I Am Louis XIV

Louis is not the kind of person with special hobbies. He only looked at the results—that is, a series of demonstrations. After confirming that the reports sent by the doctors and wizards were true and correct, he got up and left. They didn’t have much time. There is also information about vampires and wizards to report.

There are only a few "untouchables" here-that is, monsters who have no parents and are abandoned as soon as they are "embraced", and a few vampires from the Nofiler group. Needless to say, the former have always been outcasts of the blood clan, and the latter Because they lost their ancestral lands and holy artifacts, they could only survive in underground drains and tombs, and were regarded as dragged down and humiliated by other clans—plus the expulsion order of Louis XIV, they could not live in groups, but scattered , No one knows if there are a few missing.

The biggest threat to vampires is sunlight. Although it is impossible to get the information of high-level vampires, it is clear at a glance how much damage to vampires are caused by ordinary crossbow arrows, ordinary bullets, ordinary flames, silver bullets, magic flames, and sunlight. The damage to low-level vampires is almost irreversible and will spread. It can be said that low-level vampires encounter sunlight like frost encounters boiling water.

After all, the blood race did not dare to take the last step, and it was also because of this reason. Even if Louis was killed by them, his heirs, whether it was little Louis or the Duke of Orleans, would definitely be crazy enough to lift every roof and let the sun shine on him. Every corner—the number of human beings is too much after all, for vampires, wizards, and werewolves.

There is another experiment, that is, whether blood with anticoagulants can still be food for vampires.

The answer is yes, but although the name is anticoagulant, most of it is the merit of the wizard - the poison that prevents blood from coagulating and the potion that prolongs life. More than an hour of "freshness", this period of time seems short, but if it is only used by Louis to trade with blood clans, it is enough. In any case, the most important thing is to avoid people's suspicion of blood collection-bloodletting treatment It lasted until the eighteenth century, and there was no need to worry about the source of blood. It was not easy for civilians to do a bloodletting treatment, and it cost a lot of money.

After the blood was fed to the "untouchables" and the Nofiler vampires, they didn't die like those vampires who drank the "dead blood" with black faces, but—"They complained that the blood was really bad to drink, Some are sour, some are bitter, and some are like urine," said a doctor.

Louis glanced at him, it was none other than Malbiki, he really didn't expect him to be so bold, "Did they drink those things before?"

"I don't know, Sire," said Malbighi, "but I have a guess—they look quite happy, as if they could only taste one flavor when they drank the blood of the living."

"Have you asked them?"

"They say it's the taste of blood, there is no difference, the blood of a young girl may not be sweeter, and the blood of an old man may not be more bitter." Malbiki said: "I also asked them if they ate some human food, what is it? What about the taste?" He asked himself and answered, "It's like eating a piece of empty air."

"Do you still want to prepare a menu for them?"

"What's so strange, Your Majesty, you're already planning to raise this group of vicious dogs."

"You are just a mortal, aren't you afraid?"

Malbiki's eyes sparkle: "As a doctor, as a researcher," he says, "the only thing that scares me is not being able to track down the final answer."

At that time, he ran from Italy to France only because he heard that Louis XIV was a generous king. At that time, he was punished by the church because he was studying anatomy, and he had to give up his original job to teach at the University of Pisa. Pisa, he still couldn't let go of his hands and feet to do research, and was always full of vigilant eyes around him. If he made a mistake, a priest would give him a stern warning, and he couldn't find a reliable sponsor—the lens of the microscope very expensive! Not to mention the cost of corpses, the corpses he wants must be the freshest, and those shriveled and rotting corpses are of no benefit.

But for the research, for the answer, he broke his fortune and didn't care, until a colleague reminded him whether the corpses he accepted were getting fresher...

Malbiki was almost brought to court as an accomplice in the murder, and he finally made up his mind to run to France. With the king's asylum, he can not only continue to do research happily and as he pleases, but also avoid the pain of conscience ——The experimental "materials" here are all heinous criminals. They should have been tortured to death, and now their punishment is nothing more than dismembering their corpses—that's just a little too much.

