She changed Europe

Page 97

“As you wish!” Gisela pressed Garibaldi onto the bed, picked up the magic dagger she had just placed on the table, pulled it out, and then plunged it into Garibaldi’s heart.

At this moment, Garibaldi appeared incredibly calm with a smile on his face. As the dagger pierced the bed and blood flowed down the bed, it seemed that everything was over.

Admittedly, their positions made them adversaries, but in Gisela's mind, this woman was someone she admired immensely. Thinking of this, she slowly closed her eyes.

"Go, go to America or the East, it doesn't matter, just go to a place where I will never see you again, and live a peaceful life."

"I will announce to the world that Garibaldi has died in battle. As for whether you choose to continue fighting me or not, I don't care!" Gisela pulled out her dagger and left only a shallow cut on Garibaldi's face. Thanks to the powerful regenerative abilities of magic, it was only a matter of time before it healed.

After speaking, Gisela sheathed his dagger, stood up, pushed open the tent flap, and left the tent. Garibaldi was left behind, sitting there lost in thought.

"Give me a cigarette!" Gisela said, looking at the soldier standing guard nearby.

The soldiers dared not neglect the princess's request and quickly took out a cigarette from their pockets and handed it to Gisela.

"Can I borrow a light?" Gisela placed his cigarette on the soldier's cigarette, lit it, took a deep drag, threw it on the ground, stomped it out with his heel, and left with somewhat heavy steps.

This time, my appeasement strategy did not achieve the desired results...

Let's turn our attention back to Budapest—

"Welcome, Miss Rothschild. Your presence greatly honors my humble abode. May God bless you and your family forever." The handsome and elegant middle-aged man gently lifted Hana's hand, then gracefully kissed her right hand, which was adorned with a ring. His tone carried a strangely comforting gentleness and composure.

“Count Andrássy, I’ve recently heard some people say that Hungary seems to be making some moves. I’d like to know what you’re up to?” Hannah slowly withdrew her hand, carefully observing the man in front of her with her dark eyes.

"What do we want to do? That's an interesting question. Instead of asking me what we want to do, Miss, you should ask what you would like us to do now?" Count Andrahi straightened up with a smile, walked to the cabinet next to his study desk, bent down to open it, and took out a glass bottle containing an amber liquid, along with two wine glasses.

"Tokaj wine?" As the eldest daughter of the Luo family and a member of one of Europe's wealthiest financial families, she had naturally seen this famous wine variety from Hungary.

“That’s right, Miss, this is our Hungarian national drink, Tokoj.”

The Tokaji wine region boasts a long history of grape cultivation. Since the introduction of viticulture techniques from Italy in the 12th century, the local vineyards have expanded to 26 villages, covering an area of ​​13425 hectares. Tokaji wines were created in 1502 by the renowned Golaui family, predating the famous French Sauternes by two centuries, making them among the oldest wine varieties in continental Europe. The third verse of the Hungarian national anthem even praises Tokaji wine: "Your sweet Tokaji wine, dripping down."

"National liquor..." Whether unintentionally or intentionally, the independent Kingdom of Hungary did not actually exist, but Count Andrássy deliberately called it the national liquor.

"What do I want you to do?" Hannah raised an eyebrow, realizing that the man in front of her seemed to have a hidden meaning in his words, just as he was inviting her to try Tokoy.

PS1: The weather suddenly got hot QAQ

Chapter 362 The Fall of St. Stephen's Crown: Capter 78 "A Two-Way Journey" (Seeking Votes)

“Haha! Miss Hanna, there’s no need to be nervous. We Hungarians are warm and hospitable, law-abiding and disciplined. Although we may occasionally deal with a few ‘minorities’ who disobey us, I swear we have absolutely no ill intentions toward you or your family. After all, you are different from those profit-driven merchants.” Count Andrássy gently unscrewed the cork from the bottle and poured out the amber-colored wine.

At this moment, a rich and sweet aroma completely filled the entire room, and even the air became exceptionally sweet. Even so, Hannah was more aware than anyone else of the Hungarians' restlessness. Whether it was the expanding armies in various places or the huge and mysterious financial deficits of the major families, it was enough to prove that they must be making some moves in secret.

Moreover, the man in front of him was clearly unaware of his close relationship with Gisela, and thought he was simply fulfilling his obligations to the Habsburg family according to family tradition.

