I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 509 San Diego (6)

Derig was about to lead a surprise blow to the French at once. He hesitated to take Pippin, but his friend said he could take care of the spy. Derig certainly believed him. , so he left Leon with his soldiers, while his friend stayed with Pippin.

Less than a day after Derig's departure, his friend opened Pippin's shackles, and while Pippin was still confused and terrified, he asked bluntly: "If you are a French spy, do you have any How to get in touch with the French generals?"

   Pippin's eyes widened.

You can say a person is French, or Spanish, or Dutch, or Catholic, Protestant, or pagan, or you can say that he is a gentleman, or a lady, or an old man, or is a child, but the only certainty is that there must be different individuals in any one category.

Derig was a stubborn member of the Habsburg faction, and it stands to reason that his friends are too, but this knight is different from Derig, his ancestors did come from the suburbs of Vienna, but at this time, He was more open-minded than his father or uncle, and to Pippin's surprise, he proposed to Pippin that he should be a broker to persuade the young French general, Eugene Savoy the Younger.

Pippin, of course, willingly obeyed, and could not ask for it. With the help of the guards, he easily escaped from Leon, and with a few pesos returned to him by the knight, he bought a nearby herdsman and sent him to a place close enough to the French army— He also honestly fulfilled his promise, perhaps because he was worried that even without him, this "knight master" would find other ways to connect with the French - he truthfully told little Eugen what had happened to him, and Some rumors he saw and heard.

It is not surprising at all that the so-called "Holy Army" was established in the city of Leon under the instigation of people with intentions. They were all composed of city residents and pilgrims, nominally to defend the tomb of St. James, but except for those who were Everyone except the fooled believers knew what was going on. For example, those big families in the city, or wealthy businessmen, either fled long ago, or stuck in their own fortresses and did not have any communication with the outside world.

In the far east, there is a saying that there is a boom, then decline, and three exhaustions. The same is true for Leon. At first, the Knights of Santiago used the saints to show holy signs to call believers to fight for their beliefs. With so many people gathered, they didn't even close the city gate with earth and stone as before, and were obviously ready to fight a tragic religious war - but not as they expected, the young but not arrogant little Eugen was there. After carefully weighing the situation on both sides, he let go of the aggressive edge and adopted another attack method that made others seem cowardly but very effective.

   He doesn't seem to care what people say, or whether Louis XIV will be disappointed.

   Little Eugen could hardly help laughing when he heard Pippin say that the San Diego Cavaliers invited him to a "dignified" "Battle". The Lord Knight could see it clearly, but what he proposed - using the lives of civilians and soldiers to forge each other's honor and achievements, little Eugen can't do it, even if his morals allow - this kind of behavior is not acceptable. Only a hundred years ago, when the upper and lower classes were clearly defined and insurmountable, to put it simply, in the past wars, soldiers were either employed professionals or ignorant civilians. One thing is unanimous, and that is that they don't care, they don't care what the war is about, and why they fight - they're here, either for pay or for service, either insensitive or indifferent and vicious.

   This is also the reason why many times, even the king's army suddenly collapses because of insufficient wages, or when it is harvesting season, or even just because the weather is hot or cold.

But Louis XIV had a standing army of hundreds of thousands. These soldiers were all from the people who were loyal to him. They could read and educate in the army. Not only could they understand the commander's Intentions, but also clearly know who he is fighting for and what purpose he is fighting for.

  Louis XIV promised them that after this battle, France would be at least a hundred years of peace.

This means that their sons, grandsons, and even great-grandchildren will not go to war, nor will they worry about carrying a heavy war tax, even if Louis XIV, their Sun King, returns to heaven and sits with saints, France Later kings can still abide by this promise - after all, after making Spain the possession of the Bourbon royal family, unless France has ambitions to become the second Rome, it will not risk the world to launch foreign wars again.

Soldiers like this, no matter who the commander of this army is, will not foolishly consume them for the so-called "honor of knighthood" and "merit", what's more, there are many small Eugens here. Classmate, the Duke of Luxembourg is always watching him, and if he goes mad, they will gladly send him to the battlefield and become the first victim.

Little Eugen didn't even want to reply to this person. Luckily Pippin returned to the hospital, where he saw a group of Spaniards a few days later - the same people that Derig took to raid the French military warehouse, they and Pippin As lucky as Ping, the soldiers and officers who acted with them fell into the traps the French had prepared for a long time, almost no one in ten, even Derig died in the flames and explosions, he did not even see A face that belongs to the French.

