I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 367 Some trifles between the Swedes and Lorraine-Alsace (3)

Along with the man came candlelight—sorcerers and scholars had made strange things out of the asphalt, paraffin wax being one of them, because at one stage it took the shape of ointment or ointment. Beeswax, a scholar wondered whether it could be used to make candles. This successful product gave the scholar and his wizard assistant a set of precious glass test utensils and a prize of one thousand livres, and also Allowed to enter the Palace of Versailles to meet the king - Louis XIV was never stingy with his scholars and wizards, who also became more and more daring, and discovered and invented more and more things, many of which immediately became for Louis. 14. The best tool for amassing money.

Since paraffin was extracted and produced on a large scale, the price of candles has also dropped rapidly, and the behavior of nobles to show off their financial resources with all-night feasts has gradually become a thing of the past. After all, merchants with a little wealth can light it in the room Four or six candles are lit.

Because of the factories and laboratories opened here by the king, Lorraine is considered rich even for commoners, and it is not too strange to have a candle, but little Eugen smells a strange aroma, which indicates that this The candle is not an ordinary paraffin candle, but a whale wax candle, which is made of wax oil from whale head wax, which has the effect of inspiring love after lighting.

It was held by a young woman, her hair and skin a little wet, but not from the rain—she should have been bathed, balm, face, chest and arms soaked with moisture and grease, bloated and It's flexible, and it makes you want to reach out and touch it - when she came all the way, many people did.

   She put the candle on the small table by the window sill and walked towards Little Eugen, with a trace of imperceptible regret in her eyes, "I'm here to serve you, my lord." She said bluntly.

   Little Eugen sat up and looked at her.

   She paused for a while, sat down on her knees against the bedpost, then grabbed little Eugen's hand and placed it on the floppy pile. "How?" she asked teasingly.

   "Not so much," said Eugen Jr. "I stopped using a wet nurse ten years ago."

  …

  The woman purred lightly in the dark: "Little child!" she said, not very annoyed, she stood up, rearranged her clothes, put on the candle, and went out.

Little Eugene lay back on the bed without a word, the room smelled of balm besides the damp breath. This balm was different from what he smelled in Paris and Versailles. The ladies of Versailles had long been He was used to the balm of roses and jasmine. People here are still using myrrh and sandalwood powder to make balm—wait, he suddenly felt that something was wrong. The booty bought from somewhere, but no wandering girl would apply such an expensive balm - spermaceti candles are expensive, but if they are only lit for a short period of time, they will not damage them too much. For the balm to smell so strong, you have to rub it in enough!

Therefore, in the Palace of Versailles, it may not be a bad thing to grow up surrounded by noble girls. Little Eugen quickly estimated how many gold coins the wandering girl had wiped off her body - it was not enough for her to spend the night, and turned over while turning over. Get out of bed, dressed and armed.

Because the inhabitants of the village did not build multi-storey small apartment buildings like the Parisians, their houses were as before, more like a huge warehouse, and then separated by wooden boards, such a large room with hall and The kitchen, it was destined that there would not be many rooms, so the officers were scattered - little Eugen hesitated, because he didn't know if Joseph, who lived with him, had already indulged in the gentle village, but heard a soft sound. With a soft clack, he clenched his musket and turned around, seeing Joseph standing behind him, he looked at Joseph, and Joseph made a gesture, and from the still-closed door, little Eugen. Seeing a woman lying on the bed, her throat pulled wide open and blood soaking through the sheets, Joseph stepped back and pulled the sheets for her, not because of the last pity and kindness, but to prevent others from seeing at a glance. wrong place.

Little Eugen pressed down the unease that was surging in his chest, and followed the woman with Joseph—she seemed to be just an ordinary wandering girl. Not so unexpectedly, they watched her go straight to the village chief's house, where she and a man A few whispered arguments, like "child" or something - Joseph bumped little Eugen with his elbow, showing a playful look, just then they heard a suppressed shout, in the dark blue. In the sky light and the silver-white rain, several black shadows swayed, and one shadow collapsed and never rose again.

They separated two from these shadows and went to the place where little Eugen and Joseph were temporarily staying. They remembered the man who seemed to be dumb and didn't even dare to lift his head. There are three young people in this family. the guy.

  Joseph glanced at Little Eugen, and the two raised their short guns in tacit understanding.

   Gunshots sounded.

