She changed Europe

Page 46

“Rita, what you just did…” Gisela wasn’t stupid; she had clearly realized what Rita had just been doing.

"Silver Hollow Seven." Rita's tongue still felt numb and stinging. Clearly, although the kiss was successful, it wasn't entirely unsuccessful, as she wanted to go further.

“Silver Sky Call Seven? What’s that?” Rita’s strange pronunciation left Gisela completely bewildered.

"She's giving you CPR." Shahrador watched the amusing master and servant pair, initially wanting to continue watching the spectacle, but after some thought, she decided to help them instead.

As the three were talking, a knocking sound came from the front door.

"There's a third person?" This was the first thought that came to Shahrador's mind. When she looked at Gisela, her expression was extremely subtle.

It's surprising that the young Austrian fox princess has already borne such a romantic debt at such a young age. Truly, heroes emerge from among the young.

"Your Highness, I'm coming in!" Seeing that there was no response to her knocking, a lady with long black hair and dressed in a Western-style dress pushed open the door and slowly walked into the messy room.

Hannah Rothschild had remained at Prague Castle since her meeting with Gisela that day, living there as Gisela's ally and advisor. Today, while strolling in the courtyard, she witnessed a valuable piece of jade being thrown from an upstairs window, shattering upon impact. She decided to come up and see what had happened. After all, even the incredibly wealthy Rothschild family wouldn't be so extravagant.

"Tang tri-color pottery, blue and white porcelain, enamel porcelain, Persian turquoise..." Hana looked at the shards and ruins scattered on the ground and couldn't help but rub her forehead. Even if you're going to squander your wealth, you shouldn't be this wasteful. Now Hana had a headache; for a moment, she actually felt that cooperating with this prince was the worst decision her family had ever made since the beginning of their fortunes.

"Your Highness has quite the refined taste. So many treasures are just being carelessly discarded and broken. The value of these things is equivalent to the living expenses of many ordinary people for several lifetimes."

“()?” Gisela wrapped herself in a towel and stood up. When she saw all her collection of oriental treasures scattered on the ground, her expression became extremely awkward.

“Oh my god! My goodness! My Tang tri-color pottery from the Kaiyuan era, my blue and white porcelain from the Hongwu era, and the enamel porcelain I recently commissioned, with gemstones set in it…” Gisela was so frightened that she started speaking in her dialect, then knelt down with a thud, her fox ears drooping in despair. She wasn’t a collector, but the money she used to buy these collectibles was all hard-earned money that she had painstakingly “exploited” from the local nobles.

Gisela whirled around, glaring angrily at the two behind her, and shouted, "Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with!" She added, "Get out of my way! I hate you women the most!" Unfortunately, Gisela had no right to say such things, because she herself was now a woman…

"So, is there something you need, Miss Hana?" Rita regained her composure and looked up at Hana, who was standing to the side watching the commotion.

"The war has begun." Hannah said calmly, as if she considered it a trivial matter.

"What!?" Gisela seemed to have heard something very important. She stopped dwelling on these trivial matters and focused all her attention on Hana's words.

"Who has started a war against us?" Although she had already expected it, she really didn't expect it to happen so quickly. She had already informed her sister and father, but the war still came as scheduled.

"A rebellion broke out in the Pisa region, but due to the mishandling of the situation by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany, innocent civilians perished, which triggered anti-Austrian activities throughout Italy. Faced with the rising anti-Austrian sentiment among the domestic population, King Victor declared war on you in order to protect the 'safety' of the Italian people."

"The Grand Duke of Tuscany mishandled the situation?" Gisela narrowed her eyes upon hearing this; her uncle was causing her no peace of mind during this sensitive time...

Clearly, all of this was taken advantage of by the Kingdom of Sardinia. However, if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. It is obvious that he has done many things that have hurt the hearts of the people in the past, so in a sense, he can only say that he brought it upon himself.

That being said, the empire has no choice but to take action now for its own benefit.

"Alright, what about France's attitude?"

"They also declared war on Austria."

"Oh, this..." Is Napoleon III in such a hurry? It seems this battle is about to begin.

PS1: Chinese New Year is earlier this year.

