Mary Su Stuart

Mary Sometimes, it's hard to believe that she really changed history just like that.

Henry II lived past 1558, and Francois did not die early in 1560... However, the political situation in the Western European world does not seem to have undergone significant changes.

So, she felt, it was like a dream to step over Elizabeth's body and ascend to the throne of England or something.

She longs for it, and occasionally suspects it's out of reach.

The history she knew was like a horrible nightmare: Mary Stuart was identified by Elizabeth as "conspiring to assassinate and attempting to usurp the throne" and signed a death warrant, and was finally separated in front of everyone.

She has also read many stories about decapitated royal families——

Henry VIII's second queen, Anne Boleyn, begged her "husband" to send her a skilled swordsman for execution, hoping to reduce the pain of the knife and axe, and Henry VIII also agreed, and the whole country would find someone for her .Anne joked to herself that the executioner would find it easy to decapitate her because she "had a slender neck".

Jane Gray, Queen of Nine Days, lamented before she died: "Lord, into your hands I commit my soul".It is said that she was familiar with the Bible; and Jesus said the same when he was crucified.

King Charles I of England, who was publicly executed by Cromwell, once said to the onlookers at the execution ground: "Don't touch the ax." The French writer Balzac used it as the name of a novel: "Don't Touch the Ax". Touching the Knife and Axe". 【Note [-]】

Louis XVI's last words are: "I die innocent, I forgive my enemies, I hope my blood can appease the wrath of God."

Louis XVI's deficit queen, Marie Antoinette, stepped on someone else's foot by mistake while going to the guillotine.She maintained her final elegance and apologized: "I didn't mean to."

Either helpless, or sad, or heroic... But when Mary reads it, she can feel the fear of being forcibly killed.

Since time travel, what Mary is most afraid of is recalling the final encounter of Queen Stuart in history.When the Scottish monarch was suffering, he was chopped off with three axes before his head fell off.There are even rumors that Elizabeth deliberately instigated it.She screamed: "Executioner, finish your job!" before being slashed a second time.

There is a more bloody description: "...the executioner grabbed her head, like Perseus holding up the head of Medusa. He wanted to show her to the nobles who came to watch the execution. But the head suddenly disappeared. fell to the ground, and rolled away far, far... Only then did everyone discover that the Queen of Scots was wearing a wig; all that was left in the hands of the executioner was a bright red wig covered in blood..."

That's enough to be a nightmare.

But in this time and space, not only was Mary Stuart not thwarted, imprisoned, or executed by Elizabeth, on the contrary... until now, it can be regarded as an initial success.

She is already the winner of the coup d'etat to seize power, and it's time to avoid the bad luck of beheading.

In 1562, she had already learned that even if Elizabeth, the opponent of destiny, could not bring her death threats, even if she was alive, the Queen of England suffered from smallpox sequelae and was diagnosed as completely blind (Mary estimated that the optic nerve was damaged), The ruling power has been "restricted" by the Privy Council.

And for various reasons, England's dignitaries, after some internal discussions, negotiated with her urgently.In the end, the two sides reached an agreement that Mary Stuart, who had the right of succession to the Tudor dynasty, would be the "Regent" of England.

Under one person, above ten thousand people.It seems that there is only one step away from the real crown of England.

"But it may also become a void." Mary warned herself. "Elizabeth is only blind and disabled, but not infertile. If she gives birth to legal offspring and raises them up, the Privy Council will have every reason to ask me to go back to Scotland."

But this time, it is indeed very dangerous to win.Previously, the Duke of Norfolk and the three bishops led the Privy Council and drafted an edict asking Mary to succeed to the throne.He and the Earl of Pembroke have never been favored by Elizabeth, and they are familiar with her temperament; therefore, after discovering that the queen survived, but was blinded by illness, the Duke hastily pulled his colleagues to recognize Mary's regent status , so as to rely on the Queen of Scotland after she seized power to maintain herself.

But the post of Crown Prince of England is still up in the air.

