Mary Su Stuart

Compared with Britain and France, which are still separated by a strait, it seems that Spain's annexation of Portugal is not difficult at all.Both are in the Iberian Peninsula, and the roads are connected everywhere. The royal family is constantly married, and if they are not together, it seems to be a waste.

Historically, the Portuguese royal family had also dreamed of ruling Spain.However, their males are not too long-lived.As a result, the descendants of the married princesses became candidates for the throne-including Philip II, the Duke of Savoy and so on.And Philip II, who occupies a favorable location, quickly sent the Duke of Alva to send troops after learning of the "ownerless" situation in neighboring countries, and soon turned the "right to claim" into a real crown.

Marie, who had just returned to Paris, was filled with question marks when she heard the news that Philip II quickly settled Portugal and succeeded in annexing the country:

Spain is quite capable, and it has eaten Portugal so quickly.It's just that, in future generations, why did they split back?

That's a really good question!As an aborigine of this era, François II, the majestic King of France, is very regretful that the Iberian Peninsula has been completely unified since then. "Since a long time ago, the two royal families have been competing for 'marriage', and now there is finally a result." [Note [-]]

Mary, who was puzzled, soon deduced an answer based on the current situation: probably because the level of governance of the Spanish monarchy was too poor.

Just look at the Netherlands.Over the years, Governor Don Juan has won one victory after another, but he can't completely extinguish the fires of uprisings everywhere.The clamor from Britain and France is only a small part of the reason. The locals are determined not to mix with Spain.The newly released "Oath Act" declared that in view of Philip's "commitment of various crimes in the Netherlands", they had to "vacate the throne" and temporarily take over the government by the "United Provincial Assembly".

Of course, it is not easy to voluntarily abandon a monarch in this era.So, what the bill says nominally is "they were deserted by the king".Then, the Dutch are still actively looking for a new monarch who accepts the local "sovereignty" in order to obtain the protection of other powerful people.

Now, William of Orange-Nassau, with all expectations, followed the Frenchman Coligny to Paris, ready to ask their king for help.

When he met for the first time, he directly applied with full sincerity:

"If, Your Majesty is willing, become our monarch..."

At first, François was somewhat interested in this proposal: the lowlands, what a fertile area!Moreover, this piece of land happens to be located on the French border——

However, Mary did not dare to expect too much.

First of all, being regarded as the monarch by the Dutch at this time means accepting a big mess and carefully balancing the intricate local forces.Mary has seen that they eventually split into the prototypes of the Netherlands and Belgium-now in the Netherlands, the six northern provinces prefer Protestantism and vow to draw a line with Philip II; The heart is weakening, rumors have been prepared to surrender to Spain...

Businessmen value profits, have flexible thinking, and advocate freedom (in France, they like urban autonomy the most, and they are right to fight against the central government).A mere Netherlands is still falling apart inside; if the King of France or the Queen of Britain suddenly parachutes over, how can it be easily managed?

Secondly, once she and Francois openly "annexed" the Netherlands, how could Philip II, a monarch who had been "betrayed" by his subjects, let it go!During the Warring States period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, Shangdang was besieged by Qin soldiers, and Han gave up, so he took the initiative to vote for Zhao, and Zhao Guochaotang was entangled for a while.Oh, the overjoyed Lord Pingyuan insisted that he accepted the fat in others' eyes with a smile, and later became the leader of the Battle of Changping; Huo; The prestige (fierce name) of Zhao Kuo resounded throughout China; Zhao Kuo, the leader of Zhao who failed and died in battle, left people with the idiom of "talking about war on paper"...

In this era, the comparison between the energy of Spain and Britain and France may not be as "disparate" as that of Qin and Zhao, but they can have foreign aid from Habsburg, Austria.Besides, Marie, who is "accurate" that Spain will inevitably decline, has never wanted to confront them head-on, and has been trying her best to avoid direct confrontation, desperately looking forward to slowly hollowing out her opponent from the bottom...