"I also hope to get one or many answers." Louis XIV said, "but don't forget the ultimate goal."

Malbighi took a step back and bowed deeply to the king, he is Italian, and Italians... Every Italian yearns for a strong king to rule them and end the tragic situation of Italy's fragmentation, although this The king belongs to France, but if it were him, his eldest son, the Duke of Colonna, might be able to fulfill their wishes.

The king's ultimate goal is of course eternal stability and tranquility. For this goal, any existence that can shake his rule should not exist. Maybe he can't achieve this wish in his lifetime, but as long as there is a beginning, his future People can always push away these thorns and chaotic rocks, leaving a smooth path for mankind.

The number of wizards who were "research objects" was the least in Blazer Castle. They were all Dark wizards, the spoils of the battlefields of Holland and Flanders-remnants. The wizards working here don't have much empathy for dark wizards, mainly because dark wizards don't have much empathy when facing them. Wizards are the best experimental material for dark wizards, and vice versa, and Louis doesn't Needed to know how to kill a dark wizard - and he knew how.

What he wants to know is - the root of magic, where does it come from, where does it go, and what path is it?

Among his descendants, especially the Duke of Colonna's line, the possibility of wizards appearing is too great.

Malbiki was overjoyed to get the approval of the king. In fact, he was a little apprehensive at the beginning, mainly because they couldn’t produce any results for the time being—wizards and human beings seemed to be no different, and there was no excess in their bodies. Guts, hearts no heavier, brains no bigger, and they themselves can't explain where the magic comes from, but it's good that the king can give them more time.

He didn't notice that the king's gaze was fixed on a wizard - he was a member of the Mancini family, although he was already a branch, but his face was still somewhat similar to Mary Mancini. Louis' heart sank suddenly, and without saying much, he was about to turn around and leave.

"Your Majesty..." A voice suddenly stopped him, and Louis turned around to look at him. He has a memory that is difficult for others to match. This face seems familiar, "Are you Bosch's student?"

"I'm not so lucky, I'm just an apprentice, Your Majesty." The black wizard ignored the people who were suddenly alert, stood up from the stone platform behind the iron fence, approached them, his face was illuminated by the torch, It was a young face, and although it had suffered a lot, at least the eyes were still bright.

"A deal," he said, coughing.

"What deal?" Louie said. "I get everything I want."

"To save some little trouble," said the dark wizard, "Your Majesty, I'll just say it—I know what those guys did to Carlos II of Spain."

"I shouldn't trust a dark wizard."

"I don't ask much, Your Majesty, I can work for you, of course, as a researcher rather than a researched." The black wizard lowered his head, took a few deep breaths to suppress the urge to cough: "The black wizard can do better than the wizard Better, more." He added: "In addition, look at my age, I have not participated in any conspiracy about your father or you, and the things I used to trade with you are only my Occasionally - I know you can get what you want, but what if it's just a small favour, like you throw bread crumbs at a raven, I'll just have a few crumbs, my lord , benevolent master, I can even swear to the cornerstone that I will never leave here."

Louie watched him for an unsettling minute as the king nodded and the dark wizard's shoulders finally dropped.

He sat down holding the iron railing, the emptiness and pain in his body seemed to be far away from him, and he won the bet.

—————

Because Blaze Castle is very close to Fontelay Abbey, and Saumur Castle, where the king resides, forms an equilateral triangle with the two. Few people know about the king's secret travel for the time being, but Queen Teresa must be one of them.

Saumur Castle was set up as a military camp after Philip II, so when the king decided to stay here, the steward spent a lot of effort to finally arrange it into a small palace that matches the king. But because of the limited space, the queen's suite is next to the king's suite, with an adjoining terrace. Fortunately, Louis went to Blazer tonight, and Mrs. Montespan was not called into the room to serve, and Queen Teresa also avoided a room. An embarrassment——with the help of the maid, she untied her bun, took a deep breath, and said, "I'll take a look on the terrace, so don't follow me." Fourteen years ago, Queen Teresa, who gave birth to him a daughter and two sons in succession, also had her own majesty, and now they are not in Versailles or the Louvre. up.

