【Fazhen】Empty Heaven
4. King and Reims
The hero who saved Orleans didn't stay here for long.She left Orléans with several lords, and arrived at Tours via Blois, where she awaited the arrival of the Crown Prince.
On Pentecost Friday, Francis and Joan went out of town to meet Charles. Joan held her banner, half a horse behind Francis, and seemed a little downcast.
"You should be glad," said Francis, laughing, "that you saved Orleans for him."
Joan also smiled at him, but her expression was not excited: "But I saw the soldiers around me die with my own eyes."
"If it weren't for you, more people would have died." Francis tried to comfort her.
Joan shook her head: "God sent angels down to save some people and kill others. I saw France bleeding, and so did England. People died everywhere, and the war destroyed everything except itself. It's all scarier than I imagined."
Francis didn't answer.Yes, he had seen more sights of war than anyone else.He witnessed how France gradually became barren during the century-old war.The brilliance of the golden lily is gone, and people's hearts are scattered, so they can't gather again.
But this maiden worked wonders.She raised again the banner of the god and the golden lily, her silver armor driving away the darkness better than the dawn.She is the daughter of God, people say, she is Joan of Arc.
Will France be saved?With the Battle of Orleans as a turning point, can France beat England?
"I don't have much time..." Jeanne lowered her head, he couldn't see her expression clearly, he just felt something heavy was suppressed in her voice, "I still have a lot of things to do in the next year Do……"
Just as he was about to ask what he meant, she had already raised her head.
"His Royal Highness is coming." She pointed to the front.Francis turned his head and saw Charlie's guard of honor had appeared at the end of the road.
Charlie was very satisfied with the performance of Wang Jun and Joan of Arc, and showed more kindness to her than before.His Privy Council also affirmed Joan's actions.
"When you were in Poitiers, you said that you could not perform miracles in front of us to prove that you were a messenger sent by God, but you said that you would recover Orleans, and miracles only appeared under the city of Orleans." Charlie said. No doubt the scholars who "interrogated" Joan of Arc at Poitiers told him, "Now you have done it, you have shown the power of the gods. They tell me that whenever you appear on the battlefield, the soldiers around you are inspired .”
But he has no intention of striking while the iron is hot and pursuing the British soldiers.He was delayed a good deal at Tours.His Privy Council was in constant meeting, and he himself was frequently present at various gatherings.
At this time, Joan began to urge him not to delay here, and set off to recover Lance as soon as possible.
"Noble crown prince, there is no need to discuss so much and for so long. You should go to Reims to receive the ordination immediately." Joan of Arc interrupted the discussion of the Privy Council during a meeting, kneeling at Charles' feet and urging him to make a decision.
Charlie was a little displeased, but faced with Joan of Arc who brought him victory, he couldn't help it: "Is this the revelation you got, girl?"
"Yes. St. Catherine and St. Margaret conveyed God's will to me. So I always knew my mission and what I should do."
Charlie stroked his chin and thought for a moment.
"Okay, Jeanne, let's go to Lance. But before that, there are some things to do."
Joan of Arc was entrusted with the young Duke of Alençon to recover Jargeau, Mai and Beaugency from the English occupation.The British army here still threatens the safety of the city of Orleans.
It was Saturday, June 20th, and the great army was marching on Jargeau, and those Orleans who loved Joan of Arc had once again donated money for the war.This time their support was not in vain.The British defense at Jargeau was vulnerable, and the French captured the city with less than [-] casualties.
Then there are Beau Rancy and Maishi Bridge.With a huge advantage in strength, the French army won a beautiful victory in the Bosch Plain.British generals and several nobles were captured.When the victorious royal army returned to Orleans, the residents put up lights to welcome them back.
"Oh—this victory was too sudden." Francis said to Joan of Arc while holding a wine glass at the celebration banquet. "Since you appeared, everything has changed too quickly."
"Because I don't have enough time..." Joan looked at the wine in the glass, which was a celebration wine given to her by enthusiastic Orleans people, "I must hurry up..."
Francis couldn't help frowning: "Why do you say that? You are still so young, and it will not take a day or two for the English to set foot on French territory. We can take it slow and steady."
