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"That's right, Your Majesties, now the venue is just missing you. Our Sultana will be entering the venue soon."
At this moment, a female slave trotted up to Mustafata and whispered something in his ear. Mustafata's expression changed drastically, and he became extremely solemn.
"My lords, I still have matters to attend to. Please proceed into the venue. I apologize for any shortcomings in our hospitality," Mustafata said apologetically, bowing once more before turning and leaving the courtyard with the female slave.
At that moment, Gisela and Chloris also saw Bismarck and Rita standing by the door.
"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Seemingly playing along with the lie he'd told Rita earlier, Bismarck tactfully inquired. The equally perceptive Chloris glanced at Rita beside her and then winked at Bismarck in understanding; the two displayed a remarkable tacit understanding.
"Well, I rested all day yesterday and came here when I was almost fully recovered. After all, this meeting is very meaningful for Prussia."
"What a coincidence! I just bumped into Her Majesty Gisela outside. It's been so long since we last met; I've missed her dearly." Chloris presented herself as dignified and elegant in public, displaying the poise of a true lady of high society. Of course, everyone present knew her wicked nature all too well.
As Chloris spoke, she deliberately scratched Gisela's back with her index finger.
“Yes, I also ran into Chloris by chance and chatted with her.” Gisela chuckled as she smoothed her golden hair across her forehead.
Unfortunately, Rita was unmoved by Gisela's accusations and instead observed Gisela's every move with suspicion. After all, her mistress was a habitual philanderer who was always sneaking off and having affairs!
"You guys continue, Bismarck, let's go." Chloris glanced at Gisela with a slight upturn of her lips, then, taking advantage of Rita's blind spot, made a gesture towards Gisela, taking the opportunity to tease her a bit.
Then, amidst Gisela's displeased expression and Bismarck's helpless sigh, he stepped into the hall first.
"Rita, are you alright? If you are, let's go inside quickly," Gisela said, looking at the silver-haired maid in front of her.
Looking at Gisela, who was feigning innocence, Rita put aside her earlier accusatory thoughts and prepared to use a gentle approach to evoke Gisela's sense of guilt, thereby achieving her own goal.
Then Rita suddenly hugged Gisela and said:
"Your Majesty, I miss you so much. I thought you were missing yesterday. Everyone was looking for you. I really thought I would never see you again." Tears streamed down Rita's pretty face, and her heartbroken appearance unsurprisingly made Gisela waver.
Gisela had never seen a girl cry before, let alone her maid (wife) who was with her day and night. She could only put her arms around Rita's waist and wipe away the tears on her face.
At this moment, Gisela was unaware that the girl crying in her arms was carefully examining Gisela's scent with her nose. Although it was faint, she seemed to smell something different from the perfume she had prepared for Gisela; it wasn't just perfume, but also some other indescribable aroma.
That's just too suspicious!
PS1: Ra!
Chapter 558 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 55 The first time is normal (Seeking votes)
“Jeanne, where are Aponia and the others?” Gisela asked softly.
"I was looking for you all night and I was too tired to go home and rest."
"I'm sorry, Rita," Gisela said apologetically. In her mind, it seemed Rita had forced herself to come here for diplomatic affairs for her own and her country's sake; otherwise, she would surely want to go back and rest...
"It doesn't matter if Ling Liu or Baba, as long as His Majesty comes back, that's all that matters."
"..." This intensified her guilt, making her practically wear her guilt on her sleeve. Just then, a tearing pain shot through her lower body, forcing her to gasp.
"I'd like to pick some flowers, why don't you guys go in first?"
“Yes, Your Majesty.” Rita nodded and reluctantly parted from Gisela.
Gisela then strode into the toilet as if fleeing.
"It hurts so much, what's wrong?" Gisela leaned against the wall, gently lifting her skirt to check her condition.
"It's normal to feel pain the first time, but you won't have to worry about this kind of thing in the future."
"I have some of our palace's internal medicines here that can relieve your pain, but I really didn't expect this to be your first time. As long as you pay attention to contraception in the future, those servants won't be able to comment on your private life." A familiar yet unfamiliar voice entered Gisela's ears, and Gisela was so startled that she suddenly loosened her skirt and turned her head to the side.
At that moment, a stunningly beautiful woman wearing a veil stood before her, and Gisela could only recall one person with such an appearance: Sultanah Hurrem of the Ottoman Empire.
"What are you doing here!" Gisela suddenly stepped back, slipping on her high heels and falling to the ground. Fortunately, she reacted quickly, grabbing the wall with her right hand, leaning forward, and lifting one leg off the ground, completing a difficult move that made the scene incredibly comical.
“If you can be here, why can’t I?” Sultana covered her face and laughed, looking at Gisela with great interest.
