She changed Europe

Page 26

“This place is called Dracenberg, and because it’s so remote, even many native Berliners don’t know it exists. People are more familiar with the nearby Tefelsberg,” Mr. Bradley said, pointing to the more distinctive hill in the distance.

Longshan is not very high, only a little over a hundred meters above sea level, but it is situated on a plain. In an era before skyscrapers, one could clearly overlook the entire city of Berlin from its summit.

As the sun completely disappeared below the horizon, the two were plunged into complete darkness, with the full moon in the sky becoming the only source of light illuminating the earth.

"Your Highness, please don't be impatient, the show is about to begin." Mr. Bradley smiled broadly.

As soon as he finished speaking, the city center, which had been shrouded in darkness, was illuminated. Unlike the scorching heat of incandescent bulbs, the light from kerosene lamps was softer and more beautiful.

"That's the Brandenburg Gate, the place you're visiting today. That's Charlottenburg Palace, the royal palace of Prussia." Unlike the 21st century, when the entire city is powered by electricity and all the lights are on simultaneously, the lights in this era had to be manually turned on by streetlight workers. This resulted in a priority in lighting, with important parts of the city receiving priority.

"Interesting." Gisela had never seen such an interesting scene before; it was a sight unique to this era.

“That’s the University of Berlin.” Mr. Bradley pointed to the school district in the distance. Prussian education is another commendable aspect, much like the University of Berlin itself—young but vibrant.

The University of Berlin, which only began operations in 1810, has produced elites and talents in various fields in just a few centuries: for example, Hegel, whom we all know, was once the president of the university, and Einstein, Planck, von Neumann, and Engels all studied here. Of course, many of the great figures mentioned above were not yet born or were still very young at that time, but Gisela was well aware of the university's future potential.

Her alma mater from her previous life, now the University of Vienna, which Gisela herself founded, is no less impressive. Established in 1365, the University of Vienna is now the leading institution in the German region. After all, the Habsburg ancestors, apart from honing their "bedroom skills" and improving their procreation techniques, did value education, though not to the extent of the fanaticism and obsession of Prussia.

As Gisela gazed at the distant scenery, she couldn't help but think to herself, "Education is the last thing we should do, no matter how poor we are. If we ever run out of money in the future, we might as well squeeze some money out of those nobles. With all that fat on their bodies, it's not impossible to provide them with six years of compulsory education."

"Are you satisfied, Miss?" Mr. Bradley bowed politely to the young woman before him.

"Yes, I'm very satisfied."

"So, would you be willing to let me become your spokesperson on the American news front?" Mr. Bradley wasn't stupid. Considering what Gisela said in the restaurant that morning and Gisela's identity, he could guess the meaning behind her words even with a fool's eye.

“Mr. Bradley, you are indeed smarter than I thought.”

"Should I go to Prague first?" Smart people are good at seizing opportunities because they can always see them.

"That's absolutely right. I never do anything meaningless, nor do I say anything meaningless. Congratulations, sir, you've successfully seized the opportunity I've given you. This not-so-easy job is now yours. First, go to Prague. When you arrive at the station, someone will pick you up and take you there to take over your work tasks. After that, you will cut off all contact with us and focus on being an entrepreneur. I will support your work financially until the day I need your help."

A night breeze rustled through the trees; it was winter, and Berlin's nights, influenced by its temperate continental climate, were exceptionally cold. Gisela, dressed in his meticulously tailored men's clothing, was undeniably drafty and lacking in warmth.

“Mr. Bradley, do you still want to ask me some questions?” Gisela noticed the doubt in Mr. Bradley’s eyes.

"Yes, Your Highness Gisela, what I want to ask is, why do you value me so much, or to put it another way, why do you value me so much as a journalist?"

“Good question.” Gisela walked lightly to the side of the hill and opened her arms.

"Because the masses are the greatest wealth of politics, and the media and public opinion are the tools for using wealth. If you want to grasp wealth, you must first control the tools." Gisela has never tampered with the empire's own media, not because she was incapable of intervening, but because she did not want to.

There's a saying that you can't force a melon to ripen; newspapers themselves have credibility and authority. Because of the Imperial government's less-than-ideal performance, the public often doesn't believe the mainstream newspapers' narratives, knowing they're manipulated by the government. Therefore, if she wants to establish a reputable newspaper within the Empire, she needs to start from scratch. And a foreign newspaper from a relatively neutral country on the international political stage is obviously more likely to be accepted by the public.

