She changed Europe

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“Your Highness, that’s simply impossible. If you were to return to Vienna by ship, it would take you at least half a month.” Rita’s concerns were not unfounded. There were no airplanes in this era, and there was no underwater tunnel between London and the European continent. The only way to get there was by ship.

“Rita, don’t forget there’s another way.” Gisela’s lips curled up slightly as she raised her right index finger and covered Rita’s mouth.

"I can pilot my magical armor to Brussels, the capital of Belgium, and then take a train to Vienna. The train can transport my magical armor for a period of time, allowing me to rest during the journey before continuing my flight to Vienna. Belgium is within the British sphere of influence, so it wouldn't be difficult if the British gave me the green light. If I didn't tell the British, I believe Belgium would still do Gisela a favor."

"You and Hannah will remain in the UK. I need you to provide constant updates on the situation there, especially regarding the London intelligence network you've taken over. You must closely monitor the movements of Downing Street and Buckingham Palace."

"So, Lady Nina, does she need to go back with you?" Rita asked this mainly because Nina was currently impersonating Leo, so she couldn't wear the magic armor.

“Nina will stay in London with you. She can look after Mia for a while; she’s been doing quite well lately.” Gisela was referring to Leo, played by Nina, who was very popular among the young ladies in London’s aristocratic circles. Unlike her more introverted and unsociable brother, Nina was a darling of the social scene. With her long, black hair and taut face, she was both handsome and refined. Her speech was humorous yet elegant. Despite being a “handsome man,” she remained aloof from women, a rare quality in the philandering and adulterous upper-class European society.

Although everyone knew that Leo was the husband of that Austrian princess, the fact that the prince rarely participated in such events led Leo to keep a number of noble young ladies around him, hoping to take advantage of the situation and try his luck.

To be honest, Gisela was indeed a little envious of Nina, who was so popular with so many girls, with so many beautiful girls throwing themselves at her. And what about her own side? A scumbag maid with a mental illness, a troublemaker Jeanne Alter who was always causing trouble, and the worst part was that the woman already had someone she liked, a heartless Jewish capitalist girl, a beautiful spy who deceived her feelings, and the hot and exotic Ottoman Pasha, but unfortunately, none of them liked her. She could only say that her charm was not enough and there was still room for improvement.

Oh, right! There's also Chloris. Although that woman is really annoying, Gisela really can't do anything about that woman who lacks boundaries because she doesn't follow the rules at all.

"Ah! I also want to be popular with girls! To wake up every day in a huge 50-square-meter bed, with all sorts of beautiful girls by my side." This is her ultimate dream! Gisela muttered to herself, making Rita, who was watching, frown.

PS1: I typed "please have sex" instead of "please vote" QAQ

Chapter 417 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 36 The Spreading Crisis (Vote Requested)

"Your Highness, please wait a moment." Rita placed her right hand on her forehead to check the temperature, then extended the back of her right hand onto Gisela's forehead. Gisela clearly felt the coolness and softness of the maid's hand.

Gisela immediately understood Rita's unspoken message from this gesture: "I don't have a fever!"

“That still won’t work,” Rita said seriously. She gently pressed Gisela’s shoulder, then slightly rose on her tiptoes and brought her forehead closer to Gisela.

And so, in Gisela's line of sight, a pretty face with gray hair and purple eyes was slowly approaching her. Gisela was certain that although she was very popular with women, and even though she was a woman herself, she didn't dislike being close to her maid; in fact, she quite liked it, because no one dislikes the feeling of being loved.

“Your Highness, I must ensure that you are always in the best condition.” Although Rita spoke in a serious tone, Gisela still noticed the slight blush on Rita’s cheeks. It was clear that even Rita, who usually presented a poker face to the outside world, had moments of shyness.

And just like that, Gisela and Rita's foreheads touched perfectly, and Gisela skillfully put her arm around Rita's waist. To outsiders, the two looked like a couple deeply in love.

“Miss Rita, am I sick?” Gisela asked jokingly.

"Your Highness is not..."

