I Am Louis XIV

Louis XIV could swear to God and the Virgin that he would definitely treat Carlos II seriously, just like he treated Carl XI of Sweden, but the problem was that when they first met, Carlos II was exposed The problem is not big yet, but after talking for a while, a sensitive person like Louis will be able to detect all kinds of strange things about Carlos II - this feeling is difficult to explain. Carlos II speaks and behaves On the other hand, it reminded him of those lifelike horror dolls. They were extremely similar to human beings, but always a little bit different. Even if he acted very respectful and amiable, it would still make Louis feel that he could be there at any time. They will peel off the ugly skin on their bodies, revealing their bloody essence.

He is not without the ability to think, but he lacks self. From his answers, Louis can hear the shadows of many people, ministers, bishops and a certain distinguished lady. Some of the answers are more like memorized, but - that's it The answers memorized will make the French ministers ecstatic.

Some people may still remember that even though they knew that Carlos was old, ugly, and a cripple and a puppet, there was still a strong clamor in France for the princess to enter into a marriage contract with him. After all, Spain is a huge camel, even if As early as Philip IV, it lost the glory that a powerful country should have, but its heritage cannot be underestimated, and in terms of blood, the Habsburg blood in Louis XIV is better than Bourbon. Bloodline - France and Spain have been marrying each other for some time, and if the marriage between the Grand Princess and Carlos II can be achieved, the French will undoubtedly slap Leopold I hard in the face A slap in the face.

It can be said that for France, this marriage has all benefits and no harm. Spain is more willing to give up some important interests-that is, the instructors, soldiers and ships that the navy urgently needs.

But for Louis, he was not optimistic about this marriage. Spain and France have been married for a long time, but more often than not, it serves as another arm of the Austrian Habsburg to constrain France; his crown prince Louis the Younger His wife is the eldest princess of Portugal. If Spain can give, Portugal can also give. After all, these two were the overlords of the sea at that time; in addition, as far as he learned, Carlos II's current situation is not stable—— No one knows what kind of monster the dark wizard's potion will create - his wizard told him frankly that if the wizard's potion could be so effective, the wizards would not have to sneak in to avoid the church's encirclement and suppression. The so-called other world is hiding.

Specifically, we can refer to Protestantism. Why did those princes protect Martin Luther, the leader of Protestantism, because he was good-looking? No, no, no, isn’t it because Protestantism can become a dagger used by royal power to stab religious power? This is war. On the contrary, if wizards could really resurrect the dead, cure stubborn diseases, and turn a demented cripple into a healthy person, the current church would have ceased to exist long ago.

Carlos II felt to Louis XIV like a deformed monster sewn together by many hands, but he could make women pregnant, and giving birth to children made Louis XIV's biggest trump card useless. To the ministers, What's wrong with being ugly, weird, and stupid? As long as the Bourbon bloodline can be preserved in Spain, they also wish that Carlos II was a fool. As long as the princess can give birth to the Spanish heir, when the queen mother dies, she will be the highest-ranking woman in the palace and can be held hostage. Isn't it a good deal for France that my husband and children are dictating political affairs in Spain?

The Sun King felt a rare moment of fatigue, and he asked Buntang to lead this distinguished guest down to have a rest - the Palace of Versailles has always had three reserved suites, just to accommodate such uninvited distinguished guests, "Also, let Orleans The Duke has come to see me, and I want to dine with him," said Louis XIV.

——————

Louis planned to talk about this matter with his brother during dinner, but as the chief spy in the palace, it was impossible for the Duke of Orleans not to know about this matter. He made an account of Prince Conti, but he was a little helpless. After all, he was For a person like Prince Conti, in a marriage, the man looks at status and power, and the woman looks at the dowry. What does it have to do with appearance and figure? To put it crudely, even a donkey can endure it once the curtains are opened - in history, many young kings married an ugly, fat and old wife, or a princess in her prime married to a woman who could be her grandfather. Although Carlos II is ugly, he has noble blood and owns a huge empire. To be able to become the queen of Spain, to be honest, would be the dream of many noble ladies.

