Chapter 748: Condé, Go Help China!

"Mister Envoy, did you just say that the Hongxing Emperor was also driven out of his capital by China's Frondeurs?"

On the afternoon of December 3, the lively ceremony welcoming the Chinese embassy had already concluded. France's Queen Dowager Anna, the little King Louis, the Queen Dowager's most favored First Minister Mazarin, and the First Prince of France — the short, skinny, and shabby "Great Condé" — were all together in a sun-filled hall in the Palace of Saint-Germain, drinking coffee while waiting for dinner — a French state banquet, and what's more, one where chopsticks could be used.

"That's right!" Ji Kun glanced out of the corner of his eye at the short, shabby Prince de Condé, thinking to himself: this leader of France's stone-throwing party looks far inferior to Li Zicheng — no wonder he got himself arrested by the King of France. He wondered how their number-two rebel, the Vicomte de Turenne, compared to Zhang Xianzhong. Probably not as good a fighter as Zhang Xianzhong either, right?

Thinking this, Ji Kun said to little Louis: "Your Majesty, our country's roving bandits are far more formidable than your country's stone-throwing party. They number as many as a million! And their leaders Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong are both utterly ruthless old bandits, hardened by long years of campaigning!"

Ji Kun's interpreter was still Coit, and he translated Ji Kun's words into French exactly as they were spoken.

The little King of France, Louis, showed a sympathetic expression and said: "The leader of our country's Frondeurs, the Vicomte de Turenne, is the nephew of Prince Maurice of the Netherlands. He joined the Dutch army at the age of twelve and learned warfare under Prince Maurice. He has now been fighting for twenty-eight years. I never expected China's Frondeur leaders to be even better fighters than he is!"

Having fought in the Eighty Years' War and the Thirty Years' War, now joining the Fronde movement, and later still to fight in the Franco-Spanish War, the Franco-Dutch War, and the Winter War (against the Holy Roman Empire), fighting until he died in battle — the great Marshal of France, Turenne, was only on the same level as Zhang Xianzhong.

Ji Kun had no idea what kind of formidable figures Condé and Turenne were. In any case, he felt that Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong were both very formidable! As for Dorgon and Dodo, they were even more ferocious — he reckoned that even if that Gustavus II Adolphus and Prince Maurice came at them together, they still wouldn't be a match!

"Your Majesty," Ji Kun felt he needed to encourage this little King of France, "though the roving bandits are strong, in the end they are no match for the court's official armies. Now the great bandit leaders of our country, Li Zicheng and Zhang Xianzhong, have both been shot dead, and the remnants of the roving bandits have retreated to a mountainous province, where they can only linger on feebly.

And the eastern barbarians, who took advantage of the roving bandits' rebellion to invade the Central Plains, are still causing harm, but they too have been defeated several times by our Emperor, and their complete expulsion from the Central Plains is only a matter of time.

I believe your country's official armies will likewise achieve victory before long, and completely defeat the stone-throwing party and the Spaniards."

If only that were so! little King Louis thought to himself: the Emperor of China has Chinese official armies that support him, while I, the King of France, must rely on German mercenaries for help. And France's most formidable general is in league with the Spaniards against me, his own king!

"Your Highness," little King Louis suddenly fixed his eyes on the short, shabby, skinny Prince de Condé (the Prince de Condé was the First Prince of France, and even the king had to address him as "Your Highness"), "would you be willing to go to the East, and on my behalf help my friend His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ming defeat the ferocious eastern barbarians?"

What? Prince de Condé was stunned by the little king's proposal. Go to China? That's exile! I am the First Prince of France, my father is the heir presumptive to the French throne. And I have rendered great service to France! You people actually want to send me to China — this is simply too much!

Ji Kun, watching Prince de Condé's expression, knew this short, shabby, skinny fellow didn't have much ability, and probably couldn't beat Dorgon and Dodo. But the little king most likely wanted to use this opportunity to send this prince surnamed Kong out of the country — it was said this prince was also the chief backer of France's stone-throwing party! These Frenchmen don't handle things cleanly either; wouldn't it be simpler just to kill off such a menace?

