I Am Louis XIV

"But I have to remind you," after giving his answer, a knight suddenly said: "Is it possible that we will have to work with Eugen Savoy in the future?" This sentence immediately made everyone present. , at least most people feel uncomfortable.

Young Eugen (his nominal father's name is Eugen). Savoy, Count of Soissons, is a branch of the Duchy of Savoy, but the Count of Soissons belongs to France, and his title comes from his mother - the most important thing Yes, little Eugen Savoy's biological father was Archduke Leopold I of Austria, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire who was hostile to King Louis XIV of France.

The surname of Olympia, Count of Soissons's wife, was also Mancini. After Marie Mancini became Louis XIV's first love and the first royal lady, this beautiful Miss Mancini She was very dissatisfied with her marriage - yes, for her, even though the Earl of Soissons' father was a prince and his mother was a princess of the Bourbon family, she still felt that she had been greatly humiliated, but now it seems , probably because Bishop Mazarin saw that she was a fool, so he decided to marry her to a less outstanding family to avoid causing greater losses.

But Olympia's ambitions were not annihilated. When the Count of Soissons was serving the king in Paris, she had a long-term affair with the Austrian ambassador in Paris, and used this to gain access to their emperor Leopold. However, the relationship between the two was not as public as she expected. In other words, Leopold I did not recognize her as his royal wife, and she had no formal title, title, or salary (the royal family at that time Madam is an out-and-out official position).

What thoughts she had in giving birth to a child for Leopold I has been unknown after her death, but Leopold I most likely did so to mock King Louis XIV of France. Old enemy, but fortunately because of Olympia's death, only a few people know little Eugen's true life story.

Although the Count of Soissons graciously gave little Eugen his surname and the title of his eldest son, and Louis XIV even took him to the Palace of Versailles to raise him, if possible, as little Eugen's grandmother expected, , he should be like the illegitimate son born to the Duchess of Longueville for her lover La Rochefoucauld, who even though he held the title of eldest son, still insisted on entering the monastery and handed over the Duke's inheritance to the person who really should own him.

Little Eugen, who grew up in the Palace of Versailles and Louis XIV, and received the highest level of education with the crown prince, eldest princess, eldest princess and others, although he had no intention of competing with his adoptive father's son for Soissons Despite the count's shelter and gifts, he was unwilling to spend his life anonymously in a monastery.

His Habsburg bloodline has seriously affected his appearance. He is short, has a square face, a huge chin, small eyes, and a slightly stooped back. But in contrast, he is full of ambition and talent in war—— During Leon's attack and defense, he did not fall into the trap because of the young man's spirit and impulsiveness. Instead, he responded to the Duke of Luxembourg in a very calm manner, forcing Leon to surrender at a very small cost - this was a A good thing, but some people said that this young general seemed too mediocre and cowardly in the first battle. Some even suggested to Louis XIV that at this important moment, experienced generals such as Vauban and Schaumberg should be used Come as a forward.

There is no doubt that Louis XIV rejected them. For Louis XIV, as the saying goes, "He who is good at fighting has no great achievements." Although the French land army has expanded to nearly 200,000 people, these 200,000 soldiers Each soldier is made with the king's money, time and energy. If little Eugen cannot stand the ridicule and temptation, and attacks Leon regardless of the consequences, in addition to the religious problems caused by it, the soldiers will be lost. What hurt him the most.

Eugen's tactics may seem dull and uninteresting to some people, but they suit Louis XIV's heart. However, because someone said so, he was worried that Eugen's confidence would be shaken by the rumors, so he specially gave Louis XIV some advice. Eugen wrote a personal letter.

No one knows whether Eugen the Younger wavered, but his counterattack came very quickly. After conquering cities such as Leon, Saladin and Ponferrada, what greeted the French army was the famous mountainous area, also known as the mountainous area. It is a low-lying flat land surrounded by mountains. There are many rivers and lakes here, but it is also the real battlefield designed by the Castilians.

A hundred years ago, it was not the French, but the Spaniards who shocked Europe. Their large square formations frightened countless enemies - spearmen mainly formed three large horizontal formations, and there were about fifty people in front of the horizontal formations. to 60 people, with a depth of 20 columns. At the four corners of the phalanx are arquebusiers arranged in dense small phalanxes. After combination, each large phalanx is about 450 feet wide and 300 feet deep. Sometimes the command The officer will add arquebusiers or cavalry teams around according to the situation.

