I Am Louis XIV

"is that so."

What frightened the Marquis de Lafayette was that after hearing these words, his dear mother did not faint immediately, nor scream, nor become hysterical... Anyway, he didn't have the reaction he expected. He thought Rafa The Marchioness did not understand what he meant, or deliberately did not understand - a method that ladies often use to avoid embarrassment and facts they do not want to accept.

He waited in fear for a long time, and then he realized that the Marquise's calmness was not fake, nor was she unresponsive.

"Oh," she said.

"Don't you object?" asked the Marquis de Lafayette. You know, although both the British and the French have people who marry Indians - French businessmen are even more keen on playing matchmaker on both ends, and on the other hand they say to the Indians, if he marries your daughter, you don't have to worry about them putting him down. Price; one said to the French, do you want to see the best furs being placed at the door of the purchasing station at a fixed time and at a fixed time? Marry the chief's daughter!

There are not many engagements concluded in this way.

But these French and British people are the most ordinary civilians, soldiers at the lowest level, or businessmen with no wealth. They don't mind the skin color of their wives and daughters. They care about the quality of gold coins, and the people above don't care either. What they want to do, and sometimes they will deliberately promote it.

But for a nobleman like the Marquis de Lafayette, the meaning is quite different. In the UK and France, no, it should be said, in any monarchy of this era, the classes are clearly defined, and marriages that transcend classes will not be recognized unless chartered by the king. In other words, the chartered by the king is only on a legal level. Recognized among their class, these illegal marriages were like skinned frogs, naked and without a trace to hide.

For example, Duke Mortemar insists on marrying an unknown woman. Even if she is canonized by the king, the duchess still rarely appears in public and has never even entered the Palace of Versailles. Even her daughter Montespan The lady became the king's royal wife, and people would only call her by her husband's surname and title, not by her nominal father, Duke Mortemar.

The king's favorite Mary Mancini didn't even get the title and salary of a royal wife - although neither she nor the king cared.

There is also the famous "civilian lady", Eva, Countess Fourné. She got this title because she wanted to accompany the princess to marry to distant Prussia, and Ferdinand, the eldest son of Cosimo III, was able to pursue her openly after she obtained the title.

Until now, even at the top of the pyramid, a king still cannot marry the daughter of a nobleman below the duke, but can marry. Their children, like illegitimate children, have no inheritance rights.

Not to mention that the father of the Indian lady was a count - at this point, the Marquise probably guessed whose daughter this lady was. After all, the two Indian counts shocked the whole of Paris. Not only had she seen They, and even talked to them.

But... class alone is enough to make a marriage ignored by everyone, let alone different races. This is not just a general difference. The reddish-brown skin of Indians is a characteristic that cannot be argued or confused.

The lady glanced at him contemptuously, "I thought it was a man."

"Why do you think so?" Marquis Lafayette, who once rode in Fireworks Willow Lane and was undefeated in a hundred battles, subconsciously retorted: "I used to..."

"How was it before?" said the Marquise: "It's a blessing from God that you didn't contract the Italian disease." She clapped her hands: "But as soon as you arrived in Montreal, you suddenly settled down. At that time, I guessed whether you had it. My beloved, but you have never mentioned it to me, then you must be someone who is not easy to say...that," she said kindly: "As far as I know, there was a huge disparity between men and women in Montreal before the Irish began to migrate, and I I think you might not like those...ladies."

She had seen illustrations and descriptions from newspapers - not to mention how bad the situation in Montreal was in the first few years. Under the difficult living conditions, the fragile little flowers would soon wither, leaving only the strong ones. Bears and tigers - I don't mean to belittle those respectable mothers and wives, but this is the first thing you think of when you see them.

All the tourist girls in Montreal are good at setting up tents with their bare hands in a snowstorm...

As for the Indians, the Marquise must admit that she did not expect that she is a person who likes reading and writing, which means that she will not only focus on her family and children like some women. After the Indian whirlwind in Paris, people I am also full of curiosity about the beliefs, ideas and traditions of another race, and my wife is no exception.

Indians distinguish each other by tribe, and young men and women often only look for mates within the tribe - because there are often wars between tribes, and even if there is no war, the tribe will move around with the bison. When Indians choose their future wives and husbands, women should be healthy and hard-working - this is what is beautiful. Men should be brave, strong, and good at fighting and hunting.

Their nature maintains a kind of primitive loyalty. Except for a few tribes, a husband has only one wife. If one party unfortunately dies early, the other party will often use a knife to cut his cheek and arm to express grief until the wound heals. , the scars fall off, their pain will be worn away by time, and they will start looking for a new spouse again.

If the marriage contract lasts longer and the relationship is deeper, the surviving partner may even walk into the wilderness alone - which is almost equivalent to suicide.

Of course, the Marquise de Lafayette loves her son very much, and like all mothers, she thinks he is cute and beautiful, but in this era and place, ministers will discuss the king's bed as if they were discussing state affairs. Being a royal wife is an out-and-out job, with a salary and a level - but she has no hope for the moral integrity of any French man.

Including her son.

In five years, she was almost certain that her son viewed this girl sincerely, but the Marquis de Lafayette was a man who had been immersed in the big dye vat of Paris for almost twenty years, and was also a frequent visitor to the Bois de Boulogne before. , "You know all Indian ladies know how to use knives..." she asked tentatively.

Marquis Lafayette had a helpless look on his face, "What are you talking about..."

