I Am Louis XIV

Louis never doubted that women could be as ambitious as men, and Madame Milady proved that a woman could also find pleasure in blood and lamentations, but Madame de Montespan went even further, as she said As she said, she learned from her mother how to use her beauty and charm - not long after she entered the court and became the royal lady, she gained the recognition of most people, the love of the Queen Mother, the recognition of the Queen, Montpensier Needless to say, the Duchess was originally Madame Montespan’s introducer. Although the noble ladies were jealous, they had to learn how to dress and dress from her - this is what both the Duchess of Colonna and Madame de La Vallière were doing. What I couldn't do was that although the Duchess of Colonna, that is, Marie Mancini, was born beautiful, her beauty was always a bit arbitrary. The monotonous economy and closed environment of Gajola Island also made it difficult for her to do so. Like a noble lady, she was accustomed to being carried away by fashion. The first time she dressed up in a grand manner was because Louis asked her to do so.

As for Madame Lavalliere, it’s not that she doesn’t want to dress up, but that she prefers a neutral face, which makes it difficult for her to find a balance between makeup and lace. As for Louis, if she can wear tight-fitting long Wearing trousers and a shirt and vest is quite heroic, but women are not allowed to do this in this era unless she admits that she is a servant of the devil. When Lady Joan of Arc was tried, she was charged with wearing men's clothing. As a member of the royal family, Madam, she must not do this - so even in the palace, her dress and appearance are very elegant and even simple. Some people say that she looks very pious like this.

But Madame de La Valliere does not conform to people's imagination of a royal lady at all - Madame de Montespan is. Louis is the Sun King, and she is Venus, the embodiment of love and beauty. Not only does she dress up as a goddess and let the king's royal painter Leblanc paint her portrait, but she also constantly buys clothes, jewelry and various exquisite and gorgeous utensils, furnishings and furniture. Even if there are no balls or banquets, she will dress herself up perfectly.

She wears an exquisite hairstyle, which is different every day; the number of jewelry she wears sometimes even exceeds that of the Queen and the Queen Mother; she is either shaking an exquisite small fan or holding a satin sachet embroidered with flowers; her Ribbons, shoes and garters all matched the clothes. Sometimes she would hold up a parrot, a stoat or a little monkey and walk through the crowd - they were actually wearing velvet or satin clothes. There is a gold chain on it.

She was so extravagant, so arrogant, and so irresistible that people couldn't take their eyes off her. More and more people were chasing and flattering her, especially after she did get official positions for some people, but she couldn't get them. The people who entered were like sharks that smelled the smell of blood - the bribes Madame Montespan accepted soon exceeded her annuity and the king's reward, and she finally got everything she wanted in her wanton enjoyment. Accept people's envy and jealousy.

"Is this okay?" the Duke of Orleans asked. He and Louis were standing in a hidden corridor. Through the slightly opened door, you could see the bright lights in the huge hall, and people were either dancing or gambling. , or they are drinking and indulging themselves, and the center of them is always Madame de Montespan. She is lying on a couch, with the marquis and duke surrounding the couch, vying to talk to her, the viscount and the baron. Kneel at her feet and serve the goddess like a servant.

"What do you mean?" Louis asked.

"Officials she recommended." The Duke of Orleans was very worried, because Madame Montespan almost refused to come - he knew how strict the prince's requirements were for officials, and those who were ready to make a fortune Is the person really qualified for the position given by the king?

"Why not," Louis said: "I can appoint them and I can dismiss them." He nodded to his brother, turned and left the corridor, and the Duke of Orleans immediately followed him: "The primary and secondary education in France can only be said to be We just started." Although Louis had begun to popularize education from a long time ago, and he was even willing to tolerate the Huguenots for this purpose, education has never been achieved overnight, especially officials, who need to have certain thinking Ability, calculation ability and document writing ability. Where else can such people be more common besides noble families? Church, and businessmen.

