I Am Louis XIV

If possible, Louis did not intend to go on an expedition at this time - he arranged several marriages for his children in succession, just to allow France to rest and recuperate after capturing the Netherlands and Flanders - the glory created by Saint Louis had long been in Flanders. Sauvage I stayed away from France. Later, due to several civil wars between Catholics and Huguenots, and between cardinals and their opponents (Richelieu and Mazarin), this strong warrior repeatedly committed suicide. hurt.

When Louis XIV came to the throne, France at that time was like a tall beggar wearing rags. Although it was not like the Grand Duke of Tuscany who followed the Holy Roman Emperor to pray for a little mercy, as a philosopher said, When a person continues to recall the glory of his ancestors, it means that there is nothing admirable about him - if Louis XIV had died in an attack by the Fronde or werewolves, France might also have to face a disaster. A tragic ending for ancient Rome.

——Fragmented political power, officials and nobles with ulterior motives, and confused people...

When Louis XIV first conquered the Netherlands, some people persuaded him (I don’t know whether it was because of bribery or his original intention) that the victory in the previous war to capture Flanders was beyond people’s surprise, and the king could do it Just give it up when it's good, why bother to mortgage the royal property and palace in order to conquer the Netherlands - but at that time, Louis XIV saw clearly, first of all, because of Flanders's special geographical location, if he stopped in Brussels, So even if he captures the entire Flanders, he will "give" Flanders away little by little under the pressure of the Netherlands, Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, because Flanders alone cannot support him. The current standing army of 150,000 people does not have an army of this size. It is just a daydream for him to stabilize his rule in such a vast new territory.

But if he gets the Netherlands, not only can he get huge assets from the Dutch treasury that can offset the cost of two wars, but he can also keep this fat cow in his pocket, although it may not be able to get used to the king's trap for a while. The bridle on his head, but he has also begun to transfuse blood to France in the past two years... After all, the graded tax implemented by Louis XIV was not higher than the highest tax during the Spanish rule, which was targeted at Dutch merchants and bankers. , the lowest level is even lower than the original price of the Great Council.

Coupled with the wartime law policy that Viscount Turenne strictly implemented after becoming the governor of the three provinces of the Netherlands - the most intolerable to this policy are those members of the parliament who are not kings but also kings, but not to mention the Netherlands, even the third level of France The Parliament also existed in name only after Louis took over, and the High Court was also dispatched by the king. These guys, who can be traced back to their origins, are just pirates and merchants. In terms of blood and surname, there is no way to compare with Turenne, who is also a descendant of Orange. Viscount compared.

Speaking of the army, how can those mercenaries and reckless men in the family who are always ready for treachery compare with the professional soldiers under the Viscount Turenne - who almost day and night look forward to encountering rebellion or rebellion? The villain works to add a star to his shoulder or a sharp sword...

Those who were unwilling to do so also tried to stir up public dissatisfaction against the French. Of course, the Dutch people did not have any good impression of the French. But not everyone born in this world will sincerely accept freedom above life.

After spending several months under strict laws, they were surprised to find that there were fewer fools wandering the streets doing nothing and causing trouble, and that the poll tax and wartime taxes that weighed on them were no more than those under parliamentary rule. The time was heavy - it's not that Louis XIV became a saint, but that the Netherlands now has no fleet. Yes, no one would think that those big businessmen or parliament would take money from their own pockets to maintain the operation of the fleet, right? , these were still collected from the lowest level of the people, but at that time, this reason was irrefutable.

No matter where the people are, they can live their lives peacefully without worrying about food and clothing. It doesn't matter whether they can go out after nine o'clock in the evening. And as Viscount Turenne said, as long as a city can guarantee that for five years If there is no riot within the government, some more stringent measures can be banned. With hope, people are willing to endure.

If there is anything that cannot be saved even by the king's mercy, it may be a matter of faith.

Because he had no faith, Louis XIV had always been troubled with religious issues, and he had a bad impression of the Huguenots. Therefore, in order to maintain domestic technology, education, and economic development, the only thing he could do was to convert the Huguenots. The Huguenots were gathered together in one place, lest they should form a new force where he could not see them. It is impossible to say that there was no loss at all when moving to Orleans - Louis XIV did not consider this.

Perhaps seeing the king's ruthlessness and determination, the Huguenots actually split into several factions. The moderates decided to follow the king's order and move to the Orleans District - they believed that they could conquer the Huguenots. They gathered together to form a relatively large force, which was better than them being scattered in various places and being defeated by the Catholics; there were neutrals who tried every means to escape; there were also radicals, but They failed to stir up any trouble before the king's army.

There is also a force. They asked the king's physician Chambolance to plead on their behalf - they wanted to follow the eldest princess to Sweden, or follow the eldest princess to Brandenburg-Prussia - the former was fine, and the latter Or Louis XIV would have lamented their keen sense of smell. Perhaps until now, Leopold I did not know that the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Brandenburg was in Paris.

"You can go back and tell them so," Louis said kindly to Chambolance - who did not hesitate to contribute forceps and delivery techniques, and added an important course to the Royal Medical College of France, which may be able to provide The man who saved the lives of tens of thousands of babies and mothers in France, even though he was also a Huguenot, the king was willing to show kindness to him: "I will indeed ask the eldest princess and eldest princess to bring enough servants and courtiers. ," he looked into Chambolance's eyes: "But I have two requirements, sir. First, they must be a Frenchman, and then they must have enough capital to make me believe that he can become my daughter and niece. The value of the dowry.”

