I Am Louis XIV

The first thing these Catalans see is the unforgettable royal blue color.

This elegant and pure blue was designated as the royal color by the Bourbon royal family, and there is no reason for it. Under the bright sunlight, it is like a quiet and deep lake; under the moist moonlight, it is like the vast sky; when it rains continuously, its appearance will refresh people; when the sky is clear, It's more like a shining gem.

As protectors and as a demonstration of the king's authority, these musketeers wore royal blue uniforms, rode tall horses, hung flintlock guns and long and short swords on their belts, and wore rolled-up hats decorated with ostrich feathers. Hat, raising his head proudly, sent the king's officials - some French and some Catalan - to the high platform set up in the center of the square. The latter thanked them politely, greeted each other and followed their respective instructions. The high and low people were seated, and two familiar heralds stood on both sides of the high platform, carefully looking at the increasingly dense crowd.

Seeing that people were almost here, one of the heralds raised his trumpet and blew it to attract people's attention to them. Then he opened the scroll in his hand, cleared his throat, and read loudly. At first, people were still in panic, but within a few minutes, someone who couldn't restrain himself started shouting loudly. What was he shouting about? Like Rule's father, he wonders if what he's hearing is true? Did the French King really exempt them from the poll tax? They don't need to pay war tax either? Window tax? Livestock tax? Or some other tax?

The Catalans are used to being exploited. It is no exaggeration to say that they would be grateful to Louis XIV as long as he did not impose stacks of war taxes, but he also did not want a poll tax? They must have heard it wrong. As those people started shouting, some people who were far away and could not hear clearly also knew the content of the announcement. They were equally in disbelief, and the voices of constant questioning and questioning came and went like a tide. Even if the herald has a voice as good as an opera diva and plays the trumpet, he cannot continue to convey the contents of the document.

It wasn't until a French official stood up from behind the linen-covered table, pulled out a short gun, and fired a shot into the sky that the chaotic situation was finally suppressed.

"That's a captain," Rule said in awe.

"How do you know?" Ruhr's father saw that the adult had already sat down. Although the gunshots were loud, what made people quiet down was because they were "gunshots." Since the advantage of hot weapons on the battlefield, Better than cold weapons, this special sound often sounds in many people's nightmares, making it impossible to ignore.

"Look at the shoulders, and the wrists," Rule said, his words inevitably laced with enthusiasm and envy.

"That's a Frenchman," Rule's father said.

"We can also..." Ruhr lost his voice and was given a sharp look by his father - yes, the French reserve army can also be converted into a formal army, and the soldiers in it can also be continuously promoted due to their military exploits. But how many such people are there, one in ten, one in one hundred, or one in a thousand, one in ten thousand? Especially since it was the French army and not the Catalan army. Mortals have selfish motives. Did Ruhr's ancestors only have one chance to be promoted to a knight? Of course not, it's just that there are always people who find shortcuts faster than him.

The herald could finally continue to read the king's decision aloud. It should be said that without young people like Ruhl, the Catalans here might have hesitated for a while. They had suffered so much that They don't think that such a good thing will happen to them. They are like wild beasts wandering around the trap. They always think that the sweet bait is mixed with poison, but they have their own sons, brothers and even nephews who bring it first. The news, the current announcement is like confirmation again, and their suspicions are not so big.

In addition to these, there are also people who will become the managers of this city. They all stood up from behind the long table and walked to the center of the high platform to let everyone see themselves and introduce themselves. The first one was the decisive and arrogant captain. , he will be in charge of the security force of this small city - he declared that he will no longer allow any evil to breed in this city, and then the mayor and his officials will comfort the Catalans. They are some people familiar with the former, that is, the Catalan parliamentarians and nobles. They gently and politely told everyone here that the greedy and cruel Spaniards have been driven away by them, and they will be kind to the Sun King. New life under their rule, thank God, the people would not have to pay any taxes for the next four months - they repeated again and again, hoping that people would spread the news and ensure that the most remote villages would know the news. .

"But then," a butcher asked in confusion, "where does His Majesty the King get the money to fight the war?"

"The Sun King has as much gold as there is sunshine today," said the French captain. Then his hand moved to his belt, where a pistol and a sword hung, and he continued with a half-smile, saying that in the next four months, if anyone asks Catalans for taxes, he is not a spy. , is a liar. He encouraged the people to arrest that person or tip off the French. "There will be a reward!" he said, as if he didn't notice that the mayor and officials around him looked ugly.

After saying this, the captain waved to the side, and his attendants brought him his horse. In full view of everyone, he returned to his mansion on the side of the square. This mansion was certainly gorgeous and spacious enough to suit him. identity, but most importantly, anyone knows he lives here.

There is no way of knowing what the people thought of Ruhr. They did not leave, but boldly surrounded the officials on the high platform and asked questions. At first, the officials could answer patiently, but the people only had a few questions. I kept asking over and over again - is it true? Do you really not need to pay tax? Any tax?

Do farmers have to pay? Do they need food if they don’t pay? Do merchants want to pay? Are all commodities not required for buying and selling? Where are the craftsmen and the workshops?

No, no, no, no, no, no craftsmen, no businessmen, no farmers, no matter what you do, in these four months, all you have to do is to work, and then feed yourself and your family! The officials said this over and over again, their mouths dry and their hearts full of sorrow and pain - Louis XIV could have asked the Catalans to pay a poll tax, or asked only the merchants to pay taxes , but Louis XIV personally participated in and formulated the French tax reform system, and knew that officials’ ability to exploit every opportunity was even better than a pangolin or an ant. In order to prevent him from erecting too many gallows in Catalonia , he simply exempted all taxes and publicized it widely to prevent a good thing from turning into a joke.

