She changed Europe

Page 93

As a weapon, it is a typical double-edged sword, capable of killing enemies but also harming oneself. Even so, the princess before her was able to persuade her to serve her, which, like the last time, demonstrates a courage beyond her years.

“Because Napoleon III didn’t know what she needed, but I did.” Gisela’s lips curled slightly, her composure evident.

“As expected of you, Your Highness. Don’t forget that she is ultimately a Frenchwoman. Her family and connections are in France, not Austria. But now you are handing over the magic armor to her. Do you know what that means?” A magic user with magic armor could easily destroy an army. To hand over such a dangerous weapon to a potential adversary, Nelson simply couldn’t understand Gisela’s thinking.

“Miss Nelson, I have only one principle in my life, which is to trust those I employ and not to employ those I don’t trust.” Gisela walked straight to the sofa opposite Nelson and sat down with her legs crossed.

"If you are dissatisfied with the British authorities in the future, the doors of the Vienna State Office are open to you."

“Then thank you for your kindness, Your Highness, but I am only loyal to the Queen and the country.” Nelson’s answer was very straightforward, which was exactly what Gisela had expected. After all, not everyone is as love-struck as Jeanne… although she herself is stubborn and won’t admit it.

"Alright, let's get back to business. What brings you here in person this time?"

"Let me guess, is this a mission from the Queen, or a request from your Prime Minister?"

“No, no, no, Your Highness, it’s not this time.” Nelson shook his head slightly, then took out a white-covered letter from the breast pocket of his uniform, which was marked with a black glove.

"Your Highness, how much do you know about the Italian Mafia?"

The word "Mafia" originates from the Sicilian uprising that occurred on March 30, 1282, the day before Valentine's Day. When a young woman from Palermo, Sofia, was forced into marriage by French soldiers on her wedding day, Sicily began a frenzied revenge. They attacked every Frenchman they encountered and proclaimed the "Destroy France is Italy's desire," and Mafia is an acronym for this slogan.

But that was just the origin. Its development began in the early 19th century, coinciding with the Italian independence movement. They were known for their xenophobia and criminal activities, but their policies of protecting the lower classes made them quite popular in Italy. They grew and expanded with the establishment of the Italian state until they were suppressed by a certain bald-headed Legalist, forcing them to move to the New World. This led to the gang we know in later films and television shows. However, the Mafia in this world is more like a violent organization and political party.

“Of course.” Gisela nodded gracefully, then accepted the envelope from Nelson. Regardless of her actual understanding of the Italian Mafia, she had to answer this way to maintain her bargaining power. After all, the worst thing in negotiations is insufficient information, allowing the opponent to discover your bottom line.

“That would be best,” Nelson nodded in agreement.

"By the way! Your Highness, what is your relationship with Princess Lana and Princess Liana?" Nelson stood up unhurriedly, walked slowly to the window of the reception room, and calmly looked at the scenery outside.

"What do you mean?" Gisela frowned slightly as she looked at the woman before her, whose appearance and aura were strikingly similar to the ship she had married in the port. This strange feeling made her feel somewhat uneasy, and if she had to find a word to describe it, it was like chatting with her ex-wife.

To cover up her awkwardness, Gisela didn't rush to open the envelope in her hand. Instead, she picked up the black tea that Jeanne had prepared for her and slowly savored it.

"Tsk, this idiot's skills have improved a lot; at least he didn't pass out," Gisela thought to herself, half-jokingly.

"In the Battle of Anzio not long ago, there were two Austrian magic users who participated in the battle. They were Lana Ludwig Joseph Maria and Liana Ludwig Joseph Maria. In terms of seniority, they are His Highness's cousins."

"So what?" Nelson's unhurried tone made Gisela sense that he was bargaining, and that the two of them would probably become one of their bargaining chips.

"Although your empire has officially announced the disappearance of two noble ladies, it is clear to anyone with eyes to see what the disappearance of a magic user on the battlefield usually means." In the warring nations of Europe, although they engage in fierce battles, they usually do not easily kill the enemy's magic users. After all, these noble and beautiful ladies are more valuable alive than dead ones, whether for use in negotiations during prisoner exchanges or for other purposes.

