I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 379 The King's Parade (2) Three shifts in one

Lord Ferdinand's affair with Madam Eva soon spread to every corner of the court. The Italian nobleman did not choose a real noble girl but a peasant woman from a fishing village, which inevitably caused a lot of criticism. - After all, he can now be said to be the entourage and friend of the Dauphin, as well as the king's ward, but since Louis XIV canonized Eva as Countess of Nice, this criticism immediately turned into jealousy - let some mediocre and dull people From the point of view, Eva is like a clown. Because of being special and shameless, she has aroused the interest of the king, so she can get such a reward.

Regardless of how these real clowns jumped up and down, Eva knew very well that the king gave her this title because she was willing to be the dowry maid of the grand county, and her role was not limited to the palace - whether it was Versailles or the court of Stockholm, People look at the king's favor and look at your title and official position. As the chief female officer of the grand princess, what Eva lacks is a title. An earl title is not only a laurel on her head, but also something she holds in her hand. arms.

Ferdinand knew this too well. He couldn't say what would make Eva refuse this title and this job. He knew he couldn't offer anything better to his lover. Don't hide it. When Eva suddenly disappeared again, several ladies around the Grand Princess persuaded her to either stop Eva from entering her room or ask her to cut off contact with Lord Ferdinand. They all refused: "Okay," she said affectionately but unable to refuse: "It's just this time."

Now she should be thankful for the eldest princess, and her, who accepted the teachings of the ministers before the love was opened, such as these old, experienced and full of intrigue men, they have long been accustomed to the Everything is weighed and calculated on the scale in her heart. Although she sometimes feels tired and bored, her and the eldest princess' immunity to love has really made them suffer a lot less - maybe there is regret, but regret is always there. Better than loss and pain, which can kill.

  The reason why the Grand Princess admires Eva, a girl who sounds very vulgar and humble, is also because she always has a vague envy and encouragement for her. People always fall into two categories when they see that others get what they can't get, one is jealousy, the other is relief, and the princess is undoubtedly the latter, perhaps because she was early in the morning. Having made a choice, she is also ready to suffer the inevitable result - she may not be as simple and hot as Eva, but she is happy to see such a person by her side who can obtain short-term happiness. Yes, short-lived happiness.

What she didn't tell the female officials was that Eva and Ferdinand had only been in love for one year, at most two years. She was the same age as the eldest princess, and Frederick was twenty. As soon as the engagement negotiations were over, she would Leaving for Prussia, Eva, who is a maid, will inevitably accompany her. Like most dowry women, she has a high probability of not getting married again. Ferdinand will definitely stay in Paris or Versailles until he finishes his studies, or returns to the Duchy of Tuscany to perform the duties of an heir. Anyway, he and Eva are thousands of miles apart and have little chance of seeing each other again. .

  No, what if we saw it?

The princess shook her head. She sat in front of the dressing mirror and asked the maids to pull out the hairpin for her, pull off the ribbon, and loosen the curls when a female official suddenly hurried in and said something in her ear. What, the Grand County Master's expression changed slightly, and he stood up immediately.

Philip, Duke of Orleans, the younger brother of Louis XIV, as the king's closest blood relative other than the Queen Mother and the Dauphin, his room is undoubtedly the closest to the king's suite, and then the Dauphin and the Queen, the Duchess of Orleans And the children's suites are also located on the same corridor, and the doors between the suites can be opened to connect the rooms together. Because of this, the grand princess can go directly through the small hall to her mother's room without leaving her suite, without having to walk on the corridor to be scrutinized by omnipresent eyes, and then attract countless rumors, but even so, she was in the middle of the night. A sudden visit to the bedroom of the Duchess of Orleans will still cause some small disturbances, but if the Duchess is allowed to go his own way, it will be difficult for the Duke of Orleans to deal with the trouble later.

The Duchess of Orleans, the former British Princess Henrietta, was still stubbornly arguing with her chief female officer when the Grand Princess walked in, but when she saw the Grand Princess, her arrogance was like The warmth engulfed by the icy air disappeared so suddenly, perhaps because she did not object or even contributed to the first time the Spaniards brought the portrait of Carlos II, she could not raise her head in front of this daughter.

  The Grand County Lord closed his eyes and tightened the wool bedding on his body, "What are you doing? Mother?"

