She changed Europe

Page 19

“Understood, Gisela. I will take it seriously.” Joseph nodded. Gisela jumped off the stool, dusted it off, and put it back in its place. She had said everything she wanted to remind him of; what Old Deng would do was not her concern.

"May I take my leave now, Father?"

"Hmm." Emperor Joseph did not look at Gisela, but instead carefully observed the map of Europe, pondering something only he knew.

Gisela walked towards the exit, and just as she was about to push open the door, she turned back and solemnly said:

"Then Father, if the Italians want their own country, can we Germans also have our own country?"

"If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than to have your whole body thrown into hell." Emperor Joseph did not directly answer Gisela's question, but instead quoted a passage from the Bible.

“Once my mind is made up, I will go straight for my goal, reverse everything, sever everything, and cover everything with my red robe.” Gisela answered with a slight smile. This quote comes from Cardinal Richelieu, the famous French statesman.

PS1: Volume 1 is over 0v0

Chapter 66 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 1 The Bus to Berlin

Those who want peace must prepare for war.

—Vecytheus, the ancient Roman military strategist

December 22, 1868, sunny. School was out, but I wasn't going home for Christmas this year because I was going on a long trip with His Highness. According to His Highness, we were going to Berlin. Yes, this Berlin wasn't the small town called Berlin in the countryside near Vienna, but the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia. Although I had been to many places in the Empire, this was my first time visiting Berlin.

For me, traveling is a very happy thing, but what makes me happiest is traveling with His Highness..."

"Rita, what are you writing?" A familiar, languid girlish voice rang in her ear. To me, Rita, His Highness's voice was like the music composed by Mr. Strauss, which I could never tire of listening to.

If she could, she would want to keep His Highness by her side forever, so she could always hear His Highness's heavenly voice, hear His Highness cheer with joy, hear His Highness cry with sadness, hear His Highness... umm! In any case, this is the life she wants most.

I hope you don't find this strange. When you meet the person you love someday, you will definitely have the same thoughts.

"Quick! Let me see!" Gisela had somehow appeared next to Rita's seat, and while gently smoothing her golden hair, she skillfully snatched the notebook that Rita was holding down with her arm.

"Your Highness!" Rita's gentle and elegant face revealed no emotion, but the clever Gisela could tell at a glance that she seemed somewhat displeased.

This scene caused Gisela to hesitate for a moment, and in that instant, Rita acted decisively, snatching the diary from Gisela's hand with lightning speed, and then, with a slight raise of her eyebrows, she closed the open diary again.

"Sorry, Rita. I didn't mean to." Perhaps feeling that her behavior just now was a bit too masculine and impolite, Gisela obediently put her hands behind her back with apologetic expressions, glancing to the side as if she were pretending to be clueless.

“Your Highness, you are almost 13 years old. It’s time to act as mature and composed as your sister.” Gisela’s sister, Princess Sophie, should be serving in the Imperial Army as a magician officer at this time.

"Oh~" Gisela drooped her head, not wanting to look directly at her maid wife (in her own opinion).

After all, Gisela thought Rita was at her least charming when she was lecturing, and as a man, she was mature and steady, so what was wrong with letting loose in front of acquaintances occasionally!

"And Your Highness, although you are the master and it is my duty as a maid to obey your orders, I have never asked you why you chose to secretly take an ordinary train to Berlin behind the back of the palace?" She had handled everything from the ticket to the luggage, but her professional ethics as a maid prevented her from asking Gisela this question. But now that Your Highness has made a mistake, satisfying her curiosity shouldn't be considered willful.

"Want to know?" Gisela's expression was playful, her blue eyes darting around as she silently revealed her mischievous nature.

"Yes, Rita is indeed a little curious." Rita nodded, appearing very cooperative.

"Then trade your diary for information with me." It was a somewhat shameless statement, but it seemed so natural and reasonable.

"I'll only read three pages, okay?" Gisela leaned closer to Rita again. Face and reserve might have been treasures for the original Gisela, but they were worthless to the Gisela of today.