"Tell me! Are my sisters dead or captured by them?" Although Gisela was unfamiliar with her two cousins, they shared the same blood and were both magic users. To completely ignore them would seem too heartless, especially since they had at least written to her expressing goodwill.

“Your Highness, Miss Vittorio Veneto, the leader of the Italian Mafia, wishes to make a small deal with you, and we English will act as witnesses.” Vittorio Veneto? Although it was a very common Italian name, Gisela had a bad feeling the moment she heard it. The name reminded her of a battleship destroyer, and the initials of that name formed the abbreviation VV.

“VV?” Gisela’s instinctive sarcastic remark reached Nelson’s ears. Upon hearing Gisela’s words, the red-haired woman first frowned slightly, then her gaze towards Gisela gained even more respect.

“Your Highness is absolutely right. Those who respect this lady call her VV, and we British people also like to call her that.”

PS1: It's the beginning of the month, so water it a bit.

Chapter 347 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 63 Negotiations Break Down (Seeking Votes)

"Really? It seems the intelligence my agents in southern Italy provided was more reliable than I thought, wasn't it?" Lying through her teeth had become a basic skill for Gisela. Since the other party mistakenly believed that her composure was based on something, she would just continue acting.

“Since Your Highness already knows the answer, I will be frank. Miss VV is willing to return Miss Lana and Miss Liana to the Empire, but Your Highness must agree to two conditions. First, if the Empire is defeated, she will definitely return the two young ladies to the Empire without any conditions attached. However, if the Empire is victorious, the independence of the Kingdom of Sicily must be guaranteed. As for how the South Asian peninsula is distributed, that is not her concern.” This shrewd move of hedging her bets clearly shows that VV is already considering the future.

"Do you think I would agree, Miss Nelson?" Gisela observed the red-haired woman with a smile. She understood perfectly well that if this was VV's own idea, she would naturally be very happy to accept it. After all, exchanging someone else's land and the surplus fruits of victory that could not be fully consumed in order to exchange for the return of two of her own magic users was a very worthwhile thing no matter how you looked at it.

However, with the British acting as intermediaries, the situation takes a completely different turn. Although the two countries are now allied in a certain sense, that's merely a facade. Those annoying offshore diplomats are already preparing to support the Ottoman Empire in causing trouble for themselves in the Muslim-majority southern part of the empire. They previously tried to protect the independence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, and now they want to use this opportunity to jeopardize the empire's interests in southern Italy.

Taking all the above into consideration, Gisela had no reason to allow the British to be too satisfied in these aspects.

“If I were you, I would certainly not refuse this kindness,” Nelson said with a hint of self-righteousness.

"For others and for oneself, for oneself and for others, and self-interest is the third bond that nature has given to us." Gisela raised her right hand, and a ball of pale blue flame flickered on her slender index finger.

"I don't need goodwill from the middleman, and of course I have no need to promise others what I could have obtained myself as a bargaining chip. Please tell Miss VV that if she is not afraid of offending me and my country, then she may do as she pleases. I have already lost my 'brother,' and I am no different from losing my two sisters. But if she dares to do that, I will let the Imperial army trample southern Italy and let the Italians shed rivers of blood." By using Rudolf's matter, Gisela could perfectly weave the image of a vengeful woman who was somewhat blinded by the loss of her loved ones, in order to just the right moment to refuse the British.

“That’s a real shame, but I still hope we can have a pleasant working relationship during this time.” Nelson bowed to Gisela, put his naval cap back on, and then let out a sigh of relief.

"Well, Your Highness, did I act like a traditional British politician?" Nelson's half-joking, smiling tone immediately eased the tense atmosphere.

“Miss Sarah Nelson, your previous performance actually made you more like a politician than most. Do you intend to run for the next Prime Minister of the British Empire?” Gisela observed the red-haired woman in front of her, resting her chin on her hand.