   There were also many Leonians among the captives. They begged Little Eugen to allow them to write back and ask the family to pay the ransom to bring them back. Little Eugen agreed, but not for the ransom. Sure enough, their letter made the people in Leon feel a burst of depression and despair that could not be shaken away, and so did Derig's friends. The French refused his request, which means that the commander did not want to be like "Don Quixote." "As he performed on this stage, he took the audience's seat and watched them stumbling over starvation—already pilgrims had begun storming the mansions of the city's nobles and rich, and they wanted to eat and drink, but the city's bread was not. The room and hotel closed ten days ago.

The French have not been without action these few weeks, they are continuing to penetrate the heart of the Castile region, leaving only two well-fired companies to hold the main road, and they have built the fort with skill and speed. And the road - since the French army never looted and paid the locals for hard labor, they had no trouble doing it.

Although the Castile region is the territory of the Anti-French Alliance, for the common people who can only have a bite of bread for a day of farming, the so-called piety, orthodoxy or something else, they are not too big. They are afraid of heavy taxes, afraid of soldiers taking their cattle, money and daughters, afraid of being forced to go to war, if those "enemies" had not been like this and showed great strength, they would have been like lambs Generally docile.

  As far as Eugene knew, they were only at Mass, complaining a little about how the French should not treat devout pilgrims like this. However, they knew from the newspapers and publications that the food that could last for several months was stored in the city of Leon, which would not cause a famine at all, and they were naturally at ease.

   Is there so much food in the city of Leon? Yes, but they are all owned by the military or by "private", not individuals, but officials, families and generals, and the Knights of Santiago. Of course they could take out wheat and potatoes to quell the panic, but then what? Standing and attacking are two different things. You can convince some people to guard the tombs of saints and the birthplace of the Knights, but how can you get them to escape the shelter of the city walls and open their arms to the roaring artillery and guns?

Some people had to take out the reserve, but it only lasted for less than a week. Mierez, Oviedo, and Avilés above Leon were captured by the Duke of Luxembourg or forced to surrender. After Benavente below Leon was occupied by the army of Little Eugen, Leon was an isolated city, and there was no possibility of getting assistance. After several considerations, the Santiago Knights in Leon City finally lowered their proud heads. Surrender to the French.

However, because of the irreplaceable particularity of the Knights of Santiago, they could only surrender to Carlos III, Prince Charles, the second son of Louis XIV. At this time, it was late autumn, and the French offensive slowed down and devoured them before they began to stabilize. territory - mainly for harvesting mature crops - potatoes, wheat and beans, etc.

Of course, the French would not just let these "Knights" go to Barcelona to meet the king, so Eugene was appointed by the Duke of Luxembourg as a messenger and supervisor, responsible for bringing these knights to the king, and Leon was dealing with them. The little Eugen of those pilgrims was willing to take a break from those scattered and tedious affairs, and he also missed His Majesty the King and his friends very much, although he did not know how many he would meet in Barcelona.

  —————

The members of the Knights of Santiago were farther away from Leon and closer to Catalonia, the more silent they became. Of course, they were all occupied by the French along the way - they were all soldiers, at least from a family of soldiers. From their background, they have seen, heard and even experienced the various devastations left by the war. In order to weaken the enemy and inspire the soldiers, post-war looting and immoral behavior have always been tacitly accepted, and it is not impossible to be encouraged. But this situation is not allowed in the French army.

"It must be said," Little Eugen replied to them: "It's probably like not letting captive beasts taste blood." But there are not always some innocent people who think that human emotions, concepts and The moral bottom line will be like a valve. It will be closed when it needs to be closed, and it will be opened when it needs to be opened. When a cruel soldier returns home, he will become gentle and kind, and he will obey his orders - how is it possible! Even a bloodhound who has tasted flesh and blood will covet its master's throat, let alone a more cruel and fickle human?

In the past army, kings and generals would try to use religion and belief to heal the thorns on the souls of soldiers. Now the French army, under the reform of Louis XIV, regards laws and military orders as shackles on the body and soul, This shackle protects the unfamiliar civilians as well as themselves, keeping them human rather than a beast.

   But such a change requires the monarch to suffer losses, just like the Knights of Santiago slowly know that the French army's salaries are extremely rich and closely monitored, to what extent? Any soldier who has been unfairly treated in terms of pay or other due treatment can go directly to the Palace of Versailles and seek help from His Majesty the King.

It's hard to imagine, but it's the truth, not only the king, but Louis XIV also demanded that all the dignitaries who have a room in the Palace of Versailles, whether walking on the road, in a restaurant, or in the room of a famous concubine, Whenever a soldier complains loudly, he must immediately return to the palace and report to the king on his behalf.

Under this kind of draconian decree, there are very few people who dare to embezzle the soldiers' salaries or provide inferior armaments. Even if there are, they will be exposed by the soldiers. In this way, not only will all property be confiscated, but even the few tortures that exist in France are prepared for them.

   (end of this chapter)