She changed Europe

Page 108

"Miss, this is the program for today's performances." A staff member dressed in a black tuxedo handed Gisela a form, and Rita received one as well.

“Hamlet, King Lear… more of Shakespeare’s textbook plays,” Gisela sighed and complained. While Shakespeare’s plays are undeniably excellent, no one can stand listening to the same things over and over. In the Viennese court, it’s always the same plays; anyone would get tired of it. In this respect, Westerners’ artistic life is actually quite monotonous, not as comfortable as listening to music in a brothel.

"Rita, which one do you like?" Gisela quickly glanced at the program schedule in her hand, then turned to ask the beautiful lady beside her.

“The Tempest,” Rita succinctly stated.

"Is this play on today?" Gisela turned around and checked the form again, finally finding this relatively obscure production at the very bottom of the program.

"It's the grand finale?" Although it's also a Shakespearean work, it's far less famous than those masterpieces. Gisela, who has lived in this world for many years, has never seen anything like it before.

"Miss Rita, do you also like this play? This scene was specially added by the theater today for a distinguished guest, replacing Macbeth." Just as Gisela was lost in thought, a very intellectual-looking young woman with long black hair and glasses walked up to them. Her overly familiar appearance made Gisela quickly recognize her as Hannah Rothschild, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.

"A benefactor?" Gisela was clearly more concerned with who this benefactor was than with the play itself.

"Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as a symbol of the British Empire, attended the summer opening ceremony at Buckingham Palace in London." Hannah's lips curled slightly when she mentioned Queen Victoria, her tone full of composure, as if everything was under her control.

“It just so happens that our box is right next to His Majesty’s.” As the investors of this theater, the Rothschild family naturally enjoys the long-term convenience provided by the theater, namely having a private box that can be used at any time.

In Victorian England, the concept of wealth changed, and money became an important standard for measuring status and power, even replacing birth and becoming a symbol of social status.

"This way, your private meeting with Her Majesty the Queen can bypass the Cabinet and Parliament and proceed quietly." (Approximately) Hannah raised her right hand and handed a bouquet of flowers to Gisela.

"Why did you give me a bouquet of lilies?" Gisela asked, looking at the Jewish girl in front of her with some confusion.

"The lily symbolizes blessings and expectations for people, so I believe this is the best gift you could give His Majesty."

"You've thought of everything." At this moment, Gisela had never admired and appreciated the young lady of the Rothschild family as much as she did today.

“Of course, Miss. The Rothschild family goes all out for every client and partner. After all, friendship is the second strongest bond between us, besides money.” Hannah then raised her left hand to check the time on it.

“It’s 6:43 now, we can go to the private room to rest for a bit.” With that, Hannah led Gisela into the theater.

"How's the situation in America going?" Gisela's question seemed casual, but it was actually very pointed; only she and the Luo family knew the truth about this matter.

PS1: The choice of this drama is meaningful.

Chapter 403 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 22 The World That Was Moved (Seeking Votes)

The so-called "American affairs" naturally refers to Gisela's original plan.

"Nearly five years have passed since 1869 to 1874. The capital investment boom in the United States, spearheaded by Gisela and the Rothschild family, has been brewing for almost five years. By now, a crisis should have erupted."

"The total length of American railroads had reached 10 kilometers (data from 1870). The railroad from Binghamton in northern Pennsylvania had been extended to Pittsburgh and Chicago, and there were many more routes to choose from besides the original Erie Railroad. The railroad from Washington to the Florida coast was also under construction at a rapid pace. At the same time, the United States government intended to improve the transportation lines in the relatively conservative and backward former slave states, and also prepared to strengthen the longitudinal extension of the Pacific Railroad." Hannah was very familiar with the progress in the United States across the ocean.

"So how much has steel production increased?"

"Based on the flow and direction of funds, as well as the number of railways currently under construction and the progress of the projects, I estimate that it is several times more than before." Although the United States in 1874 was not the most advanced country, its industrial development level was not behind that of the traditional Western powers, so the fact that its steel production had increased several times was indeed terrifying.

As the Chinese proverb goes, "Taking too big a step can easily lead to a tear in your balls."

So what's the steel market like?

"Prices plummeted like a waterfall." Hannah couldn't help but use a vivid metaphor to describe the price of steel.