The awkwardness she displayed today was a stark contrast to her composed and strategic demeanor a few days ago, which made Hurlem wonder what kind of fox was more real.
“Yeah, that’s true…” Gisela scratched her hair, looking a little embarrassed.
“You are more easygoing and interesting than I thought.” Hulem’s every move exuded the unique reserve and elegance of an Easterner, and her words were not sarcastic, which was in stark contrast to Jeanne. Even if the latter’s sharp tongue was just a matter of personality, it was still easy for her to offend people.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh." Gisela regained her balance and stood up straight, her blue eyes showing a hint of her characteristic cunning and seriousness.
“I am the one who should apologize. I shouldn’t have appeared behind you so abruptly.” Hulem pointed to the carpet not far away, then walked onto it and knelt down.
Whether it's the Ottoman court's refined taste or something, who would have thought they made the toilet so big, especially since there seemed to be a place to chat and drink tea next to it? Gisela doesn't even know how to comment on this design.
Gisela followed Sultana and knelt down on the carpet not far away.
“Normally, only the Sultan’s concubines are allowed to enter the inner palace. Other men are not permitted to come here. We added this design to make it easier for those waiting outside the toilets.” Seemingly noticing the confusion on Gisela’s face, Hürem explained to herself.
In reality, medieval Europe had virtually no concept of toilets. People dumped their excrement and urine on the streets, completely forgetting the advanced sewer systems and bathhouses of the Roman and Greek eras. The crucial point is that they constantly clamored to revive Rome, yet they couldn't even maintain proper hygiene and bathing habits—how could they call themselves Rome?
Of course, 19th-century Europe was synonymous with civilization and progress, and no one can question that.
“Shahrado often mentions you, saying you are a model of European monarchy. She also said that you will definitely become the most visionary and ambitious emperor in the history of the Habsburg dynasty. Even Charles V will not be able to compare with you in the future.” Hurrem’s high praise for Gisela made the fox herself feel a little embarrassed.
He didn't actually think Charles V was that great. He was just a mediocre king born with a silver spoon in his mouth, who instead plunged the Habsburg family into endless wars, leading to a deficit in the national treasury.
As for your claim that he established the first empire on which the sun never sets, it's more accurate to say that previous Spanish monarchs laid the foundation for this through active overseas expansion rather than establishing it.
Only by standing on the side of the monarch's cause could Gisela discover Charles V's problems. This is also reflected in the improvement of Gisela's own governance level. She is not being modest. According to her current performance, her three-dimensional rating in Europa Universalis should be 666. After all, although she has had some setbacks so far, her record is still undefeated.
"Your Majesty Gisela, may I ask where you stayed last night?" Hulem's beautiful face showed some curiosity; even the mighty Sultanah of the Empire couldn't suppress her gossipy nature.
"Where did you stay?" Gisela's expression flashed with embarrassment at Sultana's question. Could she really tell Miss Sultana that she had slept in their mosque for a night and done many unspeakable things? Although, in reality, the Hagia Sophia was not frequently used as a place of worship; large events were usually held at the nearby Blue Mosque.
“On the street,” Gisela said after thinking it over. His intention was to avoid exposing his relationship with Chloris to outsiders.
"On the street!?" Hürem's face showed astonishment. She hadn't expected the Austrian Empress to be so open-minded! This was her first time, after all! Thinking of this, Hürem felt a deep respect for Gisela's attitude.
"How many people do you live with?" Hulem continued to ask.
"How many people?" If Gisela had found the previous question difficult to answer, she could now make up a lie without a care, since it wasn't real anyway.
“I’m staying on the second floor of the hotel. There are 12 of us in total, including me. Everyone is very warm and hospitable. I talked with them for a long time and learned a lot,” Gisela said seriously.
"Eleven people? My God, are they all feeling alright?" Hulem looked extremely surprised.
PS1: Unofficial History: The Empress's Istanbul Nights
Chapter 559 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 56 Diplomatic Arena (Seeking Votes)
"My body? My body is fine. It's just a little sore." As she said this, Gisela slumped onto the table again in pain. Now, just thinking about Chloris made her want to tear her apart.
Unfortunately, Gisela was unaware of the hidden emotions beneath the veil of the seemingly gentle, dignified, beautiful, and elegant Sultana before her, and the myriad of scenarios playing out in her mind. If Gisela were to discover these things, she would likely never be able to look this lady in the eye again.
“I’ll give you all these ointments.” Hulem took out a small bottle of ointments from her fine clothes and pushed it in front of Gisela.
"How do I use this?" Gisela asked, somewhat confused.
"Would you like me to teach you?" Hurlem looked at Gisela's face. For some reason, seemingly influenced by Shahrador, she was unexpectedly interested in Gisela with her fox ears.
"No, no!" Gisela shook her head, picked up the plaster, and ran into the toilet by herself.
