While the royal family was away from Paris, the Duke of Orléans, taking the opportunity to seize power, not only forcefully demanded that the judges of the Parlement grant him the title of Regent, but also recruited some five thousand soldiers by every means possible. These soldiers were almost all commoners from Paris or its surroundings. Prices within Paris soared, and terrible plague and famine finally appeared among the common people. But if they could enter the army, they could at least be guaranteed food and clothing, so many became soldiers of judges, bishops, or dukes, taking up muskets or pikes to serve them.
In the King's eyes, the Duke of Orléans, who had already declared himself Regent, was no different from a rebel. This was also why he was in no hurry to enter Paris. Rather than rush back to Paris only to be driven out again—or worse—he would rather make every possible preparation. He inspected the camps. General Schomberg and Viscount of Turenne commanded more than four thousand soldiers in total, and with the King's support, they recruited another two thousand from among the refugees. They now had six thousand soldiers altogether, along with muskets and cannon that Fouquet had managed to smuggle in from Italy and Sicily, and a hundred horses that Colbert had procured, unwilling to be outdone. These horses were either Friesian horses from the Netherlands or French Selle horses, powerfully muscled, gifted with exceptional jumping ability, bold and fearless in temperament, and highly obedient. In other words, they had been born to be warhorses.
For this batch of warhorses, Viscount of Turenne and General Schomberg even had a small dispute, because both wanted the horses assigned to their own units. The King had no choice but to mediate. He sat at the table with