I Am Louis XIV

“It’s really a star-studded place here today.”

As soon as the Genoese envoy stepped into the Medici family's Palazzo Riccardi in Florence, he couldn't help but murmured in a low voice.

He had already prepared for the worst. Louis XIV was not the kind of bloodthirsty and cruel king, but he would definitely use various means to force the Italian countries to obey his son's leadership. He didn't know what it felt like. , to say that as a Genoese, he must be disgusted with a dictator, but as an Italian, he watched the peninsula, which once gave birth to a great empire like Rome, fall into pieces for fifteen hundred years, and because of this division And so that the power at sea and on the road is far inferior to those countries that have grown up by drawing nutrients from the collapsed empire... How can he not long for a new Caesar to guide them forward?

The Medici Palazzo Riccardi was designed by Michelangelo di Bartholomeo for Cosimo de' Medici of the Medici family, and subsequent Medicis continued to add luster to it. , even though it was temporarily requisitioned as the Sun King's palace not long ago, there was nothing objectionable about it. The place where they met the king was the most gorgeous and spacious main hall of the building. The ceiling here depicts completely different images. As good as the frescoes on the top of St. Peter's Basilica, the white clouds and golden light spread out and shine against the flat background of lapis lazuli paint. The faces of angels and saints are gentle and compassionate, and mortals stretch out their hands to pray to them, crawling under their feet. The sinful black devil... The walls are hung with crimson and royal blue velvet tapestries, the curtains are embroidered with golden lilies, and the mosaic floor is polished and inlaid with countless precious woods, giving off a soft and bright luster like young people's skin... In the middle of the hall is a huge table that can accommodate hundreds of people to dine together. It was carefully inlaid by skillful craftsmen. Looking at the table, there are almost no traces of the assembly. However, they can't see it now because of a roll of ivory. The silk satin tablecloth hung from one end to the other, covering the entire table without revealing anything.

We won’t go into details about how many gold and silver utensils, clear crystal cups and pots, and fresh roses are placed on this table. In front of today’s owner, the king, is a table decorated with diamonds and Pearl's royal blue velvet tablecloth.

When the envoy from Genoa was led in, the reason why he said that was because in addition to the French King Louis XIV, the new Grand Duke of Tuscany and his wife - in order to avoid confusion, we continued to send him In addition to being called the Duke of Colonna, and several of his valued ministers and generals, there are also more than a dozen envoys.

They were either ambassadors originally, or they came to participate in the enthronement ceremony of the new Grand Duke of Tuscany.

Of course, there are no envoys from the Holy Roman Emperor and his princes and allies, but the envoys from the Italian princes are here. They may have their own thoughts, but between France and the Holy Roman Empire, they do not want to choose either one. , In addition, the Principality of Tuscany is also a strong enemy for them. Now that this enemy has changed its ruler, they always come to test it out to see how they should deal with this foreign guy.

Today, there are more than a dozen countries and forces in the Italian Peninsula and the Po River Plain. The Republic of Venice, the Principality of Milan, the Republic of Genoa, the Papal State, the Principality of Tuscany, and the Kingdom of Naples are some of the larger forces, and there are others. There are little-known small countries such as the Principalities of Ferrara and Modena, the Principality of Mantua, and the Principality of Parma. Their area may not be as large as a large city in France.

Although they were all invited, there is no doubt that only a handful of people can speak here. The Genoese envoy is certainly one of them, but the Venetian ambassador holds his head high and sits in only a few seats. For the first time, he was in the position of the ambassador of Milan, but Venice's military power was indeed better than that of Genoa. After exchanging eyebrows with Genoa's envoy, he finally sat down next to the envoy of the Principality of Savoy.

This was read as a dinner party, but what was actually discussed in the secret meeting will not be known until hundreds of years later by looking through the diary left by a scribe beside Anna, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany at the time, and her brother Gian. Have some understanding.

Ji'an was born in 1971. When the war began, he was old enough to understand things. Although he unfortunately had early symptoms of gout, if he followed normal procedures and common sense, in the years to come, he would There was bound to be resentment towards the King of France and his biological father, Cosimo III.

In people's opinion, King Louis XIV of France took away the legal inheritance rights of the Grand Duke of Tuscany's biological son for the sake of his dishonorable illegitimate son, and forced the latter's eldest son Ferdinand and the underage Gian to enter the monastery and abandon Yes, even Louis XIV did not deny this. He also mentioned it in his deathbed confession. Even many years later, this branch of the Medici family - later Gian returned to secular life with the permission of Pope Ellalius I, and still received generous compensation from the Bourbon family in the New World.

Cosimo III's concession was also regarded as a cowardly act by some people, and the Medici family's origin as the earliest medicine merchant was constantly mentioned with disdain. Some people also used a eunuch whom Cosimo III favored in his later years to slander Cosimo. The third generation had lost its due "masculine characteristics". It was not until the Duke of Colonna and the Duke of Anjou, the husband of Anna, the Grand Duchess of Tuscany, was crowned in Naples that this disgusting criticism and slander gradually subsided.