The success of this large square formation even led France to try every means to imitate it. The word "legion" also appeared verbally and on paper from this time. Later, due to the popularization and improvement of muskets, this large square formation was modified in due course. Mainly composed of arquebusiers, with a peak of 60 to 70%.

What makes the Spanish particularly proud is that they used this tactical phalanx to defeat the French army of 30,000 in the Battle of San Quentin in 1557. The French lost tens of thousands of people and captured 6,000. , and thousands of people were scattered in all directions, the Spaniards only lost a few hundred soldiers, and none of them were officers.

Immediately afterwards, in another battle, 20,000 French troops were also wiped out in the battle with the Spanish, and the Spanish suffered no more than 1,000 casualties.

Since the Spanish army is not in the hands of the king, the Castilians also wishfully believe that they can be like the princes of Poland, even if they cannot change the French Bourbons and take over Spain, or they can welcome the Habsburgs. With Philip V of Fort as king, they could also use their army to force future kings to recognize their power and status.

But soon, little Eugen Savoy, whom they thought "lacked the heart of a brave knight", completely and quickly defeated their dream.

At the battle of Sanafolia, he made a night raid and captured the local lord and six hundred of his soldiers.

He was originally responsible for reconnaissance and vanguard tasks in the Battle of Monte Trole, but when he noticed a group of Castilian soldiers crossing the river, he immediately chose to attack, even though he only had a hundred light cavalry beside him at the time. Even so, he still caught the enemy by surprise, forcing the opponent with 3,000 men to abandon most of the soldiers who fell into the river and were blocked in the dense forest.

Finally, there was the battle known as the "Battle of Palencia".

On the plains near the city, both the French and Spanish armies numbered 30,000. The Duke of Luxembourg was the commander-in-chief of this battle, and Eugen Savoy the Younger was ordered to command about a thousand cavalry. The troops, after the artillery bombardment of each other, he led the cavalry towards the Spaniards, throwing grenades on the enemy's left flank. Even though it aroused suspicion at first, the grenade that still gave Colini the delusion was indeed jaw-droppingly powerful. The cavalry team led by Eugen easily tore apart several large squares in succession and rushed directly into the heart of the Spanish army. position, and continuously set off smoke bombs, cutting off some connections between the front and rear.

When the Duke of Luxembourg ordered the soldiers to speed up the advance, little Eugen, in the diffuse smoke, took advantage of the opponent's general before he could issue an order to encircle and suppress them. He led the team to the place where the Spaniards piled gunpowder, and dropped the gunpowder there. He fired the last grenade and detonated the ammunition. When the ammunition exploded, he was thrown off the horse by the air wave and broke his arm. He was able to endure the severe pain and jumped back on the horse with the help of his friends, rushing out of the chaos. battlefield.

When the Spaniards began to disperse, he led the cavalry to pursue them for at least fifty miles, capturing countless soldiers and officers. Of course, in the previous battles, thanks to the favor of this young nobleman, there were also many Castilian nobles who were fortunate enough to be invited to the French military camp.

Let's put it this way, in this room, at least two-thirds of the thirteen knights of Santiago were captured or forced by this young general who was unattractive, short in stature, and showed his sharpness like an awl when he first entered the battlefield. Surrendered.

"No, if he was really so loved by Louis XIV, he should have returned to Versailles." Zamora said.

——————

"You should go back to Versailles," said Louis XIV. "That is your home, I think so, don't you think so, my boy?"

Little Eugen stopped when he heard this. He raised his head and looked at Louis XIV, his king, his guardian and half-father. Although little Eugen's biological father and the King of France were like natural enemies, maybe It's because Olympia is also a Mancini, the sister of the king's beloved royal wife. Louis XIV was very kind to him. The queen, the queen mother and other noble ladies who knew his identity never felt sorry for him. He was in Versailles. It is true that the crown prince, the eldest princess and the eldest princess grew up under the eyes of roses, gold and people's hot admiration.

"I will go back to see you from time to time." He said, lowered his head, and kissed Louis XIV's hand respectfully.