"You always have plenty of time, France. You will always be here." Joan shook her head and drank the remaining wine in her glass.She is not good at drinking, and a slight dizziness has begun to invade her consciousness.She felt a little dazed, the candles and the cups and plates at the banquet were shaking before her eyes, and even Francis's clear face began to blur.
Francis realized she was drunk because she suddenly grabbed his sleeve and looked at him seriously, her eyes met.Her cheeks were slightly red, her eyes were blue, and there was also a sadness that he couldn't see through.
"You will not die, France. Neither England nor Burgundy can harm you. I will guard you, living or dead."
Then she closed her eyes and fell down on the dining table.Her hand was still clasping Francis' wrist, and her body undulated slightly with her even breathing.
Francis froze in astonishment, before she had time to think about her deep meaning, the Duke of Alençon on the side had already noticed the situation here.
"Send someone to take her back to her room." The Duke said as he prepared to greet the attendants not far away.
"No need, I'll take her back." Francis waved his hand and pulled Joan up from the table.She didn't seem to be completely asleep, and she staggered a few steps with Francis' support.Seeing this, the attendant immediately supported her from the other side, and carried her back to the room with Francis from left to right.
Francis settled her down, dismissed the attendants, and stayed by the bed for a while.
Joan of Arc was already fully asleep, and her young face showed the most natural relaxed posture, without the tenacity when she was hoisting the military flag, nor the fragility when she was injured.She is just an ordinary young girl, she should be holding a soft leather whip instead of a sword, and she should be driving docile sheep instead of hundreds of thousands of heavily armed soldiers.
Francis looked at her heavy sleeping face and wanted to smile, but his expression was worried.
How will all this become?Wang Jun has gained a certain amount of initiative, and the morale of the people under your banner is at an all-time high.Maybe we can really take back Reims, maybe even Paris.
But what about your fate, Zhen?
He leaned down slightly, stroking her blonde hair.This is the same color and touch as his, slightly curly and soft.
"Your fate and the fate of France are already inseparable..."
He knelt down, kissed her short hair, and then got up to leave.
"Good night, Jean."
"Good night, France..."
He turned around abruptly, but saw that Joan was still sleeping soundly. The good night just now was like his hallucination, but it was as clear as if she was right next to his ears.
Francis was a little dazed, but quickly smiled at himself: I probably think too much, maybe I should take a break.
So he went out laughing and shaking his head, not realizing that he was acting like a young fool.
But he is no longer young.In the red dust of history, he should have tempered an invincible heart long ago.He should treat everyone without prejudice, they are all his important family members in this land.
But he couldn't feel his emotions.He was overwhelmed by this strange emotion, so many years after she died, he was finally able to face up to this feeling.
"I shouldn't love anyone. I should love everyone equally." Francis said at that time standing in front of Joan's broken banner, "But, Jean, I love you, when I can finally say it , but you can't hear it anymore."
Charlie and Wang Jun finally headed for champagne.
Champagne is a beautiful and rich place.The war does not seem to cast a heavy shadow on this land.The people here surrendered to the English, but they managed their own cities and ran their own businesses.These wealthy merchant cities loathed war and did everything in their power to avoid it.Therefore, Charles and his Privy Council were not prepared to open the gates of these cities with cannon, and clever negotiations and well-coordinated military pressure would be more useful at this time.
From Troyes to Chalon, wherever the king's army went, the gates of cities were opened to Charles, and almost no military conflict was triggered.The British army saw that Charles had recovered a large area of Champagne, but they could only stand still-their army was at a disadvantage in numbers, and it was indeed too far to drive from the stronghold to Champagne.
Joan of Arc was very happy about this, although she would not be useful without war, but as long as she could avoid bloodshed, she didn't care about her military exploits.But her name did play a role, and the "Daughter of God" was leading the Crown Prince's army, which awed her enemies, and Charles cleverly used this to finally push the army to the city of Reims.
Lance surrendered.The future king entered the city of Reims through the south gate at dusk on July [-]th, and according to tradition, the coronation was best held on Sunday, so the people of Reims prepared for it all night.
Early the next morning, under the auspices of the Archbishop of Reims, Legnio de Chartres, the Crown Prince was officially crowned.The archbishop anointed his head with holy oil, and then put on the crown for him. The twelve French ministers present formed a circle and stretched out their hands to hold the crown.At this time, the horn sounded, the people cheered, and Charles de Valois was ordained and enthroned as Charles VII of France.
