I Am Louis XIV

The trial and execution of Madame Montespan were conducted in secret, and only a few people knew the inside story. This was one of the reasons why the king decided to use the "Royal Circuit Court", an ancient law that has not been outlawed.

If people knew that the king's royal wife held a black mass, desecrated corpses, tried to murder an old man and an innocent girl, and poisoned her husband more than ten years ago, the situation of the Duke of Montreal would become embarrassing again. It's embarrassing again. If he was just an ordinary illegitimate son, he could still be sent away. After a few years, this matter will gradually fade away from people's memories with the passage of time, but he was sent to Ami by the king. Governor of Montreal who went to Liga Continent.

Although there are seventeen governors and governors in the New World, as the king's son, before the glory of the Sun King completely dims, the governors must follow the lead of the Governor of Montreal. This is similar to the Ottoman Turkish Sultan who sent his sons to serve as local governors. The same principle applies to princes or governors - now this ancient continent has been continuously supplying blood to France. I think it will become richer and stronger when the population expands, agriculture develops, and industry and commerce take shape. At that time, it will be the responsibility of Auguste and other new French people to prevent the sweet fruit of America from being grabbed by other countries or individuals.

And to this day, the concept passed down from the ancient Roman Empire is still deeply rooted, that is, children are regarded as branches extended from parents or even ancestors. A person of noble character will inevitably have a son with flawless morals, and a general who has spent half his life in the military will also There will inevitably be a brave and strong offspring, a frivolous person will raise a playboy, and the child of a stubborn person will inevitably have weird nature... The son of a criminal will also inevitably become a criminal.

Auguste was a good boy, but he was the only one of Louis' children who grew up with the noble ladies in the court, and there were no brothers or sisters of the same age around him. Mrs. Montespan was at her most proud at that time, and she was very interested in him. He was indifferent - of course the Queen Mother and Queen would not create another Duke Gaston, or Duke of York, or Duke Don Juan. They would not raise Auguste to be a madman or a fool, but Austria Gust is indeed more sensitive and delicate than his brothers and sisters.

Also, I don’t know whether it’s luck or misfortune, but he is not a wizard.

With these premises, Louis, who had to ignore his son because he had been fighting, became more concerned about Auguste - he did not conceal Madame Montespan's crime and punishment - because of this kind of thing There was no way to hide it. Knowing it from his mouth would better safeguard the relationship between father and son than hearing it from some people with ulterior motives.

Auguste burst into tears in his father's arms, and he cried from night to dawn for several days afterwards. His eyes were red and swollen, and his spirit was listless. There were no secrets in the Palace of Versailles - as long as the king did not stop him, someone would soon find him. Either out of kindness or out of intention to ask him what happened.

"My mother has gone to a convent," said August.

Auguste's mother is of course Madame Montespan. Although Madame Montespan can only be called "Mrs.", if Auguste, who is legally recognized as the son of the king, the Duke of Montreal is willing, he can still call her mother. of. People suddenly realized after hearing this, and it was no wonder that Madame de Montespan suddenly disappeared in Versailles. Since the birth of the royal lady, she was certainly glorious and powerful when she was favored by the king, but once the king lost interest in her, a Just a thought can drive her out of the palace.

People will only sigh. The originally beautiful and arrogant Madame Montespan will disappear as silently as a mortal... Some people say that Madame Montespan may make a comeback, or appear in other palaces. Showing her charm again, or waiting until the Duke of Montreal has his own small court in America, she can still stand proudly above everyone else as the Duke's mother, just like Lavalliere, the mother of the Duke of Halebourg. Mrs. Er.

No one would have thought that this lady was buried in the distant Gayola after a simple funeral.

If she was buried in Paris or Versailles, when Auguste went to mourn her, it would definitely arouse some people's suspicion. After all, Auguste's blood relatives were very few, and all of them were well documented - —Madame de Montespan still has some fanatical and loyal followers.

However, what Montespan had imagined - that her sudden disappearance would cause unrest or riots - never happened.

It didn't even make much of a splash - she never cared about powerless suitors, but powerful people didn't mind having fun when she was a royal lady, and she was kicked out of Versailles and Paris. Why waste all that effort?

As for those poets, singers or painters who sincerely seek the favor of their Muse and Venus...it is a pity that they do not have the money, the physical strength, and the perseverance to recall the lady's The methods were very artistic, such as painting, composing music and writing poems, but apart from earning a few sighs in salons and squares, these did not even reach the ears of the king.

The person who actually wrote a letter to comfort the king on the matter was Madame de Lavalliere.

When Louis read the letter, he couldn't help but feel dumbfounded. Obviously, Madame La Valliere misunderstood him and thought that he and Madame de Montespan had real feelings - maybe later.

Although she was a werewolf, she was not aggressive by nature and was gentle enough to be a bit cowardly. After hearing the news of Madame Montespan’s crime and death (this was told to her by Prince Conti after obtaining the king’s permission), she humbly Madame de Montespan, who condemned (not inconsistently) the betrayal of the king's trust, begged the king not to be too sentimental about it, nor to take his anger out on Auguste, whom she mistakenly believed was about to drive him away. She went to Montreal, and said that the environment in Montreal was too harsh. If the king wanted to have a son there, she could ask the Duke of Hallebourg to go to the New World instead of Auguste. The Duke of Hallebourg was older than him and also stronger.

If it had been another person, Louis might have suspected whether she had other intentions, but Madame de La Valliere had always followed the rules and acted in the same way during the more than ten years of life that was almost like an exile. She had never tried to cross the line drawn by the king. You know, when he canonized their son in Halepur, many people thought that this illegitimate son would become the king of the Netherlands in the future.