This is the result of mutual compromise between Mary, the Privy Council of England, and the gradually sober Elizabeth after several confrontations.

——The current queen of England agreed to the application of the ministers to support another woman with great pain; but she requested to temporarily keep her last hole card.

Secretary of State Cecil was the hardest hit.However, under heavy military pressure from the Spanish army, Swiss mercenaries, and Norfolk County Old Christians, he had to obey most of his colleagues, and persuaded Elizabeth to also compromise.

For this, Elizabeth was full of anger at her chief minister.But forced by the situation, she could only comply with the request of the Privy Council full of humiliation.

"Your Majesty said that the three archbishops had to swear at the same time before she would sign the document recognizing the 'Regent'." The Earl of Pembroke, who came to report to Mary, couldn't help but wipe his sweat.

"After all, she is blind now, and she can't even see what is written on it." The Duke of Arundel, who had failed to propose marriage, had a bitter tone. "Now that Cecil is aware of the times, she only hopes that her good lover, that boy Dudley, will come back quickly."

He squeezed his throat and imitated: "'Oh, my handsome and sweet Robin'. She used to say that."

The Earl of Arundel said with a smile: "That kid who only knows how to wag his tail and beg for mercy, even if he comes back, it will be of no use. A descendant of a traitor, he wants to grab the Queen's skirt and dance... It's a pity, his days may never be the same as before It's better then."

"Who says no?" The Duke of Norfolk sneered. "The queen's eyes are not working well. He wasn't blindfolded. No amount of powder can cover up the marks on her face. Can he still praise her for being beautiful against his will?"

Mary waved her hand gently, with a soft face, hoping to shift the focus of the conversation - although she has now been approved by the Privy Council, she has not yet received the "Letter of Appointment" from Elizabeth, and she is not yet considered to be "in London"; Therefore, she has to remain as reserved as possible; therefore, she needs to listen to the opinions of her allies in England and discuss the next move together.

"Then, apart from having to wait for Lord Dudley to return to Beijing...my good sister Elizabeth, what other requests did you make?"

The Earl of Pembroke glanced at the Duke of Norfolk and said, "She also requested that a formal 'diplomatic meeting' be held first."

"Diplomatic meeting?" Mary smelled it. "As a descendant of Tudor, am I just an 'outsider' who asks to fight for England's interests?"

"My 'His Majesty the Regent'. I also think this is inappropriate." The Duke of Norfolk looked at Mary almost smiling.

This will be his chance to show his talents.thought the Duke of Norfolk.Everyone can see that Elizabeth always wants to give the English subjects the impression that "Mary Stuart is a foreigner" in order to create obstacles for her.This matter is not easy to solve, but it is not too troublesome, it is just suitable for him to show off how capable he is.

"So, first of all, we will vigorously lobby those who are not firm enough in the Privy Council, and make sure you are justified..."

Mary listened quietly to what he said.

"Secondly, we can also advance by retreating." He said slowly. "Didn't Her Majesty Elizabeth say that she wanted a 'diplomatic meeting'? In theory, the Privy Council should arrange a grand welcome ceremony and invite the citizens of London to come and enjoy it. In the history of our neighboring countries, this memorable and two- A solemn meeting with a queen."

The Duke of Norfolk blinked slyly. "At that time, you two, who is more like the king of a country, who looks more trustworthy, the contrast will be very sharp..."

Pembroke is a bit dull in nature, but after all, he has cooperated with the Duke of Norfolk for a long time.He interjected: "Oh, my God, our majesty who pays attention to appearance is extremely disgusted by showing his face in public now."

The corner of Earl Arundel's mouth twitched. "Her vanity and pride are not allowed to show her face at present."

Mary roughly understood. "Three respected lords, your words are very reasonable. Then, please allow me to entrust you with full authority to handle all these matters."

"Oh, that's my pleasure," replied the Duke of Norfolk and the Earls of Pembroke and Arundel proudly.

They were very motivated to negotiate with their colleagues.Mary rubbed her head, calmed down, and thought slowly.