After all, Solomon Mayer Rothschild's business had long been based in Vienna, and he maintained close ties with the Habsburg family. But the young lady before him was from the Rothschild family in Frankfurt, and as Amschel's daughter, she was essentially in competition with other branches for the position of head of the family.

This became the opportunity and breakthrough point for Count Andrássy to contact her, since Hungary also needed financial support on its road to independence.

Returning to the present, the Hungarian Parliament is still convening smoothly, but recently no radical topics have been discussed or debated. Instead, it is unusually quiet and uneventful. This situation is completely different from what Gisela described earlier. The atmosphere at this moment is like the calm before the storm.

Since Gisela had asked her to keep a close eye on the situation in Budapest, she naturally had an obligation to keep an eye on all the Hungarian nobles in Budapest, and if permitted, there would be no problem using the St. Stephen's Regiment, which had already entered the city of Budapest.

Now, all she needed to ascertain was Count Andrahi's attitude, which led to this meeting, which felt like a two-way journey.

"Is that so? To be honest, I think there's something wrong with your accounts. Of course, I'm not targeting you, sir, but rather certain families in your Hungary." Hanna slowly walked up to Count Andrássy, picked up one of the glasses of wine, placed it in front of her, and then, while observing the glass, spoke as if in casual conversation.

Upon hearing this, the count felt a sense of relief. The fact that the other party was willing to bring this up meant that there was room for negotiation.

"Nobles, after all! They always have some funds they don't want their movements to be known, and they're always doing shady deals." Whether it's prostitution or anything else, increasing revenue and cutting expenses are the only ways to maintain the family's prosperity.

"Then how do you explain that this money went to the weapons factory and the clothing factory? Don't tell me you just wanted to buy toy guns and ordered circus uniforms." Hannah slammed her glass on the table, looking at the middle-aged man in front of her with a stern and serious expression.

"My Lord, don't think we don't know what you're secretly plotting! If you're involved, I advise you to stop now. If you're not involved, but merely a sympathizer or observer, then you'd better sever ties with these people as soon as possible. Let me tell you, for the Rothschild family, the Imperial Family means far more to us than you Magyars." Seemingly to emphasize her harsh words, Hannah deliberately crushed the glass in her hand, letting the precious wine spill onto the ground.

In order to increase their bargaining power, applying maximum pressure has always been a very effective tactic, and in the Earl's view, this young lady of the Luo family was using such a trick.

“I am very sorry, Miss. As the Prime Minister of Hungary, I was unaware of the rebellious acts that my subordinates were carrying out, which could be detrimental to the stability of the Empire. However, please rest assured that I will thoroughly investigate this matter. Please give me some time; I need to gather sufficient evidence to persuade Parliament to grant me the authority to investigate.” Count András bowed respectfully, responding to Hana with unprecedented courtesy.

"I hope you keep your word." Hannah could use this opportunity to confirm whether the Count was condoning or plotting any rebellion. She would continue to monitor the flow of these funds. Most importantly, during this period, Count Andrássy would also bring the Ro family many economic benefits in Hungary, and the so-called bribes might not necessarily be direct monetary gifts.

She could easily enjoy the benefits while keeping an eye on the Hungarians, and then wait for the fox's next decision.

"Knock knock knock!" Just then, there was a knock on the door of Count Andrachi's room.

"Please come in!" Count Andrahi straightened up, straightened his formal attire, and then looked toward the door.

The office door slowly opened, and a young man quickly walked in. After glancing at the dark-haired beauty beside him, the young man looked at the Earl with a somewhat puzzled expression.

“Speak! There are no outsiders here. This noble lady is my friend.” The count was unsure how to characterize Hana, so he simply referred to her as a friend.

"My lord! A riot has broken out among the Muslim population in the Military Front Zone (German: Militrgrenze) of South Transylvania!" The Military Front Zone, also known as the military-political border zone, was established in the early 16th century by Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor from the Habsburg family. Initially, the military zone was established to counter the constant incursions of the Ottoman Empire. However, with the decline of Turkey and the easing of hostilities, the military purpose of this region gradually diminished. Nevertheless, due to the frequent changes in the territory of the front zone, a large Muslim population lives in these areas.