“Never mind then. Compared to the intrigues of Downing Street and the murky atmosphere of Parliament, the giant waves and storms of the Mediterranean seem much more docile and endearing.” Nelson stretched his arms, then picked up his cane from beside his chair and prepared to leave.

"It comes down to the same question: was it your Queen's order or your Prime Minister's that you were summoned here today?"

“No! Your Highness, I would give you different answers to other questions, but on this one point my view is simple and clear: it is the will of Britain.” With that, Nelson strode out of the room, leaving Gisela alone, pretending to be deep in thought.

For a patriot like Nelson, the sharp conflicts between interest groups within the British Empire were something that absolutely could not be told to outsiders, especially since this seemingly harmless young girl was very likely to become the new head of the Habsburg dynasty in the future.

A moment later————

“Your Holiness, just as you have heard, this is the British attitude toward Italy.” Gisela turned and fixed his scarlet eyes on the wall beside the fireplace, and a red wall slowly opened under Gisela’s gaze.

A little girl dressed in a gorgeous nun's habit, modified into a dress, slowly walked out from inside.

"Yes, I understand." The silver-haired girl nodded obediently, then took the black notebook she had been carrying under her arm and slowly opened it.

"The British have an ambiguous attitude toward the Italian Revolution, and even a little sympathy for it. They are not as hateful to the newly formed republic as the outside world perceives them to be. Compared to their current support, they are clearly more inclined to seize more benefits in Italy." The Holy See wrote down his views with a pen, while unknowingly whispering his innermost thoughts.

“Lady Theresa, I don’t think it’s necessary for you to say it aloud when you’re recording your thoughts.” As a straight man, Gisela naturally wouldn’t be so attentive to a lady’s needs, and she considered such a statement to be perfectly natural.

"I didn't say that! Don't make false accusations. My honesty is proven by the gods!" The majestic Holy See stood with his hands on his hips, confidently closed his black notebook, and hid it behind his back, adopting a posture of utterly denying everything.

"Is that so? Then, Your Holiness, would you still like to eat today's pudding?" Gisela slowly picked up the small bell from the table and gently shook it twice.

The silver-haired girl glanced at the direction of the gate, then at Gisela, before obediently lowering her head.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong." His Holiness made his forty-second apology since he began working for Gisela (I'm not implying anything is true).

“Your Holiness, could you perhaps reveal a little about the layout of the Thirteen Courts in Rome and southern Italy?” Gisela suddenly became very interested in the layout of the Thirteen Courts and fixed her gaze on the black notebook in Theresa’s hand.

"No! What do you take me for?!"

"Double pudding, with bitter melon juice."

“Okay, that’s it…” The young girl handed the black notebook directly to Gisela.

PS1: This kind of Holy Throne is still quite adorable.

PS2: Nelson is a woman from the past lol.

PS1: Another holiday is coming!

Chapter 348 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter64 Lands in Naples

Just as Gisela had predicted, Garibaldi's Italian Republican Guard, after Anzio's defeat of the main coalition forces, took only a short rest before marching rapidly to the gates of Rome.

At this time in Rome—, next to the Bastion-Moonchair—

Marshal Güle, who was seriously injured and unconscious, had been dismissed from his title as commander of the Imperial Expeditionary Force by Emperor Joseph. The remaining Imperial and Allied forces in Rome were all handed over to one of the Marshal's little-known female adjutants, a level one magician who was only twenty years old, Nadia Conrad von Herzendorf.

It is said that this appointment was personally issued by the newly appointed Governor-General of Italy and Croatia, Her Highness Princess Gisela Louise Marie. Although some in the army do not agree with this personnel appointment, which is tantamount to a demotion, some politically astute nobles realize that with Crown Prince Rudolf "killed in action," this young and powerful princess has become the strongest contender for the future throne. Therefore, expressing their loyalty to her has become their most urgent task.

Thus, amidst the cheers of the rank-and-file soldiers and the support of the noble officers, Miss Nadia easily became the backbone of tens of thousands of Roman garrison troops.

