Lord Ferdinand's affair with Madame Eva soon spread to every corner of the court, and the fact that the Italian nobleman chose a peasant woman from a fishing village instead of a real noblewoman caused a lot of criticism—after all, he could now be said to be the Dauphin's retinue and friend, and the king's ward, but since Louis XIV canonized Eva as the Countess of Nice, this criticism immediately turned into jealousy— To some mediocre and dull people, Eva is like a clown, who has aroused the king's interest because of her peculiarity and shamelessness, in order to receive such a reward.

Regardless of how these real clowns jumped up and down, Eva knew very well that the king had given her the title because she was willing to be the lady-in-waiting of the lord of the county, and that her role was not limited to the palace - whether it was Versailles or the court of Stockholm, people looked at the king's favor and looked at your title and official position, as the chief lady of the lord of the county, what Eva lacked was a title, a count title was not only a laurel wreath worn on her head, but also a weapon in her hand.

Ferdinand knew this, too, and he couldn't say anything to get Eva to turn down the title and the job, he knew he couldn't offer anything better for his lover, who became more and more unbridled and unabashed in the strange gaze of the people. When Eva suddenly disappeared again, several of the ladies around the Grand Princess, who advised her to either let Eva enter her room again or ask her to sever her contact with Lord Ferdinand, but the Grand Princess, refused: "All right," she said affectionately and undeniably, "but only for this time." ”

She should be glad that the Celestia Princess, and she, who had been taught by the ministers when they were not in love, like these older, experienced and intriguing gentlemen, who had long been accustomed to weighing and calculating everything on the scales of their hearts, and although sometimes she was tired and bored, she and the Celestia Princess's immunity to love did make them suffer a lot less - there may be regrets, but regrets are better than loss and pain, the latter two can kill.

The reason why the lord admires Eva, a girl who is very vulgar and humble to say, is also because he always has a vague sense of envy and encouragement for her. When it comes to seeing others get what they can't get, people are always divided into two categories, one is jealousy and the other is relieved, and the lord is undoubtedly the latter, perhaps because she has made a choice early on and is prepared to bear the inevitable consequences - she may not be as simple and hot as Eva, but she is happy to see such a person by her side to be able to get short-term happiness. Yes, ephemeral bliss.

What she didn't tell the ladies was that Eva and Ferdinand's relationship was only one year, two years at most, she was the same age as the eldest princess, and Frederick was twenty years old, and as soon as the marriage negotiations were over, she would leave for Prussia, and Eva, as a lady-in-waiting, would inevitably accompany her, and like most of the ladies who married, there was a high probability that she would not marry again. Ferdinand, on the other hand, was sure to stay in Paris or Versailles until he finished his studies, or returned to the Duchy of Tuscany to fulfill the duties of an heir, and he and Eva were separated by thousands of miles anyway, and there was little chance of seeing each other again.

No, what if you do?

The lord shook her head, she sat down in front of the dressing mirror, and asked the maids to pull out the hairpins for her, pull the ribbons, and loosen the curls, when a female official suddenly hurried in and said something in her ear, the lord of the princess changed his expression slightly, and immediately stood up.

Philippe, Duke of Orleans, the younger brother of Louis XIV, as the king's closest blood relative in addition to the Queen Mother and the Dauphin, his room is undoubtedly the closest to the king's suite, and then the suite of the Dauphin and Her Majesty, the Duchess of Orleans and her children is also located in the same corridor, and the doors between the suites can be opened to connect the rooms together. The Grand Marsher thus did not need to come out of his suite, and could go directly through the small hall to his mother's room, without having to walk down the corridor and be watched by the omnipresent eyes, and then attract countless gossip, but even so, her sudden visit to the Duchess of Orleans's bedchamber in the middle of the night would still cause some small waves, but if the Duchess was allowed to go her own way, the trouble would be difficult for even the Duke of Orleans to clean up.

