She changed Europe

Page 138

"Mmm!" Rita, with a hint of barely suppressed delight, stood up, moved next to Gisela, and sat down. She carefully leaned on Gisela's shoulder, while Gisela casually put her arm around Rita's waist.

"Your Highness, as the Empress of the Empire, you must do your best," Rita murmured softly.

"Hmm." Gisela responded softly, finally raising her head to look at the Imperial Council approaching in the distance. By now, she could already hear the occasional gunshots.

During the fierce battle, the fighting nuns who had dealt with the enemies around the Hofburg Palace also joined the fray.

Just as the Marquis Reinhardt, who was overseeing the battle, picked up his pistol and killed two civilians, a scythe swung from behind her. He instinctively lunged forward to dodge the attack, then turned around and fired his pistol at the woman dressed in black. Several bullets pierced her body, and she fell to the ground, whereupon her companion caught her.

Reinhardt tried to stand up, but a huge scythe inlaid with dark red engravings swung down from his side, blood gushing out instantly, and the old marquis's life was easily taken by the owner of the scythe.

"Take her down for treatment, leave this to me," the woman said calmly.

"Yes, Lady Aponia." Her companion carried her wounded comrade and slowly retreated.

Aponia looked towards the end of the street in the distance, where a cavalry unit and a carriage were slowly approaching them.

"Clear the enemy as soon as possible. We must ensure that no enemy can stand in your way before His Highness arrives," Aponia said solemnly to her subordinates. At this moment, the Council's guards had been wiped out, and the Council's troops stationed outside the city had no chance to enter the city to suppress the people, because Bella, whom Gisela greatly admired, had already led nearly 70,000 elite Imperial troops to the outskirts of Vienna.

The soldiers moved the bodies to both sides, making room for Gisela's arrival.

Gisela's carriage soon came to a stop in front of the Vienna Parliament, which was already surrounded by angry Viennese citizens.

Rita opened the carriage door and jumped out first, followed by Aponia and her men who laid out a red carpet for the carriage.

The royal cuirassiers dismounted and stood on either side of the carpet. Finally, under the watchful eyes of nearly 100,000 people in Vienna, Gisela, dressed in her finest attire, slowly stepped down from the carriage.

At this moment, Gisela had completely changed her usual arrogant style and became exceptionally dignified, which surprised even Aponia, who was kneeling on the ground waiting for Gisela to appear.

“Time.” Gisela glanced coldly at her attendant.

“Your Majesty, it is 11:49 a.m.,” the attendant said respectfully.

Just then, a gentle breeze swept by, causing the blossoms on the branches on both sides to scatter and swirl, their pink petals adorning Gisela's surroundings like a dream.

Gisela slowly strode forward, head held high, toward the other end of the red carpet.

The square, which had just witnessed a battle, now appeared exceptionally solemn and desolate.

As the royal cavalry followed Gisela's advance, the soldiers on both sides raised their weapons in an orderly fashion, bringing their sword hilts together and crossing them towards the sky, while the Viennese citizens around them sang the new imperial anthem.

"God bless Queen Gisela, our great Queen Gisela. We pray for your long reign, we wish you good fortune, may your laurel wreath never decay, may the garland of victory forever belong to her..."

Just then, the bells of St. Stephen's Cathedral rang in the distance, and people closed their eyes, while the singing grew louder and louder.

Gisela spread her hands and gently picked up the petals. Looking at the tall parliament building in front of her, she smiled coldly and placed the petals into her palm.

Gisela pushed open the massive parliament doors with a forceful thud of her high heels on the solid marble floor and stepped inside, while Duke Frederick and the nobles were lost in their own daydreams.

"Friedrich ****?"

"It is a pity that your era has come to an end. From this moment forward, I, Gisela Louise Mary Lorraine-Habsburg, in the name of the heir to the imperial throne, declare the old Imperial Diet officially dissolved." With a stern yet authoritative tone, Gisela slammed her scepter into the ground.

No one expected Gisela to appear here so swiftly; at this moment, all the nobles present were stunned by Gisela's imposing presence...

“You do not have that authority, Your Highness.” After a moment, Friedrich looked down at Gisela as she walked into the Imperial Council Hall through the main entrance. The fact that he referred to Gisela as a princess was a clear indication that he did not acknowledge her right to the throne.

"Only the Emperor can dissolve the Imperial Council, and in his view, the confirmation of the Emperor requires the full approval and oath of allegiance of all 106 hereditary noble councilors present." As the high-ranking nobles of the Empire, they can be said to be the foundation of the old Habsburg dynasty. Every former Habsburg monarch must have their support in order to govern the country smoothly; otherwise, they will find it difficult to move forward.

