I Am Louis XIV

While Cosimo III was distressed about Spinoza, the Duke of Lorraine was in Siena, mulling over in his room the Archduke of Austria and the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I before leaving Vienna. Every word he commanded.

This Duke of Lorraine is not the Duke of Lorraine who exchanged his fiefdom of Lorraine for a large amount of considerable income, has a mansion in Paris, and a room in Versailles - here we have to review a little bit, Lorraine Lin was originally a grand duchy between the Holy Roman Empire and France. Whether it was the Holy Roman Empire or France, they never wanted to take it into their possessions. After the death of "Good Henry", his younger brother inherited his position. Then Henry's two daughters married their two cousins, the two Dukes of Lorraine we mentioned here, brother Charles and brother Nicholas.

This younger brother is no better than Philippe, Duke of Orleans. When Charles was fighting abroad, a reckless soldier misreported his death. Nicholas took the opportunity to usurp his dukedom, and when Charles aggressively led his army back, intending to regain his title and territory. At that time, Nicholas, who had no heirs, suffered from an incurable disease, and only had a few good years, simply sold Lorraine to Louis XIV - and he stayed in Paris and would not return to Lorraine.

Lorraine's three major outputs: timber, coal and steel, can make any king determined to win, and Louis XIV is no exception. His general defeated the original Duke of Lorraine, Charles, and did not recognize his ownership of Lorraine. As a result, the Duke of Lorraine had to go into exile in Austria, and his son became the second landless king. People can only call him Mr. Lorraine.

This situation was broken after the death of the Duke of Lorraine in Paris. As soon as he heard that Nicholas was dead, Leopold I immediately declared that his title should be inherited by Mr. Lorraine. Is Mr. Lorraine willing? Regardless of inheriting the title of uncle, this title is worthless, unless Leopold I, or an elector, the king is willing to lend troops to the little Duke of Lorraine (let’s make the difference for the time being), allowing him to recapture Lorraine .

But when the standing army in France exceeds 150,000 and the garrison in Lorraine exceeds 30,000, probably no one will do this loss-making deal, not even Leopold I, and it is even less likely after the Battle of Slovenia. .

Of course the young Duke of Lorraine would feel pain from this, and at the same time he had no choice but to do so. Perhaps in order to appease him, Leopold I gave him an important but not so important job, which was to go to Florence as the envoy of the Elector of Bavaria. , to broker the marriage between the daughter of the Elector of Bavaria and the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

The Grand Duke of Bavaria became the elector in 1623. This glory and power were obtained by the Grand Duke of Bavaria in exchange for his loyalty to Habsburg - replacing the original Pastin family. His success made the young Duke of Lorraine seem like Seeing a glimmer of hope, the young Duke of Lorraine did his best for this job, and wanted to satisfy the Grand Duke of Bavaria and the emperor Leopold I behind him.

He also heard the news that Louis XIV was stationed in Florence. Poor Cosimo III also sent a messenger saying that before the covenant was reached, it was best not to let the French know about it, so as not to create complications, little Lorraine Although the Duke was disdainful, in order to avoid any accidents, he still agreed. He took the portrait to temporarily stay in Siena - when he first saw Siena, his thoughts were exactly the same as those of the Crown Prince of France - Siena In his mind, Na was supposed to be a voluptuous and plump woman, but now she was an old woman with a withered chest.

Fortunately, Siena still retains a bit of moving color after all, that is, a moving and famous lady. She is said to be from Genoa. Her mother is a grand palace maid-from the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul. Her father is the brother of the Sultan. Because of the one-person inheritance law, she was killed by the current Sultan, and her mother escaped with her. Of course, there were very few people who were willing to believe her, but most of the famous ladies at this time would be given such a name. Good to increase one's worth.

But this famous lady who calls herself Hafusa does have a special exotic style. She has black hair, white skin, and infinite charm in the corners of her eyes and mouth. She does not wear a corset or a large skirt like the Italian women nowadays. , instead, like the women in Istanbul, they wear robes, a belt that hangs down to their abdomen, colorful slippers on their feet, and a round hat on their head with a very long ostrich feather on the hat.

She exposed her chest, but it was just a subtle triangle, which was completely different from the increasingly larger square openings and curved openings that were popular recently. This made the little Duke of Lorraine happy. After all, he was fed up with seeing the French. thing.

Hafusa walked into his room holding a jar of wine. Her waist was swaying. Although there was no corset, it was destined not to be as worryingly slender as the noble lady in the Palace of Versailles, but it also had a unique flavor - mainly because of it. The ecstatic power could burst out between the bed curtains. The little Duke of Lorraine put his arm around her and took the wine jug. "Sit on my knees," he said: "My little robin, you give me What news do I bring?”

