monarch

The next morning, in front of the entire French court and the envoys of Britain and the Netherlands, the doctors reported to Henry II that the Prince of Orange had no cure.

King Henry II was extremely disappointed. Before the Prince of Orange could die, he left everyone behind and rode back to Paris by himself, handing over all matters of negotiation to his ministers.

That afternoon, the Peace Conference of the Three Kingdoms was officially held at the Palace of Fontainebleau, and at the same time as the peace conference began, Prince Orange breathed out his last breath, and his body began to become cold.Just at this time, whether it was a coincidence or some kind of omen, a strong wind suddenly blew outside, and the irises in the flower beds that the gardeners had worked so hard to make according to the shape of the French royal coat of arms were blown to pieces. The flower branches were scattered on the gravel road in the garden, as if it had just suffered a catastrophe.

The sudden death of the Prince of Orange plunged the Dutch government into chaos, and the noble alliance lost their undoubted leader, just like a snake whose head was cut off, and the rest of the body could only twitch unconsciously.In Amsterdam and The Hague, everyone is busy vying for power, trying to grab more of the power void left by the Prince of Orange.The representatives of the Netherlands in Paris were also eager to return home to participate in this crucial competition. Under such circumstances, the peace conference could only be ended hastily.

On September [-], Britain, France and the Netherlands signed the "Treaty of Fontainebleau". The three countries recognized the independence of Belgium, and France recognized the privileges that Britain had acquired in Belgium. Five cities, which is greatly reduced compared to the six provinces that Henry II expected.The biggest losers are naturally the Dutch. The sweetness they have gained is just some minor modifications on the border, which can only be regarded as better than nothing.

Throughout the autumn, the situation in Europe changed like a revolving lantern.First of all, at the beginning of September, all parties in Spain finally tore away the veil of peace, and a civil war officially broke out. Affected by this, other Spanish territories in Europe, including Milan, Naples, etc., also declared independence or self-government one after another, while Portugal’s The regent, the Duke of Braganza, also officially announced at the end of September that he had separated from Spain from the Commonwealth.

On October [-], Vienna fell into the hands of the Turks. On the same day, the most critical fortress in the Mediterranean, the island of Malta, also surrendered to the Turkish expeditionary fleet. The entire Christian world fell into panic. The Pope lamented to the cardinals: "This is the end of the world!"

The Habsburg emperor had fled to Innsbruck before the fall of Vienna. Now that Austria has collapsed, Germany's eastern gate is wide open. The princes are leaderless and in chaos. The Turks are already preparing for the next attack. Bavaria is Bohemia, and Italy is inevitably threatened.

The rebellious princes are now finally starting to regret the quarrel with the emperor before. When Vienna was besieged, they sat and watched the emperor's collapse with the mentality of watching a joke. Now it's their turn to face the Xingyue Banner and the Emperor Turkish machete.

At the end of October news came from across the Atlantic that Sir Hawkins' expedition had taken possession of the rich West Indies.The remaining Spanish colonies have fallen into complete chaos. The local Spanish military and political chiefs can only send an invitation to Sir Hawkins, hoping that the British Expeditionary Force will help them restore order. Britons.Since Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean, the overseas empire built by the Spaniards in half a century has now been destroyed in half a year.

When autumn ended, a delegation from the German princes arrived in London, and they informed King Edward that the seven Electors had unanimously invited King Edward VI to become Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.Even the pope offered an olive branch, willing to crown the British king in Rome who he had previously denounced as a heretic and a devil, so that he could truly become the "emperor of the Romans".

Faced with the temptation of the crown, King Edward did not rush to agree.It was clear to all that this was nothing but a desperate attempt by the desperate German princes to secure British protection.Although Rome's crown status is extraordinary, competing with the Turks means spending huge manpower and financial resources like Spain, and the final result is nothing more than taking chestnuts from the fire for others.

After leaving London, the delegation of the German princes went to Paris, where they did not take much effort to persuade King Henry II.The former king of France, Francois I, tried to get himself elected as the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Now his son finally got his wish. How could the Dharma King, who had seen it for a while, listen to such words at this time.He has already decided that in the spring of the second year, he will set off for Rome to be crowned.

When the first snow falls in winter, the monument to the Battle of the Straits to celebrate the victory of the Anglo-Spanish War was also announced on the newly established Edward VI Square in London, and the ribbon-cutting time is set for December [-]st. Ministers including the king, nobles and dignitaries of society will be in attendance.

In the falling snow, the King's motorcade sped along the boulevards from Hampton Court Palace to the City of London.A thin layer of ice had formed on the road in the morning, and the solicitous Lord Mayor of London had sprinkled salt on the road before His Majesty arrived, and the bare branches were covered with a white layer of snow, bending them downwards, and It seemed to be bowing to His Majesty's carriage.

