I Am Louis XIV

Therefore, the gold necklace given to Bontang by Ludwig I was not so much to please the king's first attendant, but rather to make Louis XIV happy. Prince Condé also knew Louis well. Deep, I know that your Majesty, seeing the people he loves benefit is far better than receiving gifts himself. In other words, as the Sun King, he owns the entire France and colonies, and now the Netherlands and Flanders, Lorraine and Al Sass, nature does not have much need for material things.

This is why Louis always dresses very simply when meeting his close friends or relatives - the clothes Buntang prepared for Ludwig I were actually as king-like, except for the color of royal blue. There is no extravagance that is too obvious for the royal family - no embroidery with gold and silver threads, no inlays with pearls and gems, no ribbons and lace. The king only wears an amber brooch on his scarf, which is more for practicality than decoration. After all, silk scarves can easily come loose even if they are knotted.

As for why it is amber, of course it is because it was selected from the gift given to Louis by Ludwig I in order to express his gratitude.

The sky was gloomy yesterday afternoon. Louis only glanced briefly and was frightened by the pale face of Ludwig I. Without the Grand Condé, Henry, the son of the Grand Condé, would not be able to control the great nobles and nobles of Poland. Schlachta, Louis XIV and the Condé family's investment in Poland all came to nothing. Fortunately, the king always brought Vesalius and several other reliable doctors with him, drank the potion, and slept well. After a sleep, all that's left now is a big meal, and I can return to a better state at any time.

However, this idea only arises after comparing it with the worst time, because it is now around three o'clock in the afternoon, and the light gray clouds have dissipated a few hours ago, so the sunlight through the narrow window is It still provided enough light for this room. Louis looked at Ludwig I carefully. He was much older than when he was in Paris. Perhaps it was because his cheeks were deeply sunken, highlighting the cheekbones, and because of his brows. They were locked together for a long time, leaving a deep groove there, and the corners of his lips curled down horribly, like a scimitar that had not yet been pulled out of its sheath.

However, if an angel or devil came to him and asked him if he wanted to change his previous mind - for example, to return to Versailles and continue to be his marshal and prince, the Grand Condé would definitely not be willing. His eyes There is a strong flame burning inside. Hundreds of years ago, it was not difficult for the second son, youngest son and illegitimate son to get a crown for themselves. Now, not to mention that there is no vacant and ownerless land in Europe. Even obtaining territory through marriage has become a problem. He came up with a delusion - the constant marriages between kings have resulted in legal heirs that can be counted to a hundred, or more, without enough pure blood and front rank to deter others' military power. , it is almost impossible to become a king.

Although Poland has a king-selecting system, has rebellious ministers and generals, and the domestic situation is also very complicated, Condé believed that he could certainly do what the Habsburg ancestors had done. After the throne was controlled by the Kongdai family for two generations, it was only natural that when those big families were weakened, the inheritance system would be put on the agenda. Therefore, Ludwig I is not fighting for himself, he is still fighting for the glory of the Bourbon-Condé family for hundreds or even thousands of years after the Bourbon-Condé family - the current coat of arms of the Condé family has been added Crown, Ludwig I certainly hoped that this crown could be worn on the heads of his descendants forever.

Louis couldn't say anything about this. After all, he was the promoter and beneficiary of the Polish king-selection incident. The Condé family was a big family in France. The Grand Condé had authority in the army that no one else could match. He himself was also vaguely aware of the situation. It was the leader of the great nobles. His departure made the process of Louis regaining the power, title and territory of this class much smoother and simpler.

Ludwig I had just said before that this place had been renovated by the king's craftsmen like a new castle - they even inlaid glass in the narrow window openings. It was only for defense needs that it was not expanded or added, but They laid thick soft carpets on the ground and hung curtains, oil paintings, and screens on the walls to cover up the cold, hard, bluish-black stones without revealing any trace, even in the bathroom, which was easily accessible. The same goes for areas that get soaked.

All the furniture here can be seen at a glance as coming from Paris or Versailles. Slovenia was once occupied by Ottoman Turkey for a long time. The artistic style here has a strong Istanbul style, which is different from the Baroque that Europeans now admire. The styles are quite different. As a Frenchman, Ludwig I of course appreciated the latter more. He stroked the elastic armrests of the chair contentedly - he remembered that when he left Paris, furniture dealers only wrapped chairs with textiles. The backrest and seat surface. Unexpectedly, not long after he left, the armrests of the chair became soft.

But compared to Louis's chefs, these craftsmen and officials have to be overshadowed. Compared with British food, Polish food is not too bad. Of course, perhaps the food anywhere has something worthy of praise compared to British food. Because wheat cultivation in Poland is very developed, Polish people are very enthusiastic about pasta. In addition to bread, they will make flour into sour noodle soup or make dumplings. The latter is usually only eaten on Christmas Eve. But as long as you can afford it, you can enjoy this delicacy at any time.

Because of the king's request - after all, the Great Kondé is now the king of Poland, so at dinner, the sumptuous dishes on the table include wild boar, duck and ribs that Poles like, as well as sour noodle soup, red cabbage soup and dumplings. ——Ludwig I did not even look at the conspicuous plate of dumplings, and launched an attack on cod soup, shrimp pie and sweet and sour dry fried herring... as well as oysters and clams stewed in eggs. .

It's all to blame that the Poles don't like eating fish, shrimp, or anything fished out of the water. Ludwig I has been fighting a war, so he has no time and energy to satisfy his appetite, and the Polish cooks don't Good at cooking fish... Louis waited for a while and realized that Ludwig I didn't even look at the plate of dumplings, so he picked two of them and put them on the plate.