"A plunge is the right thing to do; it's called overcapacity, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, at least not for us." In this era of liberal economics, the state doesn't interfere with the flow and operation of capital, especially in highly capitalized economies like the US and UK. Lacking macroeconomic control and allowing free market forces to run rampant, the inherent weaknesses of a purely market-driven economy are amplified. The profit-seeking nature of capital ultimately leads to over-investment in high-profit sectors, causing overcapacity and a complete collapse in prices within those sectors. The US government only saw the benefits of increased steel production and lower prices for railway construction, but failed to recognize the hidden crisis.

This is an inherent flaw of the capitalist system. Unless the system is eradicated, this tidal wave of financial tsunamis will continue to sweep across the "civilized world" in stages.

"Your Highness, what should we do next?" Hana took out her notebook and pushed up her black-rimmed glasses again.

"Pay close attention to the stock market performance on the New York Stock Exchange, especially focusing on the stocks of those steel giants." As a barometer of the national economy, securities trading companies naturally play a role different from the past.

"So what are the consequences of overcapacity?" Hana was clearly more concerned about the ultimate outcome of Gisela's actions, something Gisela had kept in mind during her meeting with Hana's grandfather, Amsher.

“Let’s wait and see.” Of course, Gisela only smiled slightly and didn’t tell Hana about the upcoming economic crisis. After all, she was dealing with the Rothschild family, the emperors of European finance, and she wouldn’t get much benefit if she wasn’t careful.

"Alright then." Hannah closed her notebook.

"Your Highness, our family has already ceded the vast majority of our interests in the New World to our competitors. Therefore, we hope that Your Highness will keep your promise and not disappoint me and my family." Historically, when faced with the economic crisis of 1873, most countries simply sat idly by and failed to come up with a good solution, causing the crisis to last for five years. But Gisela would not remain inactive; behind her stood the collective wisdom of countless economists throughout the ages.

The collapse of the American steel market actually happened faster than Gisela had anticipated; she had underestimated the power of free capital. Therefore, negotiations with the British needed to be expedited. Although ostensibly a trip, Gisela's visit to London had two main considerations: first, a permanent stay in London would allow her to gain firsthand insight into the capital market; second, establishing economic cooperation with the British would better address the impending crisis. After all, it was a global economic crisis, and Gisela didn't believe that the Austrian Empire's economic strength alone could solve it.

Gisela's real target in this crisis was Prussia and Russia, especially Prussia.

"By the way, Rita, could you tell me about 'The Tempest'?" Gisela said with a smile to Rita beside her, snapping out of her thoughts.

Meanwhile, on the stage—

"To be, or not to be, that is the question? To suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of ​​troubles, and by struggle sweep them away—which is nobler?" On stage, the young man named Hamlet stood upright, reciting this famous line that has been passed down through the ages. From this moment on, the entire piece is elevated. It rises from a simple tale of a prince's revenge to a reflection on human nature. Ultimately, the young prince resolutely decides to stand up and resist the endless suffering of humanity; for him, even self-destruction is better than a life of mere survival.

The greatest charm of drama lies in using a simple stage and props, along with the performers' unique dialogue skills, to showcase the unique conflict of the script, thereby evoking emotional resonance in the audience and achieving a powerful and moving effect.

"The next one is 'The Tempest,' Your Highness, you may proceed now." Hannah gently closed her fan and joined the audience in applause.

"Rita, you stay here for a while, I'll go sit in the next room." After saying that, Gisela stood up, left her seat, opened the door of the private room, and walked into the corridor.

Gisela Rita stood up again as she watched Gisela leave, wanting to catch up with her.

"No, no, no, Miss, you cannot attend His Highness's meeting with Her Majesty the Queen." Hana raised her fan, blocking Rita's path.

“I must protect Your Highness’s safety.” Rita looked coldly at Hana, who remained seated with perfect composure.

“Although you are His Highness’s confidante, there are some things you don’t really need to know too much about, because the world is inherently dominated by a minority.” Hana didn’t like Rita because she knew about the woman’s past and that her family had almost harmed Gisela. In Hana’s view, this was inherently an unstable factor, even though, in the end, Rita had actually gained His Highness’s trust…

PS1: I'm about to have a holiday! 0v0

Chapter 404 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 23 Harmony Brings Prosperity (Seeking Votes)

“We each have our own duties. As Her Highness’s collaborator, I won’t concern myself with what you do, but as Her Highness’s maid, I naturally have my own mission. Or perhaps you prefer…” Rita’s tone was icy, her eyes filled with murderous intent. She gently raised her right hand, and before anyone knew it, a modified magic dagger had appeared in her hand.

