She changed Europe

Page 115

"You have a headache, don't you? Don't worry, Mom. I can have the Royal Society investigate Mary's condition." The Imperial Royal Society, founded by Gisela, has a pool of talent from Austria and even the entire German region, so finding a group of accomplished medical professionals shouldn't be difficult.

“Oh, right, Mom, there’s one more thing. I’ve already sent Nina back to Bavaria, and I hope you’ll also go to Munich.” Gisela took out a plan from her side and handed it to her mother.

"Munich?" In the Austrian court, no one was more familiar with Bavaria than his mother, Empress Elizabeth.

"I hope that you and Nina will assist Bavaria in completing its war preparations in Munich. I will then transfer Nina to Vienna to help me with some matters, and you will help her defend Munich." As the leading state in southern Germany, if Bavaria can complete its mobilization in the first phase of the war, it will pose a significant threat to Prussia and serve as a powerful example, enabling other states to respond to the imperial action more quickly.

"According to my staff's calculations, Bavaria currently has a standing army of 50,000 men, and during the war they can mobilize at least 100,000 to 120,000. Of course, the weapons shortage in Munich will be solved by Austria, but given that the troops are currently undergoing re-equipment, we will hand over the older model of the Skoda 1869 that we had improved." The Imperial Army had already begun to re-equip itself with the Skoda 1872 long ago, and the previously retired Gisela rifles were prepared to be sold to their allies at a low price. After all, compared to the older rifles they had, the Skoda 1869 was considered relatively advanced.

It is worth mentioning that when Gisela was consolidating the imperial provinces, he suggested that Joseph integrate the three parts of the imperial army: the Imperial Defense Army, the Royal and Royal Local Defense Army, and the Royal Hungarian Local Defense Army into the Imperial Royal United Army with a unified command. This integration has finally been completed recently.

The commander-in-chief of the Royal Allied Forces was Field Marshal Benedek, who had distinguished himself in the defense of Milan and the suppression of the Hungarian rebellion. As a confidant of Gisela, the marshal had, to some extent, become Gisela's representative within the Imperial Army.

Her wife, Miss Messiah, the magical warrior saved by Gisela, also successfully became the commander of Gisela's newly formed Royal Guard Magic Armored Brigade, responsible for the protection and security of Vienna.

As for the army modeled after the Prussian army, it was severely lacking in manpower, so Gisela had no choice but to appoint Franz Konrad von Herzendorf, who later proved to be less than reliable but better than most Austrian generals, as Chief of the Army Staff of the Austrian Empire to promote further reforms of the army.

Since the passing of the older generation of imperial generals, led by Radetzky, the Austrian Empire has faced a serious generational gap and a shortage of capable leaders...

“Our railway system is not as developed as Prussia’s, and our mobilization capacity is also weaker. Therefore, in order to ensure that we are not defeated one by one by the Prussian army in the early stages of the war, I will deploy our main force in the mountainous areas of northern Bohemia for defense, to deal with the Prussian army’s offensive and slow down their march.” At this moment, Aponia brought over desserts and drinks and placed them on the table.

"The Prussian army, having suffered a setback in their attack, will certainly not linger too long in Bohemia. They will definitely change their tactics and shift their main direction of attack, for example, by launching an attack from the direction of Silesia. At that time, I will have the army adopt a flexible defense, retreating during the resistance, causing the Prussians to misjudge the outcome of the battle, and then attacking the Empire through the breach. At that time, Mother, your Bavarian army will launch an attack from the flank, passing through Dresden, on the remaining Prussian army in northern Bohemia."

The number of Prussian troops left to hold Bohemia back will not be too large. After a simple rout, you will enter our positions from our defensive zone to replace the troops defending North Bohemia. I will then send the replaced elite troops and the reinforcements that arrive later to Silesia to fight the Prussians. Prussian reinforcements will arrive accordingly. Although the Bavarian army is not of high quality, it can still cope with any unexpected situation by relying on its fortifications. Moreover, Gisela will definitely leave reserves in Prague.

This tactic was primarily designed to compensate for the time lost due to the Austrian Empire's slow mobilization. While the Empire's war potential was no less than Prussia's, its greatest vulnerability lay in Prussia's swift offensive. Unlike previous historical events, this time, the absence of a unified Italy meant the Empire didn't need to fight on two fronts and could focus entirely on dealing with Prussia.

