I Am Louis XIV

I have planted the flag, everyone, it seems that I can’t make any guarantees in the future - I just said a few hours ago that there will be 25 extra updates this month, and I won’t do anything about it. I was dragged to the hospital by 120 in the evening... ...The friend who asked me why the update was not updated at eight or nine in the morning when it was said to be at eight or nine o'clock... I'm sorry, I was rolling on the bed at eight or nine o'clock that night... What a sad fish... I was still... Recommended^^

I won’t update the last chapter. The interval is too long and I’m afraid some readers won’t see it...

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In the old Louvre, everyone had their own place, and so did the king, and so did a humble servant. Louis XIII complained that there were three people in charge of the fireplace in his room, and one informed the steward that the king needed to light it. For the fireplace, one carries the charcoal and the other lights the fireplace. If the person who lights the fireplace is asked to talk to the general manager, it would be quite inappropriate behavior and would also make the person responsible for reporting to the general manager feel that he has been insulted.

Moreover, if Louis XIV did not change, then decades later, his dowager would still be thirsty from night to morning because she could not find someone responsible for pouring her a glass of water.

Of course Louis XIV would not allow such stupid things to happen in Versailles. He built Versailles to control the ambitious nobles, paralyzing them with food, strong wine, comfortable beds and unparalleled scenery, and staying up all night Balls, increasingly extravagant costumes and jewelry, gambling, hunting, and "love ladies" consume their energy, empty their wallets, and confuse their minds - instead of focusing them and in turn constraining them. King's.

Therefore, although strict and clear classes are still maintained in the Palace of Versailles, those complicated and dense rules have never been restricted to the king. On the contrary, the king has all the privileges, and he can also grant privileges to anyone he likes. It can be said that the more he favors and likes people, the more unscrupulous they can be in their words and deeds, just like his brother Philip, the Duke of Orleans, and the Bourbon children.

Ms. Eva is obviously incompatible with the magnificent Palace of Versailles. If it were not for the king's will, it would be impossible for her to have any contact with the princess. The princess could not help but care and protect her at the beginning. Thoughts, she never thought that this lady who had only received a little favor from her was actually willing to go to Spain with her. Her origin was criticized by some ministers, but it was because of this origin that she was better than the big county. The other noble ladies around the Lord are decisive and perseverant - when she mentioned this marriage, she did not lament or show mercy, but was like a hunter, eager to face a ferocious beast that would bring huge benefits. .

Her words aroused the ambition of the eldest princess, so that when she heard that her father, the Duke of Orleans, was visiting late at night, she did not feel panic, but instead felt a fire in her heart.

The Duke of Orleans really did not expect to see such a daughter. The eldest princess added a soft crimson velvet robe to her pajamas. Under the candlelight, her long hair hung down to her knees as if covered with a layer of golden tulle. Her face was as red as if she had drunk wine or just rode a horse, and her eyes were shining, reminding the Duke of Orleans of one of the bravest soldiers under his command.

Everyone knows that King Carlos II of Spain has arrived in Versailles with his maids. There are many people who support this marriage. It is common for the king and the Duke of Orleans to discuss political affairs during dinner, so the maids thought that The Duke of Orleans was here to pronounce judgment - and as one might have guessed, the marriage would be difficult for Louis XIV to refuse, after all, this was Spain.

The eldest princess curtsied to the Duke of Orleans. "Father," she said.

"I have something to tell you," said the Duke of Orleans.

"That must be a very important thing," said the princess. "Tell me, father, I am looking forward to it, just like a ship is looking forward to the wind and waves."

"Sit down first," said the Duke of Orleans, and they moved to the fireplace. The Duke then noticed that the princess was only wearing slippers and no socks. He glared at his daughter reproachfully, "Put your feet on my knees." Come on." He said. Today the Duke wore a heavy but soft jacquard satin coat. The princess did not refuse her father's kindness, and her feet were quickly hidden in her father's warm arms.