Chapter 169 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 30 The Imperial Frontier

My name is Mark, and I am a corporal in the glorious Alpine Hunting Regiment. We have been training in the mountains for years to adapt to mountain warfare. As the most elite force in the Kingdom of Sardinia, our commander is none other than Giuseppe Garibaldi, the greatest female general in all of Italy.

Our Jaeger Legion has a total of 3,500 men. Most of the soldiers, like me, were recruited from all over the Kingdom of Sardinia a few years ago. Of course, there are also some compatriots who came from southern Italy to join Miss Garibaldi, such as this easy-going big boy next to me. His name is Arecio. He was originally a bricklayer from Messina. Although his accent is a bit strange, he is very straightforward.

I remember during my first training session, I recklessly argued with Miss Garibaldi, and was subsequently beaten so badly by the beautiful Miss Garibaldi that I couldn't get out of bed for three days. Thank God she showed mercy, and from then on we all liked to call him "Reckless" A Lei.

"Fix bayonets!" the officer at the front commanded, and the surrounding soldiers quickly fixed their bayonets. The bayonets, polished to a gleaming shine in the sunlight, were particularly dazzling.

You might be wondering what we're doing now, but there's nothing to be curious about, because we're about to launch an attack, and the target is that Austrian fortress standing atop that hill in the distance. While I don't understand why Miss Garibaldi ordered us to head north to attack this fortress on the western shore of Lake Maggiore, instead of heading south to join the main force and attack Milan, the capital of Lombardy, we believe that with the divinely favored Valkyrie's commanding skills, our troops will be invincible.

Garibaldi chose to attack the Stresa fortress primarily due to strategic considerations. Lake Maggiore not only sits on the natural dividing line between Piedmont and Lombardy but also serves as a crucial link between rivers such as the Ticino. By boat, one could travel north to Switzerland or south to Pavia. Controlling this waterway would connect the entire Sardinian front, allowing the ships to deploy troops to any breach point to launch an attack on Milan.

In Miss Garibaldi's vision, conquering Lombardy required capturing two key cities. First, Milan, the most representative city of northern Italy. Taking Milan would not only weaken Austrian rule in northern Italy but also provide access to a fertile and economically developed region. Second, Pavia, a major city in the southernmost part of Lombardy, directly connected the Po and Ticino rivers, two of the most important waterways in northern Italy. Controlling Pavia would essentially create a massive pocket for the Austrian army, effectively trapping them within Lombardy.

In conclusion, the current offensive has a profound impact on the entire Italian War of Independence.

"Long live Savoy!" With shouts of battle cries, Mark and his comrades roared as they charged toward the Austrian fortress, which had already been bombarded by their own artillery.

The Stresa Fortress was built in 1797 by Archduke Karl, the Austrian commander in Italy at the time. In order to counter the French offensive in Italy, he built several such fortresses along the western shore of Lake Maggiore at the foot of the Alps, intending to delay the French advance. Unfortunately, the Austrian army performed poorly in other directions, and the fortresses were abandoned shortly after completion, which forced Archduke Karl to abandon a series of plans.

After Empress Napoleon's defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Austrian army rediscovered the importance of these fortresses and carried out simple reinforcements around 1820 to prepare for a possible future attack from France. However, the fortresses' defenses remained at the level they had been during the Napoleonic Wars, and with nearly half a century of weapon upgrades, their defenses were already proving inadequate.

At this moment, the Italian Jaeger-de-France soldiers moved swiftly, taking two steps at a time, firing their rifles while chanting slogans. They were using advanced breech-loading rifles from France, whose firepower was in no way inferior to the weapons Prussia had used in Denmark not long ago.

"Are! Watch your right hand, take him out with your bullet." A captain from the Jäger regiment bent down, patted Are on the back, and pointed to an Austrian soldier standing on a high place.

The Austrian troops defending the fortress were not elite, but just ordinary garrison troops. Their shooting accuracy was not high, and their old-fashioned firearms were slow to reload. However, they took advantage of the terrain to fire randomly at the Jaeger corps soldiers from a high position.

Bullets made a series of thuds as they hit rocks and tree trunks. Some stray bullets accidentally struck soldiers, causing them to bleed profusely. Their comrades would then drag them to the back and give them basic first aid and treatment.

Field emergency response skills were also a skill that Garibaldi emphasized in teaching her soldiers, a summary of her many years of battlefield experience.

