I Am Louis XIV

What Cosimo III was deeply proud of failed to resonate with Louis XIV. Although some people did call him the second Saint Louis, Louis XIV called himself the Sun King from the beginning. He did not need What a noble title the Church bestows!

Maybe a few hundred years later, Louis XIV itself will become an adjective rather than a noun. When people talk about a powerful king, a wise ruler, or even a rich and generous person, they will Will say "He really seems to have a Louis XIV!\

,"Louis XIV, who had such thoughts, would certainly not have any opinions on churches, sacred objects or glass paintings - if he had known nothing about Florence or even the entire Tuscany region, he might have stopped to admire it for a moment , after all, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore and its collections have considerable artistic value.

But the more splendid the church was, the more deserted Florence seemed.

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Perhaps for Cosimo III and those who had access to the Palazzo Pitti, the hardships of those humble and poor people had little to do with them. But the next day, Louis and the crown prince Louis changed their clothes and dressed up as an ordinary aristocratic father and son. They walked out of the Pitti Palace with their attendants and priests.

The saddest among these people is the crown prince Louis, who has always had sweet and romantic fantasies about Florence. After all, many world-famous scholars and artists came from this free city that was once favored by the muses. How many prosperous scenes were painted and how many touching stories were told by their brushes and ink pens?

They hailed Florence as the Garden of Eden on earth. People in this city were carefree, wealthy and noble. The ground under their feet seemed to be plated with silver, the tableware was all gold, the walls were hung with silk carpets and curtains, and petite girls Indulging in sweet love with a handsome young man under the cover of grape leaves.

Now they could see only gray houses, narrow streets and dark skies.

If a house is left unoccupied for a long time, it will accumulate dust and lose its vitality. The same is true for a city - Florence was once known as the crown and pearl of the peninsula for its developed textile industry, commerce and banking industry, but here The woolen business became dispensable after the British and French began to enter this industry. The status of the banking industry was taken away by Genoa, Venice and the Netherlands. As for commerce, Italy and Ottoman Turkey encountered The same problem - the new route changed the merchants' trade route from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic coast. Merchants no longer had to pass through the overland routes monopolized by the Ottoman Turks, nor did they need to waste precious time and energy in Italy or France. , when many ports in Spain and Portugal rose rapidly, it was inevitable that the city-states in Italy slowly declined.

If the Principality of Tuscany could have survived for a period of time relying on the tangible and intangible assets accumulated during the Renaissance, then Cosimo III, who had no talent in governing, was a disaster.

Every Italian, when talking about Cosimo III, will say that during his twenty years in power, the only correct decision he made may be to marry his daughter to the Duke of Colonna, the illegitimate son of the French king, and politely rejected the Holy Father. The Roman Emperor Leopold I won over. Although judging from what happened later, the hidden dangers of the Principality of Tuscany also started from this moment, no one can deny that under the rule of the Duke of Colonna, Tuscany The people of the Principality finally got a chance to breathe.

But this all happened a long time ago. The crown prince, Louis, looked at the buildings, old ships and incomplete bridges that had tried their best to decorate, but still showed a bit of decay. He felt disappointed in his heart. He and his father have visited many cities, including Paris, Versailles, Nantes, Marseille, Calais, Dunkirk... and the two previous cities in Slovenia. It is not surprising that a city is dilapidated, but this It is not Slovenia, which is located between two powerful countries and cannot guarantee even the most basic independence, but Florence, Italy.

"Twenty years ago," Mrs. Milady said, she came to serve as a guide for the distinguished father and son. After all, if it had been anyone else, they might not have taken the king and the crown prince to see what they really wanted to see. " It's not that bad here, but since Cosimo III started to rule personally - yes, he is the same as your father, Your Highness, after he came to the throne, his mother ruled for a while, and the lady started to do things Hesitating and following the rules may not be too good, but it’s not too bad either.”

"Here are some other things I want you to see and hear." Louis lowered his head and said at the right moment. Little Louis nodded immediately. He was concentrated enough before, and now he is trying even harder to take in what Mrs. Milady said. Combine what he says with what he sees.

"Since you just came from Rome and went on a small pilgrimage," said Lady Milady, "then let's start with faith and morality." She glanced at the crown prince with a smile - Milady The lady is from Bishop Mazarin. She is a few years older than Louis XIV. Although she is also a witch, youth is more willing to stay on her than on a mortal, but the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes and lips cannot be covered up. , she didn't want to cover it up, and together with the sunken eye sockets and cheeks, they gave her a strange charm that young women could not possess.