This was a win-win situation: on the one hand, it gave her a leading position in public opinion in the new world, and on the other hand, it gave her the opportunity to change the existing media climate within the empire. Of course, she had also prepared a performance to promote the newspaper, which required her mother's cooperation.

Why not her own father? Because the people within the empire preferred to talk behind her back about the beautiful and respectable Empress Elizabeth and the cruel and incompetent Emperor Joseph. After all, real power in the country was in the hands of Emperor Joseph, and it was the monarch who had to make the difficult decisions.

"It's time to go, Mr. Bradley." Gisela felt a little unwell, perhaps because she had caught a chill from the wind. She vaguely sensed that something important had happened recently, but she couldn't remember what it was.

PS1: Gisela is no longer the delicate and frail character she was in the previous game.

Chapter 92 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 26 I'll Kill Him with One Punch (Seeking Votes)

"Mr. Bradley, could you rest for a while? I can't go on." The girl gasped for breath.

"Your Highness, this is just the beginning. Please hang in there a little longer."

"That's immoral. I'm a girl, you should be more considerate of me." Only in situations like this would someone bring up their identity as a girl.

"With one burst of energy, I'll be there soon."

"No!" Gisela sighed resentfully.

"I really can't walk anymore, shall we ride bikes?" Gisela still wanted to give up walking, so she sat down on a boulder by the roadside, rolled up her trouser leg and rubbed her aching calves. At this moment, for some reason, the discomfort in her abdomen also showed signs of aggravation. Although it wasn't too intense, she could bear it, but the result was that she was in such a sorry state.

It's worth mentioning that the two planned to walk down the mountain. After all, riding a bike down a dark, unlit slope is practically like walking into the gates of hell. Once they reached the city below the mountain, everything would be much easier.

“Miss, it’s already night, and there are wolves roaming in these mountains.” Of course, this was just Mr. Bradley making things up. If there were wolves in the mountains outside Berlin, they would have been hunted and skinned by hunters long ago. After all, wolf pelts were a luxury item, and many Prussian nobles liked to collect them as carpets or other decorations.

“If Mr. Bradley really has wolves, then I’ll just run away myself. After all, you know I’m a mage,” Gisela said, looking very composed with her head held high. Since she didn’t need to hide, her golden fox tail swayed proudly behind her.

"Your Highness, you are truly considerate of your subordinates..."

“Sir, why aren’t you saying anything?” Gisela noticed that the man in front of her had suddenly stopped talking and his expression was full of fear.

“You…you…behind you…” Bradley’s voice trembled, clearly having seen something terrifying.

“Sir, I’ve already said that wolves aren’t scary creatures, and your exaggerated performance doesn’t make me believe that a wolf that shouldn’t be there will appear behind me.” Gisela yawned impatiently, but still turned to look behind him.

"Hiss!" Gisela gasped, and all the fur on her body, including her ears and tail, seemed to stand on end in fright.

Because she saw a pair of pale blue eyes staring at her from the darkness. The owner of those eyes was breathing heavily as he approached her.

"Holy crap! It really is a wolf!" Gisela was startled at first, but she wasn't about to take off running. After all, she remembered reading about this in a book: when encountering an aggressive wild animal, you should never expose your back to it, because this is not only a sign of weakness, but it also makes it easier to provoke its desire to attack.

"Take your time and back off slowly, don't rush." ​​Gisela knew that Bradley was just an ordinary person, so she didn't forget to remind Bradley to retreat to a safer position first.

“My God! How could there be wolves here? Weren’t wolves extinct here back in 1710?” Mr. Bradley rubbed his hair, clearly hating his own nagging at that moment.

Gisela carefully observed the wolf before her. It had glistening fur and a pair of eyes that were both ferocious and majestic. For some reason, beneath its ferocious appearance, there seemed to be a strange restraint and composure. This was not the appearance of a wild wolf.

All of this was as if Yi Lingqi had been tamed. Like a bastard...

At this moment, a strong wind blew, and the trees swayed and made a lot of noise, while the surrounding grass tilted in one direction because of the strong wind.

She took a deep breath, and cold sweat slowly slid down her face. This was the first time in both her lives that she had looked into the eyes of a wolf at such close range.

