Mary Su Stuart

The arrival of the King of Scotland, even though it was semi-public, also added a bit of joy to the well-informed residents of Edinburgh-although there was no large-scale celebration, there were more laughter in the palace, and they also grabbed a lot of rewards that were sprinkled for fun .

To be fair, the scale of the Royal Palace of Edinburgh is still somewhat different from that of Holyrood Palace outside the city.In view of the fact that Mary has been reluctant to repair the palace in order to save money, the queen has been staying in relatively stable Edinburgh for a long time.

Anyway, the Scottish royal court is sparsely populated, and Mary is too lazy to spend extravagantly. For now, the small palace is still enough.

The French Crown Prince, who had just arrived, didn't think it was so shabby here.The scope of the palace is indeed small, and space has to be reserved for the imperial guards; but it has been carefully designed by Mary, clean and tidy, refreshing and pleasant, and it is very comfortable to sit, sleep and live in.Francois even felt that, compared with the cumbersome wall hangings and luxurious furniture in French palaces, this small palace is more homely.

——The main reason is that there is a beloved wife who is always by his side.

Mary took the male owner on a "tour" all the way, and explained to him: "This place is actually not very spacious. Everyone is persuading me not to continue to waste Holyrood. But I think the walls of Edinburgh can give me a sense of security. However, I plan to slowly move the laboratory and the collection of books that are too infrequently used to the palace, and use it as a 'scientific research area'; in this way, some space can be freed up."

Well, François is no stranger to the word "scientific research" after her years of "education".He nodded and said, "It's all up to you."

"His Majesty" is very generous in all matters of Scotland.On the one hand, the French crown prince is not greedy for this barren land that even ancient Rome was too lazy to conquer. On the other hand, he and Mary are like glue, and they have enough respect and trust. He is willing to let his wife enjoy the freedom of domination .

Of course, the "enclave" of Scotland is still very important to France.After all, it is always the best base to deal with England.

However, until more definite news is received, the Scottish royal family and their Swiss mercenaries will not act rashly for the time being.

It is said that in England, instigated by some "people with ulterior motives", the voices of Catholics are getting louder and louder, and the city and countryside are quite uneasy.

With the current level of turmoil alone, it is obviously extremely unreasonable for Scotland to lead troops to interfere in neighboring countries.Western Europe in the Renaissance era was no longer a barren land, and it also paid attention to "teachers are famous".Mary, who covets her opponent's crown, cannot easily make mistakes.

However, Philip II, who holds the Pope's "Sacred Bulletin", seems to be an exception.After all, he was the strictest and most devout Catholic, a symbol of the Inquisition.

And his strength is enough to make many discordant voices disappear.

The court in London paid great attention to the Spanish fleet approaching from the sea.The signboards put out by Philip II were: "save the believers from fire and water" and "restore the authority of the pope in England"; they tried to arouse national sentiment, shouting "foreigners have no right to interfere in England's internal affairs", and actively repaired ships to prepare for war .

Looking at the history, generally speaking, the islanders have a strong sense of nationality.But the direction of the current situation is sometimes only in the hands of a few people.

For example, Mary found out that in the northern counties of England, as the stronghold of the old religion, many local lords, while covering up the demonstrations of Catholics, are hoping that external forces will suppress the arrogance of the central government for their own benefit.

Although this kind of behavior is a headache for London, it is quite beneficial for Edinburgh.

For example, the Earl of Westmoreland who instigated the uprising responded ambiguously to the Queen of Scots' overtures.

Mary really wanted to be a fisherman waiting for the fish and clams to fight.She planned to wait for the Spaniards to set foot on the land of England first, and so on... Then, she would "mediate" and "negotiate" as an in-law and heir to the throne.

Instead of "acting together" as she once hinted to Philip II.

In order to pave the way for her subsequent actions, the Queen of Scots wrote a sincere letter to Elizabeth:

"... my dear sister [Note [-]], that John Knox, never feared violence to every Catholic he came in contact with. You may not bear to restrain him because of your conviction of Calvinism; There's their needs ... I think that's why the riots happen."

"I heard that Spain has decided to take some direct actions against you. I am deeply sorry for this. How I hope that you and His Majesty Philip can reach an agreement as soon as possible to restore peace in western Europe."

"Of course, as England's closest neighbor, I am willing to share some of the load for your court when you need it."

Fart, Elizabeth, who is good at maneuvering and suspicious, must see what she is seeking, and she will definitely not agree.

However, the gesture of the Queen of Scots is not just for Elizabeth.

But so far, Mary has ostensibly done little else.

Right now, every day, she is busy "entertaining" the French crown prince who came from afar.

Various programs and activities are enough to make any French visitor feel at home—no, François agreed with "his wife's home is his own home" from the very beginning.

In addition to the purest Frenchman, Earl Montgomery, who accompanied him on the hunt, there was also a versatile compatriot and royal poet, Chatrier, who played and sang for him.The latter even arranged a few scenes of the usual French court drama in the Royal Palace of Edinburgh, with the happy Mary as the heroine.

Oh, despite witnessing the ambiguous behavior of Chatelier and the young queen, Francois still maintained his calm at the moment, and even "identified" it as his wife's charm.

——The platonic love between a knight and a lady is a major adjustment to court life.The King of Scots, who had enjoyed several days of sex with his wife, was now quite tolerant of poets who "fawned on their mistresses all the time."

Besides, no matter how industrious or infatuated that jester is, it is only a one-sided infatuation; as the king of a country, he must be tolerant.

