She changed Europe

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Gisela then spread her shield, enveloping the little fellow villager and Mia within it.

The young villager looked on blankly at the intense shooting exchange.

Mia then displayed the reaction expected of a child; she covered her head, hid inside the carriage, and kept screaming, clearly terrified.

The British armored vehicles used their weapons and artillery to attack the patrol, and also managed to destroy the remaining half-track vehicle with a single shot, bringing the brief battle to an end.

Almost all the patrol soldiers were lying on the ground, and many of Gisela's guards were also shot—it would be strange if there weren't many people shot in such a firefight.

However, the guard captain, who was in the very center of the fighting zone, miraculously survived. He stood up, dusted himself off, and let out a long sigh of relief.

At this moment, one of the prisoners who had been being held by the patrol made a sound, and Gisela then realized that their mouths had been gagged.

Jeanne raised her hand to stop the guards from firing: "Wait a minute, have you ever seen prisoners of war being gagged on the battlefield? Let him speak."

So the prisoner's mouth was undone.

He spoke in fluent German: "Thank God you saw through them! These prisoners are all surviving patrol members like me."

Gisela looked down at the prisoners from the vehicle and asked, "Were you attacked?"

"Yes, it happened early this morning. We were hit by a Russian-made landmine. One vehicle was almost completely destroyed, and the radio in the other vehicle stopped working. Then they used a short assault to knock us to the ground as soon as we got out of the car and seized our clothes and weapons."

Gisela wanted to get out of the car to inquire about what had happened, but worried about other dangers, so she chose to stay in the car to protect Mia. Then, maintaining her superior position looking down at the true patrol commander, she asked, "Did they receive a tip that I was coming and specifically ambush us?"

"No, they've already ambushed several messengers and a jeep carrying officers, apparently trying to gather more intelligence. The passing troops were all moving very quickly, and the leader spoke excellent German, so no one suspected them. They genuinely believed they were here on orders to set up a roadblock to intercept our reconnaissance team, which was wanted by headquarters. I saw them meticulously recording the organization and weaponry of the passing troops."

"And then, how did they come up with the idea of ​​creating that farmhouse fire and the sounds of fighting?" Gisela continued to ask.

"I don't know. Just recently, after their scouts returned, their commander called a meeting with everyone. He spoke in Russian that I couldn't understand, and then they started arranging this farce."

At this point, Jeanne said, "They probably took this tactic because they thought we would have more comprehensive guards and might be able to spot the flaws in their organization." This way, any flaws in their organization can be explained as combat losses.

Gisela had by then almost figured out the whole story.

“They probably saw the magical armor guards and assumed he was a big shot,” he said. “But they didn’t expect this fish to be so big, with so many magical users around him.”

“Actually, I noticed something was wrong when I was communicating with them by radio,” Jeanne said. “Their responses were incorrect; they didn’t finish their sentences or repeat themselves until they received confirmation. Only Russian soldiers who lack radio equipment and experience in its use would do that.”

Gisela couldn't help but turn her head to look at the person in charge of her security.

At this moment, the real patrol captain, still bound to the ground, said, "Your Majesty, this is my responsibility, please punish me. Also, my men are injured and are very thirsty..."

"I know. But before that, let me double-check: are you sure you don't have any other important information to report to me?"

The patrol captain thought carefully about Gisela's question before gently shaking his head: "No."

"Your case will be investigated by a military court later. Until then, take them all away to treat their wounds and change their skin." In Gisela's view, such things were normal on the battlefield, but it was still somewhat shameful regardless.

After the group of unfortunate men were taken away, Gisela got out of the car and walked towards the bodies of the "patrolmen" lying on the ground. He stopped beside the head of the guard and asked in a humorous tone, "Finally, were the anti-slip marks on their boots square or round?"

“It’s square, sir. And I didn’t know the Russian army’s anti-slip markings were round, I never knew. It was just that Miss Jeanne gave me a subtle signal to test it out.”

