[Henry VIII] Tudor Crown

After Catherine de' Medici returned to the Louvre, she could not recall at all how she continued her conversation with Queen Juana.She only remembered that when the other party said lightly, "Abandoning you is also a necessary sacrifice for the Medici family", her whole mind went blank, and even her eyes were so dark that she couldn't see anything clearly.

However, the Queen Mother of the Poison Queen in the history of France was not an ordinary person. Relying on the strong willpower honed in the Roman Martyrdom and the prayer fragments in the "Bible", she stabilized her mind in an instant, and breathed out a breath in her chest. Looking at the turbid air before, he asked back: "The Medici family has not abandoned me yet."

Catherine de' Medici, who regained her composure, soon realized that Queen Juana was deceiving her, so she turned against the guest and said, "If it were you, would you give up a queen mother who may be regent?"

The reason why Henry II did not divorce Catherine de' Medici was that he wanted to borrow money from Italian bankers because he did not want to give up his existing heirs.

Don't look at Catherine de' Medici as a salt-free girl, but Henry II doesn't need his queen to be smart or beautiful, but hopes that the other party is knowledgeable enough and can give birth to some legal heirs.

Besides, Diane de Poitiers was a clever woman.

If Henry II were to change to a noble wife, he might be like Francois I and Eleanor of Austria. Would France offend a powerful queen for a mistress?

I'm afraid everyone will think that Henry II is crazy.

Therefore, looking at it from another perspective, although Catherine de Medici's queen position is crumbling, there are still a few iron nails that cannot be pulled out.

She even thought about joking with Queen Juana: "Our big men in the Medici family will always attack a pearl before it shines. I don't know if the Queen of England is interested in investing in a pearl. "

Queen Juana looked at Catherine de' Medici again, and finally said with a smile: "William said that you are not an ordinary woman. I didn't believe it at first, but now, I admire his vision."

Catherine de' Medici suddenly felt a sense of excitement, as if at this moment, she finally understood the vigorous ambition of her ancestors to solicit investment everywhere and even dance on the tip of a knife.

Perhaps she could use another method to shorten the distance between herself and King Cosimo I.

If her last name no longer provided her with a sense of security, it was up to her to create it herself.

Catherine de Medici's attitude towards Queen Juana was a little more sincere, and she even showed the enthusiasm that Party B received Party A: "Since our husbands are talking about the future of the two countries, it is better for the two of us to be women. He and the queens of the two countries, let's talk about our future."

"What do you think?"

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It was not the first time that Henry II entered the castle of Calais, but it was the first time in history that he entered the castle of Calais occupied by the English.

When he saw the Tudor rose carved on the French dress and the English flag fluttering on the heights of the castle, a violent feeling suddenly rose in his heart, which almost exhausted what little self-cultivation he had left before he sat down. Before, suppress it abruptly.

"Who would have thought that we would also discuss the future of the two countries in the place where our fathers negotiated." Henry II said badly: "But my father is far more cowardly than me, because he came here to give up Calais taken by the English, but I'm different."

"You want to take Calais away from me?" Of course, William III could feel Henry II's malice, so in terms of tone, he was not much more polite than the other party: "Would you like to try?"

The guards following the two put their hands on the handles of their knives, keeping their muscles tensed to fight at any time.

Because William III inherited the height of Henry VIII, in terms of realization, he maintained a kind of pressure that made Henry II feel very unpleasant: "If we go to war here, England will not have much loss. After all, the Netherlands It’s right there, and we’re an island nation, so even if we’re defeated, we can come back.”

"But can France really go to war with England at this time?" William III turned his ring and said very suspiciously: "You have turned your face with Suleiman the Great of the Ottoman Empire, and you want to cut off Germany's trade route. .”

"Charles V now has the right time, place and people. If we don't form an alliance again, you will know the consequences." William III leaned on the back of the velvet chair with a leisurely look, which made Henry II look very special. Huo Da: "There is France in the middle between England and Spain, and the Protestant regions of Germany are behind, so why should we panic?"

"On the contrary, it's France." William III asked back: "How did the low countries of France come to be? I don't think you have completely forgotten what your ancestors did, right?"

Henry II's face was as black as the ashes in the fireplace, and the Duke of Montmorency at the side suddenly realized that he might not get a good look from Henry II in the past few months.