Finally, from the perspective of the development of later generations, England and the Netherlands have too similar paths for overseas development, and there may be many conflicts in the future. For example, abruptly changing New Amsterdam to New York (NewYork).Just recently, Mary has also heard some news about the escalation of the competition between the two sides: English fishing boats complained to the Privy Council, saying that the Dutch had "voyaged far" to the North Sea fishing ground near "our country" and that fishing beyond the border was too much!

Since the Dutch are so capable, they are beyond the reach of England at this stage; then, if you think about it in a dark way, let them and Spain consume more energy according to the historical trajectory, which is just convenient for the "United Kingdom" to benefit.

Mary gave Francois a good analysis of the cause and effect.The King of France, who had always listened to his wife, categorically rejected the Netherlands' request to make him Lord.William still didn't give up. During the second meeting, he continued to say earnestly:

"Or, allow the Duke of Alençon..."

Henry, Duke of Anjou, can go to Poland to become the throne; then, it is probably okay for his younger brother to take charge of the Netherlands?

Colini, who accompanied him, joined in the fun, or rather, this was his secret idea. "I have also heard from the Duke that he has the heart to make contributions."

The heart to make meritorious deeds is just that promiscuous swinger?Mary stared.

Francois is not stupid either.The Duke of Alençon is also an important member of Valois, and his every move can "represent" the attitude of the French royal family!Besides, if he went to the Netherlands, it was unclear whether he would be king or ruler, and he himself might not be happy.Moreover, and most importantly, "The Duke of Alençon is not in good health, he just had an illness a few days ago; I am afraid that if he goes to the lowlands, he will not adapt to the water and soil, and will repeat the mistakes of Don Juan."

——Famous general Don Juan, although he repeatedly won great victories against the rebels, he was ultimately defeated by the wet and cold climate of the Netherlands, and died of illness in the winter of 1580.

William, who was rejected again and again, was a little dazed.Mary kindly comforted this "later generation" and "Father of the Netherlands", saying:

"I understand your love for the Netherlands. I commend your indomitable spirit of struggle. I respect your desire and pursuit of freedom. William, you are so brave and you are so strong. I think you are completely, yourself can be qualified for the position of ruler.”

"France and Britain will gladly stand by your side if you are willing to take on this responsibility. We would like to see a national hero who is truly familiar and truly Dutch take control of this vibrant lowland."

William, who was encouraged, seemed to have brightened his eyes.He has not seen this kind of sincere appreciation from a superior for a long time.In the past, he accompanied Charles V to the coronation, was entrusted with important tasks by his eldest son, participated in the signing of the "Cato-Cambrazzi Peace Treaty", and attended the grand wedding in Paris with the Duke of Alva on behalf of Philip II... Later, it gradually changed. For the monarch and his ministers turned against each other, and colleagues turned swords against each other-he had infinite grievances in his chest.But for the Netherlands to get rid of oppression and for the conscience of those in power, he gritted his teeth and insisted.At this moment, most of the oppressive feeling seemed to be dispelled by the sincere eyes of the Queen.

He saluted very respectfully. "Thank you very much for your... teaching."

The young man next to him observed his words, knelt down on one knee, and said boldly: "Your Majesty, you are so beautiful, like a bright sun, illuminating the way forward for the people of the Netherlands."

This one is William's second son Morris.According to the original history, he will become a famous military strategist of a generation, earlier than Gustav of Sweden, and the pioneer of the modern professional army in Europe.Tsk, unexpectedly at such a young age, her mouth is quite sweet.

Not too young?Morris was born in 1567, almost 14 years old.

Suddenly, a vague idea popped up in Mary's mind.Uh, this boy is not bad-looking; his parents seem to be quite far from Valois and Stuart, and not close to the Guise or Medici families; from the perspective of preventing inbreeding... Maybe as a son-in-law candidate?

And he is the second son, the kind who can be a door-to-door son-in-law~

As for the non-marriage of noble and humble... Orange is actually a small independent principality in the south of France, which barely has monarchy.Matching a princess with the right to inherit is theoretically acceptable.

