I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 558 The Duke of Harlebull and the Duke of Montreal (Part 1)

  Mrs. Montespan's trial and execution were carried out in secret, and only a few people knew the inside story, which was one of the reasons why the king decided to refer to the "Royal Circuit", an ancient law that has not been banned.

If it were known that the king's royal wife held a black mass, desecrated corpses, tried to murder an old man and an innocent girl, and once poisoned her husband more than a decade ago - the situation of the Duke of Montreal would have become embarrassing and awkward. Embarrassed, if he was just an ordinary illegitimate child, he could still be sent away, after a few years this incident will gradually fade in people's memory with the passage of time, but he was sent to America by the king again. The Governor of Montreal went to the mainland.

Although there are seventeen governors and governors in the New World, as the sons of kings, the governors must only follow the governor of Montreal before the Sun King's glory is completely dimmed. The same is true for a prince or a viceroy - now this ancient continent is already supplying France with blood, and I think it will become richer and stronger when the population expands, agriculture develops, and industry and commerce first take shape. At that time, it was the responsibility of Auguste and the other new Frenchmen to prevent the sweet fruit of Amelica from being seized by other countries or individuals.

To this day, the notion handed down from the ancient Roman Empire is still deeply rooted, that is to see children as a branch of parents and even grandparents. A person of high moral character will inevitably have a son with immaculate morals, and a general who has been in the army for half his life will also have a son. There must be a brave and strong descendant, a frivolous person will raise a playboy, and the child of a stubborn person will inevitably be eccentric... The son of a criminal must also become a criminal.

Auguste was a good boy, but he was the only one of Louis's children who grew up with the ladies in the palace, and he had no siblings of the same age. Madame Montespan was at her best time, right. He doesn't care - the Queen Mother and the Queen certainly won't make another Duke of Gaston, or Duke of York, or Duke Don Juan, they won't make August a madman or a fool, but August Sturt is indeed more sensitive and slender than his brothers and sisters.

   In addition, I don't know if it is lucky or unfortunate, he is not a wizard.

With these premises, Louis, who had to ignore his son because he had been at war, became more concerned about Auguste—he did not conceal the crime and punishment of Madame Montespan—for such a thing could never be. Concealment, knowing from his mouth, is better than knowing from some ill-conceived people to maintain the relationship between father and son.

Auguste cried aloud in his father's arms, and then from night to dawn for several days, his eyes were red and swollen, his spirits were lethargic, and there were no secrets in Versailles - as long as the king did not stop him, then soon someone or Is it good intentions, or intentionally ask him what's wrong.

   "My mother went to the convent," said August.

August's mother is of course Mrs. Montespan. Although Mrs. Montespan can only be "Mrs.", if August, who is legally recognized as the son of the king, the Duke of Montreal can still call her mother if she wants to. of. When people heard it, they suddenly realized, and it was no wonder that Madame Montespan suddenly disappeared in Versailles. Since the birth of the royal lady, she was undoubtedly beautiful and powerful when she was favored by the king, but once the king lost interest in her, a Thoughts can drive her out of the palace.

People can only sigh, it turned out to be so beautiful, and the mighty Mrs. Montespan will disappear like a mortal without a sound... Some people say that Mrs. Montespan may make a comeback, or once again in the court of another country. Show her charisma, or wait until the Duke of Montreal has her own small court in America, and she can stand proudly above everyone as the Duke's mother, just like Lavalier, the mother of the Duke of Halepur lady.

  No one would have thought that this lady was buried in faraway Gayola after a simple funeral.

If she was buried in Paris or Versailles, when August was going to mourn her, it would definitely arouse some suspicions, after all August's blood relatives are really pitiful, and they are well documented— Mrs. Montespan still had some fanatical and loyal followers.

   However, what Montespan had fantasized about—her sudden disappearance would cause unrest or riots or something—never happened.

It didn't even make much of a splash - she never cared about powerless suitors, but powerful people didn't mind having a show when she was a royal lady, she was kicked out of Versailles and Paris and they still Why waste that effort?

As for those poets, singers, or painters who sincerely seek the favor of their muse and Venus... Unfortunately, they have no money, no physical strength, or enough stamina-the way they remember this lady is Very artistic, painting, composing, and writing poetry, but these did not even reach the king's ears except for a few sighs in salons and squares.

   The one who actually wrote a letter to comfort the king on this matter was Madame Lavalier.

  Louis read the letter and couldn't help but be amused. It was obvious that Madame Lavalier had misunderstood him, thinking that between him and Madame Montespan, perhaps later, there was a real relationship.

Although she was a werewolf, she was born with no aggressiveness, mild to cowardly, and after hearing the news of Madame Montespan's crime and death (which Prince Conti told her after obtaining the king's permission), she humbly Condemned (not contradictory) Mrs. Montespan, who had betrayed the king's trust, while begging the king not to be too sentimental for this, and not to take anger on August, who mistakenly thought that the king was going to drive August to the Montreal went to Montreal, and said that the environment in Montreal was too harsh. If the king wanted to have a son there, she could let the Duke of Halepur go to the New World instead of August. The Duke of Halepur was older than him and also stronger.

If it was another person, Louis might wonder if she had other plans, but Madame Lavalier has always followed the rules and acted in the same way in her life of almost exile for more than ten years, and never tried to cross the line drawn by the king. Boundary, you must know that when he canonized their son in Halebur, many people believed that this illegitimate son was going to become the king of the Netherlands in the future.

