She changed Europe

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"Dear Victoria, it's been a long time." Gisela ran up to Victoria with a smile and then hugged her tightly.

This action was quickly noticed by the reporters present, who all picked up their cameras, ready to capture this important historical moment.

This is undoubtedly a signal! The Austrian Empress's embrace of the British Queen at the Eastern Conference in Constantinople can be seen as a political signal of goodwill from the Austrian Empire toward Britain. This is obviously conducive to promoting the improvement of relations and deepening cooperation between the two countries, at least from the outside perspective.

Even more interestingly, some reporters deliberately took photos of the expression on the face of French President Thiers, who had recently led France to reclaim the Rhineland from the Prussians and, after half a century since Napoleon, had brought French territory across the Rhine again. At this moment, she appeared somewhat embarrassed and dejected.

Of course, all of the above are just media speculations. At this moment, Gisela deliberately put her mouth close to Victoria's ear and then whispered to her.

PS1: ra!

Chapter 561 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 58 Peace, Not War (Seeking Votes)

“I know you need a henchman to fight the Russians. You can’t count on France if you’re hoping to interfere in French internal affairs, since you’ve left Napoleon III in North Africa as a bargaining chip. So you can only ask Austria or Prussia.” In reality, asking either side makes no difference. Although the British Parliament and the Cabinet don’t know, Victoria knows from her private contact with Gisela that Prussia and Austria are now practically in complete agreement.

After all, this annoying female fox had the Queen of Prussia completely infatuated with him. Of course, the facts might be somewhat different, but the delicate nature of the relationship between the two countries was undeniable.

“What do you want to gain from this war?” Victoria asked Gisela softly.

“I hope to see a unified, territorially complete Ottoman Empire standing in the Near East, which would ensure that a large part of Russia’s energy is kept at bay along the Black Sea coast. And you can use this to hinder its expansion in Central Asia, and even in the Far East.” Gisela answered Victoria’s question while deliberately running her hand from the Queen’s back to her hip.

Since they were both women, Victoria didn't pay much attention to Gisela's behavior, which was somewhat like harassment.

“Giselle Louise Marie – This isn’t our first time dealing with each other. If you were truly as kind as you just said, you wouldn’t be here meeting me as the Queen.”

Gisela truly desired unilateral most-favored-nation status within the Ottoman Empire, as well as access to the Middle East and resources. She knew that the Austrian navy was insufficient to challenge the British naval system and global hegemony, lacking even the strength to contest control of the Mediterranean. Therefore, she had to find another way, starting from land.

As long as the British bottom line isn't crossed for the time being, they aren't entirely untouchable. One of the biggest mistakes Wilhelm II made during World War I was allowing a land power to divert its energy from challenging a sea power. Germany's most needed ally was Britain, a fact already proven by Bismarck's success.

“If the Ottoman Empire is preserved through victory, we will have ample opportunity to negotiate at the negotiating table in the future. Or perhaps Her Majesty is confident that she can preserve the Ottoman Empire single-handedly, relying on the British Navy?” Compared to the British, Gisela had more room for maneuver in this meeting. After all, during the Austro-Prussian War, the Russian Empire maintained neutrality rather than brutally interfering in its affairs. Based on this favor alone, Gisela had no reason to be an enemy of the Russians.

"Although Britain is the world's leading power, it still struggles to cope with the behemoth that is Russia. After all, in Central Asia, they can rely on the military and manpower of British India, but in the Eastern Mediterranean, they can only rely on their own fleet." This war is not as intense as the total war of World War I, but it is also not a scale that Britain's own army can support.

“I’ve said everything I wanted to say.” Gisela released Victoria and then turned her gaze to Thiers. The two had nothing much to discuss politically, so they simply exchanged pleasantries. After that, the conversation shifted between the Russian and the Frenchman, allowing Gisela a moment to relax and enjoy some fruit.

