monarch

The fishing boat that the Prince of Orange was on had docked at a fishing port in southern England at sunset the day before.Now is the season for herring fishing in the North Sea, so there are naturally countless small fishing boats like this, so the captain crossed the patrol line of the Spanish and English navies without much effort, and sent the prince to a place only 35 miles away from the capital of Britain.

A modest carriage, drawn by two Irish horses, awaited the arrival of the prince, and the carriage had been prepared for the prince with double springs.The night is a cold weather that is common in autumn in England. Large cumulonimbus clouds are running in the sky with the cold wind blowing from the North Sea. Occasionally, the moon pokes its head out from the gaps in the clouds, but in an instant, her brilliance comes back again. Once veiled, like a little girl curiously watching a ball from behind a curtain, is led back into the room by the governess who hastened to hear it.There was a patter of autumn rain outside the carriage, and a thin layer of mist soon covered the thick double-glazed glass.From time to time, the wheels ran over one or two small puddles full of water, but for the passengers in the car, this was just like the vibration produced by the rocking chair slightly shaking, which did not affect the comfort of the trip in the slightest.

The Prince of Orange slept comfortably in the carriage for nearly four hours. When he woke up, the carriage had already driven up the boulevard on the outskirts of London. Under the reflection of a lantern, one can see that the two rows of big trees on both sides of the road are like a group of black, skinny ghosts, being quickly left behind by the carriage.

The prince wiped the window with his hand, and the mist was wiped away, and the capital of England appeared before his eyes.After 70 years of relatively stable rule by the Tudor dynasty, this huge city has now become the largest city in Western Europe, and its population is comparable only to Constantinople in the whole of Europe.In the eyes of the Prince of Orange, the city is like a black sea, and the countless lights are like dots of light on the sea during the jellyfish season, shining in the rain, as if they are dancing with the waves... an eternal battle... Non-stop dancing!The fate of countless people, the fate of each country, are all the bubbles gathered in the waves, which never stop jumping.

The carriage entered the city along Rochester Avenue and entered the city called "Contemporary Sodom and Gomorrah, Babylon ruled by King Nebuchadnezzar in the sixteenth century" by the Roman Catholic Church.Since the attempted coup two years ago, the representatives of the Holy See involved in subversive activities were expelled from the country by King Edward, and the relationship between Rome and Britain was completely broken.The Vatican, furious, called King Edward VI "the most dangerous enemy of Christ in the world", and portrayed the British king in the Catholic world as Nebuchadnezzar, Nero, Caligula or the apostate Yu A tyrant like Lian, and the ambiguous relationship between this king and his favorite Robert Dudley, in the propaganda of the Holy See, naturally became an ironclad evidence of Britain's degeneration after abandoning the glory of Catholicism.Logically, the capital of England has become the Babylon of the new era, a nest of sin and corruption, and one day it will be punished by an angry God, and devout Catholics just need to wait patiently.

The Prince of Orange gazed curiously at the streets of this flashy city. It was already past midnight, but there still seemed to be many people on the streets.The front of the theater was crowded with rented carriages and private carriages waiting for customers. It was obvious that the last scene had not yet ended. In those luxurious mansions built along the Thames River, which was much clearer than in previous years, there was a rumor of Sa With the sound of Labande music and chatter and laughter, it was clear that the night of dancing and banqueting had just begun.On the eaves on both sides of the road are torches for lighting, and they will not be extinguished until dawn.For someone used to the gloomy nights of Madrid, visiting this bustling city with no curfew at night is undoubtedly a novel experience.

The carriage of the Prince of Orange stopped in a somewhat deserted side street near Old Kent Road. The Prince got out of the carriage and entered a three-story apartment building.The apartment rented under a false name was located on the third floor. The room was tidy, but far from comfortable.The floor is covered with simple square bricks instead of the teak floor commonly used in luxury mansions. The furniture is made of relatively cheap pine and birch wood. The leather of the sofa is as loose and wrinkled as the skin on an old lady's face. , it started creaking every time someone sat down, as if in protest.

The prince entered the room together with his personal servants, and the door was locked behind them. Not long after, a lamp and a candle lit in the room were also extinguished one after another, and this quiet path returned to the usual In silence.

At noon the next day, a luxurious carriage drove to the door of the apartment building amidst the surprised eyes of the residents on this street.There were two maroon Arabian horses on the shaft of the carriage. Even an ignorant person could tell that these two famous horses were impatiently kicking the paving stones with their hooves.A noble coat of arms was painted on the door of the carriage, and a crown was painted on the coat of arms. If any knowledgeable person passed by at this time, he would notice that it was a prince's crown.The carriage looked extremely out of place in a neighborhood of pensioners and out-of-business businessmen.