Queen Teresa was the only one left in the room. She twisted her neck and felt a rare sense of relief. The moonlight and the breeze lifted the tulle curtains and flowed into the room. Yes, inlaid with glass and lead strips, the color is crystal clear, but it still can't compare with the river valley under the moonlight - there is a large piece of white pebble river beach, which is even a little dazzling against the black jungle and dark blue sky A team of cavalry was coming from the south. At first, the queen thought it was a patrol team, but later she realized that the team was holding the king's flag. She immediately walked to the terrace, pressed the cold stone railing, and went look there.

As if noticing her gaze, one of the men in the queue looked up, and he saw her, and he took off his hat and waved her, as the light was dim, and the not-so-distinct red ostrich feathers dangled a few times in the air. Next, he waved his hand again, and Teresa knew that he was urging her to go back to her room. Although it was midsummer, the river valley was still a bit chilly at night.

Queen Teresa didn't feel cold, but she never wanted to waste Louis' kindness. She thought that the king might stay in her room today——she pressed her chest, walked back to the room slowly, and hesitated for a while. Yes, I didn't call the maid, just dabbed a little rose oil, and bit my lips. When she looked in the mirror, she saw a mediocre face, but even this mediocre face became glorious because of her husband's love and respect.

After all, they have been husband and wife for twenty years. Teresa's guess is correct. Louis walked into her suite with a gift. The maids looked happier than the queen. Lying comfortably on the bed, holding hands. If the king was lying next to Mrs. Montespan, she would have asked for a favor, but Teresa knew the king far better than she did, so she first talked to the king about the nursing home and the orphanage.

As I said before, hospitals in the past may have played the role of workhouses and shelters, but now hospitals are hospitals, and the elderly and orphans who have lost or have no labor force have become a problem. Of course, Louis XIV considered this problem. He asked All monasteries and churches in France must have an asylum or an orphanage attached. This is not difficult to do, because most monasteries and churches have such shelters, but the specifications are different, and there is no uniform equipment and facilities. The regulations and managers are also hard to describe.

The elderly in the asylum, the children in the orphanage, will have some light jobs they can afford-these jobs are allotted by the king's factories and workshops, with a certain charitable nature, and Charitable donations from queens and court ladies-in an age when people don't know or care about charity... or rather, they prefer to give priests a sum of money to do mass for those Sinful souls pray and don't want to delay their heaven.

So the king and his bishops and priests told a big lie. They said that anyone who chanted the "Our Father", "Rosary" and "Apostles' Creed" would be one step closer to heaven if he recited it once. You can read it yourself, or you can hire others to read it—compared to workers and servants who still have to do things, priests who charge expensive fees, old people in shelters, and children in orphanages, they naturally become the best "replacing scriptures" "Even if they are illiterate, as long as they can remember some scriptures, those who can speak can get themselves a meal and accommodation money.

In this way, even the elderly who have completely lost their ability to speak, or the abandoned babies, have received some care, partly from the kind wife and husband, and partly from the sympathetic co-residents.

In this way, the pressure on the monastery and the church will not be too great.

And with the prosperity of France, there are fewer and fewer abandoned children and abandoned old people. Today, the queen went to the shelter and orphanage. Almost all the babies in the orphanage have a notorious background, "they Most of her mothers are wandering girls and famous ladies." Queen Teresa said leaning on Louis.

Louis is also helpless about this. When most people have empty pockets, many women will definitely become workers in dishonorable professions due to the need to make ends meet. The number of women increased, especially after they occupied the Netherlands and Flanders. The famous women who had wandered in the lowlands lost their original benefactors and went to Paris or Versailles to look for opportunities.

The bad atmosphere they brought has affected the daughters of many civilian families, because as the bottom men have the possibility to accumulate money, they are not stingy in this regard.

Women have no possibility of formal work in this era, ignorant girls sometimes even sell themselves just for a hat or a cup of coffee, and rejoice because of the generous rewards of this "job".