Most of the people who visited Madame Montespan were businessmen. They either wanted to use the power of the state for personal gain like tax collectors, or they wanted to change the family and climb up. "If I appointed these people, The ministers will definitely be talking, either trying to persuade me to give up my thoughts, or attacking the new officials, framed, implicated or more directly murdered," Louis' cane and heels clicked rhythmically in the corridor, in the silence In the corridors, they are like the soundtrack at the beginning of a drama: "But if Madame Montespan becomes a recommender to these people, they will be more receptive, because in their understanding, a king should be like this." , although they have any dissatisfaction, they will also be against Madame Montespan, not me or those officials, then..." Louis paused slightly, but the Duke of Orleans already knew what he would say.

Although the French king has been working hard to regain the territory and unify the royal power, this is almost equivalent to seizing meat from the mouth of a tiger, and it is no easier to do than facing tens of thousands of enemies on the battlefield - as we all know, the current nobles in robes have Many of them come from the censor class, but after several generations of inheritance, the robed nobles have almost become another threat, such as Fouquet's family.

The king now not only needs a large number of censors to weaken and manage domestic forces, but also needs other people to monitor these censors. But as mentioned before, the people the king really places his hope on are either still in school or just starting out, directly It is sheer waste to push them to those cunning officials and ministers, and may even arouse their vigilance - then let the people recommended by Mrs. Montespan go. Their origins and needs are destined to end up with those stubborn people. There is a conflict between forces - what to do next is the king's business.

Of course, if there are outstanding talents among them, the king will not hesitate to promote them.

There is another thing that Louis did not tell the Duke of Orleans, that is, there is another thing that Madame Montespan did not do that the Duchess of Colonna or Madame de Lavaliere failed to do, although she can also be said to have coincided with it. At that time, it was to use all kinds of luxurious, exciting and unique ways of enjoyment to paralyze the princes from all directions - the king could stoop to bribe a Duke of Lorraine, but every time he did so, he would lose people's respect and respect for him. In awe, it is a good idea for the royal wife to do this, because to a certain extent, many of her actions can be summed up in one word as "favored by the king", and it doesn't matter how indulgent and corrupt she is - - No, it should be said that without such temptation, how can people come in like bees and flies, and then gradually become addicted to the sticky honey, unable to break free until they die?

Did Madame Montespan realize this too? There should be, but what she is most proud of is also here. She learned from her two fathers how to stand in the position of a king and consider any matter, no matter how big or small. She danced on Louis' bottom line, but also held enough A bargaining chip to ensure that you will not be completely disliked by the king.

Louis did not express this idea to the Duke of Orleans because the Duke of Orleans was also one of his "spokespersons". When many kings could not express their opinions directly, the Duke of Orleans was his mouthpiece, but he did not want his brother to have a relationship with Montes. Mrs. Pan was connected, so she simply passed by - "Are you going back to the Queen Mother? Or going back to your suite, or condescending to stay in my room for one night?"

The Duke of Orleans was a little hesitant. The king's suite certainly had the largest number of rooms, and side beds were also prepared for ministers to spend the night with their close ones after an all-night meeting. This was a privilege, although the Duke of Orleans often enjoyed it. The Lord is still a little feverish, I want to go back and take a look."

Louis was surprised: "When? Why didn't you tell me, have Varro Vesalius or Charles Lom visited it?"

"I've seen it, I just caught a cold." The Duke of Orleans said quickly.

"Don't take it lightly." If there is anything that scares Louis the most in this era, it is injuries. Not to mention that wizards have quick-acting and highly curative potions. This kind of potion does not have instructions, and no one knows what will happen if it is drunk. What consequences will it have? But if they have a choice, wizards are undoubtedly more reliable than any doctor now - especially for children. Even in Paris and Versailles, the infant mortality rate is still a shocking figure. Louis never thinks that Children in the palace are an exception.

"I will go back to watch tonight and come to tell you tomorrow morning." said the Duke of Orleans.

