Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The Jiaqing Emperor was very interested in Solovyov because he pointed out the key issues of opium and silver outflow.

It was also stated that this substance, apart from having some medicinal uses, is entirely harmful and has no benefits whatsoever.

Furthermore, the West has a method of "refining in a furnace," which will eventually purify substances with even stronger toxicity.

It can be said that he blocked up wherever it was necessary.

Since such a terrible thing exists, Emperor Jiaqing has become determined to ban opium.

Moreover, because of the British's rudeness, Emperor Jiaqing wanted to change his trading partners, but he couldn't find a suitable one, since the British accounted for 70% of the Guangdong Customs' trade.

If you were to ask Russia and France, or even the United States, could they possibly fill the gap?
In short, as an emperor who had seen how foreigners and high-ranking officials made their fortunes, Jiaqing knew the importance of overseas trade.

This place, after all, is a place where money can be made very quickly.

However, the reception schedule is also arranged.

Because Russia had sent an envoy to trade this time, the Russian "Honglu Temple" had already submitted a document stating that Kyakhta was no longer usable. Considering that trade came from both land and sea, Russia also had ships and goods coming from the sea, and that the "British barbarians" frequently caused damage to Russia's fur-producing areas, these issues always required sending a special envoy.

In that case, Solovyov's time in Shuntian Prefecture, the capital of the Qing Dynasty, would not be short.

Moreover, during the reception, the Manchu Minister of Rites, Ma Huiyu, who was originally to receive the guests, died of illness, and the Han Minister of Rites, Zhang Xu, was a Grand Councilor, so it was not advisable to make any moves. Therefore, the Ministry of Rites arranged for the next Manchu Minister, Cheng Ning, to take office, which extended the reception time.

This Ma Huiyu also inherited the mess left by his predecessor, Mukedeng'e. He was old and fell ill due to stress, and that's how he died.

The successor, Cheng Ning, was also quite old, and he needed to familiarize himself with the situation at the Ministry of Rites.

Solovyov and his companions decided to go boating in the Yuanmingyuan Garden.

"When you were in Guangzhou, you wrote a poem. I wonder if you could compose one after seeing this scenery?"

Sulengge was in charge of receiving guests, but he asked Solovyov to write the poems.

"This is the Emperor's own palace. How could I, a mere official, possibly compose a poem here? It seems I am unworthy of such a sight. Even if Li Bai had visited the Yellow Crane Tower, he would not have written a poem here, would he?"

"The general is indeed a remarkable man, having read many books."

"But this scenery, if painted by an artist, would be absolutely wonderful. However, the artists I know are all skilled at portrait painting, and landscapes are secondary to them."

At this point, Solovyov recounted to Qingpu and Suleng'e how, as a young man, he had dueled with the famous female painter Madame Lebrunn to prevent her daughter from being deceived by the theater director's secretary.

Upon hearing this, the two of them also felt that Solovyov had a certain chivalrous spirit.

However, he used a musket, not a sword.

Writing poetry is indeed quite difficult.

But strolling through the garden and enjoying banquets are things that people really enjoy every day.

Ney also told Qingpu through a translator that the architecture in the Yuanmingyuan, which referenced European styles, was even more magnificent than the Palace of Versailles.

"What is this Palace of Versailles that the Marshal mentioned?"

At this point, Remusa wisely focused on translation and left the conversation to Solovyov.

"It is the site of the royal gardens and palaces of the previous Bourbon kings. The Tuileries Palace is also located in Paris. Originally a hunting ground for the French kings, it was later used as a palace and is a gem built over a hundred years. Its beauty lies in the solemnity of the gardens, the square and exquisite architecture, and the gorgeous interior. It once used mirrors as halls and built palaces. There are also many exquisite galleries and hundreds of palace rooms, which can accommodate the sons of dukes and marquises from all over France."

It was too complicated to explain in detail, and Qingpu and Suleng'e found it difficult to understand, as they had never been to the West and would never have seen what Versailles Palace looked like.

However, after saying that it was better than the palace of the Dharma King, it still gave the two Qing officials who were receiving them a lot of face.

"How does it compare to the palace where your king resides?"

"Our rulers have winter palaces within the city, summer palaces on the seashore outside the city, and royal villages for spring and autumn residences. These are magnificent, but lack a certain elegance. Therefore, previous rulers often imitated the gardens of other countries. Each has its own merits and cannot be generalized."

As for how magnificent the Russian palaces were, when the ministers who went on missions to Russia during the Yongzheng era arrived, there was no Winter Palace, and many buildings in Tsarskoye Selo were also missing. So what they were really like, no one really knows.

All of these projects were recently started, and Qing Dynasty officials were well aware that a monarch who was so willing to spend money probably also consumed a lot of the people's resources and even lived a very luxurious life.