Turning our attention back to the banquet—
“If you agree to our conditions, France can send five armies, totaling 150,000 men, to Turkey. Of course, you will be responsible for all the supplies and expenses incurred en route.” Thiers maintained his assertive tone as he dealt with Victoria’s bargaining.
After all, she had plenty of time to play games with the Russians before they arrived.
“Transportation is possible, but we can handle the resupply ourselves; there’s nothing Britain can do to help with that.” The cost of 150,000 troops is no small sum, and even if Queen Victoria agreed, she couldn’t persuade the members of Parliament to agree to such an absurd idea.
"That's a real shame. We've shown enough sincerity, but not every guest can understand our good intentions." Thiers pretended to be troubled, resting his chin on his right hand and sighing helplessly.
Seeing the stalemate between the two sides, Cloris leisurely ignored the dogfight between the British and French. Unlike her, Bismarck, although he stayed by her side, kept his eyes on Queen Victoria and French President Thiers.
“Bismarck, you know better than I what Prussia needs now, and what Germany needs.” Chloris picked up her fork, rolled up a piece of spaghetti, and placed it on her plate, enjoying the food.
“Your Majesty means…” Bismarck tilted her head, observing Chloris’s expression, trying to guess what she was thinking.
"As you can see, Britain and France can never be as close as they were during the Crimean War, because Thiers is not Napoleon III. She cannot possibly appease the British and participate in a war that has little to do with French interests just to gain diplomatic support."
"Your Majesty, this speculation cannot be used as a basis for asserting that the two countries cannot cooperate," Bismarck retorted earnestly. Indeed, Bismarck's thinking was not without merit; on the world diplomatic stage, there has never been everlasting friendship, only just breaches of contract and repeated, ruthless betrayals.
“Just a few days ago, the Princess of Wales, Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter and the future heir to the British throne, secretly visited Gisela and hinted at a proposal to involve Austria in the Turkish question. Although Gisela did not express a clear opinion at the time, this at least proves that there is a trend of cooperation with Austria in Britain,” Chloris said while slurping her noodles.
"The Prince of Wales cannot represent Britain, and the veracity of this intelligence, in my opinion, remains to be confirmed." Meticulousness was always Bismarck's hallmark in handling diplomacy and politics.
"She told me this herself last night."
"Cough cough cough!" Bismarck almost coughed up a mouthful of blood, and for a moment he didn't know how to complain about his emperor.
“Germany needs to maintain a unified pace, at least in the appearance of it.” Chloris put down her fork, looking at Bismarck with a serious expression. Her crimson eyes flashed with an unprecedented solemnity. Her implication was clear: Prussia would do as the Austrians did.
"The Crown Prince of the All-Russian Empire, Alexander Alexandrovich, and Grand Duchess Anastasia Alexandrarovna of the Russian Empire have arrived!" As the grand announcement came from outside the courtyard, the guests in the hall stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward the entrance.
Queen Victoria was carefully adjusting her clothes, a detail that Thiers noticed from the side.
"Hmph! Your dream lover's son is here, and you're too nervous to do anything to him. Now you're not even willing to let his son go?" Thiers' sarcasm was palpable, but of course, all she got in return was a glare from Victoria.
Queen Victoria had no affection for Alexander II, as both of them had long passed their youth and had become political monsters who considered the national interest.
She adjusted her clothes simply to avoid losing in terms of presence to the Russians, who were now Britain's biggest rival.
The powerful Royal Navy fears no opponent, but when faced with Russia, a superpower of land power, it is truly powerless and has nowhere to use its strength. If it really wants to deal with Russia, it has a difficult opponent to deal with.
Alexander walked ahead with his head held high. Although many of those present were his diplomatic seniors, the naturally proud Alexander showed no fear of them. He calmly displayed the qualities expected of a mature future ruler.
He walked straight toward Queen Victoria and then politely extended his hand.
"Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to meet you. My father often spoke of you, saying you are a beautiful and intelligent lady. We will never forget your kindness to our family." The meaning hidden in the Crown Prince's smile was clear: he had not forgotten the grudge against his grandfather, Nicholas I, from ten years ago.
“Alexander, you look more like your father and grandfather when they were young than the rumors say.” Of course, the old lady was never one to mince words; she was equally veiled in her remarks to the Russians.
Just then, Gisela, overjoyed at being free from pain, walked into the hall. However, due to the corner and the angle of view, she didn't notice the silver-haired girl in front of her and bumped into her.
The two then fell to the ground together.
At the same moment, the tense leaders of Russia and Britain turned around in unison to look at the Austrian Empress and her future "young wife" candidate, Archduchess Anna, behind them.
PS1: There are too many Le VIIII3 Zero-Zero Qishan Temples.