Rita saw Gisela so close to her, her own reflection clearly seen in Gisela's sapphire-like eyes: fair cheeks, delicate features, and her faint breaths, which seemed to be gently caressing her face and stirring her heartstrings. Her pink lips seemed to be tempting her to bite down.

Gisela had no idea that Rita's mind was filled with all sorts of strange ideas. Although she had been Gisela for almost a year, she was no longer as nervous about interacting with women as before. Apart from directly embracing a girl naked, she had nothing else to be excited about.

Sometimes Gisela even wonders if she's lost interest in Serena altogether...

"Fine, I'll tell you then."

“That’s not impossible…” The two said almost simultaneously.

"?" Rita immediately sensed that the opportunity was fleeting and hesitation would lead to defeat!

"What's wrong now?" Gisela asked, puzzled by Rita's hesitation.

Rita suffered a major setback. The scumbag maid, who had originally planned to use the contents of the diary to stage another romantic confession, had her plan completely thwarted.

"It's nothing! It's nothing! Please continue." Rita shook her head, regaining her composure.

"Knock, knock, knock!" The sound of the train conductor gently knocking on the glass door came from outside the train compartment. The two of them looked up at the conductor at the same time.

"Ladies, the gentleman and lady next to you would like to remind you not to be too excited. Please be mindful of the inconvenience this may cause others on the train." The train conductor's words were cautious and polite; he tried to use more refined language to convey what might be considered unfriendly. After all, this was first-class seating, and in this day and age, those who chose this level of seating were typically wealthy and influential.

Of course, Gisela can use a private car for regular travel.

“Okay! We understand.” Gisela nodded, and to show her support for the train conductor’s work, she deliberately lowered her voice in response.

"Thank you for your support of my work." The train attendant bowed and left the compartment.

"Where was I?" Gisela asked, adopting a posture reminiscent of a university professor who, when interrupted, would ask students questions to start over.

"Your Highness, you haven't started yet."

"Cough cough!" Luckily Gisela hadn't drunk any water, or she definitely would have choked.

"According to the newspapers and news from the Hofburg Palace, the Prussian and Austrian armies will have a small-scale military conflict with the Kingdom of Denmark next spring. At that time, the Empire will send an army from Bavaria through Saxony to the Schleswig region," Gisela explained to Rita earnestly.

"Why not go through Bohemia and then Cilicia to enter Prussia?" Rita asked Gisela with a puzzled look.

“Rita, you can also take a look at history when you have time. More than a hundred years ago, our empire lost a piece of Silesia to Frederick the Prussian king during the War of Succession to the Throne of Empress Theresa. This matter has always been a pain for the empire. Prussia understands that we have strong territorial claims to Silesia, and bypassing this region is also to avoid hurting the nerves of some radical officers in our imperial army.”

"I see. No wonder the teacher's expression was a little unnatural when he mentioned Silesia."

"These are all public matters, just like this war, it's all just a formality, like playing house. Prussia could have easily handled this on their own, so do you know why they called us in?"

"Please inform me, Your Highness." Rita excels in combat and possesses superb mission execution skills, but she is indeed not particularly adept at macro-strategic control or political acumen. However, this is perhaps for the best; decision-makers often prefer subordinates like this, as they are capable yet do not pose a threat to the decision-maker's position. However, the bond between Gisela and Rita is certainly not a superficial hierarchical relationship.

PS1: A new volume has started! 0v0!

Chapter 67 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 2 German Orthopedics (Seeking votes and collections)

“Prussian Chancellor Bismarck is a man to be wary of. He is most keen on sending out deceptive political signals, such as the fact that he still seems to recognize our Austro-Hungarian Empire as the hegemon of the German region and our status as the chairman of the German Confederation.”

However, in order to achieve its goal of expanding its power, it took the Schleswig affair as an opportunity. This state, which once belonged to the German region, is now occupied by Denmark. It seeks to pursue its own interests within the current framework, and our military assistance is more like the fulfillment of an obligation.