Was this young lady named Nadia Konrad von Herzendorf truly an unknown passerby? In fact, no. Gisela had already discovered the surname von Herzendorf while searching for talent to emerge in the future Austrian Empire. If her memory served her correctly, the person with the surname von Herzendorf in this era corresponded to the famous Field Marshal Franz Konrad von Herzendorf, who was the Chief of the General Staff of the Austro-Hungarian Empire during World War I.

He possessed exceptional strategic vision. Upon assuming the position of Chief of the Imperial General Staff, he initiated sweeping modernization reforms of the imperial army. As a social Darwinist, he believed a conflict between Germanic and Slavic civilizations was inevitable. He was also a staunch nationalist, deeply dissatisfied with the special status of Hungarian nobles within the empire, believing it weakened the empire's foundation. However, his greatest desire was to advocate for a preventative war against the Kingdom of Serbia.

From the time he became Chief of the General Staff in 1906 until the outbreak of World War I, he proposed no fewer than 25 operational plans. Regarding the possibility of a major war in the East, he devised two scenarios: if Russia remained neutral, he would deploy his main forces to Serbia; if Russia became involved in the war, he would concentrate his efforts on the Russian front.

His style was bold and radical, a stark contrast to the conservative and rigid generals of the Imperial Army. Unfortunately, Emperor Joseph did not give him enough opportunities to demonstrate his talents, and the poor performance of the Imperial Army further hampered his progress. It wasn't until 1917, the year Emperor Joseph died, that he fought the most brilliant battle of his life in Italy—the Battle of Caporetto.

The future marshal is still very young, and in this world, he has even become a fair-skinned and beautiful woman. However, although his appearance may change, his outstanding talents will not change.

From the outset of her rule in Rome, she decisively changed Marshal Giuseppe's bureaucratic style, starting with disciplining her adjutants and officers, rather than imposing numerous meaningless and harsh regulations solely on rank-and-file soldiers. Furthermore, she traversed the various outer defensive lines surrounding Rome, observing and adjusting the deployment of artillery positions. She consolidated the remaining magical armor into new regiments, battalions, and platoons, deploying them within the city. She also integrated allied forces with the Imperial army, deploying them in mixed formations outside the city.

Inside the city, she meticulously tallied the residents' assets, compiled them into tables, and fabricated a comparison of the assets of the local soldiers and civilians in Naples. Through this, she wanted to convey a simple and easy-to-understand message to the citizens of Rome: if the enemy breached the city, no one could guarantee their property or personal safety. After all, Rome was different from Naples; it had many wealthy merchants and, of course, a very rich clergyman—the kind of people you could take everything from them, except their wealth.

In order to protect themselves, these people spontaneously provided a lot of funds and hired a lot of laborers to assist the imperial army in fighting and defending the city. Citizens and the army achieved unity in various senses.

"Your mission is to defend Rome and hold off Garibaldi at all costs. Although Rome will not receive any more reinforcements, you must remember that if you hold out for four days, the enemy forces outside the city will surely retreat." These were Gisela's exact words to Nadia in the magical communication.

While Rome was besieged, Gisela led nearly 30,000 troops from all over the empire, boarded a combined fleet of the Royal Navy and the Imperial Navy, crossed the Adriatic Sea, passed the Iorio Sea, and under cover of night quietly sailed through the poorly defended Strait of Messina and entered the Tyrrhenian Sea. Finally, four days later, he appeared south of the new capital of the Italian Republic.

The Italian government, basking in victory, was unaware that a new crisis had already arrived.

Thus, on August 1, 1871

With the roar of nearly a hundred large-caliber naval cannons mounted on the Royal Navy and Imperial Navy ships, the Imperial army began its siege of Naples.

The Imperial Army soldiers, dressed in white uniforms, who were the first to land, looked different from their haggard appearance after enduring the storms at sea in the previous days. As soon as they stepped onto land, a strange sense of power surged within them. Perhaps the land was the best stage for them.

The deafening shouts of battle and the deafening explosions threw the Republican Guard, who were passively defending Naples, into disarray. The two hilltop fortresses that had been taken over from the Royal Army were the first to launch an attack on the British and Austrian ships outside the port.

