She changed Europe

Page 131

When the ambassador entered the hall, he found that Thiers had been waiting for him for a long time, dressed in a black backless gown.

"Greetings, Lord Thiers."

“Lord Kolberg, I have been waiting for you for a long time.” Thiers’ lips curled up, appearing incredibly kind and friendly, much more dignified than usual.

“Then let’s sit down and talk.” Thiers gestured to the sofa at the edge of the hall.

"Here?" Kolberg looked at the dark-haired woman in front of him with some confusion.

“This involves some confidential matters, and it’s somewhat inappropriate to discuss them here.” Kolberg certainly didn’t want the secret Anglo-French agreement to be overheard by outsiders, because there might be spies from other countries among the servants standing in the hall. Of course, out of diplomatic courtesy, he couldn’t directly point out such concerns, so he could only hint at it indirectly.

"Please don't worry, everyone in the Tuileries Palace is loyal to the Republic, Mr. Kolberg, you are free to speak your mind." Thiers leaned back on the sofa and continued to smile at the Englishman.

"Alright then." Kolberg nodded helplessly.

"Please do not use Provence as a bargaining chip, because it is our territory. Our French Republic will soon be able to wipe out the remnants of Napoleon III's forces there," Thiers said preemptively, seeing that the British ambassador was about to speak.

“This…” Kolberg looked slightly surprised, but quickly calmed down.

"Your entire navy has surrendered to Napoleon III, hasn't it? It must be very difficult for you to attack Napoleon III in North Africa, right? So, do you still want to completely eradicate the remnants of the Second Empire?"

"Tell me, what do you want us to do?"

"To go to Prussia to suppress the riots, intervene in the German civil war, prevent Austria from becoming the sole superpower and thus achieve unification, and threaten the interests of both our countries in Europe" is not too difficult for France at present; it just depends on whether Thiers is willing to do it.

“Okay, I understand. Let me and my people consider it further.” With that, Thiers stood up, intending to leave. Kolberg, an expert in diplomacy, immediately sensed that the other party didn't seem entirely satisfied with the proposal.

“Russia will also be involved, and the risks are not solely borne by France,” Kolberg added, watching Thiers prepare to leave.

"Oh! I'll give you an answer tomorrow. Please go back now." Thiers nodded, indicating she understood, but she didn't turn back again. The assistant who had been behind Thiers bowed to Kolberg and then followed Thiers away.

As he left the hall, Thiers took out his pipe from between his proud breasts, skillfully spun it once, and then gripped it tightly.

"Fire." The secretary quickly stepped forward, took a match from her pocket, and lit it.

"Will the master agree to the British man Qi Lengjiu's request?" the secretary asked, puzzled.

"No, the British always like to act superior and use us as pawns. Unfortunately, their concessions this time aren't attractive enough. I'm more interested in the Promised Land." Clearly, Thiers was referring to the Rhineland, and she was happy to take the opportunity to annoy the British.

Clearly, the terms tacitly agreed to by the Austrians were more tempting.

Will the Russians really intervene militarily?

"No, the Russians now only want to fight another Russo-Turkish war to avenge their previous defeat. Compared to this major national event, the conflict in the German region is a trivial matter."

"I see, you truly are worthy of being called a gentleman." The secretary's admiration for Thiers was evident in her words.

In fact, Thiers believed that the little fox would not immediately make a foolish move like unifying Germany, which would offend all the countries. Her bottom line was that Silesia was what they deserved, and France would absolutely not allow Austria to ask for more land.

PS1: It's not that the British don't intervene, it's just that the time for intervention hasn't come yet. Now the time has come.

PS2: But this time, the old lady is going to suffer a setback.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 488 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 107 France's Backstab to Britain (Seeking Votes)

The morning after the Franco-British talks, Lord Kolberg was awakened from his sleep by a magical communication from London. As he groggily picked up the communicator, he was met with a very displeased question from the former Prime Minister.

"Mr. Kolberg, please give me a reasonable explanation as to why the French army crossed the Rhine and entered the Rhineland without warning, even though this region is also Prussian territory and meets the definition of military intervention. But please tell me, how is it possible that their troops are taking over local rule?" Palmerston questioned the British ambassador in Paris, barely suppressing his anger.