Three or four of the shadows wandering around the village chief's house were knocked down, and the two who were coming to Little Eugen bore the brunt. They fell to the ground, not dead for a while, but in pain. The wailing, the sound of gunshots and shouts that the rain could no longer cover up was like the beginning of a movement, and then there was a wave of rioting from all over the village - little Eugen and Joseph in the dark, silent, as The grandson of the Duke of Vendôme and the descendant of the Prince of Savoy, their weapons and equipment have always been the best, and they also have the short shot used by King Ludwig I of Poland against the Ottoman Grand Vizier, And not just one handle.

They ran to the room of the Count of Soissons, and when they joined him, several thugs had fallen in the place they passed - and the plans and plans of the rebels could not be said to be all wrong. From the twelfth century onwards, a When there is a war, there will be wandering girls and famous Shu who follow the army mightily, and sometimes they even outnumber the customers. When there is no war, the soldiers and officers are also happy to enjoy their comfort.

"But the travel girl I met was very skilled," Joseph said with a smile. "I wouldn't be surprised to meet such a girl in the Boulogne woods, but what is this place? Except for the carpenter, the ironworker, or the Hunters, are they here for charity?" He turned to little Eugen: "You should kill that woman, otherwise we can be more calm."

The Count of Soissons patted little Eugene on the shoulder. Unlike Joseph, little Eugene, who had been in Versailles for many years, did not have the same contempt for life as the descendants of the nobles with fiefs. The Duke of Vendôme was never a good man and a woman. Because he doesn't like an indecisive son, this grandson was brought by his side and brought up by himself. It's not surprising to have such an idea.

The Count    did not know which idea was right, but he must say that he was relieved to see that little Eugen and his mother did not have much to imagine.

"Our doctors in the army are very strict about what we enter. They can't find the opportunity to put medicine in food and drink, and they can only use wandering girls to paralyze us." The Count of Soissons said that the loss was quickly reported. Up, there were thirty-two officers, including them, and their guards, who were staying in the village. There were about a hundred people in total. Fortunately, except for one who was too brave, he ran into a raging bull. , Except for the officer who was almost stepped on into a pancake, everyone else only suffered some minor injuries.

The village chief knelt on the ground, his hunched back was even more bent, and his hands were tied behind his back, so he could only raise his head to plead—of course, in his words, he and the villagers were innocent, they were just Intimidated by the mob: "You can leave at any time, but my lord," he shouted, "we can't leave here, they say they want to take revenge on us, to kill our children, to sell our women, they are real Your soldiers, that's right, my lord! They are just like you, strong lions, we are just a bunch of lambs, how dare we go against their will!?"

   heard it, lowered his head and sneered: "You didn't look like a bunch of lambs when you stabbed that wandering girl to death."

"I don't think you care so much about your village," said the Count of Soissons. "You have prepared wine with aconitum and mandala, but because of our doctor, you know that the usual food and drink are required. After inspection, you didn't dare to take it out, so you threw out those women... But they said, they were invited here a few days ago, and you are waiting for us."

"And the wood, grease, paraffin, and felt," Joseph kicked the seemingly inconspicuous barrels and crates in the corner, "you want to wait for us to fall asleep, set fire to the house, and burn us, the wandering girl and the Let's burn the house together." But they were far more alert than the thugs imagined.

  The village chief was silent for a while: "They gave us a little money." He said dejectedly.

Little Eugen was also on the sidelines, and he didn't interject—mostly because his heart was still beating, his eyebrows were furrowed together, and the already mediocre face was so unremarkable. Even more serious and mature - he always felt that there was something he couldn't think of. When the soldiers dumped the gold coins they found on the table, he suddenly felt cold all over, and he thought of what he had missed!

Soldier!

   They brought thousands of soldiers! They were stationed on the rocky ground only a few hundred feet away from the village, and they looked down. Once they saw the fire in the village, they would immediately come to reinforce. It's the same thing when it's dawn the next day, when he jumps up from his chair: "Soldiers! Our soldiers!"

As soon as he shouted, the Count of Soissons also immediately discovered this huge loophole. As soon as he stood up, he saw the cowardly and incompetent village chief suddenly jump up from the ground. He opened his mouth wide and was covered in dirt. The teeth almost gnawed at little Eugen's throat - if little Eugen hadn't pulled out his dagger in time, the dagger crossed the village chief's face, almost splitting it in two, Joseph rushed out from the side and gave the He kicked the village chief and knocked him over.

  The village chief wailed: "Sh... Shi you killed me, Bell, Maya, my daughter, my mother... Mom, my... child...!"

  Joseph kicked him again: "I don't care who you die, tell me what you want!"

