From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"enough."

Louis XV raised his eyelids with difficulty. His eardrums seemed to be unable to bear the harsh and harsh shouts of Madame Du Barry:

"Jean, please be quiet for a while."

"No! Your Majesty, you have to believe me!"

Madame Du Barry did not close her mouth. Even though she was out of breath, she was still screaming hysterically. After all, His Majesty the King was her only hope:

"This is a conspiracy. I have nothing to do with the seven million livres! You can go check it out. I am innocent!"

Louis XV gritted his teeth with a splitting headache, waved his hand and ordered:

"Guard, gag Madame du Barry."

Two tall guards stepped forward and, regardless of Madame Du Barry's desperate struggle, sealed her mouth with a piece of cloth again.

Louis XV let out a long sigh, followed by a violent cough. The violent ups and downs of his chest caused by each cough made His Majesty the King's face paler.

His Majesty the King walked back to the throne very slowly step by step under the gaze of everyone, and sat down with difficulty holding on to the armrests. His body had changed a lot this winter, as if he had aged more than ten years.

In the eyes of His Majesty the King, Madame Du Barry's innocence is completely unimportant.

The important thing is that now the whole of Paris has concluded that Madame Du Barry indeed embezzled the seven million livres.

Then, Louis XV could only punish this crime as an undisputed fact, otherwise, the people of Paris would never be satisfied.

He looked around at the courtiers present. They were silent for a long time. No one among the courtiers took the initiative to speak. The entire throne room was enveloped in silence. Only Madame Du Barry was still sobbing desperately without giving up.

After a long time, Louis XV weakly held his forehead and said softly:

"So, how do you think all this will end?"

Although His Majesty the King asked questions, all the courtiers, including Lawrence, Edmund and Caesar Gabriel, remained silent and looked at Louis XV quietly, waiting for His Majesty the King to express his thoughts.

The crown prince and his wife also stood in front of Madame Du Barry with serious faces, equally silent.

After all, His Majesty the King has been meditating on the throne for so long, he must have had his own thoughts.

Seeing that the courtiers were all waiting for him to start, Louis XV did not ask any more questions. After another sigh, he looked at Madame Du Barry and said:

"Jean, it was the sin you committed that led to everything today. I love you very much, but even so, I have to make a heartbreaking decision."

Halfway through, Louis XV paused and squinted his eyes to look at Madame Du Barry's cute and pitiful face. Even if her cheeks were stained with mud, they still couldn't hide her alluring face.

Louis XV pursed his lips in thought, and suddenly seemed a little unbearable. He recalled in his mind the time spent with Madame Du Barry in the past few years, and he admitted that it was indeed the happiest period of his life.

Previously, Louis XV mentioned to Duke Richelieu more than once: "Madame Du Barry made me forget that I am sixty years old."

A series of beautiful memories flashed quickly in his mind, including masquerade balls, canal rafting, afternoon tea in the Medici Gardens, banquets in the Hall of Mirrors, flowers in the outskirts of Versailles, and Wushan clouds and rain in the king's suite.

Louis XV looked at Madame Du Barry who was slumped on the ground, the Countess Du Barry who was bright and beautiful in his memory, and Jeanne Bequ, who was covered in dirt in front of him. This huge gap instantly made Louis XV feel that this woman had become Chu Chu felt pitiful.

He swallowed back the harsh words that were brewing on his lips, and used the warmth of his heart to make those words gentler, before spitting them out again from between his tongue and teeth:

"I have decided to banish you to the Monastery of Santa Maria, Jeanne, and go to God to pay for your sins."

Louis XV's voice was not loud, but his echo echoed clearly throughout the throne room and reached every ear clearly.

Madame Du Barry stopped sobbing meaninglessly, and the depths of her desperate eyes returned to a glimmer of light, no longer the same puddle of stagnant water without any ripples.

Crown Prince Louis and Crown Princess Marie looked at each other, their brows frowning slightly, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince couldn't help but take a step forward with his right leg, as if he was ready to refute at any time.

Dean Edmund and Foreign Minister Caesar Gabriel also frowned and looked at His Majesty the King, but did not say anything rashly.

All the courtiers switched their eyes back and forth between Louis XV and Madame Du Barry in surprise, and were very surprised by His Majesty the King's decision.

Lawrence stood there calmly, without any reaction to Louis XV's decision.

Banishment to a monastery was a form of punishment that began in the early Middle Ages and has been prevalent for more than a thousand years.

Theoretically, men and women who are exiled to a monastery will automatically become monks, be deprived of all political power, and spend the rest of their lives serving and understanding God. This is essentially a severe life-long house arrest.

In the Middle Ages when the religious power was strong, sinners who entered the monastery basically had no hope of leaving. Any believer who tried to give up his status as a monk would be regarded as an apostate and would be despised by Catholics and brutally punished by the Holy See.