At this point, Friedrich turned his gaze to the Imperial Crown not far away. This crown, which had stood for nearly a thousand years, had served as the supreme symbol of the empire since Otto I was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor.

Even when Napoleon dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, he only took the Lombard Iron Crown, a symbol of Italy, while the Imperial Crown remained forever in the Habsburg court.

"Oh! I almost forgot, you all oppose me becoming your monarch, don't you?" Gisela walked unhurriedly towards the center of the parliament, then gently waved her hand. At that moment, the gates surrounding the Imperial Parliament collapsed almost simultaneously, allowing hundreds of Viennese citizens around the parliament to clearly see every move taking place in the parliament hall.

"Open your eyes and see, ladies and gentlemen. Remember, my power has never come from you, but from these subjects who have chosen to follow me." Gisela's lips curled up, and she snapped her fingers lightly.

At this moment, the crowd at the main entrance gradually retreated to both sides, and in the middle of them, a little girl with silver hair wearing a snow-white robe raised her head, held up a huge cross, and walked into the council hall, followed closely by several attendants wearing red bishop's robes.

PS1: Your era is over!

Chapter 514 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 11 The Girl Will Eventually Become Queen (Vote Requested)

“Holy See!? What’s she doing here?” Duke Friedrich turned around and questioned his entourage, only to be met with a bewildered shake of his head.

"Don't be surprised, this is just the beginning, Lord Friedrich." Gisela looked at the leader of this group of clowns with amusement, thoroughly enjoying seeing her opponent suffer a setback.

Although it would be easy to eliminate them by force, governing a large country with too much ruthless and decisive killing can easily cause problems. She wanted to show these dissatisfied vested interests that all their struggles would be in vain in front of her.

Returning to the present, regarding the Pope's journey, the sea route from Rome to here, combined with the current Imperial Railway, could be completed in less than a week, and Gisela had made preparations long before these fools launched their coup.

At this moment, the petite and lovely Holy Throne passed by Gisela, nodded to her in greeting, and then took the lead in stepping up the stairs towards the Imperial Crown.

The cardinals following closely behind Delisha also ascended the steps, each carrying their own scriptures, reciting related verses from their lips.

Finally, the Holy See reached the place where the crown was kept. She took a deep breath, then tiptoed and gently raised the symbol of the highest status in Europe. She then looked down at Gisela, who was waiting gracefully at the bottom of the steps.

"Giselle Louise Marie von Lorraine-Habsburg." With the solemn yet dignified voice of the young silver-haired girl, Giselle raised her head and slowly walked up the steps.

"Do you swear here and now that you will carry out the Lord's will, become a king who proclaims the Gospel for the Lord, discipline yourself with the Seven Virtues, and defend the sacred faith with piety? You will become the Emperor of the great Austrian Empire, the monarch of Hungary, Bohemia, Dalmatia, Croatia, Slavonia, Galicia, Illyria, and Lodomeria, the King of Jerusalem; the Duke of Austria, Tuscany, Krakow, Lorraine, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia, Carniola, Bukovina, Moravia... and the Prince of Transylvania..." As the Pope's ethereal voice echoed in the vast council hall, Gisela slowly walked up the steps, then bowed and knelt before Delilah.

Because of the height difference, the cardinal next to the Holy See quickly picked up a richly decorated cube-shaped box from the side and placed it in front of Delilah. Then the Holy See stepped onto the box and raised the crown high.

"In the name of the Lord's servant, the successor of the great Apostle Saint Peter, I bestow upon you the sacred crown, and from this day forward you shall become the Emperor of the Mortal Empire." Then the Holy See gently placed the crown on Gisela's head.

No one knew that at this sacred moment, Gisela, kneeling beside Delilah's feet, kept staring at the exposed little legs of the Holy Throne. Perhaps she had recently awakened some new hobby; Gisela, who usually only liked mature and beautiful older women, had begun to show a strong interest in little girls. Whether it was taking advantage of her own daughter Mia or the Holy Throne before her, both had now fallen into the fox's "hunting" range.

“I will certainly keep the teachings in mind and strictly demand myself according to the Lord’s instructions,” Gisela replied softly, then stood up again, raising her head to glance at Friedrich, who had questioned her earlier.

"So, am I qualified now?" Friedrich sat back in his seat like a puppet with a broken string, while the nobles who had participated in the farce seemed to wake up from their dream.

"Long live His Majesty Gisela! Long live the Empire!" Hundreds and thousands of citizens roared with cheers. Gisela raised his right hand to signal to his people.

