Listening to Moltke the Younger, Albert II realized that this rapidly rising army colonel had indeed become a "prized pork knuckle." If the royal family and the military didn't take steps to co-opt and control him, others would surely set their sights on Morin.
Consequently, a method frequently employed by nobles to forge close ties instantly flashed through Albert II's mind—marriage. Yes, what could tie a person more firmly to the royal chariot than familial bonds?
Although Europa's history was not without instances of civil wars among relatives, in the grand scheme of history, they were ultimately the rare exceptions...
Colonel Morin hailed from an impoverished Junker noble family, and even he himself had only recently regained his noble title through military merit. Therefore, a marriage alliance with the royal family would be a meteoric rise in glory for him.
But quickly, the Emperor let out a long sigh, and the brief excitement on his face deflated.
He waved his hand somewhat helplessly, muttering as if to himself:
"I have six sons, and one daughter... It's a pity my only daughter, Victoria Louise, was married to the current Duke of Brunswick in March of the year before last."
"Otherwise, the two of them would actually be quite suitable in all respects."
Hearing Albert II's words, Moltke and Falkenhayn couldn't help but recall the last grand royal wedding on the Europa continent before the outbreak of the war.
Thinking back to that scene now, it still felt like a dream.
That March 1913 wedding was held at the Grand Palace in Dresden, attended by a full 1,200 guests from nations across Europa. Even the Holy Britannia Empire across the sea sent their royal offspring to offer congratulations.
This was not surprising...
After all, tracing the bloodlines, Queen Victoria of the Holy Britannia Empire was Princess Victoria Louise's maternal great-grandmother. That wedding... was less a wedding and more a meticulously planned, large-scale diplomatic event.
Albert II even used the opportunity to demonstrate the Empire's desire to ease relations with the Britannians.
On that day, he pardoned two captured spies of the Holy Britannia Empire and sent them back to Britannia by ship. At that time, the continent of Europa could be said to be immersed in a false peace and prosperity.
Who could have imagined that in just over a year, the entire world would be boiling in a chaotic war?
Thinking of this, Moltke returned to his senses. He cleared his throat and said respectfully to the Emperor:
"Your Majesty, what you say is true... However, the union of Princess Victoria Louise and Duke Ernest Augustus III was in itself a crucial political marriage."
"It can be said that this marriage officially ended the continuous disputes within the Empire since 1866, achieving a political reconciliation between Your Majesty and the House of Welf. This significance is equally profound."
The dispute Moltke referred to was during the Austro-Prussian (Saxon-Austrian in this world) War of 1866, when the Kingdom of Hanover supported Austria against Saxony. Consequently, Hanover was annexed by Saxony after the war, becoming a province...
The King of Hanover at the time was deposed and exiled to Austria, forging a nearly 50-year-long grudge between the House of Wettin and Hanover's House of Welf. The Chief of the Army General Staff spoke tactfully, but his meaning was clear: The Princess's marriage was part of national strategy, and it shouldn't be regretted just because it couldn't be used to co-opt Colonel Morin.
Minister of War Falkenhayn nodded upon hearing this, and added from another perspective:
"Your Majesty, there is another point worthy of our attention... According to some information currently at hand, the relationship between Colonel Morin and the 'Radiant Crystal Queen,' Madame Falkenstein, appears to be extraordinary."
Falkenhayn paused, observing the Emperor's expression before continuing:
"Although Madame Falkenstein has never made any public statements regarding this, the noble circles in the Imperial Capital can more or less guess that the relationship between the two is not simple."
"At a time like this, if the royal family were to forcibly arrange a marriage, it might... anger this 'Radiant Crystal Queen,' who is crucial to the Empire's economy and radiant crystal industry."
Madame Falkenstein... Cecilia von Falkenstein.
This name carried no less weight in the Saxon Empire than a general with actual power.
Because to some extent, she and the "United Industries" she controlled directly influenced the Empire's war potential.
More importantly, everyone knew that Colonel Morin's current success was backed by the steadfast support of this Madame.
Setting aside the fact that before entering the army, Morin had become a famous "playboy" in Dresden under this Madame's indulgence... Even after Morin became an army officer, the development of many matters was inextricably linked to this Radiant Crystal Queen.
If such a woman developed a rift with the royal family and the military over a marriage arrangement, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Listening to their analysis, Albert II knew they both made sense.
At least for now, the path of a marriage alliance was a dead end.