Are raised his rifle, lay down behind a rock, and aimed at the Austrian who was firing. He raised the muzzle slightly and aimed the crosshair at the enemy. Although the French rifles had good firepower, their accuracy was poor. The bullet drop was significant at this distance, making it very difficult for a soldier who had just received a rifle to hit someone at a distance.

Fortunately, as an elite and exemplary unit of the entire army, they have more opportunities to conduct live-fire training. Such rifle ballistics have long been deeply engraved in the minds of every soldier through years of training.

"Bang!" A bullet the size of a bean spun out of the muzzle and flew towards the Austrian a hundred meters away. The Austrian soldier, who had been firing indiscriminately down below, fell off the tower like a puppet with a broken string.

"Hit! Well done, Ale. Go back and tell the cook to add a lamb chop to your noodles tonight." The captain was generous with his praise for his subordinate, and then continued to command the troops to launch an attack. When the Austrian defenders saw that the enemy's shooting level was unprecedented, they no longer dared to show their faces easily. They all huddled behind the brick walls of the fortress and fired with difficulty through the scattered firing holes.

At this moment, the Austrian commander was using magical communication to seek help from Milan, a hundred kilometers away. However, it was clear they wouldn't receive reinforcements in the long run; whether the small fortress could even survive the day was questionable. Several more loud explosions rang out. The Austrian commander drew his gun and, calling to his adjutant, led them out of the tower on the lakeside. This location was obviously safe as a command post; after all, the fortress's location, nestled against a cliff with a lake below, was too treacherous for anyone to access.

But his opponent was not a general who played by the rules. For mountain troops, rock climbing was a basic skill. While the Austrian army focused its attention on the front, this surprise attack force had already secretly entered the fortress by climbing the cliffs, and the Austrians were naturally unaware of this...

PS1: Map 1 shows the approximate area of ​​Lombardy. Map 2 shows Stresa, the location of Garibaldi's fortress during her attack; the lake is right next to it. Map 3, the red area, indicates her next target, Setoclende. Map 4 shows the Austrian army at Obira, and the Sardinian Kingdom at Novara. Map 5 has the example of the Turks flag, which should be easy to understand.

Chapter 170 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 31 Austria's War Mobilization (Seeking Votes)

This raiding hunter unit was not equipped with rifles; they were all carrying pistols. After all, excessively long gun barrels were inconvenient to carry while climbing. The compact submachine guns of later generations were still too advanced a concept for this era.

As the Jaeger soldiers hidden behind the wall saw people coming out of the tower, they immediately ignited the explosives and threw them towards the tower exit below. The Austrian soldiers who had just stepped out were engulfed by the deafening explosion and huge flames. The Austrian commander and his staff officers and adjutants were thus easily wiped out without anyone noticing.

The Austrian soldiers engaged in direct combat realized the enemy had entered the fortress the moment they saw the explosions coming from behind. The already demoralized Austrian troops put up a brief resistance, then took off their uniforms and made white flags (Austrian uniforms are white) and raised their hands. The fortress, defended by nearly a thousand men, fell after only a few hours.

In the past, or even with a different force, it wouldn't have been impossible for them to besiege the fortress for ten days or half a month. After all, the fortress was in a strategically important location, but they were facing the most elite Alpine hunters.

As for the Austrian garrison today, they are unlikely to have the courage to fight to the death, after all, they are still just a feudal army that has been modernized and armed...

At this moment, a young girl with long brown hair stood on a nearby hillside, peering through binoculars at the distant battle, secretly making notes with a pen. Behind her, several magical officers stood ramrod straight, awaiting her orders at any moment.

Garibaldi had prepared two strategies for her troops' first battle: the surprise attack she had just witnessed, and her personal command of the magic-wielding soldiers to capture the fortress. As the commander of this force, she hoped her trained soldiers could defeat the enemy through their own strength, but as a competent general of the Sardinian Kingdom, she couldn't allow her troops to waste too much time at the fortress. Completing the mission within the allotted time would be ideal; otherwise, it would be their turn to strike.

Fortunately, the brothers of the Hunter Legion did not disappoint her, and they successfully completed the assault mission.

