I Am Louis XIV

If there is anyone who can best understand the power of those seemingly humble and weak people, except for Charles II whose father was pushed to the guillotine and himself, his brother, mother and sister were all forced into exile, probably only Louis X Fourth, although the leaders of the Fronde Movement are noble and important ministers, in fact, the power they drive still comes from the people. The power of the people is like the water that bursts the embankment, and the ice peak that collapses, let alone a mere mortal. , even extraordinary people will inevitably feel fear, otherwise there will be no inner world.

As the backbone of the Fronde, the Duke of La Rochefoucauld is of course very aware of the king's cruelty. He could not help but click his tongue slightly. This tiny movement was discovered by Amon, "Why, my dear Mr. Duke, Do you have any doubts about the king's orders?"

The Duke of La Rochefoucauld quickly suppressed the weird expression on his face, "I just think, Your Highness," he said sincerely, "I didn't understand why you valued Your Majesty so much at first, after all, at that time..." He shrugged Shrugged: "You know, His Majesty was underage at that time, and people thought he was just a child curled up in the bishop's robe and the Queen Mother's skirt..." But you want to hand over the entire Zmihi clan to him, As a prince who is so picky about his heirs that he has no direct descendants, it is too confusing. Especially the Duke of La Rochefoucauld who faced Amon directly. He once made a big mistake, and because of this, he had a deeper understanding of the existence of vampires.

"I like Louis precisely because he will never be bound by stupid morals or ideas." Amon said. After speaking, he turned into a group of bats under the watchful eyes of the Duke of La Rochefoucauld. Flew out of the closed window.

Amon has always acted like this, but such behavior will undoubtedly frighten some people. The Duke of La Rochefoucauld just walked to the window when he heard a sharp shout, followed by people chasing him away in a panic. with prayers.

"If you really talk about the devil, the devil will come." The Duke of La Rochefoucauld murmured.

No wonder he said that, because the person who came was one of the friends of the Duke of La Rochefoucauld in Amsterdam, the most prominent Mrs. Van Schulman. She was not only young and pretty, but also had outstanding talents in literature and art. Talented and accomplished, the relationship between the Duke of La Rochefoucauld and her is in the ambiguous stage between friends and lovers. It can also be said that the relationship is the purest and hottest. When seeing her, the Duke immediately rushed away. Go out and take her into your mansion.

When the lady got out of the carriage, she encountered a large group of bats flying out of the window of the Duke's room, making strange chattering laughter, which really frightened her. The Duke kept stroking her back to comfort her, While undoing her shawl so that she could breathe freely, she asked the servant to bring maraschino chocolate.

Chocolate is also a product of the New World. The Spaniards first introduced it to the court, but it was used as a medicine to treat depression and malnutrition, but since Queen Teresa came to the court, this medicine has naturally It has transformed into a delicious food, of course, thanks to Louis XIV's development and promotion of sugar cane and sugar beet, which made French sugar a stable product. Now people know that chocolate tastes without sugar Bitter, but with the addition of cream and sugar it becomes extra alluring, and the Duke of La Rochefoucauld is so popular with the ladies, thanks in large part to the constant flow of sweet treats around him.

The maraschino cherries were soaked in brandy, covered with rustling sugar shells, and soft creamy chocolate outside the shells. After eating a few of them, both sugar and alcohol had the desired effect. Mrs. Van Schulman finally gradually "It's terrible," she said in a low voice. "Sir, it's like the devils in books and pictures, and they're still laughing on top of my head."

"It's just a group of ordinary bats." The Duke of La Rochefoucauld held his lady's cold little hand: "Some bats sound like they are laughing."

"Bats are originally the servants of the devil," said Mrs. Van Schulman, slightly reproachfully. "You should know how frightened I was when I saw them fly out of your room—I was afraid they would bite you or Spread the plague to you." So the Duke could only kiss her hand as an apology. "I'm mistaken," said the Duke, "but I just don't want you to worry about me."

"Why are there so many bats in your room?" the lady asked.