The tense atmosphere between the two caused the temperature of the surrounding air to drop significantly.

Just then, the door to their private room was slowly pushed open. Gisela returned to the room and saw Rita holding a weapon. She looked at the scene in front of her with a puzzled expression.

"Your Highness, is there something you need?" Rita blinked, her previous cold and serious demeanor completely gone, replaced by a warm and reassuring smile, like a gentle spring breeze.

"I forgot the bouquet of lilies Hannah gave me." Gisela said with a silly smile, a little embarrassed, as she hugged the lilies on the table and left the room again.

"This gentleman is really something." Hana sighed, rubbing her cheek helplessly.

Rita didn't say anything, but went straight back to her seat and sat down again to continue watching the performance on stage.

The atmosphere was somewhat subdued; at least the tense atmosphere that had been building up in the room just moments before had vanished without a trace thanks to Gisela's interruption.

Gisela had obviously heard the commotion inside and did it on purpose, since maintaining harmony was her principle in handling family conflicts.

Having resolved the conflict between the two, the fox, humming his own "composed" melody of Scarborough Fair, walked down the corridor and finally stopped in front of the private room where the two burly men were standing.

"Miss, is there anything I can help you with?" Almost simultaneously, both men reached into their waistbands, ready to draw their pistols at any moment. After all, in this era, sometimes delicate and beautiful women were more dangerous than fierce and menacing men.

Gisela now faces two choices: First, reveal her identity to enter the room, a method that is safe but lacks challenge. Second, force her way in and use her meager "power."

Gisela, however, is looking to cause trouble today.

"Sir, do you know where the restroom is?" Gisela slightly lifted her skirt, revealing her exquisite legs, encased in white stockings, to the two guards.

"Gulp." The two guards swallowed awkwardly, looking at the girl's beautiful face and alluring legs. Knowing that the girl was only looking for the restroom, the guards didn't scold her too much. Instead, they withdrew their hands from their waists and pointed in the direction of the restroom not far away.

"Thank you." Gisela's lips curled up slightly. Noticing that the two men had lowered their guard, she jumped up in her skirt and kicked one of the men to the ground. She also slapped the other man on the neck. Miraculously, she completed a 360-degree spin in mid-air before landing safely, all while wearing high heels.

The blows from the magic user were naturally too much for ordinary people to withstand, and soon the two queen's guards collapsed at Gisela's feet, falling unconscious. Gisela straightened her dress and picked up the flowers on the ground.

"Hmm, this is a surprise from Austria, 'Auntie'." Paradox Interactive players often refer to Queen Victoria as "Auntie," not out of discrimination against Her Majesty, but simply as a playful nickname, mostly out of affection for her. Of course, "Auntie" can also be used to refer to Britain.

It's worth mentioning that Britain seems to have a special connection with its queens, as all three of its most famous queens reigned for exceptionally long periods, and their reigns coincided with turning points in different phases of British history.

As the doorknob turned, Gisela slowly stepped into the room, only to find a blonde woman already seated in her place, waiting for her for quite some time. The black tea in her hand was still steaming, and behind her stood a woman in a butler's uniform with somewhat dark skin.

Judging from her appearance, Gisela could easily tell that this lady, who resembled a servant, was probably Indian, though it was unclear whether she was a Kshatriya or a Brahmin.

“Welcome to Britain, Gisela Louise Mary.” Victoria took a sip of tea and placed the cup on the coffee table beside her.

“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty.” Gisela gracefully gave Victoria a perfectly standard courtly bow.

"These are some gifts I offer to you, the goddess who rules the seas and possesses beauty that even Aphrodite envies." Gisela held the beautiful bouquet of lilies in both hands, knelt on one knee, and presented the flowers to Victoria. As Victoria accepted the bouquet, Gisela gently lifted Victoria's fair right hand as if holding a precious treasure, and then tenderly kissed it.

Who was Victoria? She was the most proud Queen of the British Empire. You know, which Western country hadn't she visited? She was all too familiar with these "ordinary" courtesies, especially when dealing with men.

“Thank you, my child.” Victoria pressed her hand to her pounding chest, her tone seemingly calm, but her fair cheeks were already flushed. Gisela had sent lilies, and recalling the several poems she had recently read depicting same-sex love, Her Majesty naturally imagined all sorts of extraordinary things.