   "Go! Go to hell, French!" the village chief shouted with hatred: "You brought... the plague! But you dared to leave us! I'm going to kill... kill you!"

   "Go ask someone else," Joseph said. "This guy has too many typos in his words."

"Don't be so troublesome," Eugen said. "They can't do anything in the food, and they can't have a regulated army, so they have to use the existing terrain." He shook his head slightly as he said this. , because he remembered his mother, when the Countess of Soissons set out to return to Paris, when she was passing through a canyon.

  Rain, night, everything is so familiar.

   "I know what they're going to do!" cried little Eugen: "Let our soldiers get off that rock at once!"

Fortunately, the rain was no longer as dense as it was in the middle of the night. The soldiers were awakened from their sleep. The Count of Soissons didn't even want a tent. They quickly moved from the rocky ground to the woods below. Lighting up one by one, illuminating unknown faces, they rubbed their cheeks and searched for the enemy in confusion, "What's the matter?" they asked.

   Just when there were still one or two hundred people on the rocky ground, they suddenly felt a strange tremor under their feet, as if a giant was about to wake up. There was also the frantic screaming of the companions in the woods, but before they could understand the meaning, their bodies tilted to one side uncontrollably-a soldier watched the scenery in front of him change rapidly, He was clearly not sitting on a horse or staying in a carriage, but he was moving at a fast speed, and everyone around him staggered and fell, desperately trying to grab something to stabilize his body.

   He heard the whistling wind, and suddenly, he understood - not they were moving, but the ground beneath them!

   Together with this mountain, they fell directly into the deep valley.

  ———

A total of ninety-eight people lost their lives, even the wizards could not save them. Their bodies were incomplete. Facing the bloodstains and unnatural bumps on the white linen, the Count of Soissons turned his head to look at The village chief, "You are also ready."

This rocky ground is like a tongue sticking out. It is not uncommon in the mountains. The place where it connects with the mountain is sometimes strong and sometimes very fragile. I don’t know if the people in the village got the gunpowder or if its lifespan is indeed over. At the end, it was set up as a murder trap - the villagers propped up a huge log under the rock, but like some city gate stone bars, the bottom of the log was sharpened and would fall over if it was struck. , the rock that loses its support, plus the excess weight, will collapse as before.

   Even if they can't kill all the soldiers, the thugs can get a chance to escape.

   Needless to say what happened next, the dead soldiers turned to ashes in the flames - they should not be happy to stay in this strange and hostile place. The priest who accompanied the army performed the sacrament of death for the deceased. May they ascend to heaven as soon as possible and sit side by side with the angel saint. As for the villagers, in order to paralyze the French, some women and children were left among them, and the Count of Soissons stared at the children for a while - there were no babies among them, and most of the children had already remembered. He looked around, The village is on the river, but there are no boats. But even if there is, the children will not know how to drive a boat - at this time, all the technical professions are passed down from father to son, from son to grandson, not to mention sailing, even if it is to deliver letters on foot, there are special messengers, not anyone. Can do anything.

He brought up the guide, the village chief, and the men who participated in the riot, and executed them for treason—that is to say, cut off their limbs, then hang them, in the blood and mourning, all the villagers, and the wandering girls, All but the children were hanged from the trees one by one, their children biting their fingers numbly and watching them kick their feet - the priest wrote their guilt on the board and hung it around the neck of the dead , which is also a warning and a threat.

For these children... "It depends on whether God is willing to forgive you." The Count of Soissons said that the village is very small and hidden. If there is no map and guide, they may not be able to find it. Depending on the situation, they and There is also very little communication with the outside world. Those good things such as wandering girls and wine are brought by those who have ulterior motives, but after tortured and tortured a few people, they went to the agreed place, and the building was already empty. , it seems that these villagers are just discarded chess pieces that they have used.

Without adults, boats, and horses, it is not easy for these children, the oldest to be in their early ten years, to walk to the next village on their own. This time is different from hundreds of years later. Only the leading army can travel long distances in the wilderness. There are wild beasts in the woods, swift currents in the rivers, and people. People are sometimes more dangerous than the first two.

Of course they can stay here, but since the villagers have decided to abandon their villages, why should the French have pity on them? The Count of Soissons finally glanced at the group of children, nodded, and the soldiers went out on their horses , set the house on fire.