Right, it's inconvenient to kill him, isn't it? So they play the game of killing with a borrowed knife — using the knives of Dorgon and Dodo to kill this Prince Kong. That's a good plan!

Having figured out the intentions of the King of France and the Queen Dowager, Ji Kun smiled at little Louis and said: "The great fame of Prince de Condé has long since reached China. With the aid of Your Highness, our dynasty will surely soon recover the Divine Capital. If the eastern barbarian chieftains Dorgon and Dodo hear that Your Highness is coming to China to aid the Celestial Court, they will surely be terrified at the very news!"

These words of his were, of course, all meant to flatter Condé to his doom. With his appearance, not only would Dorgon and Dodo not be afraid — even Oboi wouldn't be afraid of him.

Against someone like Prince de Condé, Oboi could absolutely take on ten at once!

The Queen Dowager Anna also said with a smile: "Your Highness, for the interests of France, both I and the King wish to ask you to make a journey to China. For if France is to become rich and powerful, it cannot do without trade with the Eastern Empire. And in order to secure the Sino-French trade that will bring France wealth and power, Louis must become an ally of the Emperor of China!"

Prince de Condé did not dare refuse to go. Right now he was held in the grip of Queen Dowager Anna and First Minister Mazarin. If he did not go to China, he might well die an unexplained early death.

But he could not simply capitulate like that, because what the Fronde movement opposed was not the King, but Cardinal Mazarin.

As long as Mazarin could be removed from the position of First Minister, the Frondeurs' goal would be achieved, and Prince de Condé would have accumulated sufficient political capital.

"Your Eminence," Prince de Condé said to Mazarin, "I hope to travel to China together with you. After all, I am only a soldier who knows nothing of politics or economics, and I do not know how to promote trade between China and France."

Mazarin laughed: "Very well, let us go together! We shall set out after Christmas, shall we?"

At this, Prince de Condé had no way to refuse. He could only nod lightly and say: "To be able to go to the East together with Your Eminence for the interests of France, I feel deeply honored!"

Prince de Condé's words were not spoken lightly. His leaving France together with Mazarin meant that the second phase of the Fronde movement had come to an end.

If Mazarin really did accompany Prince de Condé all the way to China, then there would be no third phase of the Fronde movement.

But the royal authority of France would also suffer a tremendous blow as a result — because the reason Mazarin was targeted by a great crowd of French nobles and the citizens of Paris was precisely that, as Richelieu's successor, he was continuing to carry out the former's policy of strengthening French royal power and centralization!

If he were not removed from the throne of First Minister, then before Louis XIV came of age and took personal rule, Mazarin would complete his mission, and basically finish all the work of offending the nobility.

"What? Prince de Condé is going to China together with Mazarin? How is that possible? Brother Chigi, what do you make of this?"

Rome, the Vatican Palace.

The Pope learned the news that Prince de Condé and Cardinal Mazarin were going to China together from Cardinal Chigi, the head of the Holy See's diplomatic affairs.

His first reaction was utter disbelief!

"Brother Mazarin will not leave!" Chigi knew Mazarin well, and knew how cunning this First Minister of France was. "Prince de Condé has been tricked — he'll have to go to China alone!"

"You mean Mazarin will—"

Chigi shrugged. "He will secretly slip off the sailing ship bound for China. By the time Prince de Condé discovers it, they may already have reached Egypt."

"We should notify Spain of this news at once!" the Pope said. "We must do it before they leave France."

"Holy Father," Chigi did not move, "I think Mazarin will not give us the chance to stop Prince de Condé from leaving."

"Damnation!" Pope Innocent X snorted. "Damned Chinese. Brother Chigi, has the envoy of the Great Mongol Empire arrived in Spain?"

"Very soon — he should arrive by January next year."

The Pope nodded: "You make a trip to Madrid. Tell Philip IV that an alliance with the Mongols is conducive to spreading the Gospel of the Lord to the East!"

(End of Chapter)