Over the years, there have been many people who have visited Madame Lavalier and the Duke of Hallebourg, French, British, Dutch, princes and emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, and independents from Flanders... It's a pity It is all come back without a feather.

   Her prudence and composure made Louis very satisfied.

Louis wrote back to her saying that he did not take his anger on Auguste, and that the appointment of Auguste as the Governor of Montreal was something that was decided several years ago, and it had nothing to do with Mrs. Montespan. The Duke of Le Boer, and his expectations and arrangements, did not need to change, but he hoped that the Duke of Le Boer could return to Versailles, and the two brothers could get along for a while before the Duke of Montreal left.

  Baptiste, Duke of Hallebourg, appeared in Versailles for the first time. Sadly, his coming-of-age ceremony should have been held at Versailles, but who made the Spanish War of Succession begin that year?

Before and after that year, Louis XIV and the people around him were like taut strings on an open bow. things that can be done.

Fortunately, Baptiste was never the sentimental, narrow-minded child who himself offered to simply hold a coming-of-age ceremony in the Halepur forest—like Madame Lavalier, who lacked ambition, preferring Running and howling in the woods with his people, not in a splendid suit of armor, infighting with someone he doesn't care or care about... He doesn't even care much about Louis XIV, he loves his mother, but Father - probably that is all the respect and love that young people in France have for this great majesty.

Louis had been taking the Duke of Montreal with him lately, lest some people think that the deportation of Madame Montespan would affect Auguste, and he told Augustus himself when he received a letter from Baptiste. special.

Baptiste is the only one, a brother that Auguste has not met yet. He is very familiar with the little Prince Louis, and he has also met and talked with the Duke of Colonna, but the Duke of Hallebul... He is still Hearing this name from her mother, Madame Montespan was jealous of Marie Mancini and hated Queen Teresa, but she was full of contempt and disdain for Madame Lavalier, she even called him "Female dog", Auguste suspected that it was because Madame Lavalier was the previous royal lady of Madame Montespan, and she could be regarded as her defeat.

   There may be some unwillingness in it, Auguste thought, this Madame Lavalier has been canonized, she is the Duchess of Brussels, what about Madame Montespan? Montespan was her former husband's fief...

  Thinking of seeing this brother, August couldn't help but get nervous. "Don't be afraid," Louis said softly, "He may be rude, but he's not a bad boy."

  ———

   This Duke of Harlebull... is really suitable for exchanging fiefs with the Duke of Montreal...

It turned out that it was only Madame Lavalier who thought so, and now everyone in Versailles thinks so - this duke is also in his twenties. Of course, after the duke of Colonna went to the battlefield, he also became sturdy and savage, but that kind of Brutal, due to the rudeness and the infestation of wind and frost, and the Duke of Harlepur is like a wolf who has fallen into the flock, whether it is sharp and bright eyes, white fangs, disheveled short hair, hoarseness The voice, the thin but tall and sturdy body, and the simple coat without embroidery, all seemed incompatible with the gorgeous and exquisite Versailles.

The Marquis de Lafayette, who was standing behind the king, was immediately vigilant—because he saw the little falcon’s eyes were shining brightly, and he had also vaguely heard some rumors—Madame Lavalier’s father was an officer, and he was under his command. The soldiers were a group of northerners like wild beasts. When Madame Lavalier was still at the court, she was often accused of being too masculine, not feminine enough, and too rough.

   But such disadvantages are advantages in young men, especially the daughters of Indian tribal chiefs.

  The perception of the men is just the opposite. The knights they admire are like the Duke of Orleans, that is, they should be elegant and spotless on the battlefield.

Fortunately, the king's son is destined to not need to follow the tradition. Although Louis XIV had not seen this child a few times, and it was the first time he had come into close contact with him as an adult, he was happy when he saw it, "Good boy. ," he said sincerely: "Come to me and let me take a good look at you."

   So Baptiste stepped up the royal steps, took His Majesty's hand, knelt down on one knee, and knelt at his father's feet.

   Does he have any admiration for this father? Baptiste was not sure, but as a Frenchman he loved his king dearly, and he was born with important duties, placed upon him by His Majesty, when he was an infant .

He also has to say that he has never been lazy. In the first few years of the Halebur Forest, there were Louis XIV deterrents, and there were not many people who tried to open the gap from them. When Louis XIV turned his attention to the Netherlands With Spain, and even in Italy, the ghosts and ghosts of Halebul and even the whole of Brussels have begun to move around. The werewolves can clear the withered world, but the surface world is what he and the king's defenders will hold and maintain together.

"I know." Louis said, even if the Duke of Halebur was not his son, he would reward him. Baptiste's coming-of-age ceremony was done in the forest and in the army, with the blood of the enemy and his own, but also because He went all out and was not afraid of life and death. People only saw the calmness of Flanders, but they did not care much about the undercurrents and waves hidden in the darkness.

  The king shook his hand. "There will be a banquet tonight," he said. "First let the people know you, and then we have a lot to do."

Baptiste laughed, and he glanced at the boy beside His Majesty—it should be the son of Madame Montespan and the King, the Duke of Montreal, who, like him, was a lord's child when he was a baby: "What's the matter? , Your Majesty," he could see two huge canine teeth when he laughed, and made the wizards and priests at the time worried for a while: "But as long as you tell me, I will do it."

   "Some good things," said Louie.

   (end of this chapter)