Vivian was born in 1570, more than two years younger than him.Considering that girls are a little precocious, they should probably have a common topic?

It doesn't matter if Tong Yangfu has a try, he has to start casting the net from an early age!

Mary then asked. "Maurice, the situation in the Netherlands is dangerous and the battle is difficult. Are you willing to stay in Paris and study for a period of time so that you can help and support your father in the future?"

For his wife's sudden proposal, François was a little puzzled for a while.However, he felt that Mary must have her reasons, so he also chimed in: "The court of Valois always welcomes vigorous young people."

William and Coligny were surprised when they heard this.Is the queen's move counted as grace, coercion, or other...?

But before the two elders spoke, the young Morris answered first, acting neither arrogant nor humble. "Thank you for your majesty's mercy. I have longed for Paris, the famous literary and artistic court in Europe since I was a child. However, please forgive my abruptness as a minor at this moment. I have heard that when your court advised the Duke of Anjou to go to Poland , there was a famous saying - 'A good man is everywhere'. Now, I also have the heart to follow my father and fight against the enemy..."

This response seemed a bit reckless.However, Mary was sitting at a relatively high position, so she could see clearly—when Morris declined her "self-assessment", he glanced at his father, and the four eyes met for a moment.Mary knew immediately, this child is to find a step for William?

Oh, at the moment, if he doesn't want his son to stay, he can take advantage of the situation and say that Morris is not sensible and rude, and he has to wait; if he teaches his son well, he can send him over; if he thinks it is beneficial for his son to stay in Paris, he can use paternal authority to force him Be obedient and accept the kindness of the two monarchs honestly.What's the matter, she and Francois are not too embarrassed.

As a result, William, who was surprised for a moment, glared at his son and responded quickly. "Thanks to His Majesty's care, Morris, he still needs me as a father to teach me a lesson, so as not to add chaos to your court..."

It is still an ambiguous statement.But Mary didn't mean to press.She let the trio, full of doubts, hesitate to leave.

Oh, as for the result of their discussion back home, Mary is not in a hurry.Anyway, this is just a proposal; anyway, William and the Netherlands can find limited support; anyway, there are many choices for our side...

At this time, the two little secretaries who sat under their parents and had been wallflowers for a long time finally got permission to speak.

Vivienne was the first to ask: "Mother, don't you dislike war and Coligny? You can be perfunctory, but you are sincerely thinking about them, and you are especially kind to William?"

——Well, that's because your mother has a stamp collecting habit, and she has some sympathy for every famous historical figure, no matter what her position is.

"It must be because of mother's benevolence." Matilda glanced at her sister, and then looked at her mother with a little complacency. "You sympathize with the people of the Netherlands and want to help them, right?"

Mary touched Matilda's head and smiled slightly: "Part of it is as you think."

The two sisters then chattered and spoke more actively.Mary also explained to them as patiently and positively as possible.Well, although they intend to let their daughters learn about all aspects of "politics" step by step; but in front of this pair of elementary school students (an 11-year-old and a [-]-year-old), the monarch and his wife are still acting relatively "magnificent and upright" for the time being...

For example, Francois only made an understatement, and asked her to verify "whether there is any intention to let Morris stay in the court as a pledge in accordance with traditional habits", and did not go into details.

Mary snickered.Maybe, actually, as a father, he hadn't even thought about which brat his daughter would marry in the future?

Then again, this "in-law" William is really a good character.His name "The Silent Man" originated from a "silent protest" he made to his superiors. At that time, the King of Spain stated that he was about to implement a series of decrees that violated civil rights in the Netherlands, so that William could no longer violate his conscience. Serving the monarch; he first fell silent on the spot, and later, he completely broke with Philip II with his actions.

Recalling the history books she had read in her previous life, Mary was even more moved.Although William was repeatedly defeated in the Netherlands, he spent all his wealth to support the revolution, which won him a lot of popular support and made Philip hate him.The latter dispatched assassins several times, finally killing William in 1584 - just before he was about to proclaim himself Lord of the Netherlands.

