I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 449 Before the war - Catalonia (below)

Although the visitor was dressed in a typical Versailles dress, the details, such as the red hat Christina saw, the shiny golden tassels hanging from the cloak, the cuffed boots and the black waistcoat, were too lace. Shirts with lace can still be seen to be different from other nobles - but as I said before, in Versailles, I don't know how many people come to see the king, even if Catalans account for the proportion of France. Not much, but they were equally blessed by the king, and it was normal for them to come to see and thank them.

   But today's gentleman, his real name does not match the identity he uses.

In fact, it doesn't stop there. The original owner of this identity was an officer who was originally a Catalan herdsman - many of the Catalans living in the Pyrenees were farmers and herdsmen, or engaged in Merchants of cattle and sheep, cheese, butter and other dairy products trade, the strong sunlight in the Pyrenees makes their skin rough and black, and their long life in the wild makes their demeanor brighter and louder.

This gentleman looks more like a pampered man, his skin is almost as white as the gentlemen of Versailles, and he is also gentle and well behaved in his walks and manners. The only thing that makes people feel a little different is that he has A pair of falcon-like eyes. In contrast, his face is easily reminiscent of the saint's attendant in the icon painting, gentle and mediocre, but unfortunately a slender black beard hangs over his lips, like a ruthless man falling on white paper. With a ruthless stroke, a dangerous aura appeared on his face.

"Let us hear your surname again," said Louis XIV. "Tamalet, alas, Francisco de Tamalet, this venerable gentleman who led the great Catalan In the uprising, he fought bravely, and even the Prince of Grand Kongdai praised him."

   "Yes, that is my father," said the visitor proudly. "It's a pity that at that time he had to face two enemies, Spain, and France."

   "This is a bit arrogant," said Louis. "So now you Catalans are going to continue to face two enemies?"

"We can't, Your Majesty," the visitor bowed, "my father died in '66, and I, Your Majesty, we don't have any good military generals here, we lack food and clothing, weapons, horses, and money. , with empty hands."

"Then what else do you have, although I have everything, I never blindly exercise mercy, and everything I give is fully rewarded." Louis rubbed the ring on his finger: "The Catalans are Excellent businessman, I have often heard this, and since this is the case, you should know that empty slogans and promises cannot impress me."

   "We have courage and determination." Mr. Tamarit said calmly: "And our loyalty, we are willing to make your second son the count of Barcelona and the master of Spain."

Louis smiled: "These are not enough. I inherited the title and territory of the count of Barcelona from my father, Louis XIII, and Charles should inherit it as a matter of course. Who Spain belongs to is not what you said, if I fail , not much, if I win," he looked down at Tamalet slightly: "France also has Brittany, Lorraine and Alsace, and now Flanders and North Holland, don't you think Can Catalonia be an exception?"

"You accept my interview, which means that you must have a place for us on your chessboard," Tamarit was not discouraged: "And as long as you are willing to give us as Bretons or Pyrenees The treatment of our compatriots, we are very willing to accept French rule.”

"I do have such a plan, but I'm not sure if you still have 39 years of strength and courage," Louis said, "but it's pointless to say that, you say your people are starving, there is no way The leader of the letter, lack of armament and food, I can give you all these, but before that..."

"Before…"

"I want Roussillon," said Louis; "I can first give you a reward, or you can consider it an interest-free loan, and you can take it to my merchants, and they will give you what you need. , but in return, you must first drive out the Spanish garrison in Roussillon, and open the gate to Spain for me, when my feet are on the red land of Roussillon, you can feel the generosity of a king already."

"You are already very generous." Tamarit sighed in relief, the Catalans have been reduced to the lowest level of hell, they have asked for very little, he paused, and put some of the following The problem is swallowed back. After all, they have too few chips. Just like the king of France said, they have no bargaining power.

After   Tamalet had withdrawn, the Duke of Orleans came out.

"elder brother."

  Louis turned his head and looked at the duke, his brother, with a complicated expression.

"Do you remember?"

"what?"

   "The first time..."

