I Am Louis XIV

Warsaw, like Prague, was occupied, looted and burned by the Swedes during the Great Flood War from 1655 to 1657. The Old Town and the Warsaw Castle (Royal Palace) also suffered a devastating blow. Young Eugen and his party They thought they would see another Prague, or Vienna, but they were wrong.

The city gate opened and they walked slowly along the wide road towards the Palace of Warsaw. The buildings on both sides of the road were all covered by gorgeous silks and tapestries, leaving no trace of embarrassment - that is to say, they fell from the eaves all the way. To the pavement strewn with dried roses.

The pools on the street corners and the fountains in the squares sprayed not water, but wine and mulled wine with cinnamon.

The crowd that came to greet them was divided into three waves.

The children of Schlachta held brocade mats filled with jewels - these were gifts to the Duke of Orleans and the little Duke of Enghien. They were different from the children of the common people. They all had white teeth and complexions. Ruddy, with strong limbs, it makes people like it just by looking at it.

Their father and elder brother were wearing satin and velvet coats (which were embroidered with gold and silver threads and studded with precious stones), covered with gorgeous furs of various colors, and were waiting at the palace on white or black horses without any mottled colors. In the square in front of them, their horses were also covered with gold and silver, covered with jewels, and their horse clothes almost hung to the ground, so that when the sun shone, it could hurt people's eyes; there were four beautiful Shila Chita nobles. The queen held up a canopy embroidered with golden lilies, covering the heads of the Duke of Orleans and others, and welcomed them into the palace.

The canopy was made of Florence taffeta, Damascus gold brocade and Bruges velvet. The poles were painted with gold paint and hung with pearl tassels.

When they entered the palace, the Tatar princes, Lithuanian lords, archbishops and abbots and other great nobles came to see them. Behind them were hundreds of knights in uniform costumes.

It's hard to tell whether this is a show off, a deterrent, or a well-intentioned hospitality. After all, everyone knows that the Duke of Orleans is Louis XIV's favorite younger brother, and the young Duke of Enghien also grew up in the Palace of Versailles. Equivalent to half of the king's son.

——No civilians were seen on the road. Little Eugen quickly suppressed this passing thought as soon as he got off his horse. They had more important things to do.

Ludwig I greeted them in the hall of the castle. Although he was still as tall as ever, he was skinny. His thin skin could not hide the bright red color brought by the hot blood. It was obvious at a glance that his physical condition was really serious. Not ideal, he stood slightly and thanked the Duke of Orleans and Louis XIV - not only for the good care they had taken of the little Duke of Enghien before, but also for their ability to quickly and secretly remove the little Duke of Enghien here. Sent to Warsaw at the critical moment.

Immediately, he was overwhelmed and sat down with the support of his son Henry. It was also difficult to stand up. He had to put his arm on the shoulder of the attendant to walk the short distance from the hall to the banquet hall.

Halfway through the banquet, the Duke of Orleans stood up and said that he was tired from the journey and really had to let down His Majesty the King's kindness, so that Ludwig I would not collapse during the banquet. Taking the opportunity of leading the way, Count Henry Holding candles, they came to the suite they prepared for the Duke. After a while, Ludwig I also arrived. He was exuding Datura and another sweet scent that the Duke of Orleans had smelled. The former was for pain relief. The latter are meant to lift spirits - both wizard's potions.

Even so, Ludwig I still insisted on talking to the Duke of Orleans and the envoy of Luciano I about joining the Crusade. Luciano was also a Bourbon. Even though Poland had little influence on Italy, seeing that For the sake of his beloved father, he was willing to give this favor. What's more, as they gradually penetrated deeper into the territory of Ottoman Turkey, the pressure they suffered became heavier, and they needed some real warriors.

"I just don't know if those Shilachita are willing..." Little Duke Engian said worriedly.

"They got what they asked for," Henry said. "They all took loans from merchants." He showed a complicated smile: "This may not be a big deal, but do you know that they have borrowed the harvest for several years?" He stretched out three sticks. Finger: "There are harvests in three years, five years, and ten years!" He retracted his fingers and continued: "In their minds, there is probably no such thing as a wheat harvest failure, or wheat production is saturated and the price is low. .”

Poland's barbarism and backwardness are not only reflected in its serf system, but also the middle-class nobles, mainly Schlachta - that is to say, they have the same lack of knowledge as the lords of the 12th and 13th centuries. Dismissive and uninterested, he only likes wine, women and martial arts. It can even be said that if Ludwig I had not become the King of Poland and introduced new weapons and tactics, as well as some new ideas in training and military affairs, New approach, maybe the Poles still only have their Hussars.

They are not even willing to care about and learn about the most critical things, let alone the economy? Their agents have served them without complaint for so many years, and they are used to caring about nothing but pleasure - but they don't know that businessmen can also use their despicable methods to overthrow an entire kingdom - if it weren't for Louis XIV of France who always Staring at them closely, they really dared to make these Shirakhitas lose everything in an instant.

But now, they were also used as another weapon by the Sun King and sent silently to the throats of these Polish nobles. Of course, under the instruction of the king, the merchants did not dare to force Schlachta to the point of desperation. Most of them only know that their wheat may be able to repay their previous debts, but it is unlikely that they will continue to squander it so recklessly.

This made the Schlachtas feel sad. It would be false to say that they did not feel that Ludwig I was gradually encroaching on their power. They also wanted to drive away the French and replace them with another one who was easily But in this way, the French will inevitably become their enemies. Let alone trade, it is not impossible that France and Sweden will launch a second flood war.

And how could they elect a king other than Bourbon? They tested the Elector of Saxony, and the Elector refused without hesitation. He had no doubt that once he moved, Louis XIV would immediately support William I of Prussia to "do something". Alas, it was not just the neighbors who were afraid of their neighbors. It's William I.

