Chapter 1559: The Milk Tea Dynasty of a Financial Empire

"What? Grand Duke of Austria, Grand Vizier — are you joking with me?"

The moment Zhu Hengli heard this, he was badly startled.

This was being thrown onto the fire to roast!

Because he had led several thousand Goa Portuguese to this side of Europe, he had spoken with Ahmed Koprulu about whether he could get a piece of territory to settle them. It didn't need to be very rich — something like Wallachia or Moldavia would do. And he didn't want to do it for a lifetime; a few years would be enough, just long enough to settle the Goa men who had come to Europe with him.

But he never imagined that Ahmed Koprulu would directly toss Austria, this supremely scalding hot potato, at Zhu Hengli!

This was Austria!

The heart of the Holy Roman Empire, the core of the Habsburg dynasty, the hero-city of the Catholic world's resistance against the Ottoman Empire — handed to Zhu Hengli to rule. Wasn't this putting Zhu Hengli in mortal danger?

The Protestant fanatics of Bohemia and Hungary are hard to deal with — but are Austria's Catholic zealots any easier? Would being their Grand Duke bring him any good days?

The Grand Vizier saw Zhu Hengli's reaction and understood his meaning without any translation, so he smiled and said: "King Henry, you are the most suitable candidate because the several thousand Portuguese you brought are all Catholics, and Austria's Catholics will more readily accept them.

Furthermore, you yourself are no Muslim, nor even an Ottoman prince, but a wealthy Eastern prince of Roman noble blood, and one who, through his mother, devoutly believes in God. Because you could not bear to see Austria's Catholics forced to convert or slaughtered, you spent an enormous sum to purchase the office of Grand Duke of Austria from His Majesty the Sultan! Under your governance, the people of Austria can escape ravaging by the Ottomans, can keep their faith, can pay lower taxes than under Habsburg rule, and the nobles, priests, and wealthy merchants can even elect a parliament and a prime minister. I think the Roman Emperor would not object to an Austria that poses no threat to anyone, either. So you are the candidate acceptable to all sides!"

Ahmed Koprulu's calculations were truly refined to the extreme. He wanted to throw Zhu Hengli and his Goa men into Vienna, that empty city, to serve as a buffer. Considering Zhu Hengli's special status, the Roman Emperor Louis would most likely welcome this Grand Duke Henry as well.

Besides, for the Ottoman Empire, Austria was indeed an extremely scalding hot potato.

Because Bohemia and Hungary both had powerful Protestant factions, and the local nobles all wanted to found their own states — they had no interest in becoming the Roman Empire's province of Bohemia and province of Hungary.

And Austria was originally Catholic territory, and Louis XIV's claim to the Austrian succession came right after Carlos II. Carlos II was a fool and incapable of leaving descendants. Under such circumstances, Austria's nobles would inevitably regard Louis XIV, who shared their Catholic faith, as their legitimate sovereign.

If the Austrian question were mishandled and triggered a great uprising of Catholic nobles and commoners, the Roman Emperor Louis would have no choice but to go to war with the Ottoman Empire!

But the Ottoman Empire could not easily give up the portions of Austrian territory it had gained, especially Vienna, that emblematic city.

Because showing weakness to the enemy was equally dangerous — it could very well make the princes elsewhere in Germany and the Poles think the Ottoman Empire was nothing much, and thus give rise to thoughts of invasion.

So Ahmed Koprulu came up with the scheme of having Zhu Hengli "purchase" the office of Grand Duke of Austria, having Zhu Hengli take up this scalding hot potato and powder keg, and go be a good Grand Duke to the Austrian people for a while. As long as Zhu Hengli could hold out in Vienna for eight or ten years without mishap, Ahmed Koprulu could close his eyes in peace.

"My Prince, do you truly mean to buy Vienna? This land is scalding! And you are a Prince of the Great Ming besides!"