At this moment, Rita, who had been waiting for a long time, slowly approached Gisela.

"Your Highness, where did you go last night?" Rita narrowed her eyes.

"A night tour of Constantinople," Gisela said, shrinking back a little nervously.

"The plaster seems to be working well, does it still hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt..." Gisela realized something was wrong halfway through her sentence, and cold sweat broke out on her forehead. She then suddenly looked up at her maid.

“Her Majesty Her Majesty Hürem Sultanah has told me everything, and even asked me to prepare brown sugar, saying you would need it.” Rita grabbed Gisela with a cold smile, and then, in full view of everyone, pulled Gisela toward the toilet.

"What are you going to do!" Gisela was extremely nervous about Rita's actions.

“I need to check your body for any abnormalities; it’s a court tradition, especially regarding your health in certain areas…” Rita’s attitude was resolute, and Gisela didn’t know what to say for a moment. She could only follow Rita’s lead and leave the hall, heading towards the restroom…

This diplomatic activity is still ongoing, but there is no doubt that each country now has its own strategy in mind.

The meeting ultimately failed to reach a result that satisfied all parties.

The great powers reacted remarkably in unison to this situation. Britain amassed troops in Egypt and the Arab regions under their control, while France amassed troops in Toulon, preparing to send troops to North Africa to resolve the Napoleon III problem once and for all, taking advantage of the outbreak of war and the weakening of the Royal Navy's control over the Mediterranean.

Russia, not to be outdone, continued to increase its troop presence in Crimea and other areas.

In order to mobilize these troops, the Russians had to adjust their domestic fiscal policy and issue more national debt, and everything seemed to be developing in the direction predicted by Gisela.

As for within the Ottoman Empire, spies from various countries were also actively working to steer the situation in their own country's favor.

The Ottoman Empire survived to this day largely because the great powers checked and balanced each other. Everyone wanted to take a piece of flesh from this dying behemoth, but no one wanted to see someone else take more than they did, resulting in a stalemate.

But now the public discontent within the Ottoman Empire has reached a critical point. If the Russians were to march south again and crush this weak empire, the stalemate would immediately turn into a scramble for spoils, and every major power would bare its fangs.

At this time, the Austrian Empress in the Western Daily was still calling for peace, against war, and for respect for the self-determination of the Ottoman people. Her actions appeared noble and righteous in the face of the Russians' aggressive ambitions. Progressive people from various countries praised the Austrian Empress's determination and courage in maintaining regional peace and commended her noble virtues.

Of course, Gisela and other countries alike know that this is all just acting. In the international community, no one acts out of justice and conscience; what drives major powers to take action is only self-interest. Gisela has simply hidden the interests she seeks.

Therefore, after Gisela made a high-profile call for peace, the actions of various countries became more cautious—because they could not be sure what the Austrians were up to this time, and were afraid of falling into a trap set by a cunning fox.

PS1: A new Russo-Turkish war is on the horizon.

Chapter 562 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 59 The Turning Point of the Ottoman Empire (Seeking Votes)

Think tanks from various countries offered various speculations about Gisela's intentions, but no one expected that Gisela intended to trap the Russian bear in the Turkish quagmire, thereby weakening its influence in the Balkans. She was well aware that Russia, which aspired to establish a Pan-Slavic Empire, was Austria's greatest enemy, a fact that could be traced back to Sarajevo, the original spark of World War I.

Because Serbia has always been an ally supported by Russia, its relationship with the empire is extremely hostile.

However, the caution of various countries only lasted until July of that year. When they saw that Queen Gisela had no intention of continuing her actions, and that the revolutionary storm within the Ottoman Empire was on the verge of breaking out, they once again let go and prepared to participate in this grand event according to the original plan.

However, in the past few months, Britain has also come to some sense that Russia does not have the capacity to maintain such a large troop concentration on the border for an extended period of time. Their military spending continues to rise, and their economy will not be able to sustain it if this continues.