Gisela told her mother everything. Although this world's Sissi was more intelligent, talented, and politically astute than the original Sissi, Queen Elizabeth was still completely confused when it came to the military field, which was her weakest area. She was good at boosting morale and fighting as a magic user, but she was not proficient in commanding troops.

"Could you be a little more concise, little Gisela?"

Gisela, who had been talking and pointing at the map while sweating profusely, deflated like a punctured balloon after hearing her mother's reaction. A strange sense of defeat washed over her, but looking at her mother's somewhat dazed expression, Gisela couldn't bring herself to be angry.

"In short, go to Bavaria to assemble the army and prepare for the upcoming war with Prussia. I will inform you of the new orders later." Gisela wrapped the map up, put it in the bag next to her, and handed it to her mother.

“Take this with you, Nina should be able to understand it. If not, you can ask your son-in-law,” Gisela joked.

"Then I want a granddaughter!" Of course, Queen Elizabeth was not to be outdone by her second daughter's joke.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 430 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 49 Different Families (Seeking Votes)

“It’s already happening.” Gisela meant to say that she had adopted a little girl in London. But Queen Elizabeth was so excited that she immediately stood up, and Mary, who was also eating cake, stared in astonishment at her sister’s belly.

"How many months!" Queen Elizabeth exclaimed almost instinctively, walking over to Gisela and pressing her head against Gisela's belly.

To be honest, although her son-in-law was also a woman, they had many ways to have a child if they wanted one, as long as both sides could reach an agreement. After all, although Sisi had a husband and a lover, the two didn't seem to conflict. What she cared about wasn't the process, but only the outcome of having a successor to the throne.

"Mother! Nina and I can't be together! What are you thinking!" Gisela pushed her mother away with some disgust. Gisela felt a great shock. Her mother, who was once like a goddess in her heart, could be so improper.

"Waaaaah! My granddaughter is gone." Queen Elizabeth's theatrical performance once again deeply shocked Gisela's young heart.

"My sister's child?" Mary tilted her head, suddenly remembering her sister's unusual orientation. A bizarre image flashed through her mind, her cheeks turned bright red, and steam rose from her head again.

“Mary has cake crumbs on her mouth.” Gisela pointed to her mouth, then sighed and walked over to her sister, taking out her handkerchief to wipe her sister’s mouth.

"Sister, I'm not a child anymore. I can do these things!" If it were the original Rudolf, Gisela might have given up immediately, but now that she was a cute silver-haired little girl, Gisela found her troubled expression amusing.

"Oh, right, Mary repeated a sentence to me."

"Please speak, Your Majesty?" Mary looked at Gisela with some confusion.

"If there's no bread, then eat cake." Gisela longed to hear her great-grandmother, who looked exactly like her ideal woman, utter that timeless classic line. (In fact, this line is fabricated; politicians during the French Revolution often used it to smear their political enemies.)

Gisela was well aware of this. As for why Gisela was so interested in Marie Antoinette, it was naturally because she had read a novel called "The Bonaparte Brothers" in her previous life. Marie, who was full of wifely charm, was one of Gisela's favorite characters, second only to "Mademoiselle Charlotte".

“If there’s no bread, let’s have cake,” Mary repeated softly.

“No, you could use a more innocent tone, and you could speak a little louder,” Gisela shook her head and repeated.

At this moment, Gisela did not notice that her mother was looking at her with a dark expression, because these words were a bad memory for the Habsburg family, and almost everyone in the family remembered the tragedy that happened to Marie Antoinette.

“If there’s no bread, then let’s have cake,” Mary repeated, following Gisela’s suggestion.

“That’s right, that’s the tune, Mary, you’re so cute…” Gisela hadn’t finished speaking when her mother punched her on the head from behind.

"Why did you encourage your sister to say such unlucky things!" Gisela was completely stunned by this sudden remark, and then collapsed into Mary's arms as if stars were shining on her head.

"Your Highness! You used too much force!" Aponia couldn't help but say to Queen Elizabeth as she looked at Gisela, who had already fainted.

"Really? The feel of the leather is quite nice." Queen Elizabeth smiled happily.

The second daughter was too assertive before, which made Queen Elizabeth somewhat uncomfortable. However, now that she seems to have returned to her usual cute and mischievous self, it has comforted her quite a bit.

After all, compared to his and Joseph's years in power, their efforts seem like a joke in light of what his daughter is doing now.

However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, after all, Gisela is their daughter.

"Mom!" Gisela pouted, looking somewhat dissatisfied.

