Chapter 47

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Chapter 47: The Pillar of the Country, Schultz

Baron Schultz was dressed smartly as usual today, his outfit completely in line with the English style. If he were to appear in the English Cabinet, no one would be surprised. Some might even think he was a new Chief Secretary. But in Prussia, on the streets of Berlin, he seemed a bit out of place.

In both his actions and his attire, Baron Schultz was clearly heavily influenced by England. He looked like a dignified gentleman, a calm and elegant English nobleman.

Baron Schultz paid no mind to the curious looks from passersby. He sat upright in his luxurious carriage, making his way to the Redel-Catherine Palace.

The guards at the palace gates saluted him. After nodding back, Baron Schultz began chatting casually.

"You deliver the morning newspapers every day at ten, don’t you?"

"Yes, we purchase most of the newspapers in Berlin and have them delivered to the prince regent’s desk at ten o’clock."

"As palace guards, you must be punctual. Newspapers are an important source of information. Any delays could lead the prince regent to misjudge the situation. You must fulfill your duty diligently."

After receiving assurance from the palace guards, Baron Schultz checked the time on his pocket watch. He strolled outside the palace until ten minutes to ten before heading to the prince regent’s office.

Recently, Leader One was worried about agriculture. When the Cabinet Secretary came into Schultz, he immediately started asking about agriculture.

"It seems like our industrialization is out of control. The two major state-owned banks only prepared interest-free redemption loans for 150,000 people, but there are over 390,000 serfs applying for these loans nationwide. The excess people are borrowing from private lenders to redeem themselves, transferring the bondage from landlords to bankers and factory owners. They can’t repay the high-interest loans and are just moving from one difficult situation to another."

"Moreover, the loss of a large number of serfs is causing a severe shortage of agricultural productivity. I also found that some Junker landlords have started getting involved in industry, renting out farmland. Many of the renters don’t know how to manage large-scale farms, and some who know nothing about agriculture are renting the land. This further deteriorates agriculture. The Minister of Agriculture said that the self-sufficiency rate of food in 1838 may have dropped from 98% to around 50%."

The office desk of Your Highness the Regent was filled with agricultural documents, looking worried and distressed.

Baron Schultz, on the other hand, was completely unconcerned. He said that the agricultural panic was just rumors spread by mischievous people, and the problem wasn’t as severe. The overall land and farming environment in Prussia was good, and the weather had been normal these past two years. The output of the primary sector wouldn’t plummet drastically. Of course, the initial phase of comprehensive industrialization causing agricultural decline was inevitable, and it would soon return to normal with the industrial frenzy passing.

As for the lower-class people who turned from serfs to workers by borrowing high-interest loans, Baron Schultz stated that they voluntarily took on these loans, so it didn’t concern them.

"Your Highness the Regent, we should set aside the agricultural issues for now and talk about… Minister of Finance Liszt."

Leader One, "Oh? What has he done this time?"

Schultz (smiling), "No, no, Minister of Finance is a very talented person. He is doing very well, and we, his colleagues in the cabinet, all agree that Liszt’s talent will shine even more."

Leader One, "Are you teasing him or really praising him?"

Schultz, "Mr. Liszt is a unique talent in the world, unmatched in Prussia and all of Europe. Some say he is stubborn, but I think it’s to overcome bias and improve efficiency. Although some say he doesn’t follow orders, I prefer to call it acting decisively. Let’s not dwell on it, it’s a trivial matter."

"Does he have any other flaws?" Leader One asked.

"No, it’s nothing," Schultz smiled. "Just a few minor imperfections."

Leader One tilted his head, unsure if Liszt had such big problems.

At ten o’clock sharp, the palace guards dutifully delivered today’s newspapers. The front page had some interesting articles:

Finance Minister hints at Regent’s support for major railroad project in yesterday’s speech.

Cabinet insiders suggest that Your Highness the Regent may be considering Liszt’s foolish plan.

Prussia’s Finance Minister pressures Baden Grand Duke to approve impractical railroad scheme for Grand Duchy of Baden.

Baron Schultz was shocked, "Your Highness the Regent, do you really agree with the railway plan? Well, even though this railway plan will upset France and Austria, and may cause a big wave, I believe Minister of Finance Liszt can handle it."

