I Am Louis XIV

When people record the most famous generals in France from the 17th to the 18th century, Eugen de Savoy is undoubtedly quite eye-catching - he came from the prominent Savoy family, but he had an unfortunate son. In his childhood, his mother died in a terrible accident when he was three years old. His father, Count Soissons, immediately married a new wife. His stepmother was of mediocre background, but she had a deep relationship with his father and had children one after another. Several children - little Eugen was sent to live with his grandmother, and later at the age of nine he was sent to the Palace of Versailles to be raised by the Queen, with the Crown Prince and the Duke of Colonna, King Luther of Poland, who was then the Young Duke of Enghien. Vichy II had good relations.

What is particularly noteworthy is that until this young man was canonized as a field marshal for his outstanding military achievements, his King Louis XIV repeatedly requested that he did not enter the church and did not have any children. There were unbelievable rumors that Prince Eugen Princess Elizabeth, who once fell in love with Louis XIV, gave up her pursuit of love and marriage after being rejected, but not many people were willing to believe it. At that time, there were enough young men who were in love with the princess from Versailles to Vienna, but They are also very clear about their obligations and rights. The disappearance of love does not affect their marriage and children.

Prince Eugen never married and had no legitimate or illegitimate children.

——————

This all happened a long time ago. The eldest princess is still just a pure girl, and little Eugen is just barely an adult.

The invitation from the eldest princess was sent out through the crown prince. When little Eugen was twelve years old, he completed all the courses in the junior school and became a freshman at the Royal Military Academy. Almost all of the first batch were officers and outstanding students. Soldiers come from different academies. They are as young as small trees in spring, struggling to welcome everything God gives them, whether it is sunshine or heavy rain.

"Let's go to the Grand Canal." The eldest princess said, and little Eugen followed her. They walked to the canal in silence. The canal was sparkling, and the river and sky in spring seemed to be dyed with color. The emerald green and blue of the new buds are indescribably bright and moving, making people feel refreshed at the first sight. However, compared to the calm eldest princess, little Eugen's heart is full of despair and bitterness.

How strange, people are like this. They know clearly that what is about to come is bound to be a cold and violent storm, but they always hold on to a glimmer of hope, as if the next moment the sun will tear through the dark clouds and cast warm light on themselves. .

Little Eugen respectfully served the eldest princess on the boat. This kind of Venetian boat was specially purchased by the queen from Italy. It is a kind of scenery and a means of transportation. What's more, when the people in the Palace of Versailles just want to talk alone, When they were talking and didn't want to be eavesdropped, they would take this kind of small boat. It took half an hour from one end of the canal to the big lake at the end. This time was enough for them to finish what they wanted to say.

Even though he mustered up the courage to step onto the boat, little Eugen found that he still couldn't be the first to speak. So, a few minutes later, the eldest princess asked: "Talk to me, Eugen, this may be the last time we see each other."

"Your Highness." Little Eugen said. He looked at the eldest princess. The eldest princess did not wear a wide-brimmed hat today, but used an exquisite parasol to block the too strong light. The soft light hit her face. Her face looked like pearls floating in the morning light. Her hair was simply tied up and decorated with pearls and diamonds without being rude. She did not wear earrings or necklaces. This gesture is often only done in front of her family. There will be - family. Little Eugen once longed for family, but now he hates this term.

"I want to know," little Eugen asked: "You said before, the last time, if not the last time?"

"Then where do you want to go with me?" The eldest princess asked: "Sweden? But my father, your king has said that he will not let the French go to Sweden with me. Everything I have , except for my soul and body, I will stay in France, and I will accept whatever the Swedish people offer me and become their queen. From that day on, I will no longer be the princess of France."

"If you don't allow a Frenchman to go to Sweden with you," said little Eugen, involuntarily tightening his grip on the oar, "what about an Austrian?"

The eldest princess raised her eyebrows dangerously: "Don't say it," she said sternly: "Don't say it, don't tell me, you actually have such a plan!"

"Leopold I has not been able to have a healthy male descendant to this day," little Eugen held the oar tightly in his hand and said eagerly in one breath: "I am an adult and I am healthy. Although a little small, I, I will go to him and tell him that my mother is Olympia, that he has met me and I remember him, that he once held me on his knees and called me his son , I am willing to recognize him, and I also ask him to recognize me. I can at least get the title of a duke...I..."

"Snapped!"

A slap in the face knocked back all the rest of his words!

