I Am Louis XIV

"I say this, you all understand." Louis looked at the two children gently: "I know that when you were very young, someone would tell you that you are the king's children and you will become the king in the future. Yes, but...whether it is the Netherlands or America, the ending I tried my best to promote is not like this."

"I don't understand," August said sadly, "I don't want to be a king," I am a child of sinners, he didn't say it, but everyone present understood: "But why can't you be the king of that country?" Where is the king? Your brilliance can shine thousands of miles away."

"Yes," Louis said, "but the sun will set and I will die. What will be left to those people then?" He said slowly: "It is precisely because of the consideration of those who love me and trust me." I, the people who worship me, I can't be the king of America - think about it, a place that big, a brand new place, of course I can shape it into the shape I want, but when I leave What about after this life? No matter how dearly I hold them in my hands, they will only fall apart."

“You can leave them with people you trust,” Baptiste said.

"I have thought about it this way," Louis looked at them. "When you came to Paris, my original plan only had Auguste, and now you are included, just because I am also greedy and hope Bourbon Your surname can shine for a long time in the New World." He looked at Baptiste with care: "Hallepur is too small. America has wilderness where tens of millions of bison can run, and mountains that tower into the clouds. A lake like the sea is your final destination."

"You are willing to let Brother Baptiste and I go to America to be governors, but you are not willing to become the king of America. Is it because you feel that America cannot be one in the end?" August suddenly asked.

Louis gave him an encouraging and affirming look: "Yes."

"You didn't even try."

"You can try it." Louis said, ignoring the surprised looks of the two children: "You too, Baptiste. If I were twenty years younger, I would give it a try, but now," he He gestured to the pool table: "I have to stay here. I have enough problems to deal with, and America is so far away."

"Will your army and people still betray you?"

"I experienced two Fronde rebellions before I became an adult," Louis said flatly: "From that time on, I understood that nothing in the world is taken for granted, that there is no innate loyalty, and there is no natural acquisition. There is no lasting connection. When a twenty-year-old person looks at his eighty-year-old self, he will think that he is like a rotten coffin. When an eighty-year-old person looks at his twenty-year-old self, he will think that he is a reckless person. Piggy, let alone one person to another person?

In a distant place, they faced unfamiliar natives and animals, a completely different climate, and desolate wilderness. They defeated their enemies, built their homes, planted and harvested crops with their own hands, and hunted countless furs. , when they were about to rest comfortably, a person they didn't recognize at all came over and wanted to take away their property - because they had to pay taxes to His Majesty the King, who they had only seen on the front of the coins, children, to be fair, thought Think, would they be willing? "

"You can also..." Baptiste stopped mid-sentence, of course...

Louis smiled, "Yes, I don't have to collect taxes, I don't have to enforce French laws on that land, and I can replenish the army with new blood through recruitment instead of conscription, but in that case, why should I bother?" How about holding on to the scepter tightly, knowing that it is almost useless."

"But you have always cared deeply about that continent."

"Because if France doesn't intervene," Louis said, "it will become the basis for the British economy to take off again." He flicked a few billiard balls aside with a casual stroke: "Making the enemy strong is making yourself weak. In addition, I also I hope America can nourish France, but I will not be as cruel, cruel and inhumane as those Angsa people - facts have also proved that peace and friendship may not be a stumbling block to development."

"You are right." Baptiste nodded. Now there are Indians in Brussels, and people are used to getting along with people with reddish-brown skin. Anyway, as long as they get to the Indians, they have been baptized - except The Roman Church has been muttering that the faith of these Indians is only superficial because they still can't figure out the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism - this is also because Louis has always been the most vigilant about religious wars.

In the territory of Louis XIV, you can be a Catholic, a Protestant (Huguenot), or even a wizard. You can also roll your eyes at each other, spit, two or three people agree to fight together, and you can occasionally fight for However, if the matter develops into a fight or a public demonstration of more than ten people, the king's police and troops will rush to intervene.

Many Huguenots migrated to America. Perhaps they thought that once they got there, they could do whatever they wanted. After all, the king's agent there was Marshal Schaumberg, a Protestant. What they didn't expect was that Schaumberg Marshal Berg has also been led astray by His Majesty the King a long time ago - he doesn't like the Roman Church, but that doesn't stop him from hating the villains who use their faith to cause trouble...

In this kind of atmosphere, it is hard to imagine that the Indians would be deeply affected. Their original beliefs were quite primitive, and most of them, including the priests, were people with a loose temperament. Let alone Protestants and Catholics. They simply blended three beliefs together and became a "new Protestantism". Whether it is Catholicism, Protestantism, or the original beliefs of Indians, traces can be found in it... But they sincerely believe that they are a A devout believer.

"You should also pay attention to this when you get there." Louis reminded.

"You just said that if we are willing, we can give it a try." Baptiste couldn't help but said: "Are you saying that we can strive to become the masters of that country?"

"I didn't take away your ambition, kid." Louis said: "I stand here and give up the authority of America because I know that even if I get it, the result will not be very good - unless I, or It is my heir who goes to New Amsterdam or Montreal. A king cannot leave his country." He looked at Baptiste: "But you are different from Auguste. You have a natural advantage-that is The support I give you, although I don’t think... well, don’t be angry, I’m not looking down on you, but... again, it’s such a vast place.”