Polish dumplings are not boiled cleanly in water like the Orientals, they are like beef, fried with onions and butter, and then eaten with sour cream.

Louis hesitated and put the dumpling in his mouth without dipping it in sour cream.

King Ludwig I stopped and looked at him curiously.

"...You should have reminded me." Louis paused for a few seconds, swallowed the food in his mouth and said. Ludwig I waved his fork indifferently: "You have to try it, maybe. Would you like it?"

"I thought it was going to be pork," Louis said. "Why do they put pickled cabbage in it?"

"This is their tradition. Maybe your chef thinks that the first try for you should be closer to... Polish customs," Ludwig I said: "Poles have now begun to use potatoes to make dumpling fillings, Your Majesty, that should taste better."

"I don't think it's possible." Louis imagined what potato dumplings would taste like... His chefs would occasionally make potatoes stuffed with cheese and bacon, except that eating too much would easily make people unable to fit into corsets and tights. Besides, it tastes great, but potato dumplings? Still not working.

Of course, besides dumplings, other Polish dishes were worth trying, but Ludwig I insisted that their taste was greatly enhanced by the large amount of spices, although he and Louis then focused only on French cuisine - the king's team of cooks brought as much spices, sugar, salt and honey as possible, as well as cheese and wine. Besides these there are apples, pears, plums, cherries, hazelnuts, walnuts and sweet chestnuts, parsley, papaya, peaches, mulberries and star fruit; the vegetables are onions, leeks, beans, cabbage, carrots, lettuce, cyanide , spinach and beetroot.

Some people may ask, some of these fruits and vegetables are not harvested in this season, and some cannot be stored for a long time. How can they follow the king all the way here? I have to thank Mr. Pampa here - you should still remember that he made the pressure cooker. With the pressure cooker, there are not many detours to go before canning. Lorraine is producing glass in large quantities - these fresh and delicious flavors The fruits and vegetables were brought to Slovenia in glass cans. Although they lost a little bit of their original flavor because they needed to be steamed, in the barren military life, even Ludwig I sometimes couldn't eat enough. Vegetables can lead to cracked lips and bleeding gums. Of course, there are also some more embarrassing symptoms, which I won’t mention here.

"How much do these cost?" Ludwig I immediately put down his appetite and looked at the cans the attendant showed him.

"If you want to use it in the army, it is not possible for the time being." Louis said: "We are still in trial production and are not producing it on a large scale. I can only say that you can take some of it away."

"A few boxes are enough." Ludwig I put down the can and showed some regret: "Although the Poles are also growing sugar beet, its sweetness is not as good as cane sugar."

"I do hear that the Polish sugar trade is very substantial," Louis said. "Who are they trading with now, the Venetians?"

"And the British," said Ludwig I. "They were clearly trying to take over the Dutch caravans and routes,"

Louis shook his head, "What's more, they are also interested in competing for our alliance with the Ottoman Turks and our trade in steel and coal."

This information was more surprising to Ludwig I than the glass can: "Charlie II?"

"It should be him." Louis said: "After all, after the heads of MPs are stuck on the walls of Westminster Abbey and the monastery, he is the real king of England. It is said that the British people think that he will be the second king." Henry VIII, the wonderful thing is that there are not as many people who oppose him as we imagined." The French king gently raised his fork and tapped the wine glass, and it let out a clear and long whine: "Maybe the British are also looking forward to it. A king with a tough attitude, of course, must be tough externally, but gentle and affectionate internally - when those parliamentarians saw Charles II drinking wine and playing drums all day long, they may still be laughing at their king as just a 'Happy King' , but little did they know that from that time on, the people had begun to lean towards Charles II instead of the former - after all, many members of the Parliament were Puritans like Oliver Cromwell."

Ludwig I paused. If the person in front of him was not a king, he would definitely say, even if it is the most unbearable and incompetent king, when facing them, you should always remain vigilant. and respect, because they have the power and talent given by God, a very terrifying talent, which can push you into purgatory at any time - but then he remembered that he is now a king, so he just smiled: "Then, we Should we be careful about the British and the Ottoman Turks?"

"As for this battle," Louis said, "the British have not reached here yet, but they will definitely be very happy to do some more lucrative business with the grand vizier of Mohammed IV."

"You mean artillery and muskets," said Ludwig I.

"Yes," Louis nodded: "When we are advancing, our enemies will not stop. As far as I know, the Ottoman Turks' Sipachi cavalry began to replace their weapons a few years ago. I don't think so. Knowing the enemies you encountered in Lviv..."

"They do have artillery that is no less than ours in number and caliber." Ludwig I said.

"So this war is probably not as simple as we thought." Louis asked: "Do you know anything about the current Sultan of Ottoman Turkey, Mohammed IV?"

"So to speak, he and you are of the same age, and..." Ludwig I showed a complicated expression: "In 48 years, when he was six years old, he replaced his deposed father Ibrahim I as the new emperor. He became the ruler of Ottoman Turkey - but until now... he probably has not been able to take charge."

"Let's talk about it," Louis pointed his fingers on the table: "Let's compare each other and see if there is anything we can use..."

"I think, Your Majesty, we should start with the Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Turks, their prime minister. As far as I know, he is a figure like Bishop Richelieu," Ludwig I said, He did not mention Mazarin because Bishop Mazarin was like a second father in Louis XIV's heart: "Arrogant, cruel, and ambitious. This war can be said to have come from the planning and driving of this gentleman."