I Am Louis XIV

Some people may wonder how such a person can make such a stupid mistake, but you must know that the ambassador of the Swiss Confederation is from Basel-Switzerland, as a federal country, was not as democratic and advanced as people thought in the seventeenth century , first of all, it is the same as the Netherlands, each region has its own laws and ideas, and even beliefs, only the six states that are dominated by agriculture implement the "people's assembly system", which means that all male citizens can participate to the political council, but the senior administrative officials are still held by those wealthy citizens; the nobles rule places such as Bern, Rosen or Friborg, and the residents have no decision-making power, just like any feudal territory; Areas like Zurich, Basel, and Schaffhausen, which are dominated by handicraft industries, are controlled by guilds, and government members are strictly controlled, almost all of whom are guild leaders—this is why the ambassador spoke so abruptly , it is obvious that the important tasks entrusted to him by his government and country are completely incomparable with the bribes given to him by Dutch businessmen.

The people present hid their sneers and sarcasm under their mask-like smiles, the last crimson in the sky was disappearing, the full moon was rising, and now it was time for a feast.

In the drawings that people can see later, the plan of the Palace of Versailles on the high ground is a Latin cross shape, that is, a cross with short beams and long vertical branches. This shape often appears in religious buildings, that is, Catholic churches, and also It is the evolution of the Basilica architecture of the ancient Romans. Although it is ancient, Louis overturned Le Vau’s first design because this architectural style is the most solemn, majestic and bright—you can also say that, he just It is not groundless to say that the ancient Romans built their own new palace like the Pantheon, because His Majesty named the halls and important rooms of this new palace with the names of gods.

Just like the Bacchus Hall where the guests entered in neat rows, this hall is located on the left side of the "beam" of the Palace of Versailles. Mainly plants (mostly grapes) and animals, the murals on the left and right sides and the zenith depict myths and legends related to the pleasure-loving god, compared with those in the large gallery that describe the achievements and exploits of Louis XIV , the paintings here are more likely to let people fall into the joyful and extravagant atmosphere.

The king and the queen mother, the younger brother, the prince of Condé, the prince of Conti, the duchess of Montpensier and others are naturally behind the front horizontal long table, and behind it is the picture of Bacchus parade, facing down from the hall From this end to the group of tables at the other end of the hall, these tables are covered with starched white linen, and the tableware varies from gold to silver, from glass to ceramics, depending on the king's favor. During the banquet, the nobles were still a little insensitive, but today, there are more vicious eyes gathered on Viscount Turenne, Colbert or General Schumberg-their positions are second only to members of the royal family and Cardinal, this made many dukes and marquises feel aggrieved. They whispered to each other that the former should not be so favored by the king-one is the second son of the Duke of Sedan who was deprived of his territory because of the rebellion, and the other is the entourage. Merchant by birth, the last was a foreigner, though the king had granted him his subject.

Below the earl, there are more people on pins and needles, because among them are many officers of civilian origin, such as Mrs. Gerrard's husband. These people and their families behave rudely and speak vulgarly. I believe that there is a place for them at such an important banquet. There were also people who wanted to yell at them, but they were held back by the people around them. Although they were far away from the king's long table, they could still see the king's full attire—it had almost the same regulations as these officers, even if the texture and accessories Different, but the sapphire blue coat, the bright red shoulder straps and collar, the decorations on the chest and shoulders-they still can't understand the rank system implemented by the king in the army, but those shining stars and little suns , the swaying golden tassels seem to be silently but proudly declaring something.

That person should feel lucky, because after the king raised his cup and thanked God for his blessing, he thanked his generals and soldiers unabashedly. Under the blessing of magic, his voice easily penetrated the entire hall. All the officers around him burst into tears, and the king put the golden cup to his lips, when he heard shouts like thunder, all the generals, officers, and some soldiers who had made great achievements because of their bravery in battle stood up. Standing up, as if charging the enemy on the battlefield, shouting "Long live!", slapping the tabletop, thigh, or stomping the foot hard - the hard boots sounded on the smooth as mirror marble There was a neat rattle, and several people who hadn't expected such a thing to happen suddenly fell down, all the way under the linen tablecloth.

The king was a little surprised, but soon smiled.

These strong and loyal warriors continued to cry out like waves hitting rocks. Gradually, those around them had to rise too, first officials, then princes and lords, and finally unwilling people. The envoys—they deliberately insisted on not shouting "Long live!", damn it! They were not soldiers of Louis XIV! But instead of calming down after a few minutes, the frenzied air waves that swirled repeatedly in the hall fell into boiling. When Cardinal Larivière also shamelessly joined the ranks of shouting for an ordinary person, even Even the Austrian ambassador could only squirm his lips and yell in embarrassment and humiliation-not because they were cowardly, but...in this "lunatic asylum" (as one ambassador said after returning home), It is difficult for people who are out of place to persevere in those eyes that are suspicious at first, and then gradually become sinister...

Leaving aside whether this was their argument, after everyone in the hall had voluntarily or been forced to pay respects to the king in this way, Louis XIV drank the wine in his glass in one gulp. Throwing it away, he threw the glass carved wine glass with a gold base into the middle of the hall: "Now," his voice resounded through the hall: "Everyone," in the sudden calm, he laughed and said, "As I promised Yes, let's have a good night!"

