, while Mrs. Scheller was sorting her bookcase, Joslin arrived with two officers.
One of the lieutenants bowed slightly and took out his credentials: “This is the ho of Baron Scheller, correct? I am with the military committee’s conscription team, and I need to speak with Mr. Rabo Lucas von Scheller.”
Mrs. Scheller quickly stepped forward to return the bow: “Gentlen, what business do you have with my son?
“Oh, you see, we are about to move; please forgive us for the poor hospitality.”
The lieutenant placed a docunt on the table beside him:
“Mrs. Scheller, according to His Majesty the Emperor’s decree, the military committee is conscripting your son into service. You know, we are going to have a decisive battle with the French people.
“Yes, it’s the Royal German Legion’s Eleventh Infantry, a very elite unit.”
Mrs. Scheller was dumbfounded, and after a long while, she said sowhat flustered: “Well, can you perhaps delay a couple of days… My… my husband is friends with the Count of Cologne…”
“I’m afraid that’s impossible,” the other captain interrupted coldly, “we had a hard ti finding our way here from Vienna. Please have Mr. Scheller sign here.”
A half-hour later, Mrs. Scheller watched in a daze as her younger son boarded a carriage with the two officers, soon disappearing down the road.
“At least the brothers can look after each other,” she softly comforted herself.
The next day.
Mrs. Scheller decided to return to Vienna—since her son had been conscripted, there was no point in hiding, so she might as well find her husband.
But just when she was about to leave, she saw Baron Scheller staggering inside.
She hurried over: “Dear, why are you back?”
Mr. Scheller looked haggard, his eyes deeply sunken, clearly having not slept for a long ti.
He stepped forward and embraced his wife tightly, suddenly bursting into tears: “David, David…”
Mrs. Scheller’s heart skipped a beat, and she pulled her husband a distance away, urgently asking, “What about David?”
“He was hit by a cannon in Morvino…”
Mrs. Scheller suddenly felt the world spinning, shaking her husband frantically, shouting questions.
After a long ti, she finally understood that their eldest son’s death notice had been sent to their ho in Vienna.
He had been dead for over twenty days.
There wasn’t even a complete body.
Baron Scheller wiped his tears, turned his head, and hoarsely asked: “Where is Lucas?”
The butler whispered: “Sir, he was conscripted yesterday.”
“What did you say?” Baron Scheller’s eyes instantly filled with rage, roaring, “No! I must bring him back!
“Stop crying, all of you, co back to Vienna with !”
…
Vienna.
Schonbrunn Palace.
Franz II stared intently at Lord Canning, the British temporary Foreign Minister, and said in a deep voice:
“Wars are always won and lost, that’s nothing.
“I have already issued a nationwide mobilization order, and soon, we will have a new army. Besides, Archduke Karl has already brought back 50,000 soldiers.
“As long as your troops reach Goz, we can launch a counterattack at any ti!”
But Canning rely shook his head calmly:
“Your Majesty, Congress has decided not to intervene in any land battles until the Navy has achieved full dominance.”
Franz II’s face turned red, and after a long pause, he gripped the armrest of his chair, exclaiming: “Then, I need military funds, one million British Pounds. I cannot accept defeat!”
“I’m very sorry, Your Majesty, until the new Pri Minister is in office, Congress cannot approve a large-scale aid bill.”
This was rely an excuse from Canning.
One of the major reasons the William Pitt Junior governnt fell was the substantial military aid resulting in enormous losses, plunging Britain’s finances into a tailspin.
How could the new governnt dare to keep handing out funds?
Currently, Britain’s strategy is to invest all the funds into building warships.
Moreover, the Marquess of Wellesley has already landed in Portugal, which will definitely consu a considerable amount of military funds as well.
Baron Tugut, standing nearby, interjected: “My Lord, perhaps we could persuade Russia to join the Anti-French Alliance.
“Your country has significant influence on Russia, and His Majesty the Tsar would undoubtedly consider your suggestions seriously.”
He turned his head to exchange glances with Franz II, then continued: “Our country can forfeit so of the interests in Wallachia and promise to assist Russia against the Ottoman Empire after defeating France.”
Canning glanced at him with a peculiar expression: “Don’t you know about that affair?”
“What affair?”
“The Tsar has already decided to ally with France,” Canning said with a sigh, “The marriage alliance between the two countries was signed last month. The engagent will likely be announced soon.”
Yes, royal marriages during this era required agreents involving a host of political interest exchanges before proceeding to a conventional marriage process.
Franz II felt a chill down his spine, nearly collapsing into his seat.
Russia’s large army had been his last hope.
To think the French people had planned ahead…
He suddenly jumped up, disregarding decorum, and shouted at the British:
“You once said you could easily defeat the French people, and you supported declaring war on France!
“Now you can’t just casually discard all your responsibilities!”
Lord Canning rely bowed slightly: “I deeply regret this, Your Majesty. Personally, I will always steadfastly support you and Austria.”
Once the British left, Franz II imdiately assembled all the ministers to discuss the feasibility of continuing recruitnt to resist France.
Just then, loud commotion erupted outside Schonbrunn Palace, emanating from a crowd evidently numbering in the thousands.
Soon, Franz II clearly heard what they were shouting.
“Ceasefire! Imdiate ceasefire!”
“Baron Tugut resign!”
“End the mobilization order!”
“Abolish the war special tax!”
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