I Am Louis XIV

To the surprise of the Emperor's Chief of Attendants, Olympia Mancini, the Countess of Soissons, did not even yell, and did not even say that at least little Eugen should be left in the royal manor, but accepted it meekly. This order is just a farewell to the emperor Yiyi, and Leopold I also promised that as soon as the matter is over, he will pick her up immediately and present her with a set of precious sapphire jewelry as a consolation with rewards. Just waiting for the curtain of the carriage to be drawn, behind the veil was a face of surprise and uncertainty. At first, the Countess of Soissons thought that the French just wanted to send an eloquent man to Leopold's court. A lobbyist, but now it seems that a lobbyist will never be treated so carefully and politely, so who exactly did they arrange through her hands? The Countess of Soissons, who vaguely felt that she might have been deceived, began to carefully consider the advice Milady gave her. Should she return to France? Although Leopold I seemed to have a bit of sincerity towards her, if what she wanted was jewelry and costumes, she could get them in France and Italy without having to go to Austria.

At the same time, she would also like to thank King Leopold I for being unwilling to publicly acknowledge the behavior of their mother and son. As long as she returns to France, all the rumors will disappear due to time and distance, and those French people did not ask her to directly recommend them. Asking her to try to get this person to be recommended by her enemies through some not so bright means is also because "she" should be unknown, especially to foreigners. The Countess of Soissons would also like to thank her enemy, perhaps because she has a unique advantage in status. The lady is not smart, but in order to fight for the emperor's favor, by her side, Mrs. Soissons has long arranged Numerous nails were laid.

If... If there is any problem, then the first person to be investigated is the royal lady, not the Earl of Soissons. Although, if the emperor insists, maybe it will fall on her in the end, but at that time , it is hard to say whether she is still in Austria.

"But what exactly do you want to do?" the Countess of Soissons muttered to herself, holding her son tightly in her arms.

—————

"What are you trying to do!" Prince Conti shouted angrily, but Madame Milady just raised her hand, opened her fan, covered the lower half of her face, and said with a charming smile, "Don't Be nervous, don't be nervous, my good man, it's just a necessary procedure."

And Prince Conti just stared at her, "Does the king know what you have done?"

"His Majesty sent me here because he knew what I would do," said Milady.

"Then he is crazy too!" said Prince Conti. "I want you to stop all your actions immediately and leave Austria immediately. Oh, maybe I have to go too."

"Your panic is unjustified," said Milady, "and your task is almost complete."

"You are deceiving a prince!"

"Why, isn't it commonplace that kings and emperors are always deceived by their lovers, ministers and priests, it says so in every book you open."

"Ha, but you are not Leopold I's lover, minister and priest, you are just a... inferior person with no background."

Looking at Prince Conti's face, Milady knew that those words that were swallowed would not be good words, but she didn't care, the king's wife is also a hot position, and those ministers are always muttering , because His Majesty's two "wives" are either foreigners or a woman who has been in prison, but if people care about people's gossip, Milady should have entered a monastery to become a nun. How could she stand here with a woman? The prince is equal?

She smiled and closed the fan, and lightly pressed it on Prince Conti's shoulder: "Then you should also know that His Majesty the King doesn't care about the background of his ministers, he only cares about two things, one is loyalty, and the other is loyalty." It is ability, I want to say that I have both, how about you?"

Prince Conti couldn't help but blush. In terms of loyalty, he and his elder brother are still charged with treason. In terms of ability, his elder brother can still be reused by the king with his military talent, and he... this matter is the king's responsibility. The first big thing that was entrusted to him, even his elder brother was hard to see him. If he admits failure and goes back to Paris in despair, then he will either spend his time in the fief by dancing and hunting, or spend his time in the Queen Mother. Under the hem of her skirt, she is joking and catering like a noble lady—the problem is, judging by the king's methods, I'm afraid he is not willing to let a duke or prince who holds a huge territory just go on doing nothing like this, at least, he His territory cannot be idle, so in the end, he can only accept the same result as the Duke of Lorraine, surrender the territory, and become a parasite with no future in Paris.

The problem is that the Duke of Lorraine is running out of time, and what he can accept, Prince Conti cannot accept. He stood there, paused for a while with an unpredictable expression, and finally clenched his fists: "What shall we do now?" He said: "Leopold I will definitely verify the authenticity of this matter as soon as possible."