"If your eloquent teeth are all used to expand the territory, maybe I will think highly of you." Henry II took a deep breath and said calmly: "I hope you remember today's arrogance and domineering, and you can still continue to fight in the future." Lay returned the day, with such arrogance."

"Then I also hope that I will never see the day when Calais is taken away." William III and Henry II have nothing to talk about, so the conversation between the two is to put pressure on the people around them.After signing, I was not interested in having dinner, so I asked someone to pack up and go home, for fear that if I stayed with the other party, I would be suffocated by the dirty air.

"Finished?" Queen Juana was already waiting in the carriage, and when she saw William III coming up, she signaled the coachman to set off.

"Do you want to send someone to wash the castle of Calais?" Queen Juana could imagine the meeting between William III and Henry II, which could definitely be called a disaster level.

Because just by looking at the troops brought by Henry II, one can guess the king's usual style.

William III glanced at the proud Queen Juana and asked, "Did you have a good talk with Catherine de' Medici?"

"It's exactly what you said." Queen Juana took William III's hat, allowing him to rest for a while before boarding the boat: "Queen Catherine is indeed a smart woman, and she knows how to win her own chips. , instead of blindly waiting in place."

"After all, she is from the Medici family." William III knew that this woman was a ruthless character in history, but it was a pity that her desire to control ruined the good situation: "Did you mention Cosimo I to her?" ? How did she answer?"

"Her answer is that she will be loyal to her own interests." Queen Juana said helplessly: "She wants to use us to win the support of Cosimo I, and then use Cosimo I to win her favor in the French court. Status. It made me a little unhappy."

"There's nothing to be unhappy about. Think about the large sums of gold, art, and spices from the Ottoman Empire flowing in from Italy. You won't ruin your good mood just because of a woman's attitude." William III said disapprovingly: " Besides, Cosimo I did not expect Catherine de' Medici to stand with him, and France is just another retreat for the Duke of Florence."

"Another way of retreat?" Queen Juana asked puzzled, "What do you mean by that?"

"Do you know why the Pope didn't approve the title of Duke of Tuscany?" William III analyzed: "Because once the title is obtained, the Duke of Florence will not be as obedient as Yi Wang."

"Thinking about the tragedy of Rome many years ago, you should understand why the Duke of Florence wanted to reopen trade with the Ottoman Empire, and why, he wanted to build a military fortress in Florence, and set up a navy and mercenaries to settle down."

"Then how long do you think the Duke of Florence will fall out with Spain?" Queen Juana didn't think that the alliance between England and France would last long, so she wanted to make plans early.

"Let's see when my nephew takes over." William III knew that most of the Habsburg unity was based on Charles V's desperate efforts to maintain it.Therefore, after Philip II came to power, Ferdinand of Austria was not as obedient as before, and Philip II, as the only son of Charles V, was also used to living a life controlled by his old father. To be extreme is to not trust the people around you.

It's not like William III who lived in the Shura field since he was a child. His father's successor mistresses are more difficult than one, and usually several families join forces to kill him.

Queen Juana thought about the physical condition of Charles V, and felt that the other party could probably last ten years, so the pressure on William III and Henry II was no less than that of her parents. After all, the Ottoman Empire was also a pile of ruins. thing.Not only are the sons of Suleiman the Great ready to move around the old father's beard, but also the invincible Barbarossa Hayreddin has reached an age where he can't move, so Spain is likely to take advantage of the mess of the Ottoman Empire At that time, Tunisia was brought down again.

This was also a buffer period for William III and Henry II.

"What is that doing?" Just as the carriage of Queen Juana and William III passed a path leading to the port of Calais, she found curls of gray smoke emerging from the green forest, accompanied by a woman screaming cry.

"Is there a fire?" Queen Juana shook the car, and immediately pulled down a small opening for talking.

"No, there is a village that is executing witches." The coachman replied without any surprise, "The harvest may not be good there recently, so the priest found the troublesome witch in the village and wanted to burn her to the stake."

"Evidence must be used for burning at the stake." William III asked, "What is their evidence?"

"It's nothing more than judging according to the content of "The Hammer of the Witch", or finding some expensive items in the other party's home." The driver's tone was full of calmness, which made William III feel his hairs stand on end.

"Send a message to Richard Cromwell and ask him to get me a copy of "The Hammer of the Witch" before we board the ship." William III gradually lost hearing the woman's screams.

But the rising gray smoke did not disappear.

Instead, it remained in his heart.