I Am Louis XIV

So when Piero said he wanted to go to Naples, Alexander VIII felt as if his heart and liver had been taken out. He had to tell his son what he had seen at that time and talked about it again and again, but he started to do it. The Red Prince was quite handy with the Pope, but not as a father. If Louis XIV or Confucius were here, they would definitely tell him not to say such things to a passionate young man, and he listened. Not only will you not be afraid, but you will be more eager to try and can’t wait.

Alexander VIII soon realized that he had done a stupid thing. He lamented in his heart and let his son stay in his palace temporarily. He also summoned Cardinal Elario and asked him to persuade Piero. If he couldn't convince him, , and asked him to send a trustworthy person to send Piero to the Duke of Colonna.

Of course, Eralius couldn't convince Piero. The important thing was not his eloquence, but that both he and Alexander VIII were priests, not soldiers. Their caution made Piero look like cowardice. He thought about it for a while. After that, he planned to take Piero to Siena in person.

"Isn't the Duke of Colonna not in Naples?" Piero asked in surprise.

"Yes," said Cardinal Elario, "he had to attend a distinguished guest, so he temporarily returned to Siena from Naples."

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Louis had not seen his eldest son for several years.

As soon as he saw Luciano, he couldn't help but shed tears, "Oh, you look so much like your mother."

Luciano was slapped in the face. When he was a child, he looked more like Louis than Louis' real legitimate son, little Louis. When he grew up, his resemblance to Louis XIV made it impossible to deny his relationship with the Sun King. Relationship, there may be traces of his mother in him, but certainly not much, not enough to be seen at a glance. Louis said this simply because he missed Mary so much.

It would be a lie to say that Luciano did not resent his father every silent night. Through what Mary had told him, he knew that they had an unacknowledged marriage. To a certain extent, his father had deceived his mother and was too harsh on her, but when After he left Paris and became the Duke of Colonna, the master of Gaiola, and the son-in-law of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, he had to admit that if Louis was regarded as a king, he had ambition and a sense of responsibility. As a ruler, he did not commit any unforgivable mistakes.

And as a father, Louis XIV has done his best. He gave Luciano, his eldest son, not only status, title and territory, but also gave him something that children rarely get in this era. The tenderness and care from his father, especially in a king, are rare.

It is most normal to be like Leopold I.

"You should meet my daughter," said Luciano. "She is truly like my mother."

"I will go see her," Louis stood up and said, "but first, let's hug." So Luciano no longer hesitated, he quickly ran forward and hugged his father tightly, When he smelled the familiar scent of rose water on the king's body, his eyes were sore and he took a deep breath uncontrollably. Luciano once thought that he was already very strong and strong. Not only did he not need the support of others, but he could also become the support of others. But as soon as he met Louis XIV, the loneliness and weakness that he had buried deeply were pushed up by the tide like gravel under the sea sand.

Alexander VIII described the current situation in Italy in detail to his illegitimate son Piero. The battles between Leopold I and Louis XIV, Habsburg and Bourbon had reached a fever pitch, and there was almost no change. There is room for improvement, but as we all know, France has become a huge beast, and it has only one will. Although Leopold I was the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, the empire he ruled was like a multi-headed snake, and every prince had My own opinion.

For this reason, Leopold I even did not hesitate to abandon his loyalty to God and follow the example of the former French king in making deals with the pagans in Constantinople. Of course, this was also a good thing for Austria. After all, the Ottoman Turks There are always only two roads to conquer - on land, Austria is the gateway; on the sea, Italy is the chain. No matter where he conquers, Mohammed IV has something to boast about. At least in his lifetime, he does not have to worry about being attacked by him. The ministers and guards were deposed.

The reason why Alexander VIII knew this was because Leopold I had already communicated with the Roman Church. Once the Ottoman Turks approached the Vatican, the Vatican priests moved north to Switzerland, where they were under the influence of Leopold I and the allies. Asylum - At that time, Louis XIV had two choices, either to fight to the death with the Ottoman Turks to ensure that Naples and even the whole of Italy would not be destroyed; or to abandon Italy and the "eldest daughter of God" that France had maintained for hundreds of years. "The name.

If Louis XIV chose the first option, then he would not be able to continue to rule Spain, the Netherlands and Flanders. He would be attacked on both sides - the Ottoman Turks and the anti-French Allies; if Louis XIV chose The second item, then he must watch Leopold I take Italy into his pocket, so that Habsburg and Bourbon can still maintain the previous balance, and if he turns a blind eye to the call of the church, he rules The Catholics here will definitely be full of anger, and by then there may be a third "Fronde" riot.

It can be said that Italy was the battlefield chosen by Leopold I, not the Holy Roman Empire or any part of France. Louis XIV had to face such pressure with caution, let alone Luciano, who was on Caiola Island He had served as a commander and lord, but the war on Gajola Island could only be said to be a special riot, not a war, and he was so young.

The most important thing is that he is now only the son-in-law of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. His inheritance rights to Naples come from his wife. His illegitimate son status is spread among the nobles in Naples. Although it will not cause any obstacles, some people do not. Too convinced.

Here Louis XIV wants to say pooh! Forget it if you change it to other places, but Naples can't afford this. When King Alfonso V of Sicily seized Naples from the Anjou family, he handed over the territory he inherited from his father to his younger brother, but He handed over Naples to his illegitimate son, who was also known as Alfonso Ferdinand I of Naples.