   "I'm..." said the Duchess of Orleans: "I'm...I'm thinking about something."

   "At this time?" the Grand Princess asked: "We will follow His Majesty to set off for Saint-Germain-en-Laye tomorrow morning."

   The Duchess of Orleans shifted uneasily: "I'm a little sick, Marie, I may not be able to go."

   "Mother," said the grand county master coldly, "the king has doctors and wizards, do you think they will deceive your majesty for you?"

   "I don't want to leave Versailles," said the Duchess.

The sheriff took two steps forward. "Light the candle, it's too dark here," she said, and then brought the candle—the Duke of Orleans did not love Henrietta, and though he respected her, it was in the king's place. Under the request, the servants and servants in the court have always been sharp-eyed snobs. Although they dare not do anything to the Duke and Duchess of Orleans, but between the Duke and Duchess of Orleans and the Grand Princess, there is no doubt that they tend to Yu obeyed the command of the big county lord: "You all go out." The big county lord said.

  The Duke and Duchess of Orleans opened her mouth reluctantly, but she didn't say anything in the end, watching herself and the maid of the Grand Princess exit the bedroom in an orderly manner.

The Grand Princess, who had been taught by Colbert, Lois, and Milady, sat down calmly in front of the Duchess of Orleans. The candle light was bright, and she could clearly see the face of the Duchess of Orleans. She was startled, when did her mother become so old and haggard? Princess Henrietta was born in 1644. Even if her daughter was about to get married, she was only in her thirties. As a pampered lady, she should not show such an expression and attitude.

The Grand Princess held her hand without any hesitation: "Mom..." She said softly, although the Duchess of Orleans almost turned the Grand Princess into a cowardly and pitiful outcast in the first twelve years of education, But she still loved her, and she knew that many mothers, especially noble ladies in the court, would guide and sacrifice their daughters like this. "Tell me," she said, "what makes you want to refuse the king's invitation?"

   "I want to stay at Versailles," whispered the Duchess of Orleans. "If I go, who will take care of Alexis?"

Alexis is the nickname of Alexander. He is the younger brother of the great county master. He is only four years old this year, but this is not the reason, at least not the whole reason. In the king's entourage, Alex, who is still a young child, certainly cannot. They were added to the team, but the Queen Mother and the Queen will stay in Versailles. They and countless ladies and maids will take good care of the son of the Duke of Orleans without any mistakes.

"But Your Majesty doesn't care." The Grand Princess said, "Your Majesty doesn't care about anyone anymore." She calmly looked at her mother's raised face and said, "Only a few people will let him Think about what they think, but you, you are not." She said cruelly: "He will care about you, of course, if he hears that you are ill or worried about his son's unwillingness to accompany him, he will only Will nod and say, well, that's it, she doesn't want to leave her son, then that's it, let her stay at Versailles." She squeezed the Duchess of Orleans' hand: "He won't dig deep at all. , nor need, and," she paused, for the Duchess of Orleans was trying to break free, as if she could keep these cruel words out forever by not listening, but the dame held her firmly: "the Those who know what you want, my father, me, and your so-called 'friends', none of them will mention it, neither will we, and no one will tell the king that you don't want to accompany you It's because you think your son deserves more rewards, territories or titles."

   "Mary!" The Duchess of Orleans whined, as if burned by her own daughter's words: "He will understand, Your Majesty... Your Majesty... I have done a lot for him, a lot, Marie!"

"I don't understand what you are worrying about?" the princess asked in confusion, she really didn't understand: "Alix is ​​my father's eldest son and my younger brother, and he is destined to inherit everything from his father. , of course, the father has several illegitimate children, but they are absolutely impossible to threaten Alex, the law and the king do not allow, why are you so eager? Father and His Majesty are in their prime, and Alex is only four years old , if you are willing to stop torturing yourself, you will also have a happy life that no one else can match...why would you do this?"

The Duchess of Orleans couldn't pull her hand back. Unlike the Grand Princess, she had a bad life when she was born and in her childhood, so her body has always been very weak, but the Grand Princess is like the eldest princess and the crown prince. She often goes out. Horse hunting, and even martial arts lessons, but she looked like she was about to faint, the grand princess let go of her hand worriedly, and the Duchess of Orleans didn't run away, she just raised her hand to hold her eyes : "I know," she said, "but your father doesn't like Alex."

