In a music hall on the second floor of Schonbrunn Palace, a salon hosted by Countess Nicholas was underway.
However, all the nobles attending the salon knew that the real convener was Baron Walter, who was currently a rising political star in Vienna.
Especially after Leopold II had finally completed his coronation ceremony at the Vatican, Walter's status had risen along with his cousin Ludovica becoming the queen.
And a special guest at this salon made the place livelier than usual.
The theme of the salon was "The Relation between Truth, Freedom, and God's Will," but at the moment, no one in the hall was discussing this topic.
A nobleman wearing a long wig and with small eyes was saying loudly, "We simply cannot defeat the Prussians in a short time; the conflict in Silesia is just a pointless drain on the Empire's resources!"
"That's right," someone immediately agreed, "Investing military force in Bavaria could yield tenfold results!"
"Now is not the time to fight to the death with Prussia! Everyone knows what our finances look like; if we keep fighting, the serfs might revolt again!"
The small-eyed, portly noble again passionately discussed the situation in Silesia, then suddenly turned to Duke of Leeds who was sitting unobtrusively nearby, "Your Grace, what do you think about what I just said?"
"Oh, splendid! We need peace, every country does."
The latter answered nonchalantly, then turned his head to Baron Tugut and others, "That is to say, His Majesty the Emperor also realizes that your country's finances simply cannot sustain continued warfare."
"Yes, His Majesty has mentioned multiple times that Breslau is like a beast that constantly devours his taxes."
"Then why does His Majesty not choose to cease fire?" asked the Duke of Leeds, "I mean, it's clear that Prussia doesn't want to continue fighting either."
"Many factors," Baron Tugut said, swirling the wine in his glass, "such as the military hoping for another victory like that at Legnica. You know, that battle sky-rocketed many people's careers, just like Marshal Reo.
"And the biggest obstacle is the group around Count Kaunitz who are always hostile to Prussia. They are constantly shouting 'recover the old territory.' Anyone who mentions ceasing fire in front of His Majesty gets accused by them of being a traitor.
"Moreover, this group often incites nobles and even commoners to petition His Majesty. His Majesty gets a headache every time he sees them."
Philip von Kobutzky, the new assistant to the Minister of the Interior, interjected, "Also, we must consider the Prussians' conditions for the ceasefire. I believe they will demand the return of Legnica as the condition for negotiations, which is absolutely unacceptable to His Majesty."
Legnica was conquered during the reign of Joseph II. Leopold II was very aware that if he lost this territory right after ascending the throne, his prestige in Austria would plummet.
The few true power brokers who could influence Austrian politics all slightly shook their heads.
They had tried many things for the sake of cease-fire before, but had made no progress and were naturally quite dejected.
Duke of Leeds thought for a moment and looked at the group, "I can try to persuade Lord Grenville to mediate on behalf of Prussia.
"So, is the biggest obstacle remaining the attitude of Count Kaunitz?"
Kaunitz was very radical in his anti-Prussia stance and also pro-France. Since he became the Austrian Minister of State, his core political stance had been "competing with Prussia for dominance over Germany."
And with his family, the Kaunitz-Rietberg, deeply rooted in Austria and having served as the Minister of State under three generations of rulers, his opinions were absolutely taken very seriously even by His Majesty.
Kobutzky keenly noted the mention of "Britain mediating the Silesian conflict" and his interest was piqued, he immediately nodded, "If Count Kaunitz is not opposed and if we can maintain the gains of Legnica, I am confident I can convince those war-mongering generals."
Now, with the queen's influence, Walter had gathered a significant amount of political power favorable toward Prussia and opposed to France, concerned only about the political force of Kaunitz. Without his hindrance, they truly had the potential to command great influence in Vienna.
However, Baron Tugut frowned and said, "But Count Kaunitz is very stubborn; we might find it difficult to make him compromise."
Baron Walter came over, his tone angry, "It would be great if we could just get rid of that old man!"
Although he was unschooled, he still represented the queen's attitude to a substantial extent, so he had to be involved in significant political schemes.
Duke of Leeds smiled at him, "You are right; perhaps the simplest and most direct method might be the most effective. Let's see if we can find a way to move the Minister of State out of the political center."
Tugut and others nodded repeatedly, then soon fell into silence. Frankly, before Clemens Metternich pulled Austria's "broken carriage," Austria really did not have any decent political figures.
Duke of Leeds sighed in frustration, it seemed that he would have to be the one to play the villain.
He continued, "Since Count Kaunitz is highly pro-war, let's give him this opportunity to shine.
"If suddenly the front lines can no longer hold, or even show signs of inevitable defeat, he may have to take some political responsibility…"
When he roughly finished outlining his plan, the others' eyes lit up, all exclaiming in unison, "This plan is absolutely feasible!"
"You are truly full of wisdom. We should start the momentum immediately."
"I'll take care of Hungary with your full support; I'm sure I can persuade them!"
"I'll go to Prague; my mother is from there."
William II paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, his expression alternating between annoyance and indecision, muttering, "Damn, is this how they treat allies? Why are there so few true friends like Emperor Peter II?"
He was referring to the Tsar who had suddenly switched sides, helping his father reverse the fortunes of the Seven Years' War.
Yet, he had forgotten that for his "friendship," Emperor Peter II had been ousted by a coup led by his own wife and died in a cold palace.
Beside him, Minister of the Interior Lucyvida Menken cautiously advised, "Your Majesty, given the current situation, it is difficult for us to launch an offensive to recapture Legnica.
"Although it controls a pass in the Sudeten Mountains, its output is not significant. If the British can guarantee the safety of Breslau, our losses would not be too substantial…"