The Duke of Orleans put his hands on them, "like a pair of little doves." He said: "I still remember that when you were still in swaddling clothes, the soles of your feet were not as long as my thumbs."

The eldest princess looked at her father tenderly: "I have grown up, father. Although I don't want to, I will always leave you."

The Duke of Orleans was silent for a while. He stared at the candlelight like a wizard, trying to divine the future from it. "You have already met Carlos II, right?"

"Yes, Father."

"What do you think of him?"

"It is not as scary as people say," said the princess: "I have been to the medical school in Blois, and I have seen people suffering from smallpox and leprosy. He is not the most terrifying."

"But you don't have to marry a smallpox patient or a leper," said the Duke of Orleans. "

"Like most men in this world, he has advantages that cannot be concealed and shortcomings that cannot be ignored." The princess said: "I saw in his eyes that he is determined to win. Like His Majesty, he is also a king. In this he excels many."

"But your uncle and I, our Majesty, do not intend to agree to this marriage." The Duke of Orleans said, "In addition to our love for you, the child, there is also the fact that if you marry to Spain, your Majesty will also Wouldn’t be happy to see you have a child.”

"Ah." Even after hearing such a terrible thing, the princess remained unmoved: "I remember Mr. Colbert told us about the marriage contract between His Majesty and Queen Theresa. According to the results of the negotiation, Queen Theresa A dowry of half a million livres should have been brought to France, but in fact, this dowry has been delayed from the time of Philip IV to the present, and Spain does not seem to be able to pay the arrears. So far, His Majesty has He did not mention this matter, and he should have intended to use it to veto the declaration signed by Queen Teresa when she left Spain to renounce her right to the throne."

The Duke of Orleans nodded: "Her Majesty the Queen is pregnant. The child is likely to be a boy. If it is a boy, then he is most likely to inherit the throne of Spain."

"In other words, if I marry Carlos II, I will lose more than I gain," the princess said: "Even if I marry, the Spanish Habsburgs will not be able to side with France. But you want to It hurts for me." She paused: "But there must be many ministers in the court who support this marriage." Although Louis XIV's attempt is not impossible, the operation is much more troublesome and complicated than a marriage. , maybe there will be a war. If the princess marries Carlos II and has a son, the Bourbon bloodline can also gain a foothold in Spain.

"So we need to change their minds."

"Change their minds?" The princess said, "It's difficult."

"It's not that difficult." Duke Orleans held his daughter's feet together: "You know, in this world, what people do, what ideas they hold, and what they even believe in, in the final analysis, there is only one word, that is Interests." He continued: "I have discussed with your Majesty, and we will increase your dowry to one million livres, and add a fief in Friesland, close to Gelderland."

The eldest princess was really surprised. Although some people had long estimated that the eldest princess's dowry would be more than 800,000 livres, but what is the concept of one million livres? When Queen Teresa married Louis XIV, she only had a dowry of 500,000 livres. In this way, the Spaniards have not paid the dowry to this day; Louis XIV paid for the purchase of Lorraine from the Duke of Lorraine. It was exactly one million livres; the Danish king hoped that his daughter could become the crown princess, and the bargaining chip he gave was one million livres; even in order to deceive and force the Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire, that is, Leopold I remained neutral during the French attack on Spanish Flanders, in which Bosnia was sold for one million livres in a ridiculous swindle; and Leopold I's previous congress The debt owed during the war was only 1.5 million livres. Just kidding, if Leopold I had a son who could marry the princess, he would not have to worry about Louis XIV urging him to marry him. Debt.

"With these one million livres," said the Duke of Orleans, "many people will be tempted." It is easy to break up the alliance of ministers. Although the princess is as beautiful as the first rose that blooms in the morning, But a large part of her charm also comes from the inevitable extremely generous dowry, and the fact that her husband will definitely become a favored figure by the king and the Duke of Orleans: "There is also a fiefdom in Friesland, which is close to Held orchid."