   "How could you have such an idea?" the Grand Princess shouted in surprise.

"The king doesn't like him either," said the Duchess of Orleans with difficulty. "Mary, you're lucky because you're a girl, but Alex—you live in Versailles, have you ever heard him mentioned? It's like he doesn't exist."

"That's because he's still young, mother," the Grand County Lord gently persuaded: "When he grows up, he may become a companion of the Shire, or enter the military academy together, and then of course people will see He is."

"Then what did the little Duke of Enghien say?" retorted the Duchess of Orleans: "No, you know what I mean, Marie, don't be fooled, my Alexis, the worst thing about him is that his father is a king. Brother Philip, Duke of Orleans, he's a boy again, his inheritance..."

   "Enough!" the Grand County Master shouted in horror. She stood up and looked around to make sure that no one had disobeyed their orders to stay in the room: "Now the king and queen have a second boy!"

"This child is to become king of Spain, and His Majesty has arranged it," said the Duchess of Orléans. "And even if there is a third, what about a fourth boy? Your father also realizes that although he needs an heir, Alexis really can't get his love - because." She gritted her teeth: "He fears the king and loves his brother, and he doesn't want anything to destroy His Majesty's trust in him."

   "It's not like that..." said the Grand Princess annoyed, although she knew that her mother was at least partly right. "But how can you be so noisy?" She went back to her seat and continued: "You should know your Majesty, he doesn't reward others simply because of his personal preference - he always looks at merit. You at least When Alexis grows up a bit and shows talent that the King admires - he is the child of His Majesty's favourite brother, and the King will surely pay great attention to him..." Her voice grew smaller and smaller, until at last it was almost inaudible- Because she remembered what her mother said before, what the Duchess of Orleans was referring to should be that she successfully persuaded Charles II of England to form a secret alliance with France in accordance with the king's order, and persuaded Charles II to obtain an heir through witchcraft , so thoroughly tore the last fig leaf with the Duke of York...

The grand princess stared at her mother: "You are... blaming Your Majesty, and my father, for preparing too much dowry for me... You think that they took all the credit for you because they were afraid of Alexis. My body... that's why I can ignore Alex with a clear conscience...?"

   The Duchess of Orleans didn't answer, but turned her head to one side, which undoubtedly gave the Grand Princess an affirmative answer.

The princess sat in a chair in disbelief, her face was numb, her hands and feet were cold, she knew that her dowry was not only comparable to the princess, but even more than that. Louis XIV also joked that it was because the king was not as good as the Duke of Orleans. money (he also borrowed from the Duke of Orleans). When they learned that she was going to marry Prussia and not a Frenchman, some ministers complained about it, because it was such a big asset.

   But, she didn't expect her mother to think so.

  The silence in the room lasted for a long time, and the thoughts of the Grand Princess were full of thoughts, and it seemed to be blank. She tried to analyze the thoughts of the Duchess of Orleans as she had learned. Of course, the Duchess of Orleans was a foreign princess like Queen Teresa, but she was not as lucky as Queen Teresa, the Duke of Orleans didn't love him, Not as self-controlled as Louis XIV, he was a brave general, loyal brother and courtier, but also an overly romantic bastard, not disrespecting his wife, but often unconsciously ignoring and alienating her—especially After Carlos II proposed to marry him, he was annoyed that his wife would treat their daughter like this.

This... Of course I can't blame the Duchess of Orleans, but it's also hard to blame the Duke of Orleans, because most of the men at this time are like this, such as Louis XIV and the Duke of Mortemare are heretics... But sensitive to the mind For the Duchess of Orleans, she thought it was the right choice. The sacrifice she made after more than a dozen painful nights was not only worthless for her husband, but also an unforgivable sin - she was directly deprived of her daughter the right to education.

Even His Majesty thought it was her fault. If the Duchess of Orleans and her two brothers were still connected, just like the eldest princess and the crown prince, then she might still feel connected, but not to mention Charles II. Shi and the Duke of York have almost no feelings for Henrietta, and even if there is, what Henrietta has done is enough to make them turn against her.