In order to resist the counterattack of the Anjou family, the illegitimate king married another illegitimate family in the Italian peninsula, the Sforza family, the lords of Milan. Therefore, some people call their alliance "the sympathy between illegitimate children", but That’s absolutely right!

Hasn't a family like this been passed down in Naples for many generations? Why don't those nobles who bend their knees and swear allegiance to their illegitimate descendants not feel ashamed and find it difficult to accept it?

In short, since Louis XIV set foot on the ground in Italy, those chattering voices under the dim light and curtains suddenly disappeared. Of course, there were also two ships with the "Sun King" and the "King of Power" as their flagships. After the Battle of Double Bay, Britain and France entered a brief period of peace. Although how long the peace can last depends on whether France will have smooth sailing or a careless flag, so the French fleet can also be transferred to the Mediterranean.

When Luciano sat down in front of the king, Louis realized how thin he was. The coat covered with gems and gold embroidery might also function as armor to prevent others from noticing his irritability. , the young man's cheeks should be as plump as apples, but now they look as deep as a basin. For the same reason, Luciano's face is still covered with powder. Even so, it can still be seen His skin was dry and his expression was haggard. Only his eyes were shining like candles in the darkness.

"I'm coming," said Louis. "Don't be afraid, kid, I'm coming."

"I disappoint you," said Luciano.

"Louis XII also came here and then left." Louis XIV did not hesitate to drag his ancestors out to comfort his children. He was still a king, but his rule in Naples was not so smooth. After all, in Among the countries in Europe, France is the only one that has been working tirelessly and achieving solemn royal power. Italy's division is more serious, more complicated, more fragmented, and more absurd - in other countries, no mercenary captain has become a grand duke. After all, it's impossible for a priest's illegitimate son to become a king.

"Compared to him, you are already very good." Louis XII was not a mediocre monarch, but he had not been able to gain a foothold in Italy, so who could point fingers at Luciano?

"I dare not compare with such a great king," Luciano said, "but father, I long for your protection and help."

Louis XIV smiled. In fact, although the French royal family's surname has changed several times, tracing back to its roots, Capet's bloodline has never been cut off. Louis XII is not far away from them. Based on this, both he and Luciano He must remain humble and respectful, but he is also convinced that he will do better than Louis XII - yes, it is Louis XIV, not Luciano, Luciano is just a flag.

The Italian peninsula has always been a particularly special land. Since the Revolution of Avignon, almost all the popes have been Italians. If the Romans heard that a non-Italian might become the pope, they would probably start a riot. Priests who were born in France wanted to Promotion is not easy - after all, the handsome man Philip (King of France) monopolized the papacy for more than a hundred years. This was simply a whip on the Roman Church, leaving a deep mark on every priest (Except the French priests) All of them are engraved in their hearts.

Forced by Louis XIV's unyielding refusal to give in on appointments, dismissals, and taxes, the Roman Church even had to allow the pagans to attack Rome to curb the Sun King's ambitions. If the French king really became the master of Italy, let alone The Holy Roman Empire, I am afraid that all the Catholic countries will attack together under the call of the church - France just gathered the royal power, leaving Europe and the United Kingdom breathless. If it is allowed to gather the religious power again...

Therefore, even on the surface, Louis XIV could not unite Naples or even the entire Italy like Louis XII.

"So do you understand?" Louis gently explained to his eldest son: "One day, you will be as powerful and noble as me. The protagonist and the king will also bow their knees in front of you, but as a king, you still You are very young, so just treat this battle as a lesson. Look at me, kid, and you will realize that, in fact, fighting and ruling have never been difficult."

In this regard, Luciano was lacking compared to little Louis - little Louis grew up in the court, but Luciano did not.

He also let Luciano drink a glass of wine with spices and honey, and asked him to have a good sleep. The next day, they set out for Florence, the city where Louis XII also visited.

The power of the Medici family had been transferred from Florence to Siena since the first Grand Duke of Tuscany. However, when Cosimo III, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, became unable to even stand up due to the worsening of gout. , returned to Florence, the Riccardi Palace of the Medici family.

This palace can be said to have been built by Medici during his most glorious period in Florence. The designer was none other than the famous master Michelangelo. Later, although the Grand Duke of Tuscany no longer lived here, it was not abandoned. Here, hundreds of years of management and layout are like re-brewing a fine wine, making it more perfect and mellow.

The Grand Duke of Tuscany could not get up, so he still had himself carried on a sedan chair. He carried himself outside the king's room, leaned his body and saluted Louis XIV.

"There is absolutely no need for you to be so respectful to the King of France," murmured the child beside him.

Cosimo III helplessly glanced at the second son beside him. This was his last child from his marriage to a French princess, the daughter of the former Duke of Orleans, named Gian.

Cosimo III had three children, the eldest son Ferdinand, daughter Anna, and second son Gian. Logically speaking, he did not need to worry about the future of the Medici family, but...

His eldest son Ferdinand stubbornly stayed in Paris and did not come back. Cosimo III vaguely knew the reason - his eldest son was a rare kind of person who had no desire for power. He was more like the Italian aristocrats of centuries ago. Young people have nothing to do, enjoy leisure and work, and pursue love and art wholeheartedly.

He was irritated by the expectations of Cosimo III and the ministers, so he took the opportunity of a study visit to Paris to escape. However, even if he was still in Italy, he might not be able to defeat his brother-in-law.