She changed Europe

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The thought of all this overwhelmed Nina with anger. "I've been trying so hard to get rid of my brother's shadow and to fall in love with you (my former rival), but you've treated my feelings and efforts like this."

Nina immediately rushed over and jumped on Gisela, grabbing her by the neck. Startled by the sudden attack, Gisela opened her eyes abruptly, only to see an angry Nina, leaving her bewildered and confused.

"What...uh...what are you doing?" Gisela, whose throat was being choked, spoke haltingly and intermittently.

"Speak! What's going on with that girl! It's one thing for your maid to be indecent, but are you also promiscuous like this?!" Nina shouted, clamping Gisela's waist between her legs to restrict her movements.

"Let me explain! This is a misunderstanding." Gisela tried to put her hand on Nina's shoulder to calm her down.

"Misunderstanding? You have a child and you call it a misunderstanding? I don't care if you're a womanizer or flirt with other men and women, but how did you end up having a child?!" Nina's hysterical roar completely stunned Gisela. She had never seen her cousin like this before and was momentarily dumbfounded.

"Tell me who this is with!" Nina controlled Gisela's right hand. Since they were both magic users, Gisela was not at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

"Let me go, and I'll tell you, we can reason with each other." It turns out that it's impossible to reason with an angry woman.

"Tell me about reasoning, then what about you and that Prussian princess, and that French woman, and your other maid, and that Turkic big-breasted woman (replace)..." Bringing up old grievances when angry is also their traditional skill. Although Nina doesn't actually care who Gisela is arguing with, she simply can't swallow Gisela's secret from her, and she's just venting her anger.

"Alright, alright, calm down, calm down." Gisela is usually very good-tempered and wouldn't provoke angry girls unless provoked.

"Don't move your fox tail, it's irritating me!" Nina frowned and grabbed Gisela's tail, making Gisela jump.

"Can't you just listen to me properly!" Gisela was getting a little angry. Her blonde hair gradually faded to silver, and her long-lost purple eyes reappeared.

Along with Gisela's changed appearance came her cold and arrogant aura, which perfectly extinguished Nina's anger psychologically. Their positions were also reversed after they rolled off the sofa and spun around.

“Naughty children need to be educated,” Gisela whispered, gazing at Nina’s pretty face with her index finger.

While the two were arguing, Rita very tactfully led Mia back to the study.

"Sister, what are Mom and that other woman doing?" Mia asked Rita, puzzled.

“Adults have adult matters to attend to. Mia, sit here for a while, and I’ll find you some fairy tale books.” Rita smiled and stroked Mia’s little head, her gentle tone captivating.

PS1: The fox lacks the awareness of being a wife.

Chapter 410 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 29 Hood and Nelson (Vote Requested)

"Sister, I can't read." Mia lowered her head, looking aggrieved and guilty.

"It's alright, I'll read it to you." As her own maid, taking care of children was not difficult for Rita. After all, Her Highness had grown up in the same way, so taking care of Her Highness's daughter was naturally a piece of cake for her.

Or perhaps taking care of children was simply the maids' duty.

"Come on, sit here. What do you want to hear?" Rita gently patted her thigh, hugged the little girl, and then opened her book.

"Sister, I like you. Can I call you Mom?" Mia's childish words came out.

“Mom…” Rita looked up in surprise upon hearing this address, as it reminded her of her family.

"Sure," Rita said, seemingly lost in thought.

Meanwhile, a horse-drawn carriage was slowly entering the street at the intersection of Baker Street, and finally stopped at number 220.

As the attendant opened the carriage door, a blonde beauty wearing glasses and a red-haired lady slowly stepped down from the carriage, followed closely by a blonde little girl.

“Sarah, are you sure His Highness is at 220 Baker Street?” The blonde woman pushed up her glasses. She possessed an elegance that was unique to British ladies, a stark contrast to Sarah Nelson beside her.

“Of course, Lord Hood,” Nelson answered the blonde woman’s question very politely. Admiral Atris Hood, the current Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy Fleet, was Nelson’s superior. Although they were in a superior-subordinate relationship in the military, they were actually very close friends. Her willingness to accompany Nelson to visit Gisela today was a testament to this.

"Her Highness Gisela met with Her Majesty the Queen yesterday, so confirming her address shouldn't be difficult." Previously, because Gisela had deliberately concealed her whereabouts, the British didn't know where she would be staying. However, that worry is no longer relevant, as Gisela has revealed her identity, and the news has spread even through Scotland Yard. ————A young princess of the Austrian Empire adopted a little girl who survived a robbery.

This is why Hood chose to bring the blonde little girl with him.

"Mommy, what are we doing here?" the blonde girl asked, tugging at Hood's skirt.