However, looking at Solovyov, although he was dressed in gorgeous clothes and always wore medals, his demeanor was very simple, which was obviously for a formal occasion.

Only veterans who have served in the military for a long time can act like this, but he claimed to be thirty-five years old and looked even younger, yet he acted somewhat mature.

The lady, however, wore mostly silver jewelry, with only the ruby ​​pendant on her necklace being particularly eye-catching. It was not unusual for a noblewoman to have family heirloom jewelry, but the subtle elegance was what made it so special.

Unfortunately, this lady is currently pregnant, so we cannot see her usual figure. However, given her status as a princess, she is unlikely to be unwell.

Moreover, in the context of the Qing Dynasty, "Special Grade Prince" was equivalent to a hereditary prince, so it wouldn't be surprising if she was a princess.

Moreover, according to Solovyov's description, the princess's grandfather was a prince, a hereditary prince specially awarded for military merit, and his ancestors were the founders of Moscow, the old capital of Russia. Going further back, his paternal ancestor was Rurik, the founder of the Rus' states.

In the context of the Three Kingdoms period, he would be considered a "relative of the Han imperial family," a position of immense prestige.

The family has been passed down for more than twenty generations to the princess.

Judging from the look of it, it's the kind of formal attire that you only wear to important occasions.

Coming to pay homage to the emperor and meet with him was indeed an important occasion.

As for the sightseeing in the Yuanmingyuan Garden, after the banquet, there was another important activity: watching a play.

In this regard, it would be helpful for Solovyov to explain further.

There are also opera stages in the palace, such as the Changyin Pavilion, which was built in the forty-first year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign. That place is quite nice.

After touring the Yuanmingyuan Garden, the banquet was held in Haidian Town.

There is also a theater here, which was used to receive foreign delegations when they came to pay homage.

We must also be careful in entertaining the envoys, especially since there are many tribute envoys this time, and they bring many treasures, as well as rare birds and animals to fill the Shanglin Garden. This banquet cannot be neglected.

So when the dishes were served, they invited a master chef from the capital, but not the imperial kitchen.

Those Manchu officials who had worked in the Imperial Household Department knew quite a bit about the level of those people; it was just a pity that the Emperor had to eat this stuff every day.

Emperor Jiaqing didn't care much; he ate whatever he wanted, which showed a kind of grandparental affection, somewhat like Emperor Yongzheng.

However, they are different; his physical condition is much better than that of Yongzheng.

As for Daoguang, he was unlike his grandfather, and his life was particularly miserable.

Solovyov didn't see Prince Zhi at this moment; he would probably see him when he went to the palace to pay his respects to the emperor. When they arrived at the stage, everything was arranged. In front were envoys from various countries and Qing Dynasty officials in charge of receiving them. The women were originally supposed to sit in the back, but since they couldn't understand anything without a translator, they were arranged to sit at the octagonal table in the second row.

"May I ask what play you two gentlemen are performing today?"

"Does General Suo also know about opera?"

"If you understood that, wouldn't you need to find someone to perform divination?"

"That's true."

Qingpu sat to one side and also flipped through the opera cards, which included Kunqu Opera, Qinqiang Opera, and Anhui Opera.

"Why are these three put together? Isn't that just a jumbled mess?"

"Your Excellency may not know this, but in the capital, it's all just random stuff. Whoever's opera is good, that's the one you'll hear the most of. But the Emperor issued a strict order against Qinqiang opera a few years ago, and it's only this year that he's allowed it to return."

This was a period before Peking Opera existed, but some rather vulgar, unfit for public display, were things that Emperor Jiaqing, who was very knowledgeable about opera and could even compose plays, but didn't have time to listen to operas, issued an order.

As for Peking Opera, it wasn't until the Tongzhi and Guangxu periods that it truly matured.

For Europeans, "opéra de Pékin" is probably the most widely used European language now, while the era of English is yet to come.

The Qing Dynasty was probably the only major country in the world at that time that always used Latin for diplomatic documents.

What the Anhui opera troupe brought was still Peking opera.

As for the acting, the meals arranged afterward, the audience at the palace, and the subsequent banquet, the expenses were quite considerable.

The money given to the opera troupe was sufficient, but performing for foreigners was mostly a waste of time, except for the somersaults in the martial arts scenes, as they couldn't understand it at all.

Unless someone with a good understanding of theater arrives, he won't be able to immediately grasp the core issue.

Solovyov knew that the Anhui opera troupe had entered Beijing when He Daren was still alive. That is, He Daren was probably singing Kunqu opera when he was acting in TV dramas. He probably knew some Peking opera, after all, the Manchu nobles were all opera fans. Before entering the pass, when they crossed the Great Wall to plunder, even the Second Prince Amin did not forget to listen to opera, and he completely forgot the tasks assigned to him by Huang Taiji.

