I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 514 God's Will (Part 2)

   "It's a bit Spanish." Louis XIV whispered.

   "What?" Little Eugen asked suspiciously.

What Louis XIV meant was that although chivalrous literature sprouted in France, it was undeniable that it was Spain that carried it forward. People would laugh when they read the novel Don Quixote written by Cervantes. If you have a heart, you can see that Don Quixote, though insane and absurd, acted in accordance with the eight virtues of knighthood—humility, integrity, mercy, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, and soul (that is, piety and Faith), he has never done any errands on this road, he has always maintained a fearless spirit, adhered to his belief in justice, never wavered his loyalty to his wife, and never faced a "powerful" enemy. There was a slight retreat.

In fact, in the second part, it's hard to say whether Don Quixote's enemies are imaginary windmill giants, magicians, devils, or the boring pair. Take Don Quixote, this one is about to get old but still Good people with a hot and pure heart come to play tricks, the duchess and their accomplices to pass the time.

Don Quixote was completed fifty years ago, but it can be seen from this that the author Cervantes did not regard chivalry as "backward" and should be "abandoned", on the contrary, in Spain this gilt bronze When the lion is gradually fading from its brilliance - just like the world he describes in his book, a world that no longer respects chivalry, every time he writes, he is shouting, praying that the Spaniards can be like the one in his book. Like Don Quixote, he raised his spear again, mounted his horse, picked up their confidence and courage, and once again pushed Spain to the top of the world.

It is a pity that fifty years ago, no, after Charles V, the Spanish nobles were like the duchesses in his book, frivolous, cowardly, indulging in the glory of the past, and they not only willingly chaotic Live and hope that others will do the same, as if they don't pay attention to the outside world, their world can be eternal.

   This is good for Bourbon, but not for Spain.

In order to study the Spaniards, Louis XIV had of course read the somewhat rebellious "Don Quixote" carefully, so that when he heard little Eugen say this, he subconsciously thought that in the sixteenth century it was still very The prevailing "knightly love", embodied in the love between the heroic young knight and the married lady he admires, who may not have spent their entire lives in intimacy (nor advocating) more than kissing fingers, but more often only Looking at each other, the ladies will give the knights wine glasses, rings or intimate clothing. The knights claim to fight for a certain lady at the tournament. They may also swear to protect the husband and relatives of the lady, and even their descendants, or do something noble, and keep the promise till death.

It's just that this kind of behavior has gradually changed its taste with the passage of time. The "sublime love" between knights and noble girls has finally turned into a despicable act of chasing after the bed. Now it is hard to see a certain man To love a woman so passionately and firmly, even in marriage, is full of the stench of money and the desire for power.

Little Eugen has a sincere love for the big county master, but he may be out of inferiority It's not love, this feeling has not blossomed - but little Eugen did not let this feeling wither and rot in the dark, but sublimated it into another more sublime existence...

   is also more difficult and painful.

At this time, Louis XIV didn't know that little Eugen really used his life to fulfill his promise as he swore. After all, little Eugen was still a young man under twenty years old, and children who had not yet been contaminated by the filth of the world always had some orders. The innocence of pity. The grand princess is now the crown princess of Prussia. If little Eugen gets his permission, he will stay in Spain and guard by Carlos III, thousands of miles away, no matter how hot the emotion will slowly fade and disappear. , until then, he will instruct Queen Teresa, or the Queen Mother, to choose a suitable wife for little Eugen.

   After all, he is also the child that Louis XIV watched grow up, and he is also a relative of Marie Mancini.

   "Let me think again," said Louis XIV. "I still wish you could go back to Versailles."

"If you need me, you can call me back at any time." Little Eugen said, "I am your child, Your Majesty. If you say something presumptuous, His Royal Highness Charles is like my younger brother, and I will guard outside his bedroom. , and spend each night bright and radiant."

Louis XIV understood what Eugen meant. Even if Charles successfully ascended the throne in Toledo and the Spanish people recognized Carlos III, opponents and radicals would never be absent. In the court, the court, and the army, Louis XIV must split a part from his own political and economic system to help his second son, but also so as not to follow the footsteps of the Spanish-Habsburgs - the power of the nobility will be limited, the decree of decay The traditions will be abolished, and the officials of the vegetarian meal will be dismissed... What will happen to these people who have lost their original interests, Louis XIV knows all too well.

In the tradition of Europa, it is normal for a general who has conquered a new territory to become a governor or an important agent. First, because the people of the conquered land will inevitably be overwhelmed by his power, and second, he At least you are more familiar with the new territory than others, and you will not be fooled and deceived by the locals.

Just as the Thirteen Knights of Santiago complained, if Eugen wanted to stay by Carlos III's side, they would have to face a colleague who had seen them the most embarrassed and unbearable, facing a colleague who had been so thorough. Having defeated their enemies in a ruthless way, it is difficult for anyone to brazenly pretend that nothing happened, so that whether they want to manipulate the young Carlos III, or restrain the French officials, they will be afraid.

Not to mention little Eugen, even the Duke of Luxembourg, Louis XIV, had the intention to let him stay with Carlos III, but... no one would think that the old palace of Toledo, or the new palace of Madrid, can be compared with Versailles , the Duke of Luxembourg had always maintained an estranged and indifferent relationship with Louis XIV because of the Grand Condé, and it was no surprise that he was sent to Madrid from afar, but Eugene the Younger - at the end of the battle After that, no one will see him as a child again.

