From Corsica to the Fourth Rome

"What do you think, Lawrence?"

Louis XV's voice suddenly became unclear at some point, as if there was a large piece of thick phlegm stuck in his throat.

The king's eyes were no longer as shrewd and piercing as before. Now, the only thing revealed in those eyes was boundless tiredness and confusion.

He turned most of his body towards Lawrence and asked with a trembling tone.

At this moment, Louis XV hoped that this loyal and outstanding minister could stand up and, for his own sake, use his exquisite eloquence to persuade everyone present to accept Madame Du Barry's exile.

Although he also knew about Laurence's bad relationship with Madame du Barry, Louis XV still held on to this remaining hope.

However, what His Majesty the King is waiting for is not a life-saving straw, but the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

"Ahem, Your Majesty"

Lawrence was bathed in the gaze of all the ministers. He pondered for a moment in embarrassment and replied calmly:

"You did make a merciful decision. Although Madame Du Barry embezzled the seven million livres, fortunately it did not cause a catastrophe. The money is still on the royal family's accounts, and everything has been repaid. It’s too late to make amends.”

Louis XV was stunned, his eyebrows twitched in excitement, and he said repeatedly:

"You mean the decision to banish Jeanne to a convent?"

Lawrence nodded and said:

"Based on reality, this is indeed a very reasonable decision. Your Majesty, it is impartial, neither heavy nor light, and the punishment is just right."

His Majesty the King's face instantly regained some energy, and he looked at the rest of the courtiers excitedly, almost applauding for Lawrence's support.

However, before Louis XV could say anything, Lawrence's next words made him freeze on the throne for a moment:

"It is true that banishment from the convent would be a suitable punishment for Madame du Barry's crime of embezzlement, but I beg you, your majesty, to take into account Madame du Barry's second crime."

Louis XV did not realize what Lawrence was talking about for a moment. He subconsciously looked at Madame Du Barry on the ground and asked blankly:

"Second crime?"

After hearing Lawrence's words, the brilliance in Madame Du Barry's eyes disappeared without a trace in the blink of an eye, and returned to a pool of stagnant water without any ripples. Even the waist that had just stood up was like a reed. Bent down.

How could she not know what the second crime mentioned by Lawrence was.

That was a crime that could lead to death.

In front of the throne, Lawrence was deliberately stunned for a moment, and then suddenly snapped his fingers and said with a hint of remorse:

"Oh! I'm sorry, Your Majesty, I haven't explained to you the whole story of this riot. I just mentioned that Madame Du Barry seemed to have been caught by the mob and sent to the Palace of Justice for trial."

Louis XV's pupils trembled and he asked absently: "Trial. What do you mean? Isn't that trial about Jeanne and the seven million livres? What is the second crime?"

"I don't know the specific details, but judging from the results, Your Majesty"

Lawrence bit his lip and said with difficulty:

"There seems to be some discrepancy between Madame Du Barry's parentage and what she claimed. The lady's brother-in-law, Jean Du Barry, was also brought to the scene by the citizens, and his testimony also confirmed this."

After saying that, Lawrence winked at Dean Edmund beside him and motioned Edmund to hand the verdict to His Majesty the King again.

After taking the fresh verdict, Louis XV just flipped through a few pages, and his eyes instantly froze on the verdict, as if he had been petrified, and did not move even an inch for a long time.

"False identity. Falsified origin. Jean Dubary prostitute"

His Majesty the King spat out some words intermittently, but his voice became lower and lower, and in the end, it completely fell into deathly silence.

Madame Du Barry knelt on the ground, buried her head deeply in her chest, and did not dare to look at anyone, especially His Majesty the King, who loved her deeply.

How she wished she had a sharp blade in front of her that could kill her on the spot, so that she would not have to accept this humiliating and desperate public execution.

Three minutes later, Louis XV closed the verdict, but he still maintained his previous actions, motionless and silent, as if he had not fully accepted this cruel reality.

Crown Prince Louis, Crown Princess Marie, and all the courtiers were all surprised to see His Majesty the King lost his mind and could not believe what content in the judgment could make His Majesty the King so lost.

Even on the day when he was defeated in the Seven Years' War and was forced to sign a peace treaty that was humiliating and humiliating to his country, Louis XV did not make such an unruly gaffe as he does today.