"When did I agree? I have told Liszt many times to be quiet, but now he not only doesn’t listen to me, continues to promote that big railway plan, but also involves my reputation?" Leader One was furious.

Schultz said, "That’s not true, if you see the reports, it doesn’t clearly say you support him, they only use words like ‘allegedly, possibly’, maybe it’s just the media’s usual gossip. I think Liszt, who is essential to the country, is fine."

Cabinet Secretary Schultz kept defending Minister of Finance, but Your Highness the Regent was still very angry, and ordered Liszt to be immediately dismissed from his position and replaced with a new Minister of Finance.

When Schultz left the office, he had a pleased expression and went to the Cabinet Office to find Anna. Everything was done.

"Thank you very much, Prussian National Bank needs an exceptional special advisor, and I have recommended you, Baron Schultz, to the bank president."

"Even though I have many other jobs, I will not refuse this work. I will work hard for the country, even if some people think I am greedy. I will not hesitate."

"By the way, Bismarck, who do you want to replace as Minister of Finance?"

"Count Walton."

The Cabinet Secretary was shocked, "That old foolish fool?"

Even though Anna got rid of Liszt, most of Liszt’s economic policies will still be used. Concepts like national economic control, market economy, and industrial planning are excellent. As long as Prussia continues down this path, the economy is sure to soar.

Anna thought to herself, "Now I need a compliant Minister of Finance to take over. He doesn’t need to do anything or cause any trouble. It would be best if he’s a useless person, so I can take credit for the economic growth."

She looked at Baron Schultz, who had a cunning plan to get rid of Liszt. It’s difficult to drive Liszt away by normal means, as the prince regent and Liszt share many policy ideas and he is a favorite at court.

Anna planned to learn from Cabinet Secretary Schultz in the future. Schultz achieves his goals without any use of force or threats. He doesn’t offend anyone and accomplishes his needs peacefully, which is much smarter than Anna’s aggressive strategy.

Every day, Anna went to work armed with weapons, facing discrimination from numerous people. Even her angry demeanor couldn’t intimidate others. On the other hand, Schultz always wore a calm smile and never got angry. Yet, no one in the entire cabinet or even in all of Prussia dared to offend him.

The next day, Cabinet Secretary Schultz met with the prince regent once again.

"Respected Your Highness the Regent, our cabinet believes that Count Walton can replace the Minister of Finance."

Leader One asked in doubt, "I heard he’s a famous old foolish fool in the noble circle."

Schultz was very angry, "Who spread these lies, how dare they slander such a wise old gentleman who has a lot of experience? He is calm and can easily accept different opinions. He would make an excellent Minister of Finance."

After considering it, Your Highness the Regent agreed to the Cabinet’s decision to let Count Walton take over as Minister of Finance, and the former Minister of Finance, Liszt, was offered a position as a university professor.

Leader One liked Liszt’s economic and industrialization strategies, but he didn’t really care much about the person. He thought as long as the strategy stayed, it was fine.

Anna was the executive secretary at the Ministry of Finance, and anyone could fill the position of Minister of Finance. It would be better to find someone useless to take credit for the economic growth, and in the future, promote Anna to a Cabinet Minister or even Prime Minister.

It was not easy for a woman like Anna to hold a high position. Besides her personal talent and achievements, she also needed Leader One’s support and promotion. Currently, the easiest achievement to attain in Prussia was economic growth. With the full-scale industrialization underway, the economy was sure to soar. It was time for Liszt to leave and for Anna to claim credit.

When Baron Schultz left, Catherine entered the office.

"Your Highness, I must warn you, this person…is gaining too much power. We must control him."

Leader One replied helplessly, "We can’t take action against him. Schultz is deeply intertwined with many interests. For now, we can only wait and hope that someone stronger will come along in the future to push him down using similar tactics."

Catherine asked, "To control the tiger, how do we do it?"

Leader One, "Turn the mother tiger into a wife."

Catherine, "But from what I know, you haven’t even held her hand yet. And the talented person in His Highness’s heart, showing dominance. The day before yesterday at the parliament, she scared many people by shooting directly, offending so many legislators. I think she won’t go far."

Leader One, "She is still very young now. I can protect her. Anna will have enough opportunities for growth, and I also believe she has endless potential."