She looks like a rose in late autumn. Although it has withered, it still sticks to the branches. Its age is gone, but its color and fragrance are more intense.

She noticed the Dauphin's gaze and blinked at him. The Dauphin used his perseverance to avoid blushing, but Louis XIV was laughing softly. This smile reminded Madame Milady of the time when they first met. Long - as Bishop Mazarin's secret agent, she had played tricks on so many people, but was almost shot to death by the new master who was about to be loyal - if she really died, Count d'Artagnan would be able to tell this joke for the rest of his life.

Of course, she shouldn't tease the other Louis. Despite his identity, his father is still around. Mrs. Milady coughed twice to break up the ambiguous atmosphere she had deliberately created before: "Let me continue. Well," she knelt down in repentance, and then continued: "I have been here for some time, gentlemen, and I have discovered that the Florentine code may be thicker than that of France."

"As far as I know, the French code is enough to make students who want to be judges and lawyers complain." Louis said that after taking office, although he deleted a lot of red tape, he also added a lot of provisions. .

"There is actually only one line in the principality's law book," Mrs. Miledy said: "Cosimo III. de' Medici."

"The Grand Duke added many laws after taking office, but let me see, these laws are not only not good for the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, Florence, Pisa, Siena, and other places, but also for him There is nothing good for me." Madame Milady said: "Your Highness, I had the honor of being ordered by the king to help Madame Marie Mancini, the Duchess of Colonna, to govern Gaiola."

"I know." The Crown Prince nodded. France belongs to him, and Gayola belongs to his brother. Louis XIV didn't even need to tell him personally. Queen Theresa had already told him that this territory could It is said to be the dowry of Mrs. Mary Mancini. According to tradition and law, it should indeed belong to his brother. Unless his brother is childless, his descendants can inherit Gaiola, and it also depends on Gaiola. When did Yola break away from the other world and officially appear in front of people?

"Mrs. Mary Mancini," Mrs. Milady opened her fan, patted her chest, and said with some nostalgia: "She is not a vicious person, but she is willful, arrogant, a little hysterical, and maybe she has been a little stupid. But fortunately, at that time, she was at least willing to listen to your father and some of my suggestions."

"Do you know what I was most worried about at that time?" Mrs. Milady looked at the Ponte Vecchio in the distance - it was once the jewelry and antique trading center of Florence, and people came and went. Now, except for the shops on both sides of the bridge, There are not many people outside: "She is often driven by temporary emotions and does things that make people laugh or cry - I won't go into details here, because many of them are directly related to what you are not allowed to do now. "The touched part," she nodded apologetically to the Crown Prince: "I mention this lady to tell you that compared to Mary Mancini, Cosimo III acted impulsively and recklessly, or rather It’s the short-sighted part, worse than anything else.”

She straightened up and pointed into the distance, "Did you see that little house?"

"I saw it," said the Crown Prince. "It looks very new, and it doesn't fit in well with the surrounding buildings."

"This is the new customs house established by Cosimo III." Mrs. Miledy said with a sarcastic smile: "Your Highness, you should know that this is the tenth customs house that merchants came to Florence after entering Tuscany. customs."

The crown prince, Little Louis, was obviously startled. He didn't understand what the tenth customs house was. Isn't there only one customs house? Because there are customs in Calais, Dunkirk, Nantes and other places, he has personally visited them all, and also watched how merchants pass through customs in Calais.

"Yes," said Mrs. Miledy, "this was built on the order of Cosimo III."

"That may be a bit silly to say," asked little Louis, "but will all these customs be used for inspection and tax collection?"

"The inspection is still second," Mrs. Milady said: "The key is tax collection. No, this issue is not stupid at all, because when I heard about this matter, my first reaction was the same as yours, yes, everything Goods entering Florence from the outside, even a bundle of wool, had to pass through ten checkpoints and pay ten taxes.”

"Will any businessmen be willing to come?" Little Louis blurted out.

"Of course not. The economy here was originally in a slump. Once the story of the ten customs offices in the Grand Duchy of Tuscany spread, even fewer people were willing to come here."

"Why does Cosimo III want so much money?" Little Louis thought for a moment. The Principality of Tuscany has firmly established its neutral position since Cosimo I, and neither voted for Habsburg, nor France or France. It's Spain. After all, they can't even prepare their own army, so Cosimo III needs money, and it shouldn't be used for war. As for their luxurious life, the original taxes in Tuscany can also satisfy it. Why would he want it? Such a ridiculous thing happened?

