She changed Europe

Page 29

"I've had enough of my father's sarcastic remarks!" Leopold slammed his right hand on the table.

"That's what they mean by 'other people's kids,' right?" Gisela couldn't help but think to herself. It seems that no matter the era, parents always like to compare their children.

"I'm sorry you had to see this." Leopold sat back down, holding his head in his hands, looking very troubled.

“Mr. Leopold, you should be happy if your father is willing to make sarcastic remarks to you.” Gisela’s lips curled up slightly. She was more than good at comforting “children.” The sixteen or seventeen-year-old in front of her was obviously not as mature as he appeared.

"This shows that he still has expectations for you, but your performance has not met his expectations. He wants to use your brother's excellence to inspire your desire to win and make you work harder to become excellent."

"Of course, this method varies from person to person. If you are the kind of person who strives for continuous improvement, this method will undoubtedly promote your growth. Conversely, if your desire to win is not strong, this method will only backfire, not only making you resistant to it, but possibly even undermining your confidence." Gisela earnestly advised Mr. Leopold. At this time, Rita also stood aside quietly listening, but what she was thinking about now was how to help His Highness break off this damned engagement.

PS1: Historically, the two were indeed husband and wife, but that's impossible in this world. Those who have read the old books should know that Gisela ultimately fell for someone else's sister (laughs).

Chapter 102 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 36 The Unfulfilled Engagement

"You mean my father actually cares about me? Just that his methods are inappropriate?" Leopold looked up at the girl in front of him, his eyes filled with contradiction. His long-standing bad relationship with his father made him unwilling to admit this fact.

But the princess's analysis was so reasonable that he couldn't help but believe it.

Leopold pursed his lips, studied the girl before him for a moment, then sighed and said:

"Perhaps you're right. My father was the most powerful man in the Kingdom of Bavaria, and he would never willingly see his children become mediocre." Just like Gisela in her previous life, who never understood her parents, always thinking they were nitpicky, harsh, and extremely strict with her as if they were her sworn enemies...

The deepest sorrow is felt by parents; some things we only understand when we grow up. If you ask what the greatest form of family love is, it's the love of parents, because it's selfless and unconditional. Of course, we cannot condemn all parents because of a few bad ones, because that would be utterly unreasonable.

"Your Highness, I didn't expect you to be so insightful..." If Leopold was initially attracted to Gisela's looks, from this moment on he admired her maturity and rationality. The thought of such an outstanding princess becoming his fiancée made Leopold feel somewhat happy, but after the initial joy, he was replaced by a resolute and calm attitude.

"Please forgive me, Your Highness, but I confess that before I met you, I always thought of you as a capricious and unreasonable person. After my father told me about this marriage, I was troubled for a long time because I don't like living a life controlled by others."

"It wasn't until I met you today that I realized my naivety and immaturity. I am not qualified to bear the weight of this marriage contract. Only when I can face you more openly will you decide whether I am worthy to be your partner..." Is she handing over the choice to herself? Although, according to Gisela's current orientation, she and Leopold are absolutely destined to be apart, like parallel lines that will never intersect.

However, for Gisela, who aspires to become empress, Leopold's talents are indeed still useful, so this outcome is acceptable to her.

“I want to change. I will put my determination into practice and live up to my father’s expectations. I hope that one day when I face you with a new attitude, I can be worthy of it. At that time, I hope you can respond to me in a way that you deem appropriate.” Leopold knelt on one knee, like a medieval knight, beside Gisela, and gently raised Gisela’s right hand, intending to kiss it, as if proclaiming his promise.

However, Rita seemed to notice this, so she took the initiative to walk between the two and said:

“Your Highness, look outside…” As Rita spoke, Gisela suddenly turned and looked out the window. The midday sun gently shone on the girl’s golden hair, which fluttered in the wind, echoing the shimmering phosphorescent Main River, creating a beautiful and harmonious picture.

Seeing his actions being thwarted, Leopold could only purse his lips helplessly.

at the same time----

On an Imperial military train bound for Berlin, a woman with a cold expression was intently reviewing a report handed to her by her adjutant. She had beautiful long, golden hair, which she neatly tied back in a single ponytail. Her eyes, clear as emeralds, were filled with indifference and apathy.

