(Chapter 466 Upload Error, Corrected)

After the conversation ended, Richard Metternich didn't linger too long at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After declining Minister De Luy's invitation to the Opera House, he returned directly to the Austrian Embassy.

Upon entering the embassy, Richard Metternich immediately saw the Rothschild Envoy, dressed in a black suit and holding a cane with a pistol, walking towards him.

It was apparent from his attire and actions that the Rothschild Envoy was about to go out and meet someone.

Looking at the envoy, who had a rather indifferent attitude towards diplomacy, Richard Metternich couldn't help but feel a bit of resentment inside.

"Going out again?" Richard Metternich asked the Rothschild Envoy with a hint of disapproval.

The Rothschild Envoy was momentarily stunned, then stopped, smiled at Richard Metternich, shrugged, and explained, "Yes! My cousin, James Rothschild, has invited me to his mansion!"

"So, you plan to neglect your duties at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs?" Richard Metternich questioned, a bit agitated.

"I think you've done a great job! The entire embassy is in excellent order under your management!" The Rothschild Envoy spread his hands and replied to Richard Metternich.

"The purpose of the embassy is not to handle trivial matters. It's about..." Richard Metternich attempted to say something, but found that aside from some trivial matters, all the embassy seemed to do was reiterate the foreign policy of the home country.

"What else?" The Rothschild Envoy responded flippantly: "The role of the embassy is to maintain normal diplomatic relations between two countries. Besides that, there's no other function. We cannot determine the foreign policy of other countries nor the direction of our own. (The Rothschild Envoy paused, sighed) All we can do is offer some advice to Vienna, yet has Vienna ever listened to us?"

At this, a hint of sarcasm appeared on the Rothschild Envoy's lips: "Mr. Richard! If I recall correctly, since you became the secretary of the embassy, you've been writing letters to Vienna with advice!

(A look of dejection appeared on Richard Metternich's face) But has any of Vienna's dignitaries been willing to listen? Ever since Prime Minister Felix Schwarzenberg took ill, look at what the entire Austrian Empire has become?"

The Rothschild Envoy's face twisted, his tone growing more disrespectful: "I bet Minister Bao'er (Minister of Foreign Affairs of Austria), that fool, hasn't read a single letter you wrote to him!"

"Rothschild Envoy!" Richard Metternich frowned and "rebuked" Rothschild: "We should not make unwarranted assumptions about a Minister of Foreign Affairs!"

"Unwarranted assumptions?" The Rothschild Envoy shook his head and replied to Richard Metternich: "Alright, Secretary Richard, since you say so, I have nothing more to say!"

Subsequently, the Rothschild Envoy asked Richard Metternich about the situation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Richard Metternich truthfully reported to the Rothschild Envoy about the Sardinian Kingdom's participation in the war.

"Mr. Richard, now the Austrian Empire must make a choice! Whether to side with Russia or with Britain and France!"

Somehow, Richard Metternich felt a flavor of schadenfreude in Rothschild's words.

"Indeed!" Richard Metternich sighed deeply: "It's time to make a choice!"

The Sardinian Dynasty's participation itself isn't terrifying, what's terrifying is the attitude of the French Empire behind it, and more precisely, Jerome Bonaparte's attitude at the Tuileries Palace.

Austria's duplicity has greatly displeased Jerome Bonaparte.

Austria must either become an enemy of France or become a friend of France.

"I'll go prepare!" Richard Metternich responded to the Rothschild Envoy.

"Writing to Vienna again?" The Rothschild Envoy asked casually.

"Yes!" Richard Metternich replied with a stern face, nodding.

"This time, I suggest you slightly exaggerate the situation. Bland rhetoric won't move those guys in Vienna!" Rothschild advised Richard Metternich, then added: "You'd better write a letter to Prince Metternich as well, telling him everything happening in Paris! If there's no action soon, Paris might turn its focus on Austria!"

"Hmm! Thanks for your advice!" Richard Metternich forced a smile, nodded at the Rothschild Envoy, and then directly headed upstairs.

Watching Richard Metternich's somewhat frail back, Rothschild shook his head and murmured softly: "Still far to go!"

That afternoon, after finishing the advice letters (one for Minister Bao'er, one for his own father, Prince Metternich), Richard Metternich sealed them and handed them to a trusted aide of the embassy (a retainer to Prince Metternich, responsible for looking after Richard Metternich's daily life), instructing him to deliver them as soon as possible.