But in Ji'an's early diary, which is full of immature and slender handwriting, he is full of surprise and admiration for Louis XIV, and therefore feels that he can understand how his father Cosimo III made such a decision. ... He even said with the enthusiasm of a young man that if his sister's husband Luciano could really do what he promised, he would be willing to do what his father asked him to do.

——The following are some excerpts from the records of the young Grand Duke’s son——

People often say that fate is unpredictable, and my teachers also often said (according to tradition, His Highness Ji'an's teachers were several priests), mortals often have to suffer various tortures of body and soul, endless hardships, and a changing life. This is the lesson and training given to us by God. We must walk on this rugged road and use the wisdom and strength given by the merciful God and the saints to resist the sins and sufferings created by the devil and strengthen our faith. Believe, stabilize your will, and find the right path.

Although sometimes I can't help but wonder whether my family, my father, and even me did something wrong to cause me to be sick when I was a child. , not as rich as me) can run freely on the grass or in the square, but I have to grit my teeth and endure the pain from between my toes. It feels like someone is burning charcoal on my toes. In the bones.

What frightened me the most was the despair and depression my father showed after seeing the doctor. Yes, he was already terminally ill when I started to get sick. In my memory, most of his life They were all lying on the bed, motionless and naked - not because he was too ridiculous or debauched, but because... even if the thin and soft silk brushed over the affected areas, it would give him a blow like a sword. Like pain.

What worries me even more is that from a few words I heard from somewhere, I heard that I will do the same in the future.

My brother was able to ride a horse when he left Siena, but soon after arriving in Paris he was no longer able to walk for long periods of time, and this was even after his symptoms had subsided.

I can see my future when I see my father. If so, I don't wonder why my father is so indifferent to me. If it were me, I would rather play with a healthy child than a doomed one. We have to live with people who are going to be disabled day and night.

In contrast, my sister, the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke, has always been in good health. The curse of the Medici family has not affected her. When she dances, she is as light as a little girl jumping on the branches. bird, and her husband was as tall and strong as the tree beneath the bird's paws.

I don't know if my father ultimately chose them over my brother and me for this reason.

…

But this does not prevent me from being filled with anger when I know that I have become a monk.

…

When I first met the Sun King, I was not very impressed with him. I kept my head down. After that, I was unable to participate in the conversation between my father and him, and was quickly taken to another room - but In the subsequent secret meeting, for some unknown reason, my sister, who was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany at the time, took me with me as the secretary. I was seated very close to His Majesty, so close. You can see a few fine lines extending from the edges of his lips and corners of his eyes when he smiles or shows stern eyes.

There was no denying that His Majesty was, as legend has it, handsome and exceptionally young, surpassing everyone in the room.

Of course, this is not what anyone here cares about, including me. People here are all thinking about one thing, and that is what reason Louis XIV will use to persuade them to support his illegitimate son to become the king of Italy. Although here, except for Genoa, Venice and a few small countries, , are all Spanish territories, I mean the Principality of Milan and the Kingdom of Naples. Now that Carlos III of Bourbon has become the King of Spain, he can naturally inherit this legacy.

But if they were willing to surrender to the Habsburgs, Leopold I would not be too stingy. When their envoys came to the Riccardi Palace, the most likely thing was to see how much Louis XIV was willing to pay, just like Just like a businessman, they weigh left and right, compare repeatedly, and finally choose a side - no, it shouldn't be said to be the last, because as the situation changes, they can change their position at any time.

My father said that shamelessness is a characteristic and indispensable characteristic of politicians. He also said that compared to Louis XIV, Leopold I had more advantages in ruling, because the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was originally elected by the electors, so although the Habsburg emperors have always While tirelessly seeking ways to enhance his royal power, but after all, he was still on the road, Leopold I was willing to make many more compromises than Louis XIV, who had turned France into a country of one man.

Just as I was thinking about what kind of bargaining chips the Sun King would offer, the last guest of the meeting, a prince in red, came out from behind the curtain.

…

This cardinal is one of the few French cardinal princes in Rome - Elario. It is said that he was also originally an Italian, but he was later sent to the Inquisition in Paris and served as the Grand Inquisitor when Bishop Mazarin was in power. He later returned to Rome with the support of Louis XIV. Because Innocent XI had a deal with the French king at that time, the young priest quickly rose to the position of cardinal. However, because of the special nature of the French priest, he was not reused in Rome and was also excluded. Outside the College of Cardinals, we all know this.

…

He brought shocking news, or rather, a papal decree.

After listening to this, my first thought was that Pope Alexander VIII had finally gone crazy, or that this decree was just the babble of a dying man on his bed.

…

He issued a call to the kings and princes of Italy - he intended to launch the tenth holy war against the infidels, the Ottoman Turks.

…

There may be more people who are more straightforward than I think, because the Venetian ambassador burst out laughing as soon as he heard what the papal messenger said.