"Hmm!" A familiar voice rang out, followed by a somewhat flippant whistle.

Gisela abruptly turned her head to look to the side. Nina was standing there with Mia by her hand, while the red-haired woman beside her gave Gisela a playful smile. Clearly, the one who had just whistled was Nelson.

"Daddy! What are Rita and Mommy doing?" Mia's innocent voice echoed among the four of them, while Gisela felt as if she were being interrogated from the depths of her soul.

“Mia, did you see that? You have to learn from your mother. Your mother is very talented in this area,” Nelson sharply remarked.

"What kind of talent does Nelson have?" Mia asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Of course, it's for playing..."

"Stop talking, Nelson! And what brings you here to see me?" Gisela quickly changed the subject to prevent the old man with the peculiar sense of humor from starting to spout nonsense.

"Her Majesty the Queen has agreed to use the royal family's connections, bypassing the Cabinet and Parliament, to have the Royal Navy provide you with a magical armor." This was the very issue Gisela had discussed with Hood and Nelson that day; she needed a means of transportation to quickly return to Vienna.

"Aren't you worried that I'll crack your advanced British magical armor technology?" In the field of magical research, Britain remains at the forefront, leading many European countries.

“Your Highness need not worry about this matter, because the magic armor we give you will be armed, leaving only the flight function,” Nelson said calmly.

“Thank you so much, both the Royal Navy and Her Majesty the Queen,” Gisela said politely.

"No need to thank me too much. You are welcome to visit Victoria more often when you have time. She has not had anyone to talk to since she ascended the throne at the age of 18. Sometimes I am quite worried about her. Her Majesty is unwilling to tell us many things because of her status. Perhaps someone like you, who is outside the system, can get along well with Victoria."

"Well, I see."

——Moon*^RipplesIV(Zero Enterprise Temple Pull IV——

As Gisela returned to Vienna, the economic crisis was still spreading across Europe. No country could escape a crisis of this scale; financial order in various countries descended into chaos and disorder. Businesses shut down, workers lost their jobs, and the once-thriving steel industry was severely impacted. Seemingly emulating the US government's restrictions on gold exchange to control wealth loss, European countries adopted similar measures to minimize their own losses. International capital markets quickly became extremely difficult to navigate.

Many capitalists held vast amounts of capital but could only watch helplessly as their wealth was divided. The countries most affected by the restrictive gold standard policy were not major capitalist powers like Britain and France, but smaller states such as the German and Italian principalities. Due to their limited domestic wealth, they had to rely on foreign investment, which would have been devastating for them.

The organization most severely affected by this was the German Customs Union, conceived by Friedrich List in 1834. This economic union, led by the Kingdom of Prussia and comprised of 38 German states, was initially established to exclude Austria and enhance Prussia's influence in the German region, and thus had both political and economic significance.

Now, due to the influence of international restrictions on gold convertibility, Prussia faces a dilemma. The first option is to also implement a gold standard restriction policy to protect domestic financial stability, but at the cost of abandoning the German states in the customs union. The second option is to continue to adhere to the free convertibility policy of gold, which can indeed win the favor of the German states, but the massive outflow of wealth will ultimately lead to an irreversible decline in the country's financial order.

When Bismarck, the First Lady of Prussia, finished reading the report submitted by the Minister of Economy in her office, she closed her eyes and rubbed her eyelids with her right hand. The long nights she had spent working had left the blonde beauty looking haggard; her long, flowing blonde hair was dry, and the dark circles under her eyes were worrying.

Although she still looks like she's in her early twenties, she's nearly fifty and can hardly be considered "young".

"This crisis happened in the United States, but I always felt that the timing was too coincidental, as if it was deliberately caused." Bismarck did not understand economics, so she naturally could not analyze the problem, but her keen political sense kept reminding her that it was a premeditated conspiracy.

"What do you think His Majesty the King and his ministers will choose in this matter?" Although Bismarck was the Prime Minister, the Prussian court was not her personal fiefdom. Her ideas might influence the King, but the final decision always rested with him.