"Well," said Louis, "don't forget it."

————

In fact, the Duke of Orleans' apartment was not far from the king. After all, he was the king's favorite brother.

When he walked into the princess's room, he rarely showed a smile. Although the princess's condition was as he said, she just suffered from cold. After two doctors took turns to see her, she only drank a bottle of potion and she was much better. ——The princess’ illness still comes from her heart.

Some people may be confused. The eldest princess is only one year younger than the eldest princess Elizabeth. She is only ten years old this year. But even if she is only ten years old, precocious traits are very common among children in the seventeenth century, especially in the court. She has such a status - she thinks no less than a minister or a noble lady.

Ordinary rumors and rumors can't hit such a child, so there is only one thing that is the most terrifying thing for both the princess and the princess.

marriage.

Even Louis' eldest princess Elizabeth accepted very early that her marriage would inevitably be the result of a peace treaty or a transaction. This was their obligation after accepting the support of their subjects. The Grand County The Lord and the eldest princess are of the same age. They have never imagined that they would have a satisfactory husband. They only encourage each other in private and tell each other that they must be strong. No matter whether the husband is old, sick or married to a hostile country, he must be strong. You must persist until the end, for yourself and your country.

When the eldest princess's marriage was put on the agenda but not yet finalized, the eldest princess was worried about her. Everyone knew that Louis XIV loved his children, but he loved France even more. For France, he would definitely After weighing the marriage of the eldest princess repeatedly - as a king rather than a father, Louis XIV finally settled on King Carl XI of Sweden. Carl XI was not only a good man of his age, but also in good health. Although his appearance was Not comparable to Louis XIV or the Duke of Orleans, but still very manly.

The princess once saw them walking hand in hand in the holly labyrinth of Versailles. Some people said that the king had great shortcomings in education, but he was not inferior or discouraged because of this. He could not write poetry. Or he writes articles to express his love, but he can choose gifts for his fiancée from the prey he hunts every time, and he is also willing to accept gifts from the princess in reading and writing - Versailles has a library with a rich collection of books. The king set up comfortable tables and chairs there, and the crown prince, the eldest princess and the eldest princess were all frequent visitors there. Now Carl XI often sits there with the eldest princess, reading a book side by side.

The eldest princess knew that this was all intentional by His Majesty the King. Although he chose Karl XI for the sake of the country, he must also hope that his daughter and her husband would have love instead of obligations and intrigues.

Envy? Of course, the princess also has a good father. Although the Duke of Orleans was seriously absent when she was growing up, since the Duke of Orleans returned to Paris and came to Versailles together, her father's love is as tight as the winter sunshine. Wrapping her tightly, filling her heart with happiness.

As if just for this happy relationship, a piece of bad news came. The princess heard that the Spanish envoy Juan Patiño immediately returned to Versailles after returning to his own country. This time he was not He came empty-handed with a large portrait. What kind of negotiation would require a portrait? Marriage, of course.

At this time in Spain, the regent Don Juan Jose, who was born in 39 AD, had long been married, and even if he was not married, he was not qualified to marry the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, so there was only one candidate - King Carlos II of Spain .

When it comes to age, Carlos II was born in 1961. Compared with Karl XI, they are even called together. However, long before the war against Flanders, someone mentioned that Carlos II was related to The marriage of the eldest princess Elizabeth was only vetoed by Louis XIV. Although Carlos II was the king of Spain and was close in age, the bad consequences of the Habsburg incest marriage had settled on him to the extreme. All you can He has all the bad things that come to mind - a protruding and twisted chin, buck teeth, disabled legs (he didn't learn to walk until he was ten years old), epilepsy, dementia...

If Carl XI's shallow knowledge is man-made, then Carlos II suffered the most terrible curse, a punishment from God. His situation will only get worse, not better. It is no wonder that Spanish ministers and generals would rather obey the arrangements of an illegitimate son than serve such a king.

But others say it would be a good choice - for the King of France.