monarch

On the second day after the above conversation happened, Hampton Palace held a grand marriage contract signing ceremony. William Cecil, Baron Burleigh, and His Excellency Don Manuel, Ambassador of Portugal, represented Britain and Portugal respectively in Princess Elizabeth and Prince Joao signed his name on the marriage contract.Her Royal Highness Princess Elizabeth, the protagonist of this marriage, did not attend the ceremony, but was sent back to Hatfield Palace, where she usually lives, because of "unwell".

Once the marriage contract was signed with seals, a courier who had been waiting in the next room put one of them into a cylindrical sleeve made of hardwood, and sealed the mouth with sealing paint.The precious document was sent on a fast horse to Portsmouth, where it was sent on a fast ship flying the Portuguese royal standard, and could be delivered to the court in Lisbon in less than two weeks.

Announced alongside Princess Elizabeth's engagement was the appointment of a new British ambassador to Spain.The cabinet welcomed the king's appointment, and many observers agreed that King Edward had made a wise decision.A rebellious son like Robert Dudley who has been put under the law is indeed not suitable to stay with the king. However, after all, the commander of the Guards made great contributions in countering the rebellion, kicking him away and then Appears ungrateful.The eminent, but practically exile position of ambassador abroad is simply tailor-made for this situation.Robert Dudley was decently removed from the inner circle of power. For this result, all forces except the king were happy to see it, and they were already gearing up to fill the gap left by the collapse of the Dudley family. under the power vacuum.

As the departure of the diplomatic fleet for Spain and Portugal drew closer, many noticed that King Edward's temper was growing worse.The first thing for everyone in the court to wake up every day is to try to figure out the mood of His Majesty. Many people have their own guesses about the reason behind the king's gloomy mood like the coming autumn rainy weather, but they are smart enough, They were born to judge the danger behind this matter, so they all kept silent.It should be known that in this gorgeous but murderous hall, some things are known to everyone, but they are still like rocks that are as high as the water. Ships must carefully bypass them, otherwise they will be smashed to pieces.

The day before the fleet's departure, August [-], [-], was His Majesty's birthday, but by order of the king all ceremonies were kept to a minimum.During the day, the common people in London held a spontaneous celebration ceremony, just like the Sunday before Lent, the streets and alleys in the city were full of carnival crowds.For the vast majority of people, His Majesty's birthday has given them a high-sounding reason to celebrate with carnival after this storm and to survive another storm safely, just like an epidemic in the era of plague Like the usual carnival after the end.Therefore, although His Majesty declined the invitation of the Mayor of London and did not attend the event, he did not stop the carnival, but expressed his gratitude to the citizens in accordance with the old practice.

After the carnival of the day, as night fell, the noisy streets gradually calmed down.At this time, at Hampton Court Palace on the outskirts, the king's birthday celebration also began.

It was well known that His Majesty did not want to be present at the celebration, in fact he did not even attend the morning Cabinet meeting.His Majesty only reluctantly agreed to come to this grand event out of his obligation as a master.

From eight o'clock in the evening, the guests began to wait for His Majesty the King's presence in the Alexander Hall. However, the celebration had been going on for two hours, and the clock had already struck ten o'clock in the evening, but His Majesty still disappeared.

Compared with the celebrations before the summer, this celebration seemed a lot deserted, and many guests failed to come due to various reasons.The two princesses, who will sail tomorrow, together with Robert Dudley and other members of the diplomatic corps, are waiting to board at Chatham Dock on the lower Thames at this moment.And there are many people who were qualified to attend such a ceremony in the past, but because they have lost their heads, they are unable to attend today.The new favorites who made great contributions in smashing the rebellion were willing to take this opportunity to show off, but His Majesty the King was obviously in a bad mood, so they lowered their stance knowingly, after all, everything about them came from His Majesty. Bestow, and if they offend His Majesty a little, then everything they have now will be taken back by the king at any time.

It was almost a quarter past ten, when finally the sound of a horn and an announcement came from outside the gate, announcing the arrival of Sheng Jia.