Just as Moltke and Falkenhayn were guessing if the Emperor had any other ideas, Albert II looked up at them, a gentle smile appearing on his face:
"Having summoned you two to the Grand Palace at this hour, I presume you haven't had lunch yet? Since that's the case, stay here and join me for a light meal." Hearing the Emperor's invitation, Falkenhayn and Moltke exchanged a subtle glance.
Both saw the same signal of helplessness in each other's eyes: "Well, looks like lunch today, along with the afternoon rest period, is down the drain."
Having a meal with the Emperor was no relaxing chore.
According to their past experience, the workload discussed during this meal would be no less than holding a conference at the General Staff...
Soon, an attendant directed the Grand Palace staff to bring in an exquisite lunch and wine.
Although it was a state of war, the Emperor's dining table still maintained its proper decency.
Silver cutlery, refined dishes, and cellar-aged wines—nothing was lacking.
It was also somewhat of a tradition for high-ranking military officials to consume alcohol during lunch and dinner.
However, most exercised restraint, merely having a small glass to accompany the meal and relax tense nerves.
After the attendant silently withdrew with the staff and closed the heavy study doors again, Albert II picked up his knife and fork. As he unhurriedly cut the veal steak on his plate, he continued discussing the previous topic.
"A point suddenly occurred to me just now... Colonel Morin's network of relationships seems quite complex as well."
"Thinking I could firmly bind him to the royal chariot through a simple marriage plan was indeed too simplistic of me."
Albert II put a small piece of beef into his mouth and chewed it finely, seemingly savoring the food, yet also as if pondering something. After a while, he set down his knife and fork, raised his wine glass, and cast his gaze on Moltke and Falkenhayn.
"So, besides marriage, does this Colonel Morin have any other hobbies or preferences? Can we find a way from other angles to further co-opt him?"
Hearing the Emperor's question, Moltke temporarily ceased his actions.
He set down his knife and fork, wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, then leaned back in his chair and began to think very seriously.
For a time, only the crisp clinking of knives and forks against porcelain plates remained in the room.
After quite a while, Moltke finally spoke with some uncertainty:
"Your Majesty, speaking of hobbies... Colonel Morin is indeed a bit strange."
"According to the Army's observations and understanding of him, he hasn't shown any particular personal hobbies at present. Especially since entering the military, he is simply like a changed man... Compared to those other young Junker nobles in the Empire, he doesn't act like a noble at all." This statement was true.
Which of the Empire's young nobles wasn't proficient in wine, women, and song?
Hunting, equestrianism, fencing, balls, operas... these were all part of their lives.
Even in the military, there was always an ingrained clique culture.
Before entering the army, although Morin was a son of an impoverished noble, he was no different from these young nobles.
But after becoming an army officer, his entire person became an "insulator to entertainment activities."
Hearing this, Falkenhayn also put down his cutlery and added:
"Your Majesty, the Chief of Staff is correct... According to our records at the Ministry of War, since Colonel Morin graduated from the military academy and officially entered service in the Imperial Army, he has spent nearly 80% of his time in military camps... Either on the front lines or at the training grounds.
"During those few remaining rest days, according to our understanding, he basically returned to the Falkenstein Estate to spend time with the Radiant Crystal Queen.
"Basically, he hasn't attended any entertainment events in noble circles.
"The only exception was recently going to the Semperoper to watch an opera, which ultimately turned into 'executing official duties,' conveniently catching a few Britannian spies."
Falkenhayn's tone carried a hint of exasperation mixed with amusement as he mentioned this incident.
After all, this matter had almost become a running joke among the top brass of the Ministry of War.
For others, leave meant relaxation; for Colonel Morin, leave meant casually working overtime.
"If one must say he has a hobby..." Falkenhayn thought for a moment and continued, "It seems to be a near-obsessive fanaticism for the innovation of military equipment and technology."
"That is indeed true..." Moltke immediately nodded in agreement.
Falkenhayn continued: "Your Majesty might not be aware of some details, but the majority of the patent fees Colonel Morin acquired from the 'shaped-charge anti-armor shell' technology have been invested into the Schmeisser Weapon Manufacturing Company, used to develop various new types of military equipment."
"The new generation of individual weapons our Imperial Army is currently phasing in—including the MP14 submachine gun, the M1915 semi-automatic rifle, and the MG14 light machine gun... as well as the new individual load-bearing equipment we are promoting, all have Colonel Morin's shadow behind them.