Therefore, the British decided to secretly provide some support to the Ottoman authorities, hoping to prolong the war and wear down the Russians.

The Russians, on the other hand, hoped to "beat them up" as soon as possible.

Against this backdrop, the "covert war" within the Ottoman Empire presented a peculiar situation: "Russian spies desperately wanted to orchestrate a bloodbath against the Slavs so that the Russian army could be mobilized under the pretext of protecting the Slavs, while British spies, on the contrary, desperately protected the Slavs and thwarted the Russian plots time and time again."

Finally, time moved forward to August of that year—

On the Sea of ​​Marmara near Istanbul, the Ottoman navy's sailing battleship Saladin opened fire on the city's opulent royal palace.

The Saladin was originally the latest battleship of the Ottoman Empire, a weapon intended to counter the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Although it was a generation behind countries like Britain, France, and Austria, which already had ironclad warships, it still had the ability to fight against the weak Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Empire.

Despite the lack of maintenance, the crew members, who had previously received training from the British Navy, still managed to accurately fire shells near the palace. Soon after, revolutionaries opposed to the monarchy marched toward the palace, while large numbers of people took to the streets, raising crescent-shaped flags and singing the war songs left by Saladin as they marched toward the heart of the empire.

The iron-fisted strongman Mustafa could never have imagined that while he was busy dealing with the Russian invasion, his years of "benevolent rule" would turn against him before the foreign enemy could, and that the empire's rule would be even more precarious than it had been in history.

Surprisingly, Ottoman Sultanah did not show great aversion to the people's demands; on the contrary, she was willing to give up her throne for them.

After all, she herself was already disgusted with the current puppet-like political life. On the contrary, Mustapha had a strong obsession with power, but he also knew that the will of the people could not be defied. In order to avoid civil war and the loss of magic users in the country, he chose to negotiate with the al-Shabaab party instead of suppressing it.

The final result was that the Ottoman Empire established a constitutional monarchy modeled after Western countries, allowing both former officials and members of the Young Party to enter the new government.

In the following days, the situation in Istanbul calmed down, and the Imperial Diet reconvened under the leadership of the al-Shabaab leader and Mustafa al-Musfata, in preparation for drafting the first constitution in the history of this ancient empire.

This presents al-Shabaab with a huge problem: before implementing the constitution, they must find a way to temporarily alleviate the country's dire economic situation, at least to secure operating funds for the government. Meanwhile, the tribes that support them strongly demand the expulsion of Slavs and other "second-class peoples" and the seizure of their land and wealth.

Under immense pressure, the provisional government of the Ottoman Youth Party ordered Slavs living within the Ottoman Empire to leave the empire within a specified period and carried out organized persecution of non-Slavic peoples and other ethnic groups who did not adhere to Islam.

This was a combination of populism and nationalism, plunging the Ottoman Empire into unprecedented turmoil.

The Russians had been waiting for this for a long time. Less than a week after the provisional government of the al-Shabaab party in Turkey issued the decree, Russian troops strode across the border and surged toward Istanbul—the city that the Russians prefer to call Constantinople.

On the same day the Russian army launched its offensive, the British ambassador visited Queen Gisela in Vienna.

As soon as the British ambassador and his entourage entered the hall prepared for the talks, they were stunned. All eyes were fixed on the little girl sitting in front of Gisela—Mia, Gisela's adopted daughter.

The girl, who lived in a London slum a few years ago and nearly lost her life for a few pounds, has now become an Austrian princess whom even the British ambassador has to take seriously, even though she has no right to the throne, her status is undeniable.

In response to the British ambassador's questions, Gisela solemnly replied, "A child's future achievements largely depend on her early education, so please allow my daughter to listen in on this meeting."