Meanwhile, in the square outside the General Staff Headquarters in Berlin, the capital of Prussia—

Miss Julia Ludwig von Moltke (Little Moltke), looking exhausted, was walking down the street, clutching the documents in her hands.

Julia was no longer surprised by her demanding uncle, after all, his talent was recognized throughout the Prussian army. Chief of Staff Moltke's brilliant strategy in the war against Denmark, capturing tens of thousands of elite enemy soldiers at the cost of only a few hundred men, facilitated the surrender of the Kingdom of Denmark and the victory of the war.

Under the dazzling shadow of her uncle, Yulia enjoyed the envy of her colleagues, but she also had to endure even stricter requirements. As a new generation of soldiers in the Moltke family, she had to live up to the expectations of others.

“Miss Goben, may I ask what brings you here?” Augusia Karl von Goben was the commander of the Prussian magic-wielding unit during the Danish campaign. Due to battle injuries, she had been promoted to major general by the Army. Even Gisela was very familiar with her, after all, this older sister had once protected her with her life.

“Yulia has someone who needs what you have, and I can’t easily refuse her request.” Yueyi Yilong ruffled Miss Goben’s long hair, looking somewhat troubled.

"Then who is he?" Yulia asked, shaking her short blonde hair, looking somewhat confused.

"It's me, my little cutie!" Just then, Chloris emerged from the shadows behind Julia, holding a handkerchief coated with ether. She skillfully covered Julia's mouth and then used her magic to restrict the girl's movements. Even though Julia was also a magic user, she couldn't withstand the large dose. After struggling for a while, she collapsed into Chloris's arms, the documents in her hands scattered messily on the ground.

"What have I been doing to help you, Your Highness Chloris?" Goben sighed helplessly, then knelt down and picked up the documents from the ground.

“Augusia, aren’t we friends?” Chloris’s lips curled up slightly, her tone seemingly sincere, but Goben, who knew Chloris well, already understood the carefree nature beneath her smile.

"I'm very sorry, but I can't help you with anything regarding Lord Bismarck's matter." Goben tidied up the documents in his hand into a stack and put them into the backpack he had prepared beforehand.

“Bismarck’s fate is my responsibility. If it weren’t for me, she wouldn’t have chosen that path.” Bismarck agreed to be arrested, hoping to restrain Chloris and prevent her from taking any drastic actions, at least until the Kingdom of Prussia under Frederick’s control truly collapsed. To put it bluntly, while Bismarck sided with Chloris, she still harbored a glimmer of hope for the current state of Prussia. Whether it was to repay the old king’s kindness or for her ambition to unify Germany, she didn’t want Chloris to burn down the country she and her many friends had built together. Of course, more importantly, it was to better protect Chloris, at least until dawn.

PS1: Sorry, the chapter was sent to the wrong address.

Chapter 431 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 50 Frederick's Inner Conflict (Seeking Votes)

This might be a unique tenderness that the iron-fisted prime minister showed towards Cloris, but if he knew the reasons and chose to be content with the status quo and reap the benefits without effort, then he wouldn't be Cloris Elizabeth von Hohenzollern. She wouldn't follow Bismarck's path; she would act according to her own will.

"I will absolutely not let Bismarck regret choosing me," Chloris said firmly.

"Hehe, Your Highness, your personality and strong heart are still so captivating. No wonder even the beautiful and powerful Bismarck chose you. Of course, if you weren't so fickle, you would probably be even more charming." Goben said with a smile as he watched Chloris, who was reaching into the unconscious Moltke's skirt to take advantage of her, and made a sarcastic remark.

"Tsk! Goben, you'll never get married if you keep acting like this," Chloris said, her brows furrowed slightly.

Just then, the two seemed to hear some hurried footsteps approaching from afar, so they put on the cloaks they had prepared beforehand, carried Miss Moltke, and turned into the depths of the alley.

Meanwhile, at Charlottenburg Palace—

"Father, Mother, please take care of yourselves. I'll take my leave now." After greeting his parents in the bedroom, Frederick slowly closed the door. Then he looked up and gazed at the black-haired woman standing outside the door.

“Miss Generalissimo, it’s not good to always call you by your title. Since we are partners, and you know that we Protestants don’t like the mystique of the Catholic Church, I think you have an obligation to tell me your name.” Frederick unbuttoned a button on his uniform, his tone somewhat casual.

“My lord, my name is a thing of the past. No one needs it and no one will remember it. We are the shadow behind God, so we should stay in the shadowy tomb and not presume to seek so-called light.”

