Holy Roman Empire

United States of America, Texas, inside a farm where thick smoke was billowing, the flag could be seen rising amidst the dense fumes, visible from dozens of miles away.

As the farm owner, Odell was overwhelmed with mixed emotions.

Having lived for most of his life, it was the first time he encountered a buyer who, after purchasing grain, chose not to transport it but to burn it on the spot instead.

However, out of respect for Divine Shield, even if the buyer's request was peculiar, Odell would not refuse.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Odell voiced the question on his mind, "Mr. Ulbert, our transaction is complete.

But to burn such fine grain, don't you think it's a pity?"

Ulbert answered helplessly, "There's no other way. The French are sharpening their knives, getting ready to invade my homeland.

As a merchant, I am not able to return home and join the war, but I still want to do whatever I can."

Recently, news came from Europe that Austria had finally officially intervened. They also issued a declaration, ordering the French to cease their war activities, or else they would call for a global embargo against France.

I've heard that already thirteen countries have announced their participation, and this is the only chance to prevent war.

As long as the French can't purchase enough strategic materials, they won't have the ability to launch an invasion war, and my homeland will be spared the threat of war."

Of course, declarations exist, and to claim the moral high ground, Franz has issued quite a few edicts lately, persuading the French to pull back from the brink.

The same words, falling on different ears, have entirely different effects.

In the eyes of the European public, Franz is making the utmost effort to avoid war; to the French, this is Austria showing fear.

On one hand, they exhibit uncompromising diplomacy, and on the other, they wave the banner of peace, obviously not wanting to fight.

Other than fearing France, there is absolutely no need for Franz to come out and make pointless proclamations. Even the threats are weak embargoes; there isn't the decisiveness of someone ready to fight.

Many French suspect that once they take action, Austria will shrink back, and Central Europe can be easily taken.

An embargo from thirteen nations sounds terrifying, but those in the know understand it's a joke; just consider the countries involved.

You don't even have to mention Belgium, Germany, and Austria; their participation is expected. Then there are Greece and Montenegro.

It's not hard to see from a map that these two small countries had to join the embargo alliance because their trade with the French had already been cut off after Austria imposed a blockade on France.

Then there are Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, the Papal State, Tuscany, Lucca, Modena, Parma – all clearly under French control, yet they also announced joining the embargo alliance.

Without a doubt, these bandwagoners are doing so as representatives of exiled governments; the sub-state governments under French control would not defect at this time.

Add to this the Mexican Empire in exile in Austria, rounding up thirteen countries for the embargo.

Odell remarked, "You truly are a patriotic merchant! But you could simply not sell the grain to the French – why burn it?"

These days, capitalism knows no borders, and patriotic merchants are a rare breed, with most merchants seeing only profits.

Ulbert firmly replied, "If I don't sell to the French, someone else will sell the grain to them. Once it changes hands, its final destination is out of my control.

As far as I know, to apply pressure on the French, the Austrian Government is also sweeping the market for goods.

As long as the French Government doesn't relent, the grain in their hands will not flow into France, and a short-term rise in grain prices is inevitable.

You know I am a merchant, and merchants cannot resist the temptation of profits.

If along the way grain prices rise, I cannot guarantee I'll be able to maintain my resolve in the face of financial gains.

It's best to burn it to avoid the worst-case scenario."

…

Perhaps by coincidence, a reporter from the Holy Franco Gazette happened to catch this conversation and recorded it all with his pen.

After the newspaper published this news, it quickly caused a sensation in the Union. Patriotic merchants prefer to burn grain rather than sell it to the French – such a touching story naturally spread far and wide.

Soon, news of merchants burning grain frequently surfaced everywhere, some were patriotic merchants, some simply did it out of righteous indignation – either way, they all didn't want the French to get their grain.

A reason for the bullish market appeared. Grain is a staple; with Austria's hoarding on one side and righteous merchants burning their stock on the other, the reduction of grain circulation in the market meant prices were bound to rise!

With the encouragement of capitalists, everyone believed grain prices were set to skyrocket, leading even ordinary citizens to start hoarding food.

Then, grain transaction prices in the Union began to soar, chasing closely behind Europe's trend.

Especially in the futures market, where the trading price for grain months in advance increased more than twofold.

A similar scene unfolded not just in the Union but in other American countries as well.

Only the script had been slightly altered; it wasn't always grain that saw bullish trends, as other industrial raw materials weren't neglected either.

…

Price increases didn't only affect the French; the entire world was burdened with this unnecessary calamity.

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There was no other way; the capitalists were too powerful. Austria merely started it, and the rest was all manipulated by them.