His Majesty was dressed in dark maroon clothes, with a serious and solemn expression on his face, and looked imposing. While sizing up the crowd in the room with rather sharp eyes, he took off his gloves, revealing his well-maintained pair. white hands.

Seeing His Majesty's unkind expression, the temperature in the hall suddenly seemed to drop several degrees.No one will forget that it was these slender luthier-like hands that signed the death warrants of hundreds of people and uprooted countless families that had played a major role in the history of this country since the Norman Conquest.Those ten fingers that seem to be made of alabaster are not suitable for holding the hilt, but as long as you grab the quill, the power is hundreds of times stronger than the sharpest sword: you must know that a sword can only be cut at a time. A head and a few strokes of a quill can change the fate of thousands of people.

The sycophant crowd rushed to the king like a torrent, swirling around his majesty.They bowed so low to the king that they wanted to press their faces to the floor and kiss the king's boots.Now everyone understands that whoever bends the lowest in front of the king will be the highest in politics.The king is the center of everything, he shines in all directions like the sun, and the courtiers are like planets, they can only follow their orbits and orbit around the king in an orderly manner, their future and even their lives depend on your majesty's pair A few words from the lips.

Following behind the king, it is no longer Robert Dudley who is called "the shadow of the king", but the new commander of the Guards, Alfred Ponsonby, who was still there five years ago Veterans who worked hard in the East End of London, now stand three steps behind the king, holding a powerful army of more than 1 people in their hands.Many nobles complained about this deviant behavior, but this dissatisfaction was limited to private conversations-compared with six years ago when the king first came to the throne, it is now a completely different world.Unadapted animals can only go extinct, and this holds true for individuals, groups, or classes.

The king walked to the throne and sat down, and nodded towards Cecil who had been presiding over the celebration instead of him before. Now the prime minister of the cabinet is Bishop Gardner, but he is not even qualified to attend the celebration.The bishop himself was not dissatisfied with this kind of cold reception. After all, he was able to keep his life and most of his property, which can already be called a surprise.At the cabinet meeting, Bishop Gardiner also showed great interest, he never objected to the king's request; and for those unpopular decrees that would affect His Majesty's reputation, he did not hesitate to use his name Publish it as if you don't mind the infamy in the slightest.

As for William Cecil, who is still standing behind the bishop, he is a rising star. Now he is actually the head of the civil service, and it is said that he will soon take over the post of Minister of Finance.Since His Majesty does not intend to re-establish the post of Prime Minister, the young man has become the de facto First Minister.This kind of favor undoubtedly attracted him a lot of jealousy. Many people pointed out to him, explicitly or implicitly, that for decades, starting with the late king's favorite, Bishop Thomas Wolsey, because of this position, None of these people can die well.

Cecil scoffed at these ominous prophecies, but this did not prevent him from appearing more sincere and fearful in front of the king.Compared with his predecessors, he is not inferior to them in intelligence, but he has no desire to compete with His Majesty, and it is this desire that has killed countless powerful officials.Cecil has made up his mind to be the most suitable tool in the king's hands, as long as His Majesty pays him accordingly.

The music played again, and the people in the hall danced intoxicatedly to the rhythm of the music. If there were bystanders outside the window, they would definitely think that they looked like a group of puppets dancing for no reason.Furthermore, if the bystander is a perceptive political veteran, he must have noticed that in the rough sea of ​​​​the court, these gorgeous clowns dancing to the music are nothing but sea creatures. The waves, and the undercurrents of the bottom, which are hidden from view and yet dominate all, are always circling around the throne, never moving more than ten paces from the king.

King Edward VI didn't look like he was going to leave his seat, apparently he had no intention of going dancing at all.In this joyful atmosphere, every few minutes, a big man who is qualified to take the initiative to talk to His Majesty walked up to the throne with tentative steps, bowed to His Majesty, and tried to get out of a short conversation with the king. Pry into the mind of this demigod.These masters of language skillfully inserted all kinds of allusions to the past and all kinds of requirements for the future in their short sentences, and all kinds of hints mixed in them made those ancient Greek fablers feel inferior.