“What did you say, Your Excellency? The French are entering the Rhineland? How is that possible? Yesterday, Ms. Thiers told me that she would seriously consider the proposal…” After all, even Kolberg, who was in Paris, was quite surprised by the news.

"Kolberg, I didn't transfer you from Denmark to France for you to ask me why. Your poor performance has made me seriously doubt your ability to take on the role of ambassador..."

At the same time, the secretary handed Kolberg the local Parisian newspaper. The ambassador unfolded the newspaper and saw the striking headline written in French: "A decisive victory! His Excellency the President is leading us into the Rhineland!"

"Damn it!"

"I'm very sorry, Your Excellency, I will look into the specifics immediately. The French owe us a reasonable answer."

“Rabe, besides this newspaper, I need all the information about the French regarding this matter.” Another perplexing issue was the pretext the French would use to seize the Rhineland, especially since the Prussian garrison there had been redeployed due to the war. Combining these two points, Kolberg could boldly speculate that there must be a secret agreement between France and Austria that even he was unaware of.

However, Austria, on the verge of victory, had no reason to cede Prussia to France; logically, this wouldn't hold up. In short, regardless of the outcome, the French occupation of the Rhineland was a foregone conclusion, but France would at least remain silent regarding its intervention in the war in German territory. After all, it held a portion of its less-than-honorable vested interests.

That same day, something else happened that greatly surprised Prime Minister Palmerston: the Russian Empire, contrary to its usual practice, also firmly rejected the proposal from the British ambassador to St. Petersburg, and put forward the slogan that every nation has the right to achieve unification and seek national independence.

The "Gendarmerie of Europe's" stance was strangely peculiar, even surprising the British ambassador to Russia, who had long dealt with Russia. Only through a combination of financial incentives and unspeakable deals did he finally learn that the Russians were actively preparing for war in the Danube and Caucasus regions, and the shadow of the Tenth Russo-Turkish War loomed over the Balkans and Caucasus. This time, the Russians were determined to avenge their previous defeats. Britain, as their greatest potential enemy, naturally could not possibly agree to the British request.

At this moment, the British were astonished to discover that, in the face of the German problem, not a single country was willing to cooperate with them. France and Russia, on which they had previously placed high hopes, had both rejected the British suggestions for their own reasons.

To personally join the war? That was simply impossible. The British Army was utterly incapable of fighting the formidable Austrian army alone, without the support of the armies of major European powers. Furthermore, the naval blockade would have no real impact on the Austrian Empire, which was already relatively dependent on maritime trade due to its limited coastline.

The most crucial issue is persuading parliament and the public to care about this matter that has absolutely nothing to do with Britain, which is also a rather thorny problem, since politicians need to consider the feelings of their own voters. Therefore, neither of these can actually become leverage to threaten Austria.

"The Ottoman Empire, the German Empire, the Indian Empire, the South African Empire..." At this moment, Palmerston felt powerless for the first time. The aging Palmerston had long realized that he might no longer be able to support the British Empire, which held global hegemony.

"For Your Highness's sake, at least we must ensure that she doesn't lose sleep over the threat of Germany, a future superpower, and for Britain, this land she loves so dearly."

“White is coming with me to Vienna; I’m going to pay a visit to His Majesty Emperor Joseph of Austria.” Palmerston, leaning on his cane, pushed open the door and went out. The young man named White began organizing the documents in the room for the Prime Minister, just as some violent coughing sounds came from the corridor.

Clearly, this double failure in diplomacy and politics has put him under unprecedented pressure, and his physical condition has deteriorated due to the work pressure.

The gaze returned to the military camp in Gisela, Frankfurt—

At this moment, Gisela was slumped over the table, looking somewhat troubled, fiddling with the fox ears on her head in front of the mirror. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but lately her fox ears had started shedding fur; every time she rubbed them, a handful would fall out. While others worried about baldness, she skipped the hair issue altogether and started worrying about going bald. If she really did go bald, it would be incredibly embarrassing.

She's only 19 years old this year, in the prime of her life. What would she do if something so terrible really happened? Would the Empress of Austria have to wear a hood every day from now on?

"Come find me some He Shou Wu!!" Gisela's shouts echoed through the sky. Just then, Rita walked into the room and noticed Gisela covering her ears and yelling.