Sofia Aredric Dorothea Maria Yossafa, the eldest princess of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Gisela's older sister, is now the commander of the Magician Legion of the Empire's expeditionary force to Denmark.

As a noble-born and academically excellent mage, Sophia possesses all the virtues of an outstanding soldier, such as courage, loyalty, responsibility, and commitment. She is a genius who obtained the qualification of a first-level mage before the age of 16, and now, at less than 20 years old, she has already entered the high ranks of the army based on her own strength.

“Your Highness, this is the written report you requested. Count Klagenfort just sent it over.” Count Klagenfort was the Imperial ambassador to Berlin who had previously hosted Gisela, and he was a staunch supporter of Princess Sofia.

"That little girl went to Frankfurt?" Sophie frowned slightly. Since the beginning of this year, her younger sister had become increasingly strange, changing her previous behavior, actively participating in various activities, and often meeting with some strange people.

If she were simply meeting with domestic nobles, it could be understood as her cultivating her own power. However, the people she met with were either entrepreneurs, businessmen, or scientists, but not politicians, which made Sophie somewhat puzzled.

"Tifa, are there any important people or organizations in Frankfurt?" Sophie looked up and asked her adjutant, somewhat puzzled.

"The seat of the German Confederation Parliament." This was the only thing that caught the adjutant's attention.

"The Confederation Parliament? Isn't that just a place for show?" Sofia frowned slightly. It's true what they say, sisters; Gisela and Sofia's expressions when confused were practically identical. Perhaps one could foresee Gisela's future from Sofia's. (Probably)

"Forget it, let's observe for a while longer." Sofia waved her hand, after all, the most important thing right now was the war with Denmark.

Has the time been confirmed in Prussia?

“Your Highness! Miss Bismarck has already handed over the plan and memorandum to the Imperial Embassy in Berlin. You will know as soon as you arrive. Also, please take this with you.” Tifa placed a medicine bottle on Sophie’s table.

"Your health isn't as good as outsiders know, so please make sure to take your medicine on time when no one is around. Pushing yourself too hard isn't good for your health." Gisela's older sister was born with a strange illness that would flare up every now and then, so she needed to take medicine regularly. Of course, this secret was kept under wraps by the court, and no one knew that the princess was sickly, not even Gisela and Rudolf.

"I understand, Tifa. Thank you for your concern." Sofia worked so hard as the eldest princess because she knew her time was running out, but for the sake of the country, there were some things only she could accomplish.

PS1: Ra! Actually, in a sense, Ms. Rita is the blonde one.

Chapter 103 Lin 2 Quoting Shaanxi O Two-Center Brandenburg Eagle and Jutland Snow: Capter 37 Merchant and Princess (Seeking votes)

“38 Oak Street.” Gisela repeated the address softly, then looked up at the somewhat low and simple three-story house in front of her, looking a little surprised.

After all, who could have imagined that the birthplace of the Rothschild family, now a super-powerful force in the European financial capital market and known as the Sixth Empire, would be such a dilapidated little house?

In this respect, they have done a good job of implementing the so-called Eastern philosophy of keeping wealth out of the country.

"Rita, are you sure this is 38 Oak Street?" Gisela asked Rita beside her, as if she herself was a little incredulous.

“Your Highness, if the address provided by our people is correct, this is indeed 38 Oak Street.” Rita put down Gisela’s heavy luggage and stretched her wrists.

"In that case, let's go check it out first." With that, Gisela strode to the dilapidated wooden door, but after observing it for a long time, she still couldn't find the doorbell...

To be honest, this is quite awkward.

"Why isn't there a doorbell here, Rita?" Gisela turned around, looking at Rita behind her with a puzzled expression.

“Your Highness… the doorbell isn’t on the door.” Rita blinked, reminding Gisela in as calm a tone as possible, perhaps afraid that her words might hurt her Highness’s already precious dignity.

