I Am Louis XIV

Sintra Palace is located in the northern suburbs of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It is a place with beautiful scenery and pleasant climate. In the 14th century, King John I of Portugal built a palace here. Most of the nobles also have their own residences here. However, In recent years, few people have gone there to escape the summer heat, not for anything else but because the titular king of Portugal, Alfonso VI, is under house arrest in this palace, although people say he is "recuperating" here.

The envoy of Pedro II reined in his horse and stopped on a hill. He stared at the palace for a long time, as if he wanted to penetrate the thick city wall and see the people inside. There was contempt, helplessness and pity in his eyes. After several minutes, he picked up the horse's reins and galloped down.

After passing many checkpoints and inspections, the envoy finally came to Alfonso VI. In this era, the patient's room was always airtight and dark and damp. Even if it was lit with expensive spices, the smell was mixed with old fat and The stench like rotting flesh still accumulated in the room like a liquid or solid. The messenger lowered his voice and conveyed Pedro II's greetings and true intention as slowly as possible.

After he finished speaking, he left without even waiting for the question or answer from King Alfonso VI in the curtain. It should be said that this was his mission. If he added too much, he would be blamed - because Pedro II Shiya didn't need an answer, no, the answer he needed wasn't spoken with tongue and throat.

The servant waiting at the bedside could not prevent the messenger from leaving. Although he was loyal, like his master, he had no power either inside or outside the palace. As soon as he heard the gasp of Alfonso VI, he hurriedly Pulling up the curtains, the flickering candlelight illuminated a hell-like scene deep in the brocade - it was a pile of rolling fat, brewing and swallowing sour breath from the gap called the mouth, and at the same time, There is another gap above - the nose, which is still leaking thick white, gray or yellow-green liquid.

The servant was not surprised and pulled out the French towel on the side - this was a new product bought from a Calais merchant. It was extremely thick because it was covered with dense loops, had good water absorption and was soft. In the past, a dozen towels were needed. A face that could only be wiped clean with a linen towel can now be wiped clean with just one.

But today when he casually threw the towel on the ground, he paused slightly - there was blood on it.

He quickly opened the king's mouth to check and found that his majesty had only bitten his tongue. He calmed down and said, "I'll get you a bottle of potion."

The lump of flesh trembled violently and uttered a few syllables. The servant understood the meaning that only a few people could understand. The king was saying, no potion.

He stood by the bed, very sad, because he knew that Alfonso VI did not want the potion because he did not feel pain, but because he was threatened. There was nothing to question or blame in Pedro II's message. He simply told his brother that after marrying his former sister-in-law, his daughter Isabella would most likely become the Crown Princess of France. Remember Yes, it is very possible. His message did not mention what the biggest obstacle is, but everyone knows that Princess Isabella’s biggest disadvantage is that although she is the daughter of the regent and the princess, if she is only the regent’s daughter, then she is not qualified to become the crown princess of the most powerful country on the continent of Europe today.

Everyone knew that the regent was just waiting for Alfonso VI to die because he did not want to bear the crime of killing his brother and the king. But Alfonso VI, although he had symptoms of hemiplegia at the age of three, In the following ten years, his mother continued to manage the government on his behalf. Of course, the Queen Mother lacked political talent and was narrow-minded. When Princess Catalina, the sister of Alfonso VI, married to England, she took away two Portuguese colonies, Ceylon and Bombay, which already made the ministers and nobles in the Portuguese court very unhappy. In the following years, Portugal suffered repeated defeats in the wars with the Netherlands and Spain, and the Queen Mother became a thorn in the side of the Portuguese.

Under such a situation, the young and brave Earl of Mailore resolutely launched a coup and overthrew the Queen Mother's rule in 62 years. The Portuguese government and army headed by him suddenly became full of vitality, not only continuously The Spanish attack was repelled and Portugal became independent under Spanish rule.

It is extremely ironic that the victory won by Count Mellor was crowned by Alfonso VI, who could not even walk on his own. He was called the "King of Victory".

