I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 305 Frederick and the Grand Princess

As Frederick spoke, he lifted the curtain of the car with the tip of his cane and looked out. Paris was changing like a kaleidoscope of colorful colors, not to mention Barras, who had been away for twenty years, even if he was still there a year ago. The envoys in Paris couldn't help but wonder - it wasn't originally a narrow alley, but now it has become a big clear canal? This place was supposed to be an old clothes shop, but now it has become a beautiful and delicate little theater? This was supposed to be a private residence—his servants once borrowed it, and now it's a small square, where the doves rise and fall, and the flying gray feathers make the envoy **** up his nose involuntarily.

"These pigeons?" Frederick gave the envoy a look, not to mention that this is Paris, even if it is the Louvre, if there are a lot of Feldton's delicacies, there will be bold people to catch and eat them. After 300 years of material wealth, pigeons are not only in the poor's recipes, but also on the king's table. "This is the king's pigeons." The envoy said with a smile, and he also specifically asked the first time he came. people around me.

In fact, this is no different from the noble officials stocking peacocks in the courtyard. It is just that Louis XIV placed pigeons throughout Paris to show his authority to outsiders, and also said that at least the citizens of Paris were not forced by starvation to violate the law. the point of law.

In addition to these, there are many laws and regulations that are difficult for the provincials to get used to, such as carriages and pedestrians must walk on the right, not dumping feces and garbage on the Seine and streets, not arbitrarily damaging trees, public facilities (that is, water channels and fire hydrants) etc.), no loud noises in public after twelve o'clock in the evening, dung pockets hanging from the backs of horses, and restraint belts for dogs or other animals with owners... Wait, to make such a huge It's hard to keep a city so well-organized, but Louis XIV did it, even though the policemen, who are disrespectfully called ravens or black dogs (because they wear black uniforms) ) contributed.

   "I think I must study the law here," said Frederick.

   "I'm afraid not," the envoy broke his illusion ruthlessly, "you can't stay here for a long time."

Frederick shrugged helplessly. Of course, when he came to Paris, the most important task was to meet the Grand Duke of Orleans. Maybe she would be his wife in the near future, but the negotiation of this marriage may not be too much. Early start - Elector of Brandenburg, Grand Duke of Prussia, Frederick's father is to stand on the side of Leopold I, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, because no matter how powerful and rich the king of France is, Nor could Prussia become a kingdom.

Therefore, the price given by the Elector of Brandenburg at the beginning was a princess, not his eldest son Frederick, but Louis XIV's meaning was also obvious. He did not need a dispensable princess. He is also aware of the ambitions of the Elector of Brandenburg - Elector of Brandenburg may directly abandon his daughter, as long as Leopold I is willing to admit that he is the king of Prussia.

Therefore, the Electoral Candidate of Brandenburg hesitated to send his eldest son, Frederick, to Paris. His eldest son, Frederick, was already seventeen years old. His own father was young, and he admired and feared the Sun King Louis XIV - not only on the real battlefield, but also in his political tactics, no one thought that the king of France would be able to convince the king of England He set a trap and captured William III, the descendant of Orange, and let his father's great advantage - his father was William III's uncle, disappeared; and after Charles II of England pushed William III out , to appoint another descendant of Orange, Viscount Turenne, as the governor of the Netherlands, this kind of courage and courage, even Leopold I may not be able to show it - William I of Orange is from Holy Rome The imperial subjects became kings (although only one step away), and the Viscount Turenne wanted to go a step further because of the prestige of his uncle and teacher Prince Maurice among the Dutch people, and the power and wealth of the governor. It's not impossible - I didn't see that William III had only one Utrecht, and he was also called the king of the Netherlands...

However, the king has always been bold in employing people. Although people say that on the battlefield, the king is just a spectator sitting in the special box, but he can control his competitiveness and let the generals fight at their own pace; On the one hand, they can maintain their trust and understanding of them, provide sufficient protection for the army, and there are not many monarchs who stand for them. Even the former Viscount Turenne had to obey the old Princess Condé (Grand Condé). mother) inexplicably failed.

