She changed Europe

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In European high society, the personal maids of young male noblemen also bore an unwritten mission: to provide their young masters with "sexual enlightenment." This was a crucial responsibility, undertaken to ensure the success of their future husbands and the birth of heirs.

"Who do you prefer, your wife or your maid?" Victoria, who clearly enjoyed reading strange books all day, naturally assumed that her father, Leo, must have this as his purpose in finding her such a beautiful maid.

"Huh?" Nina asked, somewhat confused.

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted the conversation that was about to drift away.

"Please come in." Victoria's previously relaxed expression turned serious again, and her previous aura of confidence vanished without a trace.

"Your Majesty, the council has rejected our reform proposal, and Lord Palmerston is already preparing to implement a backup plan," the man standing outside the gate reported cautiously.

"Thump!" Victoria slammed her fist heavily on the table.

"Tsk, those damned opportunists, only seeing immediate gains, never understanding long-term considerations." Victoria stood up, walked to the fireplace, picked up the King's Sword that had been stored there for some time, and gripped it tightly in her hand. At that moment, for the first time, a pale golden light emanated from around Victoria, undoubtedly the magical energy she released.

Nina frowned slightly and her body tensed up a little. Although she couldn't reveal her identity as a magic user, she could take necessary measures to protect herself if absolutely necessary. Rita was left by Gisela to have an important task with Nina, which was to have Rita help deal with things that Nina couldn't directly handle.

“Even a three-year-old can tell right from wrong!” Victoria’s roar echoed throughout the room.

"Your Majesty, our country has its own laws and regulations," the man replied softly, looking at the somewhat indignant Queen.

"Alright, you can go now. Just tell Palmerston that I understand." Of course, just as the old prime minister had predicted, Victoria quickly calmed herself down.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The man quickly left the room as if fleeing.

“I’m sorry to have made you laugh, but the economic reform cooperation agreement between your wife and me will probably have to be postponed,” Victoria said, sitting back down in her chair and looking at Nina.

“Your Majesty, we understand that Qi Ersanling is a righteous man,” Nina nodded in reply.

“Your Majesty, we have a question. What are your views on Prussia and Austria? If war breaks out between the two countries, who would you favor?” This was a question Gisela had hoped to find out from Victoria, but had not asked due to timing issues. Therefore, she asked Nina, who was still stranded in London, about it.

"The Kingdom of Prussia or the Austrian Empire? Personally, I prefer Austria, but for Britain, if war were to break out between the two, we might lean more towards Prussia." After all, Britain was tricked by the Austrians during the last South Transylvanian Crisis, so it's impossible for them not to hold a grudge. (Just kidding)

The key lies with the British, who also believed that Prussia was no match for the Austrian Empire, neither in terms of troop numbers nor national strength. Therefore, it's understandable that Britain supported Prussia according to its foreign policy. In fact, Victoria hadn't yet revealed another principle: the question of who started the war.

"I see." Nina nodded to indicate that she understood.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Meanwhile, the economic recession was rapidly spreading across Europe, and the Prussian government's incompetence in dealing with the economic crisis ultimately led to large-scale demonstrations and protests in Berlin. Unemployed workers demanded government relief and the opportunity to re-enter the workforce, just like workers in the Austrian Empire.

Unfortunately, unlike the Austrian Empire, the core of Prussia was not ruled by a visionary princess like Gisela with a well-developed economic policy, but by a Crown Prince Frederick, who was ambitious but lacked power and talent, yet was deeply admired by the Junker nobles. As the general representative of the Junker nobles, he consistently tied their interests to his own, turning them into his staunch supporters.

Seemingly in order to follow in his father's footsteps and deal with the political crisis of 1848, he quickly took the Prussian army into the streets and used force to disperse the crowd. Although Prime Minister Bismarck objected, it was too late, because after the old king fell into a coma, power had in fact fallen completely into Frederick's hands.

While the deterrent effect of the military did manage to subdue the mob in a short time, using fear to make them back down, the seeds of hatred had already been sown silently.

Frederick's war preparations were also underway quietly. The Prussian General Staff, headed by Moltke the Elder, had already set the date for the outbreak of war at four weeks' delay. The first two weeks of preparation would focus on winning over allies, with a particular emphasis on winning over North German states such as Oldenburg, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, and Braunschweig.

In the following two weeks, a full mobilization will commence. Utilizing Prussia's convenient transportation network, at least 200,000 troops will initially be deployed along the Austro-Prussian border to break through the Austrian Empire's defenses in Bohemia. A smaller contingent will remain further north in Silesia, using the Austrians' obsession with this territory to tie them down. After breaking through the defenses, the focus will shift to a temporary defensive posture. Once the main force joins the allied forces, the Austrians will face an allied army of at least 600,000.