Some people even say that if Carlos II had not had such a flaw, then he should have asked to marry the princess instead of the princess.

The upset Duke of Orleans was thinking about finding an excuse to beat Prince Conti, and then received the king's order to let him have dinner with him. It was common for the prince's brother to have dinner with the king, but today the king must be To discuss this matter with him, the Duke of Orleans knew that not only was he unwilling to do this marriage, but Louis was also unwilling to do so. It just depended on how they could convince the ministers.

It was already a quarter past four in the afternoon. When there was no banquet, the king would have dinner at six o'clock in the afternoon instead of nine or ten o'clock. There was not much time left for the Duke of Orleans. He sorted out the things in his hands. Work, with the heart of a worried old father, ready to set off for the king's apartment.

But before he could see the Grand Canal outside the window, he heard a fierce noise and the sound of gold and iron knocking. The Duke who passed the battlefield immediately ran to the window and looked out.

He immediately saw his daughter, guarded by several teenagers, facing a group of Spaniards.

——————

Although in written language, Charles II came to Versailles alone, but even when Charles II was wandering around the European countries as the Duke of Cornwall, he still had a large group of servants around him. Louis XIV was When the Fronde rebelled and were forced to flee Paris, they were surrounded by supporters. As the King of Spain, Carlos II was also surrounded by attendants and servants.

Most of these attendants and servants, like the servants of nobles, live in the buildings under the Palace of Versailles, which has almost become the acropolis of Versailles. They leave every night and enter the palace in the morning to serve their masters, but there are also some The attendants have the right to live with their masters in the apartment in Versailles. Among them are José Patiño, Juan Patiño's nephew, and Alberoni, who is Toledo Disciples of the archbishop, the two of them can be said to have "grew up" with Carlos II, and were deeply trusted by the moody king. Now one of them is standing in front of Carlos II, and the other is standing between the two groups. They all looked anxious, but didn't know how to deal with it.

Since the eldest princess got married, the eldest princess Mary, the daughter of the Duke of Orleans, has been the highest-status among the noble ladies of her age. She and the eldest princess have been the two jewels in the French crown. After the eldest princess left, her brilliance became more and more attractive. Attention, in the court of Versailles, there are countless crazy bees and butterflies chasing the princess - although the possibility of the princess marrying outside is very high, who doesn't want to try it, even though she doesn't have the name of a princess, A noble girl who is actually a princess!

The eldest princess has also become accustomed to it. She is always surrounded by countless people with various purposes, but apart from the eldest princess, there are only a handful of people she can talk to - her maids and the queen. Like the attendants around the king, one needs to know their origin and status. The only exception may be Eva. This young lady came from a humble background, but because of her considerable contribution in the previous Dunkirk counter-insurgency war, she was able to be recognized. Louis XIV summoned her, perhaps because some of her qualities impressed the king, and the king made a special exception for her to be the maid of the princess.

This inevitably caused some turmoil, but Louis XIV had been in power for twenty years and was invincible on the battlefield. He was also handy in politics. As he said, he could now do whatever he wanted. The Queen Mother didn't care at all. The Queen was asked She said, "There is a Tatar next to my son," and the whispers slowly died away.

The source of the conflict lies with this woman, Eva.

Spaniards' dress has been subconsciously moving closer to French fashions since a few years ago, especially after Louis XIV's scholars and craftsmen developed the latest dyes, which were called "frivolous" by the old-school Spaniards. Bright colors gradually took over the entire palace, but this private visit seemed to be to declare the identity of the Spaniards. Starting from Carlos II, his attendants all wore traditional black coats with shoulder straps, although there were also He wore a wig and his shirt was decorated with lace and frills, but you could tell at a glance that he wasn't French.