King Edward rested his head on the cushions of his seat, taking care not to bend the feathers on his hat.He took off the gloves, held them between his fingers, and patted his knee lightly.

"I saw the tower of Westminster Abbey." The king pointed to the outline of the building at the junction of the leaden sky and the earth in the distance, "It really is as they say, as fast as going to London in good weather. "

"That's natural. The road from Hampton Court Palace to London is probably the best-maintained road in the country." Robert smiled and looked at the street trees on both sides of the road, "Even these trees are selected from the forest and are of good quality. transplanted from trees."

"One day, I will make such a road connect every village and town in Britain and Ireland. Roads and canals are the blood vessels of the country. If the blood vessels are unobstructed, then the body will be strong."

"There will be such a day." Robert said, "The grand blueprints you told me before have all been realized now. The British Isles are the masters of the sea, and our country has become the torch of civilization that illuminates Europe. I believe, Whatever you have in mind, you will bring it to life."

"And no matter what you plan to do, I will be by your side."

"I didn't accomplish this alone." The king put on his gloves again, "The Privy Council is drafting a decree of rewards, Cecil has already received the title of Marquess of Salisbury, and he will be awarded the Garter again Walsingham will be the Earl of Derby, and his spies will have their own knighthoods and medals... I even sent a medal to the retired Bishop Gardiner, who is said to be grateful for it. Very excited."

"He is so knowledgeable and interesting, he should also get a medal." Seeing that the carriage was about to arrive at the city gate, Robert straightened his cuffs.

"Won't you ask me what reward I have prepared for you?" asked the king.

"Your Majesty knows that I'm not doing it for those things." Robert shook his head, "Besides, I've already got the reward I wanted...and more than once."

The king glared at him, and then laughed too.

"I want to give you the title of Duke of Buckingham. It has been almost 40 years since my father abolished this title, and it is time to restore it."

Robert nodded calmly.

"I think if your father is still alive, then he will be happy for you." The king took Robert's hand.

"He has always wanted me to be an excellent minister, and now he has his wish." Robert laughed at himself, "but maybe not in the way he wanted."

"Yeah, fate is always so elusive. When we first met, who knew the following adventures?" The king was a little dazed, "We have experienced many things together. Countless people Come and go, in the end, only we are still by each other's side."

He suddenly hugged Robert's neck, pulled himself forward, and kissed him on the lips.

"Your Majesty rarely takes the initiative like this." Robert said in surprise after the kiss was over.

"Sometimes I should remind you that I am the king, and the king is born to take the lead." Edward's deep voice echoed in the carriage, "whether it is in political affairs or other matters."

Robert was stunned for a moment, then laughed loudly, "That depends on whether you have the ability!"

The carriage passed through the city gate and drove into the streets of London.

Although the weather was cold, enthusiastic citizens were still crowded on both sides of the road where the king's carriage passed. They cheered towards the carriage, and the white air from their mouths seemed to merge into a white curtain.Countless flower petals were sprinkled on the balconies of the buildings on both sides. In order to meet the needs of the citizens, the flower shops in the city of London almost wiped out all the flower reserves in the greenhouses across the country.

The capital of Britain warmly welcomed the greatest monarch in her history. In the history of the British Isles, only King Alfred, who unified England, was called "The Great", and now, he pushed this kingdom to the top of Europe The famous King Edward VI seems to be worthy of this title as well.All the newspapers of the country, no matter what their position, were, at least for a few days, full of praise for the King.

11 years ago, King Edward VI took over from his predecessor a country that was torn apart by religious and political conflicts, and his side was full of powerful ministers and relatives who had their own ghosts and ambitions.France and Spain are competing for hegemony in Europe, and Britain can only retreat to the edge of Europe where she is located. Eleven years later, he became the most powerful king in all of Europe. The sun of the British Empire slowly rose on the lands of Europe, Africa and America, and this rising sun will shine on a wider territory in the future.

Religious conflicts are eliminated, political differences are a thing of the past, and the country is stable and prosperous.Her merchants sailed to the sea to trade in various countries around the world; her workers produced products that were famous in Europe, and British craftsmanship was respected by the market; The influence of religion will not be restrained by ignorance.The ignorance of the Middle Ages has been left behind, the curtain of a new age has been drawn, and Britain is leading the way, marching confidently towards the new age.

The carriage crosses King Henry VIII Bridge, which is the sixth bridge across the Thames in the city of London built under King Edward. A statue of Henry VIII on horseback stands majestically at the head of the bridge. When the king's carriage passes , the sun poked its head out from the dark clouds, wrapping the statue of the late king in a ball of golden light.

