Chapter 19 Political Marriage

Speaking of political marriage, isn't the couple in front of them a ready-made example?

　　Constantine's mother, Grand Duke Olga, came from the Romanov royal family of Tsarist Russia.

　　George I himself came from the Danish royal family and was the king of Greece chosen by the British.

　　The Schleswig-Holstein-Zonderberg-Glücksburg dynasty of the Greek royal family established by George I and Grand Duke Olga naturally received support from Russia and Britain.

　　The political gains obtained from this kind of political marriage are by no means an empty maintenance of the blood and glory of the royal family or aristocracy, but are supported by tangible interests.

　　For example, in order to show goodwill, the United Kingdom escorted the new Greek King George I to Greece to take office in 1862, and at the same time returned the Ionian Islands in the Adriatic Sea near Greece.

　　Constantine understood that Queen Olga meant that when she went to Germany to study, she would pay attention to the selection of daughter-in-law who would be of great benefit to her future career.

　　For Greece, which is now weak in national power, the political and economic benefits brought by the crown prince marrying a queen from a powerful family cannot be underestimated.

　　For example, the well-known Habsburg family, nicknamed the "lower body fort", used the means of marriage to rule a large area of ​​Europe.

　　The Habsburg family has a famous saying, "Let them go to war, we just need to get married."

　　Other countries have an empire first, and then an emperor.

　　The Habsburg family had an emperor before they had an empire.

　　The fortune of the Habsburg family set a model for European aristocrats and showed them the enormous benefits that aristocratic marriages can bring.

　　The reason why Queen Olga specifically raised the question of Constantine's marriage was because of the very special national conditions in Germany.

　　In 1871, after defeating the French in the Franco-Prussian War, Prussia unified Germany and used the unforgettable shame of the French to add infinite glory to the German crown and became the largest power in Europe.

　　However, Germany is not completely unified, and there are still several small kingdoms in the country, such as Bavaria and Saxony.

　　These small kingdoms that have been passed down since the time of the Holy Roman Empire are not strong, but hundreds of years of intermarriage have made the royal power of these small kingdoms deeply entrenched and the network of relationships is huge.

　　Therefore, when Constantine went to Germany to study, he must have frequent contact with German nobles. For Queen Olga, it was a rare opportunity to find a good wife.

　　Constantine had no resistance to political marriage. After he understood the nobility's concept of marriage, his illusions about freedom of love disappeared.

　　If Constantine staged a drama against feudal ethics and love for freedom, the political consequences would be very serious.

　　How serious it is, it may trigger a world war.

　　For example, because the crown prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire married a commoner woman, not only did the Austro-Hungarian emperor dislike him, but even the nobles of the Austro-Hungarian Empire did not approve of him.

　　The aristocratic circles and social places of the Austro-Hungarian Empire strongly rejected the Grand Duchess Ferdinand, who was of civilian origin. She was often ignored in public, so that Vienna gave the Grand Duchess a bad impression.

　　In order to make the Grand Duchess able to relieve the depressed mood, the Ferdinand and his wife went to Sarajevo to relax, but they were assassinated.

　　Although this was a coincidence, the strong repulsion of the aristocratic elite caused by the royal prince's marriage to a commoner woman prevented Constantine from touching this restricted area.

　　"I see, mother", even though he was unhappy in his heart, Constantine had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree first.

　　At this moment, Cape's butler walked in.

　　"Your Excellency, Colonel Brut of the Royal Guard, came to the manor and is waiting for your reception."

　　After that, he turned around and took Constantine, and went to meet the colonel.

　　Constantine promised to assist Stanley's professional military personnel, who received Constantine's order to travel across the oceans to the Congo, Africa.

　　Because the Royal Guards deal with the private affairs of the crown prince, all the expenses of this military operation will be borne by the royal family.

　　In the reception room.

　　"Your Excellency", when Constantine came in, Brute, sitting on the sofa, hurriedly stood up and stood upright.

　　"Brut, the mission has been notified to you. The 500 members of the Royal Guards are going to Africa to maintain the trade order in Africa and combat slave traders. Do you have any questions?" Constantine said to his confidant, or More important.

　　"Your Excellency, how long will this operation last?" Brute asked.

　　"About a year or so, the longest will not exceed two years."

　　"Does the Royal Guards obey Mr. Stanley's command?

What if Mr. Banning disagrees with Mr. Stanley? "

　　"Follow Stanley's command, but Banning decides the final opinion."

　　"Brute, are you from a civilian background?" Constantine stared at Brute, suddenly said.

　　"Yes", Brute was a little confused when he heard Constantine suddenly ask him about his personal affairs.

　　"Does the family live in Athens? Athens is expensive," Constantine said.

　　Athens is the capital of Greece and a seaport city, densely populated, developed commerce, and prices are rising.

　　As the commander of the Royal Guards, Brut has a rank of captain and his salary is not low, with a monthly salary of 30 dramack.

　　If Brute lives alone, this income is enough for him to live a very moisturizing life.

　　But Brute's family has a large population, two younger brothers and one younger sister. His father was at home all year round due to poor health and could not work. He relied on his mother's help to support the family. The family gritted their teeth to support Brute for school.

　　Brute did not live up to the expectations of his family and graduated with honors from the Athens Military Academy. Because he was smart and able to bear hardships, he was favored by Constantine and personally promoted him to the head of the Guards.

　　Most of Brut's salary needs to be subsidized by his family, so his hands are always tight.

　　"Brut, this action in Africa, whether it is for me, for Greece, or for you, is of great significance. It can only succeed and not fail."

　　Constantine regarded Congolese resources as the cornerstone of the rise of Greece, which was of great significance to the great ideals of the Greeks.

　　Constantine has invested a lot of energy in the Congo over the years. He hoped that the officers he valued could help himself and the Greeks and make significant contributions.

　　"If we succeed this time, Brute, we will all be so prosperous. You will become a big man. You will never worry about the hard life of your family again." Constantine held Brute's shoulders with both hands, emotional Excited, his face flushed.