Francis wept excitedly when he saw Joan standing beside the king with him.
"My mission is almost complete..."
He heard her whisper.
"My life is coming to an end."
After that, the French army successively recovered Soissons, Chateautieri, Coulommiers and other places, and the king's reputation gradually grew. Artois, Picardy and Northern Burgundy all broke away from the Burgundian faction. , people welcomed the king's arrival, thinking that he was a benevolent and wise king, and the girl Joan of Arc who assisted him on the throne was a genuine saint.
After that, Wang Jun pointed directly at Paris.
The former capital has been subordinated to the Duke of Burgundy for many years.Charlie tried to persuade him to capitulate in Champagne, but it failed.The attack on this impregnable city also failed.Joan of Arc personally led the soldiers to rush under the moat, but could not cross the water-filled ditch.After the king's army was thwarted in Paris, he had to retreat temporarily. Although Joan of Arc, who was injured again, strongly opposed it, she couldn't resist Charlie's order.
After that, several actions of the king's army were not smooth, and the war dragged on day by day. In March 1430, Joan of Arc followed the king and entered Sully.
She repeatedly spoke to Charlie, wanting to lead troops to attack again, but was rejected by Charlie one by one.
"If we don't attack, we will lose our best chance," Joan of Arc told Francis. "God and justice are on our side, I know."
She was unhappy because of it.She told Francis she heard voices from heaven every day, and they urged her to keep going.
"What should I do?" She looked at Francis helplessly, "Paris is close at hand, but I can only wait here in vain."
"Maybe we should wait for the time..." Francis' tone was not sure, "The military commander stationed in Paris is an excellent person, maybe we should change our target..."
Joan looked a little frustrated.Francis' answer certainly did not satisfy her.She was anxious about the procrastination of the war, and worried about the fate of France.
More than half a month has passed like this, and Francis watched her increasingly silent back every day, and worries and ominous premonitions slowly grew in his heart.
He frequently had nightmares, sometimes running in the wilderness, sometimes wading in the flowing water, he was frantically looking for something in his dream, pushing aside the thatch higher than his head that blocked his progress, as if there was a devil chasing after him, as if The most desired thing is calling ahead.However, every time, at the end of his running, there will always be a huge firewood pile. As his eyes slowly move up, he sees the white cloth, the hem, the slender waist, and the thin shoulders, and then——
He woke up again and again before he could see the face clearly, panting in shock, thin beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and was terrified.
The shadow of fear slowly enveloped him, and it wasn't until one day at the end of March that he finally understood what it meant.
Francis saw Joan in the courtyard early that morning preparing her mount.She wore the white armor of battle, gleaming in the morning light.Her side face was peaceful and with a faint smile.
He hadn't seen her smile for a long time, and he couldn't help feeling suspicious.But Joan quickly saw him, and told him to go over with a relaxed tone.
"You...you want to go out?" Francis asked hesitantly, "Want to go out of the city to relax? I can accompany you."
"Oh—no, France. I'm not just going to relax, and you can't accompany me." Jeanne stopped what she was doing and looked at him with her head tilted. "I don't think this matter should be kept from you. .I want to take my men out of the city. His Majesty is too indecisive, but I don't want the war to drag on for too long. I want to end it."
Francis's heart tightened, did his worries really come true?She wasn't the kind of girl who would be quiet and docile and stay in her room mending.
That fear seized him again in this moment.
She wanted to leave alone, out of his sight, and the battlefield was ruthless and cruel, and her life was so fragile.If he let her go at this time, can she stand in front of him safely again like now?
The girl standing on the firewood and smiling at me in my dream, is that you?
"Don't go!" Francis snatched the rein from Joan's hand, and her tough tone made her jump.She looked at him blankly, but he didn't back down in the slightest.
"You can't take risks alone—who knows what might happen! I can't let you—"
But Joan suddenly smiled, and patted his hand holding the rein tightly: "Don't do that, France. You know my mission. The voices I heard have told me that I will die for this mission."
Francis was taken aback, feeling his heart skip a beat.The thing that worried him all the time finally happened. He had heard her repeat such words more than once, but every time she asked about it, she kept silent and avoided talking about it.