Dean Edmund stepped forward at the right time and explained in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, Jean Du Barry personally admitted that he helped Madame Du Barry, or should we call her Jeanne Bequ, to help this promiscuous woman forge her birth certificate and aristocratic blood. He also submitted all the correspondence evidence at the time to You can check it at any time with the High Court. In addition, there are also contradictions in the records of Madame Du Barry’s birth in the Bureau of Quanxu and the Chamber of Heralds. If you need to check it, the High Court will issue a report for you as quickly as possible. ”

"No, no need."

Louis XV's voice was low and weak, like a seriously ill dying man. He tremblingly handed the verdict back to Dean Edmund, closed his eyes and murmured:

"Jean Dubarry. Everything about the Lange family can be explained."

Louis XV believed that there was no fraud in this judgment. Whether it was the evidence provided by Jean Du Barry or the records of the Bureau of Quansu and the Chamber of Heralds, these were extremely easy to verify, and there was no possibility that Dean Edmond would commit fraud.

Moreover, in the past, Louis XV had some minor doubts about Madame Du Barry's identity.

She and her husband, the Comte du Barry, seemed to be completely unfamiliar with each other. Madame Du Barry stayed in Paris all year round, but the Comte du Barry lived far away in Dauphiny. Louis XV was still very curious about the identity of these two strangers. How did you get married?

Madame Du Barry, on the other hand, had a close relationship with her brother-in-law, Jean Du Barry. She even mentioned this insignificant little person in front of Louis XV more than once, hoping that His Majesty the King could give Jean Du Barry some errands. Do it.

In addition, the Lange family that Madame Du Barry claims to be from is full of loopholes.

Logically speaking, as the legitimate daughter of a down-and-out family, Madame Du Barry should have been eager to use her power and influence to revitalize the family after becoming the official mistress. However, she seemed to be completely cut off from the entire family and never took the initiative. Mentioned her family in front of Louis XV.

On the contrary, whenever Louis XV casually asked about the Lange family, Madame Du Barry was hesitant, eager to change the topic, and did not want to say another word on this topic.

In the past few years, Louis XV has not paid too much attention to this, just thinking that dear Madame Du Barry has some unspeakable secrets.

However, it was not until today that he truly knew that it was not an unspeakable secret at all, but a set of outright and appalling lies.

The woman His Majesty the King of France loves the most is actually a dirty prostitute living on the streets?

When Louis XV saw the words on the verdict, he even felt his heart stop beating for a moment.

Those beautiful memories of the past, those spring evenings spent with Madame Du Barry, and the clouds and rain stirred up by the two of them going to Wushan together were now shattered into pieces that exuded a rotten stench on the ground.

Looking at the woman kneeling on the ground, Louis XV felt his stomach churn, and a feeling of nausea rushed straight to his brain. He could not accept this cruel reality at all. As the king of a country, he actually gave out thousands of love and favors. All pinned on a prostitute.

Louis XV stood up tremblingly, like a drunken man, swaying even when he was standing still, as if he would fall straight down in a certain direction at any time.

Several attendants rushed forward and tried to support His Majesty the King.

But Louis XV stubbornly pushed away these attendants, staggered down from the throne, and staggered to Madame Du Barry.

He tore off the strip of cloth from Mrs. Dubaliff's mouth and looked at the other party with a complicated expression:

"Jean. So what is said above is all true?"

Madame Du Barry looked at the king with a pale face. Her brain wanted to order her throat to spit out a set of eloquent lies, but any words that came to her mouth turned into a meaningless string of choked words. .

She would not lie to Louis XV at all. In the past days, Madame Du Barry had no need for lies. Her unparalleled charm and appearance were enough to fascinate His Majesty the King.

Finally, Madame Du Barry, whose mind went blank, slowly lowered her head and nodded her head very slightly.

Madame Du Barry herself knew very well that from the moment Jean Du Barry handed over the evidence, she had no room for defense.

Louis XV was in a state of confusion for a long time as if he had been struck by lightning. If he had not remained standing with difficulty, the worried courtiers would have thought that His Majesty the King had passed out:

"That is to say, you were once a street prostitute and later became the mistress of Jean Du Barry?"

Madame Du Barry nodded slightly again. She had given up any useless struggle. The only prayer in her mind was to leave the throne room immediately. No matter whether she went to a damp dungeon or a poor monastery, it would be all right for her. It doesn't matter anymore.