"Oh!" Gisela took a step back, touched her nose somewhat embarrassedly, and rang the doorbell.

"Ring ring!" The clear bell rang.

A moment later, an elderly male voice came from inside the room.

"Who is it?"

"I am a lost soul from afar," Gisela softly recited a classic passage from the Tanakh, her way of expressing goodwill. The Tanakh, also known as the Old Testament of the Bible, is the supreme text of Judaism, holding a position among Jews equivalent to the Bible in Christianity.

“The Lord taught us that treating others well is the salvation of ourselves,” a middle-aged man said with a smile as he opened the door.

"Welcome, lovely flower from Vienna. May the wisdom of Abraham guide you." The middle-aged man was polite and witty, with a hint of humility amidst his pride; he must be the butler of the Luo family mansion.

“A thousand years have passed, and Your Highness is still the first person to deign to pay a visit to us, members of the Jewish royal family.” The man’s tone was humble, but more like flattery, which was a habit of his merchant family.

“Sir, you flatter me.” Gisela nodded and smiled.

"Is Mr. Amsher here?"

"Master, Your Highness, we've been waiting in the room for quite some time." The middle-aged man took Gisela's cotton-padded coat and hung it on the coat rack in front of him. He then took out a pocket watch from his trouser pocket and checked the time. The man's unintentional movement caught Gisela's attention, particularly his index finger.

"Sir, what time is it?" Gisela hadn't been wearing a watch yet, as he had been quite busy lately and had completely forgotten about inventing and promoting watches.

"13:28 PM, Your Highness is even more punctual than I expected." The middle-aged man's smile widened slightly. After all, the agreed meeting time was 13:30 PM, and in an era where the concept of time was not so strong, punctuality was indeed a rare and commendable quality.

“The master likes punctual people. Your Highness, you will surely make a good impression on him today just by doing so,” the middle-aged man said to Gisela as he led the way.

"Of course, sir. For your family, time is wealth. Wasn't it through time that Mr. Mayer Rothschild earned your family's first real fortune?" Gisela was referring to Mayer Rothschild, who in 1815 was the first to learn of Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo. Taking advantage of the pessimistic attitude of the British capital market towards the war (selling off British government bonds), he aggressively bought up British government bonds, thus making a fortune.

"That's nothing but opportunistic cleverness; it wouldn't catch His Highness's eye," the middle-aged man said, shaking his head.

"You guys are so modest, calling the Battle of Waterloo, the fate of Europe, a matter of opportunistic cleverness," Gisela thought to himself. "These Jews are ambitious and cunning. Their morbid pursuit of wealth is quite alarming, as if capitalism was created just for them."

"Your Highness, you may go in alone. This lady and I will wait outside."

Gisela nodded in agreement, then whispered a few things to Rita before pushing open the door and going inside.

The room was rather dim, perhaps because Amsher disliked sunlight; even though it was daytime, the curtains were all tightly closed.

"Your Highness Gisela Louise Marie, please have a seat. Would you like a drink?" The man before her sat hunched over the table, his voice aged, giving the impression that he had one foot in the grave.

“No need, sir. You should know why I’m here.” Gisela was somewhat at a loss for how to deal with the man in front of her. After all, this man was none other than the patriarch of the Rothschild family. As a financial oligarch, it was not an easy task to persuade him.

“Your Highness, to win the negotiation, the first thing you must learn is to win the heart of your opponent. Didn’t Solomon tell you that?” Amsher stood up and looked at a glass in front of him.

“Solomon is too fond of pleasure, and I was initially not at ease entrusting the Vienna business to him.” After all, Vienna has influence that extends throughout the entire German region.

“However, your family and your subjects have accepted him well, because you prefer pleasure to them.” Amsher paused slightly before continuing.

The Austro-Hungarian nobles, led by the Habsburg family, lived a life of extravagance and decadence. But this decadence was exactly what these Jews loved to see. After all, as long as there is demand, there will be business. And in order to maintain their luxurious and decadent lifestyle, they were often willing to give up many things that were absolutely essential.