"Your Highness, what is that?" Rita tilted her head, her purple eyes looking at Gisela with great confusion.

"A magical plant! Crush it and use it to wash your hair; it's incredibly effective at promoting hair growth, and it can also make your hair black, thick, and of excellent quality." For some reason, Gisela suddenly recalled an advertisement she had seen in her previous life, even though it must have been a long time ago.

“Your Highness, your hair is not black, and neither is mine.” Rita smiled gently, like a kind older sister listening to a child’s ramblings.

"Ah, this..." Before Gisela could even complain, Rita handed a document to Gisela.

"France is invading the Prussian Rhineland, Britain is attempting to intervene in our war, and the Russians are frequently shifting their defensive lines along the Danube and the Caucasus." Rita succinctly summarized the report's contents in a concise tone, clearly indicating that the European situation had suddenly become complex, as she described.

PS1: Went hiking Mount Qingcheng

Chapter 489 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter108's Speech in Dresden (Vote Requested)

“France has entered the Rhineland.” Gisela’s tone seemed somewhat wistful, but without the expected surprise and indignation. The reclamation of farms was a good thing for the current situation, after all, it could be seen as a signal that France had entered the fray.

“Rita, do you think we should condemn them?” Gisela looked up, her eyes seemingly indifferent.

“Your Highness, isn’t the Rhineland an important part of our territory? It is also part of the German Confederation, and now it has been occupied by the French.” When Gisela heard Rita say “we” instead of “the Empire”, she felt a strange sense of joy, because at least the propaganda of the past few years had been effective, and most people now felt that Austria was the best representative of Germany.

"That makes sense, but now that place is also occupied by our enemy, Prussia."

“But…” Gisela stood up and covered Rita’s mouth with her right index finger, then smiled and took Rita’s wrist, leading her to the map.

“Rita, Prussia’s territory is actually mainly composed of three parts: the first part is Silesia, the second part is the Rhineland, and the third part is the Prussian mainland, which is the original Duchy of Brandenburg. The three parts together make up the Prussian territory.” Gisela pointed to the three regions on the map.

"Even if we win the war, the Austrian Empire can at most recover the Silesia region in terms of the Prussian issue, and it will be very difficult to further weaken Prussia. Forcibly weakening it would be very risky. Therefore, the French occupation of the Rhineland may not be a bad thing for us."

"Does Your Highness mean to take advantage of the French?"

"It's not about exploitation, but rather a tacit cooperation. Thiers needs to expand his territory to enhance his prestige domestically, while Gisela needs to weaken Prussia. It's a win-win situation for both. Their tacit cooperation also better counters British interference, as both countries benefit and naturally won't back down. Losing two core territories will deprive Prussia of its ability to contend with Austria, while the French threat will lead the German states to increasingly rely on the Austrian Empire for protection. The cohesion within the German region will gradually strengthen, and all we need to do is continue implementing the Frankfurt Agreement; German unification is only a matter of time."

"With the acquisition of the Rhineland, France's strength will undoubtedly increase, making it a nation that surpasses the Empire in threatening continental Europe. At that time, France will be able to divert Britain's attention to the greatest extent possible. Whether to cooperate with Britain or to be at odds (diplomatically hostile), both approaches will be appropriate." This period should be used to develop domestic affairs and, incidentally, improve relations with the Ottoman Empire, striving to expand the scope of cooperation. Whether it's building a railway to the Persian Gulf or other future strategic needs, the Ottoman Empire is an entity that needs to be courted.

Although the empire is not lacking in natural resources such as oil, no country doesn't understand that you can never have too many resources.

What Gisela couldn't understand most was who had secretly persuaded France to send troops to the Rhineland. This move was too clever, almost as if it were helping her. Just then, the image of a woman flashed through her mind; she seemed to remember Marta telling her that Chloris had once been to Paris.

As Gisela thought about these things, her thoughts gradually became clearer.

"Truly worthy of Your Highness," Rita exclaimed sincerely.

No one dislikes being praised. Seeing Rita's stunning beauty and her burning gaze, Gisela's lecherous hand unconsciously reached behind her and pulled her into his arms.

