I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 60 The King's Marriage is brought up for the first time

Sebastian's audience was unusually short, not because the king was reluctant to talk to the young man he valued, but because Vauban was seriously injured at this time - when he left Condé, he was shocked. When the Spaniards came to meet them, one of the counts of Prince Condé's side insisted that the traitor be executed, while the other count felt that he should be forgiven - the young man was brave and he could be said to have sternly rebuked Condé. On behalf of the prince, because at this time the Spaniards and the French were enemies.

The final decision was made by Prince Condé, who released Sebatisian, saying that he did not want to see such a good young man die, and he also knew that there were many people in his army who were inclined to the king, But as long as they remained loyal to him, he was willing to be lenient, but before Sebastian left, the count who insisted on his execution proposed a duel with him, in which Sebastian was killed. The sword pierced through his shoulders, almost dying.

   "Then how did you travel fifty leagues to Versailles?" asked the king.

"This is to thank the honorable gentleman." Sebastian said, although he was injured, his voice was still very loud, more energetic than a healthy person, "He became my assistant. , after I fell he fought two fierce enemies at the same time, and won, and after that he had the doctor wrap my wounds and gave me a horse," he said, bowing to the king, "I would also like to thank you for the Queen Mother's Cross that you erected along the way. As long as I rest under it, no one dares to steal or rob my horse, and there are even people who are willing to give me something to eat."

   "Speaking of which, their condition is not bad." The king said sharply.

   "Yes," said Sebastian, "there are people in towns and villages, and potatoes are grown in many places, sire, even in the hills and swamps."

   "Ah, can you spot a potato?"

   "I'm sorry to say," Sebastian said, "Your Majesty, my heart is like an arrow. Although the earl gave me a bag full of Ecu, I hardly touched the money in it."

"It's not your fault," said the king; "your decision is right, sir, I am glad to see you, and your return is more pleasing to me than a legion, and tell me that you are willing to serve me of."

   "Of course, Your Majesty, without a doubt."

   "Then you are mine... Yes, last time you told me that you came to Paris to take over the position of 'cavalry officer' from Prince Condé, then I should call you..."

"His Royal Highness gave me the post of flag officer." Sebastian said, although at that time he felt that this was not Prince Condé's plan at the beginning, maybe from then on, he didn't like this once. The young man he had set his eyes on—because in Sebastian's heart, the king's weight was obviously much heavier than him.

"Then we should call you a second lieutenant," the king called out the person's name intimately: "Sebastian, but I don't think such a position is worthy of you, and I think you should be able to take on a heavier one. Responsibility," Louis paused, for that was what he was busy with: "I also have a position here as Acting Captain of the Guards Company, if you will..."

"It's an honor!" cried Sebastian, jumping up from his chair and bowing deeply to the king, his eyes gleaming and his cheeks rosy, he couldn't see the ghostly appearance when he had just arrived at Versailles. .

Even the king, amused by him, raised his hand to prevent his acting captain from passing out of overexcitement, and told him gently that he should go to rest early and listen to the doctor—for they were soon to be. Set off to return to Paris, and although Versailles was very close to Paris, it was not so close that a seriously ill person could move it at will.

Sebastian Vauban immediately obeyed the king's orders, and it was completely unexpected to get this position - after all, he was in the legion of Prince Condé and was his soldier after all, although he decided to return to the army. Under the king's command, it is not impossible to be suspected, questioned, or encounter worse things. He even considered that he might be disqualified as an officer, become a soldier, or be imprisoned, but he did not expect that he would be disqualified as an officer. Not only won the favor and trust of the king, but also became the acting captain of the Guards Corps. What is this concept? In addition to being promoted from second lieutenant to captain, even if the captain of the Guards was originally from a mediocre background, he could be tacitly regarded as an earl in the court after obtaining this position. Even without a formal canonization, he can be called and Calling himself Mr. Earl.

   And as far as the king's attitude is concerned, as long as Sebastian doesn't make any stupid mistakes, a title is only a matter of time.

   "That's right." Just as Sebastian was about to leave the room, the king asked, "Who is the one who insisted on executing you?"

   "It was Count Coligny who insisted on executing me."

"Ah," said the king, "I know the surname, and he served three French kings (François I, Henry II, and Charles IX), then he is that Count of Coligny, a Huguenot sectarian."

   "Exactly," said Sebastian.

   "Then who is the one who insists on forgiving you?"

   "He is the Earl of Bootwell."

   "I know this man too," said the king, "and he is the brother of Prince Kongdai (he was adopted by Prince Kongdai's mother) and a friend of Prince Kongdai."

   "A good man, Your Majesty, even if he never saved me, I would say so."