His hands were stiff, and Joan tried to get the reins back but failed.His face became more and more ugly, pale and lacking in blood.Joan smiled back, and took the cold hand holding the rein with both of hers, sending him firm warmth.
"I want to live too, to end the war and go back to Don Remy, to my family, to live in the most ordinary way like my childhood friends. But I can't. I know I'm going to die, From the time I arrived in Chinon, I didn't live long. I always knew it. I just didn't know when or how I was going to die. But I wasn't afraid, and I didn't hold back."
She looked at him, smiling like sunshine in a month, warming the severe cold warmly.
"I fight for you, France. Love for you will always keep me going."
After a moment of silence, Francis frowned and looked into her blue pupils, his fingertips trembling slightly, as if what he was going to say next required great courage.
"Do you love me?" he finally asked, not even daring to keep looking at her.Her eyes are as clear as the Loire River in autumn, she can see the bottom at a glance, but she will see her ugly shadow by this clarity.
Francis had never felt so ugly before.
Do you love me?He has asked all kinds of women this way. From the past to the future, he always asked those beautiful women this way with a frivolous and seductive tone.
But among them, who can compare with her?
Do you love me, little Zhenzhen? ——He could have used this smooth tone, teased, leaned against her window or door frame, and held out his hand to her with an elusive smile.
But he can't.Just this sentence has exhausted his strength.The moment he said it, he realized what the emotion that had been troubling him all this time was, what it was that clouded his judgment.
But do you love me, Jean?
He waited anxiously for her answer.He never thought that he could be so flustered, and what stood in front of him was just a not-so-beautiful girl.
The girl smiled at him: "I love you, France."
At that moment Francis felt that his expression must be ridiculous.What is he expecting?Knowing that it is a cold reality that cannot be expected.
She said, France.
He smiled wryly, let go of the rein, and stepped back step by step.
She said, I love you, France.
"Yeah... I'm France. I almost forgot."
Almost forgot, I'm just French.I can't be Francis Bonofova.I am France, caught in the quagmire of war, holding the sword tightly for a whole hundred years, trying to defend my fragile pride.
He didn't need her to remind him of his duty and destiny as a nation.He also does not need her to repeat her mission and destination as a daughter of God.He should have thought a long time ago that these high-sounding nouns were all used to bind her and himself tightly.
So he let go of the rein with a smile, and backed away with a smile, to a distance sufficient for self-control.
"Go, daughter of God, maiden of Orleans. Go where you are supposed to go, complete your mission, liberate France, and return the glory of the golden lily to her master."
He paused, trying to suppress the choking deep in his throat.
"France blesses you. France blesses his saint. Joan of Arc, may you return victorious."
"I will try my best, France." Joan of Arc smiled, stroked the mane of the white horse, and then suddenly jumped on the horse's back.The white horse snorted and walked to Francis under the urging of Joan of Arc.She leaned down on the horseback, stretched out her hand to brush away the curly blond hair on his forehead, and kissed his forehead.
"Some people believe that I can bless them. Do you believe that?" she asked with a smile.
"I don't believe in God," Francis took her hand and kissed it on his lips, "but I believe in you, Jean."
He tried to smile, enough to convince her.He really believed in her, but the shadow of the nightmare had completely covered his vision, and she was the only light, but she was about to leave him at this moment.
"Come back alive."
He finally said, let go of her hand, and the last trace of body temperature was quickly withdrawn, and the girl's smile was engraved in his memory like a woodblock print.
"Remember our agreement, France? If I die, please bury me in the place closest to you."
Francis watched Joan leave Sully with her army that day.She had about a hundred cavalry, sixty-eight archers and crossbowmen, and several military chiefs departed with her.Francis had no doubt that these men were loyal to Joan.They followed her because they believed that she was the only one who could save France, that it was her bravery and holiness, not the incomprehensible tricks of the king and the Privy Council, that brought France back from the brink of collapse.
But Francis remained on the side of the King and the Privy Council, because Joan would not allow him to leave, and because his duty to the state did not allow him to leave.He can feel more and more trust, his family, the French people who live in this land, once scattered only to protect themselves in the chaos of war, which made him weak, but now he is recovering it little by little strength.
