African Entrepreneurship Record

”Father, it’s great that you can adapt. I was worried you might feel uncomfortable during this long journey.”

Sitting on the train for such a long time is indeed a torment, just like the few little ones behind Ernst, who all seemed lacking in energy. Ernst and Karina felt the same way, as the Ernst couple were accustomed to staying in First Town City and not venturing out often, so it was quite an adjustment.

Constantine smiled at his son and said, ”Don’t always stay cooped up in the palace; it’s good to get out and walk around more. Look at me, I’m this age and still healthy because of regular exercise and traveling.”

Since entering his later years, Constantine had been traveling all over East Africa. Of course, for the sake of the King’s health, Constantine’s trips usually followed the railway, so taking the train often, this journey from First Town City to Rhein City was no difficulty for him.

”Alright, Father, let’s go see our new home now! We’ve just arrived, and there’s plenty for us to do,” said Ernst.

In these three days, a lot of governmental affairs hadn’t been handled, and the move was also occupying their time, so Ernst’s primary task was to first finish the work at hand.

Constantine said, ”I’ve been to Rhine Palace; the environment is very nice, with novel architecture and garden design. It’s much bigger than Sweet Palace and at least befits the stature of a royal family from such a great power as East Africa.”

He was quite satisfied with the construction of Rhine Palace, especially when compared to the ”sloppy” Sweet Palace. In Constantine’s view, the living experience at Sweet Palace was no different from his time at Hohenzollern Castle. Anyone unaware might think East Africa was as small a principality as the original Hexionggen Principality!

Ernst was also filled with curiosity about Rhine Palace. Although he had already seen the plans, the actual effect could only be truly appreciated on-site.

Soon, Ernst and his party took a car towards Rhine Palace. Rhine Palace was in the northeast corner of Rhein City, while the train station was slightly to the northwest, so along the road, they could see the construction progress in the northern part of Rhein City.

This also piqued the little ones’ interest; they were filled with curiosity about Rhein City. Of course, it was just curiosity. In comparison, Rhein City’s splendor still lagged behind Dar es Salaam City.

Before long, Ernst and his group finally arrived at the location of Rhine Palace, and what greeted them was an abundance of artificial gardens.

Ernst was quite satisfied with the garden design of Rhine Palace. Initially adopting a form that incorporated both Eastern and Western designs couldn’t completely relax Ernst, as he feared it might turn out nondescript. But upon truly witnessing the garden scenery at Rhine Palace, he found relief.

The garden design surrounding Rhine Palace focused on lawns and gardens, complemented by a fair amount of woodland, arranged in a staggered manner. Bluestone slabs and island-like gravel extended along the asphalt paths, making full use of ”water sources” to create various fountains, pools, and artificial streams.

The fountains stand out distinctly from those in Europe, adopting the Far East Empire’s rockery and wild stone style to create a naturally harmonious ”mountain and stream” landscape.

The garden design of Rhine Palace also carries distinct traits of the tropical regions; many tropical plants are prominently featured, producing a unique setting.

Thus, the Rhine Palace garden is marked by the three different styles of Europe, the Far East, and the tropics. Through the designers’ collaborative efforts, these styles were mingled, yet instead of seeming discordant, they evoke a special feeling that is both fresh and distinguished.

Ernst showed great interest in the pavilion-like structures too. In his impression, a garden from the Far East Empire wouldn’t be complete without pavilion architecture.

The Rhine Palace garden also employed this architectural style, coupled with Western-style outdoor galleries adorned with vines and various plants, naturally blending into the garden’s terrain.

In any case, Ernst was very pleased with the design of Rhine Palace, as it matched his aesthetic preferences. Of course, Ernst sought his family members’ opinions, ”How do you find the garden of Rhine Palace?”

”I find it quite satisfactory. Although it lacks the structured order of traditional European gardens, it’s chaotic yet orderly and hence refreshing to the eye,” Constantine candidly remarked.

The little ones also said, ”Dad, it’s really beautiful here.”

When it comes to beautiful things, children are quite straightforward—what looks good truly does. If the children’s seal of approval is passed, it means there’s no issue with the garden design of Rhine Palace.

Ernst turned to Karina and asked, ”Darling, what do you think?”

Karina nodded and said, ”I think it has its own merits compared to Vienna’s gardens. While I have a preference for European gardens, the garden construction at Rhine Palace is indeed eye-catching and also incorporates European garden features; it draws from many strengths.”

Karina’s artistic eye is the most esteemed in the family, having been born and educated within the Austrian court.

Unlike Ernst and Constantine—Constantine was essentially a martial Junker noble, naturally insensitive to art, and Ernst certainly couldn’t have inherited much artistic sensibility from his father.

Therefore, Ernst was quite pleased with Karina’s approval. He told her, ”For the construction of Rhine Palace’s gardens, I specifically borrowed talents from the Far East Empire’s royal family. Their court garden designers excel at creating a sense of understated luxury and cultural depth, whereas European garden designers are more flamboyant. Combining the two creates a unique chemical reaction, resulting in the charming rhythm we see now in the Rhine Palace gardens.”

Of course, before witnessing the actual effect, Ernst hadn’t been so optimistic; he feared that the two styles might fail to merge effectively, resulting in something nondescript.

Ernst’s concern wasn’t unfounded; from his past life’s experience as a civil engineer, he had seen many domestic faux-ancient buildings that were truly eyesores, especially faux-ancient towers and palace types, which lacked any ancient charm and were instead filled with a sense of 21st-century architectural debris.

This is why Ernst only requested the Far East designers to participate in the garden design of Rhine Palace. The main building of Rhine Palace was entirely designed by local and European talents.

Ernst was afraid of producing something that looked out of place. Compared to building architecture, garden design was relatively simpler; after all, gardens primarily use vegetation as their backdrop, and however it’s done, it’s unlikely to feel out of place. Moreover, if there’s a problem, it’s easier to dismantle and redo.

After browsing through the gardens, their final stop was Rhine Palace. Rhine Palace adopted a classical and modernist combined approach, making it a unique presence among the palatial architectures worldwide.

Because of its modern industrial style, Ernst felt that the architectural design of Rhine Palace would still be timeless even in the 21st century; of course, another reason for adopting the modernist style was the integration of modern furniture and ease of electrical design.

Therefore, Rhine Palace is destined to be the most modernized among palaces worldwide, offering the strongest residential experience and practical utility, facilitating future maintenance; for example, most of Rhine Palace’s windows are transparent, rather than the costly, complexly crafted stained glass typical of Europe.

Of course, though the glass of Rhine Palace may seem unremarkable, it is specially treated to be more sturdy through laminating, and naturally, once the technology is mature, it would be replaced with more robust bulletproof glass.