I Am Louis XIV

  Chapter 73 How to Meet the Former Queen Christina of Sweden (Part 2)

Whether it is to add a bathroom, a "private place" or a dressing room, it is not a difficult task. After all, the power of the king is still trapped in the Paris Basin. Not many people have a room in it, the problem is that it's not easy to correct people's ideas - people who fantasize about going back to the seventeenth century and having the last or several romances with those beautiful ladies probably didn't think of it. , These ladies eat and drink happily, dance to their heart's content, or talk elegantly. Once nature calls them, they will walk to the corner with extraordinary calmness and easily solve the so-called personal problems.

Of course, the habit of women not wearing trousers (both inside and outside) at this time also contributed to this ethos, and the king could not express his concern for the too private personal issues of the ladies for the time being - he meant that he could not interfere How they dress. As for the men, they're a little tougher, but sometimes they'll get the job done while standing, which makes the corner of the palace an alternative meeting place.

Some of the more introverted or more noble people would choose the private room set up by the king, but before Louis intervened, they used a variety of things to wipe the dirt, some were ropes twisted from silk, some were Using fresh salmon fillets, some wool balls, some goosenecks - after hearing about this material, even Louis was surprised for a long time, he couldn't even imagine what it was like, and some people suggested that the king use it A more retro material, that is, sponge, the Romans used this saltwater-soaked sponge stick in public toilets to clean the unspeakable, of course, like the rope before, this is public, a person Once used, the next person will use it - this was immediately rejected by Louis.

The more extravagant is to use silk handkerchiefs, which can be thrown away after use, but even for the empty treasury Louis cannot do this. He temporarily uses wool balls, and at the same time orders his craftsmen to make soft paper as soon as possible. Beginning in the twelfth century The papermaking technology of the East was introduced to the West, and the papermaking technology has become very mature in the 14th century. The problem is that most of the time people still use old clothes to make paper, and sometimes they also use flax and wheat straw. Not to mention the low efficiency, the quality of the paper It's also worrying, but since Louis was already here, he directly ordered the flax and straw to be pulped before the next step, so it only took a month or two for new paper to be made - just put Dry in the room, the paper is soft.

After solving one problem, it's the turn of another problem, and this will be left to Philip. Of course, Wang Di also has his own way. He tries to make a reincarnation as comfortable and elegant as possible. Its original purpose is not recognizable - his first work was dedicated to the king, an armchair carved with grapes and cherubs, covered with goose down and silk, hollowed out in the middle, and a bucket placed under it. There was a cover to cover it when he was there, and there was a circular drapery around the chair, because he knew that his brother took his own privacy very seriously.

It's just that when Bishop Mazarin was fortunate enough to witness, his expression was strange and inexplicable. The king knew what he was thinking, because since he came here, he also had a certain understanding of the church. It is difficult to say whether the inspiration for this chair came from the Pope. The special chair used to test whether the body is "mutilated" before ascending the throne.

Louis pretended not to know anything, he thanked his brother, and asked him to install these "chairs" in the palace as soon as possible, and gave some suggestions, such as putting some dry sawdust in the barrel to avoid the smell overflowing.

Philip happily accepted the king's suggestion and went to complete his work, of course, this was only the first project, and then there were all kinds of matters that were almost as dense as the stars, the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Montpensier, and even Queen Mary of England, Princess Henrietta took part in it, and even Marie Mancini was caught to help—not just to welcome an abdicating queen, but also to establish the people of Paris Positive impression of the king - although the king's coming-of-age ceremony was held in Paris before, the king's mind was more on rebellion and the high court. Although the ceremony was grand, the guests were still limited to some nobles and officials in, does not really reveal the majesty of the king.

Louis also specifically instructed that the streets that Madame Christina might pass through and the surrounding areas of the Louvre should be renovated and decorated. This is a considerable expense, but it is also necessary, because they are also crowded by those For those from other provinces who entered Paris, fortunately, Paris has experienced two riots, some streets have declined, and many houses cannot find their original owners, which saves Fouquet a lot of words.

   "Have you heard?" Philip said as if he was just mentioning it casually, while tidying up his cuffs.

"what?"

   "Fouquet is in the buying and selling window."

   "Buy and sell window?" The king raised his head, the term was unfamiliar to him.

"It's the window on the street that Mrs. Christina needs to pass through when she comes to see you." Wang Di explained: "There are many houses that have lost their owners or have fled to other provinces, and Fouquet sold them. Go out, according to the location of the window, from one hundred livres to three hundred livres."

   "Really?" The king smiled: "Are many people buying windows?"

   "There are quite a lot," Wang said. "It is said that the windows closest to the Tuileries Palace have been sold out."

"Then do you know?" said the king, "Fouquet has already reported this to me, and all the money he sold for the window will be used for the decoration of the street, and I don't need to have an extra liad for this. "

  Philip was visibly sluggish.

"One more thing," said the king, "I don't think you know, Philip, though he told me so, but in addition to the fact that the money from the sale and purchase of windows was used for the decoration of the street, he also charged a lot of Gifts, which he never mentioned."