"Your reaction was excellent!" Gisela patted the guard captain on the shoulder, then looked down at the body of the Russian reconnaissance squad leader. The guy had been shot in the back; it seemed he'd been killed by his own men, or perhaps the guard captain had used the unconscious man as a shield during the fierce fighting.

Gisela began searching the scout's pockets, but after a long search, she found nothing of value. Just then, a guard ran over and loudly reported, "We found a briefcase on a Russian soldier."

Gisela immediately stood up, took the briefcase, opened it, and saw that it contained the notebook that the unfortunate patrol leader had mentioned for recording the personnel and equipment of the passing international volunteer forces, as well as some other things, all of which looked like intelligence to be presented to the Russian commander.

At that moment, another soldier shouted from a distance: "The half-tracks are full of the corpses of Allied soldiers!"

Gisela put away the documents, handed the briefcase to Jeanne, and then ordered, "Make room in the back car, take all the bodies, and we'll bury them together in Saray."

When Gisela and his party arrived in Sarai, the senior commanders of the international volunteer forces in Sarai and the commanders of the British magical armored forces were waiting outside the city.

"Your Majesty, I heard you encountered a little trouble on the road?" Heinz stood at attention and saluted Gisela, then immediately asked, "Are you alright?"

This question seemed somewhat redundant for a magic user, but Heinz still had to ask it out of duty.

Gisela laughed, "I'm standing right in front of you, aren't I? But the Russian reconnaissance team's operation was quite daring, it took me quite a bit of a surprise."

“The Russian reconnaissance teams have suddenly become more active in the last two days, so we sent out more armed patrols. We didn’t expect something like this to happen. It was really too risky for you to come to Sarai under these circumstances,” Heinz said, shaking his head.

Gisela laughed a few times and said nonchalantly, "There are two things I'm most interested in in my life, one of which is adventure."

"And the other one?" Heinz asked curiously.

"Traveling with a beautiful woman." After Gisela finished speaking, the officers all laughed, obviously taking it as a joke, but Jeanne behind Gisela coughed lightly, reminding Gisela to be careful.

After all, this is about maintaining the dignity of the royal family, but for the soldiers on the front lines, it is the best lubricant to build relationships.

PS1: Thinking about chapter titles is more troublesome than thinking about the main text.

Chapter 622 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 120 Arrives in Sarai (Seeking Tickets)

Gisela put away his joking smile and said to Heinz in a much more serious tone, "General, you and I are both seasoned soldiers. The fact that the Russian army is conducting such frequent reconnaissance indicates that they are about to launch a large-scale operation, and this may be an operation larger than ever before."

"That's our assessment too, so we're preparing to hold the medal-awarding ceremony first thing tomorrow morning. After that, please leave the front line immediately and return to Herrelis to avoid being trapped here by the Russian offensive."

Gisela nodded. Although she and Jeanne could ride in British magic armor to clear the way in a crisis, the risk of breaking through the Russian army's lines was too high. Moreover, magic users could only unleash ten percent or less of their magic power in magic armor. If the Russian magic users in the rear sensed the magic user's presence and came out in their magic armor to meet them, the situation would be dire.

Therefore, Heinz's suggestion was entirely correct, but Gisela's purpose in coming to Sarai was not only to award medals to the soldiers, but more importantly, to create propaganda material.

“We shouldn’t delay.” Gisela looked up at the sky to check the lighting conditions, then continued, “While it’s still bright, let’s hurry up and finish what we need to do.”

"Sir, the award ceremony is still tomorrow..."

“It’s not about awarding medals.” Gisela glanced at Heinz. “Find a few tall, sturdy soldiers you find agreeable, and get a tank. We need to take a picture of international volunteer soldiers occupying Sarai.”

"Occupy Sarai?" Heinz frowned. "This..."

“The masses need these,” Gisela told Heinz. “It’s just that the words in the newspapers are not very persuasive to the masses. They need facts that they can verify with their own eyes. Seventy percent of the information that humans receive is provided by sight, understand? We are not fabricating fake news; we are just presenting the victory to the masses in a more intuitive way.”