"How could I, as the younger brother, not call upon my elder brother when we're fighting?" Gisela used a very vivid analogy.

By stabilizing the Austro-Hungarian Empire, we continued to misjudge Prussia's national strategic focus, allowing them to remain intoxicated with the illusion that they were invincible in the German region, while secretly preparing for the upcoming war. They secretly engaged in quid pro quo deals with established European powers like Russia, France, and Britain, securing their neutrality guarantees. They also secretly colluded with Italians, who had territorial claims to the empire, launching attacks from multiple directions, making it difficult to defend against.

“Your Highness, Lady Bismarck of Prussia is a woman, but you are absolutely right, she is as rude as a man.” The thoughtful maid clearly thought Gisela’s factual error was just a joke.

"A woman?" Wait a minute, Bismarck is a woman!? This is one of the few interesting things Gisela has heard since she came into this world.

The first thing to ask is about Ms. Edison from the newspaper on the day I arrived, the second is about Princess Eugen, and then the third thing right now.

Although she knew this world was not the one from the original history, and that Bismarck being a woman shouldn't be too surprising, Gisela was still very excited.

The Iron-Blooded Persian Cat—doesn't that sound amazing? I really want to see what Miss Bismarck's iron-blooded speech would be like in this world.

"Ahem! Actually, my main purpose in going to Berlin this time is to meet some people. Of course, the Imperial Palace is not entirely unaware of this, because I informed my father of my itinerary separately, and he has already contacted the Imperial Embassy in Berlin, as well as the commander of the Imperial army that will be heading to Schleswig. After the war starts, I will participate in the war as a military magic user. Before that, I will be able to move freely in Berlin in the form of a private friendly visit."

Gisela noticed that Joseph seemed unusually supportive of her since that conversation, or perhaps he had some expectations of her? In any case, His Majesty the Emperor wouldn't be an obvious obstacle for Gisela at the moment, and as for matters within the palace, those were things her parents needed to consider.

“Oh, right, Your Highness, your brother asked me to give this to you. Prince Rudolf gave it to me personally when I got in the car, and he told me to make sure it was handed to Your Highness by myself, and not to let anyone else see it.” Rita took a letter out of her pocket.

"My brother?" Gisela pondered for a moment, then immediately realized who Rudolf was. Without a doubt, he was the future crown prince of the empire in history, the true autistic patient, the one who later committed suicide with his lover in the hunting lodge. If you counted on your fingers, he was only ten years old.

I don't have many memories of Rudolf. After all, Rudolf was Joseph's only son and was being groomed to be the heir to the imperial throne. Courses and study plans took up most of his time.

"Let me see what Rudolf wrote to me..." Gisela slowly raised his hand, took the envelope, and carefully opened it. Considering the mental development of a 10-year-old boy, at most it would contain some grammatically incorrect sentences praising family affection. Gisela had absolutely no expectations for the contents.

Opening: To my dear sister Gisela, um! A very standard opening, which is very suitable for his age of 10. Let's see what happens next.

I thought of you occasionally, ah—my heart.

Suddenly like a lark at dawn

It surged from the gloomy earth to the heavenly gate.

Sing hymns

I remember your sweet love

It is a treasure

It teaches me to disdainfully switch places with emperors (from Shakespeare's *Your Sweetheart Is a Treasure*).

"?!" An unusual silence followed. Gisela glanced at the signature below: "Love, your brother Rudolph?"

"Ah..." Even though Gisela is full of endless desire to explore life, she is brave and kind, and tolerant and generous to those around her, because she has the mindset that an adult should have.

She was still somewhat speechless about it. After all, children like to express their love verbally, so as an adult, she didn't need to care about the words a 10-year-old child used to express his feelings. You can't take a little kid seriously.

But for some reason, Gisela's male intuition told her that this was no joke but an incredibly clumsy love letter.