Philip thought for only a few seconds, and then he understood immediately. His face was full of anger, obviously thinking of how Fouquet had subtly enriched his own pockets. He sold windows in the name of the king, but there were only so many windows. , in order to get a good place to watch the ceremony, people must bribe him, but on the other hand, as the king said, he directly used the cost of buying the window to decorate the street, even if the king knew that he had been bribed, he would There is no way to blame him, because he really did a good job of it.

"But he has betrayed your trust!" said Philip angrily, wearing one of his favorite clothes today, a coat of silver-grey silk satin with gold threads, embellished with delicate bows, cuffs and necklines They turned out the silver lace, which was more dazzling than any noble lady around Louis, but he also wore a sharp sword, although the scabbard was inlaid with rubies and pearls, and the blade inside was also dazzling. As sharp as ever, at least the king would have no doubt that when Philip pulled it out and pierced Fouquet's chest, it would never snap or bend.

The king had to let go of his work and appease Philip for a while. After all, he is short of manpower now, and he can't let Philip go - of course he will not let Fouquet, or, in the future, how much illegal Fouquet has accepted. He doesn't care about the income, as long as Fouquet fails to leave Paris, then these money are only the funds that Louis temporarily left with him, and if I want to say it seriously, Fouquet is just a little witch, as the big witch, the bishop of Mazarin from various countries. The money he got from him was even more astonishing. The accusations against him by the Princes of Condé and Gaston were not without purpose, but in the same way, the king still needed this elder—in these years, although the dictatorship was pleasant, But the chaotic country doesn't allow Louis to do that.

Finally, Philip quieted down (the king paid the price of sharing meals three times and sharing the dormitory once), and the king had no intention of continuing to work. He walked to the bookshelf and was about to find a book he liked to read. Bontang Just come and ask him if he is willing to accept an audience with someone. . ;

   "He only said his name." Bontang said: "Theoderic, Your Majesty, do you want to see him?"

  ————

From the looks of it, Theoderic was even younger than Amon. He had quiet red eyes, but it was more brown in the candlelight in the middle of the night, and his dark brown curly hair fell over his shoulders. Going up is always a little worried and unhappy, as if he is carrying a heavy burden that he cannot get rid of. To Louis said, existences like Amon are more like vampires - wandering in the dark, absurd race without scruples, but From the king's standpoint, he certainly preferred Theoderic.

The candlelight flickered slightly as the vampire, who was probably over a hundred years old, entered the room, his shadow cast a dazzling grey trace on the wall, and when the king looked at him, he turned to the king. Bowing. "A simple spell, Your Majesty." He said, "This will keep our conversation undisturbed."

   "Sit down, Mr. Theoderic." Louis said quietly: "I think I must first thank you for your help."

   "Not at all," Theoderic said. "It's just my job."

"If you are thinking of your descendants," Louis asked curiously, "then you should know that the current French royal family has almost nothing to do with the Merovingian dynasty, and there is a whole gap between us. Lorraine, Capet and Valois, what makes you so stubbornly clinging to your original ideas?"

"It's very simple, Your Majesty," said Theoderic, "it's as if you built a strong and magnificent fortress with your own hands, and though you had to leave later, would you rather watch it slowly fall into disrepair, even Is it collapsed? As for whether the owner inside is my descendant, it is even more ridiculous. Your Majesty, I have already threw myself into the darkness. When I obtained eternal life, I was destined to no longer belong to the world. I stopped outside the window and watched, only That's all."

"May I take the liberty to ask a question." Louis asked, "Which number of Theoderics are you?" There are different ways. Although Theoderic is now a vampire, his every move clearly shows that he still has nostalgia for his dynasty and country. In this case, Louis must know what he is trying to write. , at least to know what he might be thinking.

  Theoderic smiled, he obviously guessed the king's intention, but he was more willing to talk to the wise man: "I am the second Theoderic."

Louis also guessed that he was Theodoric. During that period, disputes within the Franks continued one after another, and the issue of inheritance became more chaotic because of the combination. The man who may have ruled all of the Franks, he inherited Burgundy when he was born, but in later wars he not only defeated his brother Theodebert II, but Brunn even took him on the advice of his grandmother. and his heirs were all killed to ensure that he was the sole heir of Austrasia. But just when he integrated the two countries, intending to destroy Crotaire and unify Frank, he died mysteriously. He was only twenty-six years old when he died.

There are different theories about the cause of his death, but now it seems that there are obvious signs of the direct involvement of the inner world. It is no wonder that in the later period, both the church and the big families who migrated to the inner world have invariably formulated relevant strict laws to prohibit the inner world from interacting with the inner world. The traffic of the world, Louis can't imagine how the king of a country is suddenly turned into a werewolf or a vampire, the order of this country will be shattered - and when he thinks of this, another name comes out, "Amon..." Louis said, "Are you coming to see me in person for that gentleman's sake?"

   "Yes," said Theoderic, who even looked like a gentle and withdrawn scholar, who could not see that he had once killed his brother and killed his nephew, and that he had once been one step away from the most glorious laurels.