   "I will remember." Louis said, and after Sebastian Vauban left, he opened a lambskin book that was only one square in size, turned to the blank space, and wrote down two names.

  ————

They set off after five days, as the king said, and then held his brother's "slinging ceremony" at the Louvre, Philip was finally able to change into trousers, and then at the king's coming-of-age ceremony, he was allowed to be The king held the back of the crown robe and served the king with wine at dinner. So everyone knew that the position of the first person by the king's side, whether in terms of etiquette or the king's personal emotions, belonged to His Royal Highness the king's younger brother.

   This situation may continue until the king marries a wife. Of course, this is also what Bishop Mazarin and Queen Dowager Anne are most concerned about. The king is also prepared, but the first person to choose really surprised him.

   "Queen of Sweden?" Louis called.

   "Why," said Bishop Mazarin, "is there anything strange about that? And you should say 'king', because she ascended the throne in the name of the king, not the queen."

   "This is not something we should be concerned about, Mister Bishop, if I remember correctly, she was born in 26 years."

   "Yes, Your Majesty, yes, you have a good memory."

   "I am 38 years old, Mr. Bishop, she is twelve years older than me!"

   "What a mature beauty!" Bishop Mazarin said skillfully: "Like a bright red apple, overflowing with juice and aroma."

   "But it is impossible for a king to marry me." Louis said both amusingly and angrily.

"You don't have to worry about this, in fact, most of the country in Sweden intends for her cousin Carl to inherit the throne, and she, she will give up noble and calm before God takes her rights and obligations to the kingdom It's a heavy responsibility."

   "I remember she was a Protestant."

   "She is intending to convert to Catholicism, and the Jesuit priests have determined that she does."

   "I still don't think so," Louie said.

   "It doesn't matter," said Bishop Mazarin, "we still have many candidates."

  ———

Abandoning this embarrassing queen candidate, Louis arrived in Paris and completed his coming-of-age ceremony and his brother's suspender ceremony and began to get busy again. He has not been able to get in touch with important government affairs for the time being, but some The matter, the Queen Mother Anne or the Bishop of Mazarin could not replace him, such as the trial and punishment of the judges of the High Court, the Prince of Conti, the Duke of Longueville, and the Duke of Gaston.

The first thing the king had to do was to combine the high courts of Pontoise and Paris, and he was fed up with these two contradictory symbols of the law and authority during the war in a kind of child throwing mud at each other. way of convicting each other, and then he dealt with a group of judges - those who opposed the royal family, those who rebelled against the king, those who offered a reward to the bishop of Mazarin (yes, that's right, during the war, the judges of the High Court took it seriously A bounty worth 150,000 livres was posted all over Paris—10,000 livres for cutting off the cardinal's nose, 5,000 livres for cutting off his ear, 30,000 livres for digging out an eye, and the characteristics of a man - 50,000 livres), really, not only did this kind of notice do nothing to deter the enemy at all, it made them a The common people's jokes, the king felt that he might be able to endure cruelty, tolerance and madness, but only stupidity, he absolutely could not accept.

As for the fourteen judges who moved to Pontoise at the king's will, they each received a pension of 10,000 livres and a residence near the High Court, which made them even more sympathetic to the king. I can't be more grateful, especially compared to my former colleagues who have been thrown into prison and don't think the outcome will be too good.

The Duke of Longueville died unfortunately or fortunately before the complete failure of the Prince of Condé, and a friar performed the sacrament of his death for him, and it is said that he regretted his actions at the last moment and confessed to the king and the queen mother For her sins, the king forgave him, and as for the Duchess of Longueville, she was expelled from Paris and could not return to the court without the king's permission, which at this time could be said to be a rather severe punishment .

Gaston, duke of Orléans, was exiled to Blois by the king, and his daughter, the Duchess of Montpensier, received the same treatment as the Duchess of Longueville, that is, was expelled from the court, even if She asked to see her several times, but the queen mother, who had been so cold, never wavered, and the king didn't care. Later, he heard that the Duchess of Montpensier had gone to Blois and wanted to ask for his father's forgiveness. But in the battle with the Prince of Condé, the betrayal of his daughter made the Duke of Gaston, who did not like the child very much, firm up his mind. He ruthlessly rejected the Duchess of Montpensier.

In the end, Louis got the news that the Duchess went to Saint-Fagor in Burgundy, where there was a castle belonging to the Montpensier family. In order to repair the castle, the Duchess spent nearly 200,000 livres , This number is really heartwarming, even Bishop Mazarin said that if she hadn't been terribly stupid at times, he might have facilitated the king's marriage to her.

  Louis:…

  Sometimes he also wonders where the bottom line of this Mr. Bishop is... Hell?

   (end of this chapter)