The Duchess of Orleans, the former English princess Henrietta, was still stubbornly arguing with her chief lady about something when the Grand Marshire walked in, but as soon as she saw the Grand Marshall, her arrogance disappeared as if it were the warmth swallowed up by the cold air, perhaps because she did not object or even contribute to the portrait of Carlos II when the Spaniards brought her portrait for the first time, and she could not raise her head in front of this daughter.

The Grand Princess's eyes were closed, and the woolen bedgown on his body was tightened, "What are you doing?" Mother?"

"I'm ......," said the Duchess of Orleans, "I'm in ...... I'm thinking about something. ”

"At this time?" asked the Grand Lord, "we will follow Your Majesty to Saint-Germain-en-Laye early tomorrow morning." ”

The Duchess of Orleans shifted her body uneasily: "I'm a little unwell, Mary, I may not be able to go." ”

"Mother," said the Grand Princess, coldly, "the King has doctors and wizards there, do you think they will deceive Your Majesty for you?"

"I don't want to leave Versailles. The Duchess said.

The Grand Marshire took two steps forward, "Light the candles, it's too dark here," she said, and then the candles were brought - the Duke of Orleans did not love Henrietta, and though he respected her, he was also at the request of the King, and the chamberlains and servants of the court had always been discerning snobbies, and of course they did not dare to do anything to the Duke, the Duchess of Orleans, but between the Duchess of Orleans and the Grand Duchess, they were undoubtedly inclined to obey the Grand Duke's orders: "You all go out." The Grand Princesse said.

The Duke, the Duchess of Orleans, opened her mouth unwillingly, but she finally said nothing, and watched herself and the lady-in-waiting of the Grand County Lord's orderly exit from the dormitory.

The Grand Princess, who had been taught by Colbert, Lowas, and Milady, sat down calmly in front of the Duchess of Orléans, and the candlelight was so bright that she could clearly see the Duchess of Orleans's face, and she was startled at the sight of her mother, when had her mother been so old and haggard? Princess Henrietta was born in 1644, and even if her daughter was about to be married, she was only in her thirties, and as a pampered lady, she should not show such a look and gesture.

The Grand Princesse shook her hand without a trace of hesitation: "Mother......" she said softly, although the Duchess of Orleans almost turned the Grand Princess's education into a cowardly and pitiful outcast, she still loved her, and she also knew that many mothers, especially the nobles of the court, would guide and sacrifice their daughters in this way, "Tell me," she said, "What makes you want to refuse the King's invitation?"

"I want to stay in Versailles," whispered the Duchess of Orleans, "who will take care of Alex if I am gone?"

Alex is Alexander's nickname, he is the younger brother of the lord of the county, he is only four years old this year, but this is not the reason, at least not the whole reason, in the king's entourage, Alex, who is still a toddler, of course cannot be added to the team, but the queen mother and queen will stay in Versailles, and they and countless nobles and servants will take good care of the son of the Duke of Orleans, without a single mistake.

"But Your Majesty won't care. The lord said, "Your Majesty rarely cares about anyone now," she said calmly, looking at her mother's raised face, "Only a few people will let him think about what they think, but you, you are not." She said cruelly: "He will care about you, of course, if he hears that you are sick or worried that his son will not go with him, he will just nod and say, well, so be it, she does not want to leave her son, so be it, let her stay in Versailles." She squeezed the Duchess of Orleans' hand: "He doesn't go deep at all, and he doesn't need to," she paused, as the Duchess of Orleans was trying to break free, as if she could keep these cruel words out forever if she didn't listen, but the Grand County Lord grabbed her deadly: "Those who know what you want, my father, me, and what you call ' Friends, none of them will mention it, nor will we mention it, and no one will tell the king that you are reluctant to go with you because you think your son deserves more rewards, domains, or titles. ”

"Marie!" the Duchess of Orleans cried out, as if burned by her own daughter's words, "he will understand, Your Majesty...... Your Majesty...... I've done a lot for him, a lot, Mary!"