Perhaps only Gisela could so brazenly utter such words in this setting. It's not that she's shameless, but her transmigrator identity gives her the perception that "I'm a woman blessed with cheat codes, I can do whatever I want." It's similar to playing sandbox games like *The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim*, where after adjusting the stats, you can't wait to go around causing trouble for NPCs, even though you still can't beat a chicken in the end…

Although the British ambassador hesitated for a moment, he reluctantly agreed. He turned his gaze away from Mia and led his entourage to sit on the other side of the negotiating table.

The ambassador had barely sat down, the coldness of the chair still lingering from his body heat, when Gisela cut straight to the point: "Mr. Ambassador, you're here today for the Ottoman Empire, aren't you? If I'm not mistaken, you hope we can side with Britain in the impending Crimean War and help the Aegean allied forces resist the Russian and Romanian offensives, is that right?"

“You always like to get straight to the point.” The British ambassador said, giving Gisela a smile that contained both politeness and helplessness. Even though the Queen had told him before his departure that the Austrian Empress intended to cooperate with Britain, he still felt somewhat uncomfortable with being led by the nose.

However, he had to grit his teeth and get things done, after all, it was part of his job...

PS1: The Ottoman Empire was prematurely destroyed 0v0

Chapter 563 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 60 Britain Seeking Cooperation

But then Gisela continued, "The best outcome would be Austria declaring war on Russia and the two fighting each other in the Balkans. In the worst-case scenario, you must guarantee our neutrality and persuade us as much as possible not to export weapons to Russia or expand in other directions, right?"

In fact, more than the Austrians' inevitable invasion of Russia, they were worried that Austria, in alliance with Prussia, would further expand its control over the German region. This would severely disrupt Britain's continental balance of power strategy, and with French cooperation with Russia a foregone conclusion, Britain would be powerless to maintain the Ottoman status quo...

The ambassador's smile froze.

At this moment, Gisela grinned and said, "It seems that our newly formed Austrian intelligence agency is quite capable." Of course, this was just a bluff. In fact, she had already grasped the general positions of all parties at the last Constantinople Conference. She spoke ambiguously to almost everyone, so everyone saw Austria as a strong ally that could be won over.

The British ambassador glanced down at the memo he had just placed on the table, his expression quite complicated.

Gisela picked up the biscuits from the plate in front of her with a smug look and fed them to Mia beside her. After Mia ate a few, she turned her gaze back to the British ambassador who was standing there dumbfounded and at a loss.

“I understand your expectations and your bottom line, and of course, I am also very clear about the terms you can offer us in exchange. I don’t like complicated bargaining, so I’ll just state our promises to you.” Gisela paused, building suspense, before continuing, “During the war, not a single soldier of the Austrian Imperial Army or the German Confederation will appear before the Russians.”

The ambassador's lips were tightly pursed, indicating that he believed the negotiations could only aim to achieve the minimum objectives.

But Gisela added: "The actions of the new provisional government of the Ottoman Empire have constituted an infringement on human dignity. We will not stand idly by and watch such behavior continue to spread. We will not stand idly by and watch our neighbors persecute innocent people on a large scale, simply because of their beliefs or ethnicity."

The British ambassador's face turned green, because Gisela's words sounded exactly like a proposal to join forces with Russia to intervene in the internal affairs of the Ottoman Empire!

"His Majesty!"

Before the ambassador could speak, Gisela raised her right hand to stop him: "Don't be nervous, Mr. Ambassador. Her Majesty the Queen of England and I are good friends, so I also hope that Britain and Austria can get along well and not be like before, sleeping in the same bed but dreaming different dreams."

Moreover, we also cannot accept the indiscriminate looting of non-Slavic peoples by Russian troops after entering the former Ottoman territory. Therefore, we will recruit a volunteer force from around the world to enter Ottoman territory to protect the local people and stop the inhumane acts of the new Ottoman government and the invading Russian army.

Gisela paused after speaking, then solemnly corrected himself, saying, "I meant to stop the inhumane acts of Turkish nationalism and the Pan-Slavic Self-Defense Forces."

