Mary Su Stuart

Regarding how to position herself, Mary never dared to take it lightly.

In France, the land of the Four World Wars, various forces are intricate.She is still young and her abilities are limited; even if she gets a foothold in marriage, what she can do in the future is still limited.Moreover, the princess concubine confined to the harem, was bound by a bunch of etiquette and teachings, which was really not what she wanted.

Therefore, the idea of ​​returning to Scotland was always in her mind.

In her memory, Mary Stuart's "adversary" Elizabeth will ascend the throne of England in November 1558; therefore, she has been eager to return to Scotland as soon as possible to stabilize her position, and then consider how to " against" England.

Moreover, if she could go back alone and take advantage of the situation to temporarily separate from François, it would also relieve their current embarrassment of "covering the quilt and just chatting" and avoid challenging her legal husband's bottom line of abstinence for a long time.

Besides, Francois is also justifiably the "King of Scotland".If two monarchs appear on the high ground at the same time, it is easy to cause power dispersion and political division.In particular, the husband who helps the queen govern is still above the queen in many people's minds.

Mary originally thought that she would wait for the situation in France to stabilize before considering departure.However, now is also a great opportunity.

After signing a series of treaties on the transfer of royal power, she and Francois officially married, which has been regarded as an confession to the French royal family-after all, they have raised themselves for ten years, and this is an investment that must be recovered.Then, it just so happened that Queen Mother Mary relaxed her power due to her poor health, and she also began to look forward to the Queen and her daughter returning to her side.

Mary generally knew that the Queen Mother Regent of the Guise family did not live long.In two or three years at most, I will have to rush back to Scotland to take charge because of her death.Therefore, instead of rushing out at that time, it is better to prepare for the handover of power while the mother is still alive.

In fact, Mary did not have deep feelings for this biological mother.She had a nanny and a playmate when she was young; although the queen mother paid attention to the children, she was actually like a shadow behind the curtain, and the time to communicate with her was very limited-after all, what did Marie de Guise spend her main energy on? Deal with England and France above.Later, she was sent to the French court for long-term upbringing. The last time mother and daughter met was eight years ago...

However, "missing each other" is also a good sign.

Especially on the other side, it has already sent a signal of hope.

Of course, Queen Mary would not understand urging her daughter.After all, the crown prince and his wife have only just married.Moreover, the flames of war between France and Spain have not extinguished, and Scotland's strong neighbor, England, is still sending troops to help her husband's family; the throne of Scotland's ruler is not easy to sit on.

However, Mary exaggerated this signal and presented it in front of everyone as the most upright reason.

Then she had to negotiate with the other real powerful king, Henry II.

In this matter, her father-in-law, the sole (that) dictator of France, has the final decision.

Emotion is certainly not enough, Mary also has to be reasonable.

And the best conversation content is interest.

Although Henry II has always admired this daughter-in-law, it is more similar to an attitude towards precious collections-Scotland and her beautiful and versatile queen are both trophies of their family and can be passed on to future generations.He also admitted that the girl was quite intelligent, but she tended to focus on chores and anecdotes.Now, for the first time, he suddenly realized that he might indeed have introduced an extraordinary power into the Valois royal family.

"She's the cutest girl I've ever met."

Ten years ago, he used to boast so much to his close ministers and dignitaries.The reason at that time was mainly because of the country behind the little queen, which had strategic significance in France.Today, he couldn't help admiring again, but it was entirely because of Mary herself.

As early as she was, it is not uncommon to be able to talk about politics with the King of France, but it really surprised him—Mary bluntly said that Mary I of England was plagued by illness, and I am afraid that she will die soon; Elizabeth, the half-sister of the "born daughter"; but she also has the right to claim the throne, and she may be able to fight for it at that time.When Henry II frowned and bluntly said that he had no manpower and material resources to support this battle, indicating that he was more inclined to let nature take its course, Mary said:

"Your Majesty, I understand your thoughts. In fact, this is also my attitude."

"Scotland's national strength is not enough to interfere in England's political situation for the time being, and Stuart is not what their Privy Council wants; and your kingdom's primary goal is to suppress Spain... Therefore, I think it is reasonable to temporarily admit the future successor Sex, and peace, is the most pragmatic and appropriate course of action."

"However, Elizabeth, who has a high voice, pretends to be a Catholic, but many sources have confirmed that she is still inclined to the Protestant' crooked ways." Although the daughter-in-law's proposal is exactly what he wants, Henry II still wants to say something on the spot. "This is always a threat that needs to be prepared."

Mary continued to lead the conversation. "Therefore, we must gather our strength and be fully prepared before we try to bring England back under the papacy's glory and under its rightful monarch."

"Therefore, I need to return to Scotland as soon as possible, take control of the barren land that was ruined by England, and build a counter-offensive front."

"Moreover, I believe that in the near future, you will provide me and the King of Scotland with manpower and material support."

"Thank God for always watching me with His wise eyes. Your Majesty, when I was worried about Scotland, I obtained some useful information, which can help... get rid of material difficulties."

This information was the key point that left Henry II dumbfounded and ecstatic.