"I don't understand what you're worried about?" the Grand Princess, puzzled, asked, she really didn't understand: "Alex is my father's eldest son, my younger brother, he is destined to inherit everything from his father, of course, my father has several illegitimate children, but they are absolutely impossible to threaten Alex, neither the law nor the king allows, why are you so anxious? Father and His Majesty are both in their prime, Alex is only four years old, if you are willing to stop torturing yourself, you also have a happy life that no one else can achieve...... Why would you want to do that?"

The Duchess of Orleans couldn't take her hand back, unlike the Grand Princess, she was not born and had a good time in her childhood, so her body has always been very weak, but the Grand Duchess was like the eldest princess and the crown prince, she often went out on horseback hunting, and even had martial arts lessons, but she looked like she was about to faint, and the Grand Duchess let go of her hand in worry, and the Duchess of Orleans did not run away, but raised her hand and pressed her eyes: "I know," she said, "but your father does not like Alex." ”

"How could you have such an idea?" shouted the Grand Princess, surprised.

"The king didn't like him either. The Duchess of Orleans said with difficulty, "Marie, you are lucky, for you are a girl, but Alex—you live in Versailles, have you ever heard people talk about him? ”

"That's because he's still young, Mom," the Grand Princess, softly exhorted, "and when he grows up, he may become Charles's companion, or go to the Military Academy with him, and of course people will be able to see him." ”

"And what does the little Duke of Anghien say?" retorted the Duchess of Orleans, "No, you know what I mean, Mary, don't be confused, my Alex, the worst thing about him is that his father is the royal brother Philippe, the Duke of Orleans, and he is a boy, and his inheritance is ......"

"Enough!" cried the Grand Princess, who stood up and looked to the right and left to make sure that no one had disobeyed their orders to remain in the room, "Now the King and Queen have a second boy!"

"This child is going to be king of Spain, your majesty has already arranged for it," said the Duchess of Orleans, "and even if there is a third, what about the fourth? Your father realizes that although he needs an heir, Alex really cannot get his liking—because." She gritted her teeth and said, "He fears the king and loves his brother, and he doesn't want anything to undermine His Majesty's trust in him." ”

"Not really......" said the Grand Princess, though she knew that her mother was at least partially right. "But what can you do with such a noise?" she said, returning to her seat, "you should understand that Your Majesty does not reward others simply for personal preference—he always looks at merit. You must at least wait until Alex is a little older and shows the talent that the King admires—he is the child of His Majesty's favorite brother, and the King must be extremely attentive to him......" Her voice grew quieter, and at last it was almost inaudible— Because she remembered what her mother had said before, the Duchess of Orleans should be referring to the fact that she succeeded in persuading Charles II of England to secretly form an alliance with France by order of the king, and persuaded Charles II to obtain an heir by means of witchcraft, so that she completely tore the last fig leaf with the Duke of York......

The big county lord stared at his mother: "Are you ...... I am reproaching Your Majesty, and my father, for preparing too much dowry for me...... Do you think that because they are afraid of Alex, they will take all the credit for you...... That's why he can ignore Alex with a clear conscience...... Is it?"

The Duchess of Orleans did not answer, but turned her head to the side, which undoubtedly gave the Grand Princess's affirmative answer.

The Grand Marsal sat in his chair in disbelief, his face numb and his hands and feet cold, knowing that her dowry was not only comparable to that of Celestia, but even more than some, and Louis XIV jokingly said that it was because the king was not as rich as the Duke of Orleans (he had borrowed money from the Duke of Orleans). When they learned that she was going to marry Prussia instead of a Frenchman, some ministers complained because it was too much of an asset.

However, she didn't expect her mother to think the same way.