On the road to Rome, Zhu Lundun, the Great Ming's special envoy to the Ottoman Empire, discussed the matter of "purchasing" the office of Grand Duke of Austria with Zhu Hengli inside the carriage.

"I know, but it's cheap!" Zhu Hengli smiled. "Only one million taels spent — where else could you find such a bargain?"

In truth, Zhu Hengli had not spent a single coin!

But to preserve the Ottoman Empire's face, Ahmed Koprulu had publicly declared that he had sold the position of Grand Duke of Austria to Zhu Hengli, at a price of three million pesos.

"But, but—" Zhu Lundun shook his head repeatedly. He did not think much of this investment.

Austria bought for one million — and you expect to sell it later for three million? Who would buy it? No — perhaps someone really would buy it!

"My Prince," Zhu Lundun asked in a low voice, "could it be that you intend to transfer Vienna to Emperor Louis?"

Zhu Hengli chuckled: "This matter can't lose. First take half of Austria, then secure the title of Grand Duke of Austria, manage it well for a few years, and once the brand is established, perhaps it can be transferred. Louis most likely won't take it over. He doesn't want the Ottoman Empire to show weakness so soon — once the Ottomans weaken, that pack of German states will turn against him. His Roman emperorship won't be secure for twenty or thirty years, so there's no need to worry about him sending troops against Vienna. The only thing to worry about now is the Austrians rebelling."

At first, Zhu Hengli really did regard Vienna as a supremely scalding hot potato. But after thinking it over carefully, the risk was actually not great — after all, there was hardly any investment involved. And even if he couldn't hold it, at worst he'd slink away in disgrace, without losing much.

But what if he did hold it?

Zhu Lundun asked: "My Prince, do you have a way to keep them from rebelling?"

Zhu Hengli smiled: "Let's try and see. Once I meet Louis, I'll discuss it with him. If it won't work, I'll convert to Catholicism and allow the Pope to send a cardinal to Austria. That way, as long as the Pope doesn't use excommunication, the hearts of the Austrian people will be easy to soothe."

"Can the Pope be so accommodating?" Zhu Lundun asked.

Zhu Hengli smiled: "The Pope wasn't so accommodating in the past, but now — heh heh. Louis has come to Rome, the Pope has lost his territory, and from now on he'll have to be like the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, obeying the Emperor in everything. Thinking about it, it's rather pitiful!"

"Serves him right!" Zhu Lundun laughed. "Over a bit of broken ritual and some so-called blasphemy, he tangled with us for so long — and now he's been reduced to a puppet."

Zhu Hengli laughed too. The Pope had this time lost everything, gambling away all the power he had accumulated since the Donation of Pepin. He was probably in the Vatican Palace every day now, cursing Emperor Louis, wasn't he?

Zhu Hengli and Zhu Lundun's journey to Rome went very smoothly. Within "Eastern Roman" territory, they were escorted by Zhu Hengli's own Goa knights. After entering "Western Roman" territory, they were escorted by cavalry of the Republic of Venice, which had now become a vassal of the Western Roman Empire, and soon arrived at Rome, which had once again become the "center of the world."

Because it had become the "center of the world," Rome, which had been somewhat desolate, was now extremely lively, crammed with soldiers and nobles. Moreover, many long-dilapidated houses in the city had found new owners and were now busy being renovated.

Louis had not yet been formally crowned, so he was still Louis XIV; once he was crowned Emperor of the Roman Empire, he would be Louis I.

To make himself look more like a Roman Emperor, Louis planned to rebuild the ancient Roman palace on the Palatine Hill. Until the Palatine Palace was rebuilt, his residence in Rome was the magnificent Palazzo Colonna, filled with all manner of artworks.

This soon-to-be Roman Emperor, already clad in purple robes and wearing a golden laurel crown, received Zhu Hengli and Zhu Lundun in a room at the end of the magnificent Colonna Gallery. Also present was Louis's mistress, who was also Henry's aunt — Olympia Mancini.