When the old, heavy fortress cannons were loaded and fired by the Republic soldiers, they were not met with the impressive result of sinking enemy warships, but with a fierce counterattack from the massive fleet outside the harbor.

In an instant, nearly half of the 25 coastal defense guns in the fortress on the seaward side were completely destroyed, and the large-caliber mortar in the center of the fortress was blown up so badly that its barrel flew off.

PS1: Thousand-Man Expedition

Chapter 349 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: The War Written in Capter 65 (Seeking votes at the beginning of the month)

Severed limbs and wounded soldiers lying on the ground screaming in agony are always the best depiction of the cruelty of war, but this was only a small prelude to this war. As more and more soldiers in white uniforms arrived on the shore, the marine workers, like ants, carried supplies from the landing boats, while the vast majority of army soldiers lined up in orderly formations, and then, at the command of their commanders and the neat beat of the war drums of the military band, they completed their assembly.

The Imperial army was disciplined and orderly, which instilled fear in the officers of the Republican Guard, who had originally intended to lead their troops out of the city to meet the enemy, making them hesitant to continue commanding the army out of the city. Meanwhile, in the provisional parliament and the staff of the provisional government in the center of Naples, some confidential documents concerning the Republic and lists of domestic and foreign supporters had begun burning. Some politicians had already packed their bags, while a number of more composed members of parliament rushed into the mailroom to send magical communications urging Garibaldi, who was organizing the siege in Rome, to return to aid the Republic's capital, Naples.

The strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" is a classic example of ancient Chinese military tactics. Although it is a classical military tactic, its core idea is to attack where the enemy must defend, disrupt the opponent's original strategic intentions, and thus seize the initiative on the battlefield.

Across Europe, perhaps no one at this moment would have imagined that the Austrian princess, who had brought so many surprises to the world, would not choose to defend Rome to the death, but instead use Rome as bait to launch a surprise attack on the enemy's rear. Because this war was in Italy, no one understood the invaluable advantage of naval power in this region better than Gisela. The long coastline of the Apennine Peninsula provided Gisela with a rare and excellent opportunity for a flanking maneuver.

Without highly mobile vehicles such as tanks and cars, flanking maneuvers on land are not easy, but the vast ocean provided them with opportunities to hide, and Garibaldi's obsession with Rome gave her the possibility of a successful surprise attack.

Gisela stood contentedly at the bow of the Imperial flagship, the "Ferdinand I," gazing at the fortress burning fiercely under the bombardment in the distance, and the city of Naples shrouded in fire and smoke. She gently smoothed her hair and took a deep breath.

“Master, our landing is nearing completion, and we are ready to launch an attack at any time.” Gisela turned and glanced at Jeanne de Darc, who was clad in black armor and carrying a fleur-de-lis battle banner. At this moment, the silver-haired Duchess of France exuded the same unrestrained and wild aura as when Gisela first encountered her. The occasional slight smile at the corner of her mouth added to her alluring charm, and the light shining in her golden eyes was exceptionally captivating.

“Jeanna told them to attack slowly and not to take the city too quickly, after all, our guests haven’t arrived yet,” Gisela said, tapping the hilt of her Saint Stephen’s sword lightly with her right hand as she lowered the tip of the sword to the ground.

If the strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" was merely a basic level, then Gisela learned an advanced tactic from another legendary army that had perfected infantry tactics: besieging a point to attack reinforcements.

“Of course, no problem. I’ll tell the generals right away.” Jeanne’s tone was calm, and she appeared surprisingly indifferent at this moment.

“Jeanne, I don’t like the look on your face right now,” Gisela said to Jeanne Alter with a playful tone.

Although Jeanne did not turn around at that moment, a careful observer could clearly see that her back showed a slight, almost imperceptible wavering at that instant.

————Time Dividing Line

On the morning of the fourth day of the siege of Rome, before Gisela launched his attack on Naples.