What Mary took out was the formula for mercury glass mirrors that had been monopolized by Venice for centuries.

In this era, silver-plated glass mirrors had not yet been invented, and mercury glass mirrors were priceless luxury goods, highly sought after by the rich and powerful.The Venetians, who were the first to invent the manufacturing technology of mercury glass mirrors, naturally hoarded them.Their glass industry was originally the most developed and perfect in Europe. During this period, all craftsmen were concentrated and blocked on isolated islands to ensure an absolute monopoly.

This monopoly will naturally bring huge profits.A small vanity mirror can cost up to 15 livres in France.Even the French royal family, which has an annual income of tens of millions, feels pain when paying.

But the popularity of mercury glass mirrors cannot be stopped, and rich people are rushing to ask for them.Seeing a large amount of wealth from all over the country flow to Venice, the royal family is naturally jealous.Unfortunately, according to the real history, it will take another 100 years until the reign of Louis XIV to buy craftsmen and break the technical monopoly of Venice.

And this "commercial behavior" brought great confidence to Louis XIV.It is said that the Sun King's military spending to dominate the continent was due to subsidies from this industry.

Therefore, Mary, who provided the technical formula, is equivalent to handing over the key to the vault gate to Henry II.

No, not an ordinary vault, but a gold mine that is continuously mined.

"My child, you are such an angel!" After asking Mary twice to find out what technology she was going to provide him, Henry II couldn't help but smile from ear to ear.

It is conceivable that with this thing, the French court will not worry about finances for a long time... no more military expenses!

Henry II, who was determined to dominate Western Europe, seemed to have seen the dawn of victory in advance.

In ecstasy, the French king first affirmed his daughter-in-law's political talents, and declared his absolute support for her return to Scotland to govern; then he expressed the hope that the feasibility of this formula could be determined as soon as possible.

Mary was very satisfied with Henry II's response.

Traveling through the female Mary, don't fight unprepared battles.In view of the fact that the Duke of Guise was still confronting the Spaniards on the battlefield, she had discussed the preliminary plan with another uncle, the Cardinal of Lorraine, before handing over the formula, and started to manufacture the actual product.

The Bishop, who was used to the "whimsical designs" of his niece, was startled from ear to ear by what she brought in this time.Then, while carefully blocking the news, he personally supervised the craftsmen to work overtime... Soon, the staff of the small laboratory actually achieved phased results.

So, in early August 1558, Mary presented His Majesty with a small smooth glass mirror.

"First stick tin foil on the glass, and then pour it with mercury to form a 'tin amalgam' that can firmly adhere to the glass surface..." Mary explained to Henry II as simply as possible. "This method takes a long time, but it is quite reliable."

Henry II was simply full of praise. "It's wonderful! If this method is promoted..."

The Cardinal of Lorraine, who had done most of the practical work, had to remind the king: "Your Majesty, at the same time, we must formulate absolutely strict confidentiality measures."

Henry II laughed. "Yes, what you said makes sense!"

He looked at the Cardinal of Lorraine with bright eyes. "You should be solely responsible for this matter."

The trusted favorite is beaming with joy.He looked at his niece, saw her biting her lips slightly, and understood it in his heart, and then said to the King of France:

"It is conceivable that in the near future, this industry will fill the treasury of France. And the Queen of Scots also hopes that the highland will receive some financial support at the same time..."

François, the "Crown of France" and "King of Scotland" was not present when he said this.Mary's ambition to return to her hometown and take charge of the whole situation seems to be obvious.

However, this did not hinder Henry II's good mood.

After all, this girl is already her own daughter-in-law, so it's okay to give her some independence and privileges.

The French king raised his eyebrows and said with a smile:

"Then let's see what Scotland needs."

Therefore, Mary Stuart, who was about to be released by Henry II, offered various conditions: she would take all of her Scottish guards away, preferably accompanied by a French guard; she also needed a group of excellent craftsmen, a Batches of living and production materials, and——

One million livres, cash.

The last one looks like a lion's mouth is wide open.After all, the war in France is not peaceful at the moment, and the finances are stretched.My uncle, who has done a lot of research on this, told Mary before that the national debt is now 4000 million, and it is expected to increase by 200 million every year.

However, considering the possible income of the mercury mirror industry in the future, a mere 100 million is not too much.

In particular, Mary said quite sincerely that because Scotland "will become a part of France", she does not plan to mint new coins after she returns, hoping that there will be enough French currency to circulate in Scotland.

This was what Henry II loved to hear.However, he cannot be generous without limit.

In the end, under the coordination of the cardinal, Mary "willing to be wronged" and agreed to only ask for half of the funds for the time being, and make up the other half as appropriate.

In view of the limited military expenditure, the French escort sent to Scotland was greatly reduced.

In fact, Henry II couldn't mobilize so many soldiers-just kidding, he took away the Scottish Guards, and his source of soldiers was already at a disadvantage.How can they send all the vital forces of the country to that barren island highland!

After everything was settled, Mary returned to her palace—more precisely, her wedding room with François.Looking at her newlywed husband in the dim candlelight, she suddenly felt a deep sense of guilt.

