I Am Louis XIV

"I asked you to go to the king, just to ask you to stay with his majesty."

Viscount Turenne said with a hint of reproach.

"Your Majesty is surrounded by many talented people, and I am just a mediocre person who is not worth mentioning." Villar said. He is still very young, less than thirty years old this year, but has been in the army for nine years. Although he cannot compete with ten Compared with Viscount Turenne, who joined the army at the age of four, he also has rich combat experience, whether at sea or on land. He said that he is a mediocre person, but if he is really an insignificant person, how can he be defeated by Turenne? Viscount recommended to the king?

But when Louis XIV asked him whether he wanted to stay with him or return to North Holland, he still firmly decided to return to his teacher and superior.

Viscount Turenne was born in the 11th year, which means that he is almost seventy years old. Logically speaking, he should return to his hometown of Sedan in the Ardennes to rest in his old age. Louis has already missed him. With years of loyalty and diligence, he is ready to return Sedan, this town instead of the original Dukedom of Sedan, to him. In other words, Viscount Turenne may, as the unappreciated second son, take back the title of his father. The title he lost with his brother was a rare honor.

But North Holland is too important. It is not only France's territory in the Netherlands, but also Louis XIV's preset nail. After this battle, they may be able to completely take back the Netherlands territory that had to be cut off to other countries. , considering that the maternal grandfather of Viscount Turenne is William I of Orange, his bloodline is as missed and respected by the Dutch as William III, the puppet of the British King. If anyone were replaced, even Louis XIV, the Dutch would They won't be as docile as they are now.

Viscount Turenne may not need to board a ship, mount a horse, and rush to the battlefield, but he must be in North Holland at this critical moment.

The rebellions of William III, Duke of Utrecht, who sought to restore the glory of the House of Orange with the support of the British, were still going on. No, it should not be said to be rebellions, because to William III and his supporters, they were the restoration of the House of Orange. Netherlands. It is a pity that there are not many people in North Holland who are willing to support them. The members of the exile government have frequent contacts with the former. They are even willing to let William III become the king of the Netherlands. It seems that they also deeply feel that if they By siding firmly with William III from the beginning and allowing the Netherlands to become a kingdom ruled by a dictator rather than a large "commodity" controlled by parliamentarians and merchants, the Netherlands would not completely fall so quickly.

Viscount Turenne didn't know what William III felt, but most of his attention was really not on William III.

It's funny to say that although William III's "restoration" seemed to be very impressive, the original ills of the Dutch Republic still grew like spores in his government and court. The British even used the authority of Charles II to run rampant. Taboo - as far as he knew, although William III's order was still limited to Utrecht and several surrounding small cities, his officials and generals were divided into at least three factions, the royalists, the republicans and the British factions , they argue endlessly every day, frame each other and fight against each other for a little power and gain.

Louis XIV and Viscount Turenne had the same idea. This is not a war between the Netherlands and France. The war between the Netherlands and France has ended long ago. Now it is a war between Britain and France. It is not possible to just suppress the rebellion of the Utrecht people. It is of great use, just like hitting flying insects with a giant hammer. It may not achieve any results. It may also make the soldiers exhausted and cause fear and panic among the Dutch in other areas.

To treat a disease, in addition to caring for the superficial wounds, we must also investigate the location of the disease.

The Battle of Double Bay severely damaged Britain's maritime power, but now it seems that Charles II's ambitions did not sink into the English Channel with him. He was like a gambler who wanted to make a desperate move. He not only imitated Louis XIV and borrowed money from merchants , issued large amounts of war bonds, levied three war taxes on the people, executed some opponents, confiscated their assets, and hung their heads from the spire of Westminster Abbey.

Because it was a war with the French, and Charles II promised considerable returns, and the war bonds were huge - not everyone was willing to believe Charles II, but... Louis XIV was talking privately with the Vicomte de Turenne At that time, he told him that Charles II held a grand banquet. It was so grand that even the squires near London were invited, and then people entered Windsor Castle - the largest in England. A royal castle, the king's army surrounded the castle.

The people inside were leaving one after another, or when they were released, their faces were pale and angry, and they were holding a lot of war bonds in their hands - not to mention not being able to take the money with them, the bankers and the Jewish people who were lending money were also. Among those invited, they had to mortgage their land and manors, and also mortgaged themselves to Charles II. They could originally stand by and watch, or even take advantage of the fire, but now, if Charles II loses, they will You will lose your fortune and your reputation.

How could such Charles II be defeated in a naval battle? It should be said that the closer he got to failure, the crazier he became.

Viscount Turenne learned through the king's "little birds" that all shipyards in the UK are now working day and night. Even if they do not have the qualifications and capabilities to manufacture ships, the ordinary sailing ship Charles II also wants a small boat. Can be used to carry supplies and set fires. The Dutch government-in-exile was looking to Britain for a foothold—their foothold in the New World had been taken back by the French—and at the same time, it was constantly gathering those Dutch ships that were lucky enough not to be captured by the French.

Then there is Denmark. Denmark’s shipbuilding industry is mainly focused on fishing rather than commerce. Denmark and Norway both have long coastlines and many ports. However, Denmark faces the North Sea, and England is on the west side of the North Sea. Norway, facing Facing the icy Norwegian Sea, crossing the North Sea requires passing through the narrow English Channel. Crossing the Norwegian Sea also faces the threat of Britain and the long journey. Merchants are not crazy enough to choose such a route.

The relationship between Denmark and the United Kingdom was not very good at first, but now they have joined forces, together with the Dutch government-in-exile. After the coalition forces gathered in the Norwegian Sea, they came to the North Sea.

