I Am Louis XIV

Barras did not wait too long. After all, his current status was still the papal envoy. On the surface, Louis XIV of France was still a very devout believer. He only paraded in Rome but did not invite the then pope to Paris. Or is Alvernon a permanent resident?

But unlike the king that Frederick met, Barras met the king in the splendid and solemn Jupiter Hall, and in this hall, almost everyone who was qualified to have a room in Versailles arrived, Even Mrs. Montespan, who had just given birth to the king's third son, insisted on coming to the scene. She was dressed extravagantly and made up heavily. She was leaning against the king's throne. The fan in her hand opened and closed quickly from time to time. Sometimes she held it against her chin, and sometimes pressed it against her chest. She tried her best to appear as peaceful as possible, but the more she did this, the more strange it seemed to those who were familiar with her.

The person who is closer to the king than Madame Montespan is the Duke of Orleans. Today he is wearing a dark red gold jacquard coat, studded with ribbons and gems. However, today he is not as dazzling as his brother. Louis XIV is wearing today A quilted royal blue velvet robe, the quilted threads on the robe are all silver thread, and each intersection is embellished with a round pearl that no woman can resist - in the new way of cutting diamonds Before coming out, in the hearts of the nobles of Europe, pearls were the top of the jewelry rankings. After all, it was too difficult to get a perfect round pearl. When Columbus went to sea to find the New World, Castile at that time Queen Leah also specifically asked him to bring back the pearls - but after Louis ordered the jewelry craftsmen to develop a new diamond cutting method so that the diamonds could emit a brilliance comparable to the stars, diamonds also became the target of people's pursuit... and then every day Each pearl is surrounded by a circle of tiny diamonds. The fire of the diamonds and the soft light of the pearls complement each other, making the king look like a mortal god.

Therefore, Louis XIV did not wear more jewelry and only wore a brooch on his scarf, but this brooch was set with a diamond as big as an apricot.

Barras must admit that he was full of jealousy and regret, and he did not hesitate to abandon his duties and obligations, because at that time Louis XIV was just a man who would be driven out by a mob wielding pitchforks and clubs. The Louvre and even Paris are just poor people. First, people thought that Gaston, Duke of Orleans at the time, would become the king of France. Later, they thought that the great Condé would become the king with great military achievements. No one thought-except the Queen Mother and Maza However, Bishop, this young man who is not yet underage will step up step by step. Not only will he trample former enemies such as Gaston and Condé Grande under his feet, but he will also defeat the Spanish, Austrians and Dutch, and march to Rome. The whole church trembled.

Not to mention that the power of the outer world cannot affect the inner world. No matter how arrogant the wizards and monks are, as long as they still rely on and communicate with the outside world, they cannot ignore such a powerful ruler - even though they have magic that is beyond the reach of mortals. and talents, but if wizards, vampires and werewolves could fight against humans, it would not be them who retreated to the other world in the first place, but mortals.

It wasn't that Barras didn't expect that he would still have to kneel to the King of France, but what he didn't expect was that he would have to bow to Louis XIV, whom he had abandoned and despised...a child without a father. When he bent down deeply, even though his face was expressionless and he murmured beautiful words, Louis could still guess what he was thinking, just like any gambler who lost a bet, Barras was not the same. He would repent for his greed and viciousness, and would only hate Louis and Philippe for not dying.

Of course, if Gaston was sitting here today, Barras would have been treated better. After all, it was this ambitious guy who colluded with the Roman Church.

——————

Just a few days ago, Mrs. Montespan wanted to ask the papal envoy to baptize her newborn son, but this request was rejected. The person who baptizes the newborn will have an inescapable connection with the newborn. Eralio had already reminded the king of this, so every child of Louis was baptized by Cardinal Lariviere. Louis can guarantee that he can firmly control this timid cardinal who loves good food and gold, but Barras? Even if Elario was asked to baptize Louis, he would not be allowed close to his children.

"You also know, madam," Louis said to his royal wife kindly: "I am not completely ignorant of where you came from. You have shown me your power, and I will naturally trace your origins... "He paused, because Madame Montespan had immediately thrown herself at his feet: "Please forgive me, please protect me," she shouted with her hair disheveled and her face pale, although Louis knew very well that if anything, No one can compare with Madame Montespan in her selfishness and ruthlessness - when she was only seven years old, she was determined to stab her biological father in the heart.

But similarly, if Mrs. Montespan wants to ask for someone's love and forgiveness, she is also sincere to the extreme... This behavior, similar to a beautiful and ferocious beast exposing its belly in surrender, can make the most... Solid stone melts.

Louis once wondered how his physician, Varro Vesalius, could be willing to forgive his eldest daughter, and how Duke Mortemar could consider her like a real father... Now he finally understood, Because he was also hesitating: "Stand up, madam," he said: "Since I have not asked a judge to judge you, and your room is also in Versailles, not in the Bastille," he said meaningfully: "You should Understand that I will not punish you for your previous deceptions.”

"A plant sprouts roots in the wrong place," said Madame Montespan, "but it must still turn towards the sun. Your Majesty, I have flowers and fruits for you."

"That's why I can tolerate you...accept you," Louis said: "In fact, this is very unfair to the other person. She is being punished, while you are still at large."

Mrs. Montespan clenched her skirt. She knew who the king was referring to, and she had to do this. Mary Mancini's position in the king's heart was too special, unless she committed a crime that could not be tolerated - even if it was only It was a big mistake that she couldn't get the attention of the king, although she is regretting it now - she shouldn't have been so impatient, no, it should be said that she was wrong from her husband, because he was working for Lovas The Marquis was doing something, and his death was likely to be investigated... Unbeknownst to others, her father, Varro Vesalius, could tell with just one glance that he was poisoned by a wizard's poison.