“My lord, the Junker nobles behind us will absolutely not allow their own interests to be harmed. If they had to choose between German unification and their own money, they would choose the latter without hesitation. And the same is true for the bourgeoisie in our country.”

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 418 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 37 Chloris's Path (Seeking Votes)

“My lord, the Junker nobles behind us will absolutely not allow their own interests to be harmed. If they had to choose between German unification and their own money, they would choose the latter without hesitation. And the same is true for the bourgeoisie in our country.”

"But if we violate the customs union agreement now, we will lose the trust of the German region. If Austria then intervenes, all our efforts over the past few decades will be in vain, and everything will be back to square one." Bismarck was a shrewd politician. She deeply understood the significance of the customs union for Prussia, which was far more than just a matter of lower tariffs and more markets and sources of raw materials—purely economic benefits.

Because this economic alliance was centered on Prussia, the most economically powerful of the German principalities (excluding Austria), it not only enhanced Prussia's influence but also increased the cohesion among the various states.

"Does Your Excellency have a better solution?" The Minister of Economy appeared somewhat helpless and confused. The establishment of the customs union was the result of the efforts of two generations of him and his teacher.

"A solution? I certainly don't have one right now, but those people definitely do." At this moment, Chloris, who had been sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed, silently reading the newspaper, looked up at the two ministers who were talking and said.

"What does Your Highness mean?" The middle-aged man turned around and respectfully inquired of the gray-haired beauty before him.

“In political and economic terms, this may be an unsolvable dilemma, but militarily it is not.” Realizing what Chloris was about to say, Bismarck quickly tried to stop her with a look, but Chloris ignored him.

"Since the war with Denmark, our Prussian army has been preparing for the upcoming Austro-Prussian war. In the past six years and three months, the Army General Staff, led by General Moltke, has put forward 32,217 plans on the issues of attacking Austria and defending against an Austrian attack." Chloris is not a knowledgeable but incompetent princess; she controls the most advanced intelligence department in the entire kingdom.

"During the Italian campaign, when Austria was bogged down in the war, Prussia had several opportunities to intervene and defeat Austria. Do you know why the army was ultimately able to exercise restraint?"

"Because Bismarck, Moltke, and Rohn were still three rational enough people, if we had attacked Austria at that time, there would only have been one result: British and Russian intervention."

“Now that General Ron has retired, and Bismarck’s previous proposals have offended many generals, do you think Moltke’s influence alone can still suppress the Prussian army?” Chloris stood up lazily, yawned, and then walked gracefully to Bismarck’s desk and leaned against it.

"This problem doesn't need our help at all; our generals will solve it for us." Faced with the looming economic crisis and the Great Depression, Prussia's choice of solution was so simple and clear: war. They would use war to divert attention from internal conflicts, to stimulate production again, and to further strengthen their control over the German territories, especially the states of North Germany.

"Once we defeat the Austrian Empire and completely crush our former emperor, then no one will be able to stand in the way of German unification." Despite uttering such grand and ambitious words, Chloris showed no joy whatsoever; in fact, she felt a sense of disgust.

"Doesn't that sound perfect, my lord?" Chloris straightened up and slowly walked behind Bismarck's chair, her gaze fixed on the Minister of Economy opposite her.

"Indeed, this could fundamentally solve the problems we face, but are our armies really confident of defeating the Austrian Empire?" The Minister of Economy had long passed his passionate years and had clearly transformed into a realist.

"Do you think so, Lord Bismarck?" Chloris's lips curled up slightly as she gently cupped a small tuft of golden hair near Bismarck's ear with her right hand, playing with it with great interest.

“Our army is not entirely confident that it can accomplish this.” Bismarck sighed, ignoring the mischievous Chloris beside him, and looked seriously at the middle-aged man opposite him.

"In the past three years, Her Highness the Austrian princess has purged the most unruly factions within their country, as well as the Hungarians, who have been the most draining force in political struggles. The newly formed Austrian Empire, disregarding its weaponry and personnel numbers, has at least restored its imperial government's control over the regions to the level of the early 20th century, and has even strengthened it." With the third largest territory in Europe (after Russia and the Ottomans) and the second largest population (after Russia), Prussia's food and resources far surpass those of Russia. Prussia's only advantage lies in the quality of its army and the civility of its people. (Prussia's national strength would not have completely crushed Austria until after the establishment of Germany.)