The aide nodded and assured Richard Metternich of a prompt delivery.

"Hurry back!" Richard Metternich instructed once more.

"Yes!"

The aide carrying the letters departed at 4 PM on the Paris-Strasbourg train, arriving in Strasbourg the following morning.

The servant who got off at Strasbourg, and then reached within the borders of Germany via a deserted path.

Afterward, he took a train to the area at the border between Bavaria and Austria.

Here, he switched to a carriage to reach Vienna, and when the servant delivered the letter into the hands of Prince Metternich living in a manor near Vienna, it had taken only four days in total.

Prince Metternich first examined a letter from Richard Metternich, where Richard Metternich summarized recent events in Paris to Prince Metternich, including the establishment of the planning committee and the full mobilization.

Through Richard Metternich's description, Prince Metternich suddenly felt that this so-called planning committee seemed strangely familiar.

Memories of the Great Revolution once again surfaced in Prince Metternich's mind, and his expression grew increasingly grave.

"Jerome Bonaparte, is this guy crazy?" Prince Metternich couldn't help but curse: "Does he think France now is still the France of the past?"

Nevertheless, Prince Metternich's voice involuntarily started to tremble.

Having lived through that frenzied era, Prince Metternich did not want to experience it a second time.

"Master!"

At this moment, the servant's voice reached Prince Metternich's ear, he looked at the loyal servant in front of him and asked faintly: "Is there anything else?"

"The young master asked me to deliver this letter to Minister Bao'er! However, I am unable to see Minister Bao'er!" The servant presented another letter with both hands.

"Deliver it to Bao'er?" Prince Metternich took the letter from the servant, chuckling bitterly to himself: "What use is it to give it to him? Everything in the Austrian Empire still depends on that person in the Mei Quan Palace!" Then, Metternich shook his head and said to the servant: "I will keep the letter. Wait here for a few days. There will be results then. You can return to Paris at that time—it won't be too late!"

"Yes!" The servant responded obediently.

Following that, Prince Metternich called the servant again, and with the servant's help, he changed into his red court robe, and put on the wig he hadn't worn in ages.

Then, Prince Metternich summoned the butler in charge of the stables and ordered him to prepare a carriage for himself.

"Master, where are you going?" the stable butler respectfully asked.

"Mei Quan Palace!" Prince Metternich instantly replied.

Under the preparations of the stable butler, a luxurious open-top carriage stopped at the gate of Metternich Manor.

Prince Metternich got into the carriage, and it rode away from the manor towards the center of Vienna.

After about an hour, the speeding carriage appeared at the city gate in the suburbs of Vienna.

The soldiers guarding the city defense, upon seeing the Metternich emblem on the carriage, immediately cleared a path, allowing the carriage to continue into the city center.

The carriage, after further traveling a few miles into the city center, finally reached Mei Quan Palace.

"Sir, we have arrived!" Almost falling asleep in the carriage, Prince Metternich quickly woke up upon hearing the coachman's announcement.

Seeing Mei Quan Palace through the window with its iconic fountain, Prince Metternich got up and got off the carriage.

Then, he instructed the coachman not to drive the carriage around randomly.

The coachman nodded in agreement with Prince Metternich's instruction, who then proceeded up the steps, encountering no obstacles as he entered the interior of Mei Quan Palace.

"Your Highness, I fear you will be disappointed. You cannot meet His Majesty at this moment," the chief steward of Mei Quan Palace appeared before Prince Metternich upon his entrance into the hall and apologized.

"What about His Majesty? Why?" Prince Metternich was slightly taken aback, his voice trembling slightly as he asked.

"Nothing major," the chief steward shook his head in response to Prince Metternich, then softly informed him that Princess Maria Ludovika Wilhelmina of Bavaria (Empress Dowager Sophie's sister) had arrived with her two daughters, and His Majesty the Emperor was currently engaged in an outing with his two cousins, hence unable to attend to matters of state.

After hearing that the Emperor was fine, Prince Metternich sighed in relief, then insisted on meeting Emperor Franz to discuss affairs, suggesting that if impossible, he could meet with the Empress Dowager instead.

"Her Highness Sophie has also accompanied His Majesty. Your Highness, what exactly do you intend?" The chief steward frowned, unwilling to disturb the Emperor's mood.

"Paris may be preparing to move against Austria," Prince Metternich responded, uttering an astonishing statement.

This time, the chief steward could not remain calm, hurriedly inquiring if Prince Metternich's information was accurate.

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