The boat swayed slightly from side to side, and the eldest princess had already stood up. Little Eugen subconsciously stretched out his hand to prevent her from falling into the water. This move made the eldest princess soften a little, but she remembered what little Eugen said before, she Her heart quickly hardened again: "Stupid!" She stamped her feet and shouted, "How stupid! How could you have such an idea?"

Louis XIV and Count Soissons did have their own thoughts about little Eugen, but the former kept little Eugen alive and allowed him to live and study like a prince, while the latter was willing to give up his eldest son's title and inheritance rights. , which shows that they still have a little pity for this innocent child, and because Olympia is also Marie's sister, Marie is little Eugen's aunt, Louis XIV even allowed him to live in Versailles .

Rooms in Versailles are not easy to come by.

Little Eugen showed a painful expression. He also knew that if he did this, it would undoubtedly put many people into an embarrassing situation, first the Count of Soissons, and then Louis XIV, but he also often thought that if he It might be better for everyone to die like his mother in an accident, or to stay in Austria. He does not think he will be a mediocre person, but if he is Eugen Savoy in France, he will not be able to do so. Have anything to do with the eldest princess. ,

Unless the eldest princess is willing to be like most noble ladies, after getting married and giving birth to her husband's first child, she begins to indulge in a corrupt extramarital relationship. But little Eugen also knew that although Louis XIV had three royal wives, his respect for marriage far exceeded that of any king. Even the Duchess of Colonna could not step beyond the bounds - this was not simply because of feelings, but also because of love. Mostly because he must guarantee his marriage and the right to have children in legitimate marriage.

Compared with the queen or the Duchess of Orleans, the education of the eldest princess and the eldest princess came more from their father. In order to have a compatible topic with her future husband, King Carl XI of Sweden, the eldest princess, Start learning Swedish when the engagement is confirmed, and read and recite the information about the Swedish royal family and Carl XI like a book, so that Carl XI can't help but fall in love with him in just a few days in Paris and Versailles. She, as well as the envoys and ministers who were Swedish and could not help but find fault with the future queen, fell completely under her skirt.

To reach this level, she upholds more than just beauty.

Her eyes were so beautiful, like the rolling sea. They not only inherited the luster and color of Louis XIV's eyes, but also inherited their ambition, which was the same as the noble ones that little Eugen had seen elsewhere. Unlike girls, the eldest princess and the eldest princess are both the kind of people who know their future paths very well. They will not allow anyone to become an obstacle to them - this slap is just a small punishment for their young companions, little Ou There was no doubt that if he put this idea into practice, whether he could succeed or not, the Bastille would be his final destination.

He raised his hands and covered his eyes. The sun was too strong, he said in his heart.

"I will not choose you, or anyone else, except King Karl XI." He heard the eldest princess say calmly: "I will work hard to not only gain his recognition, but also the recognition of the Queen Mother. Obtaining the recognition of the Swedes, I will hold the scepter, hold the prince in my arms, and sit on the silver throne side by side with Karl XI. I will maintain the alliance between Sweden and France and ensure that it will never become an enemy of France at any time. The bloodline will be passed down on that frozen land for many years."

"I know you like me and love me," the eldest princess did not pull away Eugen's hand in front of her eyes, "but when do you think I will need this love?" She said, "Yes, when I am in danger. , when I was abandoned by God and the people and had nowhere to go, then not only me, but also France and Bourbon would be on the verge of collapse. Tell me, do you want to see that situation happen?"

"Don't push me, Your Highness."

"You are still so young. You are not me. I have known since I was very young that people like us are connected by thousands of threads. Our words and actions may set off huge waves that will cause disaster. To save the lives and lives of tens of thousands of people, we must be careful and plan ahead, not to indulge ourselves and bring disaster to others and ourselves - my dear friend, your love must be wonderful and pure, but please Forgiveness, I can’t accept it because I don’t belong to myself.”

"You belong to France and you belong to Sweden." Little Eugen said hoarsely.

"You will forget me."

"I won't."

"Then don't forget it." The eldest princess smiled. She sat back to her original position, took out her handkerchief and soaked it in the canal, then wrung it and applied it to little Eugen's face, because Karl XI loved hunting and Louis XIV I also hope that the eldest princess has a certain ability to protect herself - at least she can ride long distances without falling behind, so the strength in her hands is not small at all. Little Eugen is still a teenager, and his skin is not so thick and rough, so his cheeks A distinct red mark was left.

"If you don't want to forget, then there is no harm in remembering me." The eldest princess continued: "Stay in Versailles, stay in France, stay with my father. You have entered the military academy and will fight for the king in the future. Maybe you will Become a great general. At that time, you will find that I am just a beautiful petal caught in a book by you. Compared with love, you will miss our friendship and your carefree youth time more. "

"More likely than not, endless regret."

