Chapter 268: Chapter 17: West African Conflict
As the year 1856 began, Franz received some excellent news, the Empress was pregnant. Now, the entire Vienna Court revolved around Princess Helen’s rotation, with the new heir to the Habsburg dynasty being of utmost importance to everyone.

Sometimes Franz couldn’t help but think, what if it’s a princess? Of course, that didn’t mean he disliked daughters, but politically, he needed an heir.

Although there was a precedent of female rulers in the Habsburg dynasty, it didn’t mean conservative Austria was ready to accept another Empress.

Ever since Princess Helen became pregnant, Empress Sophie had become anxious. In those times, being pregnant was like walking through the gates of death, and one could not be too careful.

“Franz, now that Helen is pregnant, you must maintain a certain distance from her. Being too intimate can affect the safety of the fetus. You understand what I’m saying, right?”

The embarrassed Franz could only nod passively. He really wanted to reply: Do you think I don’t know moderation?

It couldn’t be helped; in his mother’s eyes, he was still a child who hadn’t grown up, and arguing would only result in a scolding.

Franz changed the subject, “Speaking of which, mother, how is the preparation of Maximilian’s marriage coming along?”

Maximilian’s marriage this time was to Princess Charlotte, daughter of King Leopold I of Belgium, a pure political alliance, without a hint of impurity.

For his younger brothers, who were constant followers, Franz took them very seriously, enforcing strict militaristic management. Any signs of ideological anchoring were immediately suppressed.

Empress Sophie confidently replied, “Don’t worry, I will handle it well. But after Maximilian’s big wedding, how will you arrange for him?”

Royal offspring in Europe also needed to work; merely being a freeloader was a sign of a lack of ambition.

Franz answered, “That will depend on what he likes to do and how far his personal abilities have developed.”

How to arrange for this younger brother was something Franz was not sure about. Historically, it didn’t take long after Maximilian started working for him to be misled by liberalism.

When he was the Governor of the Italian Area, he directly undermined the Habsburg dynasty’s foundation of rule there.

Combining history with his assessment, Franz believed that what best suited Maximilian was to become an artist or a botanist.

This was based entirely on his personal abilities and interests, but this suggestion was something Franz dared not voice. In the eyes of Empress Sophie, Maximilian was still very outstanding.

If he didn’t let his brother face some setbacks and directly let him stay at home as a freeloader, the outside world might think Franz was suppressing his brother.

Besides, would Maximilian truly be willing to accept his arrangement? Historically, he had gone so far as to become the Emperor of Mexico.

If there were no ambitions, how could he have possibly decided to wade into those troubled waters? Franz was all too aware of the situation in Mexico, a nation misled by liberalism.

As Emperor, he didn’t fear conservatism in a country, but what he feared most was excessive freedom, losing basic restraint.

Franz did not intend to wade into those murky waters. If Maximilian’s personal capabilities were extraordinary, possessing skills beyond the norm, then investing in him might return the cost. Clearly, he did not.

It wasn’t just Maximilian; even Franz did not believe he could settle the internal conflicts of Mexico, otherwise, the crown wouldn’t have easily fallen to Maximilian’s head.

Vienna Palace

Metternich, full of worries, said, “Your Majesty, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea is getting more complex. International powers are gathering, and armed conflicts are possible at any time.

Two months ago, a Portuguese infantry battalion went out to confirm the rights to a gold mine. Along with civilian armed forces totaling over five hundred people, everyone disappeared without a trace, and there has been no result to date.

Now the opinions are varied; some say they found a superfund gold mine and were silenced; others say they encountered the devil and were all killed…”

The Gulf of Guinea situation was crafted by Franz’s hands. If not for the extensive propaganda of the Vienna Government, not so many gold diggers would have poured in.

Order had yet to be established on the African continent. Within the colonial strongholds of the countries, one could barely see order; once outside the strongholds, control was completely lost.