"Thank you, loyal and reliable citizens of Vienna. It is your courage, bravery, fearlessness and sacrifice that gave me the opportunity to thwart this farce. I will remember your support and love, and I will govern this country better."

"A new page in the history of the empire has been turned today." Gisela tapped her scepter lightly on the ground, and a gust of wind blew, causing Gisela's golden hair to dance in the breeze. In this beautiful season, a most beautiful rose bloomed on the banks of the Danube.

At this time, in the Potsdam Palace of Forgetfulness

Wearing a black lace nightgown, Chloris drowsily drew back the curtains, letting bright sunlight stream into her room. Two disheveled maids lay on the floor and sofa, their hair disheveled. The two beautiful young women were still fast asleep, clearly having just had a fierce battle the night before.

"The skirt IX order 6~four flow%, fins have eaten lunch, I wonder how the situation in the fox country is lately." Although she has become the Queen of Prussia, what Chloris misses most is still that cute fox.

Life has been rather boring lately, like that old Eastern story a certain fox once told her: "The spring night is short, the sun rises high, and from then on, the king no longer holds morning court." Actually, I could try harder. Even the strong-willed Chloris has moments of reflection; what can I do when my prime minister is so capable? Working 25 hours a day, it's hard not to slack off.

Just then, a familiar knocking sound came from outside the door.

"Please come in." Chloris casually picked up the white shirt draped over the chair and skillfully put it on.

"Yes, sir." Soon, a blonde, mature woman in military uniform with a serious expression walked out of the room with steady steps.

"Your Majesty, here is some news about Vienna." Bismarck entered the room carrying a bag of documents.

"Please sit down, Bismarck." Chloris gestured for Bismarck to sit on the sofa, then sat down opposite her, taking the documents Bismarck handed her.

During a moment of free time, Bismarck glanced at the somewhat messy room and the two maids lying inside, and immediately understood what might have happened last night.

“Your Majesty, you now bear the heavy responsibility of this nation, and you should not be so immersed in…” Bismarck was momentarily at a loss for words and fell into a brief pause. After all, she had always raised Chloris as her daughter, so she couldn’t help but want to give her a lecture.

“Indulging in women,” Bismarck said after a moment’s thought. It sounded a little strange, but it was exactly the truth.

"Our Princess Gisela has been successfully crowned!" Chloris was particularly happy to see this, because it meant that she could officially launch her offensive against Gisela, who was now the Empress. Of course, Bismarck was unaware of Chloris's ulterior motives, so she looked at the girl in front of her with a thoughtful expression.

PS1: A new Emperor of Ages has been born.

Chapter 515 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 12 The Austro-Prussian Marriage (Big Fog)

"Your Majesty, is this really something to be so happy about?" In Bismarck's view, whether Gisela becomes monarch or not will not affect the relationship between Prussia and Austria, since the two countries have already achieved reconciliation in a certain sense. From the moment Prussia abandoned the customs union and rejoined the Confederation, it had already lost the opportunity to unify Germany once again.

"By the way, Bismarck, prepare to draft an article for me to publish in the *Taishi Daily* under my own name." Chloris's expression was serious. Seeing Chloris's earnestness, Bismarck also frowned, pondering Chloris's next move.

"Does Your Highness wish to project public support for Queen Gisela, or to criticize Austria for making a mountain out of a molehill with the British?" Bismarck believed the former would demonstrate Prussia's support for Austria, improving relations between the two countries and expressing Cloris's goodwill towards Queen Gisela. The latter, while morally supporting Austria, could also subtly criticize the British diplomatic hypocrisy, implying that France was seizing control of the Rhineland.

"I want you to send a letter of marriage proposal to Queen Gisela of Austria. I hope she will marry me."

"Cough cough!" Bismarck's expression changed 360 degrees and she almost coughed up a mouthful of blood, because you can ask her to write declarations of war, you can ask her to write speeches, but she just can't write this kind of thing.

"Your Majesty, today is not April 1st. Making such a joke is not funny at all, and Queen Gisela is already married."

"So what!" Chloris stood up nonchalantly, glanced at the map of Germany not far away, and said.

"This is for the unification of Germany. I just want the whole of Germany to see my determination, that's all." Cloris's seemingly unintentional words hit Bismarck's chest like a stone, and for the first time, the Iron Chancellor showed a troubled expression.

However, Cloris's seemingly capricious act was not without meaning, because the marriage proposal she mentioned could be a relationship between two monarchs, or it could be understood as a relationship between Austria and Prussia, which was actually sending a political signal in disguise.