Such a group of people were very prominent when walking in Versailles, especially their king Carlos II, who even made some noble ladies who were caught off guard eclipse their beauty. This made Carlos II's entourage very angry, although they should be considerate - -They are used to seeing their king's face, but the ladies of Versailles usually appreciate the members of the Bourbon royal family as scenery... As nobles and knights, they cannot attack women, but their anger accumulates.

As for Eva, although she also received the education that a maid must have, she was still very different from the noble ladies who were immersed in Versailles day and night. For example, those noble ladies who suddenly turned pale when they saw Carlos II were panicked. They were at a loss, but they could immediately guess the identity of the visitor and retreated to salute.

On the contrary, Eva, who met the Spaniards head-on, didn't think such people were scary - don't forget that her uncles and fathers were also privateer ship owners, and they were injured by flames, swords or venom in the battle. There were a lot of people, and their faces might be more ferocious than Carlos II, but she didn't know whether she should salute or not - she had never seen this group of people before...

Maybe she only hesitated for a few seconds, but the Spaniards who could no longer restrain their anger still broke out. They did not embarrass the lady, but demanded a duel from her brother or husband - if he was unwilling to challenge the Spanish The king's words of apology.

Eva's husband had been executed for a long time. If she could, Eva would be willing to call him out of the coffin and apologize to the Spanish. But then, the princess who heard that her maid was kept by the Spanish hurriedly hurried coming.

Carlos II may never forget this wonderful sight for the rest of his life. It was dusk, and hundreds of marble and bronze sculptures stood beside them. Transparent water splashed out from the water bottles, bows and arrows in the hands of the sculptures, and even from their mouths and chests. Under the gauze-like golden light, Countless bright tiny light spots were reflected in the light. Among the light spots, a girl in a milky white dress walked towards him surrounded by a group of boys and girls.

Her face is surrounded by the soft light of sanctity. There are no jeweled combs or hairpins on her long golden brown hair, only the first blooming gardenias and green branches and leaves. Her neck and wrists are decorated with ivory and hairpins. Pearls, but even both were overshadowed by the whiteness of her skin.

She came to Carlos II and curtsied. What she said, Carlos II could hardly hear clearly, but even the singing of angels could not be more beautiful than it. His eyes were moist-since After he "recovered", there were many maids in their prime around him, but none of them could do this... He couldn't describe it. He didn't have enough time to learn poetry, but he wanted to recite a poem, Eagerly and passionately, he stared blankly at the princess, and his heart seemed to melt in the last afterglow.

Jose Patiño was also looking at the princess. His uncle supported the king in changing the marriage contract and choosing the princess in France as his wife. One of his reasons was very important, and that was that the princess in France was the wife. The Lord was already fifteen years old and would be able to have children as soon as he got married. The daughter of Leopold I was seven or eight years younger than the princess, so it would take at least five or six years for her to have children.

Although Juan Patinho did not say the last word, the smart Jose Patinho also thought that-maybe Carlos II's situation is not as optimistic as people thought-he couldn't wait for Leopold My daughter Antonia...

Not long ago, Jose also met the princess, Antonia of Habsburg, with his uncle. She had a typical Habsburg face and was completely incomparable to the French princess. She was short in stature and had a weak voice. , the eight-year-old child looks like he is only six years old. Four years later, or six years later, it is difficult to say that there is any possibility of change - in addition, the wizard they brought also said that Princess Antonia's vitality is not as good as Now that Carlos II is prosperous, it is hard to say whether they can have children together.

As for the princess... After the initial throb, Jose immediately observed the princess's... chest and buttocks in a subtle way...