"Rita, has anyone ever told you that you look better in black?" Gisela glanced at Rita's short skirt and her legs in black stockings, swallowed hard, and then asked.

Meanwhile, Aponia and Jeanne Alter were lying in a small hole in one corner of the tent, watching everything that happened inside.

"I didn't eat any lemons today?"

"I haven't eaten either..." The two were surprisingly in sync. The soldiers in the distance watched the two beautiful ladies peeking at them from the edge of the tent, but dared not say anything more.

In February 1875, after much mediation and careful consideration, Prussia and Austria held their first peace talks in Dresden. Why Dresden? Because it was the capital of Saxony? Of course, that wasn't the main reason.

In reality, Gisela suggested that her father choose this location simply for the purpose of public relations, and all of this was orchestrated by Gisela herself.

Before the Prussian delegation arrived, Gisela donated a monument in Dresden in his personal capacity and returned from the front lines to personally attend the unveiling ceremony.

She also delivered an important speech.

"Dresden - Heroic Pipit 7, Shrimp IV: A Chapter from the Symphony of the Orchestra"

"Dresden is a great city, a heroic city. It never bowed down to the invaders. Soldiers took up guns to fight, workers fought with wrenches, women with rolling pins—whether voluntary or obligatory, they all chose to fight the invaders to the last moment. In the face of their homeland's peril, they displayed unwavering perseverance, courage, and a spirit of self-sacrifice. And I know that there are many cities like Dresden on this land..."

"The sword of Rome could not conquer us, for we are united as one; the bow of the Huns could not conquer us, for we are fearless in the face of death; the iron cavalry of the Mongols could not conquer us, for we are brave and skilled in battle. Even the great Napoleon could not conquer us, for we are indomitable. Because we are Germans, glorious Germans."

"Have you forgotten the tragedy of the Thirty Years' War? For centuries, Germany has been a playground for the great powers. Our people have endured hunger and poverty, yet we have been slaughtered at their mercy. We have not only lost our land and our homes, but our men have sold their bodies to become mercenaries for other countries, and our women have sold their bodies to become despised prostitutes."

“The Pope’s cow, what a high compliment.” Gisela frowned slightly, her tone revealing a deep sorrow.

"Our proud Holy Roman Empire, the only empire in Europe after the disappearance of Byzantium, do you know how the famous French Enlightenment thinker Voltaire evaluated it?"

"(Neither holy, nor Roman, nor imperial)" Gisela deliberately used French here, perfectly capturing the sarcasm Voltaire meant when he said this.

PS1: Dresden is now liberated.

Chapter 490 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 109 Informal Meeting (Seeking Votes)

"My fellow countrymen, what Germany needs is unity, true unity." Gisela raised his head and looked at the grand dukes and kings of the various states who were watching his speech from a distance. In fact, they were not at all comfortable sitting there, because if anyone wanted to say who least wanted German unification, it was them. They wanted to maintain the status quo, and not long ago they chose Austria simply because Austria was more moderate than Prussia in terms of military force.

Now that Austria has almost defeated Prussia, they would not dare to resist if Austria were to demand a reorganization of the confederation, because neither strength nor popular support is on their side.

"Of course, rest assured, Austria will absolutely not resort to force to try to change the status quo. My only hope right now is that we begin with economic unity." Gisela smiled and turned her gaze back to the crowd below. At this moment, the heads of state breathed a sigh of relief and began to applaud and express their support for the princess's speech.

Giving up some economic benefits to maintain their existing rule is an acceptable outcome for them.

Thus, the unveiling ceremony of the monument did not last long; the real contest only officially began with the arrival of the Prussian delegation.

Gisela and Frederick's preliminary meeting was finally scheduled for dinner that evening.

The Prussian Crown Prince and the Austrian Princess were diplomatic counterparts, so their informal meetings were quite normal.

At this moment, in the large hall of the Saxon palace, the princess and the crown prince sat facing each other at a long table, with their respective attendants standing behind them. Rita and Aponia were accompanying Gisela to this meal, while Jeanne, being French, was not to be present at such a diplomatic occasion and was thus sent outside to be kept in check.

