I Am Louis XIV

Poland-Lithuania was once a country with a vast territory and a large population. Many people migrated to this great plain area from various places, including Cossacks (also known as free people), Tatars and Hungarians. , the Tatars in Lipka migrated there in the fourteenth century. They believed in neither Catholicism nor Orthodox Christianity, but the same faith as the Ottoman Turks. However, because Poland has always been a multi-faith country, the king has always They are very tolerant, so they are also very tolerant of the Polish nobles, because no matter where they go after leaving Poland, unless they go to Ottoman Turkey, it will be difficult for them to find a place that allows them to worship and live.

The previous Polish government recognized their military legitimacy, granted the Ripka Tatar leaders the status of nobles, allowed them to believe in their own gods, and in accordance with the agreement, gave them sufficient rewards and commissions in exchange for them fighting for the government. ——They did fulfill the peace treaty faithfully. As the largest military force in the Federation besides the Hussars, they kept their promises. Even during the Great Flood, the Tatar Khan failed to instigate rebellion against them, but in the Great Flood, they failed. After the flood period, the Polish Schlachta were suspicious of them because they were Tatars, and when Sweden and Poland were at war, the Tatars clearly sided with Poland's enemies.

Despite Sobieski's efforts to dissuade them, the Polish government finally banned all the privileges of the Lipka Tatars, including their freedom of religion, prohibiting them from building their own temples, etc. In addition to these, the nobles also unanimously passed relief The decision to pay three-quarters of the army's pay left many Tatars without food and clothing.

During the reign of John II, several riots broke out among these Tatars, but such riots did not make the nobles change their minds. On the contrary, they felt that they had indeed foreseen the sins of these "ungrateful" people and had Tried and weakened them, for which Sobieski rarely stood on the same side as the king - because the reason why these nobles were dissatisfied with the Tatars was just because the great nobles of Poland had been accumulating land for a long time, Raising serfs, Ripka was not a rich place but it was vast, so they wanted to drive the Tatars out and take it as their own.

With the joint efforts of John II and Sobieski, in 68 years, they still managed to re-grant most of the privileges to these Ripka Tatars-mainly for religion, but once the mirror Once a crack appears, it is difficult to repair it to its original state. The Tatar leader's humiliated face was still fresh in Sobieski's memory. He also thought that after the special envoy mission was completed, he would try to go to Lippe in person. Once stuck, to consolidate the previous alliance, they would not hesitate to marry their daughter to their leader, Alexander Klitschsky.

But the French king kept Sobieski for a month and a half, and those big nobles did the most stupid thing - they had cut the Tatars' military pay by three-quarters, but this time they even lost the last four. Not even a cent will be given...

With the guidance of the Lipka Tatars, the Ottoman Turkish soldiers entered the Polish territory almost unhindered, and captured the Kamenene Fortress overnight. The Kamenene Fortress was the last resort in the city of Lviv. A shield, it stands on an isolated island in the river valley. The canyon carved out by the river is a natural moat. It is three hundred feet wide and one hundred feet deep at its narrowest point. There is only a narrow channel connected to the outside world. It is a unique and dangerous terrain. Let this castle be known as the "City of God" - because it has never been captured in battle, this time too, the Ripka Tatars knocked on the gate of the castle.

"How is the gathering of our troops?" Sobieski just asked casually, but never received an answer, and his heart sank.

After Michael I died, the great nobles of Poland gathered in Warsaw to elect the next king. While they were arguing, the Ottoman Turks had already begun to advance. When they heard the news of the enemy's invasion, they were still there. There was a quarrel about the cost of raising an army - some said taxes should be raised, some said loans should be made to merchants, no one said, I am willing to pay this cost first, or send my soldiers, because now the great nobles are It was formed by the gradual annexation of the original small and medium-sized nobles. They did not trust others - even if they were fighting for the country, there was no guarantee that no one would take advantage of them and rob them.

Sobieski didn't dare. He listened to his subordinate's report expressionlessly. He was so disheartened that he didn't know what to say. His wife Marisinka held his arm with tears in her eyes. Holding his wife's hand with his backhand, he felt sad and guilty - because he had agreed with his wife before that their eldest daughter would be sent to Ripka. Now it seems that this is their luck and Poland. misfortune.

Now Sobieski was vaguely aware of why he was able to escape Versailles so easily. This was not the kindness of Louis XIV, nor the greed of Madame de Montespan, but their deliberate intention - Lviv was far away from Warsaw , if he goes to Lviv to intercept the Ottoman Turks, then he will have no way to control the election of the king in Warsaw; if he chooses to return to Warsaw, those Schlachta will definitely accuse him of putting his rights before his responsibilities. , he wants to become the new king of Poland, it is not impossible, but it will definitely become very difficult and unpredictable - and can he really watch the Sipach cavalry of the Ottoman Turks crisscross the land of Poland?

The King of France asked him to choose between his personal desires and his loyalty to the country.

"Let's go to Lviv," Sobieski said.

——————

"Maybe you have to go to Lviv first." Louis said. He and Prince Condé stood together in front of a table the size of a billiard table - or in other words, this was originally a billiard table, but Louis changed it into a sand table. The king's missionaries and spies had already explored the situation in Poland, and Madame Montespan provided more detailed information. Mathematicians and sculptors then made sand tables based on maps and records, although they cannot be said to be absolutely accurate and complete. , but it can already be applied on real battlefields.