“You clergy still enjoy playing these pointless word games.” Frederick and the Superior General walked down the stairs, through the central corridor, and came to the outside of a room.

“She’s inside, isn’t she?” Frederick said after taking a deep breath.

“Yes, she’s inside.” With the dark-haired woman’s calm words, Frederick pushed open the door. A blonde beauty in military uniform was sitting back in a chair, looking out the window. Her hands and feet were chained, and she wore a rather grotesque collar around her neck.

"Did you do this?" Frederick looked at Bismarck, who was standing there, and then turned to look at the black-haired woman with some displeasure.

"Just to be on the safe side."

"Quickly untie her! She can't escape now that she has the suppressant drug. Why do this unnecessary thing!" The suppressant drug inhibits the flow of magical energy in the body, thus limiting the user's use of magical energy. However, the dosage varies. If the dosage is too high, the user may even experience mental confusion, inability to concentrate, and neurasthenia.

The Grand Master gently raised his hand, and the two guards outside the door took the key and entered the room to unlock Bismarck's shackles.

"Why did you choose Chloris!" Bismarck, who had helped his father bring glory to Prussia, ultimately did not choose him and even stood on the opposite side of his politics. This had always been a knot in the man's heart.

"What do I lack compared to her? Tell me!" Frederick grabbed Bismarck's shoulders roughly and shook her, trying to get an answer. Unfortunately, the blonde woman's beautiful face was expressionless, and her blue eyes were empty and dull. No matter how angry the man roared, Bismarck continued to stare blankly out the window, without any response.

"How much did you inject her again..." Frederick looked up at the black-haired woman in front of him again.

“Three times the dosage. Since she’s your political enemy, we naturally won’t let her have any illusions. She won’t die, but at least for now, she’s no different from dead, except for her body temperature and breathing.” The president continued to state the facts, and in fact, they did nothing wrong.

"Can she regain her senses?" Frederick looked at Bismarck with a complex expression, at this woman he both loved and hated. As the eldest son, he had always been showered with praise, easily obtaining things others could only dream of: wealth, power, and women. He considered himself exceptionally fortunate until he met his sister. But everything changed after that annoying girl with the same bloodline appeared. Bismarck chose her over him, even though he was far superior—in popularity and everything else—yet she, inferior in every way, treated him with the smugness of someone looking at an insect.

"Of course, she will recover in a few days after stopping the medication, but her strength will also recover. What method do you intend to use to restrain her then?" The Grand Master posed the question to Frederick.

“However, sir, in my opinion, she chose to surrender because she is still loyal to this country. So why don’t we use this loyalty to drive her to act? All we need is to change the subject, to make her fight not for you or your sister, but for Prussia and Germany.” The Jesuit president, skilled at reading and manipulating people, was unaware that in her belief that she had everything under control, she had quietly made a mistake, and her arrogance would bring her serious consequences.

“Interesting.” Frederick quickly changed his previous hysteria and his expression became calm again. The sudden change in Frederick’s personality surprised both guards present.

"What do they plan to do?" the Grand Master asked, glancing discreetly at the two guards standing outside the door who had overheard their conversation.

"We can try the drug you developed again; the two of them should be good test subjects."

"Thank you for your support, sir. I'll take my leave now." The Grand Master slowly closed the door, leaving only Bismarck and Frederick in the room.

Frederick quickly picked up a chair and sat down opposite Bismarck.

"Otto von Bismarck, why can't you support me? I can make this country better. Whether it's defeating Austria or France, as long as we are united and have General Moltke's assistance, there is still much we can do. Germany will be established in our hands, the European continent will bow down to the iron hooves of the Germans, and Britain, isolated on the sea, will eventually be forced to cower on the other side of the Channel, trembling in fear. Prussia will be invincible!"

"What can my sister bring to this country? That damn weird fetish, always wandering among women, and occasionally running off to Vienna to meet that Austrian princess? Besides her pretty face, what's the difference between her and those playboys? Such a piece of trash should stay in the garbage dump and die on its own."

Frederick sat in the corner, complaining about his dissatisfaction like a child, while Bismarck, with his eyes vacant, seemed to be sitting there silently listening.

Even though they were in the same room, Frederick did not harbor even the slightest filthy thought, because he simply wanted to complain and vent his dissatisfaction.

PS1: The Crown Prince truly had mixed feelings of love and hate towards Bismarck, but unfortunately, he couldn't use him for his own purposes.