"So, they agreed," a "little bird" replied: "In this Crusade, if someone's merits exceed everyone else's, he should be elected as the King of Poland."

"Henry is naturally fearless," said the Duke of Orleans. "The little Duke of Enghien stayed in Warsaw and made two preparations." He looked at the little Duke of Enghien. "Buy, bribe, threaten, whatever you want to do, while gathering The middle and lower classes of Shilachita, while appeasing the people, are happy with each other if they are willing to accept the facts, if not, then it is up to you to 'persuade' them."

The little Duke of Enghien nodded. He came all the way in a hurry just for this - when facing the nobles of Poland, the father and son must work together to take over the unfinished business of their grandfather.

"Speaking of the people," Henry suddenly said: "Your Highness, you may not know that in Poland, there is no concept of the people." He paused: "There are free people, but very few. There are almost no landless tenant farmers and serfs." There is no difference, but most of them are still serfs." He was silent for a while: "You may not have seen it yet, but those serfs... probably cannot understand your wishes and thoughts like the people of France."

"I understand what you mean," the Duke of Orleans said: "I have tried to understand this place, maybe it is not deep enough, but it doesn't matter, we have to stay here for a while." Henry's face couldn't help but reveal a sad look, and the Duke's This means that until Ludwig I dies, he will serve as Louis XIV's representative and suppress some dangerous voices and behaviors for him here.

"Your Highness... I think I must thank you for everything you have done for us..." Henry said with pain, and Louis XIV was the first to set an example. The blood and family ties that were not valued in the Bourbon family continued to Strengthened - The Grand Condé saw how Louis XIV treated his children and how his children treated him, and while feeling envious, he also followed suit - Henry felt his father's affection for the first time at the age when he was already married and had children. Love is a bit embarrassing and a little shy, but more of it is joy. After coming to Poland, the father and son relied on each other and supported each other, and their relationship became even deeper.

The Duke reached out his hand wordlessly and shook Henry's hand.

Henry was indeed right. On the third day, someone invited the Duke of Orleans, Eugene Jr., and other French nobles in the mission to go hunting together.

Hunting, an activity that satisfies one's appetite, shows off one's military prowess, makes friends, flatters nobles, or plays conspiracies, has never stopped since the birth of mankind. Even now, Louis XIV It is still necessary to go hunting in the Versailles Forest with the nobles and officers every once in a while, which is as important a political and etiquette act as holding banquets and balls in the Palace of Versailles.

The person who invited them was a Lithuanian lord, a noble giant who converted from an Orthodox Christian to a Catholic. He had countless serfs, vast land, and 300 hussars and several hussars supported by the first two. Thousands of auxiliary soldiers and retinues. This kind of power made him very proud, and he thought that he could defeat Henry in the subsequent Crusades. However, considering that Louis XIV of France definitely did not want to see this result, he also began to cautiously make friends with the Duke of Orleans and the young Eugen.

Hunting on the grassland was a new thing for both the Duke of Orleans and little Eugen. There were fewer types of prey on the grassland than in the forest, but they were much larger. They also encountered a herd of wild horses. The knights' retinues trapped many horses.

After hunting a bison with his own hands and receiving praise from everyone, little Eugen slowly let go of his melancholy and devoted himself wholeheartedly to this activity. He caught more and more prey and even caught a live lynx. Lin, ready to take it back and present it to the king.

What puzzled him was that although there was obviously an abundance of prey on the grasslands, the Polish nobles continued to send out retinues and dog-lead servants to search for traces of the prey. Young Schlachta was also interested in the hunt on his hands. With a lackluster look, none of this can satisfy them.

"What are you looking for? Bear?" Little Eugen asked casually.

"Something more valuable than a bear." The man replied casually. Before little Eugen could continue to ask questions, he suddenly heard a burst of warm cheers, accompanied by various chaotic sounds - it was almost dusk at this time, and the knights had all taken off their cloaks, armor (if they had any), and weapons. They have all been well maintained and put away. But as soon as they heard the sound of the trumpet, they suddenly became extremely excited, even more than in the morning.

At this time, they had gone deep into the grassland. Unexpectedly, after mounting their horses, they continued to gallop until the moon rose. The retinue running in front suddenly turned back and said something loudly in Polish. Little Eugen did not understand, but he could see The torches are gathering in one place.

There was a lot of people in the light. In addition to the wild laughter and rhythmic shouts, there were actually people screaming and wailing. Little Eugen thought someone had met with an accident, so he rode forward and asked, "Who is injured? " he shouted.

"No one was hurt," said a Schlachta, stepping over Little Eugen and raising his musket.

The moment the gunfire rang out, little Eugen saw a dark mass on the ground. It was not an animal, but a human being.

A herdsman fell on his back, revealing a frightened face.

His wife, brothers and children, and perhaps his companions and tribesmen, are being driven into the encirclement by the knights like wild horses. They are desperately trying to escape, but how can human legs outrun the four hooves of the horse? What's more, when the knights see people running towards them, they will pull the reins in a threatening manner and order the horses to lift their front hooves. If they are kicked, they will be seriously injured or killed.

Not only those who wanted to escape, but any herdsmen who resisted or even glared at the Poles were summarily executed.

After about a hundred people were enclosed in the knight's cage, the servants raised torches, and the organizer and master of the hunt, the Lithuanian, rode in on horseback under the protection of his attendants. He raised his whip and The captured herdsmen were picked out - most of them were injured, but there were also some who were exceptionally tall and strong. Their necks were skillfully put in a rope loop by the attendants, and the other end was put on the handle in front of the saddle by the knight. Go up, and then the knight kicked his spurs, and the horse flew away.

The singled out herdsmen disappeared into the darkness instantly without making a sound.