Novels online

Chapter 1488: The Approaching Storm

May 5, 1801.

Vienna.

In an inconspicuous building just two blocks south of Schönbrunn Palace, Count Ulfeldt bowed with a forced smile to the middle-aged man sitting across the table.

"Director, I assure you, Gloria must have simply been passing by when she let her curiosity get the better of her. She only stopped for a moment to see what was happening."

"She is an exceptionally well-bred girl. It is utterly impossible for her to be involved in such matters..."

Earlier that afternoon, Gloria had been arrested by the secret police during a gathering of liberal dissidents. The Count had rushed there immediately to "clarify the misunderstanding." "Please, have a seat, Your Excellency," Director Bell, head of the Vienna East District Secret Police, gestured toward a chair. He hesitated for a moment before continuing, "If I may be blunt, you perhaps do not know your daughter as well as you think."

"What are you implying?"

Bell handed him several sheets of paper. "This is your daughter's statement. Oh, rest assured, she has not been harmed in any way. She provided all of this quite voluntarily."

Count Ulfeldt's eyes raced across the pages, and his expression darkened instantly.

According to Gloria's statement, she believed that everyone should enjoy liberty and equality, and that the Emperor should convene a legitimate parliament as soon as possible—among other such nonsensical ideas. At the end, she even declared that she had not been coerced; rather, she felt deep sympathy for the liberals, frequently attended their rallies, and had even assisted in distributing their pamphlets.

Count Ulfeldt slammed the statement onto the desk and barked, "No, this cannot be her own intent! She must have been deceived! Those damned swindlers!"

Director Bell nodded and pushed another document toward him. "This is a list of some of the ringleaders of the Stieler Society. As you know, they are the largest subversive organization in Vienna."

"I am reasonably certain that your daughter has a close relationship with at least one person on this list. If she can provide any information regarding his whereabouts, I guarantee that neither she nor your family's reputation will suffer any consequences."

"In fact, I have been holding onto your daughter's statement. I have not yet reported it to Count Pergen."

Johann Anton von Pergen was the current Director-General of the Austrian Secret Police.

Count Ulfeldt nodded, his face grim. "Please, allow me to take her home. I will give you a satisfactory answer within three days." That night, in Count Ulfeldt's study, he pounded his fist against the list on his desk, roaring at his daughter.

"Tell me! Who seduced you into that organization? Speak!"

The papers scattered across the floor. The page labeled "Lukas von Schérer" happened to land right in front of the girl. The dossier noted: This individual was trained at the Royal German Legion training camp, later participated in the rebellion at the Ehlers recruit battalion, and was granted amnesty seven years ago. He returned to Vienna last year, joined the Stieler Society, and began inciting riots everywhere...

A flash of resolve flickered in Gloria's eyes, which had previously been filled with panic. She shook her head. "Father, liberty, equality, and human rights are gifts from God to every human being. I did not need anyone to tell me that."

"You fool! You will destroy this entire family!"

Seeing the lack of shame in his daughter's gaze, Count Ulfeldt lost his temper. He swung his cane and struck her hard across the cheek. The frail young noblewoman's mouth filled with blood, and she collapsed, losing consciousness on the spot.

Three days later.

In a secret safehouse of the Stieler Society, Lukas punched the wall repeatedly in frustration, muttering to himself, "It's my fault. I failed to protect her..."

In truth, if the agents of the French Security Bureau hadn't taken the risk to intervene that day, several of the Stieler Society's core members would have been captured by the secret police.

The sound of a door opening came from beside him. Lukas rushed forward and grabbed the newcomer. "Mr. Hirt, what is the news? Do you know where she is?" "Only that she is no longer at the East District headquarters," Hirt sighed. "It is highly likely she has been transferred to the Hofburg."

Lukas felt as if he had been struck by lightning. "This... what are we to do?"

The Hofburg was where political prisoners and serious criminals were held. Once someone went in, it was rare for them to ever come out.

Beside them, the lawyer Karl Bergmann spoke in a cold voice. "This is why I have always said we must launch an uprising! Only by using muskets and cannons to end the tyrant's rule can Austria be reborn!"

"You always want to rely on speeches to wake the people, but open your eyes and look! The tyrant and his lackeys won't even let us speak! Today it was Stolz and Miss Gloria; tomorrow, it might be us being dragged into the Hofburg!"

"If we continue like this, every person with a free spirit will fall victim to the secret police, and Austria will be plunged into eternal darkness!" Lukas stunned for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "It's no use. I tried it seven years ago. We are simply no match for the army..." Heinrich von Gagern, a third-year student at the University of Vienna, interjected loudly, "Then we must call on more people to rise up! We will continue until the tyrant's army is swallowed by our numbers!"

He pointed out the window. "Look out there! The peasants who lost their land to usurers, the workers who cannot afford bread, the citizens whose blood is being sucked dry by corrupt officials—they are all at their breaking point."

"As long as there is someone to organize them, they will all be the finest soldiers!"

As the Metternich Reforms deepened, massive amounts of capital were being funneled into supporting industrial development, providing free education, subsidizing local tariffs, and even planning for gas streetlights.

On the other hand, the Empire's tax system reform was plagued with constant issues. The Finance Minister had been forced to repeatedly petition the Emperor to raise tax rates just to keep the Empire's budget balanced.

However, at that very moment, Austria decided to intervene in the situation in northern Switzerland. The army began to devour military funds at an insatiable rate.

Out of desperation, and at the Emperor's prompting, the recently established Privileged Austrian National Bank issued several rounds of additional banknotes.

With the French Security Bureau fanning the flames, news of the currency oversupply spread like wildfire. Consequently, inflation hit much faster than market forces alone would have dictated.

In just six months, the prices of various goods in Vienna rose by fifteen percent.

Although the Austrian government attempted to suppress the price of bread through mandatory decrees, bakeries found various ways to raise prices covertly just to survive. Suddenly, the people of Vienna were crushed under the dual pressure of successive tax hikes and rising costs. Many were already on the verge of bankruptcy. Under these circumstances, abolishing noble privileges, having a parliament determine tax rates, stabilizing prices, and punishing corrupt officials became the people's most urgent demands. These were the very core tenets of the liberals.

Therefore, even as the secret police grew more numerous and censorship of publications tightened, the number of Stieler Society followers increased rapidly.

Now, every time they held a speech, they could gather at least a hundred listeners—all of whom came at the risk of being arrested by the secret police.

At the same time, other liberal organizations like the Constitutional Research Society and the Vienna Student Corps were also surging back to life.