I Am Louis XIV

Louis XIV quickly left the Hurons and black slaves behind. First of all, they were not French, not his people. Secondly, whether they were blacks or Indians, they were too far away from the king. Black slaves were now generally As used on the Caribbean islands, the Indians have nothing to do with most French people. In the months after the Duke of Montreal's birthday party, the king has been holding banquets-for reasons, you will always find it if you look for it.

It's just that Louis XIV's banquets are always accompanied by the roar of gunfire, and people are accustomed to the rebellion in Lorraine. Amsterdam and Groningen are newly occupied areas, and the occasional disturbances are within the scope of people's approval. But Marseille - this This ancient port city can be traced back to 600 years ago. It was founded by the Phocians in ancient Greece and received Roman protection during the Roman Republic - but please note that for a long time after that, it It is still an independent city. Although they lost their civil rights because they were on the wrong side during the Roman Civil War, the Marseilles have maintained their pursuit of freedom until now.

The big-nosed French King Francois I once suffered a shipwreck near Marseille, so he built a huge fortress in Marseille, but it seemed to be of no use, whether it was to fight against storms, enemies or plagues. During the reign of Louis XIII, the Black Death broke out in Marseille, causing tens of thousands of deaths. Therefore, after Louis XIV took office, he specially sent officials to visit and inspect port cities such as Marseille to ensure the safety of the ports. Safety and cleanliness reduce the recurrence of plagues such as the Black Death. Later, the king's doctors studied cowpox. After Paris and Versailles, people in port cities were the first to accept cultivation. After all, the density of the population in ports and the frequency of movement were far greater than in inland cities.

So... something ridiculous happened. A priest believed that the French king had been deceived by the devil. He was not going to save the people of Marseille, but to dedicate them to Satan. Once the horned cattle were removed, The cowpox fluid taken from the body is injected into humans, and those who receive the implant will grow horns, turn into cow faces, or moo like cows...

Of course, people with a little common sense and sense will not believe the nonsense of priests. If planting cowpox means turning into cows, then wouldn’t Paris and Versailles have become the king’s cattle ranches? But people who would believe such lies are not smart people. Not to mention, during a public sermon, this priest got two people who were bribed. They first showed the audience the cowpox planting on their bodies. After being poured with the priest's holy water, he immediately rolled to the ground, yelling and mooing like a bull.

The priests took advantage of this opportunity to stir up the ignorant people.

The person who was sent to Marseille to handle the matter was none other than Jean Bart, one of the first batch of military academy graduates, Chaud Louis-Héctor Villar, who was born in 1953 and came from a humble background—— They were one of the refugees that the king gathered during his exile, but fortunately they were not ordinary farmers or craftsmen in the first place. His father was a lawyer. After settling in Versailles, with almost negligible meager connections, he worked in Paris found a small job, bounced around in government departments many times, and finally landed under the Duke of Conti. With such a father, when Villar came of age, it was natural for him to join the army - although his His father hoped that he could continue his career. But which young boy at that time didn't want to serve the king with a knife and a gun?

Villard also entered the military academy as an officer after serving in the army for many years. Of course, he, Jean Bart, and Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, the grandson of the Duke of Vendôme, were the three who studied in Paris and Versailles. There are three famous generals on the streets of Rouge. Unlike Jean Bart, he got more information from the court, almost as good as Joseph. When he accepted the appointment, he guessed that these were the king and the veteran generals. Their last test.

Because of the great plague 80 or 90 years ago, the population of Marseille has not recovered until now. The riot was also tightly sealed within a controllable range by the Governor of Provence, but the various losses caused by the chaos caused by the riot are definitely There is no way to come back - the whole of Marseille is in a serious state of stagnation. As soon as Villars arrived in Marseille, he was not even interested in cleaning up and sweeping the city first - he was as stingy as Louis XIV, facing the towering Wall, he did something jaw-dropping.

He found several ancient trebuchets, just as the Tatars did against the Europeans, and threw several corpses that seemed to be infected with smallpox into the city of Marseilles.

The Maasai people who were waiting behind the city wall suddenly went crazy. However, in the past few decades, human memory was not that short. At that time, the memory of Marseille, which was mostly empty of the city, left to the survivors immediately resurfaced in front of them - although Smallpox is not as highly contagious and lethal as the Black Death, but people in this era still cannot understand how the disease is spread - just look at the protective clothing of the beak doctor. They feel that contact ( Even by stepping on the pavement where the sick have entered); talking and breathing, or turbid air; or even by looking at it, it is possible for a healthy person to be infected with the plague.

