Chapter 47 Marriage Matters
October 14, 1866, Hechingen.
Ernst finally formed his first fleet, which is a big step for the Hechingen Consortium. With the continuous expansion of this fleet in the future, the route will become increasingly stable.
It will bring huge benefits to Ernst. The purpose of forming a fleet is not only a question of whether it is profitable or not, but a question of whether it can be independent.
As the saying goes, it depends on everyone. Relying on the Dutch will suffer a big loss one day, either today or tomorrow.
And having a fleet in your hands means that you can personally participate in world trade. Overseas colonization depends on strong ships and guns.
The ship is the hub connecting the world. It is the most important means of transportation in the world after the advent of the age of great navigation. Several world hegemons successively achieved it by controlling the hegemony of the sea.
Today, the Hechingen Consortium establishes its first fleet, which is not only the first step in Ernst's own career, but also a big step for the entire East African colony.
The population and materials needed by the East African colonies can be better transported by their own fleet, especially some items that were once troublesome. The Dutch do not pull them, and some materials require high confidentiality. Ernst himself was not at ease when someone took over.
Ernst, who came back from Venice, was reading the newspaper at home when the old Prince Constantine walked in from the door.
"Ernst, in a blink of an eye you are already 16 years old!" Prince Constantine said with emotion.
"What's the matter? Father." Ernst asked suspiciously.
"It's nothing, just seeing that you have grown up and started your own business, it's just a moment of emotion." Prince Constantine replied.
"Ernst, you are no longer a child, and it's time for you to think about your lifelong event!"
Hearing this, how could Ernst know what the master was thinking? As a human again, Ernst had been waiting for this day to come.
After living two lifetimes, Ernst is not a person who talks about things with emotion. The polishing of his previous life has long smoothed the edges and corners.
As an aristocrat in this life, Ernst himself feels that free love is nonsense, and now Ernst also puts interests first.
Marriage, especially the marriage of contemporary European nobles, is the export of interests behind it. It is usually fine, busy with work, and Ernst himself has no intention of thinking about these things.
Now that Prince Constantine has said it himself, he probably has a plan, so I might as well go with the flow and see what my father thinks.
"Father, do you already have a candidate?" Ernst asked deliberately.
"Hehe, as expected of my son, we all know that." Constantine smiled and took out a document from behind him.
"I'm getting old, but I still want to take care of your marriage with my own hands. Your mother left early, and I brought you up with one hand. Naturally, I have to arrange your marriage."
Speaking of which, Constantine spread out the information in his hand, and said: "This time, there are three candidates, one is Princess Heidi of Sweden introduced by your aunt, one is Princess Martha of the Russian Empire, and the other is the Austrian princess." Princess Karina."
Ernst looked at the information and asked in surprise, "Why are you so young? The oldest is only twelve, and the youngest is only ten years old!"
Prince Constantine knocked on Ernst's head with his hand: "Are you very old yourself?"
"Ernst, you are only sixteen years old, you don't think you are an adult, do you? I got married when I was twenty-six years old, so you naturally have to wait a few years."
"These princesses are very young, but in a few years they will be the big girls of the mark. Now, of course, I have to act first. While my old bones are still a little thin, I will find you a good marriage." Constantine Said.
"Don't be so anxious!" Ernst asked puzzled.
"What do you know? In the past few years, there have been more and more crooked melons and jujubes among European nobles, especially the royal families of various countries. There were not so many things at that time, so I will tell you this, and you must never mention it to others."
"So, I am looking for a healthy daughter-in-law. I have even checked the medical history of their parents, and finally found these three who are absolutely healthy and whose identities are worthy of our Hohenzollern family."
Ernst heard what his father said, and he understood what his father said. His poor nephew William II was the victim. Although he escaped hemophilia, he was still born with a kind of paralysis, which caused Atrophy of the left arm.
Thinking of this, Ernst shuddered instantly. If he remembered well, because of the marriage of the British royal family, hemophilia, this genetic disease was brought to many European royal families with the descendants of Queen Victoria, including Germany, Romania (Huo The Henselerns are suspected to be the biggest victims.) Greece, Croatia, Russia and Denmark…
But I still worry about the royal families of the above-mentioned countries. Looking at the two candidates on the information, Sweden and Russia, well, it should be fine!
The above information is very clear about their parents' situation and relationship. After all, it is normal for close relatives to marry in this era.