It's worth noting that historically, at the outset of the Austro-Prussian War, most countries believed Austria could defeat Prussia. Even Karl Karl's close friend, Friedrich, predicted the outcome. However, the entire European continent was proven wrong. By the time the astute British realized what was happening, Bismarck's Prussia, along with France, had already been decisively defeated.

"I understand, Your Majesty. I will tell His Majesty the truth about this matter. Then I will take my leave." Although he said he would tell His Majesty, in fact, due to health reasons, the old king had already handed over most of the government affairs to his eldest son, Frederick. His feedback was also given to Frederick.

As the door closed, Bismarck stood up, pressed down on Chloris's chest, and roughly shoved her against the wall.

"Why did you tell him this method? This kind of risky gamble will only lead this country to its doom!" Bismarck's voice sounded somewhat angry.

"Hehe, if we win the bet, everyone's happy. If we lose, isn't it good to watch the Austrians pull out our fangs?" Chloris said indifferently to Bismarck's questioning, showing no panic whatsoever.

“Lord Bismarck, Iron Chancellor, Sister Bismarck, you once told me that our kingdom is not one where the state owns the army, but where the army owns the state. I have only done what you desire. I know that what you want is not the strength of Prussia, but the strength of all of Germany. If Prussia today is to harm this nation in the future, then why don’t we destroy it with our own hands now?” Chloris’s expressionless face revealed a unique ambition flowing in her crimson eyes.

"No wonder you did nothing when your brother was regent; it turns out you didn't want the Prussian throne at all."

“The old country can be left to my foolish brother; the new Germany has its own mission.”

"You child, when did you grow up to be so twisted?" Bismarck released Chloris and sighed.

“No, I’ve never been twisted. It’s this damn country that’s twisted.” Chloris ripped off the hair tie, letting her long gray hair fall loose.

"How can an emperor who is bound by the country and the throne become a great monarch?"

PS1: Chloris is true to her own desires. Unlike the other characters in the book, who are more or less bound by reality, her inner strength is enough to support her in facing all difficulties with a smile. In fact, I wouldn't call myself a strong person, so I really admire such a beautiful and powerful person.

Chapter 419 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 38 Shifting the Balance of the World Economy (Seeking Votes)

A week later, in the Hofburg Palace in Vienna, Emperor Joseph was summoning his advisors to discuss the dire economic situation and solutions. An economic crisis from across the ocean had been ravaging the empire for some time. Like other European nations, the empire's economic situation was far from optimistic. However, unlike other countries, the previously subsided nationalist movement within the empire showed signs of resurgence and resurgence. If not handled properly, it could very well escalate into a dual political and economic crisis.

It was precisely because of this dire situation that Emperor Joseph convened a long-awaited imperial council once again to discuss feasible solutions with his ministers. Whether the upper house would ultimately pass the proposal was merely a matter of time. After all, the Austrian Empire, like the Russian Empire, remained a monarchical autocracy, and the emperor still played a dominant role in national politics.

"Britain and France have already restricted the outflow of gold, and if we do not follow suit, the consequences will be unimaginable." Possessing gold is essential to ensuring the value of the imperial currency. If gold reserves decrease, prices will collapse before the financial sector, and prices are closely related to the people's living standards. Although the Austrian Empire abolished serfdom during the reign of Empress Theresa, many nobles still retain the mindset of the old era when viewing their people.

"And then what? Can this method recover our investment losses and the deficit in North America?" Similarly, capitalists and nobility in the Austrian Empire also invested a considerable amount of capital in the United States.

"We currently hold a lot of foreign exchange, but we can't exchange it for gold in the corresponding countries. These worthless pieces of paper are meaningless." Under the gold standard system, gold is the core, and the bonds and paper money we hold are currently a joke.

