African Entrepreneurship Record

Chapter 452: Chapter 130 Unlucky Man Gets Married

On the day the wedding began, Prince Karl of Sigmaringen took over Grand Duke Ferdinand’s duties, while the Grand Duke returned to his daughter Karina.

November 3, 1873.

The wedding was scheduled for ten in the morning, at St. Augustine’s Monastery Church, a place where members of the Habsburg family received baptisms and got married; in history, even Empress Theresa was wed here.

Due to the Heixinggen royal family’s relocation to East Africa, the wedding couldn’t strictly follow a European protocol. After all, it wasn’t that the Heixinggen royal family couldn’t entertain so many dignitaries in East Africa, but simply the notion of Africa was enough to deter a crowd.

The wedding carriage made Ernst want to vent; it looked like the pumpkin carriage from the Grimm’s Fairy Tales illustrations he saw in his past life. Although Ernst knew this was quite normal in the West, his aesthetics naturally remained in the style of his previous life out of habit.

”Karina!” Ernst gallantly invited Karina to board the wedding carriage, which then slowly set in motion.

Though still quite young, Karina had opinions of her own and was generally satisfied with Ernst. This aligned with reality; political marriages didn’t consider emotion, and familiarity with one’s betrothed was a plus. Moreover, Ernst was not unattractive; his appearance was plain but without blemish.

The honor guard was comprised of both East African and Austrian troops. Bound by tradition, East African soldiers wore flamboyant attire; their bright red uniforms did not at all uphold the East African military’s image.

However, they still had a solo performance opportunity in the afternoon, when they would change into East African military formal wear to give Vienna citizens a somewhat ’Fuhrer-esque’ shock. You could criticize the ’Fuhrer’ for this and that, but his military aesthetic absolutely matched the public’s stereotypical view of a stern soldier.

As the wedding carriage passed through the city center, crowds thronged the streets, cheering enthusiastically. This wedding indeed stirred the citizens’ excitement.

Soon the carriage reached St. Augustine’s Monastery Church, and as all the guests arrived along with the classical, elegant music, the ceremony officially commenced. Under the gaze of all present, the newlyweds began to complete the intricate rituals. Even though it had been rehearsed multiple times, Ernst was still a bit nervous, so much that he seemed a little dumbfounded, leaving himself at the mercy of the Catholic bishop.

Theoretically, Ernst was also a Catholic, but only in theory; in reality, Ernst was an atheist.

Nonetheless, out of respect for getting married today, Ernst paid homage to ’Old Man God,’ performing the entire set of prayer gestures according to the Austrian noble wedding process (crossing himself).

Then Princess Charlotte handed her daughter’s hand to Ernst, with 23-year-old Ernst and 16-year-old Karina standing together and looking quite a match, at least in terms of appearance without too high a disparity.

It wasn’t just Ernst who was nervous; Karina was too. They stumbled a little while reciting the wedding vows: ”I sincerely implore God not to let me leave you or force me to follow you, for where you go, I will go; because of your stay, I will stay. The person you love shall be the one I love; your master will also be my master. Where you die, I will be buried alongside you. Perhaps the Lord requires more of me, but no matter what happens, I shall always be by your side...”

”And now, Prince Ernst, please place the ring on Princess Karina’s finger,” said the Cardinal.

As a former African chief, the one thing Ernst lacked least was this low-grade gem called diamond. When Ernst presented the ”Blue Diamond Ring,” all the women’s eyes in the audience focused here—so typical. The highlights of a noble wedding were nothing more than comparison, showcasing wealth and power.

As early as the fifteenth century, Archduke Maximilian of Austria vowed unwavering love to Mary with a diamond engagement ring. It was advice given to him by his trusted advisor, which he heeded, leading to this ceremony reportedly passed down over centuries.

This ring by Ernst was entirely carved from a natural diamond, maintaining its basic shape with simple, rounded adjustments, appearing seamlessly perfect. Weighing in at 21 carats, it shone with dazzling blue light under the lights.

This blue diamond was discovered in a diamond mine southeast of the Great Lakes Region, and its designer named it the ”Blue Heart.”

Princess Charlotte said to her husband, Grand Duke Ferdinand, ”Dear, when we return to East Africa, ask Ernst if there’s more of this blue diamond. It looks truly beautiful, especially with that dazzling blue halo. I want one too!”

Grand Duke Ferdinand: ”...”

...

In the afternoon, after the banquet concluded, the military parade that the straight-minded Ernst had been longing for finally began. He said excitedly to Karina, ”Karina, trust me, East Africa’s military will provide an unparalleled viewing experience.”

Karina: ”...”

”Ernst brother! It seems you really like the military?” Karina began to suspect that perhaps her husband was a war fanatic.

”Not really, Karina. I just think it’s very cool.”

”...”

Of course, Ernst loved the military, but it was something destined since his past life when he was just a child; he was almost defenseless against a disciplined army. It was a passion, like a merchant’s love for money, from which he couldn’t extricate himself.

Soon, following the flower car parade’s end, the East African honor guard took the stage.

The East African military uniforms were primarily black, complemented with gold and red for decoration. If entirely black, it would appear not bright enough (refer to Soviet Army and German Army).

Three thousand people were divided into ten formations, with the first three being cavalry, and the horses were rented from the Austrian army.

”Clop... clop... clop!” The cavalry horses trotted briskly, quickly passing through Vienna’s somewhat narrow streets. The infantry phalanx followed closely, military boots striking the ground rhythmically, emitting a series of steady sounds.

The moment the East African military parade stepped onto the scene, it captivated everyone’s attention—not only the Viennese citizens, but also nobles from various European countries, including Prussia’s Crown Prince Frederick, who took a special interest in the East African army.

”The attire looks completely different from European armies. I’ve seen attire from the Heixinggen Military Academy during the Franco-Prussian War, which does differ from Prussia, but the East African army’s attire is noticeably different from the Heixinggen Military Academy’s.”

All of Prussia knew that the Heixinggen royal family had once established a military academy in Heixinggen to train military talents in order to colonize Africa, so Frederick even assumed the East African army uniforms would be somewhat similar to the Heixinggen Military Academy!

Alexander III remarked, ”Yet this design is indeed eye-catching. Look at how their uniforms have a distinct waist cinch that makes soldiers appear more upright.”

As for Rudolph, he remained silent, though seeing the striking East African army filled him with a sense of pride.

Unlike the younger generation, Franz commented to Carol I, ”Such novelty, this attire must be uncomfortable to wear, plus it lacks colorful vibrancy.”

”This design is quite distinctive, though I’m more intrigued by their military footing—it’s as if measured by a ruler, uniformly uniform, plus that rebellious head-tilt movement, is it perhaps an African flair?” Carol I chuckled alongside.

And from the Viennese citizens’ perspective, they felt a sense of oppression from the army before them. Firstly, black instinctively gave people this impression; secondly, each step of the East African troops made a heavy sound on the cobblestone streets, impacting everyone. Where the public had been cheering before, the East African military’s entrance fell the crowd into awed silence, creating an oppressive atmosphere.

But the surprise was just around the corner, as formations passed by the grandstand where Ernst and Karina were seated.

East African soldiers, brandishing Dreyse rifles, performed a rifle-flip maneuver, with gleaming bayonets poised at their chests.

”One, two, three, four!”

”Crown Prince, Princess, Long Live!”

”The chop-step style! That feels just right!” Ernst grinned as he spoke to Karina.

Karina: ”...” Now she just wanted to find a hole to hide in.