"What I am saying is that if French ladies cannot find happiness in marriage, then they will seek happiness outside marriage, but I heard that Indian ladies have their own way of dealing with it, and it is said that They learn how to gelding horses from a very young age..."

"Mother!"

"I am quite willing to believe you, son." Marquise Lafayette finally put away her teasing heart and stared at her child intently. "You should not be like your father." The lady separated from her husband a long time ago. She stretched out her hands and held his face: "Tell me what you want to do."

"I want to marry Xiao Falcon. We will stay in the New World and you will be with us."

"Where's the territory?"

"Either return it to your Majesty, or leave it to your brother." The Marquis didn't understand how his mother could show a trace of disappointment: "Isn't this good? Mother, I believe that I will not be inferior to our ancestors. I can also do my best. The descendants will leave a vast territory, and the little falcon will not have to be laughed at."

"Oh..." the Marquise said with nostalgia and sadness: "My good sir, have you asked the other person in this marriage about this matter?"

The Marquis hesitated for a moment, and his mother suddenly understood: "Look back at the bookshelf behind you, the twelfth book on the right side of the fourth floor, take it out and take a look."

The Marquis obeyed, and he opened the beautifully bound book. It turned out to be a script, the famous story of Lancelot and the Witch.

(Note: That is, women’s greatest desire is to determine their own destiny.)

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"Yes, Your Majesty, I have different ideas from Gilbert (Marquis Lafayette)." Xiao Falcon said.

"Because your love does not hurt anyone, does not violate ethics, does not harm morality, and is not a transaction of profit or political significance." Louis said, smiling under the curious eyes of the girl, "I was young too. , longing for pure feelings, children, I understand you and respect you. The tribe of 'Niujiao' follows the system of monogamy. Men must be loyal to their wives and women must be loyal to their husbands. You are equal in marriage, far better than others. Other tribes are just for love, far better than the French or the British."

"But even I can't do whatever I want, especially since your marriage to the Marquis de Lafayette is the first... marriage between an Indian and a white man. There will be countless pairs of eyes staring at you. Your marriage will even It may lead to one or two laws, which will become the support or shackles of later generations, and the impact may last for hundreds of years.”

"Is there such a serious consequence?" Xiao Falcon asked: "Great Chief, your territory is so vast, but your people have a narrow mind."

"It seems that you are sharper than just your eyes." Louis said, "But the first thing we have to do is go back to Versailles."

Little Falcon is a beautiful Indian girl and a brave Indian warrior. Obviously, not only his mother disapproved of the Marquis Lafayette's actions, but even his lover disapproved of it. , social interaction and various unspoken rules are not very interested. As the Marquis said, they can still live in Montreal for a long time after marriage - but for Xiao Falcon, this approach is simply like giving up without a fight, which is humiliating. .

She was eager and ready to fight.

However, they, as well as the Marquise Lafayette, were far less thoughtful about this issue than the king.

The marriage between Little Falcon and the Marquis de Lafayette seems small, but it directly brings up some of Louis XIV's worries about America.

France is destined to be a country with a dictatorial monarchy, as are Poland and Spain, and Italy is a federal kingdom. So... what about America, which is run by the fifth Bourbon? What kind of behemoth will that vast and fertile land create?

Louis XIV never told anyone, not even Bontang, that Philippe was... In the future he expected, perhaps just one or two hundred years later, he hoped that the descendants of Bourbon could be transformed from a real powerful monarch into a noble symbol. .

When he said "I am the country", he was declaring his uniqueness to France, because France at that time was on the verge of division, with riots everywhere, forces from all sides fighting endlessly for power, belief and money, and the people were living in hell, enduring torment and dying. Can't see the way forward, they need a strong leader. As for whether it is a king, a Caesar, or anything else, it doesn't matter. It's just that for people in this era, the king is the most orthodox and legitimate leader. Persuasive.

But even the sun has its moments when it sets in the west. In the future, Louis XV should be able to continue the policies of Louis XIV well and implement his ideas. However, Louis himself had to admit that little Louis was not the kind to kill decisively. A courageous monarch, he is a man of success, which may be a good thing for France. After all, during the reign of Louis XIV, France's carriage had been galloping hard day and night, creating a legacy for Louis XIV that was destined to be surpassed by no one. Its vast territory and colonies have caused some poets to shout "the sun never sets", because according to the area directly and indirectly controlled by France, if someone can walk on it, they can chase the sun to the end. .

Louis XV's conservatism allowed this carriage to wait for a chance to rest. The problem is that the body may rest, but the soul and mind will never stop.

Louis still remembers joking with Bishop Mazarin that no one would want to rule a group of chimpanzees even if they could become a king. After taking office, he started to popularize education and open up people's wisdom, okay? Of course, everyone can see the huge role of education. Poland, the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, Britain and Portugal all rushed to open junior and secondary schools after him, instead of the usual belief that stupid people are easy to rule.

But how can a person who knows how to think and judge stop easily?

When Descartes was chatting with the king, he talked about how the philosopher Zeno explained why knowledgeable people always lamented that they were too ignorant - the people today are just like Zeno, they did not receive education before , all they see is hell, heaven, fields and workshops, but when they receive education, they will see much more of the world than their fathers and ancestors - there are many things in it that the original rulers did not want them to see.

But they will always see it.

Now there are many novel ideas and political opinions in Paris, some of which are so radical that the people of Paris who love the king will rush into cafes and pubs, drag people out and beat them up because they actually say that this world can live without them. The existence of a king is needed.

"Yes, gentlemen," Louis said to his ministers and generals in his heart: "One day, the people will realize that they do not need a king."

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