The air of authority and composure he had deliberately cultivated before meeting Gisela caught him completely off guard by this sudden action. "I really don't know who gave the Queen the Sappho Psalms; they've done her a disservice," the Prime Minister would surely complain if he were here.

"Ahem!" The maidservant beside her seemed to notice that the Queen seemed a little distracted, so she coughed lightly to remind Victoria.

"Ahem! Please sit down, child." Victoria quickly regained her attention after being reminded by the maid, and then raised her hand, pointing with her index finger to the chair not far away.

Victoria considered herself to be at least of Gisela's mother's generation, or even older, so she wasn't surprised that Gisela's child was alright. After all, the Queen was a sorceress, so her appearance would still be that of a teenager or twenty-something. As long as her mindset remained young, she wouldn't appear old-fashioned, right?

"It must be quite a big deal for the future heir of the Habsburg family to come to Britain in person."

“Of course, this matter concerns the world, and no country can be spared, whether it is your Britain or our Austria.” Gisela was ready to get straight to the point and tell Queen Victoria her thoughts.

PS1: London had a Crystal Palace in this era, and the future Austrian emperor will also have a Crystal Palace.

PS1: Happy holidays everyone!

Chapter 405 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 24 Information Sharing (Seeking Votes)

“Oh?” Victoria waited with interest for Gisela to continue explaining her ideas.

"Adam Smith, whom you British are so proud of, once said that human nature is selfish, and the pursuit of so-called personal interests is the sole driving force behind people's economic activities. At the same time, people are rational, and as rational economic agents, they can obtain the greatest personal benefit in their individual economic activities. If such economic activities are not interfered with, then, guided by the 'invisible hand' of the price mechanism, people will not only maximize their personal interests but also promote the public good." This statement comes from the classic argument in "The Wealth of Nations," which is regarded as the bible of the field by liberal economists.

"Clearly, the market is this invisible hand, and letting it run wild will promote the most efficient distribution of social wealth, right?" Gisela calmly explained the views of classical liberal economists.

"Your Majesty, as Queen of the British Empire, you should be very familiar with the Tulip Mania of 1637, the South Sea Bubble of 1720, the Panic of 1837, and the crisis of 1857, especially the most recent one in 1857."

"Although the solutions and harms are different, economic depression hangs over every country like a ghost. It is an inherent flaw in our economic system that we cannot avoid unless we fundamentally change the system of private property ownership, which is of course impossible."

As William Pitt the Elder said: "A broken house can be entered by the wind and rain, but not by the king, nor by his army."

"So all we can do is figure out how to protect ourselves during a crisis and reduce the damage it causes to our own economy. The state must intervene in the economy and use the visible hand to guide the invisible hand." His viewpoint was based on some of the later Keynesianism, but unlike Keynesianism, it was based on the development of capitalism to the stage of state monopoly capitalism.

“This is impossible, child. Putting aside whether I have any real power, British capitalists and their votes will absolutely not allow the government to trample on their sacred territory.”

“Under normal circumstances, it would indeed be impossible, but if a new crisis breaks out and everyone seeks to protect themselves and minimize losses, would so many people still oppose an economic policy that cuts losses in time?” Gisela said calmly. She didn’t want to give Victoria a promise of cooperation, but rather a new way of thinking.

"What do you mean!" Victoria gripped the armrest tightly, her expression becoming extremely serious.

"Across the ocean, a global crisis is brewing, and the lever that will shake the world economy is now in our hands. If we want to minimize the losses, I hope that Britain and Austria will keep pace with each other at that time, at least economically." Gisela's lips curled up slightly as she said this.

“The crisis across the ocean…” Victoria looked up at the ceiling with a solemn expression. The crisis that began in the United States in 1853 eventually spread to the whole world and lasted for several years. Victoria still remembered this experience vividly.

“Oya, bring me my notebook.” Victoria pointed to a small bag not far away.

"Never mind, I'll do it myself." Victoria stood up, took her skirt, and walked towards a table not far away.

During the brief pause in the chat, Gisela finally had time to properly observe this "auntie" of this world. She was tall, with snow-white skin and dazzling golden hair, and her figure was at least comparable to Jeanne d'Arc Alter. Upon closer inspection, she even bore a resemblance to the old woman from Kantai Collection, Warspite, but this woman was, after all, a true queen, towering far above the ship.