"I have sent people to spread rumors in Bosnia," Milady said. "You know, about the succession laws of the Ottoman Turks."

"Oh, yes, he has two brothers," said Prince Conte, who, since the current Sultan, Muhammad IV, was only six years old when he came to the throne, was ruled first by his grandmother and then by him. Controlled by his mother, the two weak women did not become the second Hirem female sultan as people expected. After the sultan ascended the throne, he was executed, but after repeated persuasion by caring people, they only imprisoned the two brothers in the prison of the palace, and only ensured that no one could see them.

"So it's no surprise that one of them escaped," said Milady.

"The governor..."

"It's not difficult to forge a private letter with the concubine in the palace." Milady returned to the desk and opened the drawer: "And we don't need to be real enough to hide the truth from the Sultan and Dawei, we just need to ensure that This rumor sounds mysterious and interesting enough.” As she spoke, the lady actually sighed softly: “The more difficult thing is that we have to let the envoy of the Governor of Bosnia die.”

Hearing this, Prince Conti could no longer understand Milady's intentions: "Why, it took us a long time to find this man." This man is indeed the son of a French fisherman, and he was indeed taken away by pirates. It is true that the governor’s slave later became a soldier, but he has hardly met the governor, and it is even less likely that he will become the governor’s confidant, but if the Austrians go to investigate, they will find that this person’s origin and past are true. As for whether he is The governor's confidant, but it's hard to verify - Leopold I should not be stupid enough to send an envoy to politely ask the governor of Bosnia if he wants to sell Bosnia to them.

"I've known since I was little," Milady yawned, waving her fingers to sprinkle the sand to dry the ink on the letter paper, "the looted bread is the sweetest, when I grow up Some, I also know that other people's lovers are more attractive, Your Royal Highness, please think about it, such a great and good thing, but it fell in front of you like this, wouldn't you be suspicious? Yes, of course Leopold I will too, and there is no competitor, of course he can plan and measure calmly and steadily," she turned from her chair: "So we can't give him time to slowly Think about it, think about it over and over."

"What do you want?" Prince Conti found that his voice was so weak.

"Nothing, Your Highness," Milady said, "We want to find a few opponents for Leopold I, not many, our King, and His Excellency the Grand Duke of Transylvania of Hungary... umm , let me see, and maybe the Grand Duke of Tuscany, he might also be interested."

"God," said Prince Conti, even in his nightmares, he would never have imagined that there would be someone who dared to fool four monarchs at the same time, no, it should be five, counting Mohammed IV, "Your Majesty the King is not will allow you to do so."

"Permission or no," said Milady, "just see if the king does something."

—————

If it is said that the sudden death of an envoy sent by the governor of Bosnia in the royal manor only surprised Leopold I, then the news that the French caravan was not only going north, but also going south made him even more troubled ——Everyone knows that supplies and armaments are the two pillars of the army. For Flanders, French merchants began to allocate horse grass, wheat, dried meat, etc. to the Aisne River Basin as early as before Lent, But to Provence? Provence is indeed not a peaceful area, but it has not reached the point where the king of France must be solemn.

Then in Paris, in Transylvania and Austrian spies in Italy, there were news of the presence of Ottoman Turks, and the recent turmoil in Istanbul. It is said that one of the two brothers of the Sultan, or both, escaped the palace, and set up banners against the sultan in other places. The sultan is mobilizing the army to encircle the rebels, and the governor of Bosnia seems to have rejected the summons from Istanbul. Maybe he is also very clear that if he returns to Istanbul , I am afraid that he will be hanged by the bowstring immediately. Therefore, if he wants to exchange Bosnia for a large sum of money, titles and territories, it is not impossible.

Prince Conti was dumbfounded.

As the instigator, except for Milady, no one knew how this huge vortex rapidly expanded, flooded, and even raised the gravel on the bottom. At first, he still doubted whether Leopold I would believe this incredible thing. Things—he looked at the piles of letters under Milady, all sent by ravens. Since the king began to use wizards without any scruples, France's intelligence network has become much faster and more complete. Interesting Yes, some of the spies reported that they intercepted a group of assassins from Austria. It is said that they came to assassinate the Turkish envoys to Paris to prevent France from taking the opportunity to seize Bosnia.