"It seems that this matter really can't be blamed on you." Finally, the grand princess said: "But it's not to accompany the car, I still ask you to think more about it, not for me, but for Alex - you must understand that no matter your majesty , or father, who wants nothing from you now, and you, on the contrary, if you stay in Versailles, hide in a room, they will have a weaker impression of you, and a lady who is a stranger to the king, is very Hard to ask for something for your son - you know how many people are willing to trade chests of gold coins for this opportunity... For Alex, you should be more happy to appear before your father and the king, so... so, After I get married, if you bring up the matter of Alex, I guarantee you will get a satisfactory answer."

"What are you going to do, Marie?" asked the Duchess of Orleans. "No, you don't have to do anything, it's all my fault!" she screamed in desperation: "I love Alex, but so do I. I love you! You are my daughter and my blood!"

   "I know, Mom." The Grand Princess said, "So I'm just... a little disappointed." After speaking, she turned and left the room.

  ——

  The grand princess did not break her promise. Anyway, as the date of the official marriage contract drew nearer, the king became more tolerant towards her, even on the first day of the parade.

  She, the king and the Duke of Orleans were sitting in the same carriage, and it was gratifying that the Duchess of Orleans also silently boarded the accompanying carriage, as the Grand County Lord had expected. After listening to the words of the Grand County Master, Louis couldn't help but give his younger brother a reproachful look. Speaking of which, it was because the Duke of Orleans was too arrogant - the king could not comfort the Duchess of Orleans himself, otherwise the rumors of the Palace of Versailles would spread quickly. And to the extent, the next week they could hear people all over France swearing that the king was having an affair with the Duchess of Orleans, something Louis never wanted to see and hear - so he could justifiably stare at his brother .

The Duke of Orleans touched his face, and he could swear that he really didn't expect the Duchess of Orleans' thoughts to be so weird and twisted. Of course he loved his children, and during this time he seemed to prefer the Grand Princess too. Because the big county master is about to get married, it may take ten or twenty years for them to meet again. Of course, he will try to find as many opportunities as possible to get along with his daughter. As for his son, he is still a baby. The Duke of Orleans does not think What language can he have in common with himself - to say fear? Yes, but there is too much age difference between the prince and the prince. When he grows up, the prince's power has already been stabilized, and the Duke of Orleans doesn't think that the smelly boy can become the second Gaston.

He doesn't let the people at the court mention Alix too much, also because he thinks it's not a good thing to put Alix in the center of the crowd too soon - there are too many people in the court with ulterior motives, and they or There is no chance of taking advantage of, or murdering a child, and don't forget that even the little prince, the dauphin, was almost turned into a dagger to stab Louis XIV by them - he planned to wait until Ari When Cox grows up a little bit, he won't die easily, and he will be sent to Orleans, but in this way, the Duchess of Orleans will think that he intentionally gave up his eldest son in order to avoid the suspicion of the king.

  The Duke of Orleans pouted indecently. "I'll go and talk to Henrietta." He said, "I really don't understand how she has such a strange idea."

  As long as Alexis is his son, the Duke of Orleans firmly believes that His Majesty the King will never let him fall into the dust.

   "I can probably guess a little," Louie said. "But it's not a big problem. I'll give her an answer when the cruise is over."

  The Duke of Orleans smiled, "No, brother." He said, "I know what answer you will give her, but I also have my own ideas. You must listen to me first."

"Well, all right, I'll listen to you first," said Louis, not so concerned, anyway he believed in Philip like he believed in himself, and then he looked out the window: "Ah," he said, "I The monastery has been seen."

  ——

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, at the beginning of the story, Louis XIV and his brother, the Queen Mother, as well as the Queen Mother and Princess Henrietta of England, were embarrassed and exhausted. Paris chose to settle down after escaping. Because of the presence of the king, it was even called the capital of France for a few years, but none of Louis XIV, the Bishop of Mazarin and the Queen Mother ever recognized it.

In the years of the Frond riots, the Bourbon royal family had a difficult time in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the queen mother had to sell clothes to maintain the necessary expenses of the royal family - they also fired many servants, until the arrival of Fouquet. Slowly getting better, Louis remembered the first time he met Fouquet, when he was in high spirits, and he brought the king a beautiful new dress - Louis was not sure if he He regretted it, but he did not give the treasurer any chance. After all, he was so poor at that time that he had to temporarily put his conscience on hold.