But if they were to open three stores directly, that would probably not have happened since the Anhui opera troupes hadn't even entered Beijing yet.

Given Solovyov's knowledge of Peking Opera, he probably knows much more, but he just hasn't had the right opportunity to use it.

Even if you book a whole theater in Guangzhou for a private performance, it's not very satisfying. Cantonese opera only improved later, perhaps by incorporating action scenes.

People all over the world want to see some excitement before watching a play. Europeans used to do the same. Comedies in Roman times often had some vulgar performances.

In China, this is mostly just a topic of conversation, mainly involving ethical dilemmas and scenes featuring female leads. In reality, the martial arts scenes are more exciting.

As for choosing a play, it was by accident that I came across "The Romance of the Western Chamber," a zaju play that existed in the Yuan Dynasty.

The main storyline revolves around Zhang Sheng, the young lady, and the matchmaker.

Fortunately, Solovyov's formal dress was green, and Mikhelima wasn't wearing red like she did when she was a child, otherwise it would have been quite a spectacle.

Suleng'e initially felt it was a bit inappropriate, after all, he was just there to watch the fun.

But Solovyov thought it was good.

"Lord Su, the story of The Romance of the Western Chamber is a Yuan Dynasty zaju play, and I know some of the story. However, the version adapted for Europe is 'The Orphan of Zhao,' a story unique to the Celestial Empire, which does have some similarities with European drama. The first line of the Zhou Nan section of the Book of Songs is also 'Guan guan cry the ospreys, on the islet in the river; a fair maiden, a gentleman's good match,' and that play is quite good."

"Very well, the military commander understands this story."

The difference becomes apparent when watching a play.

"The Romance of the Western Chamber" is placed at the end, and there is a martial arts scene before it, which is a Three Kingdoms play script called "Riding Alone for a Thousand Miles," which combines civil and military elements. This play is easy to mistake for "Guan Yu vs. Qin Qiong," and the fighting is quite exciting.

However, the Europeans applauded during the intermission and at the end, while Qingpu, Suleng'e, and a group of Manchu and Han officials of the Qing Dynasty cheered when they left an opening in the middle.

Strangely, unlike when he was in Europe, Solovyov also joined in the cheering.

He was a well-known former playwright who had written some plays, but when he came to China, he adapted to local customs.

However, Qing Dynasty officials and actors on stage also realized that these foreigners were not all fools; this gentleman was quite knowledgeable, wasn't he?
Even while eating sunflower seeds, Suleng'e noticed that this General Su could hit the beat.

This person must also be knowledgeable about opera, but he didn't ask directly, afraid of disturbing their interest. So he found the French translator, Remusa, who was standing nearby, since he was a scholar.

"General Suo is quite knowledgeable about opera."

“The Count visited Paris when he was twenty years old, and there he also put together the play ‘Asterix’.”

"I see."

Since he has trained in Western opera, he must know something about it.

However, the lyrics at this time are not quite the same as later ones, and Kunqu Opera is also in a more melodious and rhythmic style.

This time, however, it was the lady who was wiping away her tears.

She didn't know much Chinese (and it was all taught to her by Solovyov), but there was a translator nearby, and she received a simple introduction, so she seemed to know the general outline of the story.

Katya was, after all, a court dancer. Even while taking care of her child, she didn't forget to practice her skills and knew a thing or two. In particular, young noblewomen are often sentimental and can't help but project their own feelings onto love stories.

This couple is really interesting.

"Katya, you can even cry during this play."

"nothing."

As for the two children, they still prefer to watch the excitement; action scenes are what kids like best.

After the curtain fell, it was the turn of the European delegation to applaud. At this moment, Qingpu said, "General Suo, it seems that everyone is having a great time."

"After all, it was an excellent performance. The painted-face actor at the front sang quite well, which is equivalent to a high-pitched singer in our area, and he started in a high pitch."

"What kind of roles does the military commander prefer? (The roles of male, female, painted-face, old man, and clown)?"

I'm afraid he'll turn out to be a lion, a tiger, or a dog.

"If possible, why not try being a female lead in a Peking Opera?"

This left Qingpu and Suleng'e somewhat bewildered.
However, judging from this person's face and bone structure, he is probably suited to be a female impersonator.

As for their accommodations afterward, they would be arranged in Haidian Town. Those with their families would use Lord He's residence, half of which was originally the residence of the Tenth Princess and Fengshen Yinde, and the other half was a prince's mansion, but it was also set aside to accommodate the envoys this time. (End of this chapter)