"A rebellion? Is this the result of the Ottoman Empire's secret instigation?!" Count Andrashi seemed quite surprised, because he knew that Turkey had declined, and he didn't think that the Turks would do such a small thing against the empire on their own.

"Sir, these rioters are well-equipped, and their slogan is to bring the glory of Anla back to Vienna," the young man said earnestly.

"Nonsense! They think they can reach the gates of Vienna?" Even the army of Suleiman the Magnificent, who ushered in the Ottoman Empire's golden age, ultimately suffered a crushing defeat at the city's walls; the "golden apple" remained unattainable. (This is a metaphor used by a Grand Vizier during Suleiman the Magnificent's reign, comparing Vienna to the golden apple), alluring yet utterly unattainable for them.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 363 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Capter 79 The Chessboard (Seeking Votes)

"Send the 9th and 6th Divisions of the Royal Hungarian Local Defense Force stationed in Szeged and Arad to suppress the riots!"

"As you command! My lord."

“Wait a minute, that’s not enough. Send our First Division stationed in Budapest as well,” Count Andrássy added, frowning. After all, at this critical juncture, those damned infidels were causing them trouble, which naturally displeased the Count.

"But sir, this means we won't have any garrison troops in Budapest!" The young man frowned slightly, looking at the count with some unease.

"Fool! Budapest is so safe, who are we keeping our troops to guard against?" The Count's implication was clear: suppressing the riot was the most important thing right now. Leaving Budapest undefended was, in effect, a demonstration of his attitude and determination to Hannah, expressing his loyalty. After all, there was no precedent for a traitor to redeploy the troops he relied on when trouble was about to break out.

In the count's view, after this matter was over, the Hungarians could still take their own affairs into consideration in the long run, and there was no need to rush.

The shrewd Count Andrahi was unaware that the black-haired girl before him was already aware of the riot, and that it was all part of His Highness's plan.

The play could only officially begin once that person returned to Budapest.

"How large is the rioter's force, sir?" Hana asked knowingly. Gisela had instructed the Turkish woman named Shahrador to prepare a force of less than ten thousand, which was the extent of the farce they had sponsored.

“Around 15,000 people, maybe more,” the young man said, picking up the report in his hand.

“That seems rather tricky. Should we report to His Highness and then have him contact His Majesty?” Hana frowned, expressing her concern. However, a new question arose in her mind: why were there nearly five thousand extra pieces of equipment? This was far from the original plan. After all, Gisela hadn't told Hana about the collusion between the British and Shahrador, so Hana was unaware of it.

“No need. We Hungarians are always ready to solve His Majesty’s problems. They are nothing but a rabble. We are capable of handling them.” Count Andrássy naturally rejected Hana’s suggestion.

"It's getting late, so I should take my leave." Hannah lifted her skirt, gave the count an elegant and polite bow, and then left the room.

Of course, she didn't care about what the count and his men talked about afterwards.

In 1871, at the outset of the South Transylvanian crisis, the Ottoman government took an unprecedentedly strong stance in Istanbul, issuing a stern condemnation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's persecution of Muslims within its borders, and on the same day began deploying troops to the Austro-Turkish border (Austria and Austria are too strange).

Although the Habsburg and Ottoman Empires had fought wars in the Balkans for three centuries, since 1790 the two countries had ceased resorting to force to resolve disputes, instead favoring negotiation and cooperation to address all crises. This was perhaps partly due to the rise of the Austrian Empire's overall strength, but more importantly, it was also due to its own decline and the threat posed by the rising power of the Russian Empire to its north.

The nine Russo-Turkish wars have proven that this Slavic barbarian state, which considered itself the successor to the Eastern Roman Empire and the Orthodox Christian guardian who took it upon himself to conquer Istanbul, had become a major concern for the Ottoman Empire.

Although the Crimean War was won more than a decade ago, the northern bear seems to still be licking its wounds. However, the sword of Damocles from the north still hangs over the heads of the Turks, keeping them up at night.

Even so, the Turks did not hesitate to stand against the Austro-Hungarian Empire this time.

Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

As night fell, Ambassador Petrevich of the Russian Empire in Vienna, having just finished his aristocratic salon, staggered down from his carriage, supported by a beautiful silver-haired, grey-eyed adjutant, and then swayed toward the embassy.

