She changed Europe

Page 28

At this moment, mingling in the bustling crowd, the two women undoubtedly became the focus of everyone's attention.

The former has beautiful blonde hair, making her look youthful and sunny. The sun hat she wears perfectly showcases her gentleness and tranquility. The latter, dressed as a butler, wears a black and white long dress, exuding elegance at all times.

"Rita, what time is it?" Gisela asked weakly, then tightened the scarf around her neck.

While Berlin's winters aren't particularly warm, they're not as bitterly cold as St. Petersburg's. For most people, however, dressing as thickly as Gisela today is completely unnecessary.

Unfortunately, Gisela is now extremely weak. Getting chilled and engaging in strenuous exercise are things that women should absolutely avoid during their menstrual period, and she was already suffering from menstrual cramps. To make matters worse, she caught a cold yesterday, which is a perfect example of how bad things can never come singly.

"At 8:13 a.m., we should arrive in Frankfurt around noon," Rita said, checking the time on the clock on the platform while carrying Gisela's suitcase.

"Oh, that's good, Achoo!" Gisela sneezmed and sneezed uncontrollably. Rita quickly put down her luggage and took out a handkerchief to wipe Gisela's nose.

“I can do it myself,” Gisela said, trying to dampen her maid’s enthusiasm.

"No way! Your Highness Rita was negligent yesterday, so I will never let Your Highness out of my sight again!" Gisela couldn't help but think to herself, though of course she wouldn't say it aloud.

As expected, Rita caught him red-handed about his affair with Bismarck last night. Nothing actually happened, but our Prime Minister somehow managed to show Rita his soiled panties, making her mistakenly believe that she had been sexually assaulted. This almost led to a direct confrontation between the two, but thankfully, I managed to stop it.

The story then devolved into something akin to a newlywed wife being abandoned by her husband and caught in his affair. Of course, Gisela eventually, on Bismarck's advice, reached a gentleman's agreement with the persistent, wicked maid—the very thing she described above.

Anyway, Rita was a beautiful older sister, so Gisela didn't feel there was anything wrong with it. In any case, she could never have experienced being taken care of like this in her previous life.

"Okay! You can wipe it then." Gisela pursed her lips, looking indifferent.

"Be gentle." Gisela felt that Rita's handkerchief gesture was a bit strange, as if she was deliberately venting her dissatisfaction on her cheek.

"Is that so?" Rita smiled, appearing very "friendly," but her heart was far from calm: Damn Prussian woman, His Highness's cheek, His Highness's neck, His Highness's skin, His Highness... you've taken them all! Why did you do this? Was it to humiliate the Empire, to humiliate the Habsburg family? Evil Prussians! They all deserve to die!

At this moment, the Prussian Prime Minister, who was working hard in his office, inexplicably felt a chill.

“Your Highness, you can wait a few days before you leave. Taking care of your health is the most important thing for you right now,” Rita said to Gisela, putting away her handkerchief out of a sense of duty.

“There’s no time. I have to finish the negotiations in Frankfurt before my sister arrives in Berlin.” Gisela gently rubbed her tummy with her gloved hand.

"Negotiation? Negotiate with whom?" This was the first time Gisela had told Rita about the negotiations in Frankfurt, so it wasn't surprising that Rita didn't know.

"I plan to visit Mr. Amschel, the current head of the Rothschild family, in Frankfurt." When the Rothschilds are mentioned, many people's understanding of them is limited to two relatively common characteristics: first, they are Jewish; second, they possess vast, intangible assets. While many boast that the family still wields enormous wealth today, this is actually giving them far too much credit.

Their family did indeed enjoy a period of great prosperity. Starting with the first patriarch, Mayer Rothschild, the family shifted its business focus: during the war, providing loans to nobles in belligerent nations and selling essential goods, handling international exchange rates between Britain and Europe; after the war, they ventured into government securities, insurance, and corporate stocks, and invested in railways, coal, and steel. After Mayer's death, his five sons went to London, Paris, Vienna, Naples, and their hometown of Frankfurt to expand their businesses, which later became known as the "Sixth Empire" (the sixth empire excluding the five major powers of Britain, France, Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Prussia).

However, the old world order was completely overturned after World War I, and the Luo family was also severely impacted. The golden age was gone forever, and bankers from the New World began to erode the European capital market in reverse until it was completely dominated by the United States after World War II.

