I Am Louis XIV

After the conversation with the Duke of Luxembourg, little Eugen returned to his military camp. Compared to the villa in Soissons and the suite in Versailles, he unexpectedly found that he still liked the rough room in the military camp the most - the atmosphere was everywhere here. The unique aroma of newly felled wood is better than the perfume on a noble lady; the black marks on the walls made by the small charcoal stove (used for scones and making coffee) look more beautiful than the silk wall coverings. It is aesthetically pleasing; the noisy soldiers, beating drums and blowing trumpets can make him fall asleep faster than Lully's carefully composed music.

It's more because there is no pity or suspicion here, little Eugen thought.

He fell asleep peacefully, amidst the whistling of the trees. When he woke up, the sun shone into the room through the opened window panels, and dark brown coffee rolled in the pot on the small charcoal stove. His attendants brought it to him. He took off his boots, dressed neatly, rinsed his mouth, drank a cup of coffee and went to the Duke. The officers of the regiment met in the Duke's suite to determine the positions they would fight for.

If you look at the map, their army looks like an open feather fan. This is mainly because the resistance forces are too scattered, and this is where the Cantabrian Mountains are located, and there is no one open enough to accommodate tens of thousands of people. Battlefield, "This is Leon." said the Duke of Luxembourg. "Can I give it to you?"

"Of course." Little Eugen said calmly, turning a blind eye to those appraising eyes. Some people wanted to say something - Leon, Spain is also a big city and should be handed over to more experienced generals, but some people also thought of Little Eugen. Eugen was not a civilian officer - when military colleges were not as open to civilians as junior colleges, nobles still enjoyed various privileges in the army.

The officers believed not so much in little Eugen as in the Duke of Luxembourg. Although the Duke of Luxembourg was not as famous as Condé, everyone knew that he was a cautious and steady man. He said that he would hand Leon over to little Eugen. Root, it means that he is willing to trust this young man - they re-reviewed little Eugen's style in the past few months, and found that this young man actually has a very similar style to the Duke of Luxembourg, and is a reliable commander. Don't risk the lives of soldiers.

In this case, it is not that they cannot accept the order of the Duke of Luxembourg. Even if they may have to finish the work for this young nobleman, think about it when they first went to the battlefield, weren't they just a bunch of immature chicks? They are not nobles yet, and there are still people who are willing to teach them (although the method is a bit rough). What do they care about now with a boy who has not yet grown a beard?

"But Leon..." an officer suddenly said hesitantly, "Sir, I went there on a pilgrimage. It is said that the bones of the saint are enshrined in the Monastery of St. Max."

The Duke of Luxembourg's eyes turned to little Eugen, who nodded. As a country that inherited the title of France's "eldest Catholic daughter", Spain has monasteries and churches as densely packed as the stars in the sky. Since there are monasteries and churches, There will be no shortage of holy objects. From the saint's clothes and bones to torture instruments and even daily utensils, they can all become treasures in the relic room. It is strange that there are no sacred objects in the St. Marks Monastery.

They also carefully avoided monasteries and churches in previous sieges. After all, many people in the French army were devout Catholics.

"Wait," after the officers had left, the Duke of Luxembourg suddenly said, "Leon may have another place that needs our attention."

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Pippin was a small businessman who often traveled around France and Spain. In addition to the profits brought by various rare gadgets, he also obtained goods from Louis XIV, Duke Don Juan or Carlos II. Money, but it is a pity that the only ones who can hire him now seem to be the French. After the death of Carlos II, the relationship between him and the Spanish spies was also severed, and the spies of Duke Don Juan also disappeared without a trace. .

When the war came, he also considered running to a small village that would be less affected to rest peacefully for a period of time. However, the price offered by the French spies lured him out again, and the French took action. He is generous and wants almost all information. He is much easier to talk to than the subordinates of Carlos II or Duke Don Juan.

And precisely because of the war, their need for all kinds of news is even greater.

He raised his head and glanced at the ancient city walls of Leon. Today he was here to investigate the reality of the city as requested by the French.

Leon was once the capital of the defunct Kingdom of Leon, but the Kingdom of Leon was captured by the son of Alfonso IX (Castile) as early as 1230 and then annexed by Castile. This city It also transformed from the center of the Cantabrian region into an ordinary big city. Perhaps because of its past, the King of Castile did not value it very much, and even intended to abandon it, let alone repair it. Instead of fortifying it, the city has hitherto relied on its twelfth-century walls, the only ones worth mentioning perhaps being the Monastery of St. Marks.