No one dared to collect the corpses of smallpox victims. They hung from the eaves, hung from branches, and lay among the gravel. They quickly rotted and smelled. People ran to the church, crowded around the priests, and rushed to receive Holy Communion. , hoping to escape the plague and the ensuing death - but as if suddenly, some people had a fever, some felt pain all over their bodies, and some had pustules on their bodies... The whole city was filled with cries. Cries and prayers, and then curses.

Fires broke out in some parts of the city. Some people tried to escape from the port, but Villars blocked the port from the outside.

Within a week, the people of Marseille opened the city gates themselves.

The governor of Provence could not help but show pity. "You may bring disaster to yourself if you do this," he said.

"What are you talking about," Villar said. "Is it that easy to get a smallpox patient?"

"But the bodies?"

"They're just criminals," Villar said. "I have a doctor who can use ointment to make smallpox pustules that look exactly like they are."

The Governor of Provence looked at him: "Fake?" He also looked at Marseille: "But as far as I know, someone really got smallpox."

"You can ask the doctor to see it. It will definitely not be smallpox, even if it is the Black Death." Villar told a not-so-funny joke: "Suspicion breeds evil spirits."

Villars' family was once very wealthy, but after years of famine and the resulting riots, their escape was considered a fluke - exile was unbearable for a man as noble as Louis XIV, and for a man as noble as Louis XIV. Not to mention ordinary families. During his exile, Villar's father was deeply impressed by the fact that a man who had been a doctor could use various poisonous fruits, leaves, and roots to irritate and irritate the skin. Ominous scars and pustules appeared on it.

This makes him rarely come back with empty hands when he goes to beg. People are more afraid and disgusted than sympathetic to him. Even if everyone's situation is not good, when they encounter such a dangerous patient, they Nor would he mind giving a handful of wheat or a bowl of beans.

When their lives were settled and they recalled what happened at that time, Villar's father told Villar. Villar suddenly remembered this matter and asked the army doctor - there is really someone who can do it. , to a doctor, this is nothing. After all, the first thing doctors are familiar with are various poisonous herbs and berries. Some of them can kill people immediately, and some of them can save people after considering the dosage.

Of course the people of Marseille did not want to believe it, but after the king's army entered the city, they cleaned up the corpses without any hesitation, walked calmly in the streets and alleys, and even entered homes without wearing protective clothing. , wearing masks - there are two explanations here, depending on which one they believe, one is that the king's soldiers have been vaccinated with cowpox, they did not turn into cows, nor did they suffer from smallpox; the other is that they were killed by several corpses Terrified.

Villar didn't care what the Marseilles thought at all. He was proud that he had captured Marseille without losing a single soldier. The beguiling priest and his entourage were sent to him, recalling the king's The intelligence sent by the secret agent - when the panic of the Marseilles reached the extreme, this gentleman did not care. Thinking of this, Villar shrugged his shoulders, ignored the angry roars and protests of the priest, in front of the Governor and members of the Marseille City Council In front of him, he stripped these people of their clothes.

The priest's body was exposed to people's eyes, because the cowpox, according to the king's requirements, had to be planted above the left arm for easy verification, so - they immediately saw the golden lily mark - the doctors first used a silver knife to cut Opening wounds, but that method is not suitable for children, so later the king's chief physician, Lom, after inventing the bird's beak protective clothing, then invented a tool for planting cowpox. Its principle is similar to a dip pen, with a hollow pipe Attached is a pointed tip that pierces the skin, allowing the cowpox fluid to flow in.

In order to allow people to remember the king's favor, the pointed tip quickly turned into a simplified golden lily pattern. After the wound healed, the outline of the pattern became more blurry, but it could still be seen clearly. The mark was still there. It was quite novel. Villar took one look and laughed: "So you are also afraid of contracting smallpox?" He didn't even ask the doctor to change the tools.

The Marseilles, who knew they had been deceived, glared at the priests and their entourage, but there was an advantage in this matter, that is, the officials and doctors sent to Marseille by the king were staying in the dungeons well, although they were listless, they were not. He was tortured, but he didn’t die, but it would have been hard to tell if Villar had been slower. The rack had been prepared, but the priest thought he should divine a suitable day before holding a grand bonfire banquet. In fact, he was just worried. Either the implantation was not successful or the doctor concealed some steps.

"Don't worry," said Mr. Villar, who looked like a dandy, with a smile: "the rack will not be wasted."

