She changed Europe

Page 100

“Please continue your report on the local noble riots, Miss Hannah.” Gisela looked up at the dark-haired Jewish girl standing not far from her, her tone relaxed and casual.

"Rebellions of varying sizes have broken out in Arad, Ladia, Bayamare, and other places, led by local nobles. Although they are not connected, their objectives are very clear: either to restore the parliament or to seek independence." Hana reported the situation expressionlessly. As a Jew, she naturally did not care about the lives of the Magyars.

"It seems I was right from the start. Taking down the parliament and placing its members under house arrest was a very correct decision." The nobles who controlled the Hungarian parliament under the guise of investigation effectively severed their connection with the local authorities, thus dividing the rebels who could have been united. This was Gisela's brilliance.

"I'm not worried about the rebellion. After all, I've already ordered Jeanne, Marshal Benedek, the Marquis of Brno, and others to send troops to suppress it. It's only a matter of time before the internal strife is quelled. Their resistance won't amount to much. We just need to keep the Hungarian magic users under control for now," Gisela said after a moment of contemplation, resting her chin on her hand.

The magic users in Hungary, having received preferential treatment from the Empire and being high-ranking nobles themselves, did not need to be so eager to seek their own independence as beneficiaries. In fact, they had more opportunities to participate in the Empire's political decision-making.

Of course, Gisela wouldn't mind taking action if they didn't open their eyes, since she had the power of her other self to amplify her strength, and she was confident that she could defeat her opponents in a one-on-one or one-on-two battle.

"By the way, Your Highness, our people also discovered a number of similar documents, which look like lists, during a raid on the senator's home. There is no doubt that our raid prevented them from initiating the destruction process immediately."

“Very good. So what is the general attitude of ordinary Hungarians toward this matter?” Although the Magyars are to be suppressed, this ethnic group still accounts for one-fifth of the empire’s population. Gisela is not a mustachioed man; she is not crazy enough to carry out a crazy revenge against a single ethnic group.

"As Your Highness intended, our focus this time was on arresting Hungarian nobles. The target was very clear, and it didn't have a significant impact on ordinary people." Although nationalism was on the rise in this era, for the vast majority of ordinary people, as long as they had food to eat and could make ends meet, not many people cared about such things. In their view, this was just a power struggle within the empire, and taking away power would only affect the noble lords. As for the attitudes of other ethnic groups, they didn't care.

“Very good. I will contact newspapers soon to write articles and have the media list and publish the crimes of the Hungarian nobles, separating them from the ordinary Magyars, thus quelling the discontent of the Hungarians and weakening the opposition.” Gisela may not be the best ruler in Europe now, but she is undoubtedly the smartest politician because she understands the value of public opinion more profoundly than her contemporaries.

This is a sword; a few words can sometimes be more powerful than a million soldiers.

“Your Highness, there is another issue, not the one we are currently discussing, but something I have been keeping from you.” Hana raised her right hand and adjusted her glasses.

"What is it?" Gisela tilted her head, looking somewhat confused.

"The Empire's financial problems stem from the war in Northern Italy a year ago and the war in Southern Italy this year. After these two wars, the Empire's fiscal deficit and national debt were already quite serious. Now, the rebellion has caused problems with Outer Italy's tax revenue, and the Empire's tax revenue may drop by about forty percent this year." When money was mentioned, Hana became more serious and shrewd than usual.

"..." Sure enough, even a hero can be brought down by a penny. Although he was richer than a country, the imperial government's finances were still in dire straits.

"Mitland Bank, Bank of France, Barclays Bank..." Liu Qi rattled off a long list of names that made Gisela's fox ears perk up again. These were all major financial backers of this era, and they were not to be offended at this stage.

Moreover, it's not like I'm running away with private debts; this involves the backing of national credit. If I don't handle it properly, then all my subsequent currency reforms will be for nothing.

"And of course, there's our Rothschild family's bank. The total amount of all its debts, plus interest, is equivalent to three years of the Empire's total fiscal revenue, assuming you've paid off all your taxes." Hannah closed her notebook and looked at Gisela with a smile.

"Rita, go get me a glass of water. Aponia, give me my handkerchief. Why is it so hot today?" Gisela took the handkerchief from Aponia while wiping non-existent beads of sweat from her forehead, watching Rita leave.

War may feel good in the moment, but it can really send your whole family to the crematorium. After just a few small battles (which were actually quite large), the money was gone. Gisela realized once again that his country was not as rich as it seemed on the surface.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Aponia knelt before Gisela with a concerned look, observing her condition.