If we say what Leopold is most worried about, it is probably that Bosnia has been acquired by France. If France acquires Bosnia, it will not just stop in such a safe and secure way. Their biggest possibility is to attack Inner Austria, alone, or Join forces with their Turkish allies, or the Grand Duke of Transylvania, so that Austria can really only exist as a landlocked country, with Spain, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom in front, let these monarchs pretend not to see Maritime supremacy and the benefits of colonies Unless they and their ministers have become idiots-Prince Conti looked at the letters and lamented the tension unconsciously leaked in the letters, they almost deceived half of Europa, Leopold I could only be more anxious.

"When will we have a second emissary?" Prince Conti asked.

"Let him appear in Vienna? No, the governor of Bosnia will never send a second envoy. He can only wait quietly in Bosnia. Leopold I can send not many people, and I have a list here This list was also obtained from the Countess of Soissons, who had already expressed her desire to return to Paris, as Milady was writing to the king.

"Then what should we do? As soon as he sees the governor of Bosnia, he will know that they have been deceived." Prince Conti asked. Fortunately, he knew that Milady must have arrangements, but Milady just smile.

—————

Eugene Morris, the Count of Soissons is a man with good looks and a calm demeanor. If he has any shortcomings, it is probably that he is not tall enough, but he has a broad chest and shoulders, and he walks with full demeanor. He is also in Los Angeles Lin and Alsace (one of the men the king later sent to aid the Duke of Orleans), it might be said that in such crushing battles of country and country it is not possible to see whether a man is truly The land has military talent, but the fact is just the opposite. It is not difficult to blindly destroy it. It is rare that they want to retain the vitality of this place while conquering and ruling.

He is wearing a coat given by the king today. It has become a custom since Viscount Turenne to give royal blue or a coat embellished with golden lilies to his proud courtiers. If the courtier really likes the king, he will They will be presented with a bright red king's shoulder belt and a diamond brooch, the latter one is handed down from General Schumberger—anyway, when they are going to meet the king or attend important occasions, they must wear such a dress, However, such gifts rarely appear. After the Duke of Orleans, Viscount Turenne, General Schumberger, and Prince Condé, only a few people have received such an honor. Before the Count of Soissons, it was Lois, a Aristocrat, who was once the governor of Lyon, but he was rewarded not only because of his loyalty to the king, but also because he had not long ago offered a musket with a short sword, which was empty of powder, or entered into In hand-to-hand combat, it can immediately replace the spear to play a role, so that the French army no longer has to mix spearmen and musketeers for a while, as in the past and other countries. Although training is still needed, a little trial Practice, the result is quite gratifying.

The reason why the Earl of Soissons was rewarded by the king was that after the riots in Lorraine and Alsace were quelled, he and the Duke of Orleans, who appreciated him quite a lot, unified and determined the military rank system under the king's will. After repeated scrutiny and careful consideration, the system has been issued to the king's new army as a trial regulation. As the Earl of Soissons saw before, the soldiers are always not interested in the upcoming war or full of fear , compared to the situation where it is only for the sake of making ends meet and getting rich, the king's new army is like a pot of boiling fat. Gold, real estate and knighthood, climbed up level by level. Although the Earl of Soissons knew that he had to climb to the highest level, that is, the "Marshal", even if it was difficult for one in a million people, he couldn't help but burst into excitement Even if his mother is the Countess of Soissons and the princess, because his father is only the second son of a duke without inheritance rights, his future is also quite difficult, but compared with those commoner children, he still has A great advantage, not to mention, his marriage to Bishop Mazaran's niece gave him a lot of help - he was able to appear in front of the king because of the bishop's recommendation.

But the Earl of Soissons is indeed one of the few people who looks at civilians with a peaceful gaze. Sometimes when he sees an outstanding young man and wants to promote him but has to hesitate because of his background, he will feel A sour sense of guilt emerged spontaneously—when the Duke of Orleans told him that the king intended to establish a military rank system and have corresponding treatment and status, he agreed without hesitation.

It’s just that he is also very clear that this can almost be said to be a betrayal of his class, that is, the oldest class of sword-wielding nobles. Since then, in the French army, not only nobles can become officers, generals and marshals, but also a large number of them. Encouraged by military ranks, talented civilians will rush forward to shed the last drop of blood for the king and the country, and the king can also get his army instead of the vassals of the nobles. The military system is being ruthlessly broken, the change is good for the commoners, good for the king, just for the stubborn old...