"Ah, Your Majesty, I will never forget." The Duke of Orleans said that in his 40 years of life, he had been tempted countless times, but the most and the strongest was the attraction of the throne. He tortured him every late night, but no matter that time, he held on strong - he remembered his promise, and the king also remembered that the king was able to endure the suspicion that a king must have, and put him in the general. Even in the position of marshal, let him lead the army, gallop on the battlefield, and let him express his opinions arbitrarily in the court and interfere in the affairs of the state - can't he respond to his brother's trust?

Therefore, as soon as Louis mentioned the first time, he immediately thought that what Louis was talking about was the first time he let the Duke of Orleans stay in his chamber. He clearly remembered that the ministers and generals who were present met first. Lu was shocked, and then most people showed disapproval. England once had Richard III, and France also had the Duke of Gaston. The Queen Mother and the Bishop of Mazarin did not hesitate to make the Duke of Orleans a " girl".

   It was the brother who saved him, preventing him from growing into a monster like a twisted sapling.

   "Then I'll say it again now, I need you, brother."

   "I'm always at your command."

   "Go to Roussillon."

Let the Duke of Orleans go to Roussillon. As the vanguard and messenger of the French king, Louis has also considered it for a long time. He has many generals, but there are not many who can convince the Catalans. After all, Catalonia is also It can be said to be part of the Spanish royal family. During the 1939 uprising, the Republic of Catalonia was also established. You can see that Mr. Tamalet. They are still wary of France. From his people, the Catalans are not yet within the scope of his compassion - he will undoubtedly be the latter when he chooses the victim, and in this case, the Catalans need a leader in name, in essence But it needs a hostage.

If Ciel is an adult, Louis would really consider letting Ciel take on this important task - the crown is bright, but its weight should not be underestimated. Since Ciel will become the king of Spain, if he becomes a Catalan The rulers that the Ronians recognize is simply a good thing that kills two birds with one stone - the problem is that the current Shire is just a toddler.

  If the Grand Condé is still there, he is of course the most suitable as the **** of war of the Bourbon family, but he is already Ludwig I of Poland...

  Prince Conti is also a Bourbon, but he...is a good enough messenger, but if he wants to go to the battlefield...Louis doesn't want to be accused of poisoning blood relatives for the time being.

The Duke of Orleans has become the best candidate in this way, but I have to say that this matter may be more dangerous than the previous trip to Lorraine, and even more unpredictable than the battle of France and Holland. Unfamiliar land, Strange soldiers, strange people, you can only see eager eyes, drooping heads and humble knees, but like Caesar who died under Pompeii, when a man kneels down to hold your clothes, maybe Not for pleading, but with a sinister malice.

Not to mention, from the very beginning, Louis deliberately used Roussillon as a breakthrough point. Roussillon connected France and Spain, and faced the Mediterranean Sea. When the French army launched an attack, he could do both, but what he could see, Leopold I and It's impossible not to see the Spanish anti-French coalition, and they're getting more and more pressing for Catalonia, maybe for that reason.

   But if the Catalans can meet the demands of Louis XIV, it will greatly reduce the pressure on Louis XIV. After all, at the beginning of the war, France will never face only Spain as an enemy.

"What are you worried about?" The Duke of Orleans turned around, knelt before his brother, raised his head and looked at him: "Under your light, your army and I will be invincible, and God will bless you and me. Yes, like every time before."

"Wait until Marie (the lord of the county) arrives in Prussia, and then you can go." Because France and Prussia do not have a border, the French can always send the lord of the county to the Prussian border. Louis once married his daughter, and he also Do not want to take away the power of the Duke of Orleans.

   "That's what I thought," said the Duke of Orleans. "As soon as I leave Versailles, I will set off quietly for Languedoc and then to Roussillon."

   "Wait, I didn't think so..."

"This is a rare opportunity," said the Duke of Orleans. "The Austrians and the Spaniards often laugh at us for spoiling our children. You have married me, and they must think so of me, and they must be watching you. Every general and marshal so we can catch them off guard."

   "But the big princess..."

   "I'm not you." The Duke of Orleans spoke to his brother in a rare schadenfreude tone: "I'm just a prince, duke, and it's easy for me to leave France."

   (end of this chapter)