“Avrona, do you know? Vienna is nothing like our cold and backward capital, St. Petersburg. Whether it’s the food or the women, Vienna has the best in all of Europe. If there’s any place that can compare to it, it might only be Paris, but now Paris is occupied by a madwoman of humble origins.” Petlevich praised the beauty of Vienna with the rudeness and bluntness typical of Russians.

"Yes, sir, you are right." The girl named Aurona responded calmly, her face still bearing a formulaic smile.

"By the way, do you remember the two countesses we saw earlier?" Petrevich's face lit up with a smile as he mentioned the two beautiful ladies.

"of course."

"Don't be fooled by their haughty and aloof demeanor before; in fact, their behavior in bed is quite the opposite. That's the nature of Austrian women. They appear cold on the surface, but once you 'pierce' that 'appearance,' they become a million times more adorable than before." Petlevich boasted as if exaggerating, listing the names of the Austrian noblewomen he had been intimate with, completely disregarding the fact that the person he was talking to was also a woman.

"Our Russian Empire is going to conquer Europe, and we Russian men are going to conquer all women!" Because he was drunk, Petlevich said all sorts of things, but Avrona, who was already used to the ambassador's unreliable side, simply ignored him.

The two quickly entered the embassy, ​​went up the stairs, and opened the door to a room on the second floor. Once they had thrown the ambassador onto the bed, their mission would be complete.

As Aphrodite lit a candle and stepped into the room, she noticed a woman with long black hair sitting on the sofa. The moonlight shone on her, giving her an almost ethereal quality.

"Who are you? What do you want here so late?" Aphrodite looked warily at the woman sitting on the sofa with her back to her, then drew her sword.

"Greetings, Miss Avrona Alekseevich Brusilov." The woman slowly stood up, then turned around, holding onto the non-existent hem of her skirt with both hands, and greeted the two men.

"How do you know my name!" Brusilov was her maiden name; her father was a lieutenant general in the Russian Empire's army. This was her first year graduating from the Russian Noble Officers' School, and under her father's arrangement, she entered the diplomatic service, working in Vienna under an alias with her father's friend, Petrevich. The real purpose was to give her a thorough understanding of the Western nations. After all, as a magic user of the Russian Empire, commanding a large army in the future was only a matter of time.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 364 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Capter80 Marta in Action (Seeking Votes)

Logically, this was an absolute secret of the Russian Empire, and she almost never revealed her identity as a magic user during her time in Vienna. After all, sending a magic user to another country's capital was, in a sense, tantamount to a declaration of war.

“My name is Mata Hari, and I am a friend of your great Russian Empire.” Petlevich had heard of this woman’s legendary status; she held a very special position in the Russian Empire’s intelligence services, and her connections were indeed incredibly extensive. You could obtain most secrets from her, and the only price you would have to pay was money.

As for Miss Brusilov's identity, it was no secret to the woman in front of him. So the man named Petlevich, who had been drunk, straightened up and looked at the black-haired lady with a serious expression.

“Name your price! As long as the Empire can afford it, there will be no haggling.” Petlevich walked step by step toward Marta, casually taking out a cigarette from his bottom pocket and lighting it with practiced ease.

"My lord, what's wrong?" Aphrodite looked at the two of them with a puzzled expression. The ambassador, who was drunk and talking nonsense just a second ago, suddenly became serious and earnest, as if he had become a completely different person.

"No, no, no, I don't need money this time. I just want to give back to my old customer." Marta lowered her chest slightly, just enough to show the man her proud breasts, and then tiptoed to whisper in his ear. Marta knew very well the advantages that her beautiful appearance brought her.

“Miss Mata, dear Miss Mata, you are as beautiful and charming as ever.” The Baron took a small step back and bowed politely to the dark-haired lady before him. Because Miss Brusilov was present, the Baron did not dare to be too attentive to Mata.

“The British are the backers behind the South Transylvania crisis. With their help, you should understand why Istanbul is taking such a tough stance.” Marta turned her back again, stretching lazily and displaying her graceful figure to the two men, before walking listlessly toward the window.

"This is a golden opportunity for your Russian Empire. If war breaks out and Austria-Hungary is forced into it, then you can invade the Ottomans in the south. Fighting on two fronts will definitely make it difficult for the British to attend to both ends. And the British have been blocking your access to the Mediterranean and preventing you from controlling the Black Sea for more than a year or two, haven't they?"