Over the years, many people have visited Madame La Valliere and the Duke of Hallebourg, including the French, the British, the Dutch, the princes and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and the independent faction of Flanders... What a pity. All of them came back defeated.

Her caution and calmness satisfied Louis very much.

Louis wrote back to her and said that he was not angry with Auguste. The appointment of Auguste as the governor of Montreal had been decided several years ago. It had nothing to do with Madame Montespan. The reason why the Duke of Hallebourg was the The Duke of Lebour, as well as his expectations and arrangements, did not need to change. However, he hoped that the Duke of Hallebour could return to the Palace of Versailles. The two brothers could still get along for a while before the Duke of Montreal left.

This was the first time that Baptiste, Duke of Hallebour, appeared in Versailles. Unfortunately, his coming-of-age ceremony should have been held in the Palace of Versailles, but who allowed the Spanish Succession War to begin that year.

Before and after that year, Louis XIV and the people around him were like taut strings on an open bow, and they really couldn't spare the time to hold a ceremony for him - after all, his coming-of-age ceremony did not last for two or three days. things that can be accomplished.

Fortunately, Baptiste has never been the kind of sentimental, narrow-minded child. He himself proposed that a simple coming-of-age ceremony in the Hallebourg Forest would be enough - like Madame de La Valliere, he lacked ambition, and even more He likes to run and howl in the forest with his tribe, rather than being wrapped in gorgeous clothes like armor, and scheming with people he doesn't care about or care about... He doesn't even care much about Louis XIV, he loves his mother, But for my father - probably the young people in France have all the respect and love for this great Majesty.

Louis has been taking the Duke of Montreal with him recently, lest some people think that Madame Montespan's expulsion will affect Auguste. He received the letter from Baptiste and told Auguste himself. special.

Baptiste is the only brother that Auguste has not met yet. He is very familiar with the crown prince Louis, and has also met and spoken to the Duke of Colonna, but the Duke of Hallebour...he She heard this name from her mother. Madame Montespan was jealous of Marie Mancini and hated Queen Teresa, but she was full of contempt and disdain for Madame de La Valliere. She even called him As a "female dog", Auguste suspected that this was because Madame La Valliere was the royal wife before Madame de Montespan, and she was considered a defeated enemy of hers, so she was so unscrupulous.

There may be some people who are unwilling to be involved, Auguste thought, this Madame La Valliere has been canonized, she is the Duchess of Brussels, where is Madame Montespan? Montespan was the fiefdom of her previous husband...

August couldn't help but become nervous at the thought of meeting this brother. "Don't be afraid," Louis said softly, "He may be a little rude, but he is not a bad boy."

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The Duke of Halebour... is really suitable for exchanging fiefdoms with the Duke of Montreal...

It turned out that it was only Madame de La Valliere who thought so, but now everyone in Versailles thinks so - this Duke is also in his twenties. Of course, after the Duke of Colonna went to the battlefield, he also became stout and savage, but that This kind of savagery comes from being unkempt and weathered, and this Duke of Halepur is like a wolf that has fallen into the flock, whether it is sharp and bright eyes, white fangs, and messy short hair, The hoarse voice, the thin but upright and strong body, and the simple jacket without any embroidery all seemed incompatible with the gorgeous and exquisite Versailles.

The Marquis de Lafayette, who was standing behind the king, suddenly became wary - because he saw the little falcon's eyes sparkling with light, and he had vaguely heard some rumors - Madame de La Valliere's father was an officer. The soldiers under her command were a group of northerners who were like wild beasts. When Madame La Valliere was still at the court, she was often criticized for being too masculine, not gentle enough, and too rough.

But such shortcomings are advantages for young men, especially for the daughters of Indian tribal chiefs.

Men's perception is exactly the opposite. The knights they admire are the Duke of Orleans, who must be graceful and spotless even on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the king's son was destined not to follow the crowd. Although Louis XIV had not seen this child a few times, and it was the first time he had close contact with him as an adult, he felt happy at the first sight, "What a good boy." ," he said sincerely: "Come to me quickly and let me take a good look at you."

So Baptiste climbed up the royal steps in one step, took His Majesty the King's hand, knelt down on one knee, and knelt at his father's feet.

Does he feel admiration for this father? Baptiste was not sure, but as a Frenchman, he loved his king deeply. He was born with important responsibilities, which were placed on him by his majesty when he was still a swaddled baby. .

He also has to say that he has never been lazy. In the first few years in the Halepur Forest, under the intimidation of Louis XIV, there were not many people who tried to open a gap with them. When Louis XIV turned his attention to the Netherlands, With Spain, even Italy, Halepur and even the whole of Brussels, the demons and monsters are beginning to stir up troubles - the werewolves can cleanse the withered inner world, but it is he and the king's garrison who hold on to and maintain the outer world.

"I know." Louis said, even if the Duke of Halebour was not his son, he would still reward him. Baptiste's coming-of-age ceremony was completed in the forest and the army, with the blood of enemies and himself, but also because He went all out and was not afraid of life and death. People only saw Flanders' calmness, but they were unaware of the undercurrents and waves hidden in the darkness.

The king shook his hand. "There will be a banquet tonight," he said. "Let people know you first, and then we have a lot to do."

Baptiste laughed, and he glanced at the young man next to His Majesty - it should be Madame Montespan and the King's son, the Duke of Montreal. Like him, he was the child of a lord when he was a baby: "What's the matter? Ah, Your Majesty." When he smiled, he could see two huge canine teeth, which worried the wizards and priests at the time for a while: "But just give your orders, as long as you say it, I will do it."

"Some good things," Louis said.