The square where the monument is located is in the central city between Whitehall and Westminster Abbey.Amidst the sound of horns and cheers, the carriages drove into the square, and the Janissaries raised their swords to salute the king.

The king got out of his carriage and looked up at the huge bronze statue on a marble pedestal.The goddess Britannia is perched on her throne, holding the Trident of Poseidon, and the golden crown on her head is still bright under such a gloomy sky.

This magnificent monument is still designed by Michelangelo.Although this great artist was the Pope's royal architect, he had always had a good impression of the civilized and open British Kingdom, but he had always been quite critical of Spain, which suppressed thought and hindered culture.After hesitating for a while, he agreed to the King of Britain's request to design a monument, and the Pope of Rome, unwilling to offend the King of Britain, let the artist take over the order smoothly.

The design of the monument was announced in September, and it took only about two months from then to its final completion.Aristocrats, businessmen and celebrities across the country, as well as ordinary people, all actively participated in the fundraising. After the completion of the monument, there was still a huge sum of 120 million pounds left.

Using these remaining funds, King Edward established the "Monument Fund", which will use the money as start-up funds to provide assistance to soldiers and their families who were disabled or killed in this war.The widows of the army and navy soldiers who died can receive life-long pensions provided by the foundation, and their children can also receive education and living allowances; for those disabled soldiers who lose their ability to survive, the foundation will also provide relief, and they also have labor The Foundation will also provide necessary assistance to disabled persons with disabilities in the process of their reintegration into society.

Taking the establishment of the "Monument Foundation" as an opportunity, King Edward also began to brew a grand social welfare reform.As the first part of the reforms, Hampton Court Palace has begun plans to transform the workhouse, maintained by churches and private donations, into a professional social welfare institution.

In terms of labor policy, during the enclosure movement, in order to drive landless peasants into urban handicraft factories, Parliament enacted a series of notorious bills. If you can't find a job in the country, you will be arrested and imprisoned, and even need to serve hard labor.Although these laws have long been abolished, labor rights are still not optimistic. The king also intends to improve the living environment of laborers by establishing basic minimum wages and maximum working hours.The factory owners are generally dissatisfied with this, but now that the king has won the war, it is difficult for them to compete. It is expected that His Majesty's reforms will continue to advance in an orderly manner.

Robert watched the king agree with the leaders who came to greet him. These people all had flattering smiles on their faces. Many of them had thought of something they shouldn't have before, but now , the king has completely conquered them.

He looked at the cheering crowd again. More than ten years ago, those people had lived in poverty and had no fixed place, and their eyes were only tired and numb; ten years later, there was hope in their eyes again, maybe Life is still difficult, but at least they will not go hungry, and the children can receive free education from His Majesty, at least they will not become illiterate like their parents who cannot read and write, and they will have the money to make a few new clothes for themselves every year.

Robert remembered that the king once told him that compared to the victory of the war and the expansion of the land, making the life of everyone in the kingdom better than before, this is his more worthy achievement.He proudly looked at the crowd around him, the cheers said it all, this is the best compliment to those in power.

He saw a pair of golden scissors being handed to the king, and Edward cut it lightly, cutting the red ribbon in two.

The king raised his head with a smile, and the eyes of the two met in the air. Edward's blue eyes were as clear as spring water, no different from the first time he saw the pair of eyes.

Fine snowflakes fell on Robert's shoulders, and he wiped them gently with his hands. A few remaining snowflakes stuck to his gloves, gradually became transparent, and finally turned into a puddle of water.

His thoughts drifted like snowflakes in the wind.

He thought that 100 years later, 200 years later, all the people in this square will be turned into dust between heaven and earth, disappearing without a trace, and this monument will still be in the center of the city, to everyone People show this great era.Humanity finally had the key to civilization. He inserted the key into the keyhole and was about to turn the handle of the door. If the history books of later generations want to evaluate the era of King Edward VI, it must be summed up in this way.

On the huge stage of Europa, countless actors come and go, and I will appear on the stage after you sing. Everything is endless, ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, all are just bridges on the stage.The long river of history never stops, who can predict where it will flow?

The old actors are gone, and the new show has just begun.

(End of the article)

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I still remember writing the first word of this article in May 2019, three days before my graduate graduation ceremony; and the last word I typed this article is in 5 In the early morning of January 2022rd.

After two and a half years, writing this article seems to have become a part of my life.At first I started writing just out of curiosity, but it was like planting a seed in the ground unintentionally. After it took root and sprouted, it would be a pity to abandon it. I insisted on writing it down.Now, although I dare not say that it has grown into a towering tree, it can be regarded as blossoming and bearing fruit.

I am very grateful to everyone who is willing to take the time to read this work. I don’t think I would have the motivation to finish writing it without your support. The next book will be updated this Friday, and I hope you will like it too. Brand new story.