This kind of observation behavior would be considered obscene and harassing by people hundreds of years later, but at this time, especially when Jose was equivalent to half an envoy, this behavior was quite reasonable - in later generations In novels and movies, people would be surprised and incomprehensible when they see a queen bluntly asking a girl who is only thirteen years old whether a potential prince and concubine is menstruating, but in the seventeenth century, it was usually , kings and princes will not go to another country to visit their future wives in person, and vice versa. All they know about their husbands (wives) is firstly from the portraits, and secondly, the returns from the envoys. Generally speaking, that will It's a long letter.

If these people were describing a king or a prince, they would describe whether he was tall, whether his shoulders were broad, whether his voice was rough or elegant, and whether his nose was big enough (people at that time believed that people with big noses had stronger needs) , if the other person is an adult, they will ask some more private questions to his lover or the famous lady he often visits...

If what they want to observe is a princess or a princess, like Jose, they will look at her figure far more than her face, because whether a queen or a crown princess can have children is far more important than whether she has a With a beautiful face, they will carefully savor the way she walks, peeking out from under the densely packed skirt to see if she has a plump butt, and whether her chest is enough to bear the demands of a baby or more babies. They would even bribe her maids and let doctors sniff her private belongings to determine whether she was ready to be a mother...

Don’t laugh, everyone, and don’t condemn. In the seventeenth century, the true meaning of marriage was still as God said, for the reproduction of mankind. This was far more than love or politics. This is why, once the man or the woman It was determined that they could not have children, no matter what the reason was, their engagement was not valid.

And in a marriage, even if a marriage contract has been concluded, it can be annulled as long as there is no sexual intercourse - Louis XII used this as a reason to declare the engagement with his first wife invalid, even if Jeanne of France cried Calling them to sleep in the same bed three times in one night - well, it's better not to continue this topic, but Jose, this thirteen-year-old boy did come to see the princess with a serious and upright attitude.

When the princess turned her head, the unpleasant sight immediately disappeared.

"I am Carlos II, King of Spain, the Grand Princess," Carlos II said. He controlled his trembling hands, took off his hat, and saluted the Grand Princess. He had never been so happy - he It means that his epilepsy has been cured, otherwise he would have had a seizure just because of his throbbing emotions, falling to the ground and rolling around, foaming at the mouth: "I didn't expect to see him so soon. To you, Your Highness, what a blessing and joy this is, like a dove landing in the presence of Saint Isidore (the patron saint of Madrid), bringing him the light of beauty and wisdom.”

The eldest princess was a little surprised, perhaps because her impression of Carlos II had fallen to a low point. Although his overly direct praise seemed vulgar and rude in the Palace of Versailles, he did seem to be in harmony with the man who relied on her. There is a huge difference between dementia and inability to walk with legs: "I feel extremely honored by your words," because she had previously known that the maid Eva had been intercepted by the Spaniards, and with preparation, she could calmly look directly at Carlos II: "But Your Majesty, please allow me to repeat what I said before. Eva is my maid. She has only been in Versailles for more than a month. She cannot recognize everyone here. I regret her recklessness and ignorance." She shook hands He raised his hands and said, "Your Majesty, if you are willing to accept it, please return her to me."

"Of course." Carlos II replied without thinking. He was about to continue saying something when he heard a sneer.

"Wait," the man crossed the princess and stood between her and Carlos II: "Perhaps we should thank you for your tolerance, His Majesty the King of Spain," the young man crossed his arms and held his head high. , said with a smile: "But your attendants said before that you will only be willing to release this innocent lady if Ms. Eva's husband, brother or father comes to apologize to you, or accepts your invitation to a duel... "

"Who are you?" Jose asked.

"I am Ferdinand de' Medici," said the young man, "and my father is Cosimo III."

Cosimo III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, the Principality of Tuscany was not a powerful presence, but its position was crucial. Jose quickly made a judgment, "Looking at your age, you are not the father of this lady, then you are her husband?"

"No." Ferdinand shook his head.

"So you are her brother?"

"No." Ferdinand said slowly and profusely.

“So in what capacity do you advocate for this woman?”

