I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 246 The end of the war, the beginning of the war (2)

Jeanne was a bathroom maid, a burgeoning profession - after King Louis XIV's unabashed devotion to cleanliness and abhorrence of filth, the act of bathing was once again a Parisian fashion - why not say It is a new fashion, because before the fourteenth century, people in France were just as keen to soak in hot bath water, but due to the rampant spread of syphilis and the Black Death, these bathrooms, which were regarded as the transmission point of the epidemic, gradually disappeared. , As for those too extreme behaviors - like the saints and saintess who have insisted on not touching a little water for decades, so that they have "dirty armor" on their bodies, let's leave it aside. Wipe your body with a towel, mask odors with perfume, and keep changing your clothes for cleaning.

But as the king remodeled the Richelieu House—now the residence of the Duke of Lorraine, and the Louvre, some sharp-smelling guys followed suit by adding or remodeling separate bathrooms in their homes, at a high cost. Although most people expect nothing more than to have a common topic with the king, there is no doubt about the comfort of bathrooms and sanitary facilities. In recent years, not only the private mansions of dukes and bishops have frequently appeared The construction team of Mr. (the architect of the Palace of Versailles), and even the "special salons", clubs and hotels where Mingshu gathers, have also made great improvements in this regard.

On the streets of Paris, when Mr. Fouquet was the king's treasurer, one of the projects he was in charge of was the construction of public toilets, which referenced the similar buildings of the ancient Romans, that is, arranged in a U shape. Three neat rows of potholes where people can say hello, spit and exchange opinions on the current situation, the filth is washed directly from the Seine or the water of the duke (the duke of Orleans is not happy about it) canal The pipes under the streets, introduced into the wilderness outside Paris - people are not used to it at first, especially the drunkards who get drunk at night, but they are used to casually tearing off their pants and enjoying themselves - and so was born An important position, one is the night patrol. They carry sticks and whistle, and when they see such idiots, they rush to wake them up, and then decide whether to fine or hard labor. This profession has continued until three hundred years later. , no matter how loud the human rights activists shouted, they could not take the stick from the patrolmen's hands - because they, like many professions, are "the sun king's servants", an intangible political and cultural heritage, their Wages are paid by the royal family and can even be inherited by descendants - they are the pride of the French.

Oh, of course, there are many occupations like this, and for example, the cleaning ladies in the shared toilets mentioned above - they are all fifty or sixty years old, but strong old women with strong temperament, although I said above, There are always people in the toilet who spit and snort, but they have to be sneaky, because if they are found by the cleaning women, they will rush up fiercely until you pay the fine obediently, or put it on your own. Those things get cleaned up... but you know, since it's open to civilians, it's hard to keep it absolutely clean, at least the smell is always unavoidable.

So Jeanne is content with her new job, especially since she's been fortunate enough to find work in a women's bathroom instead of a toilet or men's bathroom—as before the Black Death, those men's bathrooms quickly changed It has become another trading place for famous Shu and customers. Even if they are just servants, it is difficult to keep their innocence. After all, the tub needs to be filled with water from time to time. The slump was hidden behind the draperies—who knew what was going on inside, so even though the women in the men's bathrooms could not only get three times the pay of the women's bathrooms, but also a handsome reward, Jeanne was at ease. Stayed in this women's bathroom called "Venus".

The "Venus" women's bathroom was originally a three-story hotel. Now it has been transformed into a second-story bath, the top floor is a rest, and the bottom floor is a comprehensive place that sells some goods that women like. Most of the women who come and go here are businessmen. Government employees or the dependents of low-ranking military officers who are not poor enough to pay for a bath, but not wealthy enough to add a bathroom to their home—they require brass taps and pipes, bathtubs and toilets It is precious ceramics. It is also a lot of money to connect the pipes at home to the public pipes. Of course, you need to pay a monthly fee for water, and the same is true for water.

But just as men use the bathroom as a different kind of pastime, so do women—aside from the occasional meeting with their lovers here, they also gather to talk about the latest Parisian fashion, accessories and entertainment, true or false or laughing at a companion who was not there together... Maybe the evaporation of water vapor will be as sultry as alcohol, but Jeanne has heard a lot of surprising gossip here, and it is the same today. , she pricked up her ears as she ran briskly through the tub, while a businessman's wife was complaining about her husband's incompetence under the cover of steam, while another clerk's wife was asking where there was an effective abortion. The prescription, the people around her are laughing at her husband for being too jealous, and a woman is trying to persuade another to accept a daughter-in-law who has been married three times and has an ugly face but a rich dowry... Jeanne hides her smile behind her sleeve, Poured a large glass of iced lemonade for a lady who was always very generous, whose surname was Gaulle, an aristocratic surname, perhaps because of which her husband was promoted to the army by the Marquis of Lois The caretaker was leaving for Flanders in a few days, but it was her lover, an officer, who was about to be stationed in Holland with Viscount Turenne, who was making her sigh. Madame Dere, whose husband was also an officer, was instigating Madame Gawler to find another sweetheart: "When the king returned to Paris," she said, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes seemed to open in steam: " Are you afraid you won't have a foal strong enough to ride? You're so pretty and young, you can pick one you want."

  Mrs. Goller took a sip of lemonade when she heard the words, and turned to lie beside the tub, "But I heard that many of those officers were farmers from Versailles."

   "My God, do you still care about this?" Mrs. Gerrard called hypocritically: "What you are looking for is love, not marriage."

   "I'll think about it," said Mrs. Gowler. "I can't let anyone laugh at me for picking a farmer as my lover."