—The war will be over, and the victor will only be France.
On Pentecost Friday, Francis and Joan went out of town to meet Charles. Joan held her banner, half a horse behind Francis, and seemed a little downcast.
"You should be glad," said Francis, laughing, "that you saved Orleans for him."
Joan also smiled at him, but her expression was not excited: "But I saw the soldiers around me die with my own eyes."
"If it weren't for you, more people would have died." Francis tried to comfort her.
Joan shook her head: "God sent angels down to save some people and kill others. I saw France bleeding, and so did England. People died everywhere, and the war destroyed everything except itself. It's all scarier than I imagined."
Francis didn't answer.Yes, he had seen more sights of war than anyone else.He witnessed how France gradually became barren during the century-old war.The brilliance of the golden lily is gone, and people's hearts are scattered, so they can't gather again.
But this maiden worked wonders.She raised again the banner of the god and the golden lily, her silver armor driving away the darkness better than the dawn.She is the daughter of God, people say, she is Joan of Arc.
Will France be saved?With the Battle of Orleans as a turning point, can France beat England?
"I don't have much time..." Jeanne lowered her head, he couldn't see her expression clearly, he just felt something heavy was suppressed in her voice, "I still have a lot of things to do in the next year Do……"
Just as he was about to ask what he meant, she had already raised her head.
"His Royal Highness is coming." She pointed to the front.Francis turned his head and saw Charlie's guard of honor had appeared at the end of the road.
Charlie was very satisfied with the performance of Wang Jun and Joan of Arc, and showed more kindness to her than before.His Privy Council also affirmed Joan's actions.
"When you were in Poitiers, you said that you could not perform miracles in front of us to prove that you were a messenger sent by God, but you said that you would recover Orleans, and miracles only appeared under the city of Orleans." Charlie said. No doubt the scholars who "interrogated" Joan of Arc at Poitiers told him, "Now you have done it, you have shown the power of the gods. They tell me that whenever you appear on the battlefield, the soldiers around you are inspired .”
But he has no intention of striking while the iron is hot and pursuing the British soldiers.He was delayed a good deal at Tours.His Privy Council was in constant meeting, and he himself was frequently present at various gatherings.
At this time, Joan began to urge him not to delay here, and set off to recover Lance as soon as possible.
"Noble crown prince, there is no need to discuss so much and for so long. You should go to Reims to receive the ordination immediately." Joan of Arc interrupted the discussion of the Privy Council during a meeting, kneeling at Charles' feet and urging him to make a decision.
Charlie was a little displeased, but faced with Joan of Arc who brought him victory, he couldn't help it: "Is this the revelation you got, girl?"
"Yes. St. Catherine and St. Margaret conveyed God's will to me. So I always knew my mission and what I should do."
Charlie stroked his chin and thought for a moment.
"Okay, Jeanne, let's go to Lance. But before that, there are some things to do."
Joan of Arc was entrusted with the young Duke of Alençon to recover Jargeau, Mai and Beaugency from the English occupation.The British army here still threatens the safety of the city of Orleans.
It was Saturday, June 20th, and the great army was marching on Jargeau, and those Orleans who loved Joan of Arc had once again donated money for the war.This time their support was not in vain.The British defense at Jargeau was vulnerable, and the French captured the city with less than [-] casualties.
Then there are Beau Rancy and Maishi Bridge.With a huge advantage in strength, the French army won a beautiful victory in the Bosch Plain.British generals and several nobles were captured.When the victorious royal army returned to Orleans, the residents put up lights to welcome them back.
"Oh—this victory was too sudden." Francis said to Joan of Arc while holding a wine glass at the celebration banquet. "Since you appeared, everything has changed too quickly."
"Because I don't have enough time..." Joan looked at the wine in the glass, which was a celebration wine given to her by enthusiastic Orleans people, "I must hurry up..."
Francis couldn't help frowning: "Why do you say that? You are still so young, and it will not take a day or two for the English to set foot on French territory. We can take it slow and steady."
"You always have plenty of time, France. You will always be here." Joan shook her head and drank the remaining wine in her glass.She is not good at drinking, and a slight dizziness has begun to invade her consciousness.She felt a little dazed, the candles and the cups and plates at the banquet were shaking before her eyes, and even Francis's clear face began to blur.
