Palace of Versailles, France.

The atmosphere of luxury in the past has faded a lot. Recently, Louis XIV has not organized a large-scale banquet, and even issued a self-criticism a month ago to be responsible for the successive failures in the two battlefields in the Rhineland and the Italian region last autumn and spring.

It is a fact that the Grand Alliance is getting stronger and stronger. On the Rhineland battlefield, the Prussian Legion showed a technical and tactical level that exceeded all participating parties. On the Italian battlefield, Eugen, who came from blood, grew up in France, but played a series of consecutive victories for the Habsburg dynasty. The only thing that is gratifying is that in the war against the Netherlands, Marshal Vaubon's fortifications played an important role in the fortifications that had been run by Marshal Vaubon for many years, defeated several attacks by the British and Dutch army, and maintained the war on land outside France, but the situation was no longer optimistic.

When Louis XIV walked into the living room, Dan Tai Yunfeng, who had been waiting for a long time, was bored and fiddling with a globe. Louis XIV did not have the arrogant and domineering attitude of seeing Dan Tai Yunfeng for the first time. He knew that today's talks were related to the fate of France, so he had to put aside his contempt. He also calculated how to make the messenger feel happy.

"Young man, do you like this globe very much?" Louis XIV sat down and asked.

Dan Tai Yunfeng ceremonies with reproachable etiquette. Louis XIV had to admit that compared to other people in the empire, the young man in front of him was more like an orthodox aristocrat, but he did not know that Dan Tai Yunfeng's title was obtained through marriage with the royal family and his own achievements. He did not have a great family, but he was still proud of his loyalty to the empire for two consecutive generations.

"No, I just like the feeling of fiddling with this thing." Dan Tai Yunfeng said with a smile.

"Does this feel special?" asked Louis XIV.

Dan Tai Yunfeng said: "I just want to seek a state, which is the state that His Highness Yu of the Empire and my father-in-law reached."

"What realm?" Louis XIV closed his smile.

Dan Tai Yunfeng said calmly: "I can only control the globe, but he can control the earth. Although he cannot change the direction of the earth, it determines the life and death of many countries, kings and people on the earth. This is control. Maybe I have no chance to really peek at this feeling in my life."

Louis XIV squinted his eyes and smiled. Those who knew him knew that the king was really angry. Because the king noticed early on that there was a hand and an invisible hand that manipulated the war in Europe. France and the enemy stood on the side of the scale. With that hand put a weight on France, France could gain an overwhelming advantage, and by putting some weights on the side of the enemy, the opponent could win.

This hand has a lot of weights, advanced weapons, massive amounts of funds, intelligence, or just a few words, any one can change the balance. All participating countries were played with applause, but there was no resentment, or in other words, they did not dare to feel resentment. And amid the ups and downs of the balance, the lives of countless white European peoples were disappearing. The middle between the balance was not a fulcrum, but a flesh and blood furnace, a flesh and blood furnace that communicated with hell.

Louis XIV hated this feeling of being fooled, but he was as powerful as France and had to endure it.

"I received a letter from His Highness Yu, saying that you have all the authority." Louis XIV didn't want to talk nonsense with Dan Tai Yunfeng. No matter how tough he is now, he can't get rid of the fact that he is strong outside and does the other.

Dan Tai Yunfeng nodded gently: "I can only say that when I come here, it is equivalent to the palace descending here."

"Then why didn't he come in person, or did he go to London, Amsterdam, Vienna?" asked Louis XIV.

"No, Your Highness is in Lisbon. He doesn't come because Your Highness never puts himself in a dangerous situation." Dan Tai Yunfeng expressed it in vague language as much as possible. In fact, he knows his father-in-law very well and cherishes his life!

Louis XIV snorted coldly and stopped worrying about this matter. He said, "Okay, let's talk about our naval cooperation first. Why do you want Turville to send naval soldiers to Xijin for training, I ask to send the ship to Toulon in the Mediterranean for training."