The historical Queen Victoria was an adorable "little winter melon" whose looks weren't too bad, but she wasn't as stunningly beautiful as the one in this world. Thinking about it this way, isn't this just a personal hobby of that wicked creator god?

Putting aside her previous complaints, Her Majesty the Queen, who is usually aloof and high above everyone else, just now showed the innocence and cuteness of a little girl. In this respect, Gisela has developed a strong interest in the Queen herself.

“This is it.” Victoria took out a black notebook, then walked back to Gisela and sat down gracefully.

“This is…” Gisela looked at the notebook in Victoria’s hand with some confusion.

“Let me show you this! Consider it a small personal gift.” Victoria pushed the notebook to the other end of the table with her slender fingers, in the direction Gisela was sitting.

“Four years ago, British intelligence agents in Casablanca received a letter from a multi-talented spy named ‘Rose.’ From the intelligence she provided, we learned that the Sixth Empire seemed to be using its own channels to induce a surge in American railroad investment,” Victoria explained, watching Gisela flip through her notebook.

"Because it was just a purely commercial matter, my cabinet ministers didn't take it seriously, and even Prime Minister Palmerston wasn't interested. In the end, apart from a brief note I made in this diary-like notebook, there's probably no record of it in Britain."

Since Gisela mentioned the economic crisis, and considering the intelligence from four years ago, Victoria could easily see that the impending crisis was related to Gisela and the Rothschild family. While Victoria didn't know how they were cooperating, that didn't prevent her from figuring out how to respond to Gisela's offer.

Gisela knew the code name "Rose" very well, because it was one of the many code names of the beautiful spy Mata Hari. Mata had joked about this code name when the two of them "slept together".

As for Gisela's actual encounter with her, it was three years ago, while Marta only began paying attention to her four years ago, meaning she had been secretly observing Gisela for a full year prior. Strangely, she only told the Englishman that the Rothschild family was operating, without mentioning her own involvement, which seemed very odd. Logically, given her powerful intelligence-gathering abilities, investigating a girl close to Gisela shouldn't have been difficult.

Could it be that, in some sense, she had actually started to favor her a long time ago? The thought made Gisela quite happy, after all, it meant that Mata Hari had room for deeper cooperation with her.

PS1: Beep beep beep!

Chapter 406 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 25 All that has passed is but a prologue (Seeking votes)

"Rose" is the code name we British gave her, but in reality, she'll serve any country as long as there's profit to be made. So, child, if you don't want any third party besides us to know about our conversation today, then please be careful." Victoria's words sounded very sincere; a simple action expressed her willingness to cooperate with Gisela and to do her a favor, and not even using her own bargaining chip. The British are clearly masters of diplomatic and political cunning, especially this previously naive woman before them, whose political maneuvering is still not to be underestimated.

“Then I am very grateful for Your Majesty’s support.” Gisela casually flipped through Victoria’s notebook, nodding in agreement. More than being wary of Marta, Gisela was actually more worried about the ubiquitous British. She couldn’t truly trust cooperating with them or befriending them; their reputation was a joke.

"Pfft!" Gisela, who was flipping through her notebook, burst out laughing. She had no longer been paying attention to the report that Victoria wanted her to read, but was instead looking at the diary entries that read like those of a young girl.

Complaints like "Oscar gained weight today, and so did I." And the recent reviews of Buckingham Palace's new "Stargazing Industrial Revolution Edition" – which tasted pretty good. I really love the sentiment in poetry that relationships between girls should be as pure and beautiful as lilies.

Of course, none of this amused Gisela, but rather a report about a leak in Buckingham Palace.

The mastermind behind the incident was the Prince of Wales. For some unknown reason, His Highness suddenly developed an interest in gardening outside the palace. He then took over the gardeners' work, watering the garden all day. Later, finding it inefficient, he led a group to prepare to divert water for irrigation. However, during the digging of the ditch, they accidentally broke a water pipe, and tragedy struck. The palace was flooded, and chaos ensued. Victoria had just woken up that day when she heard shouts and screams. Still somewhat groggy, she thought another revolution had broken out, so she ran to the window to investigate. Slipping on the wet floor, she fell from the second floor.

And so, this round, chubby figure, resembling Her Majesty the Queen and dressed only in a see-through nightgown, spun several times before landing on the lawn, and then Victoria strained her back. At least she's a magic user; if she were an ordinary person, the Prince of Wales could probably be preparing to inherit the throne.