I Am Louis XIV

"Be careful, be careful! Be safe! Go left! Sorry, please give way, this is the sedan chair of His Majesty Henrik IV! Thank you very much!... Go right!... Be careful! Go up..."

In September 1718, the Palace of Versailles must have been busier than any other day. In front of the Grand Gallery and on the terrace beside the square, nobles stood or sat in a row leaning on the white marble railings. This was their daily routine. ——Appreciate the embarrassment and embarrassment of the people who panted and climbed up the more than 700 steps.

In fact, when these steps were first designed, the king ordered a large platform to be set up on both sides every thirty steps, and a small platform in the middle every twenty steps. Later, Queen Teresa paid for the installation of statues between the small platforms. , the base under the statue is flat and wide, even a lady wearing a whalebone skirt can sit down and rest.

But there are always some people who are confident that they are strong, or are ignorant of the inside story, and do not know that the base of these statues is the legendary "Queen's Seat", or are afraid of blocking other people's way and being scolded. They didn't dare to stop at all, and kept walking up. This height, which was like a small mountain, would inevitably make their faces turn red, their legs weak, and they might even fall down when they were about to climb.

At such a time, the crown prince Louis and his wife Isabella would send servants out with large silver bowls to distribute to people the berries and nuts left over from the king's meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). and bread.

Not to mention these are leftovers, the people firmly believe that the food shared from the king can make them healthy and have good hearing and vision. Before Louis XIV, these things would be auctioned by the kitchen manager. Now - Louis XIV is very strict about eating and is not willing to condone this weird method of corruption, so he banned this behavior.

So whenever these foods are brought out, no matter how powerful they are, how rich they are, or how picky they are, they will eagerly take a portion in their hands, including those who have to keep going up, so that they You can stand generously, or sit down under the guidance of the servant, and add some water and sugar. This will greatly reduce the number of people who faint on the steps or fall down.

They sat there, looking with envy at the people who were allowed to use the sedan chair. As time went by, the people around the king had lost their splendor, and more and more people requested or were requested by the king to use the sedan chair. , the frequency of sedan chairs appearing on these 700 steps has also begun to increase.

But probably no other sedan chair (including the king's) is as magnificent as this one today.

First of all, its supports and lifting poles are covered with a thick layer of gold - gold foil cannot withstand the wear and tear of movement, and the ends are inlaid with fine pearls; secondly, the ceiling and surroundings of the sedan are as if they are in the sun. The blue silk that glimmers and flows like lake water is covered with soft transparent tulle, and the edge of the tulle is decorated with long fringed lace; finally, the top hat of the sedan chair is a small gold crown, protruding from the crown A cinnabar-colored gourd shaft with a large white ostrich feather inserted inside.

Then they saw a hand reaching out from the gauze curtain and patting the lifting pole. The sedan immediately stopped and the people inside grabbed a large handful of blueberries from the servants' silver bowl without ceremony...

People who can sit on this sedan don't need to compete with us for food. The people around could not help but murmur in their hearts, but the sedan chair had continued to move, and a clown in a gorgeous costume kept directing from the side. Although the steps here have a gentle slope, they must ensure that the people in the sedan chair enjoy the greatest comfort. Of course, the best way is to move like a folding ruler.

This sedan was followed by a group of people, and the whispers among the crowd dropped when they saw them - these people were all wearing white sleeveless cloaks with red crosses on the front and back, "They are the New Crusaders." Someone said, so They all began to make the sign of the cross on their chests. Since Luciano I of Italy and Pope Innocent XII launched the Tenth Holy War, the coalition forces of many European countries have eroded back many territories that once belonged to God. .

Not long ago, Luciano I captured Athens, an important city with special significance, which made the Italians cheer for a whole week. Some people went there to make pilgrimages and remember the ancients despite the fact that there were still frequent wars there.

"It's the Poles," one said, pointing to the furs draped over the knight's shoulders. French knights also used furs, but in September... only the Poles could be so fearless.