"A good man doesn't live long..." In the bedroom, Mary stretched her waist in front of her husband in a disfigured way.Anyway, everyone else was locked out again, and no one accused the queen of poor etiquette.

Francois didn't know that she was lamenting the future William, but this did not prevent him from continuing the next sentence very familiarly: "The scourge will last for a thousand years."

Then he continued what his wife said self-righteously. "A famous general like Don Juan actually died when he encountered a small plague. Coligny, the culprit who was so happy, actually survived so many chaotic battlefields in the Netherlands. I will send someone tomorrow morning... "

Mary caught important information. "'Send someone clearly'?"

What conspiracy?

François collected himself.He finally held Mary in his arms and whispered in her ear: "That dirty thing, I wish you never heard..."

Mary gave him a sideways look. "You'd better make it clear."

Francois then confessed: "Colligny... When I went to the Netherlands with Prince Condé without authorization, I prepared to keep them from coming back. It's a pity that those people did not do their job effectively and tossed for several years, and only stayed Let Kong Dai alone."

Mary tasted it slowly, slowly, and felt more and more impressed by Francois. "How many years has this been planned? You have been hiding it so well..."

My brother is really promising.

With a backhand, she pinched his earlobe. "What else are you hiding from me? Come on and confess."

"Uh……"

Mary pretended to sneer. "Don't pretend. The Duke of Longueville, the head of the royal family, has told me that in the past two years, some people think that the French king is 'lonely in the boudoir', and they can't help it. They want to bring you beauties—there are men and women."

She imitated: "'Alas, how sad a monarch who has never had a mistress'."

François was embarrassed and nervous. "I rejected them all."

Mary frowned falsely and sighed again and again. "Speaking of which, I delayed you... You can obviously have a better life..."

Francois had sharp eyes and quick hands, and pulled back his wife who was about to break free from his arms. "Only with you, can I live a better life."

He clamped her, very tight. "In the name of God, on my life, on the honor of the king."

Mary smiled.As soon as she arrived in Paris half a month ago, she was secretly depressed for a long time because of the sudden news from her brother.After some frank communication now, she was finally relieved.

Marie stood up and kissed François on the forehead.This is a real good man, no wonder some guys want to poach her.

After all, they often live apart in the two places, and it is inevitable that people with bad intentions will "take advantage of it".

Besides, even if the two stay together for a whole year, there is still such a thing as the "seven-year itch".

Well, the last question... Old couples, it's really time to create something new.

So, how about role-playing?

Marie put her arms around François' neck, thinking about it for a while, not paying attention to where he went.

For example, how should a mistress seduce a monarch?

She racked her brains and thought.

The Madame Valentinoy she knew, the mistress of the royal family, was clearly better than Queen Catherine.As for Mrs. Fleming, she was a bit delicate and pitiful, but overall she still looked like a mature woman.Uncle Charlie is the only one who dotes on that folk girl. She has seen her a few times, she looks like a pretty little white flower.

Why don't you try the one that... has the biggest contrast with your own image?

Just do it.Mary lowered her head and bit the king's ear, then blew again:

"Your Majesty, would you like to find a mistress to try?"

Taking advantage of Francois's hand trembling for a moment, she deliberately twisted it hard, and immediately fell on the thick carpet; then she pulled down the half-torn nightgown, half exposed.She pretended to be shy and shy, even a little flustered:

"Please, please don't—"

The author has something to say: [Note [-]] Isabella I had two daughters who married into the Portuguese royal family successively.Among them, Maria of Aragon gave birth to seven sons and three daughters, including the future Portuguese kings Joao III and Enrique I.They also have a claim to the Spanish throne under the law of succession.

Marrying each other and then secretly hoping that the other party will never have a male heir to their own superiors, Austria and Spain did just that.The crazy girl Juana married the beautiful man Philip (count him as Philip I), and her brother married the princess of Habsburg (the grand duchess).

In addition, the reason for Portugal's separation from Spain, I remember, seems to have a lot to do with England's sowing discord.There's really nothing new under the sun...