   "Has he still not given up on his original plan?"

"Amon is the prince of the Zmish family, and he belongs to the Demon Party just like the Lessen family, and he has been extremely crazy since he was only a heir. Although every Zmish is like this, he has always had a Strange idea."

   "Strange idea?"

"Yes, the leader of the Demon Party is Le Senjing. The blood of the Zmish family is not so keen on power, but Amon wants a descendant who is good at leading others. He has chosen many people... Your Majesty, among them There are great kings or dukes, but they all let him down in the end, and now he has chosen you."

   "Should I say I'm honored?"

"No, not at all." Theodoric gave a wonderful smile, part regret, part jealousy: "You know I was almost king of the Franks," he said: "I know how to be a worldly How does the king feel - no, your majesty, although you are still very young, you already have the prototype of a wise king, I am very willing to give you my country, I hope you can make it stronger - and from another On the one hand, Amon also hopes so."

   "He wants so much?"

   "Precisely, to him, you are the unopened treasure box, the unfruitful flower, the ungrown chick, who will wait and pick or plunder."

   "Then I don't have to worry about him for now."

   "That's why I'm here." Theoderic said, "I don't want you to go through what I've been through, Your Majesty, so I'm here to warn you."

   "I'm listening."

"I know that there are two people who brought you Amon's message, I beg you, don't believe it, don't be moved by him, don't use the power you can't control, they will attack anyone who dares to use them. ."

"But you should also know." Louis looked at him: "I have been expelled from Paris twice by my people, and if I continue to be cowardly and laissez-faire, there may be a third, a fourth, more likely, They will do to me as they did to Charles I, I need someone who will be loyal to me, or someone who will serve me, be it a man, a wizard, a werewolf, a vampire - if you just stand there and ask in vain It's impossible for me to give up the power at my fingertips."

   "Don't you spare your soul?"

   "Compared to heaven now and **** fifty years from now, you know I'll always choose the latter."

   "What did Amon promise you?"

   "As you think," said Louie.

   "Then give me a moment," Theoderic said. "I need to think about it."

   "It's all right," said Louie, "but not too long."

  ——

   Louis didn't care about what Theoderic thought, and he wouldn't really believe Amon, a crazy vampire. Who knows when he would think that the fruit of Louis is ripe enough?

Just like everyone who needs to make a living, for a king, no matter what happened the night before, when he wakes up early the next morning, the mountain of official business will not disappear, he works while letting Bontang Go and call Fouquet, although he said this to Philip, it is impossible to say that he would let Fouquet so lightly, otherwise who knows how much this talented but immoral guy can do— Maybe sell the Louvre window too.

Fouquet rushed to the Tuileries Palace, and when he came to the king, he was still in the heat of running quickly, his hair was messy, the feathers on his hat were a little skewed, and there was some mud on his coat. The boots are even more gray, but when the king saw it, he knew that this gesture was deliberately made to please and show his merit. He would not be deceived, but he was too lazy to point it out. He didn't even let Fouquet Sit down and just gave him another job.

This job immediately made Nicholas Fouquet frown, because although this job can also get a lot of benefits, it is really cumbersome, and it must be completed before the former Queen of Sweden comes to Paris, which is not easy. The king was originally supposed to finish the matter later, but since Fouquet still remembered to make a profit for himself and wanted to come to the previous job with ease, it should not be impossible for him to undertake another job.

It can be said that this job has something to do with the tasks Fouquet received before, and it can even be said to be an extension and expansion - the king has never forgotten that when Prince Condé met the assassins in the street next to the Red Boys Market, they were in Saibati. The scene that Si'an Vauban led through the civilian block, it is no wonder that the city at this time, as long as a person infected with the disease enters, an unstoppable disaster will immediately erupt.

And those mobs and assassins, they are like dirt and feces hidden deep in crowded and dark neighborhoods, and they can't be cleaned up. This time the king will not wait for riots or wars, he will directly take them first. Knock out.

So there are two things that Fouquet has to do. The first thing is to start from the Louvre, to the Place de la Bastille, and then to the red child market, the triangle on the north bank of the Seine, to re-divide the area and name the streets. , registered population...everyone must either have real estate or a property certificate, or a lease contract, and if they are serving a noble person, then they must have the guarantee of that noble person...

   Just thinking about it, Fouquet's head was about to explode with pain.

  ———

And some provincials who were entering Paris did not know that they were about to face the most severe interrogation in history. They were very excited and cheered all the way - the man at the head was especially noticeable because he dressed up as Julius Caesar. On his head he wore a laurel wreath of gilt brass, and a white toga and a scarlet cloak.

"Is this Paris!" The female companion, also dressed as a Roman lady, stuck her head out of the caravan and took a deep breath: "Baptiste! What a sweet air, this is Paris! God, I feel it , this is the taste of freedom!"

"Does it smell like feces?" said the man named Baptiste: "It is true, it is much richer than St. Fargo, and don't call me Baptiste, I said, I am now Molière !"

   (end of this chapter)