The head butler at the side immediately seized this opportunity, picked up the clarinet decorated with golden lilies and blew a few times. According to tradition and etiquette, he should shout "Let us enjoy the meat bestowed by the king!" Then he went to play the clarinet... ...But not to mention the... thing that the rude soldiers in front made..., so surprised that he almost forgot his duty, the king also said what he should say. His depression probably came from those few clarinet sounds. The Duke of Orleans noticed it, and sat down—he was also one of the shouters, coughing and laughing. Louis thought he was shouting too much just now. , and ordered his glass, and signaled the waiter beside him to pour the wine for the Duke.

In any case, it was finally time to start the banquet, and countless delicacies were brought up in an endless stream.

Since Louis made the first protest of dissatisfaction, the meals in the French court have become more fresh, exquisite, and delicious. Except for some that made the ministers tasteless, everyone present can be said to be satisfied and full of expectations— —Satisfied is the dish they have just eaten, full of anticipation is the next delicious meal-soups, breads, roasts and boiled meats, pies, berries and compotes... biscuits and cakes... I will not elaborate here, Just to mention the fruit baskets that were brought before the people—the currants, blackberries, raspberries, cherries that were in season, and pears, peaches, plums, apples, and mandarins that should not have been in season, and many more Guava, watermelon and pineapple, which people have only heard of occasionally... In front of the juicy and colorful fruits, some people try it boldly, some people shrink back in fear, and some people want to hide some of them and take them back to share with their families. The waiter followed Bontang's instructions, just pretending not to see... Those who can enter the Bacchus Hall are carefully selected, and the king will not be stingy with such a small favor.

Although the banquet started much earlier than the usual dinner time for the nobles, when the banquet ended, the dark sky was covered with diamond-like stars. Guided, pass through the Hall of the Goddess of Victory and go to the Hall of Venus on the right. As the name suggests, the hall guarded by the goddess of love and beauty is a place where people can show their graceful posture to their fullest.

Unlike the Bacchus Hall, which is dominated by milky white marble and cinnabar velvet, mahogany floor and wall panels, this Venus Hall is mainly decorated with mirrors. One side of the wall is covered with mirrors, while the other side is full of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. In this way, at night, the mirrors can reflect candlelight, making the hall as bright as day. During the day, the windows can bring the outdoor sunlight and beautiful scenery into the room. King After thinking about it for a while, I came up with another idea—what the guests see now, the walls on both sides of the hall are full of large mirrors, these mirrors are not fixed on the wall, but embedded in the frame Yes, they can be opened inwards, while the outer glass windows can be opened outwards - the cost of this is almost doubled, but the shock that can be caused is also doubled - mirrors face mirrors, producing The infinite reflection effect not only brings brighter light, but also dazzles people, as if entering another glorious country.

In addition to mirrors and glass, the three-hundred-foot-long and forty-foot-wide hall is covered with gold leaf door and window frames, picture frames and pillars, and the dome is a zenith painting related to Venus. From the most elusive Mrs. Milady, to Mrs. Lavallière who has been loved for ten years, and as far away as Calais, the Duchess of Colonna, Marie Mancini, whom the king has never forgotten. , are all painted as goddesses in different scenes—not Venus, because Venus' lover is not the sun god, and the king's royal painter is not crazy enough. In the blinding lights, LeBron's impeccable skill brought these three undeniable "goddesses" to life, even if he was criticized for being too sympathetic to the king's preferences.

There is always no shortage of keen eyes in the court. After some people whispered, they clung to the real three "goddesses". At today's banquet, the three lovers of the king were all present ——The first dance of the king must be with the queen, but the second dance is almost declaring who is the person he loves the most. In the past, it was Mrs. La Vallière, but today the king is going to The Duchess of Colonna, many people know that the Duke of Colonna is just a "husband" in name only, Marie Mancini once occupied a very important position beside Louis XIV, and the king's eldest son, in fact It should be the little Duke Colonna—they looked at the little Duke Colonna next to the throne, and probably guessed that the king specially invited his mother to dance with him in order to appease his eldest son—the little Duke Colonna saw this In one scene, there was indeed a faint look of joy, yes, this was a reward he had summoned up great courage and begged his father for. In the past few years, Mary Mancini has become more and more moody. Even though the young Duke of Colonna has repeatedly persuaded her that Louis may not be able to take care of Calais, Gayola and them in the past few years, the effect is minimal. If It doesn't matter that Marie Mancini is just an ordinary person, but she is still a witch, and the mistress of Gayola and Calais. If she does something, it will definitely not be prevaricated by ordinary jealousy .

It's just that when he looked at his mother, he couldn't help showing a little embarrassment to Queen Teresa and Crown Prince Louis who were beside him-Queen Teresa just smiled at this, compared with a dozen or so Charles II, who had an illegitimate son, and even her father, Louis XIV, were pious and restrained monarchs - she never lost her husband's respect, and her husband's illegitimate children never threatened her. Don Juan Jose, the illegitimate son of Philip IV, is still the Regent of Spain.

However, it is Mrs. Lavallière who people are more peeping at - not many people know that this lady is pregnant. According to the custom at this time, noble ladies, even queens, can only disclose it after three months of pregnancy. The lady of the royal family needs to be more cryptic, bluntly expressing that her pregnancy is a "rather vulgar" behavior... and the king's permission must be obtained, otherwise, even if she directly falls out of a skirt in the public, people will Just turn your head, close your eyes, press your ears, and pretend nothing happened.

Madame Lavallière's expression was really not very good, especially when the third piece of music sounded, the king was walking towards Madame Lavallière and stretched out his hand, but the Duchess of Colonna grabbed her arm and pulled her to her side when.