A gust of cold winter wind blew violently into the throne room, causing the crystal chandelier at the top of the hall to sway left and right. The tassel pendants at the bottom collided with each other, making a series of crisp sounds.

A strong sense of dizziness suddenly rushed to Louis XV's forehead. His Majesty the King raised his head and suddenly laughed miserably:

"Hahahahaha! Whore! Jeanne, you are really... Hahahahaha cough, cough! Cough! Cough!"

The shrill laughter became lower and lower, and by the end, it had turned into a series of uncontrollable violent coughs.

Louis XV clutched his chest tightly, his whole body moving forward and back with violent coughing.

His throat couldn't stop gurgling, as if something was blocking his throat.

Suddenly, His Majesty the King bent down suddenly and opened his mouth in pain:

"Ahhhhh!"

However, what he spit out from his mouth was not food residue or gastric juice, but a large pool of black bloody phlegm.

Everyone in the throne room was stunned, without any exception. People stared blankly at the pool of dirty and horrifying blood slowly flowing in the magnificent throne room, feeling as if they were dreaming and unreal.

A few drops of dark blood were still dripping from Louis XV's mouth. His face was paler than plaster, and his whole body was crumbling like a tower about to collapse.

"damn it!"

Lawrence's pupils shrank, and he immediately rushed forward without hesitation and supported the unconscious Louis XV.

This was not part of my plan.

Crown Prince Louis was the second to react. He also rushed to his grandfather's side anxiously. Seeing the dim blood on Louis XV's mouth, a line of clear tears flowed out of the corner of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's eyes. He turned around and shouted:

"Where is the imperial physician! Where is the imperial physician! Let them come here, immediately! Now!"

Several courtiers looked at each other in panic, and then ran out of the throne room without stopping to summon the imperial doctor.

Lawrence supported the unconscious Louis XV, took a deep breath, quickly regained his composure, and carefully observed the king's symptoms.

After spitting out a large mouthful of bloody phlegm, Louis XV's cheeks regained some color and his breathing became much calmer. Although the whole person had entered a semi-conscious state, there should be no serious problems in a short period of time.

Crown Prince Louis tremblingly took out his handkerchief, carefully wiped the blood from the corner of Louis XV's mouth, and looked helplessly and hesitantly at his most trusted friend:

"Lawrence, grandfather he..."

At this moment, Lawrence couldn't care about that much. He raised his hand to test Louis XV's breath, then opened the king's eyelids and looked at them for a moment, and said solemnly:

"Your Majesty may have been hit too hard for a while, and he is already suffering from a stubborn illness... Your Majesty, it's cold here. Let's send Your Majesty back to the king's suite first."

If there was anyone who least expected Louis XV to collapse, it was Lawrence.

Although Lawrence now has a deep friendship and trust with Crown Prince Louis, if the young and immature crown prince is crowned Louis XVI in a hurry, it will disrupt Lawrence's entire long-term plan.

After all, Crown Prince Louis himself has not yet established prestige among the ministers, and he does not yet have the ability to rule the entire Kingdom of France.

More importantly, the next government team prepared by Louis XV for the crown prince, the planned Golden Iris faction led by Lawrence, had not yet achieved a dominant position in the court and local governments.

This also means that if the already immature and incompetent Crown Prince inherits the throne of France without preparation, it will be almost impossible for him to suppress those powerful ministers and ministers for a long time. Two restless classes.

Whether it was powerful dukes like Choiseul and Richelieu, or royal cronies like Chancellor Maupe, with their means and power, it was almost easy to seize divided administrative power from the royal family.

And this is undoubtedly a pretty bad situation for Lawrence:

If he abandons the royal family and joins the feast of carving up power, Lawrence's weak political foundation in France will make it difficult for him to get a share of the pie like other important ministers.

After all, Lawrence's current power and status basically come directly from Louis XV. Once the old king leaves and the new king becomes weak, Lawrence's status will undoubtedly plummet.

But if they stand firmly with Louis XVI, then waiting for Lawrence will be in an embattled and helpless situation in the west. At that time, I am afraid that even the royal family confidants like Justice Maupe will re-examine their relationship with the new people. relationship between kings.

Now, Lawrence needs time, time for himself to develop his power, time for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to grow up, and time for Louis XV to pave the way for the succession of the throne.

Before that, His Majesty the King must not make any mistakes.