Dan Tai Yunfeng said calmly: "Your Majesty the King, that is an iron armored ship. The most important thing about an iron armored ship is not to hang armor on the ship, but the steam engine on the iron armored ship. Not to mention the machinery made by humans, even horses and donkeys can not work after eating. They will get sick, and the steam engine will also be. If the livestock gets sick, they can be treated, or simply change them, but the steam engine cannot be done. Only professionals and equipment can repair it properly."

"Then it should also be built in Port Toulon." Louis XIV raised his voice.

Dan Tai Yunfeng shook his head: "This is not mentioned in the contract between us. It takes a long time to build a repair shop that can repair steam power, which is more difficult than building a ship. And it requires professional mechanical workers, Your Majesty, I think you should not be able to understand the concept of 'technical workers'. They are not guys who knock with hammers."

"This is just a reason, right?" Louis XIV was silent for a long time, suppressing the anger in his heart, and asked. Dan Tai Yunfeng responded with a smile, without saying anything. Louis XIV could only say: "We have received the news that your messenger has appeared in our enemy's capital. You are contacting all parties and planning a truce. Before the end of the war, France will not get the ships we ordered, right?"

"We have never said that." Dan Tai Yunfeng played Tai Chi. Although he did not admit it, he had no intention of denying it.

Louis XIV smiled coldly: "Are you provoking my majesty?"

"No, just let Your Majesty calm down." Dan Tai Yunfeng responded: "Everyone has pride, but pride should match his own strength. Too much pride is annoying arrogance."

Louis XIV responded: "I think I am calm now, and I like your statement that my France can accept the truce, but must get results that match the status of France. Do the terms you negotiate with my enemies match the strength of France?"

"Whether it is up to you to decide whether it matches."

Louis XIV asked: "So is there any result?"

Dan Tai Yunfeng nodded, Louis XIV asked someone to take a more detailed map and said, "Okay, let me explain it."

"Your Majesty, it's time to consider your cultivation. Please don't be angry." Dan Tai Yunfeng became even more rude. He had already realized that Louis XIV's arrogance was unchangeable. No one could become friends with him, and behind him were many people, with enough power to rely on it.

With the help of the map, Tan Tai Yunfeng took out several terms to discuss with his partners. First, the contract reaffirmed the legal effect of the Nijmegan Contract and required France to abide by the contract.

This Treaty of Neymegan was a series of treaties reached after the French-Dutch War on which Louis XIV became famous and France truly dominated. It was a treaty signed by France and its allies at that time, Sweden, and Denmark. During the Treaty, Spain ceded a large amount of land on the border with the northeast to France, and established a border with the Holy Roman Empire, as well as the ownership and military power of Lorraine. This was also the first international treaty written in French in Europe and was a symbol of French hegemony.

In addition to determining the old treaties, France needed to determine the state of its borders before the Grand Alliance War, that is, to assign all the land obtained from the aggression to the original country. In addition, there were clauses such as the ownership of overseas colonies and tariff issues, but the disposal of territories alone was unacceptable to Louis XIV, which means that a protracted war ended, and after hundreds of thousands of people died, France had nothing to gain.

"Go out first, go out first." When Louis XIV roared in the living room, Bai Jingyu walked in at some point and pulled Dan Tai Yunfeng out of the living room.

"Uncle, why did you suddenly appear? I was going to visit the embassy early in the morning, but I heard that you have traveled." Dan Tai Yunfeng said in the corridor, looking at Bai Jingyu.

Bai Jingyu smiled and said, "King Louis is in a bad mood recently, and the reason is related to our country. Naturally, I have to go out and avoid it. Should I get into trouble at this critical moment?"

"My father-in-law asked me to come and bring you a lot of things, which have been placed in the embassy."

Bai Jingyu was very satisfied: "Your Highness still remembers me, it's really rare."