To avoid diplomatic trouble, the Russians referred to their troops entering Turkey as the Pan-Slavic Self-Defense Forces. They did not use Russian flags or insignia, but instead carried the Orthodox cross as their banner, and all were described as "volunteers spontaneously helping their Slavic brothers." Furthermore, the Russians organized the Slavs within Turkey, incorporating them into local forces as a cover for their actions.

This approach is actually quite common. The Spanish Civil War in the original timeline was similar. Later, there was an even more famous Peninsular War, in which two major powers, one raising the banner of the Volunteer Army and the other claiming to be the United Nations Forces, fought fiercely on the peninsula in the Far East, killing and capturing hundreds of thousands of people. However, the two major powers never actually entered into a state of war.

This is not surprising at all. Whenever two countries are wary of each other's war potential and do not want to completely break off relations, but are forced to use some extreme measures to gain their own interests, this kind of thing, where the two sides put on a mask and fight each other, will happen.

The Russians, by donning the guise of a Slavic self-defense force, were essentially telling the British: "We'll fight them in Turkey." According to Gisela's intelligence, Britain at this time was also unwilling to engage in a full-scale war with Russia. Therefore, the British readily accepted the Russian proposal, and now their Parliament is embroiled in endless debate about what kind of pretext they should use to wage war against the Russians.

Gisela was well aware of all this. London was the world's intelligence hub, and after Marta agreed to take over intelligence work, the first thing she resumed was infiltration and surveillance of Britain.

The intelligence agency's efficiency has obviously improved a lot after being reorganized by Marta, an experienced professional spy. She can even directly copy the memorandum prepared by the ambassador for this meeting and give it to Gisela if she wants, giving Gisela a huge advantage. Although Gisela actually has her own judgment on such general matters, it is not a bad thing to have a definite intelligence guarantee.

Gisela's words had left the British ambassador deep in thought. He had clearly realized that Gisela had just provided the British Empire with an excellent pretext for war with the Russians. If the British army also raised the banner of protecting local civilians and stopping atrocities, and participated in the war as part of this force, then the problem that Parliament was currently debating would be easily solved.

But the ambassador's gaze toward Gisela remained suspicious.

“Your Majesty, there is something I do not understand.” The ambassador finished speaking and looked at Gisela.

Gisela smiled at the ambassador and gestured for him to speak: "Please go ahead and say what you're saying."

“Yes, Your Majesty. What I don’t understand is that throughout the entire Ottoman crisis, you have acted…” The ambassador hesitated for a moment, “…too aloof. Every country and power that reached into the crisis had very obvious desires, but you neither demanded Ottoman Turkish land nor any rights within its borders. Your Majesty, some things may offend you, but if I may be frank, it is really hard for us to trust a collaborator as selfless as you.”

Gisela looked at the Englishman with a smile, knowing exactly what he was worried about. After all, the British were masters of double-dealing and judging others by their own standards.

As Gisela continued feeding Mia a soft biscuit, she turned to stare at the ambassador's face: "I won't look down on you, because I understand this principle very well. If there's a clear purpose, it's easy to determine whether both parties share common interests, and if there are common interests, cooperation can be discussed. But people who don't show any purpose always give the impression of having ulterior motives, making one wary."

However, Mr. Ambassador, please rest assured, I certainly have my own purpose.

Gisela leaned closer to the table, resting her right arm on it. Because her chest was no longer what it used to be, the ambassador quickly averted his gaze, not daring to look directly at the noble and beautiful Queen.

PS1: Tianxia Shan 4 + Mingqi (The bustling crowds are all driven by profit)

Chapter 564 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 61 The Russo-Turkish War (Seeking Votes)

"Mr. Ambassador, to be honest, before the Congress of Constantinople, the German Confederation and the Ottoman Empire reached a consensus on cooperation. According to this consensus, the German Confederation would build a railway line from Berlin to Prague to Vienna to Budapest to Istanbul."

