Chapter 10, the Annoying Prince Kondo

However, whether it was the soldiers recruited by the High Court, the Knights of the Door, the Collins Regiment, or the citizens of Paris, they had no desire to engage in battle with Prince Condé and the real army. Every day, they walked from the city center of Paris to the outskirts and then turned back, their clothes stained only with dust and not a trace of blood. As Prince Condé's eight hundred soldiers gradually approached Paris, in the last day or two, even this ceremonial expedition ceased.

After several weeks of delay, Prince Kong had no choice but to lead the eight hundred soldiers into battle

Just as any skilled craftsman must always start as an apprentice, people at that time believed that a trustworthy general should also emerge from one battle after another. Louis was still very young, but he was aware of the dire situation. When Duke of Angers came to bid him farewell, the private chaplain of the Queen Mother, Portier, even performed a blessing ceremony for him. Although this was said, everyone at the time knew that it was done out of fear that he might perish on the battlefield and there would be no time for the last rites.

The reality, however, was contrary to people's imagination. Duke of Anguillara was aware of the disdain held by the Spaniards towards him, and he took advantage of this disdain. At that time, the Spanish general Melchor intended to lure the French army into a trap. Rocroi was surrounded by forests or swamps, with only a narrow path leading in; once entered, it would be difficult to escape. For this reason, he even withdrew his soldiers and did not launch an attack when the Duke of Anguillara led his troops into Rocroi. Rocroi was surrounded by forests or swamps, with only a narrow path leading in; once entered, it would be difficult to escape. For this reason, he even withdrew his soldiers and did not launch an attack when the Duke of Anguillara led his troops into Rocroi

On the second day, both sides initially engaged in artillery bombardment, resulting in significant losses for the Spanish infantry. Later that night, Duke Anguillara launched a night raid on the front line of the Spanish left flank, subsequently defeating the second line of troops. As a result, the Spanish cavalry fell entirely into the hands of the French army. Unfortunately, the Spanish infantry, which they took great pride in, suffered no losses, nor did the eighteen cannons stationed within the infantry camp. Neither the French infantry nor cavalry could do anything against them. After a whole day of mutual attrition, the Spanish proposed negotiations. If successful, the Spanish could at least surrender with honor (without disarming and retreating). However, Duke Anguillara was not willing to easily let go of a victory within reach. He feigned interest with insincere words to the Spanish envoy while dispatching the main force of cavalry to slowly maneuver around to the rear of the Spanish forces, waiting for the arrival of reinforcements (nearly 4,000 infantry). Once everything was in place, he rode to the negotiation site, only to be met with gunfire from the Spanish infantry.

As previously mentioned, during the time when Prince Kong was still the twenty-one-year-old Duke of Angers, the most intense battles between Spain and France took place at Rocroi. The Spanish army, consisting of twenty-six thousand soldiers, was led by a seasoned general named Don Francisco de Melchor, who advanced deep into French territory, reaching the outskirts of Paris. At that time, Louis XIII had just met his maker, and Cardinal Richelieu had departed from this tumultuous world a year earlier. The only ones left in Paris were the still insecure Mazarin, Queen Anne of Austria, and the young King Louis XIV, along with his even younger brother Philippe. The Spaniards even believed they could breach Paris and capture the French king; this notion was not considered fanciful—at that time, the military strength in Paris was evidently at a disadvantage. Among them were the royal guards controlled by the Duke of Orléans, Gaston, the red-clad guards of Cardinal Richelieu, and the royal musketeers. The first two were deemed unreliable, while the latter could not leave the palace. The only commander was the young Duke of Angers, who had no combat experience whatsoever.

How much he is revered on the battlefield, he is equally detested in the court

In response to Cardinal Mazarin and Queen Anne's repeated concessions, they allowed Prince Condé to sit beside the King and had the Chancellor replace the servants to assist Prince Condé with his attire. Furthermore, they complied with every request made by Prince Condé. As mentioned in the previous chapter, in order to replenish the military supplies, the Queen removed the diamonds from her crown and dismissed many servants. Princess Henrietta of England fell ill with a fever, and there were not enough competent doctors available to treat her. Louis had no choice but to order the servants to use cloths soaked in river water to cool her down. Additionally, they complied with every request made by Prince Condé, as previously stated, to replenish military supplies, the Queen removed the diamonds from her crown and dismissed many servants. Princess Henrietta of England fell ill with a fever, and there were not enough competent doctors available to treat her. Louis had no choice but to order the servants to use cloths soaked in river water to cool her down