Baptiste really thought about it for a while, and then he shook his head: "Probably not," he said to Auguste: "The most prestigious person in America now should be General Schaumberg. It's a bull's horn for us, and when we go to Montreal or other places, it's going to be hard to establish credibility."

"Dad also established his authority through war," August said, "and there are no more wars in America."

"There is another way, which is to make people's lives rich." Baptiste's words made Auguste laugh: "Yes, just like our father." He paused, "But His Majesty also said before, no matter what we do - we are the ones who collect taxes from the people, they don't need us - unless we can give them what they can't get."

"What is there that they need but can't get?" said Baptiste. He thought of Brussels, which originally had a very prosperous dyeing and weaving industry and extremely developed commerce. When his mother was canonized as the Duchess of Brussels, After that, she naturally became the one who choked the mouthpieces of these merchants and craftsmen. As her son, even if he didn't like it, Baptiste had to carefully take care of these things for his mother.

Brussels is undoubtedly a place that can quickly repay France. However, as the discoveries and inventions of the king's scholars and wizards are applied to reality, Brussels merchants have to rely on French steel, fuel and textile machines, until the steamship Output, and America, is a hundred times more desolate than Brussels. Although the Indians are not the savage animals they initially thought, they only started to come into contact with modern science five years ago. It is still impossible to catch up with the giant French ship.

"It will take at least twenty years, or even thirty years." Baptiste said, his eyes shining: "This is our opportunity." He said.

August listened, but hesitated a little: "It sounds like this will be a very important thing," he said, "I don't know if I can do it well, maybe..." Let the king choose a capable minister to go there. will be better?

"Father said this," said Baptiste, "because France and America must maintain a moderate and friendly relationship in the next fifty years." Although some people make such wild claims: The world does not need a king, but This is pure fantasy - when Louis XIV dies, the future King of France will be their half-brother Louis the Younger, also known as Louis XV. If there is no such blood relationship - for example, Marshal Schaumberg , I am afraid that it will be difficult for his initiatives and measures to be as unimpeded in the court of Versailles as they are now - because he is not a Bourbon, there are bound to be people who either sincerely or falsely think that he intends to establish himself as king.

This kind of thing has happened before. The most famous example is the Archduke of Milan, Sforza, a humble mercenary. The legacy he left behind continues to this day. But if it is Bourbon, it is different. If nothing else, look at Prince Condé of Poland and Luciano, Duke of Colonna in Italy. They are both relatives of the king, so people are willing to accept their rule.

If Baptiste and Auguste serve as a bridge between America and France, for the people of Versailles, it would be like when Alfonso V entrusted Naples to his illegitimate son, and they would be willing to accept it... "Your Majesty doesn't seem to think we can succeed." August said thoughtfully: "Otherwise, shouldn't you be worried that we will have a fight?"

"The world is moving forward," Louis said. "Children, America is a new place, but precisely because it is a new place, it is like a dry sponge. It will absorb every piece of knowledge from the outside world crazily. Therefore, it It will progress even faster than Paris and Versailles - especially since it was originally without a king and a church."

He put down his cue and walked to the window, "I know that someone gave a speech in a cafe not long ago, saying that France should inherit the heritage from ancient Greece and Rome, restore the republic, and abandon the monarchy. As a result, he was pulled down from the high platform. Drag him to the street and beat him up."

"But this is impossible," Auguste said subconsciously: "Look at France now. Without you, it would have declined or even split."

"That's because people today don't have such power." Louis said words that were enough to make Viscount Turenne, Prince Conti, or any minister faint with fear: "At the beginning, I intended to popularize education. Mazarin The bishop said to me, if I let the people open their eyes, they will not be willing to continue to be tied to the heavy stone mill. They will first think, then ask questions, and then resist. "

Baptiste's eyes widened, "But you did it anyway."

"Yes, because I said, I don't want to be the king of a group of monkeys." Louis said: "If it were three hundred years ago, no, even a hundred years ago, I would try to put you on the throne, but today , I don’t want to do that, because...” He said: “I can see the crown falling to the ground, the only difference is whether the head falls with it.”

"But you are so great..." August murmured.

"There may be people who can be revered for thousands of years," Louis said, "but I'm certainly not one of them."

——————

No one knows what His Majesty the King said to the two young Dukes that day. The two Dukes were tight-lipped, but they didn’t look very good. However, people are not sure whether it was because His Majesty intended to send them to the New World as governors. for the sake of.

Now there is no doubt that the Netherlands will become a large province of France. Louis XIV is not even willing to let his illegitimate son stay in Brussels - but the title of the duke does not need to be changed. He will re-establish a city in the New World. Named Brussels, that is, New Brussels.

Then, His Majesty the King specially sent Prince Conti as an envoy to bring back Viscount Turenne. The situation in the Netherlands was decided, but the next things were very consuming. His Majesty left these matters to General Villar so that he could Viscount Turenne was able to spend his last days in peace.