Gisela is not worried at all that Jeanne Alter will escape alone. And just as she thought, Jeanne initially wanted to leave after gaining her freedom, but when she thought that Gisela would definitely send someone to monitor her, she convinced herself and obediently waited outside for Gisela to come out, because she had become accustomed to the fact that Gisela would leave a backup plan when dealing with her.

"Nice to meet you, Lord Frederick." Gisela cut her steak with a knife, her gaze fixed on the young man in the distance. Although he and Chloris were children of the same couple, they were distinctly different in both personality and appearance. This wasn't actually their first meeting, but their first conversation was certainly true, so saying so wasn't inappropriate.

Gisela was the culprit who ruined Prussia's promising future, but she didn't know how to evaluate the person in front of her, since they weren't really familiar with each other.

However, the two female guards behind her were surprisingly beautiful. Gisela put down her knife and fork, picked up a towel from the table, and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth, just like a well-educated lady from a prominent family.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness Gisela. My younger sister often mentions your name; your beauty, like your wisdom, is truly impressive." Although she knew this was basic social etiquette, Gisela didn't actually like the young man before her. She was skilled in cold reading, especially with people she was meeting for the first time; she was always particularly observant. At this moment, she saw in the young man's body language a hidden arrogance and hypocrisy beneath his politeness.

“I think it’s necessary for me to give you a heads-up about our terms before the formal negotiations tomorrow, so you can consider them.” Gisela took the documents from Aponia to minimize the time he spent with Frederick and then got straight to the point.

"Return Silesia to our country, and hand over your control of Holstein to the German Confederation. The Confederation Parliament will decide the ownership and handling of the Schleswig-Holstein region. The German region will continue to maintain the status quo. As for your Rhineland region, you can negotiate with France or submit your request for arbitration to the German Confederation Parliament; otherwise, it is not within the scope of this negotiation." The implication is that Austria is clearly using this negotiation as a calculated move to exert pressure on Prussia.

Putting aside the defeat and territorial losses, given Frederick's character, he would naturally not actually seek the Confederation's help. Otherwise, it would be Prussia expressing its submission to Austria, and if that were the case, many of the North German states would be alienated from the Confederation.

"Finally, there are some supplementary treaties concerning reparations and other matters," Gisela continued with great interest.

“You…” Frederick stood up and slammed his right hand on the table indignation.

“Our main Prussian forces are still intact. I agreed to come here to negotiate a ceasefire agreement, not to sign a surrender document.”

"Oh! Then let's keep fighting, I don't mind." Gisele stretched out his little finger and picked at his ear, then closed the file and put it aside.

"Given your current internal and external troubles, I seriously doubt your ability to continue the war." After all, it was a private meeting, so it didn't really matter.

"Our Prussian legions are invincible!" Frederick said proudly, raising his head.

"Your Chief of Staff Moltke is in our hands, I personally sent Prince Karl, the commander of the First Army Corps, to the hospital, and I captured the acting commander Goben. You have so many excellent generals under your command, yet you don't make good use of them, and you even dismissed Bismarck from his post as Chancellor." Gisela had seen many fools, but she had never seen anyone as stupid as him. No wonder the German Emperor Wilhelm II was such a disaster; his father Frederick's upbringing was partly to blame.

"You're still far from being as good as your sister." At this point, Gisela certainly wouldn't hold back her praise for Chloris, especially given her important role in this incident. Despite being behind the scenes, she had consistently contributed to Gisela's victory.

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Don't mention that woman's name again!" Frederick grabbed his hair, his expression twisted as he stared at the blonde girl opposite him.

"My lord." The female guard beside Frederick tried to stop Frederick from losing control of his emotions.

"Get out! Don't touch me with your filthy hands! Remember your place, you're nothing but test subjects!" It was obvious that the test subjects Frederick was referring to were the products of the potion the Black Saint had given him. These beautiful girls in Gisela's eyes were originally men; they had simply survived high-risk experiments that could have resulted in them being burned alive, and thus became mage-wielders—nothing more.

"I'm very sorry, Your Highness." Frederick's guard bowed his head and stepped aside.

"Let's call it a day." Frederick strode away, leaving the hall quickly without looking back. Gisela watched the departing young man with a pleased expression, picked up her glass filled with red wine, gently swirled the wine, and then drank it all in one gulp.

In this kind of extreme pressure tactic, whoever loses their temper first is destined to fail.