Gisela looked at the love letter in her hand with a helpless expression, repeatedly telling herself not to get angry and to maintain her composure and restraint. But this didn't seem to alleviate her complicated feelings, because this was the first time she had ever witnessed what a sister complex was...

"Tsk!" Sure enough, her younger brother was causing trouble and getting on the roof. Once they returned to Vienna, she would be ready to punish him.

"What did Your Highness write in your letter? Why do you look so serious?" Rita looked at Gisela with concern, but it was clear that the maid's purple eyes held a hint of anticipation for gossip.

"Rita, I have just one question for you."

"What is it, Your Highness?" Rita tilted her head slightly, looking quite puzzled.

"Where is the best orthopedic hospital in the Empire?" Gisela's lips curled into a slight smile, as she began to worry about her brother Rudolf's health after showing the letter to Emperor Joseph. My foolish brother, you should be most afraid of your sister (crossed out brother) me.

"Your Highness, the best orthopedic hospital in the Empire is in Budapest, but if you are looking for medical treatment, I would recommend the hospital in Munich, the capital of the Kingdom of Bavaria, where the locals are quite experienced in surgical procedures."

"Pfft! In a sense, this is truly German orthopedics." Gisela couldn't help but recall the orthopedics tropes she had seen before coming to this world. Little did she know that she was, in a sense, a firsthand witness to it.

Well, family is family after all, and Rudolf is just making these trivial moves that are insignificant in the moment. After all, he's just a kid. Using this to attack him doesn't fit her political aesthetics at all. With that thought, Gisela folded the letter again and put it back in the envelope.

“Rita, give me the lighter.” Gisela’s tone was somewhat serious.

“Yes, Your Highness.” Rita handed the lighter to Gisela, seemingly understanding what Gisela wanted to do.

PS1: Orthopedics in Germany is just like in Bavaria 0v0

Chapter 68 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 3 in the Foothills of the Alps (ra!)

Gisela gently pressed the valve of the lighter, and a golden flame rose. She placed the envelope on it and watched as the burned area gradually turned from white to yellow and then black, finally curling up due to carbonization. She casually tossed it into the train's ashtray and let it continue to burn.

"Rudolph, right..." Gisela brushed her golden hair behind her ear, squinted at the scenery rushing past the window. This time I'll just pretend I didn't see anything, but I hope you won't give me any more leverage against you, otherwise your sister might really lose control and use these things against you one day.

This reading - Yi Jiuling's eight sentences about his fourth-rate wife and father Gisela is serious.

Meanwhile, in an unassuming little town nestled in the northern Italian Alps—

The snowflakes, falling like goose feathers, silently told the mountain people that "winter is coming." Winters in the Alps are much colder than in other places because the high altitude brings not only lower temperatures but also thinner air. In fact, it is not a suitable place to live.

Of course, this town, which could have accommodated hundreds of people, was now deserted. The original inhabitants had been driven by the Sardinian army to cities controlled by the kingdoms below. They were preparing to station a secret force in this town to serve as scouts in the upcoming war.

At this moment, in the command post of this unit, the soldiers put down their work and sat around the fire, staring blankly at the blazing flames in front of them. In the cold place, the heat might be the greatest comfort in their hearts at the moment.

"The motherland needs you, your fellow Italians need you, take up arms to liberate your families, drive the Austrians out of our country, and join the army to contribute your strength."

The clichéd recruitment propaganda on the street has deceived countless passionate young people like them. Entering the army is nothing like the exhilarating experience they imagined. All they get is day after day of training and being sent to the mountains, where they sit foolishly around this damned bonfire like a flock of geese waiting to be roasted.

The Italians' morale was inevitably low; the harsh environment and the seemingly endless war preparations had eroded their fighting spirit to the greatest extent possible.

This army needs a leader and a new goal to revitalize morale.

Just then, the door was pushed open forcefully, and a biting cold wind blew into the room, bringing the greetings of winter. The soldiers couldn't help but shiver and looked towards the door.

