I Am Louis XIV

Alberoni's presence frightens a man.

He was a strong young man, standing beside Milady, one of Milady's spies in Toledo, and at the same time a wizard, standing beside the lady, also meant to protect her. Because they were too close, the moment when Alberoni and Milady touched also fell into his eyes.

What frightened him was—"How did you buy him?" He couldn't help asking in a low voice.

"A disciple of the Archbishop of Toledo," Milady said with a smile, "I don't have such abilities."

Alberoni...he is indeed a disciple of the Archbishop of Toledo, and he also loves his benefactor like a father. He came from a humble background, just the son of a gardener. He studied in a Jesuit church school in Italy, but it was the Archbishop of Toledo who came to Rome to meet the Pope at that time who promoted him. Otherwise, with his status and family resources, even if he just wanted to get the Holy Order, it would cost him ten thousand dollars. A few years—and then another decade or so in some remote village or town.

If he is determined to be ruthless, by means of intimidation and blackmail, he can still raise a sum of money for management and transfer to another wealthy and honorable place, but if not, then can he only guard a church in place? A house of worship dies.

The support of the Archbishop of Toledo was like a spider's silk hanging from heaven, pulling him from the mortal world to the clouds—a gardener's son, who suddenly became a court attendant and a king's partner. This kind of thing, some people dare not even imagine it.

When he first came to Carlos II, Alberoni and Jose had the same idea—to become the king's most trusted friend. For this reason, they fought ridiculously several times. However, the two An astute child soon discovered that Carlos II was not as good as Louis XIV of France. He was not the kind of radiant, wise, and kind-hearted king, but it didn't matter. Kings like Louis XIV were rare in the first place. , and Louis XIV is not without regrets, a mediocre king, as long as he has loyal and capable ministers and generals around him, he will let Spain return to the glorious route.

But after returning from Paris, Carlos II seems to have completely dropped the disguise... just like in the terrible legend, the beast tore off the human skin wrapped around his body to reveal his fangs.

José is different from Alberoni, he is the son of a nobleman, the nephew of Minister of the Navy Patinho, he has the courage to argue with the king, and he goes to Mr. Patinho to sue, but the king can't do anything to him, Just drive him away. On the one hand, Alberoni was not willing to betray the trust of the archbishop, and on the other hand, he still had a little hope...a little hope—maybe with the passage of time, coupled with tactful persuasion, or the queen giving birth to the king's heir, Is everything all right?

Needless to say, we all know that Alberoni was not simply locked in a dark and small prison. Sometimes he was taken to watch his execution, and sometimes he was forced to be tortured like a queen. A merciful end to man. But most of the time, he stayed in his room, listening to the outside sounds almost like self-punishment.

Guess what he can hear?

Desperate howls, mournful cries, weak moans, painful curses and mournful entreaties... But the most unbearable thing for Alberoni is... praying...

Old people, young people, girls, especially the latter, in order to cater to the preferences of Carlos II, those pure and delicate girls like calla lily flowers have endured all kinds of torture. In a trance, they thought they had committed a crime. Sin, go to hell...

As long as they still have a little strength, they will intermittently and chaotically pray to God, the Virgin, the Son and the saints, begging them to stretch out their hands and save them...

No! No! ! No! ! !

Whenever he heard such a prayer, Alberoni could not help screaming, wanting to shake the prison door until it crashed and collapsed!

No, you have been deceived, even in hell, there will be no such punishment, such a vicious heart, such a cruel method! Even if the most terrible beasts were brought here, and the most despicable devils were summoned here, they would tremble with fright and only want to escape!

do not talk! do not Cry! Stop praying!

Won't……

Someone came to save you... because...

because……

because……

because……

Because for those people at the top of the power pyramid in Toledo, the life, death and pain of some ordinary people are really nothing to appease a "person" who is restless and noble enough to use coercive means... The price is so small that you don't need to care about it, and it can even be regarded as "nothing"...

No one knows whether Alberoni tore his own chest the night he realized it.

Like the Archbishop of Toledo said, both he and Jose were too young.

It’s just that even the archbishop didn’t realize that the long-term imprisonment not only destroyed Alberoni’s body, but also destroyed his ideas and ways of thinking that he had established around the church school and the archbishop—he was the son of a gardener, and he almost forgot But Carlos II reminded him again that he was just lucky enough to become the archbishop's disciple, otherwise, otherwise he was just something Carlos II used for "pastime".

The archbishop didn't know that even if Milady didn't appear and Queen Antonia didn't make a choice, Alberoni was already ready to let Carlos II die. ——

Milady cast a sideways glance at the young wizards beside her. She never expected these wizards to understand the mysteries of trickery.