The silence in the room lasted for a long time, and the big county lord's mind was full of thoughts, and it seemed like a blank space. She tried to analyze the mind of the Duchess of Orleans as she had learned, and of course, the Duchess of Orleans, like Queen Teresa, was a foreign princess, but she was not as fortunate as Queen Theresa, who did not love him and was not as self-controlled as Louis XIV, who, although he was a brave general, a loyal brother and courtier, was also an overly amorous bastard, he was not disrespectful to his wife, but he often unconsciously ignored and alienated her— Especially after Carlos II's marriage proposal, he was angry that his wife would treat their daughter like this.

This...... Of course, the Duchess of Orleans cannot be blamed, but it is also difficult to blame the Duke of Orleans, because most men at this time were like this, such as Louis XIV and the Duke of Motmar...... But for the sensitive-minded Duchess of Orleans, she thought it was the right choice, and the sacrifice she had made after a dozen painful nights was not only worthless to her husband, but also an unpardonable sin - she was directly deprived of her daughter's right to education.

Even Her Majesty thought it was her fault, and if there was a bond between the Duchess of Orleans and her two brothers, like the Celestial Princess and the Crown Prince, then she might still feel dependent, but not to mention that Charles II and the Duke of York had almost no affection for Henrietta, and even if she did, Henrietta did enough to make them turn their faces on her.

"It seems that you really can't be blamed for this. Finally the lord said: "But not to take the car, I ask you to think more about it, not for me, but for the sake of Alex—you must understand that neither your majesty nor your father now wants nothing from you, and you, on the contrary, if you stay in Versailles and hide in your room, their impression of you will be even weaker, and a lady who is a stranger to the king will hardly ask for anything for her son—you should know how many people are willing to exchange boxes of gold coins for this opportunity...... For the sake of Alex, you should be glad to appear in front of your father and the king, so that ...... So, when I get married, you bring up Alex again, and I promise you'll get an answer that satisfies you. ”

"What are you going to do?Mary?" asked the Duchess of Orleans, "no, you don't have to do anything, it's all my fault!" she cried out in despair, "I love Alex, but I love you too!

"I know, Mom. The lord said, "So I'm just ...... A little disappointed. With that, she turned and left the room.

————

The lord did not break his promise, and the king became more and more tolerant of her as the day of the formal marriage drew nearer, even on the first day of the parade.

She, the king, and the Duke of Orleans sat in the same carriage, and to his relief, the Duchess of Orleans silently boarded the carriage with her, as the Grand Duchess had expected. Listening to the words of the Grand Princess, Louis couldn't help but give his younger brother a reproachful look, speaking of which, it was because the Duke of Orleans was a bit too bastard - the king could not personally comfort the Duchess of Orleans, otherwise with the speed and extent of the spread of rumors in the Palace of Versailles, in the second week they could hear the entire French people swear that the king had an affair with the Duchess of Orleans, which was something that Louis definitely did not want to see and hear—so he could stare at his brother with confidence.

The Duke of Orleans touched his face, he could swear that he really didn't expect the Duchess of Orleans to have such a strange and distorted idea, of course he loved his children, and during this time he seemed to prefer the Grand Marsal because the Grand Marshire was about to get married, and it might take more than ten or twenty years for them to meet again, of course he would try his best to find as many opportunities as possible to get along with his daughter, and as for his son, he was still a baby, and the Duke of Orleans didn't think he could have any common language with himself—to say jealousy? Yes, but the age difference between the crown prince Louis Jr. and him was too much, and when he grew up, the power of the crown prince had long been solidified, and the Duke of Orleans did not think that the stinky boy could become the second Gaston.

He didn't let the people in the court talk about Alex too much, also because he didn't think it was a good thing to put Alex in the center of the crowd too soon - there were so many ill-intentioned people in the court that they would either use or murder a child without any mercy, and don't forget that even the Dauphin Louis the Younger was almost turned into a dagger stabbed at Louis XIV by them- He planned to wait until Alex was a little older, so that he would not die easily, and then send him to Orleans, but in this way, the Duchess of Orleans would think that he deliberately gave up his eldest son in order to avoid the king's suspicion.