A woman with short brown hair walked into the room. She was wearing a red military uniform with a brown overcoat. This was not the dark green uniform worn by the Sardinian army. The girl in front of them was tall and slender, with a full bust and buttocks. Of course, this was in line with the aesthetic of these grown men who had not seen a woman for months.

Although the brown-haired woman looked very approachable and was very beautiful, her eyes revealed a spirit that could only be found in someone who had been through many battles.

"Gentlemen, greetings! My name is Giuseppe Garibaldi. You should already be familiar with my name, so I won't go into details here." Garibaldi looked around and noticed that the soldiers' eyes had changed from their previous dejection to one of reverence and expectation for her.

This is understandable, as Garibaldi is a household hero in the hearts of Italians. In South America, she helped the Uruguayans fight against the Argentine invasion. Twenty years ago, during the great national uprising, she devoted herself to the cause of national liberation without hesitation. Initially, she served the Kingdom of Sardinia, but after the Kingdom of Sardinia was defeated, she spontaneously went to defend the newly established Roman Republic against the French army sent by the Pope to suppress the uprising. She was brave and intelligent, always able to deal with a large number of enemies with fewer troops and always achieving outstanding results.

However, she also had a major weakness: she was not good at politics. She was excellent as a military strategist, but she lacked wisdom as a politician. Although she was persistent, she could not see the political situation clearly. Because of this, she often could not keep pace with the regime she served, which led to her repeated setbacks and failure to be given important positions.

Her return to Italy from New York was at the invitation of the Savoy royal family, who wanted her to lead the army against the Austrians and liberate northern Italy. She had no idea when the Sardinian high-ranking officials would betray her; her only thought was to unify Italy. As a patriot, she felt that even if she died in battle, she would have no regrets for her country and the people who had raised her.

"You must know that war is about to break out between the Kingdom of Sardinia and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Not long ago, our Italian Youth Party's secret operation in Vienna was thwarted by the Habsburg family, and our stronghold, which we had painstakingly built up over the years, suffered a devastating blow. A large number of revolutionaries within the Austro-Hungarian Empire were also arrested by the secret police. Now, Mr. Mazzini has lost all his prestige and resigned from his position as party chairman." As he said this, Garibaldi's eyes showed some regret, as well as anger towards the Austrian princess named Gisela, because she knew that she was the one who had done this.

"I am deeply saddened because we have lost such a large number of heroic sons and daughters who sacrificed their lives for this nation." Garibaldi briefly closed his eyes, then took a deep breath.

"It is tragic, but also fortunate. Although they have failed, our independence movement will not fail, because true gold must be tempered by fire, and only an iron will can prevail. They have already surpassed us; shouldn't we now take our first steps forward?" Garibaldi raised her voice to make it more impassioned.

"Gentlemen, you bid farewell to your families, donned your uniforms, and came to this mountain. What is the purpose of your day-to-day training? Is it a momentary surge of passion fueled by a poster, a fleeting display of heroism in front of old friends, or even a desperate struggle for survival? No! No! No! These are not the reasons you came here. You did not come here for some damned dynasty or some pathetic glory. You came here for this nation called Italy, for your families, and for your descendants."

"We have been divided for far too long. The great powers of Europe fear us, afraid that a unified Italy will emerge in the heart of the Mediterranean. Looking back, our ancestors, from Sulla to Caesar, from Augustus to Aurelius, these great leaders and emperors gave their people the audacity and courage to dominate the entire sea. At that time, we were inclusive and confident. Some say that the Roman spirit has died out and no longer exists, but I want to tell you that it has not! The blood of a great nation flows in our veins, and its spirit depends on us to pass it on together."

“Stand up, look at me, gentlemen, and repeat after me: ‘We will die for Italy!’” Garibaldi raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and placed it on his chest.

"We will fight to the death for Italy!"

"We will fight to the death for Italy!"

The voices of the Italians echoed through the mountains, and a nation was rising again amidst the peaks.