Chapter 28 Letter From Ambrose

Austria's crazy railway construction has led to a major problem, that is, Austria's pig iron production is seriously insufficient.

As a result, a large number of steel companies have sprung up.

The demand for coal mines has also increased rapidly, and Austria's industrialization has begun to accelerate.

Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace.

Talia jumped into Franz's room, waving the letter in her hand.

"Archduke Franz, the Grand Duke from the countryside, has a letter."

Seeing Talia's proud look, Franz couldn't help but be curious.

"Why are you so happy?"

Talia did not answer directly, but asked back.

"Do you want me to read the letter to you?"

Franz sighed.

"Are you worried that you will be laid off in the future if you teach me? Don't worry, it won't. I'll read the letter myself, just in time to learn to read."

Franz was stunned as soon as he opened the letter. What is this?

At this time, Franz has learned German and French. In his previous life, he knew some English, but he had no idea what was in front of him.

"You can't understand, little genius. This is Spanish!" Talia said with a smile.

Franz was speechless for a while. Why did an Austrian write a letter in Spanish?

So he had to say.

"Then you read it."

At this time, Talia was keeping it a secret again.

"Are you asking for help? Have you forgotten the etiquette of the nobility?"

"Dear Miss Talia, can I ask you to read a letter?" Franz stood up and bowed, saying word by word.

"Then I will reluctantly agree to it."

Talia took the letter and read it.

Dear nephew, Franz.

As you said, my application to be a military observer in Zhenla caused quite a stir in the military.

After a heated discussion among the top military officials, they finally accepted my application.

General Tural told me that he would do his best to find candidates for me.

But in the end, only two warriors who knew Zhenla and were willing to follow me to Zhenla were found.

At the same time, Prince Metternich also found me. He hoped that I could become Austria's special envoy, establish diplomatic relations with the country of Zhenla, and collect as much intelligence as possible about the country.

He also gave me some authority so that I could protect myself at critical moments.

He would send a professional diplomat to accompany me, and I readily agreed. I would not miss any opportunity to expand my small team.

Normally, a military observer should have 20 followers. There are now two officers and a diplomat in my team.

In the end, I could only find 17 desperate men, no, adventurers to accompany me, and barely made up 20 people.

Most of them are Spanish and Portuguese. These people travel between Europe and Asia all year round and have some understanding of the situation in Zhenla.

It's just that these people don't speak German, but fortunately we can speak Spanish and Portuguese.

In comparison, the priests of the church are much more affordable.

Archbishop Rauscher personally met me and told me the gospel of the Lord.

Ten thousand words are skipped here.

Archbishop Rauscher hoped that I could bring civilization and the gospel of the Lord to Zhenla, so three more missionaries joined my team.

The church provided 20,000 florins of funds for this journey, as well as 1,000 newly printed Bibles.

Later, through the relationship of the church, we contacted a French merchant ship, and the captain was willing to take us there.

At this time, France was the only European country that could trade with Vietnam and Zhenla.

Now we have arrived at the Cape of Good Hope. Unfortunately, we encountered a storm on the way, and two of our attendants died.

Since no bodies were found, the priest could only pray to the sea, hoping to guide their souls to heaven.

When you receive this letter from me, we should have arrived in Zhenla.

May God bless us and fulfill the trust of the country and the church.

Bless me, and wish me to find the princess and save her.

——Ambrosius.

Franz thought about the problems that Ambrosius might encounter. In the previous letter to Ambrosius, he had already told him the unspoken rules and some precautions of the Eastern officialdom.

For example, don't stare at other people's eyes.

In Europe, if you don't look at others when you talk, it may be disrespectful to others.

In some places in Southeast Asia, it is considered impolite to look at people.

Of course, if you stare at women, that's another story. People will think you like her.

After thinking about it, there is only one thing to remind Ambrosius, that is, don't rush, and then it will be more efficient to send the letter directly to Schönbrunn Palace than the inefficient Austrian bureaucracy.

Talia asked curiously.

"I asked a knowledgeable general that Vietnam is one of the most powerful countries in Asia, with an area as large as France. Grand Duke Ambrosius, with only twenty people, wants to save the princess. Can he do it?"

"The dragon is as big as a mountain and lives in a strong castle. Did the knight retreat?" Franz asked back.

"But those are all fairy tales."

"Are all fairy tales a lie?" Franz played rogue, after all, he could do so at a young age.

Talia was in a dilemma. She didn't know how to explain.

She could only say.

"Have you finished your homework? You're lazy again. Go, go!"

"Obviously you are the one who wants to read the letter to me."

"You're still talking back! I'll fight you!"

Thalia was too lazy to reason. Seeing no one around, she dropped the letter and rushed over to rub Franz's head.

Franz knew that if he wanted to help Ambrosius, he had to rely on the power of the church.

After all, Emperor Minh Minh of Vietnam prohibited Western missionaries from preaching in Vietnam, so Vietnam offended the French.

France had helped the Vietnamese, providing weapons and funds in Vietnam's founding war and even sending a team of officers to help train Vietnamese soldiers.

France's evaluation of Vietnam is that it "threw France's blessings behind and became the enemy of the European civilized world."

Although Vietnam explicitly prohibits missionary work, the church has never given up on missionary work in Vietnam.

Emperor Minh Minh of Vietnam ordered the arrest of Western missionaries who preached secretly and persecuted the country's Christians.

In the near future, the French will invade Vietnam in the name of protecting persecuted Christians.

The French Church once called on European Catholics to go to Southeast Asia to spread the gospel of the Lord.

However, these people are not stupid. Since the Vietnamese government prohibits preaching, they will go to places where the Vietnamese government's power cannot reach them.

For example, rural areas, such as Chenla.

Among them, of course, were Austrian and Italian missionaries.

As the leader of the religious community in the Austrian Empire, Rauscher certainly had the means to contact these people.

And the value of these missionaries who understood the local conditions was far more than sending an army to Chenla.