“This is one of the few things we have in common with Mr. Solomon.” Even now, Gisela didn’t forget to make a self-deprecating remark, after all, since she came into this world, she had never considered herself one of those self-proclaimed noble people.

PS1: New monthly tickets!

Chapter 104 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 38 The Lever That Moves the World

"Haha! Young Your Highness, you truly are the most special one in the more than five hundred years of Habsburg history," Amsel said with a smile.

Isn't it because I don't have that much malice towards you guys? Actually, Gisela vividly remembers a game she played in her previous life called Crusader Kings, where every monarch had an option to extort money from Jewish merchants, and she was doing the same thing now, but being civilized, she certainly wouldn't say it so bluntly.

"Oh? What's so special about me?" Gisela tilted her head and asked, feigning ignorance. Who isn't a fox?

“You are willing to set aside your family’s honor and come to Frankfurt to visit me, Amsher, and that is the greatest respect you can show me. So today I would like to talk to you more about what kind of people we Jews are.”

"You've read Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, haven't you?"

“Of course.” Gisela had certainly read Shakespeare’s books, both in this life and in the past.

"The character of Shylock, the moneylender in this book, represents the common perception of us Jews. They think we are greedy, stingy, and like dragons, possessing wealth without ever sharing it; we are the embodiment of evil. Therefore, whenever society encounters problems, we always become the scapegoat for the masses, the target of violence." Amsher seemed somewhat helpless as he said this.

Isn't that so? Gisela wanted to add that, after all, there is no hatred without a cause, nor is there love without a cause. Flies never land on eggs without cracks. You Jews haven't done so many annoying things, so you won't become the target of public criticism.

"For thousands of years, our people have been scattered across the world, far from their homeland. We have seen through the hypocrisy of monarchs, regimes, and people. Through countless killings, we have learned a lesson: dynasties will fall, people will die, but wealth will never change. To protect ourselves, we must learn to manage wealth. Only with something to rely on can we see a ray of light in the long night, kneel peacefully before the Lord in prayer, and fall asleep peacefully with our wives and children in our arms." Amsher spoke sincerely, tears welling in his eyes, for they truly came from the bottom of his heart.

But sir, do you know that if history continues on its original trajectory, your morbid pursuit of wealth will ultimately face a mad retribution, and millions of innocent souls will pay the price for your selfishness?

You pride yourselves on being "intelligent" and "shrewd," yet you don't even understand the simplest truth: "Building stones is far better than throwing stones, and supporting the people, establishing provinces, and founding a nation is far better than depriving, enslaving, and destroying them." Your selfishness and arrogance will only make you countless enemies, and your failure to share will ultimately lead you to taste the so-called retribution.

“Sir, I deeply sympathize with the suffering of you and your people.” Whether Gisela sympathized or not, she didn’t know; Gisela knew she should get to the point.

"Your Highness, please forgive my outburst. Let's go back to the beginning. What can I do for you?" Amsher sat back down in his seat, his previous agitation quickly subsiding, as if his earlier exclamations were all an illusion. Merchants have the potential to become first-rate actors.

"I hope you will use the Rothschild family's entire business intelligence network in Europe to release a message."

"A message?" Since ancient times, there have been countless nobles who have asked Jews for money, and in order to save their lives, Jewish merchants have had to lend money to these nobles. This is the first time he has encountered a request from them that is not for money.

"Tell me! What news is it?" Amsheldon, who already had a good impression of this extraordinary princess, immediately became interested, because his intuition told him that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"The newly formed United States of America needed a large amount of capital to build a transcontinental railroad that spanned north and south and ran east and west." Even a fool in that era knew that investing in railroads was the most profitable business. Acquiring railroad equity not only granted control over the railroad itself but also extended to the areas along its route, and even allowed capital to be used in energy manufacturing sectors such as steel production and mining.

The European capital market is already saturated, with a large amount of idle capital having nowhere to go. As long as the intelligence network of Europe's leading financial capitalists releases the news, there is no reason why they will not rush in. In this way, Gisela's goal of inducing capital flow will be achieved.