The three candidates this time have nothing to do with Britain, Ernst continued to look down.
Suddenly, Ernst discovered something extraordinary? To be honest, Ernst had never heard of any of these three princesses.
Among them, the Swedish princess and the Russian princess are related to their mother, so the line is drawn. For example, the former queen of Sweden, Josephine, is Aunt Ernst. She picked the first candidate, and the second Russian princess. There is such a relationship between my mother's sister and the Russian nobleman's marriage.
But the third one is not within Ernst’s cognition. Princess Karina, the daughter of Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico, is 10 years old. She lived in the Habsburg family since she was a child. Her grandmother, Princess Sophie look after grow up...
? ? ? ? …
Ernst was full of question marks, this Princess Karina is too outrageous!
If I remember correctly? This Maximilian I is the younger brother of Franz, the current emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the Habsburg family.
I have also heard the name of this Mexican emperor, but I don’t remember that he has descendants in history?
If I remember correctly, because Maximilian I had no descendants of his own, he specially adopted the descendants of the former emperor of Mexico as adopted sons.
"Father, what's going on with Princess Karina?" Ernst asked suspiciously.
"Princess Karina is the daughter of Maximilian I, who was born when Maximilian I and Queen Charlotte were still in Europe."
Isn’t that right? Ernst doubted himself, even if history changed because of the butterfly effect of his birth, it would be impossible for his family to contact Habsburg, right?
"Father, I don't understand. This Princess Karina has a high status in the Habsburg family. She is Franz's niece, and she was favored by the Queen Mother Sophie, and her father is still the emperor of Mexico. They are all more prominent than us, why would they want to contact us on purpose!"
Constantine said with a smile: "This is not a good thing that Maximilian I himself did. At that time, the whole Habsburg opposed him going to Mexico to take office and take the blame for Napoleon III. As a result, this foolish person ignored his family's opposition and would rather give up. My own inheritance rights in Habsburg also have to turn over in that muddy ditch in Mexico."
"It's all right now. France has withdrawn its troops from Mexico. I heard that the situation of Maximilian I is getting worse and worse. Some time ago, he and Queen Carlota were still lobbying in European countries for countries to interfere in Mexican politics."
Ernst nodded: "But what does this have to do with marriage?"
"Isn't it true that Queen Sophie paid attention to it herself? When Maximilian I went to Mexico, Queen Sophie was so angry that she was half dead. She loved Maximilian I the most since she was a child."
"Before Maximilian I and Queen Carlota went to Mexico, the situation in Mexico was turbulent, and Princess Karina was still young, so she was taken by Queen Sophie."
"Meeting the two bad sons of Franz and Maximilian I, the Queen Mother Sophie is now a shadow of a snake. I am afraid that the offspring will be as unhappy as the two sons. Therefore, the education is more stringent."
"For example, Maximilian I was too expensive to raise. He was originally a rice bug, but he was provoked by Queen Carlotta to become emperor, and he fell into a big fall."
"Princess Sophie feels that it is the daughter-in-law's fault that the two sons have become like this now, so she now chooses her grandson-in-law more for her identity and ability."
Ernst nodded quickly when he heard that, ability is really important.
"It's not easy to find such a person in Europe. There is no shortage of marriage partners in Habsburg, but Queen Sophie is more interested in ability and character this time, and finally chose you."
! !
Ernst was a little embarrassed by what he said, but he was not as good as he said.
"My son, of course I know it well. Needless to say, the ability, the achievement is the first in the whole of Europe."
"Character is even better. I have never messed around. You must know that many nobles live indiscreetly. Ernst, people of your age have no scandals, and it is rare to go outside."
"In terms of identity, our family is not bad. The Hohenzollern family was at its peak. Now Prussia and Romania belong to our Hohenzollern family. It is also the first class in Europe. You will inherit it in the future. My prince position."
"Although Karina's father is the emperor of Mexico, his position is nothing more than the Mexicans' arrogance! What is really valuable to him is his status as a member of the Habsburg family, but he insisted on giving up his right of inheritance. Now the situation in Mexico is getting worse. The harder it is to control, everyone understands that there is no place for an emperor in Mexico."
Make it clear that this is a novel. This princess Karina is a fictional character. Like Ernst, I made it up. Some people should not be too outrageous.
(end of this chapter)