Someone had already run to the highest terrace to inform the Duke of Burgundy. As soon as he heard this, he quickly ran down the steps - considering that his father was already nearly sixty years old, he could take on the important task of welcoming distinguished guests. It was just him.

"Your Majesty?" He ran to the carriage and said helplessly: "Didn't my grandfather give you permission to ride in the lift carriage?"

"Ah, bah," the man in the sedan said loudly and rudely, "I don't want it! It looks like a mouth...beep, it's still the kind that can go to heaven! I'm not going to heaven so soon!"

The Duke of Burgundy didn't know whether to laugh or cry. When the sedan stopped, he wanted to help Henrik IV. He was only two years younger than Louis, and he had been on the battlefield almost for decades. In Poland twenty years ago An eye was injured in the riot caused by the nobles, and his physical condition was not ideal. Originally, Louis was not prepared to let him travel a long distance to Paris. At most, the young Duke of Enghien would watch the ceremony on his behalf. Who knew Henrik IV It was fine when he was young, but as he got older, he became more stubborn and irritable. He would not listen to anyone's advice. He must come to Paris. If he was not given a horse, he would come on foot.

This... is of course impossible. It seems that even the Sun King cannot reverse his will. The young Duke of Enghien has no choice but to ask trustworthy knights to send his old father to Paris for him.

"That... what's going on with the lift carriage?" One of the new Polish Crusade knights looked curiously. He saw what Henry IV called a beep... - it really looked a bit like, It was slowly rising up under the pull of the cable. After the door opened, several people walked out.

"I don't know," said the other knight, "but I remember seeing something similar in the mines."

He was right. The prototype of the lifting carriage was a thing in the mine that was driven by a steam engine to pull the ore from the underground to the surface. Originally there was a carriage for carrying ore, but now it has been modified to be more comfortable and refined. The venerable Henrik IV was right. A height of three hundred feet would also make people panic, so there were no windows reserved on the carriage. There were only vents at the top. When the door was opened, it looked like A bite of...that.

Henrik IV was still shouting loudly. All old people who have been on the battlefield in recent years will have this problem. It is said that most of them were deafened by the roar of artillery. At this time, everyone in the Grand Gallery turned around. Look at him, and then quickly bend down and salute at the reminder of the etiquette officer - there is also a portrait of Kongdai and his son on the battlefield in the large gallery.

At this time, the crowd separated from the other end to the left and right. Louis XIV walked out of the crowd holding a cane. Next to him was little Louis who looked helpless. His father also began to become stubborn and must come out to greet Henry in person. King Rick IV could have greeted the King of Poland at the Hall of the Lady of Victory, but Louis said that he was not so old that he could not even walk a few steps.

It’s just that Louis showed a rare strange look. He admitted that he and Henry hadn’t seen each other for a long time, maybe... ten years, but he clearly remembered that Henry IV was still a strong and strong man when they last met. Man, now, he still looks tough, but he has grown a beard and sideburns. His hair and beard are not very obedient. They are only one or two inches long and are growing freely in all directions, so that His Majesty looks like Like a roaring lion.

Henrik IV was also sizing up Louis XIV. No one can deny that the most dazzling sun in France has been setting in the west day by day, but some people, even as they grow old, are like blooming flowers, with more settled beauty than when they are in full bloom, giving people a kind of heart-warming feeling. Trembling sorrow and cherishment.

Louis XIV still wore his curly hair above his shoulders, but they had changed from golden brown to shiny silver. He was thinner than when he was young, but his facial contours were more distinct, and the fine lines at the corners of his eyes were like layers of snow. The pile makes those blue eyes look like a lake in winter, bright and deep.

The two majesties hugged each other in silence, feeling each other's raised bones pressing against their chests.

"I'm probably the last one." Henrik IV said in a rumble voice. Apart from America, Poland is the furthest away from France, and Henrik IV is also the eldest of Louis XIV's living relatives. He doesn't like taking trains... and being the head of a country, he does have to come later than others.