However, at the end of the eighteenth century, more than two hundred years after the Reformation, the binding force of the monastery is no longer as strong as it used to be.

Although most of the exiles would still spend the rest of their lives in monasteries, the rulers were perfectly capable of making some political concessions to the bishops in exchange for a monk returning intact to the secular world.

After all, as early as the Renaissance, the first cardinal to voluntarily give up his priesthood and return to the world appeared in the Holy See, Caesar Borgia.

And this is why the courtiers were surprised by Louis XV's decision - His Majesty the King obviously did not give up completely on Madame Du Barry.

If His Majesty the King misses this former lover in the future, he is fully capable and possible to secretly recall Madame Du Barry from the abbey.

This also means that Madame Du Barry still has good hope of turning around. As long as she can stay with His Majesty the King, her beauty and charm are irreplaceable, and it is not completely impossible to return to her previous status.

Thinking of this, Caesar Gabriel and Dean Edmund both looked very ugly.

The two of them knew very well that if there was still hope for Madame Du Barry to appear in the Palace of Versailles, then Louis XV would definitely not stop investigating and pursuing accountability for the riot. Although the probability was very low, if it really involved him , then both of them are in danger.

Moreover, judging from His Majesty the King's actions, it was obvious that he wanted to use this punishment to deal with the riot first.

Anyway, the seven million livres are still in the royal family's internal funds. As long as this money is finally distributed, after the incident subsides, not many people will still be worried about Madame Du Barry's corruption. .

Although the loss of reputation was inevitable, it was entirely possible that Louis XV would recall Madame du Barry from the Abbey of Sainte-Marie to Versailles after this winter.

"Everyone, what do you think?"

Louis XV glanced around everyone's faces unhurriedly, speaking very slowly, but with a strong sense of pressure.

The courtiers immediately hesitated and looked at Madame Du Barry with the same disdain and disdain they had just now. If this woman really has a chance to return to the Palace of Versailles, then they, the royal bureaucrats, must not treat this official The mistress was offended to death.

Madame Du Barry also gradually stopped struggling. Although it was unclear what the expression on her face was at this time under her disheveled hair, it could be seen from the way she gradually straightened her waist that this woman was full of thoughts about the aftermath of the disaster. of ecstasy.

"grandfather!"

At this moment, Crown Prince Louis stood up with clenched fists. He also knew that he was the second person with the most say in the entire throne room, so he resolutely took two steps forward and angrily advised:

"This woman's sins are even higher than those of Mount Saint-Michel. How many people have died because of her greed. Such a person should not be given any chance to atone for her sins!"

As early as when he read about the miserable life of the poor in Paris from the newspaper, the compassionate Crown Prince hated Madame Du Barry who embezzled public funds. And when Crown Prince Louis learned from Supervisor Jonah that this woman embezzled the second relief. When raising funds, he even vowed that he would never spare this indescribable sinner.

Crown Prince Louis simply did not want to wait until he succeeded to the throne before squeezing this evil woman to death. For him, every day that Madame Du Barry was at large was a great humiliation to himself and even to the entire Bourbon royal family.

Crown Princess Mary on the side also took the rare opportunity to hold His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's arm, stepped forward together, and echoed in slightly unfamiliar French:

"Dear Your Majesty, I don't know much about French law, but I have to say that I am shocked that such a hateful woman can be given a chance to reform."

The conflict between Crown Princess Marie and Madame Du Barry is well known to everyone. The conflict between the two is completely irreconcilable. Crown Princess Marie simply looks down on Madame Dubary, a social butterfly who relies on her body to rise to the top. Dubal, who comes from a lower class background, Mrs. Lee is also jealous of this spoiled little princess to this day.

Relying on her control over the court, Madame Du Barry has stumbling upon Crown Princess Marie more than once, causing this princess from a foreign land to make a fool of herself and lose her face.

At this moment, facing this perfect opportunity for revenge and hearing that His Majesty the King finally gave her biggest enemy a painless punishment, Crown Princess Mary could not stand still.

"you."

Louis XV frowned. If Auguste was the only one who was dissatisfied, Louis XV could rely on the majesty of the head of the family to suppress the matter, but if Princess Mary also agreed, the matter would be terrible. It's not that simple anymore.

After all, she was the most beloved princess among the Habsburgs, the princess of the Holy Roman Empire, the youngest daughter of Maria Theresa, the most beloved sister of Emperor Joseph II, and the key link in the diplomatic alliance between France and Austria.

If Crown Prince Louis's opposition can only be regarded as an internal family matter of the Bourbon royal family, then Crown Princess Mary's strong opposition is a major diplomatic matter involving relations with Austria.

Taking the lead from the crown prince and his wife, Foreign Minister Caesar Gabriel also immediately stood up, approached Louis XV and said seriously:

"Your Majesty, you are also aware of the conflict between Princess Marie and Madame Du Barry. I am afraid that your decision will make Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess very dissatisfied, and Austria will also be full of complaints against us."