"That's my servant's fault," said the duke, "he forgot to close the window. Perhaps it was milder because there was a fire burning in the room... They came in, and when I saw it, I drove them out with my stick." gone."

"That's a really incompetent servant," the lady frowned, and then said, "but you'd better not dismiss him just yet." The Duke looked inquiringly: "He's from Amsterdam," said the lady, "I don't know you If he is dismissed, he will talk nonsense outside, you know," she held the Duke's hand instead: "the current atmosphere is very unfriendly to foreigners like you."

Her eyes met the Duke's in the firelight, and the Duke was a little moved, because he knew that the lady's sudden visit in the middle of the night regardless of her reputation was really worried about his safety: "I felt it too. ’ he said softly: ‘How sad, ma’am, I thought we were friends already.’

"We are friends," said the lady, "but you'd better leave as soon as possible, otherwise I don't know if you will be in any danger."

"Will they kill me or imprison me?" The Duke got off the chair, bent his left knee, and knelt in front of his wife: "If it's just imprisoning, I don't care, because I am already your prisoner, but they want to kill me." If you kill me, then I just ask you to be the executioner." The lady sighed loudly after hearing this, and turned her head away.

"Besides," the Duke suddenly said optimistically, "maybe things won't be so bad, ma'am, if the relationship between Holland and France can be eased, this matter can be resolved peacefully..."

This sentence made the madam laugh, but it was not a relieved smile, but a helpless smile. If a woman said that she had a high status at this time, it would either come from her father or her husband. After all, Saint Privet There is only one Germany, and Mrs. Van Schulman is precisely because she has a father who is a member of parliament and a husband who is a member of parliament. She knows the current situation in the Netherlands very well, and it is now a country that may explode at any time. The gunpowder keg—it can even be said that the matter is no longer just a war between France and the Netherlands, but a bloody battlefield where alliances of several countries compete with each other for the hegemony of Europa.

It was precisely because she realized the seriousness of the situation that she came in a hurry and begged this good gentleman to leave here immediately.

"I have a mission entrusted by the king," said the Duke, "I can't just go back with failure."

"You still don't believe me after all." Madam endured for a while: "Well then, my friend, you swear to me now that you will not tell anyone what I told you tonight, even if that person It is your king, no, no, it should be said that you will not let anyone know about this in any form."

The duke couldn't guess how the lady would persuade him to leave Amsterdam. The king's ship was still in the shipyard, and everyone knew that he would be treated badly by the king if he went back like this. He moved his knees and was closer to the lady A little closer, almost to the point where his breath could touch the bare and flawless skin - it was the fashion at this time that women always like to expose their virginal breasts to show their chastity and youth. And dignity, the higher the status, the more so--Of course the lady felt it, she trembled slightly, and the tiny hairs stood on end, "Then I swear," said the Duke, his breath was like a flame Burning the lady's skin, she trembled: "Every word you said here today, I will not tell the third person, even if he is my father, my mother or my king, I can refer to Swear on the cross, according to the holy book, if I break my promise, I will go to hell and suffer for a thousand years..."

"Ah, ah," trembling, the madam reached out her hand to press his lips, "that's enough, sir, that's enough, I believe you." She lowered her head: "Sir, the reason why I took a risk today I am here because I want to tell you that if you continue to stay in Amsterdam, you will encounter dangers not only from the people, but also beyond your imagination..."

"Go on, go on, madam, I'm listening."

"There is also the sea." Madam's voice was so low that she could hardly hear it, "Sir, there is also the entire North Sea. As you know, Amsterdam is a city on a dam, and there is only one dam between it and the North Sea. And my father, and my husband, the councilors, have decided that as soon as the land army of Holland cannot withstand the army of France, which is almost inevitable, they will pretend to submit to your majesty, When the French soldiers enter Amsterdam, the dikes will be broken, the sea will rush in, and drown them all in the bitter tears of the Dutch."

"Oh my God!"

