(I, Xu Gong of Weishui, a museum explorer.) Subscribe to me and join me in the bigger world! ）
History chose Louis XVI, not Louis XVI. ——XuGong of Weishui
(1) Islands in the sea are divided into states
In 1789, the French Revolution broke out, king Louis XVI abdicated, and the Bourbon dynasty, which ruled France for two centuries, also fell into the wilderness. Although the Bourbon dynasty was restored for a time, only an empty shell remained, and the feudal era in France has become a complete history.
At the same time, the United States elected its first president, George Washington, and a new page in the history of North America began. Ottoman Turkey welcomed a new, enterprising sultan, Selim III. The Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty was overjoyed, and although the Ten Complete Records of the Imperial System had not yet been published, he already regarded himself as the "Old Man of the Ten Perfections".
In these great powers, social order was maintained and the people lived in relative stability. Only France has since fallen into the chaos of "you sing and I appear". For a time, Paris became a chessboard for multi-power games, and it was not until many years later that the situation gradually stabilized.
The force that can push the wheel of history forward must be a giant hand formed by the fusion of many forces.
The same is true of the change of times, behind which there are many factors hidden, and it is by no means something that one or two people can influence. Now, let's open this book by the American historian William Rich Newton," Behind the Gate, to witness the true face behind the prosperity of versailles.
(2) The jade cooking gold is not yet in the spring
In order to show the strength of the country, the royal family's feast is often extremely luxurious. At the royal banquets of the Song Dynasty in China, every song and dance will be accompanied by a meal of wine and dishes. When the song and dance are changed, the sake dishes will also be changed, and its form is very close to the current Western food.
According to Meng Yuanlao's "Tokyo Dream Record", during a royal banquet, the emperor gave a total of nine imperial wines. Starting from the third imperial sake, two or three appetizers are served at the same time, as well as the accompanying staple food. After the nine imperial wines were served, the lavish feast was over.
The palace banquet at Versailles was not so exquisite – it even seemed a bit rough. According to the rules of "French service", several main courses are served at the same time, and the table is not allowed to be empty. In an instant, the table may be filled with a variety of delicacies, making people dizzying.
According to this book "Behind the Gate", the French top feast has: 8 courses of broth, 10 dishes of the first plate, 4 courses of barbecue, 8 courses of Chinese food, 2 salads, 4 courses of fruit, and 6 courses of dessert. For Louis XIV, who pursued luxury, this extravagant and wasteful feast was his favorite.
Although the successors Louis XV and Louis XVI did not think much of this extravagant and wasteful behavior, the chain of industrial interests in the kitchen had been formed. The king's call has paled in the face of the torrent of history, and their appeal is like a blank piece of paper. The dismissal of the redundant personnel in the imperial dining room also came too late.
The imperial dining room satisfies the appetites of countless people, and has also become a time bomb in this powerful kingdom, it is precisely "disease enters from the mouth, and evil comes out of the mouth"
(3) There is no distinction between Bao Hao and Lan Fang
From today's point of view, the history of plague in Europe is completely "to die by strength".
In order to create an ornamental fountain, Louis XIV did not hesitate to spend a lot of money on it. Thanks to the continuous labor of countless people, the water transmission channels in Paris were re-planned. The repeated selection of natural water sources was introduced into the interior of Paris, and the magnificent fountains were also lifted.
Ironically, the problem of underground sewage discharge in Paris has never been solved. Bacteria grew in the gutters, and the whole of Paris became stinky. In such a dirty environment, various infectious diseases began to spread.
In the Christian world, bathing was once seen as an unclean act. Under this poor hygiene habit, the fox odor brought by the Caucasians becomes particularly "nose". To this end, they developed various perfumes to shield the smell of smoke.
The fragrance, romance and elegance in our eyes are actually born out of an indescribable fishy stench. This is really "indistinguishable from the LanFang".
Fortunately, in the bourbon era, doctors began to call on people to maintain good hygiene, that is, to bathe regularly. People's attitudes are also changing, and they are beginning to accept a cleaner life.
The opening of the people's wisdom is a key step in the change of the times, and it is also a giant hand that pushes the wheel of history forward.
(4) A case of throwing a pearl of rubble
The luxurious life of the Palace of Versailles is not only reflected in the food and appearance.
Before the birth of electric lights, candles were undoubtedly important lighting supplies. In versailles, the annual consumption of candles is staggering. At the wedding ceremony of Louis XV's daughter, 400,000 livres were spent on candles and other items used only for illumination.
(Pictured is an imitation candlestick in the Palace of Versailles, which now has a light bulb)
What does this money mean? As mentioned in the previous chapter on food and drink, several royal guards ordered a table of exquisite wine and dishes for only 13 livres. For the average family, 10 Livles are enough for a family to spend a generous day. 400,000 livres can be spent by a civilian family for more than a decade, which is undoubtedly a huge consumption.
Just like the palace's food industry chain, there are also countless people who are full of money in this candle procurement agency. After all, candles are a necessity, so many people exchange half a candle for physical goods. In the end, this chaos spread again and again, even turning candles into a small circle of currency.
Behind the prosperity and extravagance of versailles, there is the fragility of a dynasty. In this fragile dynasty, everyone hoped to get a piece of flesh and blood on the dying body, but they did not expect that the insufficiency of the dynasty itself had long been incurable and had gradually become terminally ill.
After the Revolution, the feudal dynasty of France came to an end. After the Restoration of Louis XVIII, he also had to accept the system of constitutional monarchy. Gone are the dynasties that had maintained cumbersome institutions but could not solve the hunger and cold of the people. France was thus reborn as one of the great powers of Europe.
(End)
(Xu Gong of Weishui, a former Buddhist writing teacher and a museum explorer today.) Welcome to join me in the larger world)