“I’ll take you to visit a beautiful lady; she has fox ears and a tail like a fairy,” Hood said, crouching down to look at his adorable daughter. Elizabeth Hood (hereafter referred to as Little Hood) was Uncle Hood’s daughter. Because Hood had not married or had children, he adopted his niece as his daughter on the advice of other family members, in order to continue the heroic bloodline of the Hood family, especially Samuel Hood’s branch.

Unlike other European countries that emphasize the influence of blood ties and lineage, the British aristocracy has a tradition of adoption dating back to the Roman Empire. This practice is prevalent among the nobility, whether it is the Queen's policy of not marrying or the general trend among the nobility.

"Really?" Little Hood seemed incredibly happy.

"The door isn't locked?" Nelson noticed this detail and looked at Hood behind him.

After Hud nodded in agreement, he pushed open the door.

"Let's go in and take a look." Soon the two entered the room and then pushed open the door leading to Gisela's living room.

The first thing Nelson and Hood saw were two scantily clad women, who were entangled in a rather indescribable way for some unknown reason. During this time, the girl below let out mournful moans, clearly indicating that Nina was no match for the white fox.

"Sorry to bother you." Nelson was a little embarrassed and tried to close the door. While he and Hood waited outside, little Hood, who was right behind them, quickly darted into the room.

"Elizabeth!" Hood tried to pull her daughter back, but the adorable blonde girl, like a wild horse, completely disregarded her mother's teachings.

At this moment, Gisela glanced at Nina, who was pinned down by her, clutching her neck and blushing, then raised her head and looked at the little girl running towards her with her scarlet eyes, as well as the bespectacled, very elegant woman standing by the door with Nelson.

So she threw the blanket on the bed to Nina to cover herself, and then walked directly towards the two of them in her white nightgown.

“I’ve missed you dearly for three years, Miss Nelson. And who is this lady?” Although she looked like the English lady with glasses, who was from a certain game like Nelson, Gisela only thought they looked alike and she wouldn’t equate the two directly.

“Lady Beatrice Hood, our current Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy,” Nelson introduced, his arms crossed and his tone somewhat relaxed.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Gisela.” Hood pushed up his glasses, extended his hand, and a sincere smile appeared on his lips.

“I’m also very happy to see you.” Gisela shook Hood’s hand in response. Gisela wouldn’t use the same tactics she used on the Queen on Hood again; after all, not everyone has Victoria’s good attitude. (In her opinion)

"Sister, are your fox ears real?" Little Hood looked up at Gisela's snow-white fox ears with a curious expression, her eyes filled with longing.

"It's true, want to touch it? But don't touch my tail." Gisela in her silver-haired state usually doesn't show this gentle side, because this side is usually reserved for "enemies," of course, enemies on all levels. But when facing cute little girls, the softer side of Su Beiming's personality, hidden beneath this side, subtly influences her, making her exceptionally gentle with children.

After all, all the people of the land could be the princess's children.

"Is it really possible?" Little Hood asked again.

“That’s right, but wait a moment.” After saying that, Gisela released herself from this state, since maintaining it for a long time would consume magical energy.

Soon, to everyone's astonishment, Gisela's silver hair turned blonde again, her purple eyes turned blue, and her appearance and figure underwent "subtle" changes.

“Your power remains as mysterious and formidable as ever; no wonder so many are so fascinated by Your Highness,” Nelson couldn’t help but remark upon witnessing Gisela’s transformation.

Britain, France, and other nations that witnessed the Battle of Ticino all feared Austria, which possessed this power. Although they could not possess it, analyzing this power was something they were particularly concerned about.

PS1: The holiday is almost over!

Chapter 411 The Two-Headed Eagle's Rebirth: Capter 30 "Eastern Insights and Secrets" (Seeking Votes)

"Your Highness's magic circuits seem to be somewhat different from ours." Unlike Nelson's simple complaint, Hood, being an academic, was more concerned about Gisela's state when using magic.

“Perhaps, let’s sit down and talk again.” Gisela pointed to the sofa behind her. Nina had already retreated to her room in a disheveled state, leaving only Gisela and the guests in the living room.

"What would you like to drink?" Gisela politely asked the two ladies.

"black tea."

"Black tea." The two ladies' answer was extremely concise, as if it were an answer etched into their genes.

"Li..." Just as Gisela was about to call Rita out to make some black tea, the dutiful maid had already led Mia out of the room with two cups of black tea.

"I'm so sorry I didn't prepare any tea since I'm new here. This is Darjeeling tea I brought with me. Please forgive me, gentlemen." Rita's tone was composed, polite, and appropriate. To Gisela, her demeanor was impeccable. Wouldn't it be a source of pride for her mistress to have such an excellent maid?

At this moment, little Hood had already taken off his boots, climbed onto the sofa, and stood behind Gisela, gently stroking her fox ears as if petting a cat, his eyes sparkling with adorable little stars.