The 3-strong Prussian army initially deployed for the breakthrough would be divided into three corps on the main battlefield: the Elbe Corps, commanded by General Helwart Bittenfeld, with approximately 4.6 men, deployed along the line east and west of Leipzig; the 1st Corps, commanded by Prince Frederick Karl, with approximately 9.3 men, deployed along the line east of the Elbe to Görlitz; and the 2nd Corps, commanded by Crown Prince Frederick William the Conqueror, with approximately 11.5 men, assembled in the area east of Görlitz to the Oder River.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 426 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 45 Bismarck's Trap (ra!)

Based on an analysis of the German Confederation's sphere of influence and stance, the Prussian Ministry of Foreign Affairs determined that the German states that would side with the Austrian Empire, including Saxony, Bavaria, Baden, Württemberg, Hanover, Hesse-Kassel, Hesse-Darmstadt, and Nassau, would receive far more Allied reinforcements than Prussia. Therefore, another key aspect of this war was a swift victory, aiming to deliver a decisive blow to the enemy before Allied reinforcements arrived.

Of course, besides the war, Frederick was also brewing another conspiracy: to oust Bismarck from the cabinet and replace him with a prime minister loyal to him, thus completely eliminating Chloris's influence in the core region of Prussia. After all, for Frederick, even the sharpest knife is meaningless if it cannot be used by him.

The young heir to the throne, eager to make a difference, also doesn't want an overly powerful prime minister to take away his power.

Ultimately, under the covert manipulation of the Jesuits, a political crackdown against Chloris's forces officially began in Berlin, preceded by the framing of Chancellor Bismarck.

The outbreak originated from a Jesuit-led secret service that discovered a letter three years prior in the residence of retired Prussian Army Minister General Albrecht von Rohn. The letter came from Baron Alfred, the former Austrian ambassador to Berlin, who hoped that Albrecht would mediate between the Kingdom of Prussia and the Austrian Empire to avoid war.

Although General Ron is currently recuperating in Switzerland, the content of this article is entirely factual.

Soon, Helmut Karl Bernhard von Moltke, one of the three, was investigated by the Prussian secret police. Ultimately, for reasons unknown, this dutiful soldier chose a very intriguing outcome: he admitted to the fabricated incident, stating that his assistance to Bismarck was due to his friendship with Bismarck.

Federico, having obtained what he wanted, released Moltke and reinstated him to his post. Moltke, as Chief of the Army Staff, was then tasked with personally leading the army to arrest Bismarck. Of course, the Superior General of the Jesuits, the mastermind behind the whole affair, would also be secretly monitoring Moltke's actions to confirm his loyalty.

Thus, the core of this matter, intentionally or unintentionally, points to Bismarck, the most powerful woman in the kingdom. Frederick only needs to deliver a "fair" trial to completely destroy her. Thinking of this, the somewhat obsessive crown prince couldn't help but wear a strange smile. Nothing could be more gratifying than defeating this great and beautiful opponent. As for his annoying sister, let her simply serve Prussia as a sorceress until her death.

As the soldiers stormed into the Chancellor's office, a weary Bismarck was still working hard on the mountain of documents. On her desk lay a stack of documents about Austrian economic reforms, some of which Bismarck still couldn't understand.

"Frederick sent you?" Bismarck did not raise his head, still writing something with his pen in his hand.

"Prime Minister Otto von Bismarck, we are now arresting you on charges of treason in the name of the King and the people of Prussia. We have ample evidence to prove your crimes, so please leave with us." Even fully armed, these soldiers were no match for Bismarck, who wielded magical powers. After saying this, they felt a chill run down their spines. They could already foresee this esteemed leader defeating them all, jumping out of the window, and leaving.

"That Frederick brat is already so impatient, he's not even king yet? Fine, let's go then." Bismarck wasn't surprised by the crown prince's decision. After all, those with different principles cannot work together; he had hindered the army's interests, so naturally he was being rejected...

The soldiers present were somewhat surprised by Bismarck's cooperation. They saw Bismarck simply pick up her military uniform jacket from her chair, put it on skillfully, toss her golden hair, and then extend her hands, waiting for the soldiers to handcuff her.

“Sir, you could have escaped.” Even the soldiers who arrested Bismarck couldn’t help but say this to him. This woman had worked hard for Prussia for decades, and without her contributions, Prussia would not have achieved its current status. Now she was being arrested on this questionable charge. Even the soldiers who carried out the order were somewhat confused and puzzled by the order.