The atmosphere in the square was quite heated for a time, if only some idiot hadn't raised such a question.

"What about the tithe?"

——————

"This is the dwelling place of God! It's the kingdom of heaven on earth! You...how dare you! Come on! Come on! Come and drive away these devils!"

"I don't know if it is heaven on earth," the visitor said rudely, even contemptuously: "I only know that this is already a city in the French province of Catalonia. Of course, so are the churches and monasteries," he said proudly "Any clergyman who is not sanctioned by the king is illegal, sir," he said triumphantly, "please leave the king's church and monastery immediately, or we will force you to do so."

"This is my monastery, this is the church of the Alva family, you can't do this!"

Facing the priest's loud scolding, the visitor just shrugged helplessly, "Well, it seems you have made your choice." He waved his hand, and the attendants behind him stepped forward, although the priests here also raised their hands. Holding a candlestick and a paper knife, the leading priest also held a spear - probably pulled from the suffering statue of the saint (such statues of saints often held the instruments of torture used when they died) Yes, the tip of the spear gleamed with cold light, and it was actually very sharp.

But no spear can compare to a musket. Seeing the black hole of the muzzle, the priests' legs became weak. Even the priest was no exception. The person who came casually flicked the spear to the ground with a clear clang. "Don't look so ugly, Father."

"You will have your retribution! You will go to hell! You will be burned for a thousand years!" the priest muttered as the attendants pushed him.

An attendant wanted to punch him, but his master stopped him. "I don't think so," the visitor said with a smile. Then, while the priest and priest were stunned, he took off his layman's coat and put on the clothes handed to him by the attendant. The black cassock came: "I have a certificate of appointment and dismissal from the priesthood signed by the king."

The new priest stretched his body amidst the hoarse curses of the old master, and looked at the leaded windows with stained glass paintings, the niches with statues of saints, the hanging silk flags, the white marble altar, and the silver Candlesticks, golden incense burners, bronze crosses hanging with Christ Jesus... The statues of Jesus, the Virgin and the saints are all covered with holy garments. Of course, they are all dedicated by devout believers.

The new priest came from Enlai, Germany. His elder brother had the honor to leave his name in the king's heart. After he graduated from the Roman seminary, his elder brother recommended him to the king, although their parents preferred that he be in the church of France. He found a position in the monastery, but as an ambitious young man, he preferred the feeling of rising to the top in one step - rather than working in a church in Enlai, Germany. He started out as an ordinary priest in the monastery and now became a priest in one fell swoop. Wouldn’t the chief priest be more to my liking?

There is definitely danger, but what is there that doesn’t require paying a price? The new priest was well prepared, and his brother also gave him a lot of help - after all, his brother is the police chief who will ensure the safety of the city... His brother only had time to come to him the next night. , as soon as he entered his brother's room, he saw the new priest biting the king's bread and looking through the ledger left by the previous priest.

"Don't forget His Majesty's will," the captain reminded.

"No." The new priest said, what Louis XIV means is that if someone is willing to donate, the priest does not need to stop it. After all, it involves a matter of faith, but if no one donates, the priests and priests appointed and dismissed by the King of France do not need to be forced to recruit. , at least during these four months. But one thing to remember is that people's donations must be returned to France, not Rome... and cannot fall into an individual's pocket, unless he wants to try what it's like to dance on a lamppost in Paris. Feel. ,

"I'm a smart person." There will be many good days ahead. The new priest pointed to the boxes placed in the room: "These are for you first. Some of them were hidden by the guy in the monastery's vineyard. There may be others elsewhere."

"Do you need torturers?"

"No, that's a coward and a fool." The new priest said contemptuously: "No, wait, I may have said it wrong, he is still very bold in some aspects."

"How to say?"

The new priest showed the account book to his brother, "Look, how this guy collects taxes - not the 10th tax, nor the 91st, 81st or 71st - sir, he collects the 51st tax. "

Now even the well-informed captain was surprised.

"How did these Catalans live before!"

The May Day here does not refer to Labor Day. It means, everyone, that the hard-working people in this land have paid the king's poll tax, the lord's rent tax and labor tax, and there is no fixed number and frequency of war taxes or other taxes. In addition to exorbitant taxes and miscellaneous taxes, there is also the "May Day tax" paid to the church's remaining income. As the name suggests, it has changed from one-tenth to one-fifth.

No wonder they couldn't believe that the French king would cancel all their taxes for four months in one fell swoop. Now even the captain felt pity, "If there are still guys who are trying to conspire, I will never show mercy." "He said that if he were Catalan, he would be willing to put Louis XIV in the niche of the saint's statue.

"But this also has something to do with the Spaniards." The Spaniards will not leave such lucrative positions to the Catalans, such as the "Alba" that the original priest shouted, which is Castile The surname owned by the nobles in the court, this greedy clergyman must have been an Alva before becoming a priest, and they certainly would not have any mercy on the Catalans.

The captain walked over and opened the box. The box was filled with golden light... at least tens of thousands of livres - it's hard to imagine that this was just the wealth that the original priest had amassed in this small town in a year... not counting the wealth he gave to Rome. Those of the church.

"Your Majesty's decision is really wise." He said sincerely.