"Because he has to pay for the Office of Public Decency."

"What is the Office of Public Decoration?" asked little Louis: "Is it... like the one that his father banned not long ago?" He was talking about a patrol set up not long after Louis XIV took power. They were composed of some retired veterans. In order to put an end to the bad habit of Parisians dumping feces and garbage into the streets and rivers at will, they can fine people or send people to jail. Having been on the battlefield, they will not be afraid of dead cats and dogs.

At that time, the streets of Paris could at least allow people to step out of carriages and horses without worrying about being buried up to their knees in feces, or having their urine accompanied by a "Look out!" when taking a leisurely walk under the moonlight. You are smelly and wet, and gradually you can see fish and swimmers in the Seine River. .

At that time, feces and urine needed to be collected and hauled away by excrement trucks. However, as the scope of Paris' renovation continued to increase, the sewer project was completely completed a few years ago, and new apartments replaced the old shacks. This kind of The behavior has become so rare that these veterans have either retired or gone on to do other things.

"what do you think?"

"Probably not." The Crown Prince sighed. He also saw the turbid river water and the road surface that although washed, still had a lot of solid dirt left.

"This so-called Office of Public Ceremony was set up purely to meet the personal needs of Cosimo III, but it requires more manpower and effort than other departments in Florence." At this time, they also walked to the door of the city hall. The lintel of the city hall is inlaid with lilies - it once belonged to the Medici family and was presented to it by Cosimo di Giovanni de' Medici, the tyrant of Florence, the head of the Medici family at the time. of the City Hall of Florence.

There were two execution platforms standing on the City Hall Square, one on each side, like some kind of decoration. Louis calculated that from Pitti Palace to here, they had seen five execution platforms.

There were unexpectedly many people here, and they also saw some young people tied up by ropes. Judging from their clothing, they did not look like famous ladies, wandering girls, or their guests.

"Cosimo III was not a womanizer," Louis said, "but he didn't seem to be a Puritan either."

"This is the open-air office of the Office of Public Decency," said Mrs. Milady. "These must be the unlucky ones who can't afford the fines."

"Isn't anyone allowed to engage in this kind of industry in Florence now?" Louis heard those people yelling desperately.

"How is that possible, Your Majesty," said Lady Milady: "They should have been fined for being in the house with young women..."

At this time, even Elario beside Louis couldn't help turning his head and listened carefully: "That's true," he said, "Does he want to become a saint?"

"Cosimo III's moral code is obviously different from other people." Mrs. Miledy said: "He believed that if young men get along with young women in the house, they will have sex, rape, and have children. Children must be aborted, infanticide is required, and they will fall into hell, so he made such a law."

"What a well-developed imagination." Louis murmured, "Then what if someone commits immoral acts in the square in broad daylight?"

"Then they are innocent and innocent," said Lady Milady.

This answer is really ridiculous and helpless.

They did not continue to watch the farce in front of the Plaza Mayor. Speaking of which, it had something to do with the visit of Louis XIV. When all the prominent people in Florence came to the Pitti Palace to attend the wedding, they stayed behind. The younger children in the family began to become restless. They either held small gatherings in the name of celebration and took the opportunity to meet their loved ones; or they used this excuse to indulge in wild and wild behavior...

The wolfhounds of the Office of Public Decency also found their opportunity.

"Don't they think..." Little Louis, the crown prince, asked: "This kind of thing is really too ridiculous and harsh."

"Ah, this is because you have never been someone's subordinate or worried about your own livelihood." Mrs. Milady said directly. If she had to return to Paris one day, maybe she would She would be more cautious, but she had been with the Duke of Colonna for so many years and watched him grow from a swaddling baby to a young but ambitious ruler who wanted her to just give up everything in Gaiola. She was not very willing - especially after Mary Mancini's stupidity caused her to fall into Madame Montespan's trap.

“No employer will see his employees taking money for nothing while doing nothing, especially a department like the Office of Public Decency that can be banned at any time and everyone expects it to be banned. Welcome, the more dispensable they are, the more they must cling to any trivial matter and make it as serious as possible, because otherwise, it will be difficult to show their importance. "

"But this is simply a crime," said the Dauphin.

"There is such a fable in the far East," Louis XIV said: "When a king likes people with thick eyebrows, people in the city will draw their eyebrows until they can be connected together; when a king likes loose clothes, everyone will A person's clothes require three times as much fabric; and when he likes a slim waist, someone starves himself to death because he wants a slim waist."

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