“Obeying orders is your duty as a soldier,” Bismarck said sternly to the soldier before him.

Just then, Old Maoqi pushed through the crowd and entered the room, looking directly at the woman in front of him. There was no trace of guilt in his eyes, but rather a sense of determination.

"You may leave for a moment. I have something to say to Miss Bismarck."

"But sir, your safety..."

"If Miss Bismarck wants my life, do you think you'll be of any use just by staying here?" To be honest, it would be easy for Bismarck to deal with them.

With the door closed, only Bismarck and Moltke remained in the office.

"Is this your choice, Mutt, starting for Helge?" Bismarck looked at the man before her with a touch of emotion, her tone gentle, showing no anger at her friend's betrayal.

“That’s right, Leonie. I would rather choose the current Crown Prince than the princess who symbolizes the future.” Leonie is the real name of Madonna in the book. However, because she wanted to be more masculine, she abandoned this girlish name early on. Only the old king and old Moltke knew her real name.

"In my opinion, what you're actually reluctant to give up is your identity as a Junker nobleman, and your desire to prove your talent through war." No professional soldier hates war, because only war can truly prove the value of their efforts and sacrifices; it's an integral part of their lives. Bismarck was more of a politician than a soldier; for her, war was merely a means to an end, one of countless tools.

“I think you really can leave, go to Austria, go wherever you want, take our princess with you, leave this country that is going mad. I have chosen myself as a sacrifice, but I don’t want you to do the same.” Moltke took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

PS1: It's so hot these past few days QAQ

Chapter 427 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 46 Gisela's Sister (Seeking Votes)

"Would you mind if I smoked one here?" Moltke asked.

Bismarck didn't speak, only nodded in tacit agreement. But if Bismarck's memory served him right, Moltke wasn't a smoker. To be precise, he had almost completely given up the habit, except when he was anxious, such as when staying up late or…

“I knew what you were thinking from the moment you chose to go along with their framing of me. Your choice was not betrayal, but simply making a decision that you thought was right.” As for this conspiracy, a hired spy named “Greya” (Miss Mata’s pseudonym) had already told Bismarck about the collusion between the Jesuits and Frederick months earlier, so Bismarck was not surprised at all.

"That's enough. Inject the tranquilizer from your right pocket into me. I won't resist. Taking me back won't do any harm to anyone." Frederick wanted Bismarck's power, not her life. Besides, as a magic user, she had another role: as a ballast in the war.

Moltke hesitated for a moment before taking out the syringe from his pocket, then looked up at Bismarck.

"One last question, does Her Highness know you won't resist and will allow us to arrest you?"

“She doesn’t know, and even if she did, it wouldn’t affect her judgment at all, after all, she is a very rational child.” In Bismarck’s mind, Chloris was very sensible from a young age. Because she rarely received love from her parents, she was very independent and insightful from childhood, which was precisely why Bismarck liked Chloris.

Even Bismarck was unaware that there were two locks preventing Chloris from becoming a "monster": one was Bismarck's bond of kinship, and the other was Gisela's bond of love. When these two locks collapsed, a giant dragon would soar through the sky, bringing destruction and fear to the world.

—Let's turn our attention back to Vienna

Gisela, looking languid in the early morning, woke up at her desk only to realize that she had apparently fallen asleep while working. They had just agreed to pull an all-nighter together, but somehow she had completely lost consciousness.

Her face was still smeared with ink, and compared to a noble and beautiful princess, she now looked more like a poor student studying hard.

“The work wasn’t finished…” Gisela raised her right hand, picked up the report that she had been holding down, and brought it to her eyes.

The report above concerns the new policy, in which some businesses are unwilling to comply with Operation Black Hawk Down, refusing government investigations and assessments. They are also refusing to accept maximum working hours and minimum wage standards. This is understandable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as the convenience brought by electricity has significantly improved their working hours and efficiency; it's understandable that they are unwilling to give up such benefits.

Dealing with them isn't actually difficult; it's simply a matter of blacklisting these companies and making the information public. Once locals see this, they naturally won't choose to work for these kinds of companies. Of course, Gisela won't shut them down either, since these companies can also create jobs. Those who work there out of necessity are willing to endure high-intensity work and receive meager wages. Would Gisela really stop them?

Of course, the government will exclude these disobedient companies from high-investment, high-return public projects led by the government, and will not give them even a bite of the pie, no matter how much there is.