"To put it another way, as long as you support Austria-Hungary, even without participating in the war, you can still effectively thwart the British on the diplomatic stage." It was a win-win situation, and the Russians had no choice but to accept it. Helping the Habsburgs at this time was helping themselves.

"Your intentions are almost overflowing, Miss Mata Hari. Are you perhaps pursuing some Austrian gentleman lately?" Petrevich said half-jokingly, taking a deep drag on his cigarette and shoving it into the ashtray. After all, the queen of European intelligence, known for her neutrality and multifaceted espionage, seemed all too obvious in her tendency to provide biased intelligence to the Austrians.

"So who do you want me to sell your information to?" Marta's lips curled up slightly, then she sat down by the window and calmly crossed her legs.

"Within three days, we in St. Petersburg will definitely notify Vienna, and five days later, the Russo-Austrian Joint Defense Agreement will be signed as you wish," Petlevich said solemnly.

"Very well, let's part ways here." With that, Marta turned and leaned against the window under their gazes, disappearing into the night.

Later that evening, inside the Hofburg Palace—

Queen Elizabeth, dressed in military uniform, was reading a document with a serious expression. Several days of work had left her extremely tired, and the dark circles under her eyes were heartbreaking.

Just then, a knocking sound came from outside the window. Queen Elizabeth turned to look and saw what appeared to be someone standing outside. She gently unlocked the door and opened the window. As a mage, she wasn't worried about assassins at all; after all, she could easily handle ordinary assassins, and besides, the royal guards outside the palace were no mere decorations. (In fact, they were just for show, lol.)

Then a woman wearing a black mask jumped into the room and took off her mask.

"Selena, why are you only arriving now? And wouldn't it have been better to come through the main entrance?" Queen Elizabeth stood up and asked with a hint of annoyance.

"Is Joseph asleep?" Selena did not answer the Queen's question directly, but instead picked up the water glass that Queen Elizabeth had drunk from, and then casually sat down on the sofa next to her to drink water.

"Joseph's condition is still not very good. He's resting in the next room. Also, quickly return my cup to me, and I'll have the servants get you a new one." Queen Elizabeth frowned, her blue eyes, similar to Gisela's, carrying a hint of reproach.

"By the way, Gisela sent a message urging us to sign a mutual defense agreement with Russia to deal with the border crisis that Britain instigated the Ottomans to create."

"Giselle's idea is excellent, but there's a problem. While we've won over Russia, Prussia remains an issue. If the British continue to support Prussia in stabbing us in the back, the consequences will be equally severe." Queen Elizabeth sighed helplessly, rubbing her forehead as she sat back down.

“Since it was little Gisela who came up with the idea, why don’t we try to trust her completely this time? She should have a way.” Selena stood up and walked step by step behind Elizabeth, gently putting her arms around the Queen’s delicate neck, and said in a gentle tone.

“That’s all we can do. After all, she’s grown up now, and as the future monarch, she needs to gain more experience in some things. As long as the Russians make the proposal, I will persuade Joseph to agree.” Elizabeth closed her eyes and listened quietly to the heartbeat of Selena.

"What time is it now?" the Queen asked.

"It's ten o'clock."

"Then I should go to bed. I have to get up early tomorrow."

“No, it’s still early…we can still…” Selena objected as she somewhat roughly kissed Queen Elizabeth.

"Let...me go...Joseph is still next door!" Queen Elizabeth twisted her body, her cheeks slightly flushed as she scolded.

“Wouldn’t that be better?!” Selena reached her hands toward Elizabeth’s chest, and with her full weight pressing down, the two of them, along with the chair, fell to the ground.

Vienna remains beautiful and peaceful today.

PS1: Gisela knew about the British involvement beforehand but didn't tell Hana, and Marta providing intelligence to the Russians was also something she expected.

PS2: That's right, this Brusilov is the Russian commander who later nearly destroyed the Austro-Hungarian Empire in World War I. She is 18 years old now and still young.

PS1: It's the weekend! Yay!

Chapter 365 The Fall of Saint Stephen's Crown: Capter81 Jeanne's Reckless Act (Seeking Votes)

Two days later, on a vacant lot outside the port of Ancona on the Apennine Peninsula—

A force of several hundred people has secretly assembled here. Interestingly, unlike the armies we have seen before which are composed of a large number of men, this force consists entirely of women, from officers to soldiers.