The silver wolf let out a low growl, seemingly a warning to the humans before it not to put up a futile resistance, and also a prelude to an attack. Gisela noticed that the wolf before her seemed to completely ignore Mr. Bradley, heading straight towards her.

That hostile gaze never left her from the very beginning.

“Mr. Bradley, do you know which wolf is the most terrifying?” Gisela suddenly asked, perhaps to lighten the mood.

“Your Highness, I don’t know…” Bradley first glanced at the silver wolf in the distance and then shook his head. He knew very well that His Highness would not ask such a trivial question; there was probably a hidden meaning in her words. Therefore, rather than making wild guesses, it was better to hand the topic directly to His Highness.

"That's a wolf with color, or in short, a pervert!"

"..." A chill ran through him, and Bradley couldn't help but shiver. He really didn't expect his future boss to have a talent for telling corny jokes.

"Alright, just kidding, watch my performance!" Joking aside, she hadn't forgotten that she was a magic user. She channeled her magic power, concentrating it in her right hand, and bent down, all so that she could smash the wolf's head with a single punch when it attacked.

After noticing that the "fox" in front of him was no longer as fearful as before, the silver wolf did not continue to approach the girl. The two of them maintained a certain distance and stared at each other.

"The first move always loses." Gisela murmured to herself, these were words only she understood.

After Mr. Bradley realized that Silver Wolf was completely ignoring him, he pushed his cart aside to observe. After all, his boss was a magic user blessed by the heavens, someone who could change the course of a battlefield with her power.

Soon, the silver wolf raised its hind paws and vigorously rubbed the soft soil on the ground, indicating that it was about to attack. Gisela focused her attention highly, her eyes fixed on the silver wolf's every move.

With a heavy thud, the silver wolf sprang high into the air, then opened its fang-filled mouth and bit at Gisela's neck—clearly their usual hunting tactic.

With a "thud," Gisela channeled all her strength and swung her fist. Due to the magical energy, the air around her fist emitted a faint golden light.

"Bang!" The sound of bones breaking came from the direction of Gisela's swing, followed by a gushing of warm blood. Silver Wolf's head was smashed just as it was about to get close to Gisela.

Gisela was too shocked by the graphic violence of the scene and stood there in a daze.

The power seemed stronger than he had thought, and for some reason, a line suddenly came to mind: "The girl next door has grown up, her strength can uproot mountains and her spirit can overwhelm the world..."

PS1: Hahaha

Chapter 93 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 27 A Stranger's Journey (Seeking votes and collections)

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Bradley took a few steps forward, still shaken, but did not approach the girl directly. After all, in history, these magical ladies who were blessed by the heavens were not always safe in their battle forms, and there were many instances of them losing control.

Of course, the most outrageous story is set in the Middle Ages, where a Russian sorceress, on her wedding night, became so excited that she accidentally...

The thought of such a thing sent a chill down Bradley's spine, and he marveled at how ordinary people who dared to marry the Magic Power Girl were true warriors.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry or be afraid. I just strained my back, it hurts a little." Gisela bit her lip, not expecting such an embarrassing thing to happen.

“Then let me carry you down the mountain,” Bradley suggested cautiously, his eyes fixed on the princess’s fox ears and tail.

“That will be troublesome.” Gisela was not a pretentious or coy person, and the subordinate in front of her seemed reliable, so she nodded in agreement.

Meanwhile, unnoticed by the two, a pair of deep black eyes were observing everything that had just happened from a distant boulder. The woman on the boulder had long, jet-black hair, but unlike the black hair we usually see, her hair appeared more lustrous, with slight traces of gray in its blackness. The owner of these eyes was fiddling with a strange collar in her right hand, while her left hand held a blade with a design that Gisela would undoubtedly recognize—a brocade spring knife.

The History of Ming records that the epitaph of Zhang Jue, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard during the Jiajing era, states that he was "bestowed with a four-beast unicorn robe, an imperial belt with an embroidered spring knife, and a silver gourd-shaped square bag." When the Jiajing Emperor toured Chengtian, he specially appointed Zhang Jue as "the vanguard envoy, and all important matters were entrusted to him. He was also given the salary of a commander-in-chief. From the departure of the emperor to the return, he was bestowed with flying fish and python robes, treasury funds, stable horses, wine and food, and the preferential treatment given to him by summoning him for personal instruction was too numerous to mention."