“Next.” Gisela wrote down her suggestion, stamped it with her seal, and then pulled out another document from the stack.

"By the way, where is Aponia?" Gisela looked around, seemingly not seeing the maid who had assisted her in the room last night.

Just then, Gisela felt something pressing down on her feet. Looking down, she saw Miss Aponia fast asleep, hugging Gisela's legs and clutching Gisela's stockings that had slipped down to her ankles. Because of the carpet on the floor and the fact that it was summer, there was no worry about her catching a cold.

"Never mind." Gisela glanced at Aponia, who was acting rather rudely, and decided to let her sleep a little longer.

Speculators are hoarding gold, seemingly trying to drive up its price. This has caused gold prices in Vienna and Prague to more than double. If Gisela didn't know that someone was manipulating prices, she would definitely think that the national treasury was experiencing inflation. In fact, for the empire at this stage, inflation is impossible, because only when the amount of currency issued in the market exceeds the amount needed in circulation will paper money depreciate, prices rise, and purchasing power decrease. The empire, which has just implemented a new monetary policy, does not have the problem of over-issuing currency.

There are many ways to stabilize gold prices. One is to secretly release more gold to disrupt the existing market, then buy it back in large quantities, engaging in a price war. Of course, there's an even better way: have the police find a charge to arrest them. These speculators who manipulate the market are a cancer on the economy; their unbridled profit-seeking increases economic uncertainty. What the current Austrian Empire needs more than financial institutions is the development of the real economy. (Looking at the US in 2025, can we only say that karma is catching up with us?)

Of course, Gisela targeted the speculators at the very bottom. As for the real financial giants like the Rothschild family, Gisela preferred to sit down and talk with them to exchange interests. These business empires with monopolistic potential were potential partners at this stage because they were conducive to integrating the resources within the empire.

Companies like Skoda in weapons manufacturing, Siemens in power applications, and General Motors in the automotive industry, all supported by Gisela, are moving towards a stage of monopoly capitalism. However, this is not the end of the development process. Gisela has also left a wedge in these core manufacturing and energy sectors, with the government holding huge stakes in these companies. This stake will be the bargaining chip for future negotiations and even for controlling them.

The world of capital has its own rules of operation, and compared to Gisela, who is backed by the entire imperial government, what are the so-called Jews led by the Rothschild family?

Just then, without knocking, the door to Gisela's room was opened. A young, beautiful blonde woman entered, followed by a girl holding her hand.

"Little Gisela, look who I brought today!" The blonde woman said happily, as if showing off to Gisela, and then brought the somewhat shy little girl behind her to Gisela.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 428 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 47, Mother and Daughters (Seeking Votes)

"Mom, didn't you take Rudolf to Corfu for vacation? Why are you back so early?" Gisela put down the documents in her hand, somewhat confused, and then gently nudged Aponia with her foot, signaling her to get up quickly.

Rudolph is the current Marie Valérie Mathilde Emily, publicly claimed to be the illegitimate daughter of Joseph and a mistress. Despite this, the relationship between the Emperor and Empress seemed unaffected; Queen Elizabeth continued to frequently bring her non-biological daughter to various events, which seemed quite strange. Logically, as a wife, she should have disliked the child.

New rumors even circulated in the palace, claiming that Princess Gisela was not the Queen's biological daughter, but rather the illegitimate daughter of His Majesty the Emperor and a magic user from the East. However, this far-fetched view was not actually believed by anyone, since most Europeans had never been to that distant land and could not possibly know whether the magic users there possessed the adorable animal ears described in Marco Polo's Travels.

“Mary didn’t like it there, so I brought her back.” Queen Elizabeth looked at the girl hiding behind her with a hint of helplessness. Seemingly a lingering effect from several years ago, Rudolf was not only afraid of riding horses, but also dared not ride in a carriage. Moreover, he had become extremely insecure and was even afraid to travel far alone without anyone accompanying him.

"It's been a long time, Rudolph." Gisela smiled as she looked at her younger brother. The once handsome young man had now grown into a graceful young woman. No matter how you looked at it, it really was a twist of fate.

“Sister…” Mary held onto Queen Elizabeth’s skirt, looking at her sister sitting at her desk in the distance, appearing both nervous and happy. Nervous because she didn’t know how to interact with her sister in this capacity, and happy because she was seeing her beloved sister again.

