Chapter 2 Ernst's Change
In the early morning, the ancient and fresh air permeates the land of Hechingen, and the traditional agricultural manor landscape shows vitality.
Green tree-lined paths, leisurely streams, busy farmers working in the fields, the town and rural landscape of Hechingen are naturally and harmoniously connected.
Ernst sat in the carriage and leisurely admired the beautiful pastoral scenery. Although the Industrial Revolution was vigorously unfolding in Europe, the remote and secluded Hechingen was not affected much. There were no tall black chimneys rising from the ground and the roar of machinery.
Heixingen has a population that is neither too large nor too small. The streets are clean and tidy, with people coming and going but not crowded. Small vendors set up small sheds on the street to sell freshly harvested vegetables from the fields and fruits from other places. Some shops sell industrialized daily necessities, but the variety is limited.
There were small newsstands selling news on the street corners. The development of compulsory education in Germany made newspapers popular among the public. Of course, this was also due to the efforts of Ernst's grandfather. Ernst's grandfather, Prince Frederick, was an enlightened monarch. Although he had no political achievements, he actually developed the cultural and educational undertakings in the Hechingen region. He was very concerned about culture and art.
Many German literati praised him highly. At least the intellectuals in Hechingen benefited from it. Hechingen also has a relatively strong cultural atmosphere.
Today is the first day of Ernst's recovery, and it is also the first time that Ernst walks out of the castle and sees this new world.
"Tom, stop and get today's newspaper." Ernst ordered his servant.
"Yes, sir!" the servant named Tom replied respectfully.
The coachman slowly parked the carriage in front of the newsstand. Soon Tom got off the carriage to buy the newspaper, and Ernst began to check the information in the newspaper.
Stuttgarter Zeitung (fictional)
Um……
Stuttgart is an important city in southwestern Germany. Newspapers are not new, but Germany had not yet been unified at that time, and the newspaper industry was very chaotic, with all kinds of local tabloids.
However, the newspapers of this era still felt quite novel to Ernst. Unlike the colorful newspapers of later generations, the content of this kind of newspapers was varied, and the text was densely packed. It lacked pictures and was not intuitive enough, which made Ernst dizzy.
There are some discussions about municipal affairs above, which will not be elaborated here. Ernst does not have much idea about these and he is a newcomer so it is difficult for him to resonate with them. Please continue reading.
"The new King William I appoints the new Prime Minister of Prussia, Bismarck may change Prussia", such a simple title.
At this moment, Hechingen had already been incorporated into the Kingdom of Prussia, but it was too early for Prussia to unify Germany. Hechingen and its neighbor Sigmaringen belonged to the same branch of the Hohenzollern. In the early years, Prince Constantine and Prince Karl next door jointly promoted the two principalities to join Prussia. They were considered to be two tentacles of Prussia in the southern German region where its influence was weaker.
The newspaper briefly described Bismarck's resume. On April 14, 1847, the Prussian Confederation Congress opened and he was elected as a full member of the Berlin State. In 1851, he served as the representative of the Kingdom of Prussia at the Frankfurt Confederation Conference. Soon after, he was promoted to ambassador and served for 8 years. In 1857, he was appointed ambassador to Russia. On September 23, 1862, he served as prime minister and foreign minister.
This is followed by an analysis of the new Prussian Prime Minister’s personality and speech, and finally a prediction that major changes are coming to Prussia.
It makes a lot of sense...
At least Ernst thought so. Bismarck was indeed the key figure in the unification of Germany. He and William I were of one mind and worked together to create a unified and powerful Germany.
In the final analysis, Hechingen had already bought its ticket for the future and stood on the side of Prussia, which could be regarded as a contribution to the great cause of German regional unification.
However, these were too far away for the young Ernst. His own destiny was not actually in his own hands. When the waves came, he had no helmsman and was destined to be a lone boat drifting with the current.
Fortunately, my status is different now. I don’t have to struggle to survive in the cruelty of this era like ordinary people. Maybe I can go a step further and become a trend-setter of the times.
Although the current era is turbulent, the opportunities are also beyond imagination. If you have some intelligence about the future, you will naturally strive to get one step closer.
Of course, the premise is to integrate it into the context of the times. Otherwise, good resources will be wasted, and then there is nothing to complain about.
Ernst believed that no matter how capable one is, one should only eat a few bowls of rice. For himself, one should cultivate one's own abilities and grasp the pulse of the times, rather than indulge in endless fantasies.
Just like in his previous life, many politicians said that they could do it too. Ernst sneered at them. If a politician traveled through time and was in a high position, how could he govern the country?
When faced with history that you are familiar with, you can speak freely on the Internet, but when you are involved in it, you will find that things are not simple.
For example, if in a country, you accidentally know some intelligence about the future, it is unrealistic to expect your subordinates to obey you just by talking.
It is difficult to face various complex situations, such as processes and rules, without systematic learning.
If you become a leader, you cannot control what you should do on the first day, who are your people, and whether those known geniuses will do things according to your ideas.
…
Ernst had been an engineering consultant in his previous life and had never held a high position. He had almost no experience in commanding others and was completely clueless about interpreting official documents. Even a small official at the level of village chief might have more experience than him.