“I’m fine. Aponia, you can go out for a bit and have Rita come in later. I have something to say to Miss Hana alone,” Gisela said softly to Aponia.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Aponia straightened up and left the room with light steps. Even as she closed the door, she didn’t forget to check on Gisela’s condition with her purple eyes.

"Your Highness, we bankers are actually quite easy to satisfy. The Empire's factories, mines, railways, and even the paintings in the royal palaces and treasuries can all be used as collateral." In fact, these capitalists often prefer cash to money, since these things are the hard currency of this era, compared to currency that may depreciate at any time.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 373 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 89 The Key of Solomon (Seeking Votes)

"Let me think about it..." The empire has not been defeated yet, nor has it reached the point of selling out its country to pay back the debt. However, it must be said that fighting these guys is of no value at all. They can't even generate any profit from war reparations. Moreover, the Austro-Hungarian Empire missed the colonial era and doesn't even have any overseas colonies to exploit.

“Your Highness, it’s all up to you. We, the Rothschild family, are your friends. We’re not in a hurry to get our share back, but the other banks aren’t as easy to talk to as we are.” Hannah walked toward Gisela with a smile and finally sat down on the sofa next to Gisela’s study.

"Your Highness, do you remember what I said when we first met?" Hana casually crossed her legs, maintaining her elegance as a princess of the Sixth Empire.

"The Solomon's Key to the Temple of Wealth?" Gisela asked without hesitation.

Nearly three years have passed since Gisela made her agreement with the Rothschild family, but she has not forgotten her economic leverage that has enabled her to move the world. The other party also seems to be very patient, which explains why they are always able to stand at the forefront of investment trends.

“Actually, this sentence isn’t complete. There’s a second half. If you say the whole sentence together, it’s…” Hannah stood up slowly and walked over to Gisela. She bent down and gently pinched Gisela’s chin.

"The key to the temple of wealth, the key to your heart." Hannah's dark hair was full and smooth, and her beautiful face was right in front of Gisela. The fact that she could say such shameful words without any expression was what made this Jewish girl so special.

I never expected this girl, who is like a friend to say such unexpected things. Could this be a disguised confession?

Gisela's cheeks flushed slightly, and her legs, encased in white stockings, rubbed together nervously, showing her nervousness and panic.

"Don't worry, Your Highness, there's no need to worry about money. We're partners, and I'll remove all obstacles related to money until we reach an agreement." Hannah straightened up and maintained her distance from Gisela again.

Is this what a rich woman is like? Who knew that even being a princess could lead to being kept by a sugar daddy...

"Pfft! Your Highness, your expression right now is just too cute." Hana looked at Gisela, whose cheeks were flushed from what she had just said, and covered her mouth to chuckle.

"Don't laugh!" Gisela could only use this self-important way to cover up her embarrassment.

"I heard that His Highness is returning to Vienna tomorrow?"

"Yes, this troop deployment and the abolition of the Hungarian Parliament were all carried out by bypassing the Emperor and the Imperial Council, so I must go and explain to my father and the nobles in the Imperial Council." This almost solitary action was enough to draw criticism from many nobles who opposed her. It should be noted that from the very beginning of the Habsburg dynasty, no monarch had ever been so autocratic as to bypass the noble council to deploy troops, let alone someone who wasn't even the Emperor.

"Will you be acting as Her Highness the Princess, or as the Crown Princess?" Hana's lips curled up slightly, giving Gisela a mischievous smile.

Emperor Joseph had three children. His eldest daughter was unable to bear the burden of the throne due to health reasons, and his youngest son had "died" in Italy. Joseph's second brother had already taken his children to Mexico and became the emperor of the Mexican Empire. His third brother only had a daughter. Now, according to the succession to the throne, Fagicera has become the strongest contender for the throne, and it is a foregone conclusion that she will become the crown princess.

"Even if I become emperor, so what? Those old nobles are outwardly respectful to you, but secretly they're doing all sorts of misdeeds and enriching themselves behind your back. The key is that I can't deal with them the way I dealt with the Hungarians." Unlike the Hungarians, the Austrian nobles were the cornerstone of Habsburg rule and the source of imperial power. To brutally destroy them was, in fact, to destroy the dynasty itself.

Although one obstacle has been overcome, many more stand in our way, and there is no doubt that the road ahead is still long and arduous.