Louis XIV called himself the Sun King, maybe right, not only did he shine himself, but he also allowed the thousands of stars around him to shine, Frederick knew that Leopold I couldn't do that, no, it wasn't that he couldn't do it This is because from the very beginning, he had almost no such condition. He was not born to be an emperor, and his throne came after all kinds of planning. How can he believe that others will not or cannot divide his power? ?

Even the Electoral Candidate of Brandenburg, the surname Hohenzollern, although the Prussian Archdukes unanimously interpret it to mean "noble", people will never forget that when the Sauron family was only an earl, once Worked for the Hohenstaufen family (the founders of the Holy Roman Empire), and even Frederick's name came from the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

   They have only been electors for more than two hundred years.

But the kings of France never had such troubles—Charlemagne of the Franks was crowned emperor of the Romans by Pope Leo III in AD 800, which meant that the Western Roman Empire, which had been wiped out for more than three centuries, was In this restoration, Charlemagne was recognized as "the successor of Augustus Caesar".

  Descent, prestige, power, Louis XIV was the only monarch known to Frederick without any flaws.

Therefore, compared to the great princess who never lived, Frederick's restlessness is better for the Sun King Louis XIV, but everyone thinks that this is the first love of a young man, or he would rather others think so. .

When he stepped on the steps leading to the Palace of Versailles, he was constantly depicting the face of Louis XIV. In Prussia, there were many small statues of the Sun King circulating. Some people deliberately painted him ugly, while others did not. Draw him beautifully - if it's Frederick, it's better to be ugly, if it's the latter's way of beautifying, why would Louis XIV put a royal lady by his side, just look in the mirror and see for himself .

When Louis XIV greeted King Carl XI of Sweden, he was standing at the end of the stairs, in the rectangular square between the green labyrinths, but Frederick was only the son of an archduke, so the king accepted him in the Hall of the Goddess of Victory. 's audience.

Now there are two small halls on either side of the great gallery, just so that people can take care of themselves a little before they meet the king, the attendants are silently looking at the eldest son of the Grand Duke of Brandenburg, and the panting envoy. In comparison, this young man's face was only a little more ruddy, there was no unpleasant smell on his body, and he didn't appear to be in a state of embarrassment.

The Duke of Orleans was rewarded immediately. After all, these attendants, especially those assigned to the envoys and foreign nobles, were almost all his spies. Now he really felt his brother's mood, even if the attendants said that it was not a matter of appearance. Speaking of which, Frederick was better than Karl XI, and he was a little disapproving - until he saw this young man, the appearance of the Hohenzollern family was different from that of the Bourbon family, and the faces of the Bourbon family were more beautiful. , Louis XIV can also be said to be handsome, the Duke of Orleans can be called a beauty, and Frederick, his hair and eyebrows are extremely thick, with a pair of bright big eyes, a high and wide nose, and lips. Thin and long, with a chin as wide and full as the forehead—another style altogether, yes.

Frederick was not a commoner. He was qualified to look directly at the king. After saluting, he could almost say that he couldn't wait to see Louis XIV's face. The first impression is not very bad - for Frederick, his impression of the king may only be Leopold I, William III and his father, William III for the time being, for him Frederick has only pity, he His father was always indifferent and serious, as for Leopold I... Although the emperor was two years younger than Louis XIV, he had always been indescribably exhausted, even more powerful than William III. Kind of gloomy and weird.

Frederick saw Louis XIV, sitting very casually in a velvet armchair, and talking to the Duke of Orleans. Frederick wondered if it was because neither he nor the Duke of Orleans had a beard. , appears to be younger than his actual age, and does not seem to be a father with two adult children at all.

Although the French advocate fancy dress and accessories, the king only wears a gray-blue velvet coat, **** trousers, and only a row of diamond pins under his shoulders, and he does not wear an exaggerated wig - although the wig It has long been popular in various palaces, perhaps because there is no hunting activity today, he only wears a pair of light sheepskin pumps.