"Nina, load our magic armor onto the ships at the dock and take the waterway to cross Lake Maggiore first. The infantry will continue south along the shore of Lake Maggiore, and we will then have our men meet up at Sestokerrende." Sestokerrende, as the mouth of the Ticino River at Lake Maggiore, is still under Austrian control. To ensure the army's successful crossing, it must be controlled.

"Miss, why do you want to separate our already small army?" Although the Kingdom of Sardinia invited Garibaldi, the kingdom's high-ranking officials, led by Cavour, were unwilling for Garibaldi to become too powerful. Apart from giving her command of the Hunter Legion, they did not give her much usable military force. Even Princess Misera could not change this, and most of the kingdom's nobles were wary of her.

At this time, the army of the Kingdom of Sardinia was still stationed in Novara, waiting for the French reinforcements, while the Austrian army was located in Robio on the west bank of the Ticino River, waiting for the reinforcements of the regular troops led by Austrian Field Marshal Gülay, as well as the magic-wielding troops led by Gisela's aunt, Grand Duke Albrecht Friedrich Freya of Tschin.

“Precisely because we are outnumbered, we must not resort to brute force to achieve victory.” Garibaldi brushed a strand of hair behind his ear and fixed his gaze on the adjutant named Nina in front of him.

“I’m handing over command of the ordinary soldiers to you. You will lead the troops in a feigned attack on the Austrian army of Sestokrende on the north bank of the Ticino River to draw the attention of the Austrian defenders of Sestokrende. I will lead the magic armored forces from the north of the city to launch a surprise attack.” Garibaldi’s tone was serious. As she gave the orders, she raised her hand to straighten the girl’s collar.

“Yes, madam, I will certainly fulfill my mission.” Nina saluted Garibaldi.

Garibaldi returned the salute, then looked up at the still-burning fortress in the distance, a vague unease and unspoken worry lingering in his heart.

Time returns to Prague Central Station—

The bustling crowds of the past have vanished without a trace, replaced by neatly lined Austrian soldiers in the empty station hall.

They looked solemn, each holding a breech-loading rifle that had been produced through round-the-clock work by the Bohemian arms factories led by Skoda. In addition, they carried a huge backpack with pots and pans of various sizes hanging from its outside. According to the established plan, these soldiers were clearly prepared for a long war.

The clock struck precisely, and another train pulled into the station. Under the officers' command, the soldiers entered the metal carriages in an orderly fashion. Compared to the more comfortable but smaller passenger carriages, it was clear that in order to improve transportation efficiency, the imperial generals would not prepare such luxurious carriages for these two hundred million Liu Yiqi's one-legged "beasts".

One by one, the soldiers jumped onto the train carriages. Fortunately, the unit consisted only of Czechs, so there was no language barrier, and they were able to communicate well. Once on the train, they relaxed and began chatting and joking with each other.

Rozenal is a blacksmith from the Bohemian town of Pilsen. His family has been blacksmiths for generations, serving a local baron. The baron was recently arrested by the secret police on suspicion of plotting to assassinate Crown Prince Rudolf and Princess Gisela, and has not returned to his fiefdom.

Having lost his source of customers, he had no choice but to join the army, intending only to earn a living, but he happened to be caught in the war.

"We're going to Italy! We're going to Italy!" shouted a somewhat burly soldier next to Rozenar excitedly.

"Shut up, Švejk, you think I won't beat you up?" Rozenal roared angrily at the soldier named Švejk. It wasn't surprising that Rozenal was so rude; Švejk was the undisputed idiot of their 42nd Infantry Regiment. He liked to sleep on the floor, marched with his arms and legs moving in unison, and talked nonsense about everything he saw. Although somewhat neurotic, his physical abilities were exceptionally good; he consistently achieved the best results in running and shooting, which was perhaps why his superiors tacitly allowed him to stay.

"You can't do this to me, you're my friend." Švejk showed no sadness whatsoever, looking at Rozenal with an innocent and carefree expression, not angry at all.

Seeing Rozenal arguing with the fool, the other soldiers in the vehicle burst into laughter.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 171 Irises Withering in the Alps: Capter 33 Why Do Soldiers Fight? (Seeking Votes)

"That's right, my name is Schweik, it's the name my mother gave me!" Schweik's face was full of pride when he mentioned his name.