"Would you like some cake, Mary?" Gisela asked with a smile, looking at the silver-haired girl before her. It's worth mentioning that Rudolf's original blond hair had also changed due to that strange treatment, turning silver. Because of this, even though the Queen herself loved to travel and was often away from the palace, no one suspected she was the Queen's illegitimate daughter. Everyone accepted that she was Joseph's illegitimate son; after all, the Queen was blond, and her daughters had all been blond before, so the problem most likely lay with His Majesty the Emperor…

Whether by coincidence or not, Gisela felt that Rudolph resembled Marie Antoinette (Fate version) from a game she used to play. Because Marie Antoinette was her great-grandmother, Gisela had specifically sought out her portrait at Schönbrunn Palace. Although the portrait depicted her as a beautiful woman, and differed greatly from historical depictions, it was still within Gisela's expectations. But this Rudolph…

"Thank you, Your Highness." Mary nodded. Today, she wore her long hair in pigtails, neatly tying her silver hair behind her head. Whether it was the experiment or not, Rudolph, who was clearly 16, looked only 14 and seemed more listless than before, as if his personality had undergone a significant change due to his gender.

Comparing myself to my current talkative and lively self, I can only say that people are different, not only physically, but also in spirit and soul.

Aponia stood up, then patted her maid dress and rubbed her eyes in front of everyone.

And so, under the watchful eyes of the Queen and Mary, a disheveled, somewhat dazed silver-haired woman emerged from under Gisela's table. Queen Elizabeth Aponia was not particularly familiar with her, but she respected all of her daughter's decisions.

“Prepare a cake for Mary,” Gisela stood up and ordered Aponi.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Aponia nodded and quickly walked out of the room.

"By the way, what would you like to drink?"

"black tea."

“Milk.” Gisela almost burst out laughing when she heard Mary utter the word “milk,” because even the self-proclaimed mature man Han Rudolph had one day become enthusiastic about drinking milk.

"I want hot cocoa."

“Yes, Your Highness.” Aponia quickly left the room.

“Mother, Mary, please sit down first,” Gisela said, pointing to the sofa not far away.

After Gisela finished annotating the document, she pulled up a chair and sat down opposite them.

“Little Gisela, I want to talk to you about your grandmother, your late Queen Mother Sophie.”

"Mother, there's no need to bring this up again. I know everything—the rivalry between you and Grandma, your covert struggles, the Iron Crown of Lombardy, the events in Italy and Hungary. I don't care about your past or what your factions are competing for. Right now, I only care about what I'm doing now and the future of the nation." Gisela, Su Beiming, Leo… the pure-blooded faction of the Empire, and the Jesuits—Gisela remembered them better than anyone. Eliminating them all was her goal, but right now she had more important matters to attend to; these trivialities were insignificant compared to them.

Those conservatives who rely solely on blood ties to divide power will one day be swept into the dustbin of history, and the future world will not tolerate these madmen.

"Little Gisela...you..." Queen Elizabeth had anticipated Gisela's magnanimity, but she still felt a sense of natural admiration.

Gisela has now reached a point where she no longer needs to hide herself or act cautiously. Her prestige within the empire far surpasses that of her father in his youth.

She controls wealth, has generals loyal to her (Marshal Benedek, the Marquis of Brno, etc.), and possesses an army that obeys her (the St. Stephen's Legion). If she also has sufficient grounds for a coup, then probably no one in the Austrian Empire can truly threaten Gisela's position as the future heir to the throne.

"By the way, Mary, what level has your magic reached now?" Gisela quickly turned her attention to her younger sister.

PS1: Does Rudolph becoming like this count as atavism lol (we're all family anyway), in any case, she's Gisela's future sister.

PS2: Many Habsburgs are named Marie, whether it's Marie Antoinette, the wife of Louis XVI, or Marie who later married Napoleon (and gave birth to Napoleon's only son), they are all quite famous figures.

PS1: I've written several books that feature "cake," which shows how much I like this character 0v0!

Chapter 429 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 48 Gisela's War Preparations (Seeking Votes)

"She lies somewhere between a magic user and a magic master, but there are still many questions regarding the definition of her magic control abilities," Queen Elizabeth said gently, looking at her youngest daughter.

"Because it was created for non-natural reasons, right?" Gisela was actually quite wary of this Jesuit invention, which could transform someone with no magical talent into someone who could use magical energy exceptionally well. If applied to the military field, she had reason to believe that the current system of magical armored legions piloted by magical energy users would be completely overturned.

"Has Mary been experiencing any health problems in the past few years?" It wasn't that Gisela didn't care about her sister; it was simply that she hadn't had time to visit Rudolph, and the plan to bring Rudolph to live with her had been repeatedly delayed due to various issues.

"Aside from headaches every morning and evening, there are no other unusual symptoms."