"Your Majesty, I've heard that a large amount of gold has flowed into the banks. What is its purpose?" A minister suddenly seemed to have thought of something, looked up at Emperor Joseph with a serious expression, and awaited his answer.

"Regarding the gold..." As Joseph was pondering how to answer, the conference room door was slowly pushed open, and a girl with blonde fox ears walked into the hall.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Welcome back, Your Highness." The ministers looked at the blonde girl with utmost respect. As Emperor Joseph's successor and the future monarch of the empire, the ministers naturally maintained a respectful attitude towards Gisela.

"You're back. How was your trip?" Although Joseph was surprised by Gisela's appearance, as emperor, he couldn't show too much astonishment. In fact, Joseph was increasingly unable to understand his daughter. Ever since the Hungarian events, this child had been subtly and cleverly transforming the country, and her intelligence made even Joseph feel inferior.

"Yes, Father, it was very pleasant." Having met with many prominent figures in London, reached a simple verbal agreement with Her Majesty Victoria, and also learned that the Queen of France was alive, Gisela had instructed Aponia to send someone to the Franco-Swiss border to prepare for her repatriation. This clearly gave Gisela another card to play in dealing with Napoleon III and the French question. Of course, these were not the most pressing issues at present.

"How is our country's economic situation?" Gisela answered Emperor Joseph simply, then strode confidently toward the square table of the Royal Council. Wearing the uniform of the British Royal Navy, Gisela appeared exceptionally capable, her boots clicking on the marble floor. While this seemed somewhat abrupt and impolite in the Royal Council, no one reprimanded Gisela. After all, Emperor Joseph himself hadn't said much, and these ministers wouldn't be so ungrateful.

"Unemployed workers in Prague went on strike, demanding that the Imperial government provide them with jobs. A small-scale Hungarian riot broke out in Budapest, but it has been suppressed by the Royal Local Defense Forces stationed nearby." Due to Budapest's special status, the city does not belong to any province of the Empire, but is directly under the jurisdiction of the Habsburg family patriarch, that is, the Emperor.

"What about northern Italy?" Gisela naturally paid attention to the Italian region, as it was the empire's purse strings.

"The cotton textile industry, steel industry, and shipbuilding industry have been impacted to varying degrees, resulting in a large number of unemployed workers, but there have been no large-scale bankruptcies yet." The empire's large population can absorb this excess capacity in a short period of time, but if nothing is done, a recession is only a matter of time.

"Faced with the impending economic crisis, does anyone here have any good solutions?" Gisela asked, her hands resting on the table as she surveyed the room with a serious expression.

As Gisela had predicted, the ministers present first exchanged bewildered glances, then lowered their heads. In fact, they had no better solutions than to follow the lead of Britain and France in dealing with the crisis.

“I think we can abolish the gold standard and adopt a fiat currency system.” Gisela took out a 100-mark banknote from his pocket.

"A credit money system?" The people present expressed their doubts.

“Prime Minister, this is the solution I have provided. This banknote will be the largest single banknote in the Empire’s future, with the Emperor’s portrait printed on both sides. Each banknote has a unique serial number, and we have applied a magical energy sensing treatment to it, so it is impossible to counterfeit. Therefore, it is unique from the moment it is born.”

"Your Highness, we still don't understand what you mean." After all, the ministers before them were not economists, and getting them to accept this new concept was not a simple matter.

What is the biggest problem facing international capital markets today?

"Restricted gold exchange."

"That's right, sir. It is precisely because countries have introduced selfish self-preservation policies that capital can no longer circulate freely. The core reason for this is that we are too dependent on gold itself."

"In my view, the greatest use of gold for a country is as an objective guarantee of credit. We don't need to let them actually touch the gold. As long as they believe that we have a lot of gold, then this system has the most important foundation for its existence, which is credit."

"I wonder if any of you gentlemen here have ever had this experience: when you invest or trade in a certain country, you first have to convert your currency into gold, and then take it to another country to exchange it for that country's currency before you can use it for trading or investment. Because of the different gold prices in different countries, there are invisible increases or decreases in wealth and time costs in the two gold transactions between them. An increase is fine, but if there is a loss, it would be very unworthy, because this part of the wealth is beyond our control."