  How to say, because of Frederick's accident, Louis XIV didn't look like a king at all.

This was a problem for the young grand duke's son. He tossed and turned at night and couldn't sleep. Fortunately, the envoy's room was not far from him, so he went to ask the old minister sincerely, and the envoy really hesitated for a long time. After all - he still has an archduke who is always looking forward to becoming a king. "I can't tell you about this," he said, "but you can think for yourself, that's an easy answer."

   After thinking about it for a while after Frederick went back, a thought struck him like a thunderbolt, alas, how could he be so stupid - Louis XIV didn't need to be "like" a king at all? Since he no longer needs anyone to admit that he is a "king," he can certainly slack and leisurely resemble an idle scholar, because before that, he has destroyed all his enemies.

  ——

If Louis XIV heard Frederick's remark, he would have jumped up and denied it, at least he never thought he could be safe, and in France there were wizards and Huguenots, and the remnants of the Fronds; Outside France, just as a scholar understands more, he feels more ignorant. The more territory a king conquers, the more enemies he has. Although he has won the Netherlands and Flanders However, they have become mortal enemies with Spain, Denmark and the Holy Roman Empire, the United Kingdom has also turned from friend to enemy, and the Roman Church is coveting... The more prosperous and powerful France, the sharper and stronger their malice.

Of course, this is what any kingdom or empire that is about to enter into glory has to face, and unless France suddenly becomes a country of cowards and fools, its neighbors, enemies and friends can be at ease and friendly, but it counts. Well, Louis XIV would never allow this to happen.

So he has been trying to win as many allies as possible. Although the Duke of Orleans believes that it is difficult for the Grand Duke of Brandenburg-Prussia to stand on their side, Louis does not need him to stand on his side, as long as he remains neutral. Well - the Elector of Brandenburg didn't even want to stand neutral at first, it was Louis who threatened him through Ludwig I of Poland - and part of Prussia is still in the hands of the Poles.

Of course, Louis would not embarrass the Grand Condé-Ludwig I, but if the Grand Duke of Brandenburg was stubborn, he would also support Ludwig I to expand the territory for Poland, and the Polish Schlachta would definitely To his great gratitude, the Archduke of Brandenburg-Prussia should have thought of this question before he surrendered - he could even use it to retaliate against Leopold I's accountability - because according to tradition and law, an accepting subject The one who is loyal must be able to shelter, in moments of necessity, those who have offered his loyalty to him.

Leopold I is now even breathless under the oppression of the Ottoman Turks, let alone helping the Grand Duke of Brandenburg-Prussia regain his territory in Poland, he even wants to show his favor to King Ludwig I of Poland , to ensure that the Ottoman Turks will not directly enter Vienna.

So the Roman Church was divided into two factions - to Louis XIV of France, and one to Clement X, who regarded Louis XIV as the enemy of Christ and the Church, and if possible, they would call him the first The two Neros, the other head of the cardinals, believed that the enemies of the Church were still pagans, Protestants and Ottoman Turks, whatever Louis XIV was, as long as he did not openly set up the Church as Henry VIII did, He is worth saving, of course, mainly because they think that there is no Catholic country in Europa that can compare with France.

But Louis also knew that the marriage of the Grand Princess and the Grand Princess made the Roman Church very worried, because a Sweden and a Brandenburg-Prussia were both Protestant countries. If he really made the daughter of Brandenburg-Prussia king Crown Princess, I'm afraid he will have more opponents in the church.

   It seems that not only the crown prince, but also the future son of the Duke of Orleans can only choose a wife in a Catholic country.

  Mentioning this, Louis thought of Carlos II of Spain. It is said that he not only miraculously recovered his health, but also had a normal mind. Some people are already regretting that they did not insist on letting the lord of the county marry to Spain.

   (end of this chapter)