The Spider King

When Louis returned to Paris with his army, the first thing he did was publicly announce the death of Charles VII and proclaim his own succession as King of France.

Numerous messengers were dispatched to invite lords from all over the country to attend the coronation in Reims.

In Dijon, within the Duke of Burgundy's residence, Philip the Good exhaled deeply as he read the message sent back by his spy.

His son, Charles the Bold (an added nickname for distinction), asked curiously, "Father, what is it?"

"Charles VII is dead."

Philip sighed, a little wistfully. His lifelong rival had fallen before him.

This made the Duke of Burgundy lament the swift passage of time; he too was now advanced in age.

He recalled that over thirty years ago, his father, John the Fearless, had fallen to the dagger of Charles VII's attendant.

This despicable assassination plot caused the Burgundy family to become irreconcilable with the French monarchy, and Philip swore to avenge his father and personally kill Charles VII.

However, even with Charles VII's passing, he had not been able to fulfill his original vow.

Charles's face, however, showed an unconcealable smile: "This is excellent news, Father. This might be an opportunity…"

Philip shook his head and said, "Prince Louis has already taken control of the situation. He is now proclaiming himself the heir to the throne, taking the name Louis XI, and will hold his coronation in Reims."

Charles was not particularly surprised, merely sighing, "That fellow is as impatient as ever."

After a moment of thought, Philip said to Charles, "You will represent Burgundy at his coronation in Reims. Remember to bring the Princess of Savoy with you."

Charles frowned, saying with some disdain, "Didn't that fellow run back to Paris and take power earlier? Why hasn't he paid the ransom to redeem his wife yet?"

"He prides himself on being a paragon of frugality and is unwilling to spend a single gold coin to redeem the wife he abandoned."

"Hmph, he's a coward!" Charles was quite disgusted by Louis's actions. "Return his wife? Of course, but I will use this to thoroughly humiliate him!"

Philip reminded him, "Try not to cause any trouble. When you are there, discreetly inquire and see which nobles are dissatisfied with Louis XI. They are all our potential allies."

"I know, Father."

Though Charles said this, he was quite dismissive in his heart. In his view, Louis XI was merely a loser; his entire early life had been almost continuous defeat.

For such a "waste" to control France was a fortunate thing for the Burgundy family.

Soon after, Charles, accompanied by Charlotte of Savoy, Louis XI's wife, who had been under house arrest in Dijon, traveled to Reims to attend the coronation of the new King of France.

On the twenty-fifth day after Charles VII's death, Louis XI's coronation was held in Reims as scheduled.

Reims Cathedral was solemn and majestic. Since the 11th century, this cathedral had been a holy site for the coronations of successive French kings. The magnificent Gothic cathedral was now adorned in splendor.

Louis XI stood before the altar of the cathedral, his heart filled with emotion.

He had imagined this scene countless times: the bustling crowd observing in the cathedral, and he, at the highest point, wearing the crown and looking down upon everything.

He secretly swore in his heart: "One day, France shall have but one king, one lord, one judge, one place for execution, just as heaven has but one God!"

Queen Mother Marie stood by, her eyes holding both expectation for her son and hidden worries about the future situation.

Years of court life and political turmoil had made her deeply aware of the fragility and danger hidden beneath France's powerful exterior.

And Louis XI's younger brother, Prince Charles, accompanied his mother. This young prince looked at his brother, bathed in glory, and a flicker of desire for power flashed in his eyes.

The Duke of Bourbon, the Duke of Orléans, the Duke of Armagnac, the Duke of Anjou, the Count of Maine, Charles, the son of the Duke of Burgundy, and the envoy of the Duke of Brittany, among other French nobles, stood silently in the cathedral, dressed in splendid attire, in the positions closest to the King. Lower-ranking nobles could only watch the King's coronation from a slightly further distance.

Respectful expressions were on their faces, but each harbored their own intentions.

Before Louis XI's ascension, Paris had already undergone a harsh power reshuffle. The Anjou faction, who had seized great power, were triumphant, while other suppressed factions were discontent, awaiting an opportunity to return to the political center.

The ceremony proceeded in an orderly manner. The Archbishop of Reims recited a long and holy prayer in Latin, slowly placing the crown, symbolizing royal authority, on Louis XI's head.