This "Victory King" never held power for a day. First, the Queen Mother, and then Earl Maclor. Because of his inability to exercise and unrestricted diet, his body became more and more obese, and because he did not receive any orthodox nutrition. Because of his lack of education, he couldn't even communicate with others normally, but I don't know whether it was unfortunate or lucky, but he actually had a very smart mind and a tenacious will. Even if it was just the nagging of the servants, he knew everything. He understood everything - those who knew him said that he was not just a raging beast like Carlos II of Spain.

Perhaps with such considerations in mind, Count Mailore chose the daughter of the Duke of Savoy for him after all kinds of considerations. No one objected to this choice at first. Portugal now belongs to the Braganza dynasty. This dynasty is as above The above is not orthodox, so the Habsburgs have been questioning their legitimacy, so it is impossible for them to choose a bride from the Habsburg system. The beauty of the daughter of the Duke of Savoy is that although the paternity is considered, She was a vassal of the Habsburgs, but on the maternal line, she was a distant relative of King Louis XIV of France.

But even though Earl Mallor sold his soul to the devil, he never expected how resolute and decisive the Duke's daughter would be. The Duke's daughter only spent one night with Alfonso VI, and she was determined After finding out that the latter was infertile and unable to have children, she immediately decided to split up with the king. Three months later, she suddenly left the palace and came to the Archbishop of Lisbon, asking him to declare her relationship with Alfonso VI. The engagement is invalid.

At the same time as this thunderous news, the supporters of Pedro II and their soldiers arrived in front of Count Mellor. The count, who had made countless achievements for Portugal, had to leave sadly. There is no need to say more about what happened next. It is said that Pedro II became the regent and then married the daughter of the Duke of Savoy. Princess Isabel was born at the beginning of the next year, so legally, she is legal, but in terms of legitimacy To say that she can only be regarded as the daughter of the prince, to put it too much, if something unexpected happens in the future and Alfonso VI is restored, she may just be the daughter of a traitor.

So although Pedro II was very eager, the reason why French King Louis XIV was still hesitant was because the message brought by Pedro II's envoy was a reminder. He was still like a hypocrite. Generally speaking, it seems that he just came to tell his brother this important good news, but most importantly, he still hopes that Alfonso VI himself will die.

Will Alfonso VI be willing to die? The answer is naturally no.

He has been bedridden since he was three years old, with atrophied legs and a bloated body. He will always remember how his mother, father and brother looked at him. The daughter of the Duke of Savoy was once his hope, and she was indeed a brave lady—even when faced with such an ugly body, she tried. Alfonso VI was forever grateful for her attempt, but Her bravery is also reflected in her betrayal - the Portuguese nobles eventually switched sides or chose neutrality precisely because the queen disclosed the secret of Alfonso VI's sterility.

Just like when Louis XIV was discussing with his ministers the marriage between the Grand Princess and Carlos II, it didn't matter how stupid, cruel, ugly or twisted Carlos II was, but once it was confirmed that he was infertile, the ministers Immediately and resolutely sided with the king, because there was no need to discuss a marriage contract that could be declared invalid at any time - human marriage originally existed for reproduction.

Alfonso VI became everyone's abandoned son. He was quickly sent to the Azores and then to Sintra. Perhaps Pedro II thought it was better to keep him by his side. Relatively at ease - he is a noble prisoner, leaving his ministers and army forever, with only servants around him, and the only people who come to greet him are seabirds and squirrels, but even so, he is still determined to live - even if In order to mock his younger brother Pedro II, Pedro II wants to ascend the throne cleanly, it is impossible!

For this, Alfonso VI can endure any pain and torture. It doesn't matter. He has long been used to it. He has persisted for thirty years. He can continue to persist for another thirty years. Maybe Pedro II will die after him. In front of me, Alfonso VI almost laughed out loud when he thought about it.

He feels like he can do it, especially now that his physical condition is even better than it has been in years past. What bedridden people fear most is abscesses on their bodies - those parts that are in close contact with the sheets. It is said that if the abscesses fester, the person will become feverish and die. So the servants had to wipe and apply medicine to him every day. At the beginning, his doctor followed the tradition and gave him bloodletting, guanching and applying ointments. Sometimes these ointments worked, sometimes they didn't, but since the servant secretly found a French doctor, They now used strong liquor and a purple-red potion to wipe Alfonso VI's body. This potion can be taken internally or externally, and the effect is excellent. The servant just said that he would get this potion for him.