Why are Jews so resented in this era? It's precisely because their expansion of capital has been accompanied by war and chaos. As Marx said in *Capital*, capital is evil and bloodstained. If they were shedding the blood of other nations, they wouldn't be hated by their own people. The key is that they never consider themselves citizens of their own country, never integrate into the nation, and accumulate wealth with the blood of their own people. (This lack of gratitude makes them partly to blame for the retaliation they suffer.)

Of course, Gisela wasn't interested in whether the Jews were right or wrong. For her now, the key was to seek mutually beneficial cooperation with them. To fundamentally change a country, one must undoubtedly start with the economic sphere. Cooperating with the empire and even Europe's top financial giants would be highly advantageous for her future power or for prolonging the empire's life.

“If Your Highness is looking for the Rothschild family, why not meet with Baron Solomon in Vienna? I believe Mr. Solomon would be more than willing to meet with you.” Solomon Rothschild, the Sixth Empire’s representative in Vienna, has maintained close ties with the Habsburg royal family and the imperial government since the time of Chancellor Metternich’s rule over the Austrian Empire.

As the proverb of the time went, "Austria has an Emperor Ferdinand and a King Solomon."

PS1: It turns out that oil stains should be properly disposed of after use.

Chapter 99 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 33 An Unexpected Encounter

“The power of the Rothschild family in Vienna is far from enough. What I want is the power of all of Europe, the power of the entire Sixth Empire, the power to shake the entire capitalist world.” Gisela would of course not tell Rita the specifics of her plan, not because she did not trust Rita, but because she was not entirely confident at the moment, as she could not be sure whether the Rothschild family would accept her terms of negotiation.

"By the way, Rita, how is Mr. Siemens' factory in Prague?" Gisela seemed to be thinking of Mr. Werner, whom she had met earlier this year.

"Under the direction of the Brno family, Siemens' factory in Prague has already started production. It is said that the construction of the factory was overseen by Miss Rania's family," Rita said after a moment's thought.

"It seems that the Marquis of Moravia has tacitly approved her heir's contact with me. Thinking about it this way, my senior is actually more useful than I thought." However, this can only be understood as an adjustment within the Queen's faction, and cannot be seen as a sign that the Marquis of Moravia has actively joined Gisela's own faction.

Of course, in a political relationship driven by self-interest, Gisela only has the confidence to transform them into her own power if she can make the pie bigger in the future and truly bind them to her. But at least for now, Gisela does not have such personal charisma or political leverage.

Regardless of the circumstances, since others had helped her, Gisela still needed to take some time to formally pay a visit to the Brno family.

Thinking of all this, Gisela couldn't help but recall the fiery red-haired girl from more than half a year ago. Although she was portrayed as a silly beauty, she was at least not the scheming type. Gisela also considered that their interactions were quite pleasant.

In short, there are indeed too many trivial matters at the moment. Supporting one's own power, greatly expanding one's influence in the economic field, and paying close attention to the movements of the court are all things that need to be considered. In short, all of these are for one's own benefit, and one must strive for and plan accordingly.

At this moment, Gisela couldn't help but feel envious. The princess from Prussia next door was named Chloris. Last night, while eavesdropping on Bismarck's conversation with Moltke the Elder, she sensed that Bismarck was inclined to support her. She believed that with Miss Bismarck's support, she could probably handle any unfavorable situation well.

“Your Highness! The crowd has already entered the carriage. Shouldn’t we get on too?” Rita gently patted Gisela’s back, gesturing for her to board.

“Okay, Rita, you take the luggage and go ahead, I’ll follow behind you.” Gisela looked up and checked the time again: 8:26, 4 minutes before departure.

Gisela staggered to the edge of the platform, and just as she was about to step onto the train carriage, she lost her balance and fell straight to the ground.

"I'm still not used to wearing high heels." That was the only thought in Gisela's mind.

"Watch out!" In a panic, Rita put down her luggage and reached out to help Gisela. The train conductor standing on the platform saw this and also raised his hand to help Gisela.

"Tsk!" Gisela made a soft click of her tongue and a sigh.

In the end, it wasn't Rita or the flight attendant who helped Gisela up, but a handsome and charming gentleman who was standing behind them waiting to board the train.

"Miss, please be careful on the steps. It's not good to be distracted when getting on the bus." The young man's expression was calm, and his tone was relatively gentle, clearly indicating that he had received a good education.

"Are you from Bavaria?" Ever since her meeting with Bradley, Gisela has become conscious of the differences in German accents, though this wasn't the only basis for her judgment.