Henry II, at this juncture, did not allow François to go to Scotland with Mary, as Mary had wished.

Even so, he is justifiably the "King of Scotland".

Mary, who planned to separate, had predicted and even planned this kind of ending early—from the very beginning, she specially picked the time when the crown prince was out of the palace to discuss the return home with Henry II.

Although François knew of her mother's letter earlier, he did not expect that she would leave so soon; moreover, he returned to Scotland alone without him.

The young man who didn't know much about the news only found out after returning to the Louvre that his wife had already discussed almost all the plans with his father during this time.

The reasons for their temporary separation are high-sounding and fully sufficient.

First of all, the war between France and Spain is in full swing. As the crown prince, he should sit in Gyeonggi to stabilize the people's hearts.

Secondly, it is a long way to go to Scotland; the guards are short of manpower, and there are not many French soldiers; there is even hostile neighboring England, which may be a hindrance-I am afraid it is not safe.

Again, he was not in good health in the past, and Scotland has always been short of medical care, which is also a major hidden danger.

In fact, there is the most important reason, Henry II never mentioned it, and Mary couldn't say it, but some smart people can secretly realize that François is his wife's first heir, even in front of his mother-in-law .

If, should anything happen to the young Queen of Scots, he would receive almost all of her inheritance, and enjoy the crown alone.

With such temptations ahead, it is nothing to separate the newlyweds for a while.

It was not clear to Marie that François had figured out some of these reasons.Seeing him sitting on the edge of the bed blankly with a face of deceitful sadness, she moved lightly and quickly walked to his side.

Even at this time, her appearance is still impeccably beautiful.

——When the teary-eyed boy was surrounded by his wife's bright arms, he actually had such an idea.

He watched the princess retreating from the servants, and made it clear that he wanted to have some private conversations with her husband.

Miss Beeton stared, feeling a little confused: as if, they were supposed to help the hostess from the sidelines?In the end, the understanding Miss Seton and Miss Fleming took her away.

Marie is determined to have a showdown with Francois.

Anyway, with the conclusion of the most important political marriage between the two countries, they are bound to be tied together for a long time, and there is almost no room for divorce.

As a wife, instead of trying to be on every possible precaution and deceiving her legal husband in every way, it is better to try to win him over and form a more stable alliance.

Besides, she herself has always had a good impression of this docile and considerate childhood sweetheart.

She is also aware of his trust since childhood and his long-term habitual dependence.Even if she looks at it with a less narcissistic and less Marysu mentality, at least at this stage, she is very sure of him.

And when she went back to Scotland alone, she was on guard...

That being the case, right now, why not try to open up and get along well.

In his silence, Mary bowed her knees, stretched out her hands to hold the boy's face, and said softly but firmly:

"You already know... I have to go back, my dear François."

"I had a dream……"

"As before, the Lord guides the future for me."

"In the dream, my mother, called by the Lord, will die in the near future..."

"And our Scotland, under the watchful eye of a powerful enemy, is almost falling apart."

"Before that, I foresee that the Queen Mary of England will die soon. After her death, Elizabeth Tudor, who succeeds her, will subvert the Catholic doctrine again; and even force Scotland into a fierce battle in religious conflicts."

"I follow the command of God, I must submit to his will. I cannot let my mother go away alone; I cannot leave my hometown and be forced into a difficult situation."

"The Lord taught me that this is the duty of being born to be king."

Francois took his wife's hand. "But, I'm also the king..."

Mary shook his head lightly, shaking her head slightly.

The four eyes met, and her tone gradually became low.

"Don't forget, your father is the most honorable His Majesty the King.

"He must also fulfill his responsibilities to France."

"His responsibilities also have strict requirements and constraints on you, the crown prince."

"If only from the standpoint of the Valois royal family, none of us should leave France at this time."

"This is the will of the French monarchy."

"I can hardly refute..."

Marie doesn't have to cry, she just has to tell "part of the truth"; François squeezes her tightly, expressing understanding.

He murmured: "Yes, the French king's will cannot be violated."

In fact, he had been persuaded by his father and enlightened by his mother before... But at this moment, his mind completely calmed down according to Mary's expectation.

He is no longer obsessed with "betrayal", but accepts the reality of helplessness.

"My dear Mary, it's not your fault."

"Yes, this is the responsibility of being born to be king."

"My father deserved to make such a decision."

Listening to Mary, she felt that, coupled with that lonely expression, what he said was not what he said, why... it seemed that he was blaming Henry II.

While stroking him tenderly, she silently thought: Father-in-law has become a blame man?

Although it fits her original idea, Mary is still a little embarrassed: in fact, Henry II and her ideas are quite compatible in many ways; in most things in the past, the King of France was also very accommodating and helpful to her.

Alas, under the circumstances, she didn't mean to stir up the relationship between father and son on purpose.

But Mary soon felt relieved.Over the years, she has been worthy of others-provided a lot of medical support for his eldest son; contributed to a promising financial source for the royal family; Important people, the right to return.

Yes, it is the Earl of Montgomery, Captain of the Scottish Guards, the French nobleman who will stab Henry II in the eye and kill him in the tournament field in 1559.