But now Alfonso VI could not believe them. He was worried that what the servant brought would be a bottle of poison. In the next few days, he only allowed them to give him topical potion. He even endured eating only hard-boiled eggs and beef, sprinkled with a little salt, not drinking alcohol, only drinking water - this behavior was not so much to prevent someone from assassinating him, but to express his gratitude to all those who expected him to die. If a man declares war, no, he will never die!

As a result, those ministers and nobles who had disappeared without a trace in his life all appeared again. They seemed to be here to greet Alfonso politely, but in fact they used their eyes and subtle body language to urge Alfonso. VI - You should return to the embrace of God. There is no longer a place for you in this world. You should sacrifice for Portugal. They said this in silent language, even the Archbishop of Lisbon who personally baptized him. He even They brought holy oil and gave him the last sacraments in advance, despite Alfonso's resistance and the shouts of the servants.

Although Alfonso VI was not as healthy as Pedro II, his vitality was still very tenacious. He sprayed the archbishop with stinky saliva.

Then the next day, Earl Mellor came.

This count is now over 40 years old, but in the memory of Alfonso VI, he has always been stronger and sharper than his peers. Although he covers the sky with one hand, he still retains enough respect and love for His Majesty the King. In his When he was in charge of the government, he often came to visit Alfonso VI, and sometimes he would mention some important political affairs. When Alfonso VI spoke in a language that others could not understand, he would listen patiently. Until Alfonso VI got tired.

Looking back now, the years when he was in power were the happiest times for Alfonso VI.

As soon as Earl Mallory entered the room, he saw two lights emerging from the darkness. It seemed that for a moment, he returned to 1665, when he was full of energy, scolded Fang Qiu, and vowed to be his king. Dedicate your life to your country, when he said this, Alfonso VI also looked at him in the same way - those eyes were shining brightly today.

He slowly walked to the chair in front of the bed, sat down, and said nothing.

Those eyes slowly dimmed.

A week before the Feast of the Assumption, the Queen Mother also came. She had always disliked this child because he had become a useless waste when he was young. She thought she would say many cruel words, but as soon as she saw Alfonso VI raised his hands to cover his face and began to cry.

The last person to visit was, unexpectedly, the young Princess Isabella. She was so scared that she did not dare to look directly at Alfonso VI on the bed. Under the urging of her wet nurse, she moved closer to the bed little by little. She knelt in front of Alfonso VI and begged him to bless her.

Alfonso VI looked at her, he should have hated her, she was proof of shame, the product of two traitors, the retribution of sinners, but - that was a little, little, little girl, He could see his brother and his wife on her face. He knew how embarrassing her identity was - her father had not ascended the throne, and she would not be able to have a satisfactory career. Marriage, no, it is more likely that she will not even have the chance to get married, because the blood of her child will also be questioned... The Braganza dynasty has been criticized for many things, those with high authority Why would a man choose such a person to be his wife, which would only increase hidden dangers?

Princess Isabella knelt there for who knows how long. She only knew that her mother, who had always been indifferent to her, told her that this was her only chance to change her fate.

It wasn't until her whole body stiffened that she felt something heavy and generous fall on the top of her head. A few seconds later, her wet nurse came forward and took her away. She looked over the wet nurse's shoulder and could only Seeing a hazy white figure in the shadows was the last impression her uncle left on her.

On the day before the Feast of the Assumption, Alfonso VI died painlessly in a coma due to drinking too much strong alcohol.

On the third day after the Feast of the Assumption, Pedro II officially ascended the throne, and the daughter of the Duke of Savoy became queen. Their only child, Princess Isabella, also had her name corrected.

In the same month, marriage contract negotiations between France and Portugal officially began.

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PS: In real history, Pedro II only officially ascended the throne in 1983. Princess Isabella only lived to be 21 years old and was unmarried and childless.

There will be another update tonight, but it will be very late, maybe after midnight. You can watch it tomorrow, thank you.