Chapter 7
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Chapter 7: Anna’s Rise to Fame
"Is this the summer palace that Prince Eugene used to visit?" Anna looked around curiously.
"It’s Belvedere Palace, isn’t it beautiful? This classical French-style garden was designed two hundred years ago, you rarely see this kind of style nowadays."
"Enough sightseeing, today we are here for a meeting, let’s go to the Bizarre Hall."
Baron Schultz had been here many times before, leading Anna, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs through the grand main palace, towards the Bizarre Hall on the far right of the estate.
Along the way, Anna looked around, her gaze not just on the palace of Prince Eugene, but on the people coming and going.
The palace was bustling with people, most not in servant attire, but in formal wear, walking around in groups of two or three.
Anna spotted the Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg, the Baden Grand Duke, the Bavarian Foreign Minister… many German princes and dignitaries.
Anna took a few steps and asked Baron Schultz, "Isn’t today the Prussia and Austria meeting? Why are other countries also attending?"
Baron Schultz said, "When we left, Metternich told me it was a Prussia and Austria meeting, but upon arriving in Vienna, I realized it’s the German Confederation Congress. We were deceived by Metternich, but now we have to go along."
"The German Confederation Congress should have been held in Frankfurt, not Vienna."
"Austria can do as it pleases, holding the meeting wherever it wants. What can we do about it?"
After a brief conversation, the Prussian delegation arrived at the meeting place, the Bizarre Hall in the Belvedere Palace.
Anna’s first impression of the Bizarre Hall was very poor. The room had a mismatched design of Babylonian and Gothic styles, with walls covered in eerie and fantastical paintings. Each bizarre painting corresponded to a seat for a prince’s country.
Austria’s seat was at the very center front of the palace, with a normal and dignified portrait of Prince Eugene behind it.
The Prussian Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs sat in chairs close to the table, while Schultz and Anna sat in the row behind.
Anna glanced back at the strange painting behind her. It depicted a one-eyed, beheaded, half-skeleton figure of a mysterious king. Although she didn’t know the exact reference, the shield in the painting with a white cross was clearly related to Prussia.
The representatives of the German princes gradually took their seats.
Prussia is the deputy chairman of the German Confederation Congress, with a slightly better seat than Bavaria. The seats of the other princes are quite poor, Anna even noticed some tables were chipped, peeling, or eaten by bugs.
The Austrian Prime Minister Metternich finally led his team in, striding confidently through the middle of the venue with great authority.
Metternich walked with his hands behind his back as if inspecting his own territory, his gaze sharp enough to make the German princes shudder with just a glance. He was accompanied by six Austrian officials on either side, all smoking cigars or pipes.
Following them were ten servants dressed elegantly, some carrying champagne glasses, some fresh fruits, and others with various smoking accessories.
Evil forces!
With Metternich taking his seat, the German Confederation Congress officially began. His speech was commanding, forceful, and incredibly arrogant.
The German princes below dared not utter a word, either lowering their heads or showing a sycophantic expression to Metternich.
Metternich declared that rebels must be crushed at all times without mercy. The countries of Germany must use strong measures to cleanse internal rebels or potential rebels in order to protect the monarchy!
Austria arranged cleaning requirements for the vassals, and ordered Prussia to send 5,000 cavalry troops to help Austria suppress issues in Bohemia and Poland. The issue of payment was not mentioned, indicating no intention to pay Prussia.
"Here is my plan, any objections? I can give you a few minutes to discuss." Metternich casually pointed at everyone, then had a servant pour champagne for himself.
No one spoke, the representatives of the vassals exchanged glances internally, then looked down at the documents just issued by the Austrian officials.
Anna was not happy, of course she wasn’t happy. In her whole life, she had never seen anyone more arrogant than herself. Metternich was just an Austrian Prime Minister, what made him think he was more arrogant than her.
She kicked the leg of the Prussian Foreign Minister’s chair, whispering a few words in his ear.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs was a coward, after hearing Anna’s words, he was shaking like a sieve, shaking his head repeatedly, he didn’t dare to follow Anna’s instructions.
Baron Schultz and the Prime Minister whispered, "What’s going on?"
Anna stood up, drawing everyone’s attention in the Bizarre Hall. People knew that a woman held a high position in Prussia, but the Bavarian King also appointed a mistress to a high official position as Cabinet Secretary. The vassals didn’t seem to have any issue with Anna’s personal situation.
But what happened next surprised everyone.
Anna walked up to Metternich and said proudly, "I see your champagne looks good, give me a glass too."
The whole Bizarre Hall fell silent, at that moment everyone was stunned.
After a few seconds, there was a collective gasp, the Prussian delegation looked dumbfounded, the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Baron Schultz, all unsure of how to react.
The nobles watched Anna with glee, thinking she was doomed, daring to stand up and provoke Austria as a woman? Would she survive?
Prime Minister Metternich didn’t even look directly at Anna, disdainfully asking, "Who are you, and what is your position, young lady?"
"I am Anna von Bismarck, the Chief Secretary of Finance and Foreign Affairs for the Kingdom of Prussia," Anna replied.
Metternich asked again, "Are you challenging me? Is this your personal choice or the intention of the prince regent of Prussia?"
Anna said, "I take full responsibility for my actions, they have nothing to do with the prince regent."
Metternich chuckled, finally turning to look at Anna.
"Who gave you the courage to talk to me like that?"
Anna grabbed the champagne bottle from the servant in Austria, walked to the middle of the whole venue, and began her speech.
"Who is it! Who gave Austria the courage to be so arrogant and rude to us, the German states!"
"The internal liberal issue in Austria has escalated to the extreme, where the liberals can easily gather a riot of tens of thousands, tearing Austria apart. At this time, you ask for our help, yet Metternich speaks with extreme arrogance."
"Since Austria shows no sincerity, Prussia will not send troops to help. Prussia will watch as the riot forces send the Habsburg family and you, this useless prime minister, to the guillotine."
Metternich and the Austria team were furious, all stood up to scold Anna and threatened Austria to immediately send a large army to crush Prussia.
Fearless, Anna retorted, "At a time like this, Austria dares to start a war with Prussia? The moment the Austrian army leaves Vienna, the revolutionary forces will wipe all of you out, starting a war will only make the revolution happen sooner."
The German Confederation Congress ended in discord, with Prussia’s representative Anna von Bismarck gaining fame.
Anna directly challenged Austria’s absolute authority, tearing off their mask and Austria was left helpless.
Soon after, the German princes began to rebel. They had been bullied by Austria for too long, and now with Austria on the brink of a revolution, they dared not to bully them anymore.
Metternich was furious but had to humble themselves and seek help, drafting a more sincere and equal plan to invite other countries to suppress the Liberal Revolution.
News spread back to Prussia… National newspapers dedicated entire pages to condemning Anna, strongly demanding that the prince regent dismiss and imprison Anna.
The people said Anna was a lunatic, someone who wanted to destroy Prussia, a fool without brains who dared to provoke Austria. A protest group of more than five thousand people gathered in front of the Redel-Catherine Palace that day.
Anna was infamous in Prussia, now… she became the number one villain in the hearts of the Prussian people, a scum of a country intending to destroy Prussia.