According to their words, Elizabeth, who was never close to her, looked like a woman who could get her way.

However, according to Mary's previous understanding, she doesn't seem to be so... She seems to be more rational and cautious.

It wasn't until the matter came to an end that Mary finally realized it.

Fixed thinking is not necessary.

She almost forgot that she is not a bystander, she is not an outsider, she has become a participant in history, and because of her status, she has caused many important changes.

This change may also include her opponent Elizabeth.

Because of her own reasons, because of the crazy pressure from the outside world, because of the disease, she is struggling on the verge of life and death... She can no longer be a queen who only respects me.

Character determines fate, and fate also determines character.

***********************************

On this day, Mary walked into the magnificent hall of Whitehall Palace dressed in typical English court dress.

She didn't try her best to tie her waist so as not to strangle herself out of breath, but she still used a whalebone skirt to exaggerate the female curves as usual.A starched ruff with a small ruff is necessary, but the top should be soft enough not to push the bust too much.Well, after Boswell's endless noise and flattery, Mary is firm in her belief: it is still necessary to wear a low-key and calm attire to meet those old Privy Council fritters.

On the other hand, she is also quite conceited: Huh, as long as you look young and look good, and don't dress too outrageously, you can see it no matter what.

What matters is momentum, momentum.

A "winner" surrounded by Swiss mercenaries will lack momentum there again!

Mary stepped on her boots lightly, looking forward.At a glance, she saw the Queen of England who was supported by a female official across the hall, also holding her head high.

At this time, Elizabeth's costumes were quite complicated: the brocade embroidery was magnificent, embellished with many precious stones, which was very dazzling; her neck and wrists were covered with pearls, which were astonishingly heavy.And above the large ruffled collar, there was a rather eerie face; it reminded Mary of a flower that had failed and seemed to be rotting in the middle.

The Queen of England's eyes were wide open, with circles of powder similar to her red hair smeared around her; from her forehead to her cheeks to her chin, she was covered with pale "pigment"; her cheeks and lips were as red as blood. Against such a background color of the face, there is a hint of weirdness, like a witch who has dealt with the devil in an oil painting.

Her sequelae of smallpox were severe.At that moment, Mary really understood, no wonder Elizabeth didn't want to appear in front of too many people.

England's courtiers almost held their breath as the two queens approached each other.But when they finished saluting each other, they started whispering.

Mary was listening very hard, and Elizabeth was also practicing her hearing seriously because of her poor eyesight.Therefore, some of their less respectful conversations fell into the ears of these two.

"The contrast is too sharp... Even if it's not an angel and a devil, it's the difference between an archangel and a fallen angel!"

Even Protestants who hate Catholic idolatry other than God are familiar with these traditional religious images.When they saw these two standing together, one was solemn and holy, and the other was extravagant and gorgeous, this kind of description suddenly flashed in their minds—someone even couldn't bear to say it out of their mouths.

In fact, Mary didn't dare to be complacent, and more embarrassing.But Elizabeth couldn't see the humble expression of her opponent, she was filled with hatred instantly, and her fingers tightly grabbed the maid's wrist.

"Welcome to my palace, Her Majesty the Queen of Scots." The voice trembled slightly.

Oh, and "My Palace" again.

"Thank you for your hospitality, my dear Majesty." Mary said in a steady tone.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two finally took their seats.Ah, what a historic meeting!

Mary kept feeling in her heart: In the original time and space, Mary Stuart never communicated with her lifelong opponent face to face, not even once, until her head fell to the ground!

Now, the two old enemies may have really lost their lives.Even if Mary is not interested in playing with the "former idol" between applause, for her own benefit, she will have to consider cutting off her influence, restricting her power and freedom, and even obliterating the existence of this cousin.

But Mary is far from having her own way.From now on, she will also perform well in front of the Privy Council to gain their continuous support.

Mary begins greeting Elizabeth in English instead of her "native" French.She speaks fluently and with a gentle tone, a bit like a nurturing mother.However, the object of her heartfelt love is her cousin who is almost ten years older than her.

