Chapter 187: Persuasion
In truth, Prince Constantin's idea of immediately leaving for Africa was procedurally impossible, given his unique status.
Not only was he the ruler of Heixingen, but also a prince of the Kingdom of Prussia. Moreover, if he planned to go to East Africa, he would have to take along certain trusted retainers of the Heixingen royal family. It wasn't feasible to simply disband these loyal subjects who had served the Heixingen royal family for generations.
Although Heixingen was small, it still had all the administrative bodies a state would normally possess. Even after merging with Prussia and relinquishing some powers—military, taxation, and so forth—the Heixingen royal family continued to employ quite a number of people, including servants and guards.
All of these individuals now required arrangements. Those willing to accompany Prince Constantin to East Africa would go with him, those unwilling would be given a generous severance package, and those who refused to go yet had nowhere else to turn could remain behind to look after Heixingen's properties. After all, the castle and estates needed caretakers. However, once Prince Constantin departed, these people would no longer serve the Heixingen royal family; rather, they would be under the management of the Heixingen Consortium, transitioning from royal dependents to employees.
Additionally, the family needed to be fully informed about Prince Constantin's plans. The first to receive word was Sigmaringen next door.
"Constantin, are you really planning to journey overseas on your own?" Prince Karl Anton asked.
As one of Prince Constantin's closest friends and relatives, Karl Anton found his decision baffling. Owing to geography and family ties, Heixingen and Sigmaringen maintained an excellent relationship, especially in the current generation—Prince Karl Anton and Prince Constantin were the best of friends. The two had jointly decided to merge their territories into Prussia and continued to support each other politically afterward. In recent years, although Constantin had withdrawn from Prussian politics, his backing of Karl Anton had not diminished.
Sigmaringen was thriving; Karl Anton's two sons were both quite accomplished, and Karl Anton himself held an important position in the Kingdom of Prussia. If Prince Constantin hadn't stepped away from the kingdom's center of power, his status in Prussia might well match Karl Anton's.
"Yes, I'm an old man now, but I still wish to contribute to the family's overseas expansion," Prince Constantin replied.
"There's no need for you personally to go all the way to East Africa! It's almost unheard of for nobles of our standing to run off abroad. Europe is the center of the world, and overseas affairs are tangled and complicated. You may not be able to manage it," Karl Anton said pointedly, referring to the example of the Brazilian Empire, where the Portuguese royal family had been forced to relocate to Brazil because of Napoleon, founding a short-lived state.
"To be frank, we nobles derive much of our security in Europe from mutual support among families and political allies. Overseas territories lie far beyond our reach—our power doesn't extend there. We have no real strength in those places, so the risks of going abroad are enormous," Karl Anton continued.
From his perspective, East Africa's colony was presumably like any other: the suzerain maintained its rule through half measures, suppressing the majority population with a small contingent of colonizers. Colonies were meant for exploitation, and nobody would bother with sincere, large-scale development. Even if the British and French carried out some construction in their colonies, it was primarily to extract greater resources. Portugal alone was forced by circumstances to invest heavily in Angola and Mozambique. There was always a risk of overseas colonies breaking away, so Karl Anton's intent in persuading Constantin was to keep him from taking such a gamble.
"Ah, Karl, your situation differs from mine. Heixingen is a small state with limited potential. After merging into Prussia, I lost the motivation to fight for anything greater. You, on the other hand, have sons who are well on their way, but Ernst, being young when opportunities arose, missed the right moment. Even if he wants to achieve something in Europe in the future, the odds are slim. I'm growing old; once I'm gone, Ernst's situation will only become more difficult."
Prince Constantin was referring to Ernst's future. Much like Sigmaringen, Ernst might have had the chance to become a king in Europe, but such incredible good fortune—as happened twice with Sigmaringen—was hardly a given. While it was true that German aristocrats often married into foreign royal houses, thrones did not appear out of thin air. And in the midst of Europe's current turbulence, even if such an opportunity arose, Constantin might not approve.