Fortunately, I am young and can still learn. Now that I have the conditions, I will take the initiative to integrate into my new identity.
As Ernst was thinking, the carriage unknowingly returned to the castle, drove along the bluestone road, entered the yard, and got off the carriage. The old butler came to greet him.
"Master, the master told you to go to his study when you come back. He has something to discuss with you."
"I understand, Butler Keno." Ernst replied.
Ernst followed the instructions in his memory, walked towards the study on the second floor, climbed the wooden stairs, and came to the corridor on the second floor.
At the end of the corridor is the study of His Royal Highness, which has an independent balcony with pleasing green plants and flowers. From the balcony, you can overlook the manor outside the castle. There is a rattan chair on the balcony. Whenever Prince Constantine takes a break, he will lie on the chair and enjoy the sunlight to relieve his fatigue.
Ernst walked to the door slowly and knocked on it.
"Come in!"
He turned the handle and pushed open the door, only to see Prince Constantine sitting at his desk, flipping through documents of the territory. When Prince Constantine saw that it was his son who came in, he took off his glasses and placed them on the table.
"You're here, Ernst, how are you?" Constantine asked.
"Much better, father." Ernst stood aside respectfully.
"Well, I called you here this time to ask you if you have any plans or ideas for the future."
"Well……"
Ernst pondered for a moment and said, "Father, I want to study in the mainland."
Hearing Ernst's answer, Constantine smiled slightly. He was very pleased with his son's idea, but he still pretended to be stern and asked, "As nobles in the German region, the Hohenzollern family has always been focused on military affairs. Why do you want to learn from the British?"
Ernst was a little nervous, but he calmed down and explained slowly.
"Father, in fact, in my opinion, the times have changed. In the past, the aristocracy was the most dominant party in Europe, but now with the development of industry, the power of capitalists in Europe is growing stronger and stronger. There was even a republic before the French. I wonder what gave them such encouragement and courage. I think it was capital. The reason why capitalists could accumulate huge capital in a short period of time is precisely large-scale mechanized production..."
"Excuse me, they are just a bunch of clowns, Ernst, you overestimate them!" Constantine said disdainfully.
"Father, please listen to me. The capitalists are indeed not powerful enough to change the situation at present, but they are expanding too fast, just like the British Bill of Rights and the previous unrest in France... In the future, our German region will be like this. The capitalists have a more advanced production method than us. Industrialization has intensified the accumulation of capitalist wealth. If we let them develop, they will directly threaten the rule of the aristocracy in the future. Not to mention the distant past, how long has it been since the last Frankfurt Conference? Such history will be repeated in the future."
Constantine listened to his son's alarmist remarks expressionlessly, and asked, "So what do you think?"
"Hooked!" Ernst explained to his father happily.
"I once heard an old saying from the East: if you can't defeat them, then join them. Why can't we nobles also use the capitalist model to accumulate wealth?"
"Aren't you afraid of being separated from the noble group? You know, as a noble, the most taboo thing is to lower your status."
"Father, listen to me. The world is bustling with people because of profit. The world is bustling with people because of profit. We nobles exist as a whole with common interests. Only when the family is prosperous will people come uninvited. ..."
After a long speech, Constantine seemed to be convinced. In fact, His Royal Highness, who had been in a high position for many years, didn't care about these things at all.
Having his own huge family business is enough for Ernst to enjoy for a lifetime. Being a second-generation who just eats and waits for death is better than seeking death.
Although he said this, Prince Constantine actually did not want the Hexingen line to be extinct. It was strange to say, as he was the only son in the Hexingen line, and his son was also the only son, and he himself had a son in his old age. Constantine's biggest wish at present was for Ernst to grow up quickly, get married and have children, so that he could have grandchildren.
As for the nobility's glory, that's all nonsense. Constantine's father, Count Frederick, did experience the war against Napoleon, but he managed to become a winner by jumping to the opposite camp in the end. Although he also served in the kingdom, he had almost no practical experience.
His son's health was not very good (Constantine thought so himself). It would be better for him to inherit the family business. Of course, he would not say these words in his heart to undermine his authority as a father.
The influence of the Prussian rough thinking mode of this era still existed. The Junker nobles in North Germany, especially those in Prussia, left a deep impression on people. The nobles were indeed keen on developing in the army.
Of course, more and more aristocrats began to attach importance to cultural education, but most of them actually invested in literature and art, and paid little attention to practical subjects. Some traditional conservative aristocrats even believed that practical subjects were anti-intellectual and were studied by the bourgeoisie.
The nobles value communication the most. In order to show their elegance and cultural accomplishment, most of them would learn these cultural and artistic things. There is even a phenomenon of funding and encouraging artists to create in order to highlight their appreciation of art (even though they themselves have no high level).
In this way, throughout Europe, the cultural and artistic centers most respected by the nobles were Paris and Rome.
But who is Ernst? A rough man who used to study science and engineering, isn't it difficult for him to do these things? Moreover, influenced by the society in his previous life, he also felt that the so-called liberal arts were really useless.
Of course, it is different now. I must learn these things. After all, if I want to integrate into the aristocratic group, these things are the dragon-slaying skills. I thought so in my heart, but Ernst mainly wanted to go to Berlin to realize some of his own strange ideas. But I certainly can't say that.
(End of this chapter)
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