"Thank you, Miss."

"Tanks!" Hood and Nelson accepted the black tea Rita offered almost simultaneously, and then politely thanked her.

"Mommy Rita, who's behind you?" The somewhat introverted Mia hid behind Rita, glancing at little Hood behind Gisela with her small eyes.

“She’s this lady’s daughter,” Rita said, crouching down, placing the plate on the ground, and patting Mia’s head.

"Is this the child His Highness adopted yesterday?" Hud asked Gisela thoughtfully.

"Yes, this child is actually quite cute, except for being a little introverted." Now that he's made the little girl his daughter, Gisela will definitely treat her well; it's a responsibility he has as a man.

"Won't Vienna have any objections?" Gisela is not an ordinary noblewoman; she is the heir to the throne of the oldest monarchy in Europe. Naturally, any issue involving her succession rights will be subject to the supervision and interference of the imperial nobles.

"It's their business if they have opinions, it's my business what I do, and Doin Rome as Romedoes." Here Gisela means to follow British tradition.

“Hahaha! Your Highness, you truly live up to your reputation.” The red-haired woman laughed exaggeratedly. Compared to the somewhat reserved and conservative Hood, Nelson and Gisela had formed a special tacit understanding.

Soon, Hood proved to be more interested in playing with her peers than Gisela's fox ears. She quickly jumped off the sofa and joined Mia to play with Rita.

"Your Highness, may I use your flame once more?" Hood was clearly referring to Gisela's blue flame.

"This kind?" With a snap of Gisela's fingers, a small blue flame quickly appeared on her index finger. Although it was small, it was enough for Hood to see clearly.

“Hood, don’t take it so seriously. We in Britain have never recorded this kind of flame before, so it’s unanalyzable,” Nelson said listlessly, leaning back in his chair.

“No! Nelson, you’re wrong. We Britons have seen this kind of flame before, several times in fact.” Hood took a red book out of his backpack.

"I found a book called 'The Secrets of the East' in the British Museum, which records a legend from the distant East: whenever a chaotic era ends and a new era begins, a goddess will descend to earth to assist the king in protecting his empire until a new era of chaos arrives."

Upon hearing this, Gisela immediately realized Su Beiming's true identity: the princess of Da Meng, whose other self was a "god" who had protected that country for hundreds of years.

"Until a new era of chaos arrives, right..." This legend is like a destiny, and isn't the invasion of the Western powers the beginning of a new era of chaos?

"This book was written by our early missionaries who went to the East, and it contains some records about blue flames. Moreover, we also encountered powerful magic users wielding blue flames in the skies over Guangzhou." Their extraordinary strength in fighting against overwhelming odds still deeply resonates with Britain. Nelson did not participate in the war at that time because she was still in the Mediterranean. Although Hood participated, she was only in reserve in India at that time.

"Lady Selena told me about this." The Selena that Hood was referring to was none other than the headmistress of the Magic Academy, a good friend of Queen Elizabeth.

"I've always wanted to ask you a question: when you launched your attack on that Eastern country, what was the state of their military tactics, command level, mobilization capacity, morale, and other aspects?" Gisela wanted to understand the fighting strength of the Great Meng in this era. If it was decent, maybe they could get it to fight the Russian Empire together in the future. Of course, this was just a hypothetical situation.

"Their navy was large in number but low in quality. Our British and French fleet (including the Dutch, Spanish and Portuguese, who were just bystanders) completely defeated their fleet after several major naval battles with them in the East Indies."

"Our original objective was simply to seize the East Indies from that weakened empire to maintain the smooth flow of maritime trade routes. If we could further open the door to that country, that would be even better." In this book, this corresponds to the Second XX War, although the objectives and content of the war are somewhat different. It's worth mentioning that in the First XX War, the British, facing the Zhennan Protectorate led by Su Beiming, suffered a humiliating defeat due to insufficient preparation, and could only manage a draw and a truce.

"Of course, we successfully severed the connection between the East Indies and that empire and easily took control of that region. But what we find most ridiculous is that despite losing so much land, the rulers of that empire seem to remain indifferent. It's as if we are not fighting a country, but a part of that country, a class."

"Then, naturally, the first battle was an attack on Guangzhou and other important coastal cities, forcing the enemy to acknowledge their established gains in the East Indies," Gisela added matter-of-factly. She knew the rest of the story better than the two young ladies, though of course she wouldn't tell them about the factionalism and internal strife within the Great Meng Kingdom. Nor would she mention that two of the four major garrison commands (Eastern Protectorate and Western Protectorate) were already in a state of unrest.

These are all Su Beiming's memories, and of course, they are also his own memories now.

PS1: Ra!