Heinz nodded: "I understand. Indeed, such an action is necessary for publicity purposes. I will immediately order my subordinates to cooperate."

“I’m glad you understand,” Gisela said, patting Heinz on the shoulder. “The photography will be handled by Mr. Bradley, the photographer I’ve specially hired for the Tess Daily. While they’re taking pictures, come with me to inspect the fortifications.”

Although Sarai's fortifications were hastily repaired after the city was captured, they were already quite substantial. Tank bunkers were built along the entire city's perimeter using sandbags combined with existing buildings. The officer in charge of constructing the bunkers explained that these bunkers could withstand the shockwaves from shells fired by Russian 107mm and 122mm mortars, helping the tanks withstand the initial damage.

"After the bunkers are destroyed, the tanks can release smoke and then withdraw via a pre-prepared route to their designated firing positions," the officer explained to Gisela, pointing to a passage marked with signs to help the tank drivers observe the route. "We have also set up a series of traps within the city's outer defense line to deal with the Russian magic warriors' magic armor. We will definitely inflict heavy casualties on the Russians on the first line of defense, forcing them to regroup their attack formation."

“Hmm, very good.” Gisela looked very satisfied. “Be careful to cut off the communication between the Russian magic users and the infantry. The danger a magic user faces will increase exponentially once she enters the city without infantry accompanying her, so be sure to kill the Russian infantry.”

"Sir, we have an absolute advantage in firepower for our frontline infantry. We are equipped with machine guns and some advanced submachine guns, so there is no need to worry about that."

The International Volunteer Forces did not widely equip their troops with submachine guns. The production capacity of this new individual weapon, which fires reduced-charge ammunition, still needs improvement. Engineers in Potsdam are racking their brains to further reduce the number of parts in the gun and increase its productivity. However, the current production capacity can only guarantee that Gisela's elite troops can possess it, and the troops currently stationed in Sarai include elite troops that they brought with them during the Italian War.

Even with the original version of the MP18 submachine gun, the firepower of the international volunteer forces was indeed much stronger than that of the Russian troops who were still using bolt-action rifles, giving them a greater advantage in urban warfare.

Gisela estimates that after this Turkish war, the mass deployment of automatic weapons, including machine guns, will become the new standard equipment for infantry units of major powers.

Of course, it's also possible that some stubborn old guys will do everything in their power to obstruct the complete replacement of the troops with automatic weapons, but that's none of Gisela's business.

Just like with tanks, there will certainly be various voices arguing that spending a lot of money to arm armored forces is not worthwhile, and Gisela will certainly secretly encourage these people to promote their views to his own country.

Technological advantages still depend on favorable timing, location, and human factors.

After inspecting the defenses of Sarai, Gisela returned to the city's defense headquarters, where Bradley was already waiting for her in the courtyard.

“The photos are finished, Your Majesty. I bet they’ll turn out great.” The American man in front of her said confidently to Gisela, “If there were a Pulitzer Prize in Europe, I’d definitely win it this time.”

Gisela laughed. A staged photo winning a news award would have made a lot of people furious if this happened in the world before Gisela transmigrated. But in the history of world journalism, it is not uncommon for staged photos, or even fake photos, to win awards.

Originally, Joseph Pulitzer, the news tycoon who established the Pulitzer Prize, was a pioneer of "eyeballism." In order to attract attention, he did not hesitate to put many controversial or even unverified reports in his newspapers. He also published reports with sensational elements despite the opposition of many people, and even put other people's private photos in the newspapers to attract attention, which led to angry family members blocking the door of the photo studio.

Once people know that the Pulitzer Prize was established by such a tycoon, the sacred halo of "journalism" surrounding it immediately disappears.

The so-called morality and controversy of the mass media are ultimately just ways and means for those behind the scenes to express their views.

At least that's what Gisela thinks.