"Also, you should recall Miss Seeckt of the Imperial Academy of Magitech Research, Your Majesty?" Falkenhayn looked at the Emperor.
"Of course I remember... Patricia von Seeckt, that noble lady who, with a mortal body, forcibly earned the title of 'Genius Girl' among a host of Imperial mages."
Albert II nodded:
"Director Planck has mentioned her to me several times, evaluating her extremely highly..."
"Exactly, that's her."
Falkenhayn continued:
"That 'portable magitech communication equipment' she is recently experimenting with was also first given to Colonel Morin's instruction unit for field testing... It is said many inspirations for this project came from Colonel Morin's suggestions.
"Even the initial requirements for the new 'anti-armor artillery' being developed by the Krupp Arsenal were jointly proposed to us by Colonel Morin and the Teutonic Knights."
Hearing this, Moltke couldn't help but interject at this moment:
"Your Majesty, since we are speaking of the Teutonic Knights, I must mention one thing... The entirely new generation of Armored Knights currently being developed by the Teutonic Knights, as well as their upgrade plans for existing Armored Knights, are equally inextricably linked to Colonel Morin.
"I heard directly from Grand Master Leonia that Colonel Morin proposed many subversive ideas regarding the tactical application and equipment improvement of Armored Knights."
Moltke's tone carried a trace of amazement:
"Even Grand Master Leonia von Fortis herself... this 'Golden Lion' of the Empire, was full of praise for Colonel Morin!" Moltke and Falkenhayn went back and forth like a comedy duo, roughly outlining Morin's various movements and relationship networks inside and outside the military to the Emperor.
From their words, Morin simply sounded like a "war machine" devoid of emotion and personal life.
Yes, just like how Verstappen is an "Autobot"...
Whether in the military or on leave, everything Colonel Morin did tied back to military matters.
His life seemed to have no content other than fighting wars and preparing to fight wars.
Such a purely extreme soldier was indeed admirable, but it also made one feel... somewhat terrified.
A person without desires or demands was the most difficult to co-opt and control.
However, Albert II, after listening to their detailed descriptions, did not feel it was as thorny a problem as they did.
His Majesty the Emperor suddenly frowned slightly, then set down his knife and fork. The expression on his face looked as if he had discovered a "blind spot" that everyone had overlooked.
He picked up his wine glass, took a slow sip, then swept his gaze over the faces of Moltke and Falkenhayn, suddenly asking a seemingly irrelevant question.
"If I'm not mistaken, the chief designer helping Colonel Morin develop those light weapons should also be a woman?" Moltke and Falkenhayn were both stunned, clearly not expecting the Emperor's thinking to suddenly leap in this direction.
However, Moltke quickly reacted, immediately nodding and answering:
"Yes, Your Majesty... The chief designer of the Schmeisser Weapon Manufacturing Company, Miss Helga Schmeisser, is indeed a very young and brilliant female firearms designer."
Hearing Moltke's affirmative answer, Albert II nodded, a meaningful smile appearing on his face.
He leaned back in his chair and said with a tone of sudden realization: "Looking at it this way... our Colonel Morin seems to be quite fond of women?"
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Falkenhayn, who was drinking, inhaled a mouthful of red wine straight into his windpipe upon hearing the Emperor's words and began coughing violently on the spot.
Moltke beside him was also utterly bewildered, almost dropping his knife and fork.
Because it wasn't that they hadn't considered this conclusion, it's just that hearing the Emperor say it out loud was somewhat overwhelming. Look at the people closely associated with Colonel Morin. Who were they?
The Radiant Crystal Queen, Cecilia von Falkenstein.
Mature, glamorous, wealthy, and holding immense power, she was the dream lover of countless Imperial noblemen, yet uniquely favored Morin, supporting him at all costs.
The genius magitech researcher, Patricia von Seeckt.
A genius girl combining beauty and wisdom, yet willing to lower her status to collaborate with Morin on various magitech research.
The genius firearms designer, Helga Schmeisser.
Although of ordinary birth, relying on unparalleled talent, she carved a bloody path in the male-dominated military industry.
The Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, Leonia von Fortis.
The "Golden Lion" of the Empire, a knightly order leader with formidable strength and an aloof personality, yet who had repeatedly expressed her appreciation and admiration for Morin in public.
The seemingly "ordinary" Colonel Morin was unwittingly surrounded by so many top-tier women shining brightly in magitech, military technology, knightly armed forces, and the Empire's economic lifelines.