“Yes, miss, I’m from Bavaria.” The young man looked at the girl in front of him with some surprise.

“Sir, your accent is a dialect from southern Germany, and there’s a golden lion printed on your right sleeve. As far as I know, among the four states of southern Germany, only the Kingdom of Bavaria uses a golden lion as its emblem.” Gisela was quite confident in his insight.

“Miss, you are right. May I ask your name?” After confirming that Gisela was out of danger, he quickly released her while keeping a distance from her. Then, the young man politely asked Gisela.

"Shouldn't you introduce yourself before asking someone's name?" Gisela raised an eyebrow, feeling that the person in front of her had appeared in Gisela's original memories, but she couldn't remember who it was.

“Yes, you are absolutely right.” The young man put Gisela down and bowed to her.

The train had already started sounding its horn; it seemed to be about to depart.

"Sir, please let us get in the car and we can talk more."

“Okay.” The young man was surprisingly cooperative.

"My name is Leopold Maximilian Joseph Maria Arnulf, a nobleman from the Kingdom of Bavaria, who joined the army last year." The man removed his hat and introduced himself to Gisela with great politeness. No wonder the young man had given Gisela a capable impression; it turned out he was a soldier.

“Sir, my name is Gisela. As for my surname, I don’t think it matters.” Gisela simply wanted to chat with this young man, and she wanted to distance herself from her status as a princess as much as possible.

“It seems Miss is even more interesting than I imagined.” Leopold ruffled his blond hair; his slightly curly short hair looked surprisingly energetic to Gisela.

"Why would a Bavarian nobleman and soldier be in Berlin? If I remember correctly, Bavaria is a staunch supporter of the Austro-Hungarian Empire." This is beyond doubt. Gisela's birth mother, Empress Elisabeth, came from the Kingdom of Bavaria, and Gisela himself also has the blood of the Bavarian royal family—the Wittelsbach family.

Gisela's implication was that, as a Bavarian nobleman, he should not appear in Berlin, let alone go to Berlin to contact certain people, because this would easily arouse suspicion. After all, the relationship between Austria-Hungary and Prussia was delicate, and the empire would not allow its loyal states to flirt with its potential rival, Prussia.

“No, no, Miss, I wasn’t sent by the Kingdom’s military or government. I simply wanted to travel to Berlin.” Mr. Leopold quickly shook his head, then took a booklet from his pocket and placed it on the table.

Gisela carefully observed the booklet, which was wrapped in a black cover and had the coat of arms of Bavaria printed on it.

“Miss, take a look at this.” Leopold gave a kind smile, seemingly eager for her to see the contents of the booklet, and pushed it in front of Gisela.

PS1: I forgot to update at noon, sorry (bows)

Chapter 100 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 34 A Man Named Leopold

“Sir, I’d like to confirm beforehand that there aren’t any secrets of your kingdom on this booklet.” Gisela gently pressed her right index finger against the black booklet as she spoke, carefully observing the man’s reaction to make sure he wasn’t lying.

Because she didn't want to create a scene like in the movies—"You know too much, I'm going to kill you" or something.

"Don't worry, Miss. I don't know anything about the kingdom's secrets, and no official would tell someone like me who's on the fringes of society." Although his words were filled with a sense of self-abandonment, Gisela couldn't see the slightest sadness on the young man's face.

“Alright then.” Gisela took off her lace gloves and opened the black booklet that Leopold had handed her.

“This is…” Gisela was quite surprised by the contents of the booklet.

"Stamps? Sir, you actually enjoy stamp collecting?" Stamp collecting at this time was not as widespread as it is in later generations, because stamps were just emerging. The world's first stamp was issued on May 6, 1840. It featured a profile portrait of Queen Victoria designed by William Wynne and had a face value of one penny, also known as the "Penny Black."

“Yes, miss, I love to travel, and collecting stamps is another of my great hobbies.” This was the first time Leopold had met someone who recognized the stamps the moment they opened the album. At that moment, he felt as if he had found a kindred spirit, after all, this hobby was too niche.

"The Penny Black is indeed very commemorative. And this is a hero's stamp from the Crimean War, and this is a stamp issued by the Confederate States of America, and this year's Austro-Hungarian Empire commemorates the 20th anniversary of Emperor Joseph's ascension to the throne..." The original Gisela, influenced by her father in her previous life, had also become a passionate stamp collector. Keep in mind, these are stamps from a century ago; in the original world, their very existence would be a miracle, let alone the opportunity to see them.