Chapter 560 The Turkish Symphony of the Vienna Rose: Capter 57 The Beautiful Archduchess (Seeking Votes)
"Excuse me, are you alright?" Gisela took a deep breath and tried to straighten her back. The old pain hadn't subsided, and new pain immediately followed. She wanted to complain, but the girl beneath her drew her attention.
Her face was as delicate and adorable as a doll's, her eyes as clear and bright as the waters of Lake Baikal. Her skin was as white as the snow on the Caucasus Mountains, and her demeanor was icy, carrying her own aloofness, like the permafrost of the Siberian plains, showing no sign of melting.
Even though her hand was placed on the other person's not-so-prominent Ural Mountains in a harassing manner, the other person still did not show any anger or dissatisfaction. Perhaps for her, emotions were a luxury.
"Your Majesty Gisela, and Lady Anastasia, are you alright?" Compared to the calm between the two, the Ottomans standing to the side felt somewhat nervous. They were feeling guilty for causing such an awkward scene between the Empress and the Grand Duchess of a nation.
Given the aggressive attitude of the current Tsar Alexander II of the Russian Empire, this incident could even be seen by him as a humiliation of the Russian Empire due to the Ottomans' poor planning.
This would make it seem justifiable to invade the Ottoman Empire. After all, both countries understood that war was inevitable; the only questions now were when it would break out and which allies they could secure.
"I'm fine." Gisela stood up, feigning composure with a faint smile, and then extended her hand to the girl on the ground.
Gisela didn't want to make a big deal out of this; she simply wanted to help the Russian princess.
"Is your tail real?" Anastasia sat up, a hint of curiosity on her cool face, her gaze fixed on the fluffy fox tail beneath Gisela's dress.
"What do you think?" Perhaps finding the silver-haired girl's reaction amusing, Gisela deliberately turned around and, in front of Anastasia, displayed her beautiful fox tail.
“Oh…” Anstasia nodded her head, then grabbed Gisela’s tail.
"Nya!?" The instant touch from her tail made Gisela instinctively let out an incredibly alluring sound. It seemed that as she grew older, Gisela's characteristics as a magic user of the fox lineage of the Chinese Empire were also becoming apparent. Perhaps she herself was unaware of the magical aura she had just released that attracted others.
Not only did the ordinary people at the banquet experience a brief moment of mental disorientation, but even Victoria, a magic user, and French President Thiers felt a strange tremor, though their reason quickly suppressed the feeling.
"Bismarck, don't be so surprised. The fox's talent in ability far exceeds your imagination." At this moment, Chloris looked at the comical scene in the distance, reminiscing about the pleasure that a certain troublesome fox had brought her last night. She swirled the wine in her glass and drank it all in one gulp.
As the true consort of the Austrian Empress, her beauty and charm were something only she could experience, and that was the lingering effect of being a victor.
"If I'm not mistaken, that was actually a mental-type magical attack. You know, this has never happened before, not even in European history." Compared to Chloris's composure, Bismarck showed a slight unease about Gisela's abilities. Of course, this unease wasn't because of Gisela's strength, but rather because of the strange feeling she always had when she was alone with Gisela. But now it seemed to be because of the other party's abilities?
This moment left Bissi O Qi VIII [) Temple 4 Wu Liu Mai confused and unsure of her own thoughts...
“I’m sorry…” Anastasia released her hand, then stood up and looked at Gisela in front of her.
"It's not your fault..." Gisela pursed her lips, using a smile to ease her embarrassment. To be honest, she did make a mistake, but it wasn't a big deal. As long as she didn't show her embarrassment, it was others who were embarrassed.
"Anna, come to me." At this moment, some authoritative male voices reached Gisela's ears, and Gisela turned her head to look at the young man not far away.
"Your Majesty, I am very sorry that my sister has offended you. Please don't take it to heart. I will have her come to you to express her apologies another day." Crown Prince Alexander's words were polite and appropriate. After all, as the new Tsar, these were the basic qualities he was required to have.
Alexander III, according to history, would have succeeded his assassinated father as the thirteenth Tsar of the Russian Empire. Even more interestingly, his wife was none other than Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who was shot down and nearly killed by Gisela, who was possessed by Subek, during the Second Sino-Prussian War.
Influenced by his wife, he deeply resented the German states that had defeated Denmark, whether it was the Kingdom of Prussia or the Austrian Empire. On the other hand, he also inherited his father's hatred and harbored a strong aversion to the British. Naturally inclined towards France, he promoted Slavicization within the Russian court to mitigate the influence of the Germanic ancestry of the previous six Russian monarchs.
In short, she had virtually no affinity for Gisela. If it weren't for diplomatic needs and Gisela's beauty, she probably wouldn't have wanted to say a single word to the German.
“It’s alright, no need for an apology.” Gisela responded politely before turning to look at Victoria and Thiers, who were standing in the distance.
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