"Your Highness, some things don't need to be overcomplicated. Trying to calculate the end of the road as soon as you start is impossible. In my opinion, sometimes taking it one step at a time is a good approach." With that, Hana pushed open the door. Rita, because she was leaning against the wall, fell to the ground due to her center of gravity. Although Aponia still stood elegantly by the door and wasn't as disheveled as Rita, it wasn't hard to see the cold sweat on Aponia's forehead if you looked closely.

“Just like your lovely maids.” Hannah uttered a vague remark and started to leave, but then seemed to realize something and turned back.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot, Your Highness! Princess Chloris asked me to pass on a message to you. She said that you've been making everyone very busy lately, and in order to reap the necessary rewards, she wants you to arrive in Vienna the day after tomorrow, wash yourself thoroughly, dress nicely, and lie quietly in bed." After saying this, Hannah left with a smile and a touch of nonchalance.

----at the same time

The icy water splashed on her brought Shahrador back to reality. She tried to open her eyes, only to find herself in a dark and gloomy secret room.

"Where am I?" She looked around in confusion, then tried to move her arms.

"Chains?" Am I being imprisoned?

"Why can't I feel the magic energy in my body and around me?" Shahrado was no unarmed woman; she was a magic user of the Ottoman Empire, a noble Pasha, one of the top officials in the Sultan's court. Logically speaking, breaking such chains should not be difficult for her.

"Nice to meet you, lovely and charming Miss Pasha." As a gentle female voice rang out, Shahrado turned her gaze toward the direction from which the voice came from not far away.

"Who are you! Why are you imprisoning me?" Shahrado struggled to break free of her restraints while keeping a wary eye on the long-haired woman in the distance.

"Don't bother. I've already injected enough inhibitors into your body. The fact that you can still stand is already a sign of mercy." The black-haired woman placed her hands on the table and looked at the woman in front of her with a serious expression.

“If my motherland or the international community finds out that you are abusing inhibitors, you know the consequences, no matter who your employer is.” Shahrado took a deep breath and continued to use his calm and rational words to cover up his passivity.

P越+仪翼%零^企爸师妻俬焐陸S1：ra！

Chapter 374 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Capter90 What do you want to do! (Seeking votes)

“Your Turkic dancer’s outfit suits you surprisingly well, much better than the Pasha’s dress you wore at the Constantinople court.” The dark-haired woman slowly pulled a black-and-white photograph from her impressive bosom, placed it on the table, and then used her index finger to push the photograph closer to Shahrado.

"The forbidden love between Her Highness Sultanah and her Pasha is truly heartbreaking." The woman's lips curled slightly upward, her face displaying an expression of complete control.

"Hmph! So what? What does my affair with His Majesty have to do with you, a heretic woman?" Shahrador remained calm and composed. She was not worried about her safety. After all, if the other party wanted to kill her, they wouldn't have waited until now; they would have done so before she fainted.

"He infiltrated Gisela Louise Marie's inner circle as an Armenian exile, spying for the British and inciting Muslim masses during the previous uprisings, distributing weapons that the British had brought through the Adriatic Sea and Croatia to them, so that they would rebel against the Austro-Hungarian Empire."

"You, on the other hand, stood by and watched, taking advantage of the limited turmoil ordered by that princess herself, to secretly expand the scale and prepare an excuse for the Ottoman Empire to attack northward..." The woman clearly expressed Shahrado's entire operation word by word, with some details even surpassing her own memory.

"Unfortunately, although you Turks have occupied Constantinople and claim to be the successors of Rome, you have learned nothing but Rome's cruelty. (Here, Rome refers to the Eastern Roman Empire.)"

“Times have changed, Miss Pasha. Religion as a reason for war is so narrow it’s laughable. True powers, before a war even begins, engage in political maneuvering, exchanging interests, and choosing allies, not fighting for the sake of war itself. As a military strategist from a distant Eastern empire said a thousand years ago: ‘To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest form of skill.’” The woman stood up and walked step by step toward Shahrador with a smile.

“Hmph, aren’t you the same one spouting high-sounding words here while secretly engaging in shady dealings? Let me guess who your master is. The French? No! France doesn’t have time to focus on the Balkans right now; the Russians? The Russians don’t seem to be interested in espionage and intelligence gathering. Prussia? Or perhaps the Empire?” Shahrado’s brow furrowed slightly, his tone carrying a hint of disdain for the black-haired woman before him.

