The rebellion was not a joke, and the revolution was not a dinner party; in both regards, it was not easy to get off the boat once you were on it. Even if he knew he had been trapped, Ryan had no choice but to follow the plan to the end.
He had no choice, though that did not mean that others had no choice either. Well-informed nobles already knew the danger.
There was no doubt that this was a trap designed just for them, but they jumped in anyway. The rebel army lacked weapons and ammunition, as well as the support of the public. There was no possibility for them to succeed.
Relying on the strength they currently had, there weren't even any bargaining chips to negotiate with the Vienna government.
Most of the nobles in the Czech region came from the German region, and they were inextricably linked with the Viennese nobles, but this kind of connection was not enough to keep them safe in the rebellion.
In a luxurious house in Prague's noble district, seven well-dressed men gathered together. If someone knew them, they would immediately see that all of them were Czech big shots.
But for now, these big shots looked flustered, without the elegant demeanor of the past. It would shock the whole of Prague if caught by the public.
What could possibly make so many important men so scared?
"Count Carochi, what should we do now? I'm afraid there are traitors among us. What we have done is exposed to the eyes of the Vienna government!"
"Count Scott, don't worry. We didn't participate personally in this rebellion. At most, we only had some collateral members involved, which gave us room to maneuver.
Now, as long as we help Prince Wentishgreitz to suppress the rebellion, we can clear our suspicion in this rebellion. The Vienna government cannot kill us because of this!" Count Carochi strived to maintain an appearance of calm.
They did not have any concern about selling out their partners. It was nothing more than abandoning a few offspring. What they were worried about was whether the Vienna government would rake things up against them afterward.
Under normal circumstances, the Europeans did not kill nobles, but if an accident occurred on the battlefield, no one would say anything.
At this point, only God knew the plan of Prince Wentishgreitz. After such a great game, he must expect to catch some big fish.
Count Carochi's statement obviously could not reassure everyone. If it was any other crime, maybe they would be alright, because everyone was related and there must be some powerful people who would help them.
But not this time. Although they didn't really want to be independent--they just wanted to use this opportunity to fight for greater rights--it was still a rebellion in the eyes of the Vienna government.
Since ancient times, rebellion had been the most hateful thing for the ruling class. Even if it was not immediately investigated to find out who was responsible, it was still necessary for them to clear out all the rebels.
"Count Carochi, I am not worried about personal safety. As long as we do not participate in rebellion directly, the Vienna government will not cut off our heads. Still, what price will we pay for this?
Everyone sitting here has a big family. Many industries in Prague seemingly belong to capitalists, but in fact, everyone here holds shares.
These things cannot go public. Even if the Vienna government directly confiscates all of our property, we cannot raise objections. It is even possible that the government would involve them in the rebellion.
Don't tell me that no one here has any contact with the rebels. Even keeping it secret isn't enough at this point.
As long as Prince Wentishgreitz thinks that we have joined the rebellion, then everyone will have a tough time of it. You all know what kind of end it was for the nobles involved in the rebellion in Vienna.
Quite a few families, because the younger generation or the family officials participated in the rebellion, were tangled up in it, and ultimately they were deprived of their titles and property!"
Count Scott's voice trembled. Obviously, he was worried that what happened in Vienna would repeat itself here.
The European nobles were a family, but the interests of the nobles were not all the same. Here, they wanted the Czech region to gain greater autonomy so they could gain benefits.
However, the nobles in Austria hoped to centralize their power and let it penetrate all parts of the country through the influence of the central government. The interests of the two sides had already clashed.
This was what Scott was most worried about. Would the Austrian nobles who dominated the Vienna government just let go of the opportunity to suppress them?
Just at that moment, the old Butler's voice sounded. "Count Carochi, there is someone outside who claims to be a secret envoy of Prince Wentishgreitz!"
The faces of the people in the room changed greatly. They were already exposed, so it was not surprising that Prince Wentishgreitz had sent someone to the door.
"Invite him in! And Linda will guide everyone to the next room!" Count Carochi thought for a moment and said.
No one had an objection. The maid took everyone quickly to the room next door, where the conversation in the reception room could be heard. Everyone wanted to find out what Prince Wentishgreitz was up to.
Seeing the man who entered, Carochi asked in surprise, "Candley, how can it be you?"
"Why can't it be me? My dear brother, don't forget that I have been serving in the Austrian army all this time. For now, I happened to have transferred to the army of Prince Wentishgreitz, so I took the initiative to come see you!" Candley laughed.
Sometimes it seemed like no one could figure out the complicated relationships among the European nobles. Candley and Carochi were cousins, but the Carochi branch had inherited the family's titles; as part of a collateral branch, Candley had to fend for himself.
Since they were one family, it was easy to talk. Carochi had already felt the goodwill sent by Prince Wentishgreitz.
"Candley, I'm relieved to see you at a time like this!" Carochi said, relaxing a bit.
"No, my brother, you've spoken too soon. I have brought the conditions from Prince Wentishgreitz, or should I say, from the Vienna government.
If you agree, then, for now, nothing will happen; if not, I don't need to say what will happen. If you don't want the family to decline, you'd better think about it carefully!" Candley said seriously.
Carochi smiled slightly. There was always a price to pay if one did something wrong. If the Vienna government had not put forward the conditions, he would be even more worried.
"Go ahead. As long as I can save the family, I can accept any conditions!"
Candley looked at the footprints on the floor and said, "Since everyone is there somewhere, please come out together. Anyway, you can't hide all your lives.
Sooner or later, everyone will have to face their problems. The conditions I bring are set by the Cabinet. There is no room for discussion; either accept them or refuse them!"
Count Carochi looked a little abashed, but he soon recovered and said calmly, "Well, you've already been found, so come out, all of you!"
In the crowd that emerged, everyone was an acquaintance and greeted each other. Candley said, "The conditions of the Vienna government are..."