"Now, all that's left for the trip to the front lines is tomorrow's medal ceremony and speech," Gisela said, a slightly relieved expression on her face. "I feel a sense of satisfaction, like I'm finally about to accomplish something big."

“Haven’t you accomplished many great things?” Bradley said. “There are many things in your life that I never thought I could do.”

Bradley's friendship with Gisela began in Berlin. Because of Gisela's appearance, his previously anxious life suddenly became much smoother. Although he was still on the front line, constantly reporting the news, Bradley had in fact become the major shareholder behind the scenes of the Tessier newspaper and the de facto owner of the newspaper.

Of course, his current achievements are thanks to the beautiful Empress before him.

Gisela smiled, then looked away from the reporter and towards the courtyard where the headquarters was located.

PS1: Berlin Holiday could be made into a movie!

Chapter 623 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 121 The Russians' Strategic Adjustment (Seeking Votes)

Just then, the young man climbed over the wall from outside the courtyard—Gissela didn't know why he was climbing over the wall, even though the door was right next to him.

Besides the backpack, the young man also had an old-fashioned Russian military rifle on his back, which he apparently found.

Gisela clicked her tongue, thinking to herself that this girl really would pick up anything; it was quite remarkable that she could find this rifle in a place that had already been cleaned up after the battle...

When the young man noticed Gisela looking at him, he raised his hand and made a "ee" sound, presumably to greet her.

Gisela also raised her hand as a response to her fellow countryman.

The young man tilted his head, then took out an entrenching tool from his backpack—yes, an entrenching tool—and started digging a hole in the ground.

Jeanne whispered, "Could she be planning to cook here?"

Before Gisela could answer, Heinz's adjutant ran out of the headquarters and loudly reported to Gisela: "Your Majesty, a special encrypted telegram from Vienna has arrived from the headquarters of the Herrelis International Volunteer Force. We do not have the codebook for this code, and the telegram from headquarters that was sent with the coded message says that you carry equipment to translate this code."

The biggest advantage of telegraphic communication over magical communication is that this pre-set codebook can greatly improve the confidentiality of military intelligence, making it difficult for adversaries to crack its contents.

“Ah, yes. We brought them.” Gisela turned to look at Jeanne.

Jeanne immediately turned around and called her attendant, then unbuttoned the collar of her military uniform, took out the key hanging around her neck, unlocked the handcuffs on her attendant's wrists, and took the leather suitcase that was handcuffed to his hands into her own.

“Let’s go in and start decoding immediately. Vienna won’t use this code lightly,” Gisela said, looking quite worried. By this time, no one cared about the young man who was still digging the hole.

Gisela took the telegram, which had been translated using a decoder, from Jeanne.

"Anomalies in the Russian military's transport system?" Gisela frowned as he continued reading the telegram. "All indications suggest that the Russian military's transport system has been adjusted in recent days, disrupting the entire transport schedule. Our intelligence analysts believe that large shipments likely arrived in Sevastopol yesterday, and similar shipments will continue to arrive today and the day after. The security level of the shipments is very high, and we do not yet have detailed information about their contents."

Gisela put down the telegram and paced back and forth in the makeshift map room, which was converted from a borrowed house, with his hands behind his back.

After circling around a few times, Gisela asked Jeanne, "What do you think?"

"Disrupting the original transportation arrangements at the moment of the attack is a major taboo. I think the Russian army's plans may have undergone significant changes."

Jeanne's answer was quite conservative, but it was in line with Gisela's expectations.

The supply transport plans for hundreds of thousands of troops at the front are usually very meticulously arranged. Once a part of them is disrupted, it will quickly affect the overall situation, and the chaos will continue to spread as it goes on.

“The Russians are willing to disrupt their supply plans to deliver large shipments to Sevastopol, and Sevastopol is connected to the current war…” Gisela muttered these words as she paced back and forth, while Mia beside her carefully observed the fox’s movements, trying to understand the predicament Gisela was facing.

Gisela circled around for more than ten minutes before muttering to herself, "No matter how I think about it, these large items can only be armor used by magic."