“You are free to make your own guesses, of course. I can’t convince someone who insists on their own ideas, but as far as I’m concerned, I’m just someone who likes to follow my own desires.” The woman took a step back and sat on the wooden table, crossed her legs, and supported her head with her hands on her knees.

"After all this nonsense, what do you want me to tell you, or what do you want me to do for you?" Shahrado bit her lip, staring seriously at the woman in front of her. From the moment she left until now, this woman had not revealed for even a minute the purpose of imprisoning her.

“It’s simple. You will continue to stay by Gisela’s side and work for her. This time, you will be a double agent in the open,” the woman said calmly.

"Openly?"

"Yes, on the surface, I need you to diligently work for that lord while continuing to play the role of your collaborator with the British. Every now and then, you need to convey to them the statements and intelligence I have prepared for you in advance, and of course, you also need to inform me of the British's movements." After all, she understood better than anyone else that revealing intelligence to the Russians would inevitably provoke retaliation from the British. For self-preservation or other purposes, she needed to continue to keep track of the British's movements and prepare for any possible future situations.

"You have no reason to refuse my offer. Even you, don't you deeply resent the British? This poses no threat to your position; on the contrary, it's a golden opportunity." The key to successful negotiation is offering a condition that the other party cannot refuse.

Just as the woman expected, Miss Osman Pasha quickly agreed to her request after a moment's thought, because she had no other choice.

"Can you let me go now? I don't like this position at all, and aren't you going to tell me your name?" Shahrado writhed her body, her graceful and alluring figure, her dark and healthy brown skin, and her distinctive Turkish national costume exuding the fragrance of ermes. Unfortunately, there were no men present.

"No, no, no, it's still early. We might as well play around." With that, the woman jumped off the table and pulled out a black ribbon from somewhere.

“My name is Harley Mata, someone you’ll never forget.” Mata’s lips curled slightly upward as she licked her tongue, gently tying the ribbon behind Shahrador’s head, obscuring her eyes. Shahrador, her vision instantly taken away, instinctively tried to struggle, but Mata gently wrapped her arms around her waist.

"What do you want to do!"

“Did you know that when a person loses their sight, their senses become more focused on smell, touch, and even hearing? Their body also becomes more sensitive than when they have sight.” As Marta spoke, her cool fingers gently unbuttoned the small section of fabric on the upper part of the dancer’s costume, then her fingertips curled up slightly and slowly slid down Shahrador’s back.

"Hmm." Shahrador instinctively made some suggestive sounds in response to this sudden action.

Sometimes, isn't it a unique pleasure to savor the beauty of a lady? Marta looked at the disheveled Shahrador with a smile, feeling exceptionally pleased.

And so, the two beautiful older sisters began to fuss about in the cramped, secret room in a strange way.

Let's turn our attention back to the train traveling from Budapest to Vienna —

"Achoo!" A cute sneeze rang out, and Gisela quickly stood up, reached out and picked up a handkerchief from the table next to her to wipe the tip of her nose.

"Does Your Highness have caught a cold?" Aponia approached Gisela with a worried expression, observing her condition. Seeing the pretty face so close to her and smelling the faint fragrance emanating from the woman, Gisela's face flushed slightly.

"If she can catch a cold, I'll jump off the train right now." Jeanne, dressed in a casual dress with her feet exposed, crossed her legs and looked at Gisela, who was sitting opposite her, with a somewhat dissatisfied expression.

"It's alright, Aponia. We magic users don't catch colds. I just suddenly felt a bit off. I think I heard the sound of horses' hooves, the kind you hear on the plains." Gisela had no idea that her future harem had already caught fire without her knowledge. Sometimes, lush greenery isn't just about plants; sometimes it can also represent people's hearts.

PS1: Little fox, can only bully Jeanne.

Chapter 375 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 91 The Hungarian Counterattack (Seeking Votes)

"Jeanne, what have you been writing all this time?" Gisela turned her gaze to Jeanne Alter, who was holding a pen and carefully studying and writing a letter.

“A letter to Shirley.” Jeanne replied calmly, then continued to immerse herself in her thoughts. For some reason, Gisela felt a slight pang of disappointment when she heard Jeanne was going to write to Richelieu. Although she constantly threatened and teased Jeanne with various excuses, Gisela actually quite liked this tsundere girl, because her personality was rather endearing.

Gisela's unintentional expression was noticed by Rita.