The door to the king's living room opened gently, and the Earl of Soissons withdrew his thoughts, straightened his coat, and walked into the room.

————

"Sit down, Monsieur Count," said the king.

Anyone who is lucky enough to have an audience with the king knows that the king's desk is always piled up with countless documents, and he occasionally continues to correct documents in front of people who have been granted permission or summoned. This kind of intimate attitude means that the king will not pretend to be in front of you. Sometimes, while reading the document, the king will order the summoned people to read the materials related to the following issues first, just like now, the king is in the After Bontang delivered two glasses of mead, he asked Bontang to place an open letter in front of Eugen.

Afterwards, Bontang went out, and the Earl of Soissons read the letter under the king's signal. After he read a few lines, his hands trembled. He had no love for Olympia Mancini. Her marriage, like most marriages at the time, was a transaction, but Mancini's ambition still surprised him, especially when he saw that Olympia had already married Leopold I, Archduke of Austria and Holy Roman Emperor. Secret contacts and having a three-year-old child—this kind of behavior that was infinitely close to treason made the count angry, and after watching it, he felt ridiculous again. How did Olympia think that he would be a fool?

Although the title of the Count of Soissons cannot be compared with the Prince of Condé or the king, the Count of Soissons once belonged to the cousin of Louis XIII, but he and the Duke of Sedan planned to overthrow the Bishop of Richelieu. Died in the war, the Duke of Sedan was deprived of his territory, and the Earl of Soissons was also far away from the court. This title was also transferred to a woman who married into the Savoy royal family, the youngest son of the Duke of Savoy The heir, she is Eugene, Maurice's mother, Countess of Soissons.

How absurd Olympia is, the Earl of Soissons doesn't care. His wife certainly has an illegitimate child, and he already has two daughters with his de facto wife. In this competition, he can even be called a victory Or, but she really shouldn't be in love with the enemy of France, and the Count of Soissons couldn't help being a little terrified to think that if he didn't know about it and continued to get along with her as husband and wife after that, after all, in a family , the hostess has no less rights than the hostess.

"Your Majesty," the Earl of Soissons asked thinking of this, "may I ask your opinion first?"

"My opinion?" Louis said, to be honest, ever since he was considered able to accept some "education" in the bed curtains, he found that his original concepts and norms on love and marriage were constantly being destroyed , Olympia, and Mancini's affairs are nothing new in the court. Similar to the count of Soissons who was angry that she had a blind date with the enemy of France, the king was also angry because she betrayed a general he valued. But he needs to know, Eugene Morris, does the Earl of Soissons really have no affection for his wife, or is he disappointed by her indifference to him? After all, the Mancini family is a famous family of beauties, almost no one can escape their charm, otherwise Felipe Mancini would not have dared to act recklessly.

"Did you mean what I thought?" The Count of Soissons said happily: "No, Your Majesty, I have never been attracted to her. I have a pair of sharp eyes, and I can tell what is in her heart when I look at her. There is no love or gratitude for me, or the character of a wife, she doesn't care about me, and I don't care about her."

"Then, that child..." said the king, "I will find a suitable home for him to adopt."

"Adopt? No, Your Majesty, there is no need at all," said the Earl of Soissons, "just let him be my son. He is still a king's heir after all."

"But in this way he will be your eldest son." Louis reminded that in France, where the law of primogeniture was implemented, this meant that the territory and title of the Earl of Soissons would be inherited by his wife's illegitimate son.

"I only have two daughters now. If I have a son in the future, Your Majesty, I hope to get your permission to let him serve you in the army." With the military rank system, the Earl of Soissons did not think that his son would be unable to Relying on his own ability to fight for a world: "Also, Your Majesty, I also hope to use this to obtain your permission."

"Say it."

"I hope to be able to officially marry my current wife and get your permission so that she can enter and leave the court, and our children, whether before or after marriage, can also receive your blessing."

"I will." Louis also gave his promise simply and neatly.

————

When the severe winter was approaching, a carriage galloped into Paris, and there was only a frightened boy and his maid, nurse in the carriage. He was Eugene Maurice Jr., the future Count of Soissons. Unfortunately, On his way back to Paris with his mother, he encountered a brutal mob, and in the chaos, his mother, the Countess of Soissons, was killed.