“The oldest of these stamps is only a few decades old, but I believe they will be more valuable in the future.” Mr. Leopold touched his nose with a hint of pride. After all, his father and brother considered these things to be symbols of ignorance and a cheap, vulgar hobby.

"Mr. Leopold, where did you get this stamp?" Gisela noticed a stamp with Chinese characters on it and asked the young man in front of her out of curiosity.

“This is a stamp issued in the Malayan region in the style of the Chinese Empire.” Leopold took the black stamp album and examined the stamp carefully.

“As you know, the Chinese Empire once controlled many islands in Malaya, inhabited by many Ming people. However, after the war decades ago, the Chinese Empire’s power in Malaya was defeated, and now it is divided and occupied by Britain, France, the Netherlands, and Spain. This stamp was commissioned by the British colonial government, which controls Borneo, and designed by local Ming people, reflecting their local style.” Leopold, from Bavaria, wasn’t very knowledgeable about the Far East, so it was already quite impressive that he could say this much.

"I see. It seems that life in the Celestial Empire of this world is not easy either. However, she has no other choice but to sigh in regret."

"Does Miss Gisela also collect stamps?" Leopold asked, his eyes shining as if he had spotted a potential customer.

“I’ve collected this before, so I know it pretty well.” Gisela understood what the other person was thinking. Saying no would be a conversation killer, and saying yes might lead the conversation to areas she wasn’t good at. Rather than that, it was better to answer like this. That’s the emotional intelligence of an adult.

"Miss, I got some hot water from the train attendant. I'll make you a cup to cool it down, so you can have some." Rita carried a metal kettle and walked into Gisela's compartment.

"Sir, you're still here? Do you need hot water?" Rita was initially very grateful to the passerby who had stepped forward to help, after all, it was he who had lent a hand and prevented her mistress from having a close encounter with the ground. A competent maid would treat every kind person who had helped her master with kindness.

It should have been harmonious, but as Rita's gaze moved down, she saw that the guy with a look of admiration for Gisela, Mio, was chatting happily with her princess, even enjoying a pleasant conversation. Her mood immediately soured.

"Sir, I won't give you the hot water. My lady still needs it." Leopold was stunned by the maid's 360° change in attitude. His right hand, which was about to reach for the cup, froze awkwardly in mid-air before he reluctantly put it down. A cup of hot water in winter is a very comforting thing, but as a gentleman, he couldn't just take it by force.

“This cup is still for Miss, isn’t it, Miss!” Rita squinted and sat down in front of Gisela with the cup filled with hot water, putting her arm around Gisela’s waist in front of her.

Gisela couldn't very well point out Rita's flirtatious behavior and restless little hands from outside, so she could only let her do as she pleased; after all, a little touching wouldn't hurt her. (Probably)

"Open your mouth, Miss. This is the first cup." Rita forcefully shoved the cup to Gisela's lips with her left hand, while her right hand gently roamed over Gisela's back, the up-and-down motion seeming as a warning to Gisela.

"Ton ton ton!" This was the first cup, and Gisela was still able to accept it.

“Miss, this is the second cup, please drink slowly.” Rita’s words seemed to be a reminder to Gisela to drink slowly, but if you noticed her hand moving towards Gisela’s tail, you would know that she was actually threatening Gisela to drink faster.

"Gulp gulp gulp!" This was the second cup, and Gisela already felt her stomach getting a little bloated.

"There's still too much? Please don't drink anymore, it will make you feel unwell." Rita was already gently stroking the fur on Gisela's tail with her fingers.

"Ton! Ugh! Ugh! Ton!" By the third cup, Gisela was already feeling unwell, that strange feeling of fullness, and her legs were moving unnaturally, as if she wanted to struggle. After all, this was the first time she had ever felt like she was vomiting after drinking water. Under the combined effects of coercion and her stomach, she began to become somewhat delirious again.

“The fourth cup…” the maid said gently.

“Um! Miss, your master can no longer drink.” Mr. Leopold looked at the scene before him with some embarrassment. As an outsider, he really couldn’t say much, but if he didn’t say anything, he would be going against his conscience.

PS1: This Leopold is quite a figure, but unfortunately our Miss Rita is a pure love warrior!

Chapter 101 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 35 Am I Your Fiancée? (Seeking Votes)

“Sir, this is His Highness’s family matter, and it is not for you to comment. If there is nothing else, could you please excuse us for a moment?” Perhaps feeling that the man in front of her was somewhat superfluous and disturbing her intimacy with His Highness, Rita’s words were less respectful than before.