"There are always unsatisfactory things in life. My father can't be perfect, let alone us." The eldest princess said, "Grow up a little longer, little Eugen, and you will find that there is more important and meaningful things in this world than love. There are so many meaningful things.”

Her words finally made little Eugen let out a whimper like a whine. A yellow bird landed on the high-upturned bow of the ship, and after preening its feathers for a while, it was startled, and it flapped its wings and flew away.

—————

"That's a very good statement," said Louis.

Vesalius slowly withdrew his hand and lifted the spell. There was sadness and relief in his expression. Yes, he once believed that love and family affection were the most important and absolutely inseparable for him. When he was in prison, he had only one thing on his mind, and that was to let Duke Mortemar Go to hell! What is not known is that he even wished his wife would die and cursed his daughter for abandoning him.

He once thought about how to take revenge on Duke Mortemar who almost ruined his life once he climbed to a high position. But when this day came, he suddenly realized that those things he once thought were very important and so important. The thing that he could give up everything to exchange for has become like an old damaged thing in his heart. He still loves it, no doubt, but the anger caused by it being destroyed has disappeared - he is no longer A potion master who was supported by the Mancini family. Although he had some abilities, he could be abandoned at any time. He was beside the king and had a close relationship with him. There was no wizard from Caiola Island who did not need his guidance and help. Although He would not take the opportunity to plunder and control young wizards like the wizards of the big families, but as the number and time accumulated, his prestige was pushed to a peak.

The king pushed his son with Marie Mancini to Italy. The key Caiura Island may become a sharp dagger in the future. Compared with Lady Miledy who must accompany the Duke of Colonna, The most likely candidate for governor of Gaiola Island is Varo Vesalius.

Vesalius never thought that he would be pushed from the bottom of the quagmire to such a glorious place by fate. What surprised him even more was that he did not panic or find it difficult to accept - he did not even think about it. He has never learned how to manage and rule a place. No, that shouldn't be said. He has the best teacher beside him.

He shook hands with Duke Mortemar, and he did not forget it, but these hatreds and love faded in time. He could take revenge on this mortal, but it also meant that he had to give up the idea that he had never even thought about. power over.

Like the Mancini family, using power to satisfy selfish desires is undoubtedly the most stupid thing. What he saw around Louis XIV, Vesalius can't wait to copy the Caiola Island that was almost abandoned after the riots. , wizards and mortals should have peace and prosperity, and continue to evolve to the best life! He embraces such ambition. Everything in the past is still there, but it is very far away from him, even his wife and daughter.

The same is true for the mortal boy who was born noble but humble. Vesalius thought, the eldest princess was right. As long as he has talent and ambition, decades later, when he looks back, he will find that the eldest princess asked him to do what he did. What a right decision.

"What do you think will happen to him in the future?" Louis asked, squatting next to the crystal ball.

"Please don't talk to me in this posture. Your Majesty," it was too vulgar, Vesalius suppressed the adjectives: "Your Highness is a smart and wise lady, she is like a gorgeous sword, although cold, but It can make people sober," he said, not entirely as a compliment. If his wife was also someone like the eldest princess... maybe his fate would be rewritten again. "Mr. Savoy was just impulsive, he was still a child. , he doesn’t know what long time will always take away..."

"Then bring something." Louis stood up and continued: "I must say that although little Eugen is a bit gloomy, he does have outstanding talents, Marshal Vauban, Count Soissons, and even the previous Count Henry [Kondai's son] all praised him for his beastly instincts in battle."

"Battle or war?"

"He hasn't been through the war yet," said Louis, "but I'm about to let him try." It would be better not to let him stay in Versailles and suffer.

——————

The Count of Soissons received the king's order and two people at the same time. One was his nominal eldest son Eugen Jr., and the other was a Bourbon, the grandson of the Duke of Vendôme and the king's half-brother-in-law. Son, one look at these two people makes Count Soissons sigh.

The full name of the Duke of Vendôme is Louis Joseph de Bourbon. There are too many Louiss in this article, so let us call him Joseph. He formed an extremely strong contrast with the dejected little Eugen. Twenty The three-year-old young man is infinitely closer to the Duke of Orleans in terms of appearance, infinitely closer to Count d'Artagnan in terms of glibness, and infinitely closer to Prince Conti or M. Molière in terms of love affairs, but it is best. What's interesting is that he doesn't have many bad habits that come from high-ranking officials. Perhaps it's because he came to the academy after serving in the army, and he can suffer very well.