"So please leave as soon as possible, maybe you can also try to persuade your majesty not to enter the dangerous place, but please also remember your promise to me, otherwise you will kill me, my father, my husband The murderer."

"I will keep my word to you," said the duke, holding on to the arms of his chair to get up, and helping his lady to her feet, for they had run out of tenderness with such dreadful news. With time and spare energy, they hugged tightly for a while like men and women before the disaster: "Then I also have something to tell you," the Duke said against the shell-like ear: "My dear Good man, what I said before is not without reason. I know from our king that your Great Speaker is frequently contacting us, as well as Brandenburg, or the Danes, trying to bring the Netherlands Sell ​​it at a good price——Okay," he hugged his wife who was trying to break free: "I know you don't believe it, and I couldn't believe it at first, but that's what I heard, and your William III .Orange, it is said that because of this reason, an unfortunate accident happened... I am not very clear about the specific situation, but I can confirm one thing, you ask your father and your husband to check Let’s see how much gold there is in the warehouse in Amsterdam... because the money has already been used by the Prime Minister to buy his and his brother’s life and future titles..."

The madam who heard the news suddenly was struck by a thunderbolt in the chest, even if she didn't fall into an ice cave. She even forgot the final farewell, pushed the Duke away, and rushed out the door staggeringly. When the Duke returned to the window, he saw her boarding the carriage with the help of her servants. Perhaps because of her constant urging, the carriage started to run almost when her servants grabbed the carriage frame. A face flickered behind the window, and the Duke immediately waved his hands to her.

This is their last time. If there is no accident, the Duke thought in his heart. He did not expect that he would take out the rumors that the king wanted him to release so quickly. The wife's father and husband are very unfortunate. Yes, although they are one of the MPs, they are also supporters of the Orange Belt Party, that is, William III.

As for the secret that the lady told him, yes, the Duke promised more than once that he would never tell the third "person". Then he went back to the room, cut his wrist, and let his blood drip on a ridiculous-looking doll On the doll, the blood seeped into the doll and disappeared in an instant. After a while, a small black bat flew into his room: "Oh," it asked in Amon's lazy and gloomy voice: "You Have you encountered any troubles?"

"Yes," said the Duke, pressing his wrist to stop the bleeding, "I want you to tell Your Majesty immediately..."

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The last card that Louis arranged for the Dutch in Amsterdam-how to put it, it is not so unexpected, after all, the battle of France against the Netherlands is a battle of destroying the city and the country, not to mention that there will be Utrecht belonging to William III later, Everyone knows the intention of Charles II. Unless William III has the blessing of God, he will lose the meaning of existence when England and France decide the outcome. For him, and his descendants, the best ending is Become the Duke of Utrecht... No, they probably won't have such an ending, because William Orange, his descendants will always be a banner of the Dutch, and they want to assimilate the Dutch and make the Federal Republic completely If it disappears, this flag must never be erected again.

This is also a sad thing for them, but since they have learned from the past, Louis will not make such a mistake.

However, he still issued an order for the Duke of La Rochefoucauld to leave and return to Dunkirk immediately. As for the ships they ordered in the Netherlands, it depends on whether the greed of the merchants can overcome their desire for freedom and dignity. I'm worried... After all, these ships have only paid a deposit. If Amsterdam, as the lady said, becomes the performance venue for the Dutch, then these ships will probably turn into a piece of useless broken boards. For the French, it is a loss, but it is not unacceptable, so are the owners of those shipyards willing to accept this loss? The Count of La Rochefoucauld signed contracts with seven shipyards, and what they were facing was that millions of easy profits disappeared in the sun like foam on the sea surface...

Facts have proved that there are not many Dutchmen who can abandon a cow in their hands. In the end, the Duke of La Rochefoucauld followed fifty huge double-decker ships (warships that can be equipped with a hundred artillery pieces), and one hundred Twenty merchant ships of considerable displacement returned triumphantly.

And when the Duke of La Rochefoucauld returned to Paris, he also learned of another record of his from the court secret report.

It's too late, it's too late.