"I said you should get therapy," Louis said, pulling away a little.

"I don't want people poking me with needles or eating dead mice."

"I can accept it. Why don't you accept it? Huh? And you are not the last one. The Duke of Halebour may have just arrived in Nantes..."

"What's going on? I thought he should have arrived long ago."

"His ship encountered a huge blue whale..." Louis said: "So he chased after it and planned to give me an additional gift."

"God……"

Louis slowly left with Henrik IV on his arm, and the crowd behind him also stood up one by one. Some people couldn't help but feel a little disappointed in their eyes - after the death of the Grand Condé, Henrik IV came to the throne, and his relationship with France seemed to have no relationship after that. He became indifferent. He once shouted in the court with great sadness that he had given up everything as a Frenchman and came to Poland. He had dedicated his whole life to this land - indeed he had gained some favor from Schlachta. Looking at it now... it's just beep... Don't the Bourbons love acting?

Henrik IV, who was not acting, didn't care at all. If he hadn't had the support of the Bourbons after he took the throne, he would have been forced to become the puppet of the Schlachta. Even so, after he led the Poles to continuously After conquering a large territory in Albania, when he returned to Warsaw for a short break, he encountered an assassination attempt by a nobleman and the ensuing riots. During the riots, he lost an eye. Fortunately, he also got a reason to eliminate them. The most powerful group of opponents within Poland.

"How is the emancipation of the serfs going in Poland now?"

"Two-thirds are gone," Henry IV said. They walked into the small room next to Bacchus Hall and sat down. The attendant closed the door, and the noise outside suddenly became much lower: "I'm not in a hurry. , just leave it to Duke Enghien."

Louis sighed: "I still remember that when he first arrived in Versailles, he was just an irritable little wild boar."

Henry IV suddenly burst into laughter: "Yes! Your Majesty, what a fluke. I don't think I can raise him to be what he is now."

Louis raised his head and thought for a while: "Why do I feel that this sentence is a bit wrong?"

"He did a great job, beyond my expectations." Henrik IV was fighting outside, which was also the expectation of the great Polish nobles, so he had no time to take care of the country, but the small family left behind by Henrik IV Duke Enghien, with the assistance of his colleagues and priests, extended Bourbon's supporters from the Schlach Tower on the middle and lower floors to the serfs. The nobles never imagined that those who held scriptures and wore iron chains around their waists The ascetic monk actually spoke not on behalf of God, but on behalf of the king.

It was easier than Henry IV imagined to incite serfs to rebel against their masters. No king had done this before. In addition to the vigilance and preparedness of the nobles, there was also the fact that as vested interests, they were also happy to enjoy slaves. However, as long as they have seen what Louis did, the Grand Condé and Henry will not follow in the footsteps of the former.

After all, this is a very simple mathematical question. If you prefer those big nobles, you may be able to get one hundred from them. For one hundred big nobles, you can get ten thousand. But if you abolish serfdom, Those thousands of serfs are your subjects. Each of them may only give you one to ten, but the accumulation will definitely be much more than what the big nobles give you.

Moreover, the freed serfs will not only not covet your power like the nobles, but will also be grateful to you, farm your land, pay you taxes, and fight for you.

"It is said that those serfs call you the Saint King." Louis said.

"Stop talking, Your Majesty." Henry IV's wrinkled face showed a rare hint of shyness: "You know this is just a poor imitation."

"Then why don't other kings do this?" Louis said: "Everyone praises saints, but they don't know that saints can become saints precisely because they can do things that others cannot do."

If it were anyone else, they would not lose their own interests for the sake of dirty and lowly serfs, let alone take off their shackles and look at those hussars in full armor, look at those tall and strong horses, look at those golden Plate the silver cup, look at those silks and satins. Without the serfs working like cattle and horses day and night, where would these things come from?