"...We, a pair of cousins ​​who get along so well... We used to give each other gifts, wish each other, and be mutual reliance..."

For Mary's overtures, Elizabeth was taciturn and felt like she was sitting on pins and needles.The consultant prepared a speech for her in advance, and she almost cried when she heard it.Now, she barely sat here, and the spirit of a queen slowly emerged in her heart.She interrupted Mary's tender narration, and said sarcastically:

"Yes, we, the queens of neighboring countries, once had such a deep friendship."

Of course Mary knew what she was emphasizing.Then the Queen of Scots said earnestly:

"In the past, we were neighbors. But as your cousin, your close sister, I have always been willing to shoulder the responsibility bestowed on me by blood. Of course, the Scottish crown is a relic passed down to me by my grandfather and father; my grandmother is A true princess of England. So, I have always kept in mind my origins and my connection to the land beneath my feet."

"I must thank you, my lord. Thank you for acknowledging my obligations as a descendant of Tudor. Today, England has strong enemies outside and turmoil inside, and it is time for us to join together to calm the situation and restore the country's stability."

"I am deeply sorry for your sudden poor condition. Therefore, I look forward to coming here to help you solve your temporary difficulties..."

hypocritical!Elizabeth's cheeks twisted slightly.How she wanted to walk away.The Queen of England hated anyone to interfere with her monarchy, even in the name of "future inheritance".But this Mary Stuart taught her to be frustrated again and again, repeatedly admitting those documents against her will!

How much effort she has put in in the four years since she took the throne!She agrees with the interests of the powerful, makes good use of the power of the public, and finally gradually establishes an unquestionable majesty.At first, she had to rely on the respect of her subjects for the royal blood to suppress the voices of anti-women in power; later, she gradually won the support of the absolute majority through being cautious and meticulous, diligent in governing the country... But now, this hateful The queen of a foreign country actually tried to take away the power she depended on for survival!

The corners of Elizabeth's mouth twitched, but the words she said were not unpleasant: "Thank you for your care... You don't have to be so humble, Your Majesty the Queen of Scots."

She hated it so much that the handkerchief was almost twisted into a twist.But patience and restraint are the cultivation of the monarch.Elizabeth suppressed her impulse, heard the sound, and looked in Mary's direction, frowning and "glanced".

"I don't dare to order...a monarch who is supposed to be 'equal' to me."

All the ministers of the Privy Council could hardly sit still.Cough cough, this is the hall, usually a place where major ceremonies are held.Behind it is the guard hall, and behind it is the audience room.The queen who is sick and the ambitious regent, the two women, how many wits are in the conversation, can wait for the future when they get along in private...

The three bishops all signaled to the Duke of Norfolk who supported Mary.Seeing this, the Duke of Norfolk winked at the Earl of Pembroke.Then the Earl of Arundel, the Earl of Derby...

In the end, almost all eyes were on Cecil.

The Secretary of State looked at Robert Dudley.Elizabeth's platonic lover looks a bit gloomy, but standing in the queen's hand, she is straight and looks loyal.This kid, I don’t know whether it’s good luck or bad luck—his big backer himself is shaky, but he still cares about him, and decided to canonize him as the Earl of Leicester, and appointed him to the Privy Council, and brought him to attend this " Humiliation" meeting.

Cecil coughed lightly.

"Your Majesty, we are very pleased to be here..."

Next, is the big red tape.Praise the strength of the Queen of England, praise the friendship of the Queen of Scotland, place expectations on the new regent, and look forward to a beautiful and harmonious future...

Finally, amidst Elizabeth's hoarse and heavy voice of permission, Cecil gritted his teeth and respectfully handed over to Mary the commitment document approved by the Privy Council, signed by the Queen, and sealed with the Great Seal.

Just wait for the official notice to be posted and made public, and then the ceremony will be held... Mary Stuart will become the justifiable Prince Regent of England.

The author has something to say: Mary: My heart is full of flames of revenge... Uh, there seems to be something wrong?

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