The North Sea is an inverted money bag, with the Norwegian Sea at the top, the United Kingdom on the left, Denmark on the right, and North Holland below.

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The Duke of York raised his telescope. They were now near the British Orkney Islands, at the entrance to the North Sea.

For him, this combined fleet only wins by quantity, and its quality cannot even be compared with the fleet that sank in the Battle of Double Bay. But at this time, what room for choice do they have? He made a sharp sound He laughed at the fleet, and also at the commander of the fleet, who was himself.

It would be a surprise if anyone saw the Duke of York now. The Duke of York was only five years older than Louis and should have been in the prime of his life. But he looked even older than his brother, with frosty white temples and wrinkles all over his face, especially at the corners of his eyes and mouth. Two deep nasolabial folds almost divided his face into three pieces, which made the timid One can't help but tremble at the sight of it.

But if you know what he has been through over the years, you won't be surprised at all.

Charles II's fear of him can be traced back to when they were still in exile. When they returned to London and Charles II came to the throne, he became dissatisfied with his younger brother who seemed to be more talented and healthier than him. However, no matter how stubborn the royalist party is, they will not allow the king to execute his heir before getting the conclusive evidence of the Duke of York's rebellion. Yes, the Duke of York is the heir of Charles II. For this reason, Charles II He endured his murderous intention again and again.

This situation was finally changed by their sister Princess Henrietta, the Duchess of Orleans of France. Under her instigation, Charles II boldly used wizards and got a son with the help of the devil. But it is something that even the most absurd, disrespectful and impious Henry VIII did not do!

The Duke of York hated Princess Henrietta so much that he tried to kill the witch, but ended up being imprisoned instead.

From that time on, he became a frequent visitor to the Tower of London. Charles II seemed to like this discreet method of torture, visiting the Duke of York while he was dining, dancing, gambling, sleeping, and even While squatting in the "prayer room", the king's musketeers would break in and take him into the Tower of London.

It is impossible to say what kind of punishment the Duke received in the Tower of London. According to his title and status, His Majesty the King graciously arranged for him a rather luxurious bedroom, study room and small reception hall. He can still wear rich clothes. Enjoy as much food as you want, but who can sleep peacefully in a prison? There is a king and his brother outside who can push him to the guillotine at any time. The ghosts in the Tower of London seem to be waiting for new members to join. The Duke can hear their calls every night...

The Duke of York has aged rapidly in just ten years. He feels that he is the devil in the bottle. After three hundred years, anyone who dares to release him will be torn apart and devoured by him with the anger of hatred. Burning his reason, if it weren't for the unwillingness that kept urging him to stay calm, he might have gone crazy.

This time he was able to join the British-Danish coalition not because Charles II suddenly repented. He just needed a scapegoat. If the Duke of York could win, then the reward he would receive would be nothing more than a short period of peace - among people Before forgetting him, Charles II would not do anything to him, but when people's ecstasy gradually subsided, then he would be a toy in Charles II's hands again.

Like William III.

But if it fails, it is very possible, but with him, when the people and nobles hold the king accountable, Charles II will push him out. At that time, even if Charles II wants to It is difficult for anyone to offer a different opinion when it comes to beheading. And what about those angry crowds? The Duke of York knows them very well. Once a duke or a prince's brother bleeds, they will feel relieved and afraid, just like after Cromwell executed Charles I, they will instead use their blood. The guilt is released onto the relatives of the deceased.

It's disgusting, isn't it? Charles II had first been favored by the death of Charles I, their father, and now he was seeking his benefit.

"I must win," murmured the Duke of York, at least there was a chance.

"Your Highness."

The Duke of York turned around and said, "Don't call me that," he said, "Your Majesty already has a son."

"To me, you are His Highness." However, the visitor still changed his title: "Sir," he said, "Everything is ready, just waiting for tomorrow."

"I hope it will be a fine day tomorrow," said the Duke of York, and he stretched out his hand and took the young man affectionately.

There are many people who are willing to take refuge with the Duke of York - this is one of the reasons why Charles II has always been dissatisfied with this younger brother. He feels that if the Duke of York has no ambition, he should drive away these people, but if the Duke of York drives away these people, That’s when you turn yourself into fish on the chopping board.

This young man is of course a confidant of the Duke of York, and there is another reason why he can gain the Duke's favor - John Churchill, who is from the ancient but declining Churchill family. The Churchill family is a stubborn royalist, and under Cromwell Charles II suffered such a heavy blow when he was in power that after he came to the throne, Charles II only occupied an obscure and small position in the court.

John's father, Churchill Sr., inserted his son into the team of palace servants and sent his daughter to the Duchess of York. Of course, he did not go for the Duchess, but for the Duke himself. John's sister Arabella soon became the lover of the Duke of York, and their illegitimate child was already ten years old.

With such a relationship, John Churchill naturally became the right-hand man of the Duke of York - but he and his family have now made their choice and can no longer regret it. Like the Duke, he is full of enthusiasm for the upcoming war. Looking forward to it, with a tragic enthusiasm - we must win!

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People in Amsterdam received the invitation from Viscount Turenne and couldn't help but talk a lot. Although the Viscount can be said to be the uncrowned king of North Holland, he has always been taciturn and reclusive. He is not interested in holding banquets, dances and other things, unless it is to celebrate the king's birthday, or He would only hold an important event like the Crown Prince's marriage, otherwise he would rather deal with official matters or inspect military affairs.

"Can we know what happened?" someone asked.

"Your Excellency has prepared a grand performance - probably to celebrate his own birthday." The servant who sent the invitation said truthfully.

This - Viscount Turenne's birthday is September 11th, and it's the end of October... What kind of birthday is this celebrating...