“Your Highness, come with me for a moment, I have something to say to you.” At this moment, Rita suddenly stood up, took Gisela’s hand, and walked towards the other end of the train.

"What's wrong, Rita?" Gisela hadn't seen Rita so assertive in a long time. The last time she'd seen her was when she had just arrived in this world, back when she was still young. Unfortunately, Rita didn't answer the question this time, but instead continued to pull her forward until they reached the train connection area.

"Your Highness, have you fallen for Miss Jeanne?" Rita asked seriously, her expression revealing no hint of joking.

“I…” Gisela hadn’t expected Rita to be so blunt, and for a moment she didn’t know how to answer.

"If so, I will help you keep her by your side; if not, then just pretend I said nothing today." Although she wanted to have the princess all to herself, Rita had long understood that it was impossible. Rather than constantly making things difficult for Gisela, she would rather help her.

During the long years of fighting off the "cheating cat," Rita realized one thing: there are limits to being a maid, especially since Aponia was already competing with her for work. So, Your Highness, I will no longer be a maid; I will become your strategist, both in public and in private!

She wanted to help His Highness win over all the women she was interested in, making them fall at the princess's feet. This would not only benefit the country, but also help solidify her own position, since she was His Highness's powerful ally.

“No, no, no, I don’t like that rude and tasteless French woman. I don’t like anything about her except her figure and looks. I just want him to be mine…” Gisela’s head swayed rapidly like a wave.

"Thump!" As Rita pressed her hand against the wall, a scene of "wall slamming" was formed.

"Your Highness, you must be frank! Otherwise, I can't help you at all!"

"Huh!?" Gisela's expression at this moment was just like that of a frightened Tamamo-no-Mae.

Just then, the royal train suddenly stopped.

As the high-speed train braked suddenly, the immense inertia caused Rita to fall forward due to her standing posture. Noticing this, Gisela swiftly reached out and grabbed Rita's wrist, expertly pulling her into her arms to prevent her from falling to the ground or hitting something and getting injured.

"Are you alright, Rita?" Gisela asked gently, looking at Rita, who was now as tall as herself in her arms. Perhaps due to exhaustion, Gisela noticed a strange weariness on Rita's face.

"Thank you, Your Highness, I'm fine." Rita enjoyed the close contact with her prince while observing Gisela.

“Three years have passed, Your Highness. You have changed so much, both in appearance and personality. It’s as if you have a completely different soul.” Rita exclaimed. Sometimes she would compare the prince’s childhood self with his current appearance, but no matter how she thought about it, she could not equate the two periods of the prince. The prince, who used to be so submissive, seemed to have suddenly grown up. Could it be because of that extraordinary power?

"You're just imagining things. After all, people grow up." Rita's seemingly unintentional words once again tormented Gisela's long-dormant heart. After all, in a way, she was nothing more than a thief who occupied someone else's body and stole their feelings.

"What happened? Why did you suddenly stop the car?!" Gisela shouted, looking up sharply in the direction of the staff, trying to change the subject.

"Your Highness, the bridge ahead has collapsed. Don't worry, Your Highness, we will handle it," the staff member replied cautiously, trying to soothe the nobleman inside the car.

"The bridge deck is broken?" Gisela frowned and thought for a moment before instinctively activating her magical senses and focusing her hearing on her fox ears.

A fully armed figure stood in the shade of a tree, followed by the clatter of a massive magical armor moving behind him.

"Oh no! It's a trap!" As if in sync with Gisela's words, a deafening explosion came first from the direction of the train's engine, the huge impact of which overturned the massive steam locomotive.

Gisela strained to raise her magical shield, preventing the shards from harming Rita while also protecting herself.

"Grab me, let's get off the train first." Gisela glanced back in the direction where Jeanne and the others were, then picked Rita up in a princess carry and jumped off the train from the connecting area between the carriages.

Another explosion struck, the immense impact sending Gisela, who had deployed her shield, flying through the air before crashing headfirst into a tree trunk by the roadside. The physical pain shot through her, and Gisela gasped, rubbing her back. Rita rolled to the side of the road, struggling to get up.

Jeanne, who was also in a similar sorry state not far from them, was swept up by the shockwave of the explosion and slammed into a tree stump while forcibly pulling Rita to jump out of the car.

"Are you alright, you silly fox?" Jeanne rubbed her back as she looked at Gisela with her golden eyes.

"Still alive." Gisela was in a terrible state, as a patch of fur on her fox tail had been burned off by the flames from the explosion.