In the hunting grounds of the Vienna Palace, Franz's marksmanship was as stable as ever.
Perhaps he loved life too much and couldn't bear to kill, so every time he fired, the unlucky ones were the flowers and plants around him.
"Franz, how many times have I told you that guns aren't meant to be used like that? Can't you aim better?"
A familiar voice rang out, breaking the harmonious atmosphere. Without a doubt, it was Grand Duke Carr. No one else dared to be so presumptuous.
Franz said eloquently, "Hunting is just a game. Why do you need to be so serious?
There's been a lot less prey recently. If this continues, it won't be long before they go extinct. "
He couldn't lose face. After so many years of political influence, Franz had long cultivated the ability to keep a straight face.
In the shortest amount of time, he found a suitable excuse. The hunting grounds of the palace weren't large, so naturally there weren't many wild animals on it.
Grand Duke Carr loved hunting, so many smart wild animals had run away. Those who stayed were the dumber ones, and their harvest was getting smaller and smaller.
Of course, running away wasn't necessarily a good choice. There were no laws protecting wild animals these days, and they might die faster if they ran away.
Grand Duke Carr nodded thoughtfully. "No wonder my harvest is getting smaller. It turns out that there's less prey. It seems that I really need to pay attention."
After a pause, he suddenly realized something. "No, Franz, don't change the subject. You're too good at this.
With your lousy marksmanship, if you go to the battlefield, who knows how many comrades you'll accidentally hurt? Don't you feel ashamed? "
Franz retorted, "Don't worry, Father. This kind of assumption is simply impossible. If I really need to go to the battlefield, do you think it's important whether my marksmanship is good or not? "
As if angered, Grand Duke Carr glared at Franz and scolded, "You're the one with the most crooked reasoning. Do whatever you want. Anyway, don't say that I taught you your marksmanship. I can't afford to lose face. "
Franz replied very cooperatively, "No problem. If you hadn't said it just now, they wouldn't have known."
Duke Carr's expression changed drastically, as if he had lost face. Looking at the others who wanted to laugh but didn't dare to, he snorted coldly, "Hmph!"
This kind of bickering had happened many times. The older he got, the more Duke Carr liked to pick on his sons. Franz was already used to it.
When it came to marksmanship, Archduke Carr was proud of himself. Even compared to the sharpshooters in the army, he was not much worse.
Using a specialized sniper rifle, Archduke Carr could effectively hit the target from 500 meters away. He was undoubtedly the best marksman in the royal family.
This was also the most depressing part of Grand Duke Carr. His spear art had no successor.
The juniors of the House of Habsburg treated learning marksmanship as a game. Most of them were only slightly better than Franz.
From Franz's point of view, this was the normal situation. How could there be so many sharpshooters? Ordinary people were the mainstream.
The House of Habsburg had always been good at politics and diplomacy. It was an exception for them to have a sharpshooter. How could they do it wholesale?
In fact, the previous generation of the House of Habsburg was the generation that had it the hardest.
His uncle, Ferdinand, had a congenital disease. His father, Grand Duke Carr, had no talent in politics. All his talent was in marksmanship. His uncles didn't have much ability either.
When it came to Franz's generation, the situation was slightly better. Even if there was an idealist like Massimiliano, everyone's IQ was still normal.
The next generation was still young, so they couldn't be completely sure of their ability. However, Franz felt that they should be improving. At least, there were no congenital diseases.
It made sense. The probability was so small. How could it be so easy to encounter it every time? Unless it was a hereditary disease, there was nothing they could do. No matter who they married, the probability of getting sick was high.
It wasn't easy to be a parent. Franz had personally experienced it. Franz also worried a lot about his sons' marriages.
The marriage of his eldest son, Frederick The Great, was a big problem. Political marriages were necessary. It was the responsibility and obligation of the crown prince.
Franz had a headache about who to marry. Not only did he have to consider the political influence, but he also had to consider the marriage partner's upbringing. It wasn't easy to be an empress. Even the reserve empress needed a certain level of personal ability.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be a help, but a burden. In the future, the internet often said that marrying the wrong woman would ruin three generations. Now that the crown prince married the wrong wife, it would not only ruin three generations, but it would also ruin a country.
Franz didn't expect to bring much help. He just asked that she wouldn't cause any trouble.
It was actually very difficult to satisfy this small request. Now, Franz finally understood why the European royal families liked to marry late. They were all forced to do it.
Every political marriage was a test for the royal family. If they made a wrong choice, the disaster would be irreversible.
Love and whatnot should be put aside first! According to past experience, the marriages of most members of the royal family had nothing to do with love.
The fact that they were well-matched in terms of social status was enough to block most of the love. Lowering the standard, the second son could play like this. As long as he didn't inherit the throne, it wouldn't be a problem.
The crown prince couldn't do anything. Not only would the royal family oppose it, but all sectors of society would also oppose it. The most troublesome thing was that the people wouldn't accept it either.
Who knew how much sadness there was behind the romantic love story of the royal family? Who knew how much trouble it would cause in politics?
No one knew how many people had bled and sacrificed in order to achieve a beautiful love story.
This was a responsibility and obligation. After enjoying the benefits of being born into the royal family, one had to pay the price for it. Marriage was only one of them.
…
In the Palace of Vienna, a stack of photos appeared in Franz's hands. They were all photos of princesses from various countries, with information notes at the back. They were all carefully selected by Queen Helen.
Well, there wasn't much to choose. She just excluded those who were not in good health and age, and the rest were all here.
The youngest was only five years old, and the oldest was no more than 20 years old. Franz was a little speechless. He could only sigh. This was like looking for a wife in kindergarten. The youngest was a student, and the oldest was a teacher.
Of course, this was not only to find a wife for Frederick The Great, but also for the wives of his other sons. Only when there was no suitable candidate would it be possible to lower the standard.
Lowering the standard was easy to say, but it was very difficult to do. At least, Queen Helen firmly opposed it. She believed that it would bring great trouble to her son's life for the rest of his life.
…
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