Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The banquet held at the Ziguang Pavilion was a common part of entertaining Western envoys.

Of course, from the Tongzhi era until the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, when the Eight-Nation Alliance attacked Dagu, the submission of credentials during this period also took place here.

It started in the twelfth year of the Tongzhi reign, and even today, receptions are still frequently held here.

If you don't believe me, turn on the TV at 7 p.m. and see how it's reported when a foreign ambassador visits.

The fact that the prince hosted a banquet to receive guests was, in effect, a signal.

Emperor Jiaqing was observing Prince Zhi's performance, and the Russian envoy had also arrived to request negotiations. In addition, Prince Zhi had also completed the grand ceremony of three kneelings and nine kowtows.

Considering Britain's behavior at the time, Russia and France were still worth the Qing emperor's efforts to win them over.

Even if Emperor Qianlong, who loved stamping documents, were still alive, he would still make the same request.

Solovyov wasn't worried about anyone reporting him to the authorities when he got back. Many of the archives from the Yongzheng era were destroyed by the Qianlong Emperor, but in fact, many archives from the Kangxi era still existed at this time.

Even some Manchu-style documents can be useful.

Solovyov was unaware that the junior scholars in the Hanlin Academy were learning Manchu.

Lin Zexu, who was fluent in Manchu, found in the piles of old Manchu documents the records of negotiations between the Court of Colonial Affairs and the Russian Empress during the Qianlong era, as well as the memorials submitted by Manchu and Han officials to the Yongzheng Emperor during the Yongzheng era, and the records of the various negotiations between the two sides during the Kangxi era.

Most importantly, the Russian archives of the Ismailov mission matched the Manchu archives.

Not only Lin Zexu, but also the Hanlin scholars who had studied Manchu and Mongolian in the Shuji Hall played a significant role.

Emperor Jiaqing did not say it openly, but he also gave these Hanlin scholars extra rewards.

Although the Qing Dynasty was declining at this time, it was far from being doomed, and it could still afford to bestow rewards.

Emperor Jiaqing would sometimes even bestow gifts from the palace's manufactured items upon close or meritorious officials.

The treasures brought by the Russian delegation were partly displayed during the emperor's banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, reflecting the importance the Chinese emperors placed on relations with other countries.

As for now, the two Prince Zhi brothers are seated at the head of the table. The first seat on the right was given to the Russian envoy, and the first seat on the left was given to the French envoy. This is because they are of relatively high status, so they are seated on the two sides.

Russia ultimately defeated France in the war, and Solovyov held both court and civil service positions, while Ney was always a pure military man. Given the level of trust he enjoyed in the court and his relationship with the French Queen Mother, the arrangement of the throne was natural.

As for the fact that the banquet was served separately, that was also due to the occasion.

Prince Zhi himself has not yet appeared, and the envoys have taken their seats in order.

There was a small table next to Solovyov, since he brought a child and there wasn't a table set up for children, so he had no choice but to bring Pasha with him.

The main thing about the banquet was to see what kind of food was served, and Solovyov hadn't expected it to be all prepared according to Mongolian standards.

Although he had spent some time with the Kalmyks, the Torgut who had not been able to return east, they ate according to their own customs.

Emperor Jiaqing clearly held the banquet according to the standards for receiving Mongolian princes because Russia was to the north and had always used the title of Khan in diplomatic contacts with the Qing Dynasty.

Therefore, it was at the level of a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast (but there was no such thing as a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast at this time; it was a later summary). The initial hospitality was also in the Mongolian style, with things like milk tea.

Solovyov himself never liked milk tea, but his son sat next to him and drank it happily.

Although the father and son had a close relationship, they were often apart because Solovyov was always away on campaign.

My son, on the other hand, doesn't have any dietary restrictions.

After Prince Zhi took his seat, he also noticed this situation.

After Emperor Jiaqing addressed Solovyov as "Suoqing" in the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the emperors and ministers of the Qing Dynasty did not treat him as an outsider.

After all, it's not like there haven't been instances of Sony and Suo'etu using similar names before, which suggests a close relationship.

However, only Emperor Jiaqing was addressed as "卿" (qing). Prince Zhi was not yet Emperor Daoguang, so his title was no different from that of ordinary ministers.

"General Suo traveled thousands of miles by sea to be the head of all the envoys. Such a scene was rarely seen even during the reign of the Holy Ancestor Emperor Ren."

Well, although Solovyov also wanted to complain, he had to go along with it in order to complete the mission.