Francis realized she was drunk because she suddenly grabbed his sleeve and looked at him seriously, her eyes met.Her cheeks were slightly red, her eyes were blue, and there was also a sadness that he couldn't see through.
"You will not die, France. Neither England nor Burgundy can harm you. I will guard you, living or dead."
Then she closed her eyes and fell down on the dining table.Her hand was still clasping Francis' wrist, and her body undulated slightly with her even breathing.
Francis froze in astonishment, before she had time to think about her deep meaning, the Duke of Alençon on the side had already noticed the situation here.
"Send someone to take her back to her room." The Duke said as he prepared to greet the attendants not far away.
"No need, I'll take her back." Francis waved his hand and pulled Joan up from the table.She didn't seem to be completely asleep, and she staggered a few steps with Francis' support.Seeing this, the attendant immediately supported her from the other side, and carried her back to the room with Francis from left to right.
Francis settled her down, dismissed the attendants, and stayed by the bed for a while.
Joan of Arc was already fully asleep, and her young face showed the most natural relaxed posture, without the tenacity when she was hoisting the military flag, nor the fragility when she was injured.She is just an ordinary young girl, she should be holding a soft leather whip instead of a sword, and she should be driving docile sheep instead of hundreds of thousands of heavily armed soldiers.
Francis looked at her heavy sleeping face and wanted to smile, but his expression was worried.
How will all this become?Wang Jun has gained a certain amount of initiative, and the morale of the people under your banner is at an all-time high.Maybe we can really take back Reims, maybe even Paris.
But what about your fate, Zhen?
He leaned down slightly, stroking her blonde hair.This is the same color and touch as his, slightly curly and soft.
"Your fate and the fate of France are already inseparable..."
He knelt down, kissed her short hair, and then got up to leave.
"Good night, Jean."
"Good night, France..."
He turned around abruptly, but saw that Joan was still sleeping soundly. The good night just now was like his hallucination, but it was as clear as if she was right next to his ears.
Francis was a little dazed, but quickly smiled at himself: I probably think too much, maybe I should take a break.
So he went out laughing and shaking his head, not realizing that he was acting like a young fool.
But he is no longer young.In the red dust of history, he should have tempered an invincible heart long ago.He should treat everyone without prejudice, they are all his important family members in this land.
But he couldn't feel his emotions.He was overwhelmed by this strange emotion, so many years after she died, he was finally able to face up to this feeling.
"I shouldn't love anyone. I should love everyone equally." Francis said at that time standing in front of Joan's broken banner, "But, Jean, I love you, when I can finally say it , but you can't hear it anymore."
Charlie and Wang Jun finally headed for champagne.
Champagne is a beautiful and rich place.The war does not seem to cast a heavy shadow on this land.The people here surrendered to the English, but they managed their own cities and ran their own businesses.These wealthy merchant cities loathed war and did everything in their power to avoid it.Therefore, Charles and his Privy Council were not prepared to open the gates of these cities with cannon, and clever negotiations and well-coordinated military pressure would be more useful at this time.
From Troyes to Chalon, wherever the king's army went, the gates of cities were opened to Charles, and almost no military conflict was triggered.The British army saw that Charles had recovered a large area of Champagne, but they could only stand still-their army was at a disadvantage in numbers, and it was indeed too far to drive from the stronghold to Champagne.
Joan of Arc was very happy about this, although she would not be useful without war, but as long as she could avoid bloodshed, she didn't care about her military exploits.But her name did play a role, and the "Daughter of God" was leading the Crown Prince's army, which awed her enemies, and Charles cleverly used this to finally push the army to the city of Reims.
Lance surrendered.The future king entered the city of Reims through the south gate at dusk on July [-]th, and according to tradition, the coronation was best held on Sunday, so the people of Reims prepared for it all night.
Early the next morning, under the auspices of the Archbishop of Reims, Legnio de Chartres, the Crown Prince was officially crowned.The archbishop anointed his head with holy oil, and then put on the crown for him. The twelve French ministers present formed a circle and stretched out their hands to hold the crown.At this time, the horn sounded, the people cheered, and Charles de Valois was ordained and enthroned as Charles VII of France.