Just as the newspapers said, "When the Emperor gives an order, Europe trembles, and the world shifts.

Billowing smoke rose from the farms, changing the color of the sky and earth; mountains of fire sprang from the coal mines, inverting day and night!

Poor people, still scurrying for three meals a day, troubled over keeping warm..."

The news, full of irony, begs the question: was it aimed at Franz or Napoleon IV? That is a topic worth discussing.

However, Franz, with a good mindset, simply assumed it was satirizing Napoleon IV and quietly had someone change 'Emperor' to 'Emperor of the French.'

The act of burning supplies was also interpreted as a means for the public to oppose the hegemony of France, a pity that unscrupulous capitalists took advantage of, ultimately harming the world.

Foreign Minister Weisenberg: "Your Majesty, these are diplomatic messages from various countries, hoping we can show restraint and stop our current economic tactics."

The inevitable has come, and no matter what, Austria was the instigator, so the protests were justified.

But is Austria's government to blame for the rise in commodity prices?

The answer is: No!

Even with all its wealth, the Austrian government couldn't possibly buy up the world's supplies. The supplies actually purchased by the Austrian government represented only a small fraction.

Although the burning campaign was first planned by the Austrian government, it was just for show; only a few thousand tons of grain were burned in the end.

The supplies bought with real money were not going to be burnt up in flames; Franz wasn't that foolish.

The burning of supplies was just an excuse for the capital market, to make everyone believe there would soon be a shortage of supplies, driving up prices.

With domestic shortages, export restrictions were natural. France, not being a member of the free trade system, was bound to be the first to suffer.

As for the smaller countries that were collateral damage, Franz could only express regret. After all, no tactic in the world is perfect; it is inevitable that some will suffer losses.

Franz inquired with concern: "How much have the prices of commodities on the international market risen compared to a year ago?"

Weisenberg: "The overall commodity prices have been raised by 31.4%, coal prices have increased by 94.1%, grain prices by 144.1%, and steel prices by 79.7%..."

After hesitating for a moment, Franz slowly stated, "The prices are about right now; start offloading the stocks! If we keep dragging this out, everyone will get restless."

Economic tactics are useful, but the problem is the anger of the masses. It's fine to make a profit, but if you keep at it, governments are sure to intervene.

In fact, that the governments have waited until now to protest is thanks to the substantial efforts of the capitalists.

Prices are determined by market supply and demand; nobody fights against money. If Austrian purchases drive up prices, it is the capitalists who benefit the most.

In their greed for exorbitant profits, untold numbers of capitalists, under the guise of resisting French hegemony, burned supplies to fuel the rise in prices.

Prime Minister Carl objected: "Your Majesty, if we start offloading now, these supplies will end up in the hands of the French..."

In a sense, Austria selling supplies now boosts the war potential of the French, tantamount to "aiding the enemy."

If anyone other than Franz had suggested selling the stockpiled supplies abroad, Prime Minister Carl would have had some choice words for his entire family.

Franz shook his head: "We can't drag this out any longer; prices have already risen to a high point. If we delay further, these supplies will crash down on us.

Since we bought in at high prices, we mustn't miss this opportunity to sell, or it will be difficult to offload them later.

As for your concerns about aiding the enemy, that's entirely redundant. Even if we don't sell, the French can still procure these supplies.

Don't forget, the capitalist world now has an excess of production capacities, not a shortage.

The supplies we've stockpiled only account for at most one or two percent of the entire market.

If the French simply postpone the start of the war, all their problems are solved.

The current international situation doesn't favor us initiating the war. Poland and Belgium demand France fire the first shot politically; we can only respond defensively.

By selling off supplies now, we not only save face for the governments but also take the chance to make a profit and incidentally trap the French, why not do it?"

This is the reality; whether the French government likes it or not, prices have risen, and they must accept the high cost if they want to buy.

After contemplation, Prime Minister Carl nodded: "If that's the case, we might as well provoke the French a little, start offloading after the war breaks out."

To be thorough, prices will definitely be at their highest right after the outbreak of war. The main problem for the French not launching the war is the lack of sufficient strategic supplies in hand.

If the war drags on, they'll be in trouble within half a year. Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

The French aren't fools; they've considered the consequences of a prolonged war. After all, aside from Prussia and Germany, they face the behemoth Austria.

A great power confrontation can't be settled in one battle, and even if it loses, there's always a chance to regroup and come back. As long as the enemy refuses to concede, the war can't be ended quickly.

Even after acquiring supplies, they're not instantly usable; it takes months or longer to transport and process them back home.

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