I Am Louis XIV

During the Great War, Louis XIV realized the fatal weakness of the Ottoman Turkish army.

The Ottomans have always relied on faith and tidal force. This has been the case since Suleiman I, and it has not changed much to this day. All their tactics revolve around these two. But such an army is destined to be unable to become a cohesive whole, like a huge ant colony. After losing the king who issued the order, they will be at a loss and distracted - because... the Ottomans only have one sultan, one sultan and one sultan. sound.

Mohammed IV thought that he could replace the former Grand Vizier, or be even better. He may be right, but the most fatal point remains that he has not changed. To be more correct, he cannot change. If someone can With the same power as the Sultan, the Sultan will turn into a cold corpse at any time, and his children will also die. This is the bitter wine brewed by the first parricide Sultan, and later people can only drink it.

Mohammed IV only wanted to go back because he heard that Istanbul was threatened by rebels. In an era when a battle might last for several years, ten years or even half a lifetime, this situation was not surprising. He could have After returning to Istanbul, he put down the rebellion and then returned to Sicily. He raised his scepter and continued to direct the subsequent war. The problem is, first of all, Sicily was not as frightened by his army as he thought. The Sultan's majesty did nothing to resist and surrender. They were just as Alberto thought, they led the beast into a cage. Sweet bait.

Because the Federal Kingdom of Italy was established on the premise of the "Tenth Holy War", if it is just to expel the Ottomans from Italy, it is not an exaggeration to say that maybe the larger principalities such as Savoy, Naples and Milan can be used. After all, the Ottomans had invaded the peninsula before, and finally retreated angrily after plundering them. This was partly due to insufficient supplies, and also because there was an entire Europe behind the peninsula.

Of course, such results cannot be balanced with a king's crown, so from the very beginning, the Tenth Holy War was to cross the Italian mainland. In other words, they not only wanted to expel the Ottomans, but also severely damaged them. The army killed their sultan and caused chaos. When the Ottomans had no time to care about the outside world, the Genoese wanted to recapture their original colonies in the Adriatic Sea, the Venetians wanted to recapture Greece and Crete, and Milan and Naples also Deliberately biting off a piece of flesh and blood from this aging behemoth - like Albania.

As for Sicily, even if nothing is gained, at least it does not need to continue to face the threat of the Ottomans.

If you want to talk about this idea, someone should have put it forward long ago. The Ottomans are first of all pagans, and most of their current territories were plundered from Catholic countries. However, I have to say with humiliation that the monarchs of Europe and even the Roman Church The master of the city still has the profound shadow left by the two brave emperors Selim I and Suleiman I in his heart. The Ottoman Turkish Empire never stopped its conquest and expansion from the 14th century to the 16th century, and also Some people mistakenly believe that this ferocious giant elephant still has the power to subvert the world.

Whether it was Leopold I, the Grand Duke of Transylvania, the Pope, the Italians, the Portuguese, or even the French, they all felt that it would be great to be able to push back the offensive momentum of the Ottoman Turks. An incredible achievement, just like the Sun King's authority among the countries was finally established in the great battle against the Ottomans.

But as we know, Louis XIV's thoughts are not as restricted by history as people of this era. During the Great War, he was just unwilling to sacrifice French lives in vain for Leopold I and Austria, but if - - He is the leader in this battle, and he will definitely try to pursue victory, just like a group of lions chasing thousands of bison. It looks very risky, but in fact, the bison’s huge body, sharp horns, and hard hooves ——Doesn’t match their minds and nature. They run with great momentum, but that is so powerful that they cannot pose any direct threat to the lions.

The lion may be trampled, gored, injured, or even killed by the bison, but this is not a change. The bison will not devour the lion, but the lion will always hunt the bison.

Louis XIV was determined to make Italy become such a lion. Why do they hesitate? It's just that the Ottomans are still bluffing about their past achievements, so all he has to do is poke a hole in the inflated illusion and let those people see that there is nothing but a hollow inside, so that they can cheer up. Take courage—the time is now.

In accordance with the agreement, with the help and guidance of spies and wizards, the people of Sicily burned hundreds of thousands of tons of wheat, olive oil and countless military supplies. They had always been very docile before. As a result, The Ottomans who stayed in Sicily were caught off guard. They were completely unprepared and became angry. Some started killing and setting fires before it was dark, and some gathered soldiers to prepare to arrest the local nobles and officials one by one after dawn. Continue to squeeze taxes and harvests.

But they were not prepared, but the Sicilians were.

The soldiers and mercenaries of the Palermo family, together with the people in the city, ran in the streets, lurked in the alleys, and stood guard in the mansions. Although the Ottomans were larger in number than them, before the sky became bright again, the royal family The blue and gold lily flag was flown high in the harbor.

