Chapter 116 The Source of Rudolf's Nightmare
"Ernst! Why do you have so many carriages? Where are you going?" Constantine asked, looking at the carriages neatly parked in the yard.
"Father, it's just Christmas and I was thinking of visiting the children in school. They are all orphans and have no family, so I plan to go see them," Ernst replied.
"Well! Well done, Ernst. I also want to see these poor children. Please wait a moment, and we will go to school together as father and son." Constantine said.
As aristocrats, generally speaking, intelligent aristocrats want to cultivate their own reputation, such as providing relief to disaster victims and vulnerable groups.
Of course, there are also some miserly people who would like to take away the last bit of savings from the pockets of their subjects in order to ruin the reputation of the aristocratic group.
However, most of the nobles have high IQs, and even if they don’t have love, they can put on a show.
The Hechingen royal family has always enjoyed a good reputation in Hechingen, and Constantine would also provide financial assistance to some Hechingen residents who were in financial difficulties during festivals.
…
The carriage moved slowly, with Ernst and Constantine sitting in the frame.
"Ernst, I know you are very busy, but life cannot always be about work. Sometimes you should also care about other things." Constantine came up and started talking to Ernst.
"Uh...Father, can you just say it directly?" Ernst asked.
"Idiot, this is your big marriage event. How long has it been since you visited your fiancée?" Constantine said with regret.
Ernst was stunned for a moment, and after thinking carefully, he realized that the last time he saw the little girl was a few months ago when he met her on his way to Schönbrunn Palace.
"Father, Karina is still young, we can't be impatient. Although I know you are anxious to have a grandson, your daughter-in-law won't run away anyway, so let's wait a few years." Ernst responded.
Karina is only eleven years old this year, and after the New Year, she will be only twelve. Being so young, Ernst just treats her as a little girl. However, Ernst himself is not very old either, and since this is a political marriage, he is not opposed to it. Anyway, they will get married in a few years, so there is no need to worry too much.
"You little brat! Do you think I'm an impatient person? Although I'm older, no matter how big the problem is in my life, I've never panicked. If you weren't my son, I wouldn't bother with your business!" Constantine said.
"As someone who has been through this, I am sharing my life experience with you. Your mother and I were married for political reasons, and we didn't have any feelings for each other before we got married. But as we got along, we were attracted to each other and gradually discovered each other's strengths. Even after Jenny passed away, I didn't remarry and raised you by myself.
Therefore, human feelings are developed slowly. Even a stone can be warmed up in the arms, let alone the human heart!
Of course, I know that the slogan of free love has been popular among young people like you in recent years..."
Hearing this, Ernst couldn't help but interrupt, "Father, you weren't reading some romance novels, were you? I've never been a sentimental person. I've never thought about free love since I was old enough to understand. My status dictates that everything should be based on the interests of the family."
This is the truth. Having lived two lives, Ernst is open-minded. Love is as unreliable as buying lottery tickets. To put it bluntly, it is just a momentary impulse.
What the subsequent results will be depends entirely on God's will. If two people are incompatible, no matter how affectionate they were before marriage, they will not be happy after marriage.
Some people, however, may just want to get by when they get married, but gradually they develop feelings for each other and can grow old together.
Therefore, Ernst did not take emotional matters very seriously, especially his own achievements in this life and the development of East Africa, which made him very satisfied.
Just like what my fishing friend said in my previous life, I never get addicted even though I catch nothing every day. Besides, Ernst doesn’t have any empty-handed fish. His investment in East Africa is real and has visible returns.
Although the rewards are small and negligible now, it also brings Ernst great satisfaction.
Of course, Ernst is not saying that he is cold in relationships, but his current priority is his career. He is only seventeen years old, in the prime of his youth, so he should be more self-disciplined.
"That's not what I'm talking about. What I mean is that you should spend more time with Karina when you have time. Poor child, it must be hard for you to meet such irresponsible parents (Maximilian I and his wife). Besides, communicating your feelings in advance will help to bring harmony to your marriage in the future." Constantine said.
Hearing this, Ernst thought for a moment. What Constantine said made a lot of sense. Judging from the mental state of the Habsburg family, it was indeed rare to have figures like Maximilian I and Rudolf, and the previous generation had even had mental problems.
Of course, Maximilian I was in good mental state and had no problems with his IQ, but he was just unlucky. In addition, he was spoiled and idealistic, which led to his end in the troubled Mexico.
The reason why Crown Prince Rudolf committed suicide for love in his previous life was entirely due to family reasons. Princess Sissi herself was not suitable to be a queen, but she greatly influenced Rudolf's character. In addition, Franz was a pedantic and authoritarian person, so the rebellious and confused Rudolf chose to end his life and caused a tragedy. From the perspective of Rudolf's suicide in his previous life, there was a hint of revenge on his parents.
Now, Ernst has come to this time and space, and the fate of Maximilian I has completely changed. He is still living a heartless life in East Africa, pointing fingers at some affairs in East Africa and frequently sending telegrams to Ernst.
Ernst also understood why Maximilian I chose to be the Emperor of Mexico. In later generations, he would be considered a master of keyboard politics!
I could do it too, so Maximilian I became emperor. But it turned out that even if I did, it might not work.
However, Ernst humbly accepted some of the advice from Maximilian I, because Maximilian I could give Ernst a different perspective to observe the development of East Africa.
As for Crown Prince Rudolf, he is still a little kid. Ernst is thinking about finding some opportunity to pull him out of the Austrian Palace and reshape his values.
In his previous life, Rudolf's political ideas were quite explosive. He didn't even want to be the emperor, but wanted to become the joint president of Austria and Hungary, and wanted to gain more benefits for Hungary.
This is a typical example of betrayal! However, this is indeed similar to Princess Sissi's thoughts, so Ernst thought he could help Franz correct the child's thoughts.
Will it work? Could it be worse than the result of Rudolf's suicide in his previous life? Moreover, Ernst could drag Rudolf to live a hard life under the banner of normal exchange and learning. In Ernst's opinion, since the Austrian royal education would definitely fail, it would be better to arrange for Rudolf to learn and experience some different life.
After thinking so much, Ernst said to his father: "Dad, don't worry, I will go to Austria more often."
Ernst decided to observe the mental state of his fiancée and see if there was any chance to cause trouble for Rudolf.
(End of this chapter)
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