Albert II, feeling it made more and more sense the more he thought about it, suddenly couldn't hold back and burst into loud laughter, "Hahaha."
"It seems you've realized it too."
The Emperor pointed at them, his smile growing even more radiant.
"I tell you, I feel much more at ease now~
"Previously, listening to your descriptions and the reports submitted by various parties, I always felt Colonel Morin was, as I just said, a combat machine without emotion and without weaknesses.
"While such a person is useful, they are also the most difficult to control, because you don't know what he actually wants.
"But looking at it now..." The Emperor's tone became brisk, "He is also a young man of flesh and blood, with things he likes and pursues~ That makes things much easier to handle."
Falkenhayn and Moltke exchanged a glance, both seeing a trace of understanding in each other's eyes.
It was indeed so.
A saint without desires or demands is the most terrifying.
But a mortal with the seven emotions and six sensory pleasures, no matter how powerful, can ultimately be co-opted and influenced.
Albert II waved his hand and said in a joking tone:
"Speaking of which, do I have to ask the Imperial Parliament to amend the constitution to legalize polygamy just to co-opt our Colonel Morin?" This joke instantly turned the somewhat serious atmosphere in the study relaxed and cheerful.
Moltke and Falkenhayn also laughed along.
After the joke, the expressions of all three visibly relaxed considerably.
At least, they had now found a breakthrough.
Morin was not a saint without desires or demands.
Since he wasn't a saint, he had weaknesses, which gave the royal family and the military room to maneuver.
Even more, they could completely draw the powerful network of outstanding women behind him closer to the Imperial royal family and military by co-opting Morin himself.
This was a surefire profitable transaction.
"Alright, regarding the matter of Colonel Morin himself, we will conclude the discussion here for now."
Having finished discussing Morin's personal matters, Albert II seemed to suddenly remember something. He looked at Moltke and continued asking: "By the way, since Operation 'Ghost' in Budapest was successful, can we cancel that 'backup plan' we prepared previously?"
This question made the just-relaxed atmosphere turn serious again.
Moltke immediately put down his barely-warmed knife and fork, nodded, and said with a grave expression:
"Your Majesty, even if you hadn't mentioned it, I was actually just about to report on this point to you."
The so-called "backup plan" was the last resort prepared by the Saxon Empire in case Operation 'Ghost' failed.
According to the originally agreed-upon plan, about one-third of the forces of the Saxon Empire's Fifth Army Group were in the process of transferring to the Balkan front via the Austro-Hungarian railway network.
If Morin's operation failed, these troops transferring within Austro-Hungarian territory would immediately throw caution to the wind upon receiving orders. Under the pretext of "helping an ally suppress a rebellion," they would directly assist Vienna in taking military control of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Over the past few days, these troops in transit had already slowed or halted their transfer under various pretexts—such as "railway malfunction," "logistics delay," etc.—and secretly entered a combat-ready state according to secret orders from the General Staff. It could be said that the Saxon Empire was prepared for the worst-case scenario: entering the fray directly to fight a civil war for the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
But now, the situation was different.
"With Budapest already leaderless, I believe Field Marshal Conrad can certainly handle the domestic situation in Hungary," Moltke analyzed:
"Although this allied Army Chief of Staff has always been criticized by us for his military command, he is still trustworthy when handling their domestic political issues."
"Since that is the case, there is no need for our troops to remain stranded in the Austro-Hungarian hinterland... They can continue deploying to the border regions according to the original plan, preparing for our next phase of combat operations."
Hearing Moltke's analysis, Albert II nodded in agreement.
Now that the Hungarian Prime Minister had been captured, the entire Magyar noble faction was leaderless and in a chaotic mess.
Conrad held an army loyal to Vienna. If he couldn't even clean up this situation, he shouldn't be Chief of Staff anymore. The Saxon Empire indeed had no need to take on massive political risks by directly intervening with troops.
Albert II: "Then do as you say. Have the troops continue advancing to the designated combat areas. We must hurry; the window of opportunity left for us in the Balkan Peninsula is shrinking."
"Yes, Your Majesty," Moltke replied.
At this point, Moltke seemed to remember something else. He took a document from his briefcase and handed it to the Emperor with both hands. "Your Majesty, actually, when Colonel Morin finalized the Operation 'Ghost' plan, he simultaneously submitted another report to the General Staff."