To be a monarch, to be calm.Francois gritted his teeth secretly.

After the court comedy starring the queen came to an end, the simple curtain in the hall was lifted again.The program in the middle of the dance floor became the traditional Scottish bagpipe playing.After changing costumes, Marie returned to Francois slowly, and continued to watch the show with him.

The French crown prince took his wife's hand and praised happily: "My dear, your performance is very good."

Mary winked triumphantly.Then she heard him say: "There is a more suitable small theater in the Louvre, or can you continue there next time?"

Mary squeezed his hand. "Are you joining, my dear majesty?"

Francois thought for a moment, then declined: "No, I think it would be better for me to applaud you and present you flowers in the audience."

Mary raised her folding fan to cover her twitching mouth. "Then tell me, where are the flowers that should be presented today?"

This is a problem.It's the end of the year, how can there be any flowers outdoors?For the sake of frugality, Mary also did not have many out-of-season plants in the court-except for certain things.

Francois, who was used to her little naughtiness, pointed to this exception in the room: a pot of pink flowers placed by the table.

He smiled and said, "How about this?"

Mary blinked her eyes and sighed, "Hey, you picked it wonderfully. This is a very precious thing. It took me a lot of work to bring in potatoes from Spain."

"Potatoes?" the Dauphin thought for a moment.The unheard of plants are specially imported from Spain. Could it be that she is going to set off some fashion again?

Thinking about the word "precious" in Mary's mouth, François looked at the cluster of pink and white flowers intently. "Ornamental is not bad, but...need so, indoor cultivation?"

"This season is only suitable for indoor cultivation." Mary tapped the back of his hand with the fan handle. "It only blooms for a few days. Well, actually, it's the tubers that matter."

Then, she began to explain to her husband in detail: "This plant originally came from the New World of America. The local people have long discovered that its tubers are very nutritious and can be used as food to fill their stomachs. The Spaniards brought them back by chance. It’s a pity that they don’t dare to learn from those aboriginals to eat it, and only cultivate and appreciate its flowers.”

François understood immediately. "So, you hope to develop new food crops in Scotland?"

"Yes, the conditions for growing potatoes are not demanding, and they are very suitable for the British climate and even the European continent." His wife nodded. "Leaving aside the output, the most important thing to solve at present is to prove that they are non-toxic and harmless. Therefore, I hope to grow some tubers quickly so that the ingredients can pass the verification as soon as possible."

The corners of Mary's lips curled up slightly. "A warm palace can eliminate weather interference and cultivate the first batch of new crops as soon as possible; of course, placing a few pots in the inner court is also to make everyone familiar with this new plant, and don't blindly regard foreign products as creations of the devil."

As she spoke, she scratched Francois' palm, and said half coquettishly and half formally: "It would be even better if the well-informed French crown prince is willing to put them on the dining table in the future."

Up and down is definitely useful.The promotion of potatoes in France in history is thanks to the strong support of Louis XVI, Queen, and Marie Antoinette.If Mary wants to complete this matter 200 years ahead of schedule, she will have to work harder.

Being tickled by her, Francois' ears turned red for a moment. "It's all according to your wishes..."

Mary pursed her lips and smiled sweetly, seeing that Francois felt sweet in his heart.He thought: Mary's little movements have increased a lot compared to before... There is really a difference between them.

While the young couple were having sex with each other, the commander of the Imperial Guard walked in wearing leather boots.Originally, Boswell habitually ran directly to the Queen, but he paused in front of the King of Scotland and the Crown Prince of France. After completing the standard court etiquette, he moved to Mary's side and said with a little excitement:

"Your Majesty, the Spanish fleet has arrived on the coast of England!" It is finally time to begin!Mary stood up excitedly. "Keep an eye on that side, we have to prepare well."

François was less excited than she was.He frowned slightly, and then said: "Prepare the diplomatic letter."

In the next few days, Mary received a lot of good news in succession.

For example, the Spanish navy defeated the English fleet and landed at Plymouth; for example, after the Spaniards occupied the port, they held the banner of solidarity with Catholicism and crusade against heresy, and continued to put pressure on Elizabeth.

This is what Mary expected.In the next 20 years, England's naval strength will gradually keep up with Spain's pace.Today, England's manufacturing industry has not yet gained the upper hand, and Spain has not been harassed by its opponent's privateer fleet; Spain has a great chance of winning the British-Spanish naval battle, and it is not difficult to spread the war to the British interior.

If you want to make a profit, you need to find the right time.Although the Scottish court had sent diplomatic letters to both Britain and the West, expressing their position and hinting at the possibility of sending troops, Mary did not intend to wait for their reply at all.Her Swiss mercenary group is ready to take advantage of England's more relaxed defenses and use the name of protecting the rights of the old believers to enter the country to shake Elizabeth's rule.

At this critical juncture, Edinburgh received another more shocking news——

Amid internal and external difficulties, the Queen of England suddenly fell ill.

Disease name: smallpox.Like her half-brother Edward VI who died young.

Mary was simply dumbfounded.

Her first thought was: Wow!It's not fake, is it? !

Her second thought was: Happiness came too suddenly...God help me?

In her third year: Hey, is there no vaccine for smallpox in this day and age?That, when was the vaccinia vaccination that originated in England invented/discovered?

The author has something to say: [Note [-]] It should actually be the cousin.However, in the correspondence between Mary and Elizabeth in real history, this kind of title is often used.

Well, potatoes are definitely a good thing.Modern science has verified that potatoes contain all the eight essential amino acids needed by the human body, which are stronger than traditional rice and wheat.