The Palermo parents who had been guarding the bell tower couldn't help but feel weak in the knees when they saw the French fleet - firstly, he was old, and secondly, he had not slept the previous night, and his two sons were closely united. Supporting him, he leaned on them and heard the rumble of cannons. When he took a breath and looked again, the royal blue, milky white, and crimson tides had already flooded into the water extending from the pier. Streets and alleys.

With the addition of the French army, the situation in Palermo suddenly tilted towards the Sicilians. The Ottoman soldiers were particularly ferocious when they had the advantage, and they were particularly vulnerable when they were at a disadvantage. When they saw that the situation was over, they actually ran away. .

If this happened in France, Louis XIV would be worried about these defeated troops, but since it is in Sicily, ah, the people of Sicily did not start to become tough after hundreds of years. Remaining silent and enduring the humiliation was not only for the agreement with their friends, but also because the Ottoman Turkish army at that time was indeed not something they could resist.

————————

"But father," the Duke of Colonna couldn't help but ask, "how do you know that Leopold I would deceive Mohammed IV and make him think that our fleet is still in the Atlantic Ocean?"

"If this were not the case, how could Mohammed IV be willing to be the vanguard?" Louis XIV held up a small wooden boat to coax the little princess sitting on his lap - not long ago she was just the Duke of Colonna Her daughter, who would at best be nothing more than a princess in the future, can now be openly called the Anna Maria of Italy.

The name Anna Maria sounds a bit cumbersome, because the Duke of Colonna wanted his daughter to inherit her mother's name, which is not surprising in Europe - but Louis did not agree. The name Marie came from the Virgin Mary, who was While it symbolizes beauty and holiness, it also means suffering. So after a compromise, the name of the little princess’s mother was added and it became Anna Maria.

But people in the court only called the little princess Lady Maria.

At the end of the Holy War, the Duke of Colonna was officially crowned King of Italy and crowned his wife, who could not be called a Grand Princess for the time being.

But that day is certainly not too far away. Louis smiled and circled the little girl who was moving around, letting her use her little fingers to fiddle with the boat. Although this boat was a toy, it had sails that could be raised and lowered just like a real ship. , with opening muzzles and portholes, as well as real linen cables and mini anchors.

"Although the Ottomans had a secret alliance with France before, both sides knew that it was just a temporary agreement as a last resort. Whether it was the French kings Francois I and Suleiman I at the time, or Mohamed now. Maude IV also attacked Austria not long ago. I was surprised that Leopold I did this, let alone Mohammed IV. They had no real feelings before and only used each other. If the Ottomans knew , my fleet is almost intact and may appear east of the Mediterranean at any time. Mohammed IV will not think that his so-called navy can withstand our attack."

"Anyway, Leopold I just wanted to deceive him and consume my troops."

Duke Colonna couldn't help showing a look of surprise when he heard this, "I made you work hard, father."

There are different opinions about the death of Marie Mancini, Duchess of Colonna, and it’s not that no one wants to sow discord, but they probably don’t know that Louis XIV’s love for his eldest son was extraordinarily heavy. ——No joke, real money, territory, and titles. Prince Louis once said frankly that he was jealous of Luciano because his father not only gave him what he deserved, but also gave him what he didn't deserve.

The Duke of Colonna, who was able to thrive in the ever-changing and intrigue-filled places of Tuscany and Naples, was well versed in the tricks in the shadows and would not be deceived by people with ulterior motives. He understood why his half-brother acted like a duck to water. In this way, let alone treating an illegitimate child, even if he treats his own legitimate child, a father cannot do better.

Moreover, Louis never hid anything from him about Mary.

"Next, it's your test," Louis looked at him and said: "You have to take your army, not only to drive the Ottomans out, but also to take back the land they took from the people of God - This will be a long and difficult journey, my son," he asked gently but seriously: "Are you ready?"

"Yes, father, I am ready." Duke Colonna said seriously.

Louis smiled, and when he was about to continue saying something, he heard a snap. He looked down and saw that the mast of the boat was broken by the little princess. He quickly opened his little hand, but fortunately there was nothing except a red mark. For other wounds, he handed the boat with its pointed mouth to Grand Duchess Anna beside him.

"Oh, what a shame."

Although the Grand Duchess lived in the court of Versailles for a period of time and also attended a women's college in Paris, she knew that Louis XIV and her husband did not mind her having her own ideas, but she had no talent in military matters, so she could only do A respectful and silent listener sighed like this because the boat was very beautifully made. It was said that it could still sail on the water with clockwork gears, which was a pity.

"It doesn't matter," the Sun King pulled out the finger that the little princess was biting in his hand: "Cute little Anna Maria, when you grow up, I will give you a real big ship."