After saying that, Caesar Gabriel did not forget to add softly:

"If my cousin, the Duke of Choiseul, were here, he would definitely not want you to destroy our good relations with the Austrians. Please consider establishing diplomatic relations with Austria, Your Majesty."

In history, the marriage between Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette and the alliance between France and Austria were all brought about by Duke Choiseul. This was also regarded by Duke Choiseul as his most dazzling One of the achievements.

If this powerful Duke were present, he would not tolerate His Majesty the King ruining the country's diplomatic affairs because of his personal affairs. This Duke had the courage and ability to threaten and force His Majesty the King.

At the same time, Caesar Gabriel's words also contain a hidden meaning.

The Foreign Secretary deliberately mentioned the Duke of Choiseul, but what he actually wanted to say was:

"On behalf of the entire Choiseul family, I urge you to calm down, Your Majesty."

Louis XV stared at Caesar Gabriel dully. Of course he could hear the meaning behind the other person's words, but what the old king didn't expect was that this always loyal and honest foreign minister would actually make such a tough statement. protest.

The entire Choiseul family, a word that even King Louis XV of France could not ignore.

After all, that meant Minister of War Choiseul, Foreign Minister Caesar Gabriel, Austrian Marshal and French Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe, and Choiseul's other brother-Archbishop of Cambrai, Leopold .

Even excluding the nobles and bureaucrats who were attached to the Duke of Choiseul, the solemn protest raised by these four people alone was enough to create a storm.

And just when Louis XV didn't come back to his senses for a long time, Dean Edmund also stepped forward with a solemn expression, took out a roll of parchment with the fragrance of fresh ink from his robe, and said in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, although your edict trumps all laws, I must also remind you that the High Court has sentenced Madame Du Barry to life imprisonment in the courtroom, and the people outside have also witnessed this."

Louis XV froze in place and did not reach out to receive the verdict handed over by Dean Edmund.

Because he also knew the deep meaning of Dean Edmund's words - the Paris High Court, or even the thirteen high courts in France, would not be satisfied with just expelling Madame Du Barry to the monastery.

Madame Du Barry, who supports judicial reform, is a mortal enemy of the robe nobles, and the robe nobles will not let go of this excellent opportunity to put Madame Du Barry to death.

The protests of these robe aristocrats will not only be reflected at the voting table. The power of the local court judges even exceeds that of the local city hall, and their control over the local people is also deep-rooted.

Previously, in 1765, Louis XV merely tried to insert his hands into the High Court of Brittany, which aroused severe protests from the High Court of Paris and the High Court of Brittany, as well as the people of Brittany. anti-tax demonstrations and massive riots.

If it were the worst case scenario and all thirteen high courts in France resisted at the same time, it would cause a national turmoil that Louis XV's company could not even imagine.

Seeing that His Majesty the King did not reach out to take the verdict, Dean Edmund tucked the verdict under his arm and continued:

"The person who carried out the trial was Justice de Maupp, and his signature was on the verdict. Although Lord Maupp did not come to the Tuileries Palace because he stayed at the Palace of Justice, he must also hope that the verdict he signed can be executed smoothly. ”

Louis XV murmured in confusion: "You mean Maupe...?"

Justice Maupp has always been a close confidant of Louis XV. Although the king also knew about the discord between him and Madame Du Barry, after hearing that Justice Maupp also agreed to severely punish Madame Du Barry, Louis XV still The brain shut down for a moment.

Dean Edmund nodded slightly and said nothing more. After all, he and Justice Mopp were still considered political enemies, and this was just a special case of cooperation.

Louis XV leaned slumped on the throne, and the slumped expression on his face told the confusion in his heart at the moment.

This was almost the first time that his edict met with such strong resistance.

His own grandson, Crown Prince Louis Auguste, Crown Princess Mary of Austria, Foreign Minister Caesar Gabriel, the powerful Minister of War, the Duke of Choiseul, Army Lieutenant General Jacques Philippe, Archbishop of Cambrai Leopold Edmond, president of the Paris High Court, and de Maupe, the French justice.

From the palace to introspection, from the government to the court, from trusted cronies to disgusting political opponents, they all seemed to be standing together at this moment, holding sharp knives and axes, looking at the bewildered Madame Du Barry on the ground. .

Louis XV was stunned. He was the monarch of France, the master of the Tuileries Palace, and the master of the throne room.

But at this moment, he only felt how lonely and helpless he was.

Sitting on this magnificent throne, Louis XV's heart was as cold as the snow on the top of Kilimanjaro that never melts all year round.

There was an unprecedented look of helplessness on the face of the French king. His weak eyes wandered back and forth among the courtiers, like a drowning man looking for the last straw.

After a long time, his eyes rested on the young man in the center of the throne room who had remained silent since just now:

"What do you think, Lawrence?"