Chapter 1468: The Sun King's Wrath

"No! Not the Goans — the Chinese!" the Sun King roared. "Damn it, the Chinese rescued — no, kidnapped — the King of Portugal! Zhu Cilang truly is an evil dragon, to have stretched his claws all the way to Europe!"

Louis XIV was no fool; he immediately guessed that King Afonso of Portugal's escape from the Azores was Zhu Cilang's doing.

Maria Francisca had not yet worked it out, and asked somewhat blankly, "Your Majesty, do you think the Emperor of China would send troops to help Afonso regain his throne? But China is so far from Europe..."

"Of course not!" Louis XIV glared at his niece — never in his life had he so loathed a beautiful, alluring slut. You may be a slut, but you cannot harm your own husband for the sake of your sluttishness — that is immoral!

"You stupid woman!" Louis roared. "The Emperor of China is after Goa! His target is India — India, India, India!"

Louis XIV shouted "India" three times in a row, which shows how heavily India weighed on his mind! If the population of the United Provinces of the New World was Don Juan José's sore spot, the Batavian Republic de Witt's sore spot, and Central Asia Alexei I's sore spot, then Zhu Cilang's "friendly relations" with India were without doubt the Sun King Louis XIV's sore spot.

What sort of man was Louis XIV? He was the number-one spendthrift king in all Europe. The Palace of Versailles alone had burned through who knew how many gold louis! Add to that the finest army in Europe, and the French navy that was growing ever larger — with those three gold-devouring beasts all running at once, France's finances had long been stretched to the breaking point.

Moreover, the industry and commerce of France under Louis XIV's rule was never quite satisfactory — it could not compete with the neighboring Dutch, nor outplay England across the Channel. At best it stood shoulder to shoulder with the Rhineland of Germany, with Sweden in the north, and with Milan and Venice in Italy.

As for the vast American colonies, they were even less to be counted on — ten or twenty thousand people in all; how much money could they bring in?

So joining hands with the Netherlands and the Shun to seize wealth in India had become the Sun King's only hope of getting rich.

One must understand that seventeenth-century India was a land flowing with fat and oil! The annual tax revenue of Aurangzeb's Timurid Empire of India alone was now equivalent to one hundred million taels of silver — more than all of Europe combined.

And the Timurid Empire of India had not even unified India, yet was already that rich — how could Louis XIV not covet it? Sending troops to India to grab a haul would bring money far faster than developing industry and commerce.

The truth that "building is not as good as buying, and buying is not as good as seizing" was one Louis XIV understood as well.

And if Louis XIV wanted to conquer India, he absolutely needed the support of the Catholics of Goa — because Goa could provide the French army with plenty of cannon fodder!

Louis XIV could send a small number of elite officers, artillerymen, and cavalry to India, but he could not send tens of thousands of cannon fodder.

To conquer India, or to plunder it on a grand scale, would be very difficult without Goa's mercenaries.

Therefore, Zhu Cilang's use of King Afonso of Portugal to contend for Goa had already crossed Louis XIV's red line.

"Maria Francisca!" Louis XIV's face was livid as he looked at the slut he detested. "Come with me — we return to Versailles together!"

"Return to Versailles together?" Maria Francisca blushed, looking at the "handsomest man in France," who was even slightly shorter than herself.

Louis XIV knew the woman had misunderstood his meaning, and said coldly, "We are going together to see de Witt and the envoys of the Tsardom of Russia and the Kingdom of New Spain. The Kingdom of Portugal must fight alongside us now!"

"Fight? Fight whom?" Maria Francisca asked.

"The Chinese!" Louis XIV glared at her. "They are supporting Afonso's restoration — if he is restored, you will go to the gallows!"

"Oh, God!" Maria Francisca now found it rather frightening as well. "Very well, I will go with you to Versailles!"

By the time Louis XIV and Maria Francisca, sharing a single carriage, returned to Versailles, it was already December 24, 1672 — Christmas Eve.

The ministers of state of the Kingdom of France and the nobles favored by the Sun King had all gathered at Versailles, preparing to spend the holy night with the Sun King.

So when the livid-faced Louis XIV and Maria Francisca, somewhat haggard from traveling through the night, climbed out of the carriage one after the other, a great crowd of ministers, nobles, envoys, Louis XIV's mistresses, and of course the Queen of France were all waiting in the Marble Court of Versailles to greet them!

Some among them even recognized Maria Francisca. When had the Regent Princess of Portugal come to France? Why was she with Louis XIV? Why did Louis XIV look so angry? Why was the Regent Princess of Portugal so haggard?

Seeing so many people, the Sun King also felt that appearing together with Maria Francisca was somewhat improper — it damaged the Sun King's glorious image!

So he had to explain!

"Everyone!" King Louis said in a deep voice, his eyes blazing as he looked over the crowd, then pointed at Maria Francisca. "This is the Regent Princess of Portugal. She has brought me terrible news! King Afonso of Portugal has been kidnapped by the Chinese, taken from his holiday resort in the Azores, and his present whereabouts are unknown!"

What?

How could such a thing happen?

The King of Portugal was on holiday in the Azores?

Was he not overthrown by his wife and brother because of his poor performance in bed? How was he rescued by the Chinese?

What are these meddling Chinese trying to do?

The ministers of France were all shocked! They stood with mouths agape, staring blankly at Louis XIV and Maria Francisca.

Louis XIV declared loudly, "France cannot tolerate such a wicked act as the kidnapping of another nation's king, still less the Emperor of China meddling in European affairs! If they do not immediately return King Afonso, France, as Portugal's ally and King Afonso's friend, will take all necessary measures — including the use of force!"

Having said this, Louis XIV noticed that the Grand Pensionary of Holland, de Witt, was also among the crowd welcoming him, wearing a dumbfounded, foolish expression.

"Monsieur Grand Pensionary, Monsieur de Velasco, Prince Naryshkin, Your Highness the Prince of Condé, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, the Secretary of State for the Navy..." Louis XIV said in a deep voice, "Please all come with me to the Bull's Eye Salon!"

At this time the construction of Versailles was far from complete; only a few buildings had been put into use — the Marble Court, the King's Apartments, the Queen's Apartments, the Bull's Eye Salon, and a few others.

The Bull's Eye Salon was situated beside the King's Apartments, and was where Louis XIV received courtiers and foreign envoys.

The six people who had been named, together with Maria Francisca, all followed Louis XIV into the Bull's Eye Salon.

In the Bull's Eye Salon, the Sun King of France addressed de Witt, the Prince of Condé, Prince Naryshkin, de Velasco, the French Foreign Minister Hugo Léonard, the French Naval Minister Colbert, and the Regent Princess of Portugal Maria Francisca, saying, "Everyone, it seems war between us and the Chinese is unavoidable, although I would very much like to continue living in peace with them. But they have infringed upon our interests in Central Asia, in the Americas, in the East Indies, in the Indian Ocean... even in the Azores! If we continue to turn a blind eye to the Chinese policy of expansion, then our descendants will become their slaves! Therefore I, the King of France, have resolved to take up the duty God has given me, to lead Europe, to lead Christendom, and to strike back against the aggressive ambitions of the Great Ming Empire!

Now, I hope that the Republic of the United Netherlands, the Tsardom of Russia, the Kingdom of New Spain, and the Kingdom of Portugal will stand together with the Kingdom of France!

God will bless us until we achieve victory!"

(End of Chapter)