"In the name of the Holy Spirit, I bestow upon you the throne of the King of France. May you, with wisdom and courage, protect this land and shelter your subjects."

As the Archbishop's voice fell, a cheer of "Long live the King!" erupted in the cathedral.

Subsequently, Louis XI approached the throne by the central altar of the cathedral. Before sitting on the throne, he suddenly turned to the crowd and declared loudly, "Before this, many people controlled power in the Kingdom of France's court.

They claimed to be from Anjou, from Orléans, from Burgundy, from Armagnac, from Brittany, from Bourbon, but I say, I am from France, and I am France!"

At these words, the nobles attending the coronation began to murmur, and the faces of the great nobles standing at the front also turned somewhat unpleasant.

Charles, however, scoffed at Louis XI's arrogant statement. For such a coward, who abandoned his wife and child and fled with a wolf-fox, to utter such words was truly boastful.

Next was the segment where the dignitaries of the Kingdom of France pledged allegiance to the new King.

The first to ascend the altar and pledge allegiance to Louis XI were the six Archbishops of France or their representatives.

The Archbishop of Lyon was first; he was the nominal Primate of France. He was followed by the Archbishop of Reims, who had crowned the King, and then the remaining Archbishops.

Next was the noble's oath of allegiance. Traditionally, the first to appear should be the six secular great nobles, the six great vassals at the time of the Kingdom of France's establishment.

Namely, the lords of Flanders, Champagne, Burgundy, Toulouse, Aquitaine, and Normandy.

After the Hundred Years' War, Toulouse and Aquitaine had become royal demesnes. Flanders, Champagne, and Burgundy were all controlled by the Duke of Burgundy, while the lord of the Duchy of Normandy was Louis XI's younger brother.

Thus, Prince Charles was the first to ascend the altar, reluctantly kneeling at his elder brother's feet and pledging allegiance to Louis XI.

After him, it was the turn of the Duke of Burgundy's representative—Charles the Bold—to come up and pledge allegiance. However, Charles stood his ground, showing no intention of moving.

Rene, the Duke of Anjou, standing beside him, gently patted him and quietly reminded him, "Lord of Burgundy, it's your turn."

Charles, however, scoffed disdainfully and loudly challenged, "How can I trust a man who cannot even protect his own wife to protect the Kingdom?"

Charles's words caused even more intense discussion than Louis XI's recent declaration. Everyone knew that Charles was using the opportunity to mock the new King.

After all, the Duke of Burgundy's delegation had grandly entered Reims that day, returning Louis XI's wife, the future Queen Charlotte, to the new King as a gesture of friendship.

As for whether it was truly friendly, anyone with eyes could see. Many admired Charles's courage, while some nobles loyal to the crown were displeased with the arrogant Charles.

Louis XI gazed at Charles, his expression showing no anger. He calmly replied, "I believe the Duke of Burgundy is a noble gentleman, which is why I confidently left my wife in Burgundy.

Now, the Duke of Burgundy has gone to great lengths to return my Queen, and I am grateful for his kindness.

I will protect the Kingdom of France. No one needs to believe this, for it is my responsibility!

The Duchy of Burgundy has been a part of France since ancient times. Do you deny this fact, Charles, Lord of Burgundy?!"

Louis XI's tone gradually shifted from calm to sharp, and his powerful aura made Charles somewhat stunned.

Charles knew that if he did not answer this question well, it could provide Louis XI with an excuse to continue to press him.

He could only bite the bullet and reluctantly replied, "Indeed, Your Majesty. On behalf of my father, I congratulate you on inheriting the throne of France. May God bless you."

Charles chose to retreat in order to advance. He would never truly bow to Louis; allegiance was out of the question. A mere congratulation was already being generous.

Louis XI's grip on the scepter tightened slightly, but he ultimately did not pursue the matter further. Everyone had to leave some dignity for the other.

"I accept the Duke of Burgundy's blessing."

Louis XI said, giving his uncle a look. The Duke of Anjou immediately understood, walked to the throne, and pledged allegiance to the new King, resuming the ceremony that Charles had interrupted.

Once this final ceremony was concluded, people attended a grand banquet in Reims to celebrate the new King's ascension.

What would this ambitious King bring to the Kingdom of France? No one could guess.