Although he was almost cooked into a barbecue, the doctor's moral bottom line was obviously higher than that of ordinary people. When he heard that someone had smallpox, he immediately went to see him - as well as some doctors in Marseille, who originally strongly supported the cultivation of cowpox. However, the words of the priests were more powerful than theirs. Not only did people not believe their words, they also arrested them as spies and traitors.

After some discussion, they agreed that no one in the city had smallpox. This result was confusing. If there was no smallpox in the city, then those high fevers, rashes and pustules on the skin, and What's going on with people who are in pain all over their bodies?

"I'm not sure," Villar said, "but Jean Bart told me that there is a kind of punishment among pirates. They hang a person upside down in a dark room, with a hole in his throat. Cut a small incision in the upper body, place a bucket next to it, and tell him that his blood will drip into the bucket, and when the bucket is full, he will die." He made a gesture: "But the dripping thing is just a skin bag. If the pirate could survive the next day, he would live. If he couldn't - Barr said no one could, they would all receive a body that died of shock the next day, which was strange. , it really looks like it was drained of blood and died."

"Didn't he die by hanging upside down?" the Governor of Provence couldn't help but asked.

"It is possible," Villar said, "but he said that if you blindfold a person and tell him that he will be burned with a soldering iron, then even if you just put a piece of cold iron on him, he will be burned and appear red. marks and blisters."

"This does happen." The doctor also said this: "Some people are too sensitive, and even if they are just threats, they will scare themselves crazy."

The Earl of Provence said nothing more. There must be the king's spies in the crowd to add fuel to the fire, but he also knew that people often say, call the devil and the devil will come. A person who often complains about himself will not be in good health. These things The Maasai people are originally frightened, and there will definitely be people who regret after being impulsive - it is difficult to say whether those who claim to be infected with the epidemic really feel uncomfortable...

Needless to say what happened after that, the priest and his followers were sent to the stake. "Even if it is to send fireworks in advance for the wedding of the eldest princess and King Carl XI of Sweden." Villar muttered, revealing He had an innocent smile. He was only twenty-four years old this year and had a handsome appearance. He could indeed put on such a posture, but everyone around him couldn't help but send shivers down their spines.

"Elizabeth probably won't like this kind of fireworks." After reading the spy's report, Louis XIV threw it away and rubbed his forehead in annoyance. Don't get me wrong, he was not doing it for what Villars did - he was not a natural person. Cruel people, but the behavior of the priest and the Marseilles really angered the king - if the priest had not planted cowpox and had selfish motives, the officials and doctors he had finally trained would have become a bunch of useless people. Ashes.

"The Governor of Provence is also a useless man," said the Duke of Orleans.

"It's not entirely his fault. He probably didn't expect that the mayor of Marseille would be stupid enough to believe the words of a priest." Louis said, if the mayor had not sheltered, covered up and participated in the conspiracy, the doctors and epidemic prevention officials escorted by soldiers would not have He will not be caught without defense: "But this is not a bad thing. After a while, I will send another person to be the mayor of Marseille.

"The governor of Provence must also be changed," said the Duke of Orleans.

"It may not be possible in the past few years," Louis said. "Although our students have spread all over the middle and low-level officials, a governor can only serve as a governor if he is loyal or rigidly follows the rules. Moreover," he drew a circle: " The court and the people at court will not agree. I have to wait - Philip, can you let Henrietta have a few more children? When they graduate from school, the burden on us will be much easier."

The Duke of Orleans glared at his brother. As the years passed, he found that his brother became more and more "lively" and "careless". However, thinking about the suffering they suffered before they became adults, this kind of thing seemed to turn the days back. The behavior of those who have come over is not surprising: "Is it okay to have a child I had with another woman?"

"That should work." Louis said, just as he made all three of his illegitimate sons dukes, and intended for them to imitate the first king of Naples in the future, transforming from illegitimate children into pure and noble royal sources. The words of the dignitary are highly respected, because for thousands of years, the king, as the largest prince, has only been tirelessly expanding his territory: "But until now, haven't you reconciled with Henrietta?"

It's quite funny to say that Henrietta remained silent when people wanted to marry her daughter, the Princess, to Carlos II, who was still a fool and disabled at the time, and was destined to have no descendants or a long life. , without saying a word, obviously intending to make the eldest princess a victim of her brother. Both Louis and Philip could understand why she made such a decision - she was not young when she gave birth to her son, and compared to Queen Theresa from Spain, she lived in France as a foreign princess. Even more difficult - after all, Queen Theresa may bring a Spanish crown to the Bourbon family, but Henrietta's brother is Charles II of England.