But how could the king have thought of sending him to Lorraine? The Count of Soissons thought that before the military academy was established, the knowledge on the battlefield could only be passed down from the elders to the younger ones. He didn't mind taking little Eugen with him, but he didn't quite understand that the Duke of Vendôme was clearly in Dunkirk. , how could his grandson Joseph be placed in the army heading to Lorraine.

But this is not something he can interfere with, nor can the Duke of Vendôme. Of course, this old and strong Bourbon is not so stupid. He did write a letter to the Count of Soissons, along with thirty A musketeer was handed over to him - he hoped that his grandson would not have any accidents under the general's command, and if he did, he also hoped that the general would be "a little" lenient when punishing him.

Fortunately, Joseph is still a guy who knows the importance of things. When the Count of Soissons replied to the Duke of Vendôme, he was pulling little Eugen and riding a horse leisurely beside the marching team-this was a bit over the line. But he did receive the inspection mission. Compared to Joseph, who had been in the army for several years, little Eugen, who was still a newcomer in the military academy, saw for the first time the sight of an army walking endlessly on the road.

The army here even only has three thousand people, and the king's three personal expeditions, the number of soldiers was about 50,000. What a shocking scene it would be, he simply couldn't imagine it, and he had almost no time to imagine it, although for Joseph, patrolling was just a small thing to kill time, but for little Eugen, who had no practical experience and only knew how to do things on paper, everything he saw was new.

Joseph also vaguely heard about the eldest princess and him. After all, love is just like sneezing and cannot be covered up. However, the people in the Palace of Versailles have seen many young people who fell in love with the eldest princess at first sight, so they don't think there is anything wrong with it. The strange thing was that they found it very interesting, because the eldest princess treated little Eugen as she treated little Duke of Enghien, or Alexander, the son of the Duke of Orleans, who was born in 1969.

As soon as he heard about it, he knew that little Eugen was impossible. The eldest princess was someone even he didn't dare to mess with. The one who taught her was not Queen Theresa, but the Sun King Louis XIV!

Because the king sent little Eugen out, some people said it was because the king was worried that he would hinder the upcoming marriage, but Joseph didn't think so. What the Sun King wanted to accomplish, even Leo, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, didn't think so. Even Pod I couldn't stop it, let alone little Eugen? Not even if he is the grandson of the Prince of Savoy.

Joseph is more willing to believe that this is a favor from the king. It is better to keep little Eugen away from Paris and Versailles than to let him watch the one he loves marry far away, and the hard military career will be worn away like rough stones. All unrealistic pink fantasies, at least when little Eugen gritted his teeth and applied medicine to his thigh in the tent at night, he certainly couldn't think of the eldest princess... Although they would also ride horses when hunting, But in the final analysis, hunting is still amusement. The intensity and time cannot be compared with patrolling, tsk tsk, those two pitiful thighs.

Of course Joseph could remind little Eugen to take protective measures, but the pain of the body is easier to deal with than the pain of the soul, right? He couldn't find the bandage to bind his broken heart.

Little Eugen knew nothing of the sinister thoughts held by his companions. He had to rest for a day and then continue to perform his duties. When they finally crossed the Marne River and reached the edge of the Lorraine region, he finally had no need to He rode on horseback with a ferocious expression, and then fell asleep with waves of dull pain.

As a result of running under the scorching sun, his skin was not as fair as it was in Paris, but it unexpectedly made his unremarkable and even ugly face more harmonious, and his not-so-tall body no longer looked so slim on the saddle. Uprightness - it is difficult to correct this aristocratic habit that is beautiful but is not good for muscles and bones. He leaned forward slightly and scanned the surroundings with a pair of vigilant eyes, not missing anything out of the ordinary.

During their march, their army had already encountered fleeing people. It is said that the riot in Lorraine was caused by some people who originally lived in Lorraine and Alsace, but were driven to the Holy Roman Empire by Philip, the brother of the Duke of Orleans, because of the plague. Initiated by the refugees, they regarded all those who had not left Lorraine as traitors, and regarded the migrating French as enemies and thieves. Once they captured a village, they would hang all the men in it, and the women and children were tortured. After being tortured, they were drowned or burned to death.

It goes without saying who is behind them, but because they were originally residents of Lorraine and Alsace and knew these two areas very well, the governors of Alsace and Alsace were helpless for a while - they also had commanders Officer, there are logistical supplies and the latest weapons. After destroying several villages and towns, they became bolder and even dared to disguise themselves as refugees to attack the army.