In Europe, for someone to invite you to be their king isn't a trivial matter like hosting a banquet—it's about protecting their own interests. Take Emperor Maximilian I in Mexico, for instance: he was merely Napoleon III's pawn, elevated but ultimately a puppet. In the case of Romania—situated in the Ottoman Empire's sphere of influence, eager to lean on Europe, and in need of a king to solidify its European ties—a situation like that was exceedingly rare.
"This isn't such a big issue. There are so many European nobles of high status like ourselves—France alone boasts three royal houses, and there are countless people of standing. Making further progress is indeed difficult. But Heixingen, being a principality, is by no means without natural advantages, especially when you have only one heir—Ernst. He'll eventually inherit your title, and the Heixingen family's industries are enormous now. Plenty of nobles look to you for support, which is more than enough to make others envious!" Karl Anton still couldn't grasp Constantin's reasoning.
Honestly, Karl Anton rather envied Constantin. For nobles like them, money was often the biggest shortfall. Among the German aristocracy, few families surpassed the Heixingen royal family in wealth. The Heixingen Bank alone ranked among Europe's major financial institutions. If Constantin sought a marriage alliance for Ernst, top-tier nobles would likely vie for the chance. True, great families also had substantial assets but equally large expenses. These European aristocrats, who traced their lineage back to the Middle Ages, had historically been plagued by debt. In outsiders' eyes, Ernst was practically a byword for youth, wealth, and exalted status.
"Money isn't everything. At least we of the Heixingen royal family no longer concern ourselves with finances," Constantin said, displaying a rare touch of pride. "Having enough to spend is plenty. Once wealth reaches a certain point, it no longer holds much meaning for nobles like us. If we want to achieve something, we still need to progress further on the political front."
"All the same, you needn't go suffer in some godforsaken corner of Africa! With Heixingen's current strength, I can see many openings in Europe. You get along well with the Austro-Hungarian Empire, so you could dabble in the Balkans, maybe even set yourself up as a monarch there!" Karl Anton suggested.
"The Balkans do provide opportunities, and success is plausible, but the region is entangled among three great powers. I imagine Karl (Carol I, King of Romania) has griped about that to you plenty," Constantin countered.
"Yes, that's true enough. But it's still better than heading to that barren place in Africa. And even if Karl can't handle it, we wouldn't abandon him. But if you go to Africa, there'll be nothing we can do to help," Karl Anton pointed out.
"That barren place might not be so bad—more potential, at least. Europe is too fiercely competitive, making it truly difficult to stand out. While Africa may be full of dangers, it's easier to handle natives than to contend with Europe's cunning old foxes," Constantin declared, though even he was somewhat forcing himself to say it.
The more he learned, the more he recognized East Africa's potential. Before deciding to go, Constantin had shared Karl Anton's skepticism about Africa. Yet as more and more data crossed his desk, he had to admit his earlier optimism about East Africa was too reserved. Thanks to Ernst's vigorous efforts, one couldn't pinpoint any major weaknesses there—only the absence of a navy. However, since East Africa was focused on inland expansion for the moment, there wasn't an urgent need to build a strong naval force.
Just imagining a newly established nation spanning over two million square kilometers of easily governed land (and still growing), with a population of well over two million, all under the Heixingen royal family's control, filled Constantin with excitement. Having long observed his son, he too had mastered the art of quietly amassing wealth—and he was now adept at keeping a low profile while building up strength.
He told Karl Anton, "Hardships in Africa are nothing new. Think of how difficult it was for our Hohenzollern family to rise to power in the first place—how many generations it took to reach where we are today. East Africa's development will require Germany's support, so when the time comes, I hope you won't be stingy about helping us secure more backing in the kingdom."
He said not a word about East Africa's current prosperity or the Heixingen royal family's enormous interests there. On the contrary, he acted as if he were the one seeking assistance.
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