"I understand." Bismarck finally accepted the order and resolved to begin composing the first love letter of his decades-long life…

Our gaze returns to Vienna —

"Ladies and gentlemen, dear subjects, some say that it is the great former monarch and the glorious history that have united us, but we all know very well that what truly unites us is not the sacred royal power, nor the strength of any particular ruler, but the river that has given us life." At this moment, Gisela stood in Heroes' Square outside the Hofburg Palace, surrounded by thousands of ordinary people from all over the empire who had come to catch a glimpse of the Empress.

"So what has the Danube taught us?" Gisela raised his hands slightly, his eyes sweeping over his people below the stage.

"She taught the Germanic people resilience and perseverance, the Magyars courage and resistance, the Croatians loyalty and striving, and the Slavs patience and dedication..." Gisela knew every ethnic group in the empire like the back of her hand, and as the monarch of the entire multi-ethnic country, she could speak fluently the languages ​​of all the ethnic groups within the empire.

"And of course, there are the Lombards, the Venetians, and the Romanians. Although you were not born and raised along this river, you have a share in the glory and power of the empire." As she said this, the people raised their heads, looking at their young and beautiful queen with expectant eyes, waiting for her to continue.

"The thousand-year history of the Holy Roman Empire and its fall taught me a lesson: if a country wants to be truly strong, it must remain united, and that requires completely eliminating all unstable elements."

"Before I became your empress, I personally destroyed the St. Stephen's Crown, which could have threatened the unity of the empire, and the Kingdom of Hungary." As she said this, Gisela deliberately placed her hand on her chest, making a very sad expression.

"But I want to tell all the Magyars who have been in Hungary that I am not targeting you, and as you have seen, I have not done anything outrageous to you after your parliament was dissolved."

“In the past, I dealt with many Hungarian nobles for this reason. Today, I will also show you that when it comes to the rebellious nobles in Austria, I will adopt the same attitude and method of treating everyone equally.” After saying this, Gisela lowered his hand.

Two tall Royal Guardsmen quickly brought Duke Frederick from a prison cart not far away to the square.

“Duke Friedrich, former Speaker of the Imperial Council, one of the most distinguished nobles in the Empire.” Gisela walked down the steps unhurriedly and came to stand before Friedrich. Friedrich looked disheveled and his clothes were tattered. He was forced to kneel before Gisela by soldiers. He was now as humble as an ant, a stark contrast to his triumphant demeanor just days before.

"I don't care who he is, or how precious his status is. I just want people like him to understand one thing." Although she was wearing a long dress, Gisela still slightly lifted the hem of her skirt and disdainfully stepped on the old nobleman with her high heels.

“I’m passionate about destroying anyone who opposes me.” With that, Gisela released her foot and glanced at the woman in a black judge’s uniform standing to the side.

"In accordance with the provisions of the Imperial Law, the Supreme Court of the Empire sentenced Duke Friedrich von Seleka to death on thirty-two counts, including treason, armed rebellion, attempted assassination of a member of the royal family, and secession of the country, and confiscated all his lands and property."

“Of course I am merciful, I will preserve the right of your descendants to inherit your title, but of course they will receive nothing but this shameful ‘honor’ from you.” Gisela gave the old duke a cold glance.

"You crazy little girl, you've messed with me, you've messed with us, you're digging your own grave! Your fate will be ten thousand times worse than that of Charles I and Louis XVI!" Frederick roared angrily, while Gisela herself smiled and picked at her ear as she watched the Duke being dragged away from the square.

"The 24 nobles directly involved will all be executed, and the 342 nobles indirectly involved will have their property confiscated, but will retain their titles and be exiled to the open regions outside Outer Leitania for pioneering work. Some peripheral nobles will be given various punishments depending on the severity of their crimes, such as stripping of their noble titles and fines..." Gisela continued speaking, while the Viennese citizens below the stage cheered.

PS1: Austria could unite with Prussia 0v0

Chapter 516 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 13 The Prelude to Political Reform (Vote Requested)

"Of course, all those who have shown bravery in this movement, or those parliamentary officers who have voluntarily defected, will be granted a first-class noble title. (Commoners will become barons, barons will become viscounts, and so on)." It is obvious that Gisela has dealt with a large number of old nobles, so it is necessary to appropriately promote emerging nobles to fill the power vacuum in the empire. After that, it is time to lay the groundwork for her core political reforms.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The woman in black respectfully stepped aside, looking at Gisela with a deferential expression.

"Next, I need to announce something. From this moment on, the Empire will abandon its original name, the Austrian Empire, and instead be called: the Kingdom and Imperial Territory represented by the Imperial Diet (which will be known in later generations as the Danube Federation)." The new nation will adopt a federal parliamentary monarchy.