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 420 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 39 Gisela's Plan (Seeking Votes)

"Therefore, why don't we change our approach, ignore gold, and directly reserve foreign exchange from other countries? If we need to use foreign currencies, we can go directly to the Empire's central bank and exchange our Empire's credit currency for foreign exchange?" Skipping the gold purchase process would undoubtedly facilitate capital flow and investment, which would be very beneficial to the country's foreign trade and investment.

"So, how does Your Highness decide how the Empire's credit currency will be exchanged with other countries?"

"That is to measure the price of gold. Although the empire abolished the gold standard, the central bank would periodically release a small portion of gold to sell to the public as a price lever to guide the exchange rate. Although gold was no longer used as currency, it still had its own uses." In this era, there was no IMF (International Monetary Fund) to regulate and monitor exchange rates, but as long as a fiat currency system emerged, the emergence of such an international organization was only a matter of time.

"The price of one ounce of gold within the Empire, and its exchange rate with that of other countries, will determine the exchange rate between the Empire's currency and those countries." As long as foreign exchange is available, policies like those currently adopted by the US government, which restrict gold exchange and harm other countries' economies in order to protect itself, will be difficult to implement, because your currency will be held by others. This is also a way to expand political influence in the economic sphere.

Such ambitions were clearly not enough to be achieved by relying solely on the Austrian Empire, so Gisela would bring together European financial giants, led by the Rothschild family, and Britain. More liberalized capital would make it easier for these financial giants to invest, allowing Gisela to control and consolidate the wealth of the Austrian Empire.

Because the policy was implemented throughout the Austrian Empire, gold would no longer be used as currency. This would lead to a surge of gold, both overt and covert, flowing into the central bank's vaults. Gisela could then virtually pocket all the nobles' wealth without any investment.

What's even more interesting is that those capitalists and nobles who had a lot of foreign exchange in their hands but were starving still sang their praises, because Gisela had solved this deadly problem for them.

What followed was a radical economic reform modeled after Roosevelt's New Deal, which was Gisela's reason for accelerating the economic crisis. Normally, various interest groups would absolutely not allow reformers to easily touch their interests, but in the face of a crisis, many people are quick to act rashly, and by the time they realize what's happening, it's too late. However, Gisela didn't believe anyone in this era possessed his foresight.

This was Gisela's objective: Austria would use the success of its economic reforms and the resulting benefits to undermine the German Customs Union, which had previously excluded Austria. Prussia, lacking the means to cope with the economic crisis, would be forced into a desperate struggle with the Austrian Empire due to inadequate preparation.

Austria possessed a natural moral justification for the war, given that it was poorly prepared and morally instigated by Prussia. Ultimately, Prussia was destined to lose, and the German peninsula would no longer have an ambitious rival hindering Austria's unification of Germany.

"Your Highness, one last question: how do you get people to believe in the Empire?"

"Your Excellency Prime Minister Friedrich, your question is excellent, and it is exactly what I am about to do. The core of the fiat currency system is trust, and in my view, nothing puts people at ease more than seeing real gold."

"Your Highness means..."

"Let our Habsburg Empire embark on its first golden pilgrimage in six hundred years!" Gisela raised her head, lifted her hand to the sky, and clenched her fist at the distant statue of Charles V (Europe's most renowned monarch). Gisela's ancestors had possessed the world's greatest wealth of gold and silver, yet they had done nothing, squandering their fortunes in war and pleasure. But this time, she would show the world that the Habsburg double-headed eagle could also soar through the skies.

The following day, on Heroes' Square outside the Hofburg Palace—

At 10:00 AM local time, the citizens of Vienna, having received news almost the day before that their Emperor would be announcing important matters here, flocked to the vast square. The prolonged economic crisis had severely impacted the living standards of many Viennese citizens, with some even facing unemployment and hunger. The people urgently needed the Empire to make changes to improve their economic situation, and the Emperor's summons must be related to this issue.