Chapter 412 The Rebirth of the Two-Headed Eagle: Capter 31 Crisis Across the Ocean (Seeking Votes)

"Yes, their army did not organize magic warriors into formal units, but rather dispersed them among the troops. Their morale was high, but their weapons were outdated, their tactics were rigid, and they were slow to react to flanking maneuvers."

The Ming Dynasty has been running smoothly for five or six hundred years, which is a miracle for a centralized feudal dynasty.

However, with the cessation of the empire's military expansion and the increasing conservatism within the empire, external conflicts eventually began to shift inward, and the bureaucracy and political interest groups began to become irredeemably corrupt and decadent.

The ultimate result of all this was the "mass recall," in which Su Beiming was expelled from the capital under the pretext of reassignment...

At this critical juncture, Su Beiming, who had just taken office, faced an attack from Western countries. As a result, she could only command a small force with a huge shortage of personnel to defend the southern gateway. However, she encountered the British Empire at its peak, and naturally, she was completely outmatched in terms of equipment and personnel quality.

The confrontation between agricultural and industrial societies was almost an inevitable outcome.

"Most importantly, and I think most fatally, is that they are not united internally. Under the command of that magic user, they could work together as one, but since she disappeared, they have been fighting their own battles and have lost their combined strength."

Clearly, Great Meng also needs a profound transformation to regain its strength. Unfortunately, Gisela is currently powerless to do so, as its own country is also in a precarious situation. Fortunately, the territory Great Meng has lost is not fatal to it at present. After all, without a strong navy to support it, the East Indies are merely a liability, and Great Meng's bizarre maritime prohibition policy has also prevented the development of genuine foreign trade. This land remains a land far removed from the world market.

I really don't know how this world's great power can control so many wonderful places in the East Indies yet still maintain a maritime ban.

Could it be that they're playing the internal loop of an empire?

Returning to the present moment and looking at Gisela, just as he was about to ask her some new questions after a moment of thought, Gisela suddenly spoke up:

"By the way, Miss Hood, are you really married?"

"???"

Gisela's bizarre thought process left the two British ladies in front of her speechless. Even Rita, standing to the side, sighed quietly, rubbing her forehead.

Because it seems that when faced with questions that their own Sanlin doesn't want to answer, they always like to change the subject in this way...

As the saying goes, escaping is shameful, but it seems to be useful.

————Time Dividing Line

On May 9, 1874, three days after Gisela arrived in London, the Rothschild family's partners in New York sent back an important message to the Rothschild family in London through special communication methods.

The New York Stock Exchange saw a sharp devaluation that day, wiping out hundreds of millions of dollars in losses within 24 hours. Washington convened officials overnight to discuss countermeasures and prepare new regulations to address the potential for a further escalation of the economic downturn.

When Hannah Rothschild received the news at 21:31 p.m. local time, she quickly changed her clothes with the help of her maid and went to 220 Baker Street to meet Gisela in person to discuss the next steps.

When the Jewish girl knocked on the door of the house where Gisela was staying, Gisela was sitting in a chair teaching Mia to read.

"Your Highness, the American 'fireworks' have been set off!" Hannah said to Gisela with a serious expression.

"What is the scale?" How can we predict the destructive power of an economic crisis? We can start by looking at the initial evaporation of market value. After all, the larger this amount, the more severe the resulting cash flow problems and losses for companies will be.

"Affected by the slump in the steel market, the stocks of steel production giants, as we predicted, lost a total of $3.8 million on the 9th." In the gold standard era of 1874, $3.8 million was no small sum, after all, it was linked to real gold, and this was just the beginning.

"It seems the crisis is more severe than we predicted, but it's still within my forecast. If my guess is correct, the next step will be a complete collapse of credit and a halt to securities trading. This will inevitably lead to European countries ceasing new capital outflows to the United States. European investors who previously held large amounts of US dollars will try to convert their dollars into gold and then withdraw them in time to minimize losses. This will have a reverse impact on the US financial sector. In order to protect the security of its own financial sector and ensure the value of its currency to reduce wealth loss, the US government will definitely choose to restrict the exchange of gold for dollars."

"At the same time, American banks will reduce their investment in the steel production sector, which is suffering from overcapacity. This will ultimately lead to an unprecedented blow to the steel production sector, with bankruptcies, layoffs, and unemployment forming a chain reaction, one after another. Funds stranded in the United States will be unable to return, ultimately affecting the European capital market, which is the center of the world economy in this era. Thus, a crisis affecting the world's capital markets will be born." Gisela could tell Hannah this without reservation, because this was the objective fact that was about to happen.

“Buying, producing, and selling constitute the capital cycle. If any one of them has a problem, it will eventually lead to a break in the capital cycle. If it is a company, it will face bankruptcy. If it is large enough, it may become the fuse of an economic crisis.”