This smile is really ironic. Think about it. Starting from the call of Urban II, the Crusades lasted for two hundred years, but in the end they achieved nothing. Especially compared to France, Britain and the Holy Roman Empire, the Italians only Participated in one holy war, the fourth holy war. Let’s not mention this holy war - because they could not give enough mercenary money, the Crusaders actually attacked the Catholic cities on the Mediterranean coast under the guidance of Venetian nobles... It is quite incredible. Yeah, but it's true.

It is hard to say where this holy war, directed and led by the Venetian tyrants, would have deviated had the pope not excommunicated all the participants. Even so, the Crusaders who finally became Venetian mercenaries attacked not some pagan holy city, but Constantinople. Although the Byzantine emperor of Constantinople at that time believed in Orthodoxy, But fundamentally speaking, Orthodoxy and the Roman Church are two fruits on the same branch.

This relationship did not prevent the Crusaders and Venetians from plundering this huge and wealthy city. As a result, Byzantium became even weaker and completely lost its power against the Ottoman Turks.

They always laugh at the humble origins of the Medici family in Tuscany, but on this peninsula, there are probably no noble knights like people think of them. There are only businessmen here, and a papal decree can be as heavy as a thousand Jun can also be lighter than Hong Yu, it just depends on whether it can bring benefits.

Jihad will undoubtedly only consume the participants' money, energy, and even lives, but the benefits are invisible and intangible.

…

Then I saw the Sun King looking at the Venetian ambassador, "Venice doesn't want Crete anymore?" he said.

The Venetian was immediately stuck, and he frowned. Although he did not dare to be too presumptuous in front of Louis XIV, I could still see that there was some anger in it.

Even I know that among the people present, the ones with the deepest hatred against the Ottoman Turks, apart from Genoa, are the Venetians.

Remember the Fourth Holy War I mentioned before. Through this Holy War, tens of thousands of Crusaders plundered countless cities and greatly strengthened their country. Venice also grew from a small country in the northern tip of Italy. Suddenly becoming the overlord of the Mediterranean, they invaded along the west coast of the Balkan Peninsula and seized many fertile places as their colonies. After the fall of Byzantium, three-eighths of the land went into the hands of the Venetians.

It's a pity that the Venetians probably didn't understand what it means that after the lions have eaten the lambs, they will come to eat the wolves. Byzantium, which they trampled and abandoned, was originally a wall that separated the Italian Peninsula and Ottoman Turkey. Without this wall, The pace of the Ottoman Turkish Sultan's army will only get faster and faster.

In the first few years, the Venetians could rely on their extremely powerful navy to compete with the Ottomans who were not good at naval warfare, but on land, they were no match for the Ottomans. From the 13th to the 15th century, Venice's power Like a flash in the pan, as its colonies and ports on land were eaten away bit by bit by the Ottomans, its maritime power was also shrinking - after all, the navy is a military service that consumes extremely money and materials.

Crete can be said to be the last clarion call in the war between Venice and the Ottomans.

It is a large whale-shaped island that lies at the outlet of the Aegean Sea. It is almost one-third the size of the Peloponnese Peninsula. Because of its superior geographical conditions, pleasant climate, its antiquity, beauty and richness, it even has a military advantage. , is not comparable to Rhodes Island, which already belongs to the Ottomans, nor is it comparable to any island owned by the Venetians in the Mediterranean.

It's funny to say that this island originally belonged to the Byzantine Empire, which the Venetians were loyal to. After the fall of Byzantium, the Venetians occupied it with confidence. However, in 1669, after twenty years of conquest, the Venetians finally lost this most important island. precious pearl.

The year 1969 is not that far away from today, and the words of the French King really hit the bloody wound of the Venetians.

…

"Don't look at me like this." The Genoese ambassador raised his hands and said helplessly: "It's not that we are unwilling to fight the Ottoman Turks, but, Your Majesty, you should know that Genoa can no longer withstand another setback."

Ah, my history teacher once told me that the war history between the Genoese and the Ottomans is longer than the war between the latter and the Venetians. Interestingly, the Genoese also stabbed their old master Byzantium - the Genoese How to help the Ottoman Sultan transport more than seventy Ottoman ships across the land of Galatia on oiled planks. These ships were later built into pontoons for the army to cross and attack Constantine. They were at least half responsible for the destruction of Constantinople.

The Genoese did this just to retain their commercial colonial privileges in the Galatia region of Constantinople, but they probably did not expect that although the Sultan fulfilled his promise, he also took away the rights they had obtained from Byzantium in the Mediterranean and Black Seas. The Genoese's trade routes were interrupted and their national strength collapsed. Later, two large loans to Spain and the Habsburgs (which were confiscated) further weakened their vitality and almost led to the collapse of the country.

Now Genoa can only be said to be a shaky framework. The reason why they cannot immediately decide which side to stand on is the debts owed by Habsburg and Spain. As long as one party refuses to recognize the loan, Genoa will have no choice but to die. .

As for the jihad... it is impossible for them to come up with anything useful, whether it is money, people, or anything else...

"Oh, believe me," said the Sun King, "I never think there is anything completely useless."