The king handed over the women's college to her and the Duchess of Montpensier, and also intended to promote her and stabilize her position in the palace. However, as Philip's brother, he had no room to interfere in the affairs between the couple - Orleans The Duke was angry that she didn't love his daughter. When the eldest princess grew up, he had been fighting for the king outside. He thought that his wife, who had gone through so many hardships as a toddler and a girl, would also have a crush on him. His daughter was doted on, just like he and Louis.

The results of it?

What made Orleans angry was not just Henrietta's indifference to his daughter. Although he also knew that all royal marriages were political covenants and even financial transactions, he, like Louis, was doing his best for the slightest chance. Wearing shackles and dancing in a standing cage as much as possible - Louis can do his best to seek power and love for his daughter, of course he can, too, does she just not believe in him? What did she say to the princess? Even for the sake of France, he and Louis were not so despicable as to exchange the lifelong happiness of their daughter and niece for a piece of covenant!

"Okay," Louis couldn't help his brother, "As long as it's your child."

In today's France, people with humble origins but innocence are not without opportunities to get ahead. Colbert is the idol worshiped by businessmen, Vauban is the target of young officers, and Schaumberg is the pinnacle of foreigners in France. Even the Tatar Anwo was able to accompany the crown prince because of his heroic performance in the Battle of Camnico. At a time when men's bravery and wisdom could still be respected, they gave the common people great confidence. , the nobles are also willing to accept them as members of the pyramid class.

But official positions such as governor, censor, and chief justice are much more sensitive. The sword-wielding nobles cannot tolerate the robed nobles taking away their status and glory. How can the nobles willingly bow their heads in front of a former commoner? But it's different when it comes to people with royal blood and surnames. No one knows how to respect these two better than nobles.

"You can also have more children with Madame Montespan." The Duke of Orleans was unwilling to mention Henrietta too much, so he teased the king with a smile.

"She will only have one child." Louis said, and the Duke of Orleans understood what the king meant - if it were anyone else, probably only Bontang and Queen Theresa could understand it. Both Bontang and him were because of Knowing Louis well enough, Queen Teresa felt the same way - if Mrs. Montespan had many children with the king, she would become more and more unscrupulous, because everyone who is familiar with the king knows that the king loves his children very much. With one child, Louis would have one more chain on his body, and he would inevitably have to be timid when dealing with Madame de Montespan. But if there was only one child, Madame Montespan would be the one who worried about gains and losses because of her weak relationship with the king. It all depends on this child - the king does not have a term of office, but the royal wife does.

"But she will definitely do something," said the Duke of Orleans.

"My spies will keep a close eye on her," Louis said. "Besides, I have you, brother."

"Since you gave me this power," the Duke of Orleans said politely, "I accept it." Although the Duke of Orleans was the king's eyes and ears in the court, he had indeed been cautious about Madame Montespan before. Attitude, mainly because it is difficult for people to believe that the king does not have much feelings for Madame Montespan. The Duke of Orleans was one of them before, and he was unwilling to affect the relationship between him and his brother for such a woman.

But now it seems that the king's attitude towards Madame de Montespan is similar to his attitude towards Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans - both are similar to an emotion that cannot be said to be disgust, but definitely not love. They looked at them, It was like looking at a statue that was ready to shatter.

"When I get back," said the Duke of Orleans, "I will talk to Henrietta."

"Be nice to Henrietta," said Louis. "We were close playmates when we were little."

"Who said that?" said the Duke of Orleans. "Have you forgotten that I have hated her since I was a child? I even pushed her from the chair next to you to the floor, and it was so ugly when she cried."

"Alas..." Louis turned his head.

——————

Louis's eldest princess and Philip's eldest princess are both over fourteen years old. It's no wonder that the Swedish royal family can't wait to fulfill their engagement. In this era, sixteen is the mature age for a girl, and her breasts are bulging. With a slender waist and rosy cheeks, she is ready to become a wife and mother - especially, whether it is the eldest princess or the eldest princess, the king has always paid great attention to their health. In all aspects, they have not suffered as much as Henry. Etta or Teresa could even receive political education and martial arts lessons like a prince, learning to ride a horse (astride a saddle) and use a musket.

Not to mention, Louis told the eldest princess again and again that although the alliance between Sweden and France was important, her happiness and life were more important. In the eldest princess’s dowry, in addition to the five items mentioned in the marriage negotiations between France and Sweden, In addition to one hundred thousand livres of money, Louis is also planning to let her take away a cavalry company. All expenses of this cavalry company will be paid by the French royal family, and they will only obey the orders of the eldest princess.