Francis wept excitedly when he saw Joan standing beside the king with him.
"My mission is almost complete..."
He heard her whisper.
"My life is coming to an end."
After that, the French army successively recovered Soissons, Chateautieri, Coulommiers and other places, and the king's reputation gradually grew. Artois, Picardy and Northern Burgundy all broke away from the Burgundian faction. , people welcomed the king's arrival, thinking that he was a benevolent and wise king, and the girl Joan of Arc who assisted him on the throne was a genuine saint.
After that, Wang Jun pointed directly at Paris.
The former capital has been subordinated to the Duke of Burgundy for many years.Charlie tried to persuade him to capitulate in Champagne, but it failed.The attack on this impregnable city also failed.Joan of Arc personally led the soldiers to rush under the moat, but could not cross the water-filled ditch.After the king's army was thwarted in Paris, he had to retreat temporarily. Although Joan of Arc, who was injured again, strongly opposed it, she couldn't resist Charlie's order.
After that, several actions of the king's army were not smooth, and the war dragged on day by day. In March 1430, Joan of Arc followed the king and entered Sully.
She repeatedly spoke to Charlie, wanting to lead troops to attack again, but was rejected by Charlie one by one.
"If we don't attack, we will lose our best chance," Joan of Arc told Francis. "God and justice are on our side, I know."
She was unhappy because of it.She told Francis she heard voices from heaven every day, and they urged her to keep going.
"What should I do?" She looked at Francis helplessly, "Paris is close at hand, but I can only wait here in vain."
"Maybe we should wait for the time..." Francis' tone was not sure, "The military commander stationed in Paris is an excellent person, maybe we should change our target..."
Joan looked a little frustrated.Francis' answer certainly did not satisfy her.She was anxious about the procrastination of the war, and worried about the fate of France.
More than half a month has passed like this, and Francis watched her increasingly silent back every day, and worries and ominous premonitions slowly grew in his heart.
He frequently had nightmares, sometimes running in the wilderness, sometimes wading in the flowing water, he was frantically looking for something in his dream, pushing aside the thatch higher than his head that blocked his progress, as if there was a devil chasing after him, as if The most desired thing is calling ahead.However, every time, at the end of his running, there will always be a huge firewood pile. As his eyes slowly move up, he sees the white cloth, the hem, the slender waist, and the thin shoulders, and then——
He woke up again and again before he could see the face clearly, panting in shock, thin beads of sweat oozed from his forehead, and was terrified.
The shadow of fear slowly enveloped him, and it wasn't until one day at the end of March that he finally understood what it meant.
Francis saw Joan in the courtyard early that morning preparing her mount.She wore the white armor of battle, gleaming in the morning light.Her side face was peaceful and with a faint smile.
He hadn't seen her smile for a long time, and he couldn't help feeling suspicious.But Joan quickly saw him, and told him to go over with a relaxed tone.
"You...you want to go out?" Francis asked hesitantly, "Want to go out of the city to relax? I can accompany you."
"Oh—no, France. I'm not just going to relax, and you can't accompany me." Jeanne stopped what she was doing and looked at him with her head tilted. "I don't think this matter should be kept from you. .I want to take my men out of the city. His Majesty is too indecisive, but I don't want the war to drag on for too long. I want to end it."
Francis's heart tightened, did his worries really come true?She wasn't the kind of girl who would be quiet and docile and stay in her room mending.
That fear seized him again in this moment.
She wanted to leave alone, out of his sight, and the battlefield was ruthless and cruel, and her life was so fragile.If he let her go at this time, can she stand in front of him safely again like now?
The girl standing on the firewood and smiling at me in my dream, is that you?
"Don't go!" Francis snatched the rein from Joan's hand, and her tough tone made her jump.She looked at him blankly, but he didn't back down in the slightest.
"You can't take risks alone—who knows what might happen! I can't let you—"
But Joan suddenly smiled, and patted his hand holding the rein tightly: "Don't do that, France. You know my mission. The voices I heard have told me that I will die for this mission."
Francis was taken aback, feeling his heart skip a beat.The thing that worried him all the time finally happened. He had heard her repeat such words more than once, but every time she asked about it, she kept silent and avoided talking about it.