In the Italian army camp, Garibaldi, who had been directing operations during the day and working through the night to devise tactics in the past few days, was now fast asleep, his head resting on the table.

This legendary general, who personally oversaw every detail, had given almost everything for the Italian nation. Now, standing beneath the walls of Rome, she was closer than ever to her ideal. In her dream, she led her army to a resounding victory over the enemy in Rome, then entered the city as victors, passing through the triumphal arches that had stood for millennia as symbols of glory, paying homage to the magnificent Colosseum, and finally praying to God for the prosperity and strength of her nation in the splendid and solemn St. Peter's Basilica.

For a thousand years, Italy, in the words of the poet Dante, "all the prostitutes of Europe," finally had their own names and identities. All the sacrifices were worthwhile. Whenever he thought of his comrades who gave their lives for national independence, Garibaldi would use this phrase to inspire himself to keep moving forward.

No! Now is not the time to rest. Urged on by a sense of mission, the brown-haired beauty forced herself to cheer up and slowly opened her eyes.

"What time is it now?" Garibaldi asked blankly, pushing aside a mountain of documents on his desk and fixing his gaze on the alarm clock in front of him.

"9:23, oh no! We've missed our attack time today!" Garibaldi hurriedly stood up and put his military uniform back on.

"No! Why has the artillery fire stopped?" Logically, the daily bombardment should have been a prelude to the daily attack, but unfortunately, Garibaldi could no longer hear the shriek of the "Goddess of War" or her piercing song.

The thought of those lazy, unreliable, and undisciplined conscripts weighed heavily on Garibaldi's mind, and she frowned as she stepped out of the tent, ready to teach those rascals a lesson.

The morning sun, though not scorching, was still dazzling, forcing Garibaldi, who had just emerged from the darkness, to squint for a long time to adjust.

"Andrei, tell me what our artillery is doing today. Why haven't they started shelling after nine o'clock?" As Garibaldi shouted, a young man got up from the barbecue grill and ran to his superior in a fluster.

"Sir, our logistics have been disrupted. We haven't received any new shells for several days, and we used up all our shell reserves yesterday..."

"What!? Naples hasn't given us any explanation?" Garibaldi questioned his adjutant with great dissatisfaction.

“Sir, in fact, the newly formed republic hasn’t produced a single shell, or even a single bullet, in the rear. All we’ve used so far are supplies from the former Kingdom’s army reserves, as well as their stockpiles in various ammunition depots.” Andrei took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow, and casually handed Garibaldi the list of supplies mentioned by the quartermaster…

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 350 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Capter 66 Hero or Dragon (Vote Requested)

"Then what are they doing in Naples all day long! Instead of focusing on supplying the front lines, are they just eating pasta every day and suppressing dissent?" Garibaldi stomped the list on the ground with one foot and then stepped on it twice with the heel of his boot.

Although she controlled the military, she had no interest in politics, because she placed her hopes on so-called democratic politicians and nominal representatives who spoke for the people. But in reality, these people, though they spoke eloquently, were actually...

"My lord, though I hate to admit it, it may be true. The various families in southern Italy that previously supported you have now turned their attention to dividing up the property of the former kingdom's nobles and the 'reactionary' capitalists who support the king." These opportunists are clearly more interested in the established pie than in expanding the war.

“But without artillery shells at the front, the army cannot fight, and being unable to fight may lead to a rout. And after a rout, what will they gain?! Don’t they have any intuition or conscience as Italians…” Garibaldi put his hand to his forehead and sighed.

“Right now, it’s just shells. If we run out of food and ammunition, then we’re really doomed,” Garibaldi said, glancing at the barbecue grill behind the young man.

This is a betrayal, an irresponsibility towards the Italian people, a betrayal of the heroes who sacrificed themselves for national liberation, but what's the point of blaming them now?

"Prepare for a new offensive. This time, let's commit as many men as possible to the attack, at least to keep the Austrians from noticing our shortage of ammunition." In order to maintain pressure on the enemy's defenses, besides artillery bombardment, another key strategy is to launch continuous attacks and fight for victory with the lives of our soldiers.