The Monastery of St. Marks is also an ancient building. It was originally built by Princess Sancha to provide a resting place for people who went west to Santiago de Compostela for pilgrims. It could be used to stay and treat patients; in the 16th century At the beginning of the century, Philip of Habsburg, the son of the Holy Roman Emperor, became the handsome man of King Philip I of Spain because of his marriage to the Spanish princess Juana. He also became the handsome man of King Philip I of Spain because he accepted the position of Grand Master of the Knights of Santiago. This monastery was renovated. Because the birthplace of the Knights of Santiago is in Leon, it is also called the Holy House of Santiago.

Before Pippin entered the city, he felt that the atmosphere was not right. When he was still about ten miles away from the city, pilgrims began to appear one after another. They were in groups, holding torches, and marching towards Leon. ——This is an unusual sign. Although the pilgrims are not so poor that they cannot afford a torch, they still will not travel at night if possible. People may break their legs on the road. There are pits, bloodthirsty beasts in the dense forest on the roadside, and devils often appear in the dark. Torches can make people's eyes red and shed tears, and burn precious clothes and hair.

But the further he went, the more and more pilgrims came. It was obviously not the time for pilgrimage! God, with more than ten years of experience, Pippin could easily tell that among them there were craftsmen, farmers, hunters, or small businessmen like him. He approached them and wanted to inquire about the news, but they always failed. Tight-lipped, saying nothing but prayers.

When he could see the city wall of Leon, the light on the road no longer required him to light his own torch. There were guards in front of the city gate looking at everyone with vigilance. They... actually let the pilgrims enter the city! This is another rare thing! You must know that pilgrims can also be the culprits of turmoil, not to mention strangers, without jobs, and without documents. If they enter the city, they will only cause endless troubles, so pilgrims must also have Only a pass issued by the lord can travel unimpeded in his territory.

"Where is your pass?" the guard stopped Pippin.

"Here, sir." Of course Pippin had a pass. He was never stingy with money in this regard. He pressed a peso (Spanish silver coin) in his hand and handed it over. "I am a businessman, sir. I can understand Wait, are there any big events in Leon recently?"

The guard glanced at him: "Don't ask around."

Pippin turned back his hand. The guard glanced sideways and caught a glimmer of golden light: "You are really an ill-informed person." His tone was much gentler. "Don't you know that the saint in St. Max's Monastery appeared?"

"Holy Mother!" Pippin exclaimed in a low voice: "No wonder there are so many pilgrims!" He raised his hand to make the sign of the cross. Before he could put his hand down, he was pushed by the guard: "Okay , let’s go. Do you want to go to jail if you are dawdling? There are still many people behind you!”

"Indeed..." Pippin whispered.

He entered the city and passed through the slums next to the city wall. There were actually monks walking around here, handing out Holy Communion - but Pippin suspected that those people were just here to get unleavened bread, so he also took a piece. , sighing that the monks actually took out a whole piece of bread to serve as the Holy Communion. This cake was quite solid, and the stomach that had been growling since outside the city finally calmed down. It supported Pippin from the slums to the central square. More torches were burning on the square, illuminating the place like daylight.

From here you can see the Monastery of St. Marks. The steps of the monastery are filled with candles with flickering flames. The statues of saints in the niches on the outer walls seem to come alive in the flickering light. More people gather here. There may be hundreds of people, thousands are not impossible, there are men, women, and children. In the dark it is difficult to distinguish their rich and poor, their age. Pippin only heard someone crying loudly and someone chanting sutras. , there are also people who reach out to touch and knock on the doors and walls of the monastery, and there are also the crackling sounds of whips hitting the body. It is not for sinners, but for someone doing penance and repentance.

Pippin pretended to pray. Of course he was a devout believer, but at this time he really couldn't focus on the prayer. His eyes and ears were all attracted by a group of soldiers in white cloaks.

Most people may not know it, but Pippin...he happens to know one thing - the "Holy Sword" standing on the white cloak - a cross in the shape of a long sword, the handle and the end of the guard are shaped like lilies, and the color is like blood The general red color means that the person coming is a knight of the Knights of Santiago.

What a distant name it is.

"The Knights of Santiago..." Pippin murmured: "So they are still there?"