   Unlike when they first escaped to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, this time they were not only faster—because of the concrete avenues radiating from Paris and Versailles to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, it was easier and more enjoyable—but also more popular. Louis said here that he saw the abbey, which is the one built next to the palace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and heard the cheers of the people. The people of Saint-Germain-en-Laye either gathered on both sides of the road, or rode on horses, donkeys or It was the mule, running after the king's caravan, or in the wasteland beyond, where petals appeared sporadically on the gray road, and ribbons and notes hung from the trees, with the words God bless the king. class words.

  Louis took the note taken from the branch by the attendant and showed it to the Duke of Orleans and the Grand Princess, and the three of them couldn't help but smile.

When Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the mayor and all the officials, the minor nobles even presented a silver plate that was too big to hold with both hands, and presented it to His Majesty the King. Three great victories—Flanders, Holland, and the great war against the pagans, the king readily accepted, and the archbishops and priests of the church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye came forward to greet and bless their majesty.

   "Last time we were here," the Duke of Orleans whispered to the Grand County Lord, "we thought everyone here was dead."

  The big county lord hurriedly covered his face with a feather fan.

  Then the king and his younger brother got on the horses, and the grand princess, the Duchess of Orleans and other noble ladies got on the sedan chair and continued to walk inside. Louis looked carefully at the scenery along the way - like other cities, the palace and abbey of Saint-Germain-en-Laye are high on the hills, and the city is below them, so although it can be seen now, it is still a long way to go. , Louis is so careful because although he has not come to Saint-Germain-en-Laye since he left, but because this place is very close to Paris and Versailles, so close to the point that any will of the king will immediately cover this place, so this place should be the same as Paris, Or Versailles, where there is not even the slightest hint of confusion or misunderstanding.

Roads, plazas and walls have been renovated and paved, very flat, with ditches on both sides - some people will complain in hundreds of years that this flat ground has lost its ancient charm, but for the people who live here , no pits, no bulges, no accumulation of rain, mud and feces, firm and flat ground, as perfect as God has given them, and they are said to last for dozens of year. Those who walk, ride horses, and drive carriages don't think a dirt road filled with stones could be any better.

  ———

Also, the width of the main road they traveled clearly reached the twelve feet required by Louis, and of course, the feet here were French feet—a distance that would allow two carriages to run side by side, with room on either side Exit the narrow trail. On both sides of the road are buoyant locals, waving hats, gloves, or ribbons, eagerly expecting a glimpse of the king, but it is those in dark blue uniforms that Louis focuses first on the police.

The term and role of the police can be traced back to ancient Greece, and their responsibilities are oddly aligned with that of the police now, even hundreds of years from now - compared to the army, their responsibilities are patrolling and patrolling in cities and streets. To maintain the law and order, to arrest or execute criminals who attempt to oppose the king or cause riots and riots.

The rudiments of the police system had been formed as early as the time of Louis XIII, but at that time they were more similar to the gangster leaders whom Bishop Richelieu had raised from the mob, who were semi-open spies, unwelcome guests and corruption. Stupid bishops and kings of reputation, this situation has been changed very well after Louis XIV came to power, mainly Louis XIV's army after the war in Flanders and Holland, a large number of retired due to injury or other reasons The soldiers needed to be resettled, they were loyal to the king, and even if they were slightly weak, they were enough to handle the work of the police.

Although most of them still prefer to go to war with the king, after listening to the king's will, they also feel that it is good to go to various places as the king's arms, eyes and ears, and even the mouthpiece. The priests had studied for a while, were able to read and count, and were brave enough. We can't say here that they were welcomed by everyone, but with the support of the king's ombudsman and magistrates, it's hard for the ill-intentioned guys to do anything to them.

The uniforms of the police have also been reviewed by the king and his younger brother. They are dark blue with silver buttons, wide black cowhide belts, and milky white shoulder straps. Their hats are raised high in three directions. Since then, it has become a triangle - this has also been reported to the king, it is said that these soldiers who have left the army still want to keep something that belongs to the past, and the king is of course willing to agree, but now it seems that this kind of The hat should be more compact than the general wide-brimmed hat, and it will not easily affect the line of sight and will not be easily scratched by anything.