"Rita, bring me the amplifier for the magical communication." Gisela snapped her fingers, and Rita quickly brought the amplifier to Gisela. Gisela placed her hand on it and then began her impromptu speech.

"Ladies and gentlemen! I am Gisela Louise Marie, the commander of your Bohemian Legion heading to Italy." Gisela's voice echoed in the central train station, and the Czech soldiers stopped talking and listened attentively to the princess.

"I have something I want to tell you all today. Please think about it carefully before you answer."

"What are you fighting for?"

"And for whom are you fighting?" This question, seemingly a routine pre-battle pep talk, struck a chord with every Czech soldier present, because each person's answer was different...

“Let me ask Švejk first. Mr. Švejk, please come to my side.” Gisela said with a smile to Švejk. As an ordinary soldier with mediocre magical abilities, Švejk could not directly use this magical amplification device. Therefore, in order for all the soldiers in the station to hear, he had to rely on Gisela’s help.

Schweik stared blankly at the princess before him, extended his right hand, and carefully placed it on the magic communication device. He then looked up at Princess Gisela with an innocent expression.

“Schweik, please tell everyone why you are fighting?” Gisela deliberately dragged out his words to make them sound more impactful.

"What does it mean to fight for something?" Unfortunately, Švejk was not a bright man, and such a profound topic was too complicated for him. Gisela was also unaware that the man with the same name as Švejk was not a bright fellow either, which made the atmosphere on the scene unusually subtle.

Fortunately, Schweik's "stupidity" was acknowledged by the entire unit, and the soldiers present were not surprised by Schweik's answer at all. They remained in their positions, waiting for the princess to continue.

"Then let me ask you another question, Švejk, why do you want to join the army?" If the soldier still couldn't understand this question, then Gisela would have to admit that his speech today was a failure.

"Because my mother made me join the army. She told me that the army would provide enough food, and that people there wouldn't refuse to live with me because I wasn't smart enough. She also told me that my father was a soldier." For Švejk, what he remembers most vividly is his mother's teachings.

“I understand. You joined the army for your family and their expectations. Am I right?” Gisela took a step forward and looked at the burly Švejk in front of her.

“No, I’m doing this for my mother! For my family!” Schweik shook his head and explained to himself.

"For my mother? For my family? That's a simple yet noble reason." Gisela wasn't surprised by Švejk's words. As long as he was willing to answer, the soldier's answer would become part of her elevated theme. Whether it was out of necessity or something else, mentioning family always resonated with some soldiers, and for Gisela, that was enough.

"Captain, then please tell me why you joined the army." Gisela turned to look at the officer in front of her.

"For honor and dignity, I will become the Emperor's sword, cutting through all the thorns that stand in his way." Unlike the lower-ranking soldiers, the captain, who was well-educated and of noble birth, answered politely and respectably, expressing his demands while demonstrating his loyalty.

“Loyal and honorable, Captain, you are a great patriot.” Gisela nodded approvingly.

"And what about you gentlemen? What are you here for?" Gisela asked the soldiers who had traveled with Švejk.

"For wealth, for dignity, for family, for honor, for survival... there are countless reasons in the world. Just as God created us so that we might seek redemption through introspection, humans are creatures of desire, and the pursuit of something is in our nature. What you fight for is essentially asking what you are fighting for." Gisela raised her foot and stepped on the box that Shahrador had found for her, looking at the soldiers listening to her speech.

"You should not feel ashamed of your inner desires, but rather proud, because they are your goals in pursuing happiness. I believe that people are only motivated and courageous when they have something to strive for."

“A person’s happiness depends on a stable country. Open your eyes and look! The countries around us, without a strong motherland as their backing, can only be bullied by others. Look! In our south, Greece, which is seeking independence, has its king decided by another country; in our north, the countries of the German Confederation, without the protection of an empire, can only be swallowed up by powerful countries; in our west, the Italians are launching an uprising with trepidation, but they have to act according to the whims of France; in our east, the Romanians have gained independence, but they have to cede territory and pay tribute to the Russians.”

"Let me ask you, soldiers here: Does an empire need to have its monarch chosen by other countries? Does an empire need to act according to the whims of other countries? Does an empire need to cede territory and pay tribute? No! We do not! We are great powers! We are one of the most powerful nations in Europe. No one can underestimate us. Our empire is not the Austrian empire? Not the Hungarian empire? In the future, our empire will be the common empire of all peoples in the entire Danube River basin."