For all, the King remained fair indifference this evening.He answered this series of suggestive words with ambiguous sentences, just like the priests of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi in ancient Greece sent away worshipers who came to worship with vague oracles.Then he yawned lightly, telling the other party that he was tired of the conversation, so although the courtiers were unwilling, they could only bow and leave.They came with questions, but they could only return to the crowd with more questions in a daze, trying to figure out the king's implication with their companions.

The king sat in this hall for about three quarters of an hour, and he did not offer to speak to a single person, nor did he invite anyone to dance.No sooner had the clock struck eleven than he rose and left the hall with Ponsonby.As a result, the crowd in the hall quickly became scarce, and those who did not want to leave had no choice but to leave the hall with the crowd. I wish to leave the palace.

After His Majesty left the hall, he went straight back to his bedroom. He reached out his hand to remove the cap fixed on his head with a diamond brooch, threw it on the sofa, and walked through the purple velvet curtain that was chattered by the servants Entered the inner room.

Ponsonby looked at the clock above the fireplace, thinking that the king might come to summon him later, so he followed the example of the king, took off his hat and cloak, folded them, and put them on the sofa likewise.

Then he sat quietly on a golden armchair next to the sofa, picked up a storybook next to him, and casually flipped through the pages inside.

Sure enough, as he expected, not long after, the purple velvet curtain was raised again, and a young attendant in livery came out from the inner room and invited Ponsonby in: the king wanted to have supper, so he was invited to accompany him.

Ponsonby rose immediately, leaving his sword on the edge of the chair, and hurried into the inner room, the curtain drawn down again behind him.

The king's bedroom was filled with a wonderful and rich natural aroma, which could be considered pungent for some sensitive people.Ponsonby looked down, and found that the thick Persian carpet in the room was covered with petals of fresh and dried flowers, roses, roses, lilacs and camellias, all kinds of flowers that could never appear in nature at the same time, but now Together they wove a colorful tapestry in the king's bedroom.

The king is sitting in an armchair in the middle of the room, his bare feet on the tapestry, like a Flora depicted by Titian.The stems of these flowers were cut off by the gardener so as not to scratch the delicate skin on His Majesty's feet.His feet stepped on the ground from time to time, allowing the juice of the flowers under his feet to stain the soles of his feet, and more juice soaked into the valuable carpet below.

Two servants stood behind him, brushing up his slightly curly black hair, while His Majesty's barber was combing his hair.Before the king, another servant anointed his face with a balm made of flower juice and balsam.

The king closed his eyes slightly and let the servants do something to his face. He looked like a marble statue of Apollo. The combination of femininity and majesty of the king could only produce a solemn feeling in the heart. Feel.

His Majesty heard approaching footsteps, opened his eyes, and gestured to Ponsonby, who was bowing, to sit on another chair opposite.

"How's it going at the pier?" The king asked the opposite side as if casually, "Is everything going well?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, there may be thunderstorms tonight, but tomorrow will be fine and suitable for going to sea." Ponsonby replied cautiously. He wisely only pointed out the actual situation without attaching any opinion of his own. "The fleet has finished loading its cargo, and Princess Mary's private property and Princess Elizabeth's dowry have been safely stored in the bottom warehouse of the fleet's flagship."

The king gave a vague "hmm".

"The Earl of Leicester has also arrived in Chatham. He is resting at the inn tonight and will board the ship with the two princesses tomorrow."

The king let out a soft cry. He turned his head and looked at his barber: "Sir, are you going to pull my hair out by the roots?"

The barber quickly knelt down on his knees.

The king waved his hand impatiently, and the servants around him immediately dispersed in a swarm. Before leaving the room, they opened the windows of the room to let the fresh air outside replace the dirty air in the room. Air.

The exquisite supper for two was brought into the room, and the king picked up the silver spoon and took a few sips of the soup in the bowl.

"As you please, sir," he ordered to Ponsonby.

The only sound in the room was the sound of Ponsonby's gums chewing. Hearing the king's order, the strong man who already had a big appetite was not polite, and began to enjoy the double portion of supper prepared by the king.

Edward quietly leaned his head back on the back of the chair and looked up at the golden chandelier on the ceiling. There were no candles on the chandelier, but a scented oil lamp instead. Now it is trying to fill the room with its wonderful fragrance.