Jeanne tilted her head and thought for a moment, then shook her head: "I can't make a judgment on your guess. It's true that armor used for magic energy should be transported first, and there have been examples in previous wars of adjusting transport plans to transport armor used for magic energy. But there are no battles between magic energy users on the front lines right now, so why go to such great lengths to transport armor used for magic energy to the front lines?"

Gisela looked at the map and remained silent.

—There has been no fighting between magic users at the front lines, the magic-using armor already deployed in the war zone has not suffered any damage, and there are certainly plenty of spare parts. The purpose of transferring new magic-using armor to the front lines at this time is...

Suddenly, Gisela's brain seemed to catch something.

“Those armors,” Gisela turned to Jeanne, “those armors aren’t for the magic users already deployed to the front lines. New magic users are being deployed to the war zone! The Russians are preparing to send magic users to attack us.”

Gisela realized the door was still open after he finished speaking, and the guard outside had probably heard him. He immediately walked to the door and said sternly to the guard outside, "You didn't hear anything. If any rumors circulate in the army, I will have a military court arrest you both and your families."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The two guards' faces tightened, and their expressions looked extremely serious.

Gisela closed the door and took a deep breath to calm herself.

At this point, Jeanne said, "Is that possible? Russia wants to deploy magic users in the Far East to guard against the Americans in Alaska (at the time, Russia sold Alaska to the United States to replenish the empire's finances) and the Ming Dynasty. They also want to place a magic user in the central part of the empire to guard against any ulterior motives of the British in Central Asia. If they concentrate magic users in one place, large areas along the Baltic coast and in northern Russia will be left without any magic users stationed there..."

"Who can immediately threaten Russia in these directions?" Gisela countered. "They could easily divert their magic users from these areas to the Turkish battlefield—through the fleet in Sevastopol!"

"But what if these magic users lose a significant amount of mental energy in battle..."

“As long as we avoid that situation,” Gisela interrupted Jeanne. “The method is simple: avoid direct combat with the Turkish magic users. If the Russians use these newly deployed magic users to attack our regular forces, using their combat power to create a breakthrough, and then let other units expand their gains, they can quickly eliminate the threat to our Russian forces west of Istanbul. During this process, the Turkish magic users will be hesitant to act rashly because of the Russian army's numerical superiority over magic users—”

"Of course, you could say this is just wishful thinking on my part, but I think the Republic of Turkey is probably figuring out how to get us to contribute more so they can preserve their strength. I don't think they would actively deploy magic users just to tie down the Russian army when the Russians have a numerical advantage." Gisela paused. "Although I think if the Turks deployed magic users, the Russians would choose to avoid it, or let the magic users passively retaliate..."

Jeanne frowned, looking at Gisela with a puzzled expression.

PS1: It feels like the recent negotiations between Russia and Ukraine might really be coming to an end.

Chapter 624 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 122 Gisela's New Decision (Vote Requested)

"What are you talking about? Passive resistance is one thing, but not resisting is tantamount to letting the demons slaughter regular troops."

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Gisela turned to face Jeanne, approached her, and grabbed her shoulders. “The Russians are planning to retreat once they’ve secured an escape route. They can’t let these concentrated magic users stay here for long, nor can they allow them to overexert their mental energy. So they just want to withdraw the troops we’ve trapped on the southwest coast of the Black Sea. Our plan to stall for time and wear down the Russians has been seen through, and they’re preparing to withdraw.”

“But they might also be trying to secure their supply lines and continue their attack on Istanbul,” Jeanne said. “Couldn’t they have already seen through our plan?”

Gisela paused for a moment, then thought about it carefully and realized it made sense.

Although Istanbul's defenses have been greatly strengthened by international volunteer forces, another offensive might drag on until the latter half of next year without a clear outcome. However, the Russians' desire for Istanbul is so strong, coupled with their century-long ambition to control access to the Black Sea, that it is entirely possible that the Russian army will continue its offensive towards Istanbul after recapturing Sarai.