"Your Highness?" Although Leopold had a premonition of Gisela's noble status, he did not expect it to reach the point of being called "Your Highness".

"Is there a problem? Mr. Leopold of Bavaria, standing before you is the esteemed Princess Gisela Louise Marie, a princess of our Austro-Hungarian Empire and a member of the glorious Habsburg family." Rita raised an eyebrow. Since the person before her was a nobleman and a traditional ally of Austria, she didn't mind using the most convenient method to make him leave, after all, nobles valued status and position above all else.

"You are Princess Gisela Louise Mary? Aunt Elizabeth's daughter?" Leopold exclaimed in disbelief, his eyes wide.

"Hmm..." Seeing Rita's words, Gisela had no choice but to lean back in her chair and nod in acquiescence, feeling utterly hopeless.

"If you understand this matter, then what follows is none of your concern, sir." Rita, seeing that she had achieved her goal of intimidation, could now confidently issue the order to leave.

“No! If that’s the case, then this matter is probably very much related to me!” Leopold said, putting down his hat and speaking seriously.

"?!"

“If your lady is indeed Princess Gisela, then you are my fiancée.”

"Huh!?" At this moment, Gisela and Rita leaned back a few steps in unison, looking extremely surprised.

“Your Highness Gisela, although I don’t know if you are aware of this or if you are willing, let’s put the engagement aside for now.” The clever and polite Leopold noticed the ladies’ embarrassment and gracefully changed the subject.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, my cousin. Please convey my sincere blessings and greetings to His Majesty the Emperor and your mother, Aunt Elizabeth.” Mr. Leopold rose to his feet and placed his right hand flat on his chest in a proper courtly gesture to the young woman before him.

"Don't speak yet, I'm thinking!" Gisela said, somewhat confused. After all, she had never heard Mrs. Elizabeth mention anything about an engagement. No wonder she was almost 13 years old and didn't have the fixed idea of ​​engagement among nobles. She had already prepared an excuse to decline, but it seemed like everything had already been arranged for her.

"So your father is Prince Luitpold, the regent of Bavaria?" Prince Luitpold had two sons. His eldest son, Ludwig Leopold Joseph Maria Alois Alfred, was the future King Ludwig III of Bavaria (the one who had a crush on Sisi and built Neuschwanstein Castle). His second son was this Mr. Leopold in front of us, the future Prince Leopold, the future Field Marshal of the Second German Empire, and historically Gisela's husband.

“Yes, as you said, Prince Luitpold is indeed my father.” When Gisela mentioned his father's name, the young man before him wasn't as happy as one might expect; instead, he seemed somewhat preoccupied.

“Then should I call you cousin? Brother…” Gisela suddenly had a strange feeling about the role reversal with the young man in front of her, and her tone became somewhat uncertain.

There are just too many flaws in this story. Putting aside their close kinship, Rita's behavior towards him just now, being intimate with him in front of Leopold, gives off a strangely cuckold-like feeling. But this time, he's not the victim, he's the female lead...

Rita was now at a loss for words and could only "elegantly" sit down next to Gisela again, silently observing this guy named Leopold.

"Your Highness, please just call me Leopold." Clearly, Leopold himself wasn't used to being called "cousin" by Gisela.

"You seem to have something on your mind?" Gisela rested her head on the table with her right hand, glancing at the scenery outside the window out of the corner of her eye. At this moment, she did not fix her gaze on the young man.

“Yes, everything is indeed clear to the wise prince.” Leopold lowered his head slightly, for his thoughts were written all over his face, which was why his father said he could not become a politician.

However, this also allowed Gisela to see Leopold's true character. He was not as cheerful and talkative as he had appeared in front of Gisela before.

"Yes, sir. Just now you inadvertently mentioned that you are a dispensable person, so I deduced that your life is not very satisfactory. You then told me that you like to travel and like stamps. Such hobbies seem out of place with your current identity as a soldier. I suppose you secretly ran away from your father on this trip to Berlin."

“Yes.” Leopold fell silent for a moment; he hadn’t expected the princess before him to be even more intelligent than he had imagined.

“Look, your brother got 5 points (A) in arithmetic and you? Your brother also got an A in military drawing…” (Germany uses a 5-point system, we use a 100-point system) Leopold imitated the conversation between father and son in the tone of Prince Luetbold.