"His Holiness the Pope in Rome will issue a decree requiring all Catholic countries to share the same hatred," the Duke of Orleans said, although the close relationship between the Roman Church and France has long existed in name only - in view of the French King Philip IV's development of papal treasures. Avignon, and the indifference shown by Louis XIV after he took office - it is obvious that this ruler who became king as a child is an extreme egoist. Although no one dares to say it, people close to him are You know, this king doesn't care much about whether he will ascend to heaven or go to hell in the future. All he cares about is the present.

And he's probably never been afraid of things in the dark. Prince Condé remembered that when he and the young king met for the first time, he specially presented him with a werewolf fur - Prince Condé had no good intentions. He wanted to scare the king. Now that he thought about it, that The king at that time did not show any hesitation - he meant that he was instinctively afraid of dark creatures. He also had many brave and strong soldiers under his command, but a weak witch could scare them to death. This was a religious person. Caused by long-term and persistent indoctrination - they always try their best to describe the devil and his minions as terrible as possible in every sermon, otherwise where would their holy water, charms, crosses, and holy objects come from? What about the market?

But thinking about it, no one would dare to threaten a king - Cardinal Mazarin even regarded him as his own son.

Of course, at that time, Prince Kong Dai did not know that the king had narrowly escaped from the pursuit of a group of werewolves. "This is a good opportunity," Louis said, looking at Prince Condé and the Duke of Enghien beside him: "If you are elected king of Poland, then they will have reason to ask for your generosity."

"I would rather go with the army." Prince Condé said.

"Yes," said Louis. "You may take your pick among your army." He said, "You may take whomever you will, if they wish."

"Can Captain Vauban do it?" Prince Condé asked immediately.

"Well, this won't work," the king said, "because as soon as he returns to Versailles, he will be a general. Sir, you can take away the soldiers and officers, but not the general. That belongs to me."

Prince Condé was just joking. Duke Enghien glanced at his father cautiously. Of course he was willing to follow Prince Condé to Poland. Although Louis XIV was a tolerant king, as long as they were his ministers for one day, then their His life and fortune were all in the hands of this young king, and judging from previous events, even though Louis was a benevolent ruler, when the bottom line was touched, he would be as ruthless as a hurricane.

And just like what happened to his father, if Prince Kong Dai raises his troops to rebel, then he is a traitor who rebelled against the Lord. Anyone can attack him on this charge. They and their descendants will never have peace on the throne. ——But once they become the king of Poland, it will be extremely beneficial to Louis XIV and Prince Condé. Louis XIV will no longer have a major hidden danger, and he can also take back the fiefs, castles, etc. of the Condé family on the east side of Paris; Where is Prince Condé? He could get a rich and vast country - as long as they could subdue or destroy all the Shirakta. This would be a long and brutal battle, but unlike the Fronde rebellion, Prince Kongdai could have an entire country. France backs it up.

"Can it be done in time?" Duke Enghien couldn't help but ask: "The last time the Poles elected a king, it took nearly three years."

"The Ottoman Turks will make them smarter." Louis said: "Even if Sobieski goes to Lviv, it is impossible to fight against an army of 80,000 people in one go, unless Leopold of the Holy Roman Empire I am willing to support them..."

"Would King Leopold be willing?" asked the Duke of Orleans.

"Generally speaking, yes," Louis said, "but if His Holiness the Pope in Rome is willing to issue a bull to us, to France..."

"When did our relationship with the Roman Church become so harmonious? Your Majesty, Clement X is an eighty-year-old guy, but his ambitions are no less ambitious than Clement IX before him. "

"Is it because of the conversion of the King of England?" asked the Duke of Orleans.

"That's not the case," Louis said. "They will never let go of the chips in their hands until they see Charles II or his young prince, or the Duke of York converting. This time we want to thank Madame de Montespan, she has given us some indispensable help, and I think perhaps in just a few days the edict will arrive."

Prince Kongdai lowered his head and coughed to barely conceal the strange look on his face. To be honest, this was the first time he saw a king using a royal wife as a spy leader and foreign minister - although royal wives had intervened in government affairs before. , but only by winning the favor of the king with her gorgeous appearance and graceful figure can she gain power. But with the king, the whole thing can be said to be reversed. The royal wife must first do the work assigned by the king, and then she can get power. Qualified to perform her true duties.

If Louis heard what he was saying, he would certainly tell him that of course, given that there are not many trustworthy people around him, or that there are not many trustworthy people in a general sense, he certainly hopes that they Being able to have a variety of talents can help him to completely operate this huge kingdom, instead of being torn apart as before, with the king unable to get out of the chaotic state of Paris - you must know that royal wives have certain rights in the palace tradition. If his royal wife is a fool who has the power to recommend officials to the king, should he continue to follow tradition, or should he let her go and cause another turmoil?

Madame Montespan was indeed a smart lady, as she said, her mother taught her how to use her beauty, and her two fathers taught her how to use her intelligence - she made herself into The look that the king needs most appears at the most opportune time. If the king doesn't choose her, who can he choose?

"Mrs. Montespan..." The Duke of Orleans stopped as soon as he started speaking. He almost forgot that there were Prince Condé and Duke of Enghien here, but not only the king, even he could also guess the person behind Mrs. Montespan. Where did the shadow come from?

The Duke of Enghien seemed to want to ask something, but Prince Condé put his hand on his shoulder. Now the child did not know too many secret qualifications - although he was also surprised at how the king could share with the witch. A bed, but now it seems that the witch is not that bad. At least in the past, Jan Sobieski could not have done so much just by staying in Versailles for a month and a half.

Although it was Mrs. Montespan's decision to provoke the conflict between the Polish nobles and the Ripka Tatars after learning about the death of Michael I.