Just as the twelve o'clock bell struck, a gorgeously dressed man walked out of the apartment building and immediately boarded the carriage. Before the crowd of onlookers could even see his face clearly, the door was already closed. And the curtains of the windows had already been lowered before the passenger got into the car.Amidst the disappointing sighs of the crowd, the coachman flicked his whip twice in the air, let go of the reins, and the carriage immediately rushed out like lightning as if it were on a racing track.

The carriage quickly left the city and ran all the way along the embankment of the Thames River. At a quarter before two o'clock, the carriage arrived at Richmond Square in front of Hampton Palace.

One of King Edward's original intentions for expanding Hampton Court Palace was to make a deep first impression on every visitor who arrived at the palace for the first time, and to ensure that its magnificence and splendor were displayed in the most informed places. It can also arouse feelings of amazement and shock in the human heart.The red bricks used in the initial construction of the facade of the building have now been replaced by beige marble. Thousands of huge floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlook the visitors on the vestibule square, like a hundred eyes of the giant Argos.Between the windows stands the statues of the kings of England and the great commanders and rulers in history. Beside Alfred the Great is Julius Caesar wearing an olive wreath, Edward the Black Prince holding an epee and King Arthur standing next to each other. together, while King Henry V and Scipio the Conqueror of Africa looked across the square.

Four thousand servants in gorgeous uniforms maintained the operation of this huge palace, and two thousand famous horses were raised in the stables. The entire British aristocracy lived in this pure gold cage.From local powerful figures, they became actors in this magnificent social drama, and the king was the general director of this drama.This class first lost their economic dominance, and their political status has plummeted since the rebellion two years ago.His Majesty gathered these animals that could no longer adapt to the environment in his big zoo, used these noble titles and surnames to decorate the facade of his rule, and used some wealth and official positions as rewards from time to time, so that these domesticated animals could live in accordance with the law. His baton beat tirelessly.

Just above the entrance of the hall are two pairs of the most conspicuous, most exquisite, and largest statues.On the left is Achilles holding a spear and Patroclus playing a harp, while on the right is Alexander the Great riding into Babylon with Hephaistion behind him.Both sets of statues were completed by the famous Michelangelo Buonarroti himself, and when the statues were unveiled more than a year ago, His Majesty, satisfied, ordered a trunk full of gold coins and a baronial book It was presented to the master as a thank-you gift.Many people have noticed that the faces of the protagonists of these two groups of statues have many similar features with certain two people in real life. Whether such similarities are the inspiration of the master's personal creation or the instruction of the customers, it has been a long time Inside is the focus of discussion in the entire palace.

As soon as the carriage stopped, the Prince of Orange opened the door, quickly jumped out of the carriage, and walked straight towards the entrance of the palace with the awe-inspiring air of a nobleman.

In the sixteenth century when the story took place, the British court still maintained the traditions of the Middle Ages and was open to curious visitors.In the Middle Ages, every move of the king was displayed in front of curious people. It was the most popular visit to see the king and queen eating in the palace.In the new era of Hampton Court Palace, some old traditions are still maintained, as long as you dress decently (this is not difficult, because there are several shops renting out noble decorations, hats, dresses in the town outside the palace gate and a saber for one day, the combined price is only two pounds), then you are the king's guest, and His Majesty will treat you with courtesy.These visitors can enter about one-third of the palace, including the foyer and several corridors with rather magnificent marble vaults. If they are lucky, they can also see the king walking through these corridors surrounded by guards. flashed by.

Wearing an orange velvet bodysuit studded with pearls and diamonds, and with the Order of the Golden Fleece awarded to him by the King of Spain on his chest, the Prince of Orange naturally caught all eyes as he entered the corridor Come here, like a moth flying towards the only light source in the room under the guidance of instinct.The tourists, most of whom were small landowners and small businessmen in the countryside, admired the gentleman's expensive attire, and guessed that he was a rich man.As for those who have been in the court for a long time, they should be more cautious when looking at this uninvited guest: this person's overall style and clothes show that he is not low in status, but this face has never appeared in the court. What's even more weird is that on his chest is the Spanish Golden Fleece Medal, but the face of the Spanish ambassador is very familiar to everyone in the palace, and the person in front of him is at least 30 years younger than the aging ambassador age.

Those keen people realized that the identity of this mysterious guest would obviously be an explosive news.So as the Prince of Orange walked through the corridor, more and more people followed him. These spontaneous attendants put on a nonchalant look, but their ears were pricked up, and the peripheral vision of their eyes flickered for a moment. None of them left the mysterious man's back.