The change in the political system was accompanied by a complete set of imperial political reforms, starting with legislation.

Former kingdoms and provinces of equal rank within the Empire were reorganized into provinces, such as Bohemia and Slovakia. Each province and its subordinate cities would have a local council. Council members were elected entirely locally, and their primary powers were to oversee local finances and enact local laws and regulations that did not violate the Imperial Supreme Council. Oversight of these local laws and regulations was the responsibility of the next higher level of council. The Imperial Supreme Council, however, did not possess the same level of financial oversight as the Empire (central finances were managed by the Cabinet), but it did hold supreme legislative power. Its members were elected by the provincial councils.

Of course, the Imperial Supreme Council is only accountable to Empress Gisela, who possesses absolute veto power and the authority to dissolve and reorganize the council. (In essence, it is a newly established advisory body by Gisela.)

In terms of administration, the highest government of the Empire remained the Cabinet, with the Prime Minister remaining the highest-ranking official. The heads of the administrative offices of each state were appointed by the Cabinet and their appointments were subject to the Empress's approval. Meanwhile, a new examination system was implemented for local civil servants within each state. Applications were typically submitted by the heads of the respective states, and after approval by the Cabinet, personnel from the Cabinet were dispatched to the localities to conduct the examinations. These examinations were open to all citizens of the Empire. Because the examinations were held irregularly, both academic qualifications and practical skills were given particular emphasis.

This can greatly improve the cultural literacy of grassroots civil servants and ensure the efficiency of their administrative governance.

Of course, Gisela still maintained a certain degree of leniency towards the nobles, which meant that they could appropriately lower the threshold for exam scores. This was a compromise she made to win over the lower and middle nobles, since the main target of this crackdown was the major nobles.

In the judicial sphere, local courts and the Imperial Supreme Court were established, functioning similarly to the state and federal courts in the United States. The difference was that the chief justice was appointed by the monarch, who held supreme judicial power, though he usually did not exercise this privilege.

The first three reforms, while seemingly following the separation of powers, were in fact still centered on imperial power, because all three were accountable to it.

Regarding the military, fortunately, the empire originally lacked a so-called military tradition, and the excessive dominance of the military in national politics was not inherently a serious issue. However, to learn from the lessons of certain countries in the past and to prevent the empire from allowing the military's detached status to interfere with government operations in the future, the new imperial law, while granting the commander-in-chief the power to declare war and make peace, also delegated the general authority to mobilize troops to the cabinet. The meaning is obvious: unless Gisela directly intervenes, the cabinet has the right to mobilize the military.

By keeping the power of the army under the control of the emperor and the cabinet, the situation of the army acting independently or even coercing the cabinet could be avoided.

In education, the empire's official language remains German, while other nationalities are allowed to use their own languages. However, German must be used in all official settings, in the promulgation of local regulations and decrees, and in national examinations. School education must also focus on teaching German. This policy, in reality, poses little obstacle to the empire at present, as the benefits of previous economic reforms have diluted public resistance, and the war victory has strengthened national cohesion and a sense of identity.

Using German would not only strengthen unity within the empire, but also enhance the connection between the Danube Confederation and the German Confederation. Culture and economy would become the link connecting the region, laying a solid foundation for the future empire to fully establish a Greater Germany.

Finally, regarding the landed nobles, aside from the rebellious nobles who had already been apprehended, Gisela still used appropriate redemption (coercion) to return all the lands in their noble territories to the local government. They could receive a regular government subsidy in return, and of course, they were allowed to retain their noble titles. In general public settings, commoners were still required to treat them with the same courtesy as before. (The landed nobles became court nobles.)

Louis XIV did the same thing. He built the luxurious Palace of Versailles, where all the nobles lived, ate, drank, and enjoyed themselves. This forced the lords to leave their fiefdoms, effectively reducing their chances of rebellion. After all, without land, they had no army. But Gisela's current reform environment is much better than that king's, and Gisela's vision is far superior to Louis XIV's.

Gisela couldn't possibly explain all these specific policies and measures to the people before her. She simply gave a brief explanation and then left the rest to her subordinates. After all, as a queen, she had to take advantage of any opportunities to relax.

Gisela then slowly left the square and returned to the Hofburg Palace.

As she reached the gate, the guards raised their rifles and placed their hands on their hearts in salute to Gisela. Gisela nodded and entered the palace.

To be honest, becoming empress felt surprisingly good. Perhaps it was the power of the throne that gave Gisela a newfound confidence, one she had never possessed before. In short, she had become arrogant.

Gisela now believes that even when facing Chloris, she can be much more assertive, instead of retreating step by step as before and confirming her status as the victim.