The king was obviously preoccupied, he tapped the handle of the chair lightly with his knuckles carelessly, if Cecil was in this room, he could hear the restlessness in the king's heart from the scattered rhythm of the knocking sound.

But Ponsonby didn't know anything about it, he swept away everything in front of him, and then looked at the king.

"I thought His Majesty would go to Chatham today." As if the supper and wine had eased his guard, Ponsonby confessed to the king for the first time tonight.

"But I didn't go." The king was still staring at the ceiling.

Ponsonby bit his lips, "I'm not as good at using rhetoric as the civil servants. They will praise your actions, claiming that you have fulfilled the obligations that the king should fulfill, and you have made a wise decision."

"Why, don't you intend to praise me for that?" asked the king coldly.

"I can only see that you are unhappy, Your Majesty." Ponsonby stood up, and then knelt down on one knee.

"What are you doing?" The king sat up straight in astonishment, and looked at Ponsonby kneeling in front of him in amazement.

"Years ago, after the great fire in the East End of London, when I lost everything, you saved me, Your Majesty. I have expressed my gratitude to you more than once, for as long as you need it. I can see that you do not Be happy, please tell me what I can do! I can no longer watch you like this, it is a kind of torture for me."

"What do I need from you?" The king smiled bitterly, "I don't need anything, sir, at least I don't need it now...No one can give me what I want."

A mist of sorrow filled the king's eyes.

"Cecile is right. The king may be a demigod, but he is not a god after all, so he can't do what he wants. The result now is the best ending I can expect, and I should be satisfied."

"But you are not satisfied with that." Ponsonby said hoarsely.

"Who can be happy in everything?" The king sighed softly, "It is destined that all the joys and joys in life are but momentary things, and the rest of the time is occupied by emptiness and disappointment.

All the while, the butterfly flapped its soft wings and flew in through the wide open window. Under the bright light in the room, it circled gracefully, and finally landed on the withering petals of a rose on the ground.

"People are like butterflies." Ponsonby pointed to the graceful elf, "Our life is so short, so we must enjoy ourselves while it is possible."

"What do you mean by that?"

"My lord, I would say that a fast horse can run ten miles an hour, and it is not midnight, and Chatham Dock is only twenty-five miles from us."

"You've sacrificed enough that I think you're entitled to freedom on this last night...you can be yourself, not king, and you don't even bother to think if there's a country that needs You go and take care of it."

The king took a deep breath, and he closed his eyes involuntarily, as if dazzled by the flash of light in his heart. Obviously, what Ponsonby said was exactly what he had been thinking about all the time, but was overwhelmed by various concerns. Ideas that have not been put into practice.

After half a minute, when the king raised his head again, the pallor on his face had been replaced by a flush of excitement.

"Would you like to go with me?" he asked hastily. "Just the two of us?"

"If you don't want others to know, then there is no third person who needs to know." Ponsonby raised his eyebrows, "but I don't think their opinions are of any importance."

The king nodded. He stretched out his hand, grabbed the bell on the small coffee table next to him, and shook it lightly.

"Bring me a coat and cloak, don't be too conspicuous." He said to the servant who came in.

"Get a thick one," added Ponsonby, pointing out the window, where the silvery moon had been covered by dark clouds brewing with lightning.

"Is Your Majesty going out?" the servant asked, "Do you want me to have the car ready?"

"Please get me and Mr. Ponsonby's horse ready."

The servant hesitated, but finally succumbed to the unquestionable tone of the king's words, bowed out of the room, and brought everything he needed in a short time.

He put on the king a tight silver-gray coat and trousers, and a pair of high boots that stretched up to his thighs, and put on him a plain black velvet cap, and put on his majesty. A dark cloak.

The clock tower of the palace church had just struck midnight when the King stepped through the corner gate of Hampton Court Palace.

Two black horses were already waiting there, one of which was the king's favorite chestnut-coloured Andalusian.

The king got on his horse, and he gestured to Ponsonby, and the two disappeared into the dark night together.A summer thunderstorm was brewing in the dark, electric clouds above them.