   "If only the peasant could get into Versailles," said Madame Gerrard, "those chatty fellows will have their eyes red with envy."

   "Versailles?" asked Madame Gowler in surprise: "Isn't it the Louvre?"

   "Why do you think so," said Mrs. Gerrard, "the last celebration was at Versailles."

   "Many people say it should be in Paris," said Mrs. Gowler, "my husband, and my good gentleman, too."

"Do you believe me, or them. They didn't make it out of Paris—I mean, they didn't take part in that battle, but my husband was in it, following the king." Lady Gerrard proudly said Mrs. Gowler showed a look of disbelief. After all, if Mrs. Gerrard's husband had really made great achievements in the war against Flanders or the Netherlands, she would not be here with her. Talking, she will at least have a private bathroom.

  Although the bathroom was filled with steam, Mrs. Gerald seemed to have guessed Mrs. Gowler's suspicion, and she hummed contemptuously, "If you don't want to listen, then forget it."

Of course Madame Gawler wanted to know, not only for her husband, but also for her lover, she hurriedly ordered little Jeanne to fetch wine and cakes, and Jeanne hurried to the kitchen, got wine and some The little cake ran up again quickly. Fortunately, Mrs. Gerrard was also waiting for this bribe. After drinking, she confessed that her husband was wounded in the battle against Holland, so she had one. The chance to enter Versailles for the victory banquet, which, according to him, might last fifteen days or more, which he had arranged for the sixth, but the king would probably come to greet them.

   "But this is Paris." Although Mrs. Gowler is not keen on politics like most ladies, the pride of Parisians still makes her unable to resist saying this sentence.

   "The king prefers Versailles," Mrs. Gerrard said cogently: "and no one can make your majesty change his mind now."

  ——

  Louis XIV did not change his mind.

After the battle against Flanders, he once held a Mass and a Victory Parade in Paris. Although the banquet was held in Versailles, it was said at that time that Versailles was larger than the Louvre and could accommodate what he said. "Every Frenchman", but in fact, it was his first victory, and the king still could not guarantee whether his willful action would arouse the dissatisfaction of the Parisians, and had to make some concessions.

But after the battle against Holland, the throne of the Sun King was already unshakable. In this case, Louis XIV would not hold any ceremonies and banquets in Paris except for the Grand Mass. This is not an impulse, a juvenile spirit, but a He is based on dual considerations of politics and economics - at the age of fourteen, he decided to build a new city to replace the turbulent, volatile capital of Paris, and in the past few years, the most important thing is this victory, Therefore, he will definitely hold a parade ceremony and a grand banquet in Versailles, and he believes that at this moment, no minister or nobleman dares to point fingers at his will.

Sure enough, not to mention the court, even the Parisians, who have always been the most contemptuous of the royal family, only quietly, occasionally, and mournfully complained a few words about their indecent love for the king. The thugs couldn't help but tighten their courage, they had also realized how powerful, ruthless and arrogant they had a ruler, and they didn't even know whether to be sad or happy.

Louis only stayed in the Louvre for a few days, then set off for Versailles. On both sides of his imperial chariot, there were brightly armored musketeers and guards, and behind the imperial chariot, there was a mighty motorcade. The queen mother, the king's younger brother, the Duchess of Montpensier, the Prince of Condé, the Prince of Conti, etc.... a group of nobles and dignitaries, followed by ministers and generals such as the Duke of Luxembourg, the Viscount Turenne, Colbert, the Marquis of Lois...they Afterwards, there were even longer queues, and finally there were even hikers, more than when Flanders triumphed, and tens of thousands of people crowded the Versailles Avenue. According to the count of d'Artagnan, the Parisians can be said to be Out of the nest.

Looking out of the car window, Louis suddenly remembered when he was ten years old, when he was awakened from his sleep by Bishop Mazarin and hurriedly escaped from the Louvre to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, when the streets were full of bonfires. , rudimentary fortifications, with furious and restless eyes peeping at the king's whereabouts from behind the overturned carriages and filthy wooden crates, they frightened Louis more than the werewolves who appeared later--like greedy and despicable The hyenas, a little flesh would drive them utterly insane, but in name, they are the people Louis wants to shelter and care for.

   "Paris..." Louis shook his head gently, leaned back, and slowly closed his eyes, as if he had left a nightmare behind him.

  ———

Lady Gerrard looked anxiously out of the car window, for her husband had been wounded in the battle against Holland, so that besides the king's bounty they had some privileges, such as in this invisible She occupies a good position in the marginal queue, but it is conceivable that this good position is impossible to surpass officials and nobles. When she looks at the front, she is unwilling, but when she looks at the back, she is satisfied, just because there are too many people. Now, when they reached Versailles, it was already dusk, and Madame Gerrard hurried out of the carriage, nearly falling straight to the ground—sitting in the carriage so long that her legs were going numb.

This time, the king did not set up any "obstacles" on the way to Versailles. Even if he won the battle against Flanders, the funds in his hand would have to be prepared for the subsequent war against the Netherlands. Versailles Only finished the decoration of the new grand gallery and the central hall, the other rooms are still empty, but after he captured Amsterdam, the gold of Amsterdam, after paying the merchants' loans, also allowed the king's designers to complete After the final decoration of the Palace of Versailles, the 1,800 rooms are enough to receive the guests invited by the king. As for those uninvited guests, they can also be graciously entertained - but they are not eligible for overnight stays.

   But for most people, this is enough-some people who had participated in the last event couldn't help but shouted excitedly, the Versailles that really revealed the whole picture was completely different from the concept of Yoshimitsu Kataha in their memory.

   That is not a palace, it is a new city.

   (end of this chapter)