"Is it because of Eugen Savoy?" Eugen Savoy, the Earl of Soissons, and his biological son are beside the king. The Earl of Soissons is also an experienced general with sophisticated methods, just like Not to mention that the king's spear has generally penetrated the key position in the upper reaches of the Hukar River. Not long ago, he went to the Principality of Savoy to persuade his cousin to defect to Bourbon instead of Habsburg. When the dust settled, The Earl of Soissons will definitely be able to have a room in the Palace of Versailles with this merit, and his wife and children will also officially appear at the banquets and balls in Versailles. By that time, little Ou, who occupies the position of the eldest son of the Earl of Soissons, Gen's situation will become embarrassing - even if not many people know his true origin, since he is half a child of Louis, it will be difficult for him to shamelessly usurp the interests belonging to the eldest son of the Count of Soissons - in the court and the In the palace, the eldest son, the second son, and the youngest son, who have the right to inherit titles and territories, are two completely different concepts. People's attitudes and choices towards them are very different.

In history, it is not impossible that the eldest son who was supposed to inherit the title and territory, because he was favored by the king or the superior, gave up the title and territory to his brothers and became the king's general or courtier.

"One of the reasons." Little Eugen said. He looked at Louis, and his big chin, which was particularly eye-catching compared to ordinary people, trembled: "Your Majesty, you may already know..."

"Yes," said Louis XIV.

The room suddenly became much quieter. Only Prince Charles was still running around. His age was about the same as when he left his mother and was raised by the mother of the Earl of Soissons. However, at that time, little Ou He simply put on a gloomy mask that did not suit his age, and had nothing in common with the rosy-faced, always giggling Charles. Prince Charles had never been restrained by any restraints. When he was tired from running, he would lie on his father's knees. Resting, he pressed his warm face on the king's noble belly, tilting his head and looking at little Eugen. He still had some memory of little Eugen, so he stretched out his hand to him.

Little Eugen held the soft little hand, his eyes shining.

"Mary..." Women in France and even many European countries will have the name Mary, but now Louis XIV must be calling Mary of Orleans, the Grand Princess.

Little Eugen Savoy is close to the age of the princess, and the beauty of the princess is recognized by Europeans. Needless to say, her father, the Duke of Orleans, can make people look stunning when he occasionally dresses in women's clothes. The "Icon of Stone" was also fascinated by her. Her mother was the British Princess Henrietta. Princess Henrietta was a bit neurotic, but as she had scandals with Louis XIV more than once, you knew she was definitely not that. An ugly girl with an innocent appearance, their first child, the eldest princess, absorbed all their advantages. She was just a rose bud and made dukes, princes and kings fascinated by her, especially Carlos II, people said, the madman and freak king was probably not only grudged by the princess's huge dowry, which was enough to buy a steel fleet.

The princess's current husband is Frederick, the Crown Prince of Prussia. He was so attentive to the princess, which should have aroused the dissatisfaction of the Prussians. However, as soon as the princess appeared in front of them, they all stopped. ——Even the most stubborn old guy must admit that it is impossible and immoral for a young person to ignore such a wonderful existence.

Little Eugen and the eldest princess have been getting along day and night for several years. Because the queen is responsible for taking care of little Eugen, their rooms are not far apart. They also attend classes and play together. Little Eugen has developed an admiration for the eldest princess. Not surprising, not surprising at all.

"I had a crazy idea," said little Eugen: "I once wanted to follow the Grand Princess to Prussia as her escort."

"It's not crazy," Louis said gently, gently stroking Charles's fluffy, steamy curls: "You love her."

"But Mary doesn't love me." Little Eugen murmured: "No, she loves me, but it is not the love of a girl for her lover, but the love of a sister for her brother. It is a noble and pure love. A powerful love." He said: "She taught me how to love her, Your Majesty, she said, I should make a career, a brilliant career, so when someone mentions my name , or when my name is published in a newspaper, or when a certain legion, a certain territory, or even a certain ship is named after me, she can say loudly, look Ah, this is my dearest friend and dearest brother, Eugen Savoy."

"Then," he continued tenderly, "maybe hundreds of years from now, when someone mentions me, they will also mention the people around me."

With an innocent yearning, he said fervently: "Her name will be engraved on the pages of history because of me, Your Majesty."