"Imagine the envious looks and respect in the eyes of others when you travel to another country and mention that you come from the Empire. That's why we, sir, must take up arms to defend this country that can bring you dignity and happiness." Gisela raised his hand, his eyes revealing determination and resilience.

"If they dare to advance, we'll push back! Every so often, we'll push forward relentlessly until a ray of dawn appears in the clouds, illuminating the world beyond the war—a world we can't reach. We can be respectable heroes, or we can be heinous criminals. We are destined to become legends, and we are also destined to disappear into history. We are knights of the sky, ghosts of the mud, and rats rolling in shell craters, but that's our story."

"I, Gisela Louise Marie, heir to the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty, future Archduchess of Austria, one of you, solemnly swear here to the Lord that I will shed my last drop of blood to defend the Empire, and that I will never take off my uniform until the Kingdom of Sardinia and their accomplice France are defeated." Gisela herself didn't really care about this; she never liked dresses anyway. However, these words carried a very different meaning for others.

Unable to lose to the young princess before them, the soldiers' pride as men compelled them to respond to Gisela's words. So what if the girl before them was a great magic user? If even a princess could make such a vow, how could they, as men, show any cowardice?

PS1: Chinese New Year is almost here, yay!

Chapter 172 Irises Fading in the Alps: Capter 32 The Good Soldier Švejk (Numbers Reversed)

The ridicule from the outside world made Rozenal's already volatile emotions even more unstable. He roughly grabbed Schweik's collar and slammed him hard against the interior wall of the carriage. Then he stared intently, his bulging veins on his forehead revealing his anger.

"Say one more word to me, and believe me, I'll beat you to death, you idiot." Seemingly to demonstrate his strength, Luo Zeli slammed his fist heavily against the wall, making a loud bang.

"No! I'm not a fool. My mother said: Only those who do foolish things are fools." Švejk maintained his perpetually sunny and optimistic attitude, looking at the angry man before him. Perhaps Švejk would never understand what anger was.

Unable to contain his anger any longer, Rozenal raised his fist. His comrades, at that moment, began to jeer and clap, celebrating the prospect of a good show. As the saying goes, the more a spectacle, the better; it was the first time they'd ever seen someone actually cause trouble for a fool.

Just then, the carriage door was struck three times with a metal bar, followed by a somewhat deliberate cough. The soldiers turned to look at the door, where their captain stood solemnly outside the carriage, accompanied by three ladies.

The woman in the middle appeared to be the youngest. Her long, silky, golden hair was styled in a bun, and her clear, sapphire-like eyes were watching them with great interest. Although she wasn't particularly tall, the imperial female officer's uniform suited her surprisingly well. She didn't wear any rank insignia, but her noble bearing was no less than that of any of the dignitaries they had ever met.

Her fox-like ears also subtly revealed her illustrious status. Among the many magic users within the empire, only Princess Gisela, the second daughter of His Majesty the Emperor, possessed such characteristics.

The two women behind the princess, though dressed in ordinary female soldier uniforms, exuded an aura completely different from ordinary soldiers. The silver-gray-haired woman on her left was tall and elegant in every gesture, but her eyes revealed a chilling indifference. The foreign woman on her right, with slightly darker skin, had a thousand kinds of allure in her eyes and an approachable smile on her lips. Unfortunately, the men's intuition told them that this woman was equally dangerous, just like a bewitching and beautiful datura.

"Ahem! You all continue, I'm watching." Gisela said calmly, then observed the interesting events unfolding in the carriage with great interest. Fighting is normal in the military; soldiers are supposed to have guts. Everyone says that Austria only knows how to engage in sexist diplomacy and is only good at politics in bed, but look at the Imperial Army—they're full of martial spirit too.

With that in mind, Gisela walked directly into the carriage, carefully examining the facilities inside and the soldiers' morale.

“Your Highness! You don’t need to condescend to come to a place like this.” The respectful captain tried to dissuade her, after all, as a noble officer, he obviously looked down on ordinary soldiers. Of course, Gisela was already used to these people buzzing around her “four” ears like flies, and simply ignoring them was her best response.