I Am Louis XIV

When they arrived in Dunkirk, the sky was already bright again, but at this time people were exhausted physically and mentally. The nobles in Dunkirk suffered the most casualties in the cathedral fire. If the king was safe and sound, they might still be alive. It is suspected that this is a French conspiracy, but the king is dying. Neither the French nor their doctors can detect the poison hidden in the knife that stabbed the king. Seeing that the king is getting weaker and weaker day by day, And the Bishop and the Viscount Turenne strangely did not allow them to use the usual medical methods-they began to panic after grief, because the ten thousand soldiers of the French were still here, and since the king was assassinated, Duncan Erke entered a state of martial law under the orders of Cardinal Mazaran and Viscount Turenne. To put it simply, he was not allowed to go out or enter unless there was a warrant from Mr. Bishop.

Today, a musketeer wearing a red sash rode away from Dunkirk with the permission of the bishop, heading for the town that was once the temporary residence of the king.

This emissary was Dalamise, and as soon as he returned to the town, he had no time to greet anyone—that is, from D'Artagnan to his other colleagues and friends, he came to the place where the Prince of Condé was under house arrest. In front of the room, after several deep breaths, he knocked on the door.

"Please come in." Prince Condé said without raising his head. When he was in Spain, he heard that the Duke of Gaston was exiled to Blois. He thought that his fate would be the same, and the king would not kill him. , but he will not continue to keep him in Paris or the fief, his political future is doomed—maybe many people will not believe it, but to this day, his mentality has calmed down, and he even feels as if he has let go of a Too heavy responsibility, this responsibility or ambition once tortured him day and night, and after staying in the Spanish court, he also realized that the honor that the French could not give him, he was also impossible in other countries. Obtained, like a strong vine, even though its branches and leaves stretch to the boundless sky, its roots still remain in France.

It is said that the king will come to see him after the entrance ceremony of Dunkirk, and then announce his sentence, maybe today? He was a little surprised when he saw Dalamiz, because according to etiquette and tradition, Daramiz's uncle, the current captain of the musketeer guard, might be accused of being a messenger, but a mere young musketeer? It was undoubtedly a humiliation to Prince Condé. Prince Condé suppressed his slight uneasiness and anger in his heart, and looked up and down Dalamiz. Seeing this, he couldn't help being startled again, because Daramiz's The clothes don't look like they were done in a calm state.

"Your Highness," Daramiz bowed to Prince Condé, and then handed a sealed letter to the prince. The prince looked at his red eye circles and his stooped back, feeling more ominous in his heart. strong.

He grabbed the paper knife on the desk and opened the wax seal of Mr. Bishop, and then opened the thin parchment. There was not much content on the parchment, but Prince Condé read it in succession. Several times, his complexion also changed continuously, from pale to bright red, and from bright red to pale again, he didn't say anything, but immediately stretched out his hand, asked his servant to change his going out clothes, and followed Daramiz left his cell together.

The two of them drove all the way into Dunkirk, and when the king fell, he was immediately transferred to the nearest town hall. This town hall was also a fortress, although it was old, it was also strong enough to withstand the impact of the outside world, Tire The Viscount Naut greeted them in the corridor, and they walked quickly to the room where the king was in silence. Prince Condé heard the sound of boots beating on the fine wood floor, and his heart tightened for a while--when he was not welcoming When the crowd saw Cardinal Mazarin, Prince Condé thought about it, maybe the bishop was waiting beside the king at this time, but when he entered the room and saw the long couch next to the king's bed, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. dizzy.

The worst thing happened. When the king was assassinated and seriously injured, the bishop also fell.

"Is it an assassin?" Prince Condé asked.

"No," Viscount Turenne said in a hoarse voice, "Mr. Bishop had a lung disease before he came to Dunkirk, and maybe his liver. Deficient, more mucus and black bile, so he is cold and dry..."

"Give me the result." His Royal Highness roughly interrupted the viscount's answer.

If it were someone else, he would definitely become irritable. After all, the Prince of Condé was just a prisoner, a traitor and a traitor at this time, but Turenne was both his subordinate and his friend, so he didn't feel disobedient at all, " So, Your Highness, you have read the letter sent to you by the Bishop. It has been written very clearly. When he is in a coma and the king cannot wake up for the time being, only Dunkirk and the king will be entrusted to you. .”

"That's why he believes in me?" Prince Condé smiled sarcastically and anxiously.

"We can't choose Mr. Don Juan." Viscount Turenne said, "You know, if those people know that Mr. Bishop and Mr. King have fallen..."

"And Philip, Duke of Anjou."

"France will still be plunged into a second great chaos, and many will be happy to see it, the population and territories we lost after 1648..."

"So," said Prince Condé, "it's luck for me..." He kneaded the parchment together tightly, knowing that there were still two of his own in Dunkirk. Three thousand soldiers, if, if he wants, he can take the opportunity to escape here, and even go further, or return to his territory to regain strength, but Mr. Bishop gave him another bolder choice—— In the ensuing negotiations and transitions, although Viscount Turenne respectfully served as the marshal of the army, he was not qualified to confront the incoming Cromwell envoy. Formed an oppressive situation on the British. Because of his status, the second son and younger brother of a duke who had been deprived of his territory, in the court, the words he said were not as powerful as the cannonballs he fired.

But Prince Condé is different. Even though he rebelled against the king, and even became an enemy of France for a while, his territory and title were never deprived by the king, so he is still a respectable prince. Even in the face of Cromwell, the Protector still had to bow to Prince Condé, not to mention the envoys he sent, so the French naturally had a natural advantage, which was very important to Mr. Bishop The business of Dunkirk, as agreed with the king, is of considerable importance.

Prince Condé is not a fool, the Viscount Turenne understood the meaning of the king as soon as he said it, but seeing the gray face of the king and holding his cold hand, Prince Condé felt heavy in his heart, because once the king and the bishop died, Then his behavior in Dunkirk may become his death talisman. He never knew how the Queen Mother Anne hated him and the Duke of Gaston. Once the king dies, it will be Ann who succeeds Duke Ru, it's hard to say whether they think that the king's assassination in Dunkirk was done by him and... Viscount Turenne, after all, Viscount Turenne was also loyal to him.

Finally, it was a pardon document that prompted the Prince of Condé to make a decision. "Has the king been sober afterward?" he asked.

"No, Your Highness," Bontang said, "he signed it a few days ago and put it in a drawer in his study."

"...Bring my clothes." Prince Condé said after a moment of silence, "Viscount Turenne, let us meet the envoy of Lord Protector Cromwell."