  Louis XIV left Eugen the Younger in Spain, and some would think he was exiled by the king of France.

  Little Eugen misunderstood Louis XIV's silence. After hesitating for a moment, he said: "If you think it is necessary, I can also imitate Viscount Turenne..."

   "Stop talking nonsense." That's two different things. Louis endured it and didn't say it. It would hurt the child too much.

  Viscount Turenne's age is actually quite unfit to be the governor of such an important region as North Holland, but Louis XIV, why did he insist on going there himself? Is this still because Viscount Turenne is a descendant of the Orange family in terms of maternal blood? Charles II of England used William III of the Orange family to recruit and coerce the supporters of the Orange family, France Louis XIV of course could also use Viscount Turenne to divide and dismember them. As expected by Louis XIV, even if someone in the Netherlands now calls on the Dutch to rebel against the French in the name of the last male heir of Orange, William III, it has never been able to form a scale because of Viscount Turenne.

Viscount Turenne is the grandson of the Orange family, but he is better than a disciple of Prince Maurice, a generation of military geniuses admired by the Dutch. Back in France, he is now back in the Netherlands, and there are still many officers who remember the grandson of "Silent William" (the first Prince of Orange) and the nephew of Maurice.

Viscount Turenne was originally a gentle, kind, and polite person. In North Holland, he did not need to violate his conscience and ruled cruelly over the people of his mother's line. When he was in the three provinces of French Holland, even if he never stopped Hunted down and tried the rebels, but among the common people he had such a good reputation that people called him the Turenne of Holland, or the Orange of France.

Little Eugen said this on purpose, like Viscount Turenne, as "the illegitimate son of Leopold I", to appease and control the pro-Habsburg faction in Spain, with some innocent and romantic meaning, Louis X Four didn't even have the heart to tell him explicitly that it was not feasible... Europa's illegitimate children were born with more faults than the average person, especially if they intended to meddle in the power of legitimate children - illegitimate children are not without outstanding talents , like the Duke of Vendôme - he was able to fight against Louis XIII and Bishop Richelieu for many years, and finally retreated without losing his title or territory. You can see how smart he is. However, such a person still wants his son to marry a commoner woman (the Mancini family is not a noble), just because she is the blood relative of the bishop of Mazarin and the sister of the royal lady, and he has to put his weight on himself. Wang's grandson entered the king's military school, the army, and fought for the king, in order to pass on the authority in his hand.

Again like the Duke of Don Juan of Spain - who, by the way, was trapped in Madrid and still hesitating to surrender to Louis XIV - he was also a great general, although captured at the Battle of Dunkirk. A good lord, but in any case, he will take off his hat and kneel in front of Carlos II, a deformed child and a madman, to pay tribute to him, to pay tribute to him.

   He had ruled Spain for many years as regent, but no one, not even himself, had ever thought of taking his place.

As for the nobles and officials, as well as the illegitimate children of the bishops, there are even more. They are in a better situation now. After all, the government and the colonies need a lot of new blood to replenish, but in the future, their situation is only better than Servants are better than serfs, and even fall into the latter after their biological father dies and their half-brother comes to power.

Today, although the situation of illegitimate children being arranged as government employees, priests or sergeants is much more than before, they are still discriminated against at the political level, at the marriage level, and even at the interpersonal level. Sometimes discrimination is not bad. More often they are simply ignored.

Little Eugen was also raised in the name of Queen Teresa, and was valued and loved by Louis XIV, so he never received cold treatment from insiders. Not only will he not be able to help as Viscount Turenne's Orange bloodline, but it will put him in a miserable situation. His right to speak will not be strengthened, only weakened - an illegitimate child... Right, even if Leopold I didn't have children in wedlock, and he didn't have any rights at all, not to mention that Leopold I didn't even recognize him legally.

  Fortunately, Louis XIV did not need to end with him too clearly, and little Eugen was still willing to obey the persuasion or order of the king and his "father".

   "When we get to Toledo," said Louis XIV, "we will decide the matter."

  ————

   "The Duke of Don Juan of Madrid has decided to surrender." The priest handed a secret letter to the Archbishop of Toledo.

In fact, it doesn't matter whether it is a secret letter or not. The large-scale resistance brought about by the strong hostility that Archbishop Toledo originally expected because of his belief and personal interests failed to make waves. There were conflicts between Protestants (Huguenots) and Catholics, and even caused many civil wars. The King of France was very vigilant about these problems from the beginning, and his generals did not mistakenly step into the trap they set.

As for the lords and nobles who held one place—they saw the fate of the French, and of course they were unwilling to capture them, but the Spanish phalanx they relied on already had 70, 80, or even 90 percent of them. The proportion of arquebusiers is still unable to compete with the French who already have a "hot weapons war" mentality and fighting style.

There are many young men in the French generals, but they are not at all impatient and reckless as young men should be, thanks to the teaching and drills they received in the military school - they are steady, echoing each other, step by step. It devoured most of Castile, as well as the seas and ports from the Costa Blanca to the Citrus Blossoms, and the cities, mountains and fields that spread out from Catalonia.

If Louis XIV's army is a flame, then the Archbishop of Toledo can probably already see that the old sheepskin map of Spain has been charred black everywhere, only a little bit, such as Toledo, it is still blank of. ,

   (end of this chapter)