The unknown guest went straight to the Minerva staircase at the end of the corridor. This staircase named after the moon god was crescent-shaped and spiraled all the way to the second floor. From here on, it was no longer an area that ordinary people could enter.

An officer in charge stood in front of the stairs, politely but resolutely blocked the guest.

"Sir." He bowed to the guest, "From here on, only nobles living in the palace and invited guests are allowed to pass."

"I'm not here to visit." The guest said in English with a strong German accent, "I want to see His Majesty the King of your country."

His words sparked a murmur in the crowd, largely due to his use of the word "demand" and a person who "demands" to see the king is either of high status or presumptuous extreme.

The head officer also raised his eyebrows slightly because of surprise, but he still maintained the polite but indifferent smile before, "Do you have an audience letter?"

The guest shook his head.

"If you don't have an audience letter, His Majesty can't receive you." The head officer spoke slowly, as if taking care of the ignorant foreigner in front of him, "Your Majesty is attending a cabinet meeting now, if you To see His Majesty, you need to register with the Chief of the Palace, and he will answer whether you can be received by His Majesty. If you are listed in the list of meeting His Majesty, then you will get an audience letter, and you have to follow the time on the audience letter Come and wait for His Majesty's reception."

"I don't have that much time." The foreigner shook his head. "The topic of the cabinet meeting that your Majesty is holding is closely related to me. I request to see him immediately."

The head officer shook his head in embarrassment, this was the first time he encountered such a situation.He wanted to go straight away, but the whole body of the person in front of him made his muscles a little stiff, "You make me difficult, sir." He shook his head slightly, "But I can only give You answer like this."

"Then go and report to your superior." The foreigner said coldly, "Tell him my name and let him pass it on to your Majesty."

"So, what is your name?"

"I am William of the Nassau family, Prince of Orange, consul of the Spanish king in the Netherlands, Zeeland and Utrecht provinces, and a member of the Knights of the Golden Fleece." The foreigner said in a haughty tone, "Please Give me my name and title."

There was a gasp of surprise from the surrounding crowd.

The head officer stared blankly at the Prince of Orange opposite, as if he was trying to determine whether the person opposite was a real prince or a lunatic.

"If your lord is willing to wait here...I'll call the chief attendant on duty." He bent towards the Prince of Orange.

"Please do your duty." Prince Orange nodded.

The head officer turned around and went up the stairs. Around the prince, the curious spectators gathered in a circle, a few steps away from the eminent foreigner.Everyone looked at the Dutchman curiously, as if he were some kind of exotic beast from Africa or the New World.

After a while, the head officer came down from upstairs with a senior official.

"My lord, are you asking to see His Majesty the King?" The official walked up to the prince, bowed his body, and asked politely.

"Exactly."

"You call yourself William van Orange, Earl of Nassau, His Royal Highness Prince of Orange?"

"You are right." Prince Orange nodded with a dignified gesture.

"Then, I will go and inform His Majesty of your arrival, but before that, please allow me to ask a question. Please understand that this is just a question, and there is no doubt or disrespect in it: you Can you prove your identity?"

Prince Orange pulled out an envelope from his arms, "There are two documents inside, one is a letter of authorization from the League of Netherland Nobles, which grants me the power to conduct diplomatic negotiations with your country on behalf of the Netherland nobility, you can On it I see the signatures and monograms of twelve of the most prominent nobles of the Netherlands; another document is the certificate of the Knight of the Golden Fleece awarded to me by the King of Spain, on which you will find the seal of the King of Spain."

The official took the two documents and unfolded them. Sure enough, he saw the signatures of the nobles of the Netherlands on one of them, and the Spanish Great Seal on the other.

"If you still don't believe it, you can take a look at Mr. Ambassador of Spain. He and I have met many times in Madrid...Please look at his appearance, that is the best evidence." Prince Orange continued Said.

Everyone turned around and looked at the Spanish ambassador standing in the corner of the hall like a zombie. From just now, he stood there stiffly as if he had lost his soul. He pulled out half of a few hairs, and beads of bitter sweat flowed down his bare scalp all the way to his forehead.

The official looked at the terrified Spanish ambassador, and at the Prince of Orange, who was standing calmly and gracefully leaning against the marble railing, and finally made up his mind.

"Then please come with me." He bowed to the prince, this time his bow was much wider than before.

The official walked in front to lead the way for the prince. Under the gaze of countless eyes, the two walked up the stairs and disappeared at the entrance of the corridor at the end of the stairs.