Count Soissons did not bother to say anything to those idiots who clamored for the French to go back. The problem was that in addition to weapons and commanders, these thugs seemed to have wizards among them... Fortunately, they also have wizards here, so they won't return in vain.

"Want some?" Joseph rode close to little Eugen and raised a silver flagon.

"We are on patrol now." Little Eugen said.

"I thought you were going to order some."

"If you are reminding me, today is the day when the eldest princess leaves Paris," said little Eugen: "I have not forgotten it, but the pain makes me sober. I like this pain and I don't need wine."

"If you insist," Joseph said, "Is there something else you want to know?"

"What's up?"

"His Majesty will send the eldest princess to Malmo."

Little Eugen turned around in surprise.

——————

Where is Malmö? It is a port city guarding the east coast of the Oresund Strait, the mouth of the Baltic Sea. It belonged to Denmark 58 years ago. The Treaty of Roskilde combined it with the provinces of Skåne and Blekinge at the southern tip of Scandinavia. The four provinces of Land and Bajas were ceded to Sweden, and there was no better place for the old king and the new king of Denmark to grieve than this.

When France seemed to be at war, the Danish king did not forget to take advantage of the fire. He did not have the courage to target France, but managed to raise 14,000 men to attack Malmo. However, Karl XI's generals held on to the fortress. The siege was abandoned after three weeks because King Frederik IV of Denmark could not afford more military expenditures.

Perhaps it was to warn Frederick IV that after discussions with Louis XIV, the Swedes decided to hold the dressing ceremony in Malmö.

We have seen this weird ceremony as early as when Queen Theresa married to France. The ceremony is usually held at the border of the two countries, with a large tent. The Grand Princess will first take off all French products in a tent. clothes and jewelry, and then put on those brought by the Swedes. But there is no border between France and Sweden, but Louis XIV believed that North Holland was already part of France, and of course the border with Sweden could also be regarded as the place where the ceremony was held.

Not to mention the Swedes, even the Dutch did not dare to say anything about this statement. As for Louis XIV's dangerous and unethical behavior of sending his daughter to Malmö, no one dared to stop it. Yes, they absolutely cannot say no in front of the king's army - the Swedish people's mood is undoubtedly indescribable. Of course they are happy to see the French king and his army completely humiliating and intimidating the Danes, but when they know , one of the cavalry companies with 300 people, brightly armored and well-equipped, turned out to belong to the eldest princess and would be taken to Stockholm by her, my happy mood suddenly became heavy.

This heaviness continued until the tent that Louis XIV built for his daughter. The Swedish noblewoman opened the door of the tent and subconsciously stepped back. The envoy cast a questioning look. The Frenchman was not necessarily still in the tent. Let's install a team of cavalry.

"No, my lord." The noble lady said softly. She was also the daughter of an earl, but what she saw was really astonishing.

“The French hung and spread beaver skins in their tents.”

she said uneasily.

Even if the Huron tribe, allies of the French, occupied the largest and best beaver skin producing areas, beaver skins were still a luxury product for the people of Europe. Because of law and tradition, only kings can use sable skins, bishops and dukes can use ferret skins, merchants and some low-level officials can only use sheepskins, fox skins and weasel skins, and civilians are simply not allowed to use any fur - beaver skins. Because it was discovered late, it was not included in the legal provisions, and because it has a gorgeous color, is warm and strong, and is not afraid of water, it is favored by many people, so the price has remained high. One judge even complained that he had to use 100% of his income. One of them went to buy beaver skin hats... This tent, which could accommodate thirty or forty people, was filled with golden-brown shiny beaver skins, from the top of the tent to the ground. It was simply more expensive than the tent filled with gold coins. Be surprising.

No wonder the count's daughter didn't dare to go any further after just one glance. The feeling was almost suffocating.

But for the eldest princess, she only has love and gratitude for her father. The beaver skin not only makes the tent extremely warm, but also allows her to maintain the arrogance and reserve of a princess when facing the Swedish female officials. When the maids headed by the eldest princess opened the curtains to cover her body, the Swedish female officials who could barely stand still did not dare to say a word - compared with the embarrassment experienced by Queen Teresa, the eldest princess It was like changing clothes in her room. After she finished dressing up and slowly walked out of the tent, the Swedes breathed a sigh of relief.

The eldest princess turned her head, and the sides of the tent were raised high. People bowed and took off their hats to salute, because King Louis XIV of France was standing on the other side of the tent looking at his daughter. She had tears in her eyes and prostrated deeply. On the ground, he said goodbye to his father and the king for the last time.

Although it’s very late, the update is complete! Eight thousand words!