The Duke of Orleans snorted indecently, "I'll go talk to Henrietta." He said, "I don't understand how she could have such a strange idea." ”

With Alex as his son, the Duke of Orleans was convinced that His Majesty would never let him fall into the dust.

"I can probably guess," said Louis, "but it's not a big deal, and I'll give her an answer when the parade is over." ”

The Duke of Orleans smiled, "No, brother. He said, "I know what answer you're going to give her, but I have my thoughts, so you have to listen to me first." ”

"Well, okay, I'll listen to you first. Louis said, not so concerned, he believed in Philip as if he believed in himself, and he looked out the window: "Ah," he said, "I have seen the abbey." ”

————

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, at the beginning of the story, Louis XIV and his younger brother, the Queen Mother, as well as the Queen Mother of England and Princess Henrietta and his party, were embarrassed and exhausted after escaping from Paris where the Fronde riots broke out.

During the years of the Fronde riots, the Bourbon royal family did not have a good time in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and the Queen Mother had to pawn clothes to maintain the necessary expenses of the royal family - they also dismissed many servants, and it was not until the arrival of Fouquet that the situation slowly improved, Louis remembered the first time he saw Fouquet, when Fouquet was in good spirits, and he brought the king a beautiful new dress- Louis wasn't sure if he regretted it, but he certainly didn't give the treasurer a chance, for he was so poor that he had to put his conscience on hold for a while.

Unlike when they first fled to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, this time they were not only faster – because there were concrete avenues from Paris and Versailles to Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which was easier and more enjoyable – but also more popular. Louis said to have seen the convent, the one built next to the palace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, and heard the cheers of the people, who were either gathered on both sides of the road, or on horses, donkeys or mules, running behind the king's convoy or in the wasteland farther away, with flower petals scattered on the grey road, ribbons and notes hanging from the trees, with the words God bless the king.

Louis took the note that the squire had plucked from the branch and showed it to the Duke of Orleans and the Grand Lord, and the three of them couldn't help but smile slightly.

When Saint-Germain-en-Laye, the mayor and all the officials, and the petty nobles presented a silver platter large enough to be held with their hands outstretched, and presented it to His Majesty the King, with reliefs depicting the three great victories of Louis XIV - Flanders, the Holland and the Great War against the Infidels, which the King gladly accepted, and the archbishops and priests of the church of Saint-Germain-en-Laye came forward to greet and bless their Majesty.

"The last time we were here," said the Duke of Orleans quietly, to the Grand Lord, "we thought all the people here were dead. ”

The big county lord hurriedly covered his face with a feather fan.

Then the king and his brother got on their horses, and the nobles such as the lord of the county and the duchess of Montespan-Orleans got into the sedan chair and went on their way inside. Louis carefully studied the scenery along the way- Like other cities, the Saint-Germain-en-Laye Palace and the Abbey are high on the hills, and the city is located below them, so that although it can be seen now, it is still some way from arrival, and Louis is so careful because although he has not been to Saint-Germain-en-Laye since he left, but because this place is so close to Paris and Versailles, so close to the point that any will of the king will immediately cover the place, so this place should be like Paris, or Versailles, without the slightest trace of confusion or disobedience。

The roads, squares and walls that have been rebuilt and paved are very flat and have ditches on both sides - after hundreds of years there will be complaints that this level of ground has lost its ancient charm, but for the people who live here, there will be no pits, no bulges, no rainwater, dirt and dung, and the solid and flat ground is as perfect as God has given it, and it is said that they will last for decades. Those who walk, ride horses, and drive carriages do not think that a dirt road filled with stones can be any better than this.

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There's another chapter that looks like it's going to be tomorrow.,I'll add it directly to this chapter tomorrow morning.,Don't forget to read it.,Thank you.。