By the way, he spent a lot of money on this famous lady, not just for pleasure. Most of the famous ladies were responsible for the duties of spies and brokers. Information flowed from the mouths of the men and was gathered here. , then they classify them into categories, look at the needs of the customers, and sell them one by one. However, they rarely go to inquire about something because of the customer's request - customers occasionally make mistakes, and maybe they don't remember it, but they have to To inquire, you must leave clues.

Hafsa told him that the French king would probably leave Florence on the third day after the Assumption and return to France.

As long as the little Duke of Lorraine's attendants are more careful, they can know this kind of news. After all, a king's army of honor guards, bodyguards, and servants cannot follow whatever they like. They need to set a route just like the army. , prepare supplies, need possible support, and coordination.

"I will give you a ring with a ruby ​​as big as your little finger," said the little Duke of Lorraine, "and you will tell me news worth the price."

Hafsa glanced at him and stretched out her hand. Her meaning was very clear. She couldn't speak without seeing something.

The little Duke of Lorraine took the ring out of his pocket and gave it to her. She leaned close to the ear of the young Duke of Lorraine, and with a little sweet smell of wine, she said: "The eldest son of the Grand Duke, Ferdinand, had a quarrel with the Grand Duke yesterday. It is said that he intended to go to Paris to attend university, but the Grand Duke did not allow it."

"Of course not." The little Duke of Lorraine said, but he did not say the next words, because once his identity and mission were exposed, Hafsa would sell him to others as soon as he turned around, "But this news is not worth this money. Ring, this ring is worth five hundred livres."

"Then there is another news that may be of interest to you." Hafshama put the ring on his finger casually and found that each finger was larger. This ring should belong to a man. The little Duke of Lorraine tightened his hand on her waist in a warning manner, causing a scream of annoyance. The woman half-seriously leaned on him, pressing her hand on his Adam's apple.

"Tell me." The little Duke of Lorraine suppressed the desire in his body and pulled Hafsa: "You should know something else, tell me, or I will kill you."

"I would rather die in your hands," Hafsa smiled: "What a strong warrior you are."

"How do you know I'm a warrior?" Little Duke Lorraine asked seemingly indifferently, but his hand on Hafsa's waist and thin wrist did not relax.

"Your body is covered with honorable medals," Hafsa didn't seem to notice that the little Duke of Lorraine's body had become tense. Although there were many men under her who would feel tense, this kind of tightness... Maybe it will really bring death. She lowered her head and replaced her hands with her lips. "The way you walk, the tone of your words, your firm gestures and eyes. How could I not see it? You should be playing." Sir, you have seen blood in battles. There are so many mercenaries in Italy, although compared with them, you are like a liger among wolves."

"I'm just an ordinary soldier." Little Lorraine said.

"He will definitely be a great general in the future." Hafusa felt that the body beneath her had become as gentle as the other person's tone. She leaned towards him more boldly, biting his hair and earlobes - it was a pity that Xiao Luo Duke Lin has not forgotten what happened before: "Either tell me everything, madam, or give me back the ring."

"You are such a heartless lover." Hafusa lamented: "But who told me to love you? Well, let me tell you that the king of France sent an envoy not long ago to redeem several Judas from Cosimo III. man, but was rejected by Cosimo III.”

"Why?" The little Duke of Lorraine immediately straightened up, allowing Cosimo III to reject the King of France. Do those Jewish people have any great secrets with them?

"How do I know? I spent a lot of money to get this news." Hafusa straightened her waist and withdrew her hand. The ring disappeared from her chest at some point. In clothes.

"Why do you care about this matter?" asked the little Duke of Lorraine strangely.

"All the Italian ladies are watching every move of the King of France," Hafsa said, completely ignoring the sudden darkening of the little Duke of Lorraine's face: "The Sun King's first royal wife is an Italian woman, there is no reason why she can't There is a second one, even if there is no such possibility, it is said that His Majesty is also a good and generous man."

"Ah, bah." The little Duke of Lorraine said angrily: "Is that all there is? Why did he want to ransom those Jews? Why didn't Cosimo III agree?"

"It seems to be about heresy or something. I'm not sure what happened after that." Hafusa said lazily, playing with her fingers.

The little Duke of Lorraine lowered his head and thought for a while, then suddenly pushed Hafsa to the ground, stood up, and walked out of the room in a somewhat weird posture.

"Ah!" Hafsa said. She didn't get up in a hurry. She lay on the cold floor and showed a dangerous smile.

————————

Cosimo III's gout got better after the Feast of the Assumption, perhaps due to the Virgin's blessing, but his toes and knees no longer hurt, and his head hurt again - because the envoy of the Elector of Bavaria was in France. Before anyone left, he had quietly arrived in Florence.