Chapter 432 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 51 The Night is Long and the Dream is Deep (Repeated Chapter 49)

Later that day at Goeben's mansion outside Berlin.

As the old butler closed the basement door completely, only Chloris, Goben, and Miss Moltke, who was tied to a chair, remained in the room.

"Goben, are you good at torture?" Chloris picked up the fragrant tea on the table, savored it slowly, and then looked at her friend with her scarlet eyes.

“Your Highness, you know I’m a soldier by training and not an intelligence specialist. This isn’t my area of ​​expertise,” Goben replied to Chloris, shrugging his shoulders. Just then, Miss Moltke, who had been unconscious, woke up and looked around in alarm.

"Woo-woo-ee-ee!" The little Moltke, wriggling like a caterpillar, let out an incomprehensible cry.

“Then Miss Goben, let me tell you about the interrogation methods used by our Prussian intelligence and counterintelligence departments.” Chloris stood up and walked to Julia, tearing the cloth out of her mouth.

"Your Highness, why are you treating me like this! Can't we talk this out?" Julia said, her voice filled with grievance, because she didn't understand why Princess Chloris was treating her this way.

"Don't be sad, my little darling. I still love you just the same as before." Chloris's lips curled up slightly as she leaned down and whispered in Julia's ear.

"The past..." As Chloris spoke, Julia seemed to recall some past events, and her cheeks quickly turned slightly red.

"So, my little darling, can you tell me about the Prussian army's offensive route towards Bohemia, as well as the supply depots and personnel deployments during the war?" While the operational objectives would be directly disclosed to high-ranking Prussian officers, the specific details of the military plan were only known to the top brass of the General Staff—a necessary consideration for maintaining the secrecy of the war plan. Chloris, who normally controlled the intelligence department and held the status of a princess, would naturally have no problem obtaining intelligence on the plan. Unfortunately, with Bismarck's arrest, Chloris was dismissed from her post by her brother.

"No! As a member of the glorious General Staff of Prussia, Your Highness, I must abide by the rules and never disclose intelligence to any irrelevant persons." This was also the education her uncle, Moltke the Elder, had instilled in her from childhood. The duty of a Prussian soldier is obedience and loyalty, and as a member, you must not only demand as much of yourself as a soldier, but also do better than them, because you will become the brain of this powerful war machine, not just a cog in it.

“Goben, did you see that? This is what makes our army ‘excellent’,” Chloris said, getting up from Julia and turning to look at Goben.

“Your Highness, it is an honor for Prussia to have such soldiers and generals,” Goben said after taking a sip of his coffee. She understood that while Chloris seemed to be praising Julia’s dedication to duty, she was actually satirizing the Prussian army’s blindness and rigidity.

Soon, Chloris focused her attention on the table not far away, where the butler had prepared torture tools for them, ranging from whips to branding irons.

"Did you know that the most basic and inefficient interrogation method is to use these tools? Besides putting a strain on the other person's body, this kind of torture will most of the time only make them more determined to protect the intelligence."

“In fact, the best way is to break down the other person’s heart. Start with the people around her, family, lovers, friends. All the ties will become shackles that restrict them. You can even turn them into your own pawns after you’ve squeezed out all their intelligence value. Isn’t that more meaningful than brutal interrogation?” Chloris said, her words seemingly implying something. Miss Goben listened silently in the distance, while Julia, who was tied to the chair, looked increasingly pale.

“Your thinking and unconventional ideas are what make you most unique, and this is what Lord Bismarck values. Even I can’t help but wonder what this country will be like if you become the future ruler of Prussia.”

"So now the question is, what method does Your Highness intend to use to deal with the lovely Miss Moltke?"

Upon hearing that she was to be dealt with, Yulia was so frightened that her entire demeanor changed, and her expression became even more unpleasant.

Chloris smiled slightly, slowly walked behind Julia, took out a small knife, and cut the ropes binding Julia.

Despite having a hundred or even a thousand questions in her mind about this strange behavior, Yulia remained sitting there blankly, not daring to ask a single question.

"Yulia, do you still remember that night three years ago?" Chloris asked, her tone seemingly filled with emotion.

"Your Highness, I don't know what you're talking about," Yulia shook her head firmly in denial.

“I remember your birthmark very clearly.” Yulia’s body trembled slightly.

"I suddenly feel like appreciating it again today, what should I do?" Chloris rested her chin on her right hand, looking extremely distressed.

"Your Highness, your threats have no effect on me." With the girl's reply, Chloris gently raised one finger of her right hand.