After speaking, Louis tapped Chambolance's chest again, "For example, your son and students."

Chambolance was startled when he heard this, and then he couldn't help but smile bitterly. He was not a radical Huguenot in the first place. He was originally chosen as the leader because he had great popularity. His son and Students - since entering medical school, they have become even more dismissive of some of the past practices of the Huguenots. They feel that when they are forced to convert and oppressed, resistance and escape are justifiable, but in the When the king is so tolerant, to act like this would be tantamount to treason.

"We are French first," his son said.

The king's meaning is very clear. Rather than a Catholic, he can even allow a Huguenot to follow the eldest princess or the eldest princess, but the premise is that it is a Frenchman, not a Dutchman or a Swede. People - he thought of the teaching books produced and printed by the Duke of Orleans himself, the ubiquitous schoolmasters, the vivid descriptions of saints and heroes (all French without exception) - this king is persevering No matter who he is or what he believes in, even if he is a devil, he must have the concept of being French deeply engraved in his soul, better than any other definition.

So even without Louis XIII's abnormal death, Louis XIV would not tolerate the Huguenots. It was not that he could not tolerate their beliefs, but that he could not tolerate them dividing the country into two because of their beliefs.

But that is a country and a nation... As for the monarch, shouldn't Louis XIV want people to be completely loyal to himself and his descendants? Such behavior is too dangerous for a king, because when people put country and nation before the king - they may abandon the king for both.

"So, what about you? In your imagination, where will you be?" When Chambolance heard his question, he realized that he had spoken the words unknowingly. After a brief dizziness, he He suddenly calmed down - the king had received him in the morning, and the sun was already very bright. Through the huge glass windows, it left burning marks on the walnut floor. Even looking at it made his eyes sting. But when you bathe in the sun, the heat the sun brings to your body will make you feel more comfortable.

Sun King, what a fitting title.

Louis thought for a while, he really had never thought that since he was born, he has been closely related to this country, like one body.

"If I must say it," Chambolance heard His Majesty the King say softly: "Sir, I am the country."

——————

I am the country. If it were not for Mr. Chambolance's problem, Louis XIV might not have thought of this sentence, but... I am the country does not mean endless enjoyment and extravagance as some people think - in In the balance of fate, when a person's weight is equal to that of the entire country, it also means that he is carrying a weight that ordinary people cannot bear. Of course, he can give up and refuse, but from that point on, I will The country has lost its meaning to him.

It doesn’t matter what kind of impact Mr. Chambolance received, but Louis XIV gently put these words behind him a few minutes later. Any heroic words without the support of facts are just an airflow that is not very polite.

Because he had decided to rescue Vienna, some important policies implemented by Louis XIV had to be revised accordingly.

If he is still in Paris or Versailles, the executioner can request an audience anywhere and ask the king for his opinion - but if the king is far away in Hungary, coming and going, even with a wizard's raven, will be delayed a lot of time.

Therefore, the king wants to delegate power to the Duke of Orleans, the eldest princess, the eldest princess, and even little Eugen, who is studying at the military academy. In addition to being old, he only likes to chat and play cards among the female officials. Even the always cautious Queen Mother The silent queen was also pulled out, not to mention the Duchess of Orleans, who was originally responsible for female education in Paris and Versailles.

Louis XIV said that in the one, two, or three years after he left Paris, his series of policies must be implemented uninterrupted, no matter what setbacks he encountered or what gratifying results he saw. , he also specifically mentioned that although the eldest princess, the eldest princess and little Eugen all have work to do, they still have to study every day - even the little Duke of Enghien, his courses and teachers, the king also arranged for him alright……

Ludwig I, the eldest son of the Grand Condé, was naturally extremely grateful for this. After all, the younger Duke of Enghien was a hostage in Versailles. Without the support of France, it would be difficult for them and his son to gain a foothold in Poland, let alone establish authority. This time His arrival was a retaliation from Ludwig I - but Louis XIV had no intention of turning the young Duke of Enghien into a useless person from the beginning - maybe some people would do this, but Louis XIV knew very well that an incompetent waste Capable of causing more trouble than a smart careerist.

Moreover, the age of the little Duke of Enghien can also allow the king's primary education to develop to younger age groups. At this time, people still rely mostly on the women in the family for the education of young children, the child's mother, aunt or sister, but this long Older children often have big flaws in their character - after all, those who love them must indulge them in every possible way. The result is that their rough and violent characters have to be corrected by teachers' whips and wooden sticks, which forms a public system. The inevitable corporal punishment system in school, of course, is also related to the qualifications of teachers.

With the addition of teacher resources from the Huguenots, Louis XIV could quickly open courses and schools for children aged six to ten, although people at this time felt that children would not be able to reach the age of ten until they reached the age of ten. Half an animal, but it turns out that children's characters and thoughts mature much earlier than they thought.

The little Duke of Enghien had no idea what kind of terrible world he was about to face. He was still living a leisurely life. The only thing he was dissatisfied with was that the princess's time with him was shortened again, and he could only spend time with her in the morning. a while.

His father had come to see him, but had left almost as quickly as he had arrived, before the young Duke of Enghien could even remember his face.

The people around him have also begun to get busy - at least before the king leaves, the young Duke of Enghien will move out of his previous room and move to a suite close to the queen, so that the queen can ensure better care for him. There are also some courses that must be started in the suite first.