“Interesting. I’d like to ask Your Highness why you did this?” Amsher, a seasoned veteran of the business world, asked this question, which only made Gisela feel that he knew the answer already.

“Sir, your opportunity lies in the New World.” Gisela smiled slightly, looking like a real 12-year-old girl.

"Hahaha! That's how it is. I agree to this request." Amsher had no reason to disagree. It was a favor to do this princess whom he admired. There was nothing wrong with it. But he also knew that this was probably just an appetizer before the little princess's grand plan.

“Of course, this is my first suggestion. Next, Mr. Amsher, shouldn’t you call in the real Mr. Amsher?” Gisela’s lips curled up, because the old man couldn’t make the decision on the next topic.

"How did Your Highness discover this?" The old man stood up and looked at the girl in front of him with some doubt.

"Sir, please remove the double lion (Rothschild family crest) ring from your index finger." If my guess is correct, the skin on this old man's index finger should not have any color difference, because servants are not qualified to wear such a ring on their index finger.

"No need, I'll call the master in right away."

"Sir, is your promise still valid?"

“Of course! Because the master instructed that whatever your first request is, we will agree to it.” Clearly, Gisela’s negotiation strategy of starting with the easy and then moving to the difficult had been anticipated by the real Amsher, so in a sense, the negotiations were only just beginning.

The door to the room was slowly pushed open, and the elegant middle-aged man stepped into the room. He was now wearing a monocle, and his white shirt and black vest gave him a unique air of authority—perhaps the aura of a true head of the Rothschild family.

"Master." The old man bowed respectfully.

PS1: 0v0!

Chapter 105 The Brandenburg Eagle and the Snows of Jutland: Capter 39 The Deal Is Unspeakable (Seeking votes and subscriptions)

"So you're finally willing to step in, Mr. Amsher?" Gisela looked at the man before her with a smile, carefully observing the every move of this "emperor" of the financial world.

“Ohes, you may step aside. I will discuss the rest with this lovely princess. And remember to remind her companion to remain calm; no one here can threaten her life.” When Mr. Amsher mentioned Rita, he deliberately glanced at Gisela out of the corner of his eye, as if he were sharing the same information with her.

"Yes, sir, I'll go right away." The old man named Ohes bowed respectfully to the two of them and then gently closed the door to the room.

“Sir, you know what I want.” Gisela had noticed Mr. Amsher’s look, and in order to gain the upper hand, she chose to state the question first.

“A photograph, right?” Amsher walked to the bookshelf in the room, opened the window, and took out a photo frame.

“After all, I had some doubts about your identity before.” Gisela took the photo frame the man handed her and examined the picture on it.

“The tallest one standing in the middle is me. The others, from left to right, are Solomon, Nathan, Carl, and James. They are my four brothers.”

“The Five Tigers of the Luo Family,” Gisela said softly, after all, these five brothers were highly regarded in later generations.

"The Five Tigers, huh? Haha! Your Highness is certainly flattering us." Clearly, no one in this era had ever referred to them as such, and Amsher couldn't help but burst into laughter upon hearing Gisela's assessment.

"So what else does Your Highness want from the Rothschild family?" Joking aside, Amsher quickly stopped teasing, his hawk-like gaze fixed on Gisela, and his expression became serious again.

“I hope to bring about a transformation to this stagnant, uninspiring capital market.” Gisela looked at Amsher’s desk and saw a file folder with the bald eagle logo.

"Sir, you should know that this era is the golden age, and the gold standard is the foundation of the financial market." The gold standard was first conceived by Isaac Newton in 1717 when he served as Master of the Mint. The monetary system was gradually established starting in 1797. Because Britain was the world's leading economic power at the time, this system was quickly adopted by other countries and reached its peak in the late 19th century.

In essence, this established an international gold standard system centered on the British pound and based on gold. However, this system was severely damaged during World War I, as warring nations restricted or even abolished the free convertibility of gold and paper currency to prevent the outflow of their wealth (gold). This led to a fatal flaw: foreign investors lacked a sense of security regarding their funds. In the event of war, not only could their investments not be recovered in time, causing a supply chain disruption, but investors could also lose everything.