They continued their journey downstream, quickly leaving behind the charred village and the pair of resentful eyes. This is the price every powerful country must pay, but the Count of Soissons became more careful. Fortunately, the more Approaching their destination, they can clearly feel that the air is no longer so tight or weird - the villagers are either attentive or alert, but they all show "Although I don't like you, but still Willing to flatter or deal with you" means.

"Because the closer it is to King Town," a town that developed rapidly because of the glass industry, the supervisor who managed it didn't think too much about it, so he named it King Town, "those who receive the grace and protection there will be The more," Joseph said.

Little Eugen silently looked at the town where he could faintly see the shadow. He said it was a town, but it was more like a new city. It was hidden between the peaks, with tall chimneys standing up, even higher than the city walls. It is said that, The population there has exceeded 5,000 people. The food, drink, entertainment and daily necessities of 5,000 people are enough to support the industries of the surrounding villages and towns, not to mention that they need people nearby to do some piecemeal and lengthy work for them.

   "But there are also people here who have been expelled or killed because of that incident."

"You're talking about the great rebellion that the Duke of Orleans encountered in Lorraine?" said Joseph. He was the grandson of the Duke of Vendome. Of course, the Duke of Vendome would have told him about this in detail. Accidentally, Joseph, as a member of the Bourbon family, who is closely related to the king, may also be sent to the newly occupied or colony to be the governor, so he may know more than the Duchess of Montpensier. There are even more women: "Of course the plague was not brought by the Duke of Orleans."

   "Do you think I'm a fool?" Little Eugen glared at him. Lorraine was not conquered by military force, but sold to Louis XIV by the Duke of Lorraine at that time, and the Duke of Orleans did not need to use this means to weaken the local people: "They should be self-defeating - the plague is pointing to Orleans Duke, he is the victim."

"But there are always people who believe in these nonsense," said Joseph, "and the Duke of Orleans was the first to see that something was wrong and to take measures in time, and he and his soldiers were able to return to Paris safely only because he was willing to believe in medicine and science."

   "Don't those people believe it?"

"They thought that the Duke of Orleans had a holy thing that would save him from the plague, so they gathered in front of his castle, they were the sinners who brought the plague to the innocent and the healthy, but at that time they only thought that the king The younger brother is cursing them, the plague will only get worse, but," Joseph made a big circle, "there were probably tens of thousands of people gathered together at that time, they drank water in a stream, bathed and defeated, and ate in a pot. How can you not let the disease spread when you sleep in a blanket? Maybe someone will warn them and discourage them, but they wholeheartedly believe that as long as there is a holy object, even a person who is about to rot can be alive in an instant. ."

   "Some people say that the Duke of Orleans later drove these people into the Holy Roman Empire to get revenge on them."

   "This is really embarrassing," Joseph said, holding his face. "While swearing that the French brought the plague, he said that the Duke's actions were revenge. Only the victims can say that they are revenge."

   "Many people cursed him." Little Eugen remembered that when he was still on his mother's lap, he had heard Leopold I curse the Duke of Orleans, and he didn't know who it was at that time. At that time, the plague swept several cities. Although it was still a long way from Austria, the Elector of Saxony and Leopold I quarreled for a long time - of course, he was not completely innocent, without the permission of the elector , how could the plague suddenly break out in Lorraine inexplicably?

  Lorraine is not a port city, nor is it a central area. Because it is mountainous and forested, and the population is not dense, it is too unreasonable for a sudden outbreak of disease.

"Then what are you thinking? Thinking that the Duke of Orleans shouldn't have done this?" Joseph asked, not angry. Compared to him, Eugene was a first-time soldier, and he had been at the court-Suva before. Growing up in Song and Versailles, he was very gentle like a prince, and it was not surprising that he would feel compassion for the hatred that had lasted for twenty years.

"No," said little Eugen, "if it were me, I would do the same. Those infected with the plague, staying in Lorraine will only spread the disease further. The tax agreed between the king and the duke of Lorraine is Fixed, even if Lorraine became a dead place, the king gave the Duke of Lorraine that amount every year, and if Lorraine didn't pay enough taxes, the royal family might be dragged down by this huge number, so things would eventually become It's hard to say what it looks like, maybe when the Duke of Lorraine's brother came back, our army was completely powerless to resist - it was just an empty end. And," said little Eugen, "they hated the wrong person," he paused. : "But maybe they don't care if their hatred is right or not, as long as they resist the French, they can get money, just like the people here," he looked around: "They live on the French, they won't Break your own plate."

   "That's right," said Joseph, "that's it, my good sir, the dead are never better than the living."

   The addition is complete!

   (end of this chapter)