After the railway is completed, we will also reach a new agreement with the Ottoman Empire, and the railway will extend from Istanbul to Basra on the Persian Gulf coast.

The reason this railway was named after the German Confederation was because of its transnational nature, which provided a legitimate pretext for the entire German Confederation, led by Prussia and Austria, to benefit.

It was the highly interconnected economic interests that made the German Confederation more united.

As for the Ottomans' attitude, even though there was turmoil within the Ottoman Empire, in the face of the aggressive Russian army, the revolutionaries and royalists within the Ottoman Empire could still reach a consensus: to request the help of Western allies, and it would be quite reasonable to pay some compensation for this.

Upon hearing this, the British ambassador's expression turned serious. He was, of course, aware of the planned railway, as it touched a nerve with the British Empire. After all, in the British Empire's view, Austria's move toward the Persian Gulf meant the possibility of extending its reach into the Indian Ocean. This also meant that the German Confederation's ocean-going fleet would easily obtain direct supplies from within Germany via Basra, greatly enhancing its strength.

At the same time, Germany's economic power will also penetrate into the Middle East with the completion of this railway, thus threatening the brightest jewel in the Queen's crown—India.

Gisela stared at the ambassador's face, clearly pleased by his expression. She continued, "If we don't raise the banner of the volunteer forces, Britain will have to rely on your own Mediterranean fleet and your allies around the Aegean Sea to stop the Russian army. The Black Sea Fleet's presence in the Mediterranean will become a foregone conclusion."

In contrast, our weak Austrian navy can barely operate in the Adriatic Sea at present, and posing a real threat to you is a long way off. I believe Her Majesty the Queen and her loyal and wise ministers will make a wise choice.”

The ambassador pursed his lips and remained silent for a long time before sighing: "This is indeed beyond my ability to answer. I will go back and inform Her Majesty the Queen and the cabinet ministers via magical communication."

"I'll be waiting for your good news," Gisela said, then gestured for her to leave.

Jeanne came in immediately after the British ambassador left.

"What's the situation?" Gisela asked immediately. "Where have the Russian troops advanced to?"

Jeanne placed the folder in front of Gisela and reported, "The Russian advance is not as fast as we expected. The Turkish forces are performing better than we anticipated. In addition, there are reports that the Kurdish magic users have joined the battle, which has disrupted the Russian operation plan. However, Miss Marta said that the relevant intelligence is still being confirmed."

“The Kurdish magic user has gone up.” Gisela recalled the information about the Kurdish magic user. She was an old magic user who had participated in several Russo-Turkish wars. Her abilities had weakened considerably after the Crimean War, which was why the Ottoman Sultanah allowed her to return to the tribe that raised her to spend the rest of her life. “However, the fact that the Kurds were able to assemble magic armor for magic use shows that they are more willing to negotiate with the Ottoman provisional government than the Russians.”

The Ottoman Empire has now established a new political system, which gives other ethnic groups within its borders the opportunity to negotiate and even gain autonomy. However, in the face of the Russians, an external enemy, they can temporarily put aside their differences and unite against the new government, so that they can use this as leverage to negotiate with the new government in the future.

Interestingly, Gisela had long believed that the Kurds were a branch of the Turks, and the Turks were a branch of the Arabs. Later, after studying European history out of personal interest, she learned that although the Ottoman Empire also practiced Islam and carried the crescent flag, the Turks were a branch of the Turkic peoples, different from the Arabs, while the Kurds were a pure European branch. Therefore, the Ottoman Empire originally adopted a wary attitude towards both Arabs and Kurds.

It appears that the Kurds have prepared magical armor for their old magic users, which is already a second chapter in their plan to raise the banner of rebellion after negotiations failed. Their goal has always been to establish an independent Kurdish state, but the Russian invasion has disrupted their plans.

To prevent the Slavs from seizing their land, the Kurds had no choice but to deploy their "trump card" in advance.