This is the first time for the young Duke of Lorraine to enter the Pitti Palace. The Pitti Palace is a grand and magnificent building. The stones on the walls are all black and the masonry style is used, that is, huge stones are used, such as The walls of the palace were built like building blocks. There is a stone about thirty feet long on the left side of the gate, which protrudes out of the wall very abruptly. This was specially made by Luca Pitti, the original owner of this building, when he built this palace. It means Pitti. The Ti family was far superior to any other family in Florence, including the Medici, which was only one of many families at that time. He probably didn't expect that in less than a hundred years, the Medici family "bought" the Pitti Palace from Pitti's descendants. The Medicis did not touch this stone, but one day, the Pitti family bought it. The day it takes to be ridiculed, the day the Medici family becomes more powerful.

But the power of the Medici family is limited to Tuscany and even Florence, the little Duke of Lorraine thought.

They still met in the room with Raphael's works. Cosimo III had just finished bleeding, and his face was pale. He watched the attendant of the little Duke of Lorraine move the huge life-size portrait in front of him, "Let Fedi Come south and see me." He said, while looking at the window a little uneasily. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon. Today there was a requiem mass in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore for the soldiers who died in the previous battle, so The French, from the King to the Duke of Colonna, to the Dauphin Louis the Younger, were all there. This was of course carefully arranged by him - the lengthy High Mass might last until nightfall, and there would be a procession afterward.

"Before His Highness Ferdinand comes here," the little Duke of Lorraine also stood at the window, looking at the Burberry hills behind, "I have something to ask you about the King of France and those Judas Human things.”

Cosimo III frowned subconsciously. He clutched his chest and gasped a few times, as if he would faint at any time, but he still managed to hold on: "It's just some Jews, they committed crimes - but He, was seen by... His Majesty, you know, he is kind by nature, so he offered to pay for their sins on their behalf... But he didn't know what terrible devils they were, so... I think, that... Your Majesty, you have changed your original focus."

"I don't think so," the little Duke of Lorraine said coldly: "First of all, I think that His Majesty is not kind. Secondly, I don't think he will give up so easily."

"I think he is kind enough." Cosimo III said meaningfully - the face of the little Duke of Lorraine immediately turned red and white. A king who lost his territory would be ridiculed, otherwise there would be no such thing as a landless king. After his father lost his territory due to French interference, he has been in exile among the various princes of the Holy Roman Empire, hoping to gain his own power from the conspiracy and turmoil. .

It's a pity that he has no other talents except for the war. Some people may be willing to use him, but they will never give a foreign general a title and territory like the King of France did.

Shame and hatred burned in his heart like fire, causing him to die young, but he also planted the fire in the heart of his only son. The little Duke of Lorraine knew what Cosimo III was referring to. He was saying, The King of France did not eradicate his father and him after getting Lorraine - he either admitted that Louis XIV was indeed tolerant, or admitted that Louis XIV simply looked down on them and did not think they would cause any trouble.

The young Duke of Lorraine was unwilling to accept either outcome. He turned his face and asked in as normal a voice as possible: "Is this a work by Raphael?"

Although Cosimo III secretly laughed in his heart, he also hoped that the envoy would not talk too much after returning, so he nodded: "Yes, it is his work, the Veiled Woman." He moved on his chair , while taking a sip of wine with pressed tablets.

"It makes me very nostalgic for Florence of that era," the young Duke of Lorraine said as if unintentionally: "Although I didn't have the chance to see it with my own eyes, my father once described Florence to me - a place of spring water, marble decorated with gold and silk. The city is full of scholars, artists and beautiful and noble men and women.”

Now it was Cosimo III's turn to show a strange look. Although he had not abandoned Florence, the city was dead, and he was no better than the Duke of Lorraine.

"Getting back to the subject," the little Duke of Lorraine said with some slight triumph after retaking a city: "When I was in Siena, I heard that Louis XIV was about to redeem a few Jews from you? "

"If I must say it, there is only one." Cosimo III: "I have already rejected him."

"Who is that man from Judah? Is he a brave and skilled general?"

Cosimo III smiled: "How is it possible? That is the most cowardly and incompetent clan."

"Then he is a famous and knowledgeable scholar?"

"No, he is just a devil who indulges in heresy and intentionally spreads this disease to other people."

"Okay, let me finally ask, is he a businessman who is good at making money and good at accounting?"

"It's even more impossible. Although his people are all proficient in this," Cosimo III said: "But he made a living by grinding lenses when he was in The Hague."

"That's it," the little Duke of Lorraine clapped his hands: "In that case, why don't you ask for a large sum of money and give this devil to Louis XIV?"

Cosimo III was stuck. Although he wanted to execute all heretics, especially those like Spinoza, who were a thorn in the side of the church, but... his daughter had married the illegitimate son of the French king, and he wanted to The purpose is to feed both sides, rather than completely offending either party.

"Louis XIV is our enemy, you have to admit it." The little Duke of Lorraine raised his head, and his aggressive attitude made Cosimo III feel unhappy. He turned his head away and coughed to refuse to answer the question.

The young Duke of Lorraine touched the cup in his hand: "His Majesty Leopold I told me that when I complete this mission, I must first return to Vienna and report to him."

Cosimo III pursed his lips.