Certainly, how Duke Angjian was able to keenly perceive that someone was shooting at him and how he managed to evade that shot unscathed remains a mystery to all. Although there were continuous criticisms in the court regarding his behavior as lacking in decorum and etiquette, for France, which was increasingly vulnerable militarily, such a person with combat talent was simply more endearing than an angel

The saying that the desperate will surely win is not only applicable to the East. The soldiers of Duke Angélin were suddenly engulfed in fury, charging like a tidal wave towards the despicable enemy. Simultaneously, Duke Angélin's cavalry launched an attack on the Spaniards from the rear, and the French artillery roared with a thunderous sound that echoed through the heavens and the earth. The Spaniards, caught off guard, were met with such a swift and ferocious assault that they were left disoriented. Moreover, the traps set by the Spanish general Melchor for the enemy dealt them a heavy blow—dense forests and swamps slowed their escape. In the end, the Spanish officers had no choice but to fall at General Angélin's feet, begging for mercy, in order to escape from the fierce French soldiers.

Prince Kong has calmly taken over Paris

In this battle, the Spaniards suffered 8,000 deaths, 6,000 were captured, and lost 24 cannons, with their commander Melio killed; the French had 2,000 deaths, nearly 6,000 wounded, and lifted the siege of Paris, marking a glorious victory

To explain why Queen Anne and Cardinal Mazarin are so wary of Prince Condé, Louis has a certain understanding. Although he has not yet officially participated in state affairs, he is still able to gather sufficient information from some gossipy attendants and maids—at least for him at this moment, it is enough

Later, Duke Angélin achieved significant victories for France against the Germans, capturing the cities of Philipsburg and Mainz. After the Duke of Orléans, Gaston, withdrew from Flanders, he also conquered Dunkirk. This greatly exhilarated the French people, who continuously sang legends about him—from his ability to sleep soundly on the battlefield, needing others to wake him to demonstrate his calm composure, to how he threw his marshal's baton into the enemy's trench and then drew his sword to command the troops in their assault, retrieving the baton to showcase his boldness and bravery. In no time, his name shone brightly, unmatched by anyone, with no general able to surpass him, while the bishop and the king seemed to have been forgotten.

Moreover, the citizens of Paris, brandishing crude firearms, long knives, clubs, and pitchforks that they had brought from their homes, adorned with sashes issued by the High Court and feathers in their hats, joyfully joined the army opposing the king, which is why Prince Condé believed he was to face one hundred thousand enemies

It is somewhat laughable that the High Court, which instigated the riot while consistently priding itself on being clean and respectable, impartial in its dealings, and solely devoted to the interests of the state, did not hesitate to extort from the twenty judges appointed by Cardinal Richelieu a "forgiveness fee" of 150,000 livres each when faced with the royal army. They also confiscated royal property equivalent to 1,200,000 livres (with one livre equal to one pound of silver), recruited an army of 12,000 men, and ordered every wealthy household with a gate wide enough for a carriage to provide one man and one horse (this army was known as the Carriage Gate Cavalry). Additionally, there were the private soldiers of Archbishop Collins, numbering about 800, who were also referred to as Collins' regiment and were requisitioned by the High Court.

The werewolf pelt that Prince Kongdai presented to the king was placed beneath the king's seat, visible to everyone who came to an audience with him—although the vast majority were unaware that it was not merely a wolf pelt

Prince Kongdai is well aware of this, but he is ultimately still a young man, a young man who has yet to experience setbacks. He brought the skin of a Serbian werewolf, and it is difficult to say whether he genuinely intends to curry favor with the king or if he is harboring a mischievous mindset. However, he has been evading responsibility, unwilling to confront the mob for the sake of the queen mother and the king, which has become an evident fact.

A hundred years have passed, and France has not witnessed such a victory. François I was more adept at negotiation than at warfare, while Henry IV was overly lenient— the Edict of Nantes was issued by him. During the reign of Louis XIII, the so-called victories achieved by the French were so insignificant that even the most sensationalist tabloids were too lazy to report on them— it was not that they intended to neglect these events, but rather because the failures that followed these victories were overwhelming.