The princess is no longer the girl who was so frightened that she could only cry when she heard that she was going to be married to a deformed monster a few years ago. When the Duke said this, she immediately understood the intentions of His Majesty the King and her father: "You are planning to marry her to a deformed monster." Will power over Gelderland be brought up in subsequent engagement negotiations?”

"If things really come to that point," the Duke of Orleans said, "then we can only change the original plan, but for a foreign princess, a generous dowry does not mean anything. We will ask Spain to use Gelderland as Gifts are given to you, and you will marry into the Habsburg-Spanish royal family with parts of Gelderland and Friesland.”

"Just like Queen Eleanor." The princess murmured.

"Just like Queen Eleanor." The Duke of Orleans said: "Eleanor of Aquitaine." This queen has had two marriages. Her territory, the Principality of Aquitaine, is rich and vast, and she was the first to bring it into the French royal family. Later, she was brought into the British royal family's dowry. According to the biography, she was a noble and extremely charming woman, but this reserve and arrogance-she was not too polite to her ex-husband Louis VII, and her later husband Henry II Shiye respected her very much, and it was she who was also the Duchess of Aquitaine who gave her the confidence.

"You will be canonized as Duchess of Gelderland." said the Duke of Orleans.

The princess raised her head, tears flashing: "Your Majesty, there is no need to do this." Louis XIV originally divided the Netherlands because France at that time needed to digest the two huge preys of Flanders and the Netherlands and had no extra energy. Facing the eyeing Holy Roman Empire and Britain, it is impossible to say that Louis XIV would give up his ambitions for the Netherlands.

But Gelderland will be a talisman for the eldest princess, because if the eldest princess has children, her territory can of course be inherited by her children, but if she dies without children, then her territory should be inherited by those closest to her. One person to inherit, that is, someone in the Bourbon family, probably her brother.

If the Spaniards did not want to see Gelderland fall into Bourbon hands, they would have to treat the bride with caution.

"Of course, it is more likely that the Spanish will not agree to this request." The Duke of Orleans said: "Then everything will be solved."

"Father," the princess stretched out her hand to the Duke. When the Duke leaned forward, she whispered softly in her ear: "Frederick left me a letter." She held her father's hand and said: "He He went back to Brandenburg—but instead of running away or avoiding it, he swore to me that he would destroy the marriage even if it meant offending his father."

Of course, the Duke of Orleans knew about Frederick's sudden departure, and also knew that he had left a letter to the princess. He even knew the content of the letter, but he was not stupid enough to say it. He smiled happily as the princess expected. came out: "He loves you."

"Yes, he loves me." The eldest princess took back her hands and a pair of warm feet: "Sometimes I have to be lucky. Having such a test is a good thing for him and me." She Remember what Mr. Colbert said, people will pay special attention to things that cost them a lot of money, regardless of whether the thing is really of that value. On the other hand, if they can get it easily, even if it is a rare treasure in the world, they will pay special attention to it. I don't care too much, even if I lose it, it's just a sigh.

As the eldest son of the Elector of Brandenburg-Prussia, Frederick was undoubtedly the proud son of heaven. Even though Versailles dampened some of his enthusiasm, he was still a proud boy who could not get along well with the princess. At that time, his determination to be his own was no different from that of Carlos II - he was indeed the most likely candidate for the princess' husband.

But as soon as Carlos II appeared, this distinguished gentleman panicked. He could barely maintain his manners and spirit in front of the Spaniards, but when he came to say goodbye to the princess tonight, his face changed. It was white, the hands were cold, and the eyes were full of rage and anxiety: "I just hope he won't really have a fight with the Elector." The princess said.

"I don't think so." The Duke of Orleans also felt a little happy. After all, no father-in-law would like his son-in-law too much. He was quite happy to see that arrogant and silly boy suffer a lot: "This marriage is also about Brand." The Archduke of Denburg expected it." Especially after they raised the stakes of the dowry.