What she didn't expect was that her envoy, Clement X, would lose control of Rome, and the cardinal leader not only disapproved of his actions, but even opposed it, so much so that he sent Obi Mrs. Nie suddenly unveiled her last layer of fig leaf - she didn't have many things to rely on now, except for her children, her two fathers, and the power that belonged to Clement X in her hand.

"Then please tell me, what role does Barras play in this conspiracy?" Louis asked.

"Him?" Madame Montespan could barely conceal her contempt, "You know the Ile de la Liège, right?" Louis nodded - the Ile de la Liège and the Isla Caiola are opposite each other from a distance in Italy, so she continued. Go on, "The monks of the Roman Church are not all from another world," Louis also knew, because Barras took his people with him when he left, and Elario was able to quickly and easily pick up the people. After passing the power of the Paris Inquisition, he later brought many of his tribesmen from Caiola Island to fill the gap left by Barras: "He sold the French islands to Clement X, the entire island." said Madame de Montespan.

"Sold to Clement X?" Louis pondered: "Is that what I thought it meant?"

"Obviously, Clement X has the same idea as you." If it were Charles II or Leopold I, even though they knew about the existence of the other world, they would not allow wizards to appear outside the veil - - Wizards have been silent in the shadows for hundreds of years since Merlin. It can be said that if Louis XIV, who had no faith at all and no scruples, had not appeared, this situation might have continued until mortal science could Until the wizard's magic is defeated.

But Louis XIV's indulgence and use of wizards not only irritated the kings, but also the priests in Rome. When it came to using wizards, Louis XIV was not as skillful as them.

With the help of the Mancini family, Louis XIV has obtained Gaiola, and other monarchs may follow suit. The Roman Church will certainly not give up just yet - this power may be the last thing that belongs to them. Barras has always been in Rome. Depressed, when he was in Lorraine, he was defeated by his former student Eralius. Of course, in order to get what the church had promised him, he would do anything to get what the church had promised him. However, Louis only then learned from Madame Montespan that Barca Lars was actually crazier than the Mancini family, or even Mary Mancini. Just for the sake of a bishopric without a diocese, he gave the "key" to the inner world of the Sun Islands to Clement X.

To be honest, if all wizards are like this, it's no wonder that there has never been a second Merlin - no, Louis thought, even the ending of Merlin being imprisoned in the boulder by his disciples and lover is still open to question. In any case, it was too difficult for him to believe that the man who built an illegitimate child into a holy king could be played by a woman like an alcoholic butcher.

"There are Judas everywhere," Louis shook his head: "Tell me how much you know about Barras."

Of course, Mrs. Montespan would not have much contact with Barras, but a large part of the wizards and monks under her command were from the Sun Islands. Since they heard what Barras had done, except for some, they could not give up. Almost all the family members and wizards in the family turned against Madame Montespan - it was understandable that they made this decision. Those who believed that an impeccable beauty like Madame Montespan must be favored by the king were not only the courtiers and nobles, but Montespan. Pan didn't know Barras, but they must have known it. Several of them had followed Barras all the way from Paris to Rome.

After learning more about what kind of person Barras is, today's extravagant, spectacular, dazzling and stressful interview ceremony came to pass.

After Barras was intimidated and treated coldly, the subsequent negotiations would be much simpler. Barras brought the edict of Clement X, which of course could be viewed as a joke.

Those trials (for those who Clement X considered blasphemous and practicing witchcraft - such as the Duke of Luxembourg); the restoration of the old canon law, that is, the refusal to pay the poll tax, and asking the king to allow the outflow of gold and silver coins (all kinds of money paid by the priests to the church) Fees) and so on, there are also tithes collected by the church from the common people...because this tax has never been found, and the church has not received it for hundreds of years anyway; there are also tithes that Louis clearly said However, he would not give up the power of appointing and dismissing bishops to the church - Louis XIV took the so-called papal letter and threw it casually on the table. Barras moved his lips, but in the end he was unable to speak.

"Perhaps I should speak to the real patriarch," Louis said: "Baras, your master."

Barras's face suddenly turned red. He raised his head and glared at the king, but the two monks beside the king forced him to lower his head again with even colder eyes.

"Regarding the expectations of the church," Louis said slowly, "I will fulfill the duties that a pious monarch should perform - the reasonable part." As he said, he stretched his shoulders and quietly A few years later, he was about to go on another expedition. Compared with Clement X's idiotic talk, the cardinal leader had a much clearer mind. He said several things to Louis in a deliberation tone in his letter. , the first and foremost is the threat to Austria from the Ottoman Turks.

Although Poland had the Great Condé Ludwig I and Sobieski, the Ottoman Turks canonized Tekoy Imre, a man who lost his father and many others because of his resistance to Habsburg rule. His relative's Hungarian nobleman was the Grand Duke of Transylvania, in order to be able to attack Austria through Transylvania if necessary.

Hungary was divided into three parts by the Habsburgs, Transylvania and Ottoman Turkey, upper, middle and lower. Tekoy Imre fought all the way to Upper Hungary, which was equivalent to opening a road to the sky. , although Ludwig I and Sobieski were also trying their best to stop the Ottoman Turks, it was obvious that they could not pass through the territory of the Grand Duke of Transylvania. In this way, whether France was willing to lend a helping hand became a question. This is an extremely critical point.

Although Louis was willing to watch Leopold I die, as a member of the Catholic League, he could not sit idly by, so he had to send an army - this personal expedition was also necessary, otherwise Leopold I would become the commander-in-chief of the coalition forces If so (this is almost inevitable), the generals under his command will be very passive. This time Louis will not even use Schaumberg, although Marshal Schaumberg took the initiative to ask for help.

But he will definitely take Barras away.