Even if no gold mines were found, that would have been acceptable; a small fray wouldn’t be too concerning. However, after the discovery of a gold mine, that’s when the real fight begins.

When a small colonial armed group discovers a gold mine, the first thing they do is keep it secret and then sell it to the colonial government. Free mining is simply not an option.

Without sufficient strength, getting slaughtered by others without knowing the identity of the killer is all too possible.

In the beginning, to confirm the ownership of a gold mine, it was enough for the colonial government to send a few people to conduct an on-site exploration. Now, without military escort, no one dares to go.

This is the first time someone has taken action against the government troops. Normally, no one would do such a thing; if you can’t ensure complete silence, leaking even a hint of information could lead to a catastrophe.

Franz asked, “Could it be the work of some national army?”

The Portuguese army’s combat effectiveness isn’t that great. It’s easy to defeat a Portuguese infantry battalion, but exterminating them completely is another story.

As for the mention of devils, Franz dismissed the idea outright. Austria had been colonizing Africa for so long without encountering any extraordinary creatures; how could they suddenly come into existence?

Metternich answered, “I don’t know, but what can be certain is that there was a traitor among the Portuguese troops. Without inside and outside cooperation, it would have been impossible for them to be annihilated.

Now with so many people missing, dead or alive, there’s clearly a serious issue, someone is covering up the truth.”

Franz isn’t concerned with the truth; the problem now is that Austria is the most suspect. In the Gulf of Guinea, there aren’t many armed forces capable of such action, but the Austrian colonial forces in the area have the strength to do so.

Among the armed groups registered in the Austrian colonial strongholds, there are twelve teams with more than five hundred people each, all formed by the German regional states or a combination of several nobility families.

These people all have the capacity to do this, and with so many potential suspects under their command, suspicion is inevitable.

Franz isn’t worried about these suspicions; without evidence, the Portuguese can do nothing.

Moreover, just because the troops have disappeared doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been wiped out; they could have gotten lost and become savages in the jungle.

Though the chances are small, there have been precedents. Some colonial teams suffered heavy losses in the jungle because they got lost.

“The truth is not important for us. The place where the Portuguese disappeared is not under our control; we have no obligation to investigate for them.

The current issue is that we must stabilize the situation in West Africa as soon as possible; otherwise, the ongoing conflicts between countries could lead to even more considerable discord.

If a significant fight breaks out and the situation spirals out of control, many people who had originally wanted to immigrate to the Gulf of Guinea will give up and choose to move to countries in America instead.

Without enough population, it will be challenging for us to control the West Africa region. To stabilize the local situation quickly, we must cooperate with governments of various countries and establish the most basic order on the ground.”

It’s not that they don’t want to find the real culprit, but they dare not continue to investigate. Franz can only be sure that the Austrian Government troops did not attack the Portuguese; as for whether or not civilian armed groups did, that’s difficult to say.

If conflicts arise over a vast gold mine and they resort to murder to silence others, Franz wouldn’t be surprised at all. When it comes to interests, people’s moral integrity often fails to stand up.

If the investigation points back to their own people, that would be extremely problematic. A mistake could lead to a greater political crisis, and Franz is not interested in engaging in such self-defeating actions.

Apart from the Portuguese themselves, it is likely that governments of other countries share the same attitude. If they investigate seriously, they all fear getting burnt, so they may as well play ignorant.

Metternich replied, “Your Majesty, the situation in the Gulf of Guinea is extremely complex, with a crisscrossing of international forces, making it very difficult to divide territories at the negotiation table.

The best solution is international co-management, where everyone forms a colonial government according to common agreements. As for gold mines, let the civilian armed groups compete freely; may the best one win.”

Whether this is the best choice or not, Franz is unsure, but one thing is certain: it is the choice that best suits Austria’s interests.

Free competition favors those with larger numbers, and such an order exists only within the colonial government-controlled areas. Once out in the wild, who can manage that?

Franz said with a smile, “Agreed, no matter what kind of order it is, having order is always better than having none.”