"My father-in-law has always been like this. He also asked me to ask how you lived in France. It's really hard to feel good, so I'll go to Lisbon first."

"No, no, your highness asked me to eat, drink and have fun in France. If I can't even do this, wouldn't it be disappointing him? It's just that life is not easy, but it's just that there are more spitting on my face. I can't afford to mess with me." Bai Jingyu said honestly.

But Tan Tai Yunfeng said honestly: "Can I understand this way? You can still live in France, but it's not good, right?"

"The guy understands it well."

"The root of it lies in Louis XIV, right? His joy and anger determine the quality of your environment." Dan Tai Yunfeng asked again.

"It's a bit stiff, but that's what it means." Bai Jingyu had always been thick-skinned and said directly.

Dan Tai Yunfeng nodded and asked all the attendants to step down, and said, "My father-in-law guessed your situation and specifically reminded me to help you overcome the difficulties, so he formulated several terms. I deliberately acted tough just now, which made Louis XIV difficult to accept. Next, I will maintain this tough attitude until he remembered you. As long as you come forward, these terms can be compromised. Let you sell the king's favor, and your life in Paris will be much better."

"Is that so? Oh, Your Highness is still so loyal." Bai Jingyu rubbed his hands and said. After thinking about it, he understood again: "Don't worry, if King Louis can't figure this out, I will ask someone to remind him."

Louis XIV was furious, and the entire Palace of Versailles was very uneasy. Dan Tai Yunfeng left the palace and went to Paris. On the carriage back, Dan Tai Yunfeng's assistant said unhappily: "Sir, the European peace talks involve the diplomatic interests of the empire should be a slight struggle. How can we compromise for an old playboy?"

Dan Tai Yunfeng glanced at the assistant and said, "You have just come from China and know the people here only to spread rumors. Bai Jingyu is a playboy, but he is not useless. This man is good at dancing and has always performed well in Paris. Not to mention the other side, the businessmen in our country are facing various problems, and he can only solve the problem by dealing with them.

You have to be clear that this is France, a country with an absolute monarchy, and its legal status is very low. Sometimes it depends on connections. The power of this country is in the hands of the nobles. Dealing with the nobles is to ask for people like Mr. Bai. It is precisely because of his role that His Highness has always supported him as the empire's ambassador to France."

"But this operation is ultimately for public use."

Tan Tai Yunfeng smiled: "As for diplomacy, the most taboo thing is to restrain the trivial matters. In diplomacy, there is nothing that cannot be traded. Sometimes it is not as serious as respect. What is the interest of the European participating countries is handed over, so what do you feel sorry for?"

After Bai Jingyu got involved, the negotiations went much smoother, and Louis XIV also got what he wanted - dignity.

It’s not that he can’t accept that Tuo appeared in the occupied land. After all, if he doesn’t agree, the empire can fully support the enemy to launch another round of offensives and defeat these lands. Once a large-scale war begins, many things will be out of control. If the battle occurs in France, it will be a failure.

Things that cannot be defended on the battlefield are even more difficult to defend on the negotiating table. But if you spit out all of them, it means failure. Louis XIV cannot admit defeat at all, and the betrayed is the Habsburg dynasty, which has always been urgent for a truce, but is as arrogant as Louis XIV and refuses to accept the mediation of the empire. The empire can agree that France can occupy several irrelevant lands belonging to the Habsburgs, and if something is taken, it cannot be considered failure.

However, Louis XIV must also cooperate with the empire's diplomatic strategy, that is, negotiate separately with all countries and parties, establish peace treaties and ceasefire separately. Instead, as before, all parties participating in the war negotiate together.

Louis XIV also agreed with this approach. Although it would increase the empire's influence in Europe, France was strong enough to not lose too much interest when facing any opponent, and this would weaken the influence of Britain. After all, William III was the leader in the Grand Alliance. If there were joint negotiations, William III would definitely block the trouble.
Chapter completed!