Let some wizards see that Milady and the French king who instructed her to do this are really superfluous. They also have wizards, kings and allies of vampires and werewolves. They can fight back-although Carlos II is surrounded There are dark wizards and priests of the Inquisition, but it is not impossible to find opportunities...

But Louis XIV needed more than Carlos II, or rather, the death of a single person.

What the enemies of France want is very simple. France's hegemony is now almost unshakable. It is not impossible to use the death of Louis XIV to freeze the glory of France at this peak moment, and then depending on the changes in the situation, it is not impossible to find a gap or play by ear, and take advantage of the fire.

Louis XIV was out for revenge, but also for the next step.

He already has a second son, the son of Teresa, the eldest daughter of Philip IV of Spain. Once he was born, he was destined to have the right to inherit the Spanish throne, unless Spain can provide 500,000 livres. dowry. If it weren't for Austria's heavy war debts after the Great War, Leopold I might still have to pay the money for his son, but first, Leopold I would sell his power (allow Prussia was promoted to a kingdom) and domestic iron mines can continue to support it; secondly, Carlos II and his ministers actually created a "legitimate child", and couldn't help but let his daughter delay it for a few years-delay until he Leopold I had a son with the queen, Philip IV's second daughter, in order to contest the Spanish throne - Leopold I was very angry.

He would never pay half a million livres for a Habsburg grandson, as it would be for the son of Louis XIV! Louis XIV was also three-quarters Habsburg!

Therefore, if Carlos II dies, flees to Rome with the support and help of the King of France, asks Innocent XI for help, and exposes the conspiracy of Queen Antonia, not only can he be considered underage and consummated the house The grounds that can be successful are to apply for the invalidation of the marriage, and to request the Pope to rule that the only son of Carlos II is an illegitimate child and has no right to inherit the Spanish throne.

So, things are back to square one.

Charles of Bourbon will be king of Spain.

However, the Habsburgs have been operating in Spain for a long time, and France and Spain have maintained a hostile relationship for nearly a hundred years. A Frenchman who enters Spain is likely to cause continuous riots and even be emptied by the Spaniards, just like the former Henrik of the Valois dynasty had to abandon the throne less than a year after succeeding to the throne and ran back to France-Louis XIV would never allow such a thing to happen.

He must let the Habsburgs have the most embarrassing ending in Spain, which cannot be concealed by any means, and the most ignorant people will be horrified by it and feel sick-only in this way, at least the Spaniards will not be at the same level as a Frenchman. To walk into the palaces of Madrid or Toledo with hatred and indignation...

————

When the people of Toledo trudged towards the arena in the dark and rain, they didn't have too many complicated emotions in their hearts.

France is the source of chivalry, but the most chivalrous is not the French, but the Spaniards.

It was only 70 years since "Don Quixote" was written and published. Although people in later generations believed that this book was written to mock and satirize the so-called chivalry, if you read it carefully, no matter what is in the book Don Quixote is still the kind of knight he yearns for, not a hypocrite with a mean temperament and low behavior, on the contrary, he and his "knights" are people who have truly achieved the eight virtues of knights.

The Spaniards have always advocated bravery and loyalty, and are not afraid of sacrifice. This kind of character and philosophy once made Spain the overlord of Europa. Even though the glory of Spain is now like the afterglow of the setting sun, this light still shines in the hearts of the Spaniards.

They didn't doubt the words of the archbishop—the king originally had the right and obligation to protect the subjects, especially in a city like Toledo that was hidden under the royal family. They were also very happy to see a king who could fight on horseback, even if someone mentioned it, Carlos II seldom rode a horse, and most of them rode in a carriage. It was also refuted that the current war does not necessarily require the king to wield a warhammer to rush to the enemy; He didn't need to treat them very carefully. There must be countless priests around him, holding a huge cross. In order to show piety, the king may have to walk.

Milady's strong drink gave them hot blood, plenty of strength, and the power of fantasy.

They followed Alberoni's pony through most of Toledo, and when they saw the red light above the arena and heard a faint cry from the wind, some people raised their flails impatiently. , Hammer and Pitchfork, they looked forward excitedly, wanting to do a good job in front of the king.

A few light-footed people had climbed over the hill and reached the top of the arena.

The Colosseum at Toledo is undoubtedly one of the larger buildings of its kind, for it could have been used for chariot races, and has a circumference of more than fifteen hundred feet, but its shape is consistent with that of the other arenas, the funnel. The venue is at the bottom of the funnel, and the auditorium is at the middle and edge.

Since it is for the audience to watch the game, not for the players to watch the audience, there is no doubt that looking down from the top is much clearer and more convenient than looking up from the bottom.

So, they saw it.