His hands were stiff, and Joan tried to get the reins back but failed.His face became more and more ugly, pale and lacking in blood.Joan smiled back, and took the cold hand holding the rein with both of hers, sending him firm warmth.
"I want to live too, to end the war and go back to Don Remy, to my family, to live in the most ordinary way like my childhood friends. But I can't. I know I'm going to die, From the time I arrived in Chinon, I didn't live long. I always knew it. I just didn't know when or how I was going to die. But I wasn't afraid, and I didn't hold back."
She looked at him, smiling like sunshine in a month, warming the severe cold warmly.
"I fight for you, France. Love for you will always keep me going."
After a moment of silence, Francis frowned and looked into her blue pupils, his fingertips trembling slightly, as if what he was going to say next required great courage.
"Do you love me?" he finally asked, not even daring to keep looking at her.Her eyes are as clear as the Loire River in autumn, she can see the bottom at a glance, but she will see her ugly shadow by this clarity.
Francis had never felt so ugly before.
Do you love me?He has asked all kinds of women this way. From the past to the future, he always asked those beautiful women this way with a frivolous and seductive tone.
But among them, who can compare with her?
Do you love me, little Zhenzhen? ——He could have used this smooth tone, teased, leaned against her window or door frame, and held out his hand to her with an elusive smile.
But he can't.Just this sentence has exhausted his strength.The moment he said it, he realized what the emotion that had been troubling him all this time was, what it was that clouded his judgment.
But do you love me, Jean?
He waited anxiously for her answer.He never thought that he could be so flustered, and what stood in front of him was just a not-so-beautiful girl.
The girl smiled at him: "I love you, France."
At that moment Francis felt that his expression must be ridiculous.What is he expecting?Knowing that it is a cold reality that cannot be expected.
She said, France.
He smiled wryly, let go of the rein, and stepped back step by step.
She said, I love you, France.
"Yeah... I'm France. I almost forgot."
Almost forgot, I'm just French.I can't be Francis Bonofova.I am France, caught in the quagmire of war, holding the sword tightly for a whole hundred years, trying to defend my fragile pride.
He didn't need her to remind him of his duty and destiny as a nation.He also does not need her to repeat her mission and destination as a daughter of God.He should have thought a long time ago that these high-sounding nouns were all used to bind her and himself tightly.
So he let go of the rein with a smile, and backed away with a smile, to a distance sufficient for self-control.
"Go, daughter of God, maiden of Orleans. Go where you are supposed to go, complete your mission, liberate France, and return the glory of the golden lily to her master."
He paused, trying to suppress the choking deep in his throat.
"France blesses you. France blesses his saint. Joan of Arc, may you return victorious."
"I will try my best, France." Joan of Arc smiled, stroked the mane of the white horse, and then suddenly jumped on the horse's back.The white horse snorted and walked to Francis under the urging of Joan of Arc.She leaned down on the horseback, stretched out her hand to brush away the curly blond hair on his forehead, and kissed his forehead.
"Some people believe that I can bless them. Do you believe that?" she asked with a smile.
"I don't believe in God," Francis took her hand and kissed it on his lips, "but I believe in you, Jean."
He tried to smile, enough to convince her.He really believed in her, but the shadow of the nightmare had completely covered his vision, and she was the only light, but she was about to leave him at this moment.
"Come back alive."
He finally said, let go of her hand, and the last trace of body temperature was quickly withdrawn, and the girl's smile was engraved in his memory like a woodblock print.
"Remember our agreement, France? If I die, please bury me in the place closest to you."
Francis watched Joan leave Sully with her army that day.She had about a hundred cavalry, sixty-eight archers and crossbowmen, and several military chiefs departed with her.Francis had no doubt that these men were loyal to Joan.They followed her because they believed that she was the only one who could save France, that it was her bravery and holiness, not the incomprehensible tricks of the king and the Privy Council, that brought France back from the brink of collapse.
But Francis remained on the side of the King and the Privy Council, because Joan would not allow him to leave, and because his duty to the state did not allow him to leave.He can feel more and more trust, his family, the French people who live in this land, once scattered only to protect themselves in the chaos of war, which made him weak, but now he is recovering it little by little strength.
—The war will be over, and the victor will only be France.
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