"Really?" The princess's eyes sparkled after hearing this. Her "special teacher" told her clearly and in detail about a series of terrible things that happened to the British royal family during the reign of Charles I. , at that time, her maternal grandmother and grandfather were both declared guilty of treason. At that time, if Queen Mary, the wife of Charles I, had not decisively abandoned her infant daughter and ran to Paris, there would have been one more person on the guillotine. A head that has worn a crown.

Even Henrietta, despite being a princess, not only did not have a salute, a bishop's blessing, or a crowd of people kneeling when she was born, but she had to leave her biological mother when she was just waiting to be fed, and was fostered in an inconspicuous little aristocratic family. Although for a few years, Queen Mary took her to Paris, but her life was not much better - even though she is now the Duchess of Orleans, her height and weight are not even as high as her fourteen-year-old daughter, and her voice is not as loud as hers. The pace is strong - she is not too healthy.

Therefore, in the whirlpool of power, being a member of the royal family does not guarantee that you will always be safe and sound. What's more, when the eldest princess marries Sweden, she will be a foreign queen like her mother and grandmother, and she will probably have to face no less doubts and conspiracies.

"Really." The eldest princess nodded, "But my father said that in order to prevent people from making irresponsible remarks, this company cannot use French personnel, but only Swiss personnel."

"Swiss mercenaries are very professional," the princess said, "but this will make little Eugen sad."

"Don't say that," said the eldest princess: "He is just another brother of mine, just like the little Duke of Enghien." If it were other noble ladies who said this in front of her, the eldest princess would definitely be unhappy, but If it is the princess, it is a kind reminder: "I will meet with him before leaving."

Perhaps it was because when little Eugen met the king for the first time, it was the eldest princess who extended her hand to him. At that time, little Eugen, who was only nine years old, was in the darkest stage of his life - only then did he know his own destiny. Identity, noble yet embarrassing identity, he was the illegitimate son of the Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I and the Countess of Soissons - in this era, the nobles had very strange views on such a relationship, and they did not know how to He condemned the betrayal of marriage by the emperor and his wife, but would mind the countess of Soissons-although she is Italian, her sister is the royal wife of Louis XIV, and her husband is the count of Soissons, half of the king. Brother-in-law and cousin, then, as a French, she should become the royal wife of Louis XIV, not Leopold I. This behavior is close to treason, and neither the French nor the Austrians will be satisfied.

Speaking of Count Soissons, he is a straightforward soldier. He has always maintained an indifferent attitude towards his frivolous wife. It is also possible that his love and family affection are all pinned on another woman, but that woman She was a commoner, and she gave birth to several children, but she could never enter the church with him - he saw hope in Duke Mortemar.

As he hoped, Louis XIV was a generous man, and he solved the problem of little Eugen for the king - he recognized the child - anyway, he would have more things to leave to his biological children, and the king canonized His lover was the Countess of Leman, and he asked the bishop to modify the birth certificates of Eugen and his descendants, moving the death date of the first Countess of Soissons forward, and the date of the engagement between him and his lover immediately following. back.

Although people of later generations could not help but be stunned when they saw this series of dazzling operations, to the priests of this era, they were all routine. The Earl of Soissons was satisfied and returned to the army to continue fighting for the king. Eugen, as has been said before, remained at Versailles, and was cared for and raised by the Queen Mother, together with the Dauphin, the young Duke of Enghien, and others.

His room was not even far from the crown prince, and they often came into contact and got along with each other during classes (when the eldest princess did not go to the women's college).

Little Eugen unfortunately inherited some facial features from Habsburg. His appearance was unattractive, and because of his too square jaw, he looked old and serious. With the Crown Prince and the Duke of Colonna by his side, he looked even more miserable. The eldest princess Elizabeth is like his control group - the children of the Bourbon family all have light blond curly hair when they grow up, and they will appear golden brown or tan when they grow up. She also inherited Louis' beautiful eyes, and she Her mother, Queen Teresa, has the most beautiful nose and mouth. Fortunately, the big Habsburg chin does not appear on her face. Her facial contour is reminiscent of that of the Medici family. Queen Mother.

Under Louis's attention, she has a kind of pride and dignity that no noble girl has ever had. And because of Louis' education, she is kind, kind, and smart.

It doesn't take even a second for such a princess to make a young man with low self-esteem develop sweet and bitter emotions.

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