"As a lover." Ferdinand said confidently, he winked at Eva, and Eva glared at him. You know, she just planned to tell these Spaniards with practical actions, no need for brother, father or husband. , she can duel with them, any one of them - if she were the kind of ordinary girl with no strength, she would have gone to see God when the knife struck.

She also saw the young people behind the princess. Although open duels have not been allowed in Paris since the time of Louis XIII, this dry rule did not hinder the vigorous young people at all. They carried swords with them. , muskets, were not used for decoration, but the first person to walk out was Ferdinand, which was beyond her expectation, but she did not feel that Ferdinand was interested in her at all. Ferdinand had the same eyes as other boys. There was no one else except the princess, let alone her. She was not belittling herself, but Jean Bart said when he saw her off, whether in Paris or Versailles, even if you want to be a lover, it depends on your identity and status.

Eva's thoughts were also the thoughts of others present. Carlos II looked at Ferdinand, and then the other young people - of course he would feel jealous. Although he was considered a healthy person now, he was not really He was perfect, he could tell by looking at the maids who shared the bed with him. They tried their best not to look at him, his face, his slanted shoulders, his sunken chest, his legs as thin as a hemp pole... …What they long for is the jewels and rewards every morning. But at the same time, a wave of confidence surged out of Carlos II's chest. He remembered what the Archbishop of Toledo and Mr. Patiño had said to him...

He is the king of Spain.

His Majesty the King of Spain is destined to be one of the greatest men in the world. Those handsome, strong, intelligent men and women will prostrate themselves on the ground for the crown on his head. He does not need to care about them. He was born He is so high up there that his pity can make any nobleman or their wives, sisters, and daughters overjoyed. The power in his hands is better than a pair of healthy legs, and the gold and silver flowing through his hands are better than fair skin. Even more dazzling, and the jewels of the palaces of Madrid and Toledo were enough to illuminate his eyes—and minus those things that would fade with the passage of time, any intelligent woman would choose him over other men.

"So, are you going to apologize for her?" he heard himself ask.

"No, Your Majesty," said Ferdinand, "I choose a duel."

What followed was what the Duke of Orleans saw. Before the servant of the Duke of Orleans slowly (the Duke suspected that he had done this deliberately) ran to where they were and loudly conveyed the Duke's order to everyone to stop, the Spaniards Four or five people have already fallen - Ferdinand who came out first was good, but his partners would not let him dominate the front, so the one-on-one duel became five-on-five, one-on-one. The Spaniards may still have a chance to win in a duel with one, but five against five - these young men, from Frederick of Brandenburg, to Anvo, the son of the Tatar leader, to Ferdinand of Tuscany , they are all auditors of the French Royal Military Academy, and the king has sent teachers to specifically guide them. The first thing they learn is cooperation, because when it comes to individual combat, they have had continuous and complete courses and experienced instructors since childhood. .

The Spaniards were at a disadvantage because they still used the tactic of swarming up, then choosing their opponents separately, and defeating them individually. The shameless French - they said this, but they quickly dispersed and killed an enemy in the blink of an eye. The advantage in numbers quickly overwhelms the advantages in strength and skill, and you don't need to look down to know how it will end.

Although the Spaniards continue to criticize, no one else should help in a one-on-one duel, but in a five-on-five situation, friends can cooperate with each other. Count d'Artagnan and his friends participated After such a multi-person duel, he watched the whole scene, and even whistled happily with pride.

Fortunately, the wizard was there. Except for one unlucky guy who had his throat pierced by Ferdinand and had no chance of recovery, several other fallen Spaniards managed to escape death. It was just that Carlos II didn't look good, but They were in Versailles, not Toledo or Madrid, and they were the first to provoke, so the Spaniards had nothing to say.

Eva looked at Ferdinand. She didn't know if it was her imagination. The man who was stabbed to death by Ferdinand as soon as he came up was the first one to jump out and scold her and kept grabbing her.

Update completed!