Walking up and down in front of the cheering crowd, constantly looking at everyone with wary eyes, the policemen were also armed with a stick, a musket, and a rapier, and they put their hands on their belts, and as they walked Appearing extremely dignified, Louis carefully observed the public's attitude towards the police - they were a little dissatisfied and a little afraid, but not to the point where they regarded the police as snakes and scorpions, and there were a few naughty boys drowning in the crowd, Wanting to jump into the guard's line at some point - Louis had no doubt that they were trying to steal the silver spurs from the cavalry's boots.

   Of course, they were caught by the police and taken away without even touching the flying horse coat. The stick was mercilessly pounded on the back and buttocks, causing a wailing sound, but the wailing quickly disappeared in the dark alley, and the policemen came out again still well-dressed. Not only has the main road been repaired, but cement and stone have been used in the alleys, otherwise, as when Louis first went to the Red Boys Market, he would always be in a mess when crossing the paths between houses.

Speaking of houses, the houses on both sides of the street are also obviously renovated. Although they will not be completely demolished and rebuilt as in Paris, the exterior walls, steps and doors and windows must have been changed, and the steps and exterior walls are being painted. After the chalk, it was as clean as snow. The windows and doors were inlaid with large pieces of glass, and there were some curious little faces behind the glass.

   Every 100 feet, there was a black gas lamp pole standing there - gas was also one of the most valuable properties in the king's hands.

When Louis was a teenager, in order to reduce the chaos and crime in Paris at night, Bishop Mazarin suggested that the king implement a so-called "lantern-bearer system" - the king issued royal decrees to chambers of commerce and municipal officials, allowing them to carry out night lighting Rental services that combine lighting and protection—when a person buys their service, these strong men with a lantern with a large one-and-a-half pound candle will respectfully **** them home , so as not to encounter drunken entanglement or more terrible things, this kind of service is timed by a quarter of an hour, and the response is even better, after all, the streets of Paris at that time were named after Cutthroat Street.

  When Louis rebuilt Paris and erected the street lamps, for a short period of time, the lighting of the street lamps was still candles or grease, and the lighting time of each street lamp was eight to ten hours, which was an astonishing expenditure. Fortunately, when he bought Lorraine from the Duke of Lorraine, the wizards extracted grease and a combustible gas from coal - gas, which was no longer so embarrassing. Or rather, it turned out to be a huge income, and all the cities were looking forward to building gas plants, they were going to lay pipes, they were going to rebuild stoves, they put up street lights, and there was an endless supply of coal. Demand... In addition to Lorraine, there is also a very good coal production area in Flanders, which was defeated by Louis XIV. These are constantly filling the king's inner storehouse, and then become weapons and ships.

   "Have street lights been erected on the streets here?" Louis asked sideways.

The mayor, whose face was flushed with excitement, hurriedly replied: "Exactly, Your Majesty, Saint-Germain-en-Laye was a city of light as early as ten years ago. By your grace, you are in the Palace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye. When you look out, you can surely see a city that looks like a star-shrouded city."

   "I will," said Louis, "this is the first beauty in the world."

   Then he saw a building entirely made of white marble with a cloud pattern: "Is that a church or a chapel?"

   "Uh, sorry, Your Majesty," the mayor said with some embarrassment, "that's the branch of the Royal Bank of France here."

"Ah, it amazes me," said Louis, who was genuinely pleased, and of course for a less pious king he would have preferred to see this splendid building belong to his bank rather than to God, he noted. There seemed to be a group of Judas standing on the steps of the bank. They were also cheering and salute to the king, but they kept a clear distance from the people around them. Louis nodded, and the old Judas headed was stunned. Can't believe the king is nodding to them.

At this time, Louis has turned his eyes away. Unlike the Huguenots, the Huguenots and Catholics are enemies, but both Huguenots and Catholics will exclude and despise Judas. As king, Louis He doesn't easily expel or mutilate people for religious beliefs, but he also doesn't horrify and incomprehend most of his subjects.

   They went all the way, and they could feel the road under the horse's hooves rising slowly. Louis no longer allowed the mayor to continue to lead the horse for him. He invited the mayor to follow him on a horse, so as to ask some questions that he was more concerned about.

   Forgot to add, sorry.

   (end of this chapter)