"Xue, your little one, whom you trained so hard, was killed by this Austrian princess. Don't you think it's a pity?" A silver-haired woman in hunting attire asked softly. If you look closely, you will see that each of them has a uniquely styled jade pendant hanging from their waist.

“Miss, it’s not a pity, you know? Because I seem to smell a familiar scent, the scent of the prey I’ve been searching for.” The woman named Xue bit her glove, exposing her right hand, which had been glove off, to the moonlight. She raised her hand into the air, and as if the moonlight was drawn by the woman before her, specks of light shone on the black-haired woman. The next second, a pair of animal ears, similar to Gisela’s but different, appeared on her head.

But unlike Gisela's fluffy fox-like features, the woman in front of them was more like a ferocious wolf, dangerous and terrifying.

Her real name is unknown; her current name is Lin Xue. According to her own account, Lin Xue's family were originally officials in a country called the Ming Dynasty in the East. However, due to some political struggles, the family fled overseas and finally arrived in Europe after several years of wandering.

However, Lin Xue's mother died during the journey due to her poor health, and her father was stabbed in the chest by a drunkard during an argument and died in a bar.

Even when she reported the incident, the local police let it go because she was just an illegal immigrant. The girl, deprived of her family's breadwinner, was forced to beg for a living and grew up in an orphanage established by the local church.

Until the young lady Lin Xue mentioned, who was also the girl's father, Count Hindenburg, adopted her.

Because of his early widowhood, Mr. Hindenburg, wanting his daughter to better experience the warmth of a woman (maternal love), adopted the older Hilde von Hindenburg, keeping her in his home as his guardian and playmate. Hilde remained by his side even after Mr. Hindenburg's death from illness. Hilde von Hindenburg then successfully inherited her father's title and entered the Prussian Military Academy for further studies.

In Miss Hindenburg's memory, this person, who was like an older sister, seemed to have long been a member of the family. Even after she investigated the orphanage that Lin Xue mentioned and found no records of her to corroborate her past experiences, she did not choose to doubt her. Instead, she continued to trust her sister Xue without reservation and lived with her until now.

Hindenburg later learned that the other party was actually a magic user from the Ming Dynasty who had secretly come to investigate some matters.

"Are you all so strong? I tried to do the same thing as that prince at school." The girl from Hindenburg said helplessly, then held up the wound on her hand in front of Lin Xue. Even though the wound had healed, the horrifying gash on her hand was still very conspicuous.

"A comminuted fracture of the arm. Even with the protection of magic power, most magic users cannot achieve the ability to shatter an animal's skull with a single punch without any external assistance, without relying on external objects."

"It can only be said that you don't understand us enough. There are many mysteries in the East that you can't comprehend, and the most powerful, the most learned, and also the most beautiful one..." As she spoke, Lin Xue seemed to see that silver figure, that woman who stood tall on the land of China.

"Her name is Su Beiming, isn't it? I've heard many colleagues mention her, and her most distinctive feature is the fox ears on her head. Are you implying that the princess in front of us is related to her?"

"She was the only one who participated in the Battle of Guangzhou. No one knows what happened to her afterward, and her body was never found."

"But in the end, the Ming Dynasty was still defeated. She failed to protect her people. She is a sinner against the Ming Dynasty." Lin Xue clenched her fists when she mentioned this, with a hint of disappointment. Perhaps in her heart, the arrogant woman could not be such an irresponsible person.

"Since a criminal should be tried and convicted, does Miss think this is unreasonable?" Lin Xue murmured, pulling herself out of her thoughts.

“That’s your business, it’s none of my concern. But I must tell you that our Princess Chloris seems to be quite interested in this princess.”

“I know that, Princess Chloris. She loves to do things on a whim. What we need to do is to manage the affairs within our own territory.” Lin Xue stretched her limbs and then jumped off the boulder, heading down the mountain.

“That’s right.” Hindenburg nodded, seemingly agreeing with the other person’s statement.

PS1: I almost forgot to post an update.

Chapter 94 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 28 The Prime Minister Revisits

After a hasty farewell to Mr. Bradley, Gisela returned to the city center, her steps unsteady as she leaned against the wall towards her hotel. Only now did she truly realize the seriousness of her condition.

"Damn it! It's back again, how could I forget!" Gisela leaned back against the streetlight with difficulty, gently covering her lower abdomen with her right hand. Waves of pain shot through her lower body, forcing her to gasp for breath. Perhaps due to the chill and strenuous exercise, the pain was more intense than usual.

They say magic can make one immune to all diseases, but Gisela is the only obstacle I can't overcome...

"Just a few more steps, and we'll be there." Gisela bit her lip, trying to straighten up and appear perfectly normal. She absolutely couldn't let Rita see this; it was a matter of her dignity. Of course, Gisela was unaware that her maid knew more about her physical condition than Gisela herself.

Rita is probably sitting in her hotel room right now, eagerly awaiting the return of her pitiful prince, begging for help. She's probably uttering things like, "Waaah! So pitiful!" To be honest, Gisela just can't swallow that scumbag maid's insult. She's determined to regain her manhood.

"What's that?" Gisela noticed a black luxury carriage approaching from the direction of the hotel entrance not far away.

"Why are there still horse-drawn carriages so late at night?" You see, without electronic devices, people's entertainment life is particularly limited. Apart from making love, sleeping is the best way to pass the time.

Out of curiosity, Gisela quietly covered her lower abdomen and followed the carriage until it stopped at the street corner.

Gisela crouched behind a wall, rubbed her eyes, and observed the carriage.

As the carriage door opened, a mature woman with long blonde hair, dressed in an old-fashioned Prussian military uniform, jumped down from the carriage, adjusted her hat, and walked towards the shop directly opposite the carriage door.

"Bismarck! It's that woman again." Perhaps it was because Berlin was too small, but this was the second time Gisela had encountered the Chancellor in two days in Berlin. As if the unpleasant memories of yesterday were flooding back, Gisela quickly shrank her head and drooped her fox ears even lower.

"No, the place that the powerful Prussian Chancellor Bismarck would personally visit at night must be hiding some unspeakable secret. Could it be Prussia's own intelligence monitoring station? Should I go and investigate it too?" With this in mind, Gisela carefully approached the small shop where Bismarck was, close to the wall, until her magical perception could capture the sounds inside her fox ears.

"His Majesty has agreed to your demands and will declare war on the Kingdom of Denmark next month. Before that, your army must be fully prepared." Gisela used the enhanced hearing from her fox ears to easily discern that the speaker was Bismarck.

“Bismarck, this is far from enough. What our army urgently needs now is a real war. Since the Napoleonic Wars, Prussia has been in a state of recuperation and development, and our Junkers are very dissatisfied with the current peace.” The military believes that a suitable war can stimulate national economic development, but who can grasp the right balance?

"Yes, yes, yes! Austria is next. No matter who you point your cannons at, I will do my best to create the best diplomatic situation for you." Bismarck seemed a little impatient with the man's rhetoric.

“Miss Bismarck, we are all doing this for Germany, for Prussia, for His Majesty Wilhelm.” The man’s tone was very sincere, as if it came from the bottom of his heart.

"Yes, you are absolutely right." The great cause of the nation-state is indeed a good banner, sweeping people under the banner of patriotism, but in reality, it is only satisfying their own selfish desires. The Junker military aristocracy, guarding their hypocritical glory, in the process of seeking national development, have they truly noticed that they themselves are the biggest stumbling block to the country's development?

"Why would Miss Bismarck lie to them?" Gisela muttered under her breath as she listened to their conversation.

Gisela knew that Bismarck's downfall in history was not truly due to his discord with Wilhelm II, as we see it. The real reason for his downfall was that his policies could no longer satisfy the interests of the Junkers. Rather than saying he was abandoned by Wilhelm II, it would be more accurate to say that he was abandoned by the Junker class.

Bismarck was a patriot, and when he unified Germany through iron-fisted policies and dynastic wars, the Junker nobles were his staunch supporters. However, when he sought to maintain a balance of power and rise peacefully, he became an obstacle to the Junker class's pursuit of war and interests, and they tried to remove those who did not align with their interests—this is the essence of political struggle.

Frederick the Great, with his great talent and ambition, brought Prussia a powerful army, but also created a new class. His successors were all bound by the chains of this class, maintaining their rule through compromise. No ruler was able to truly break these shackles until the moment the old country was destroyed.

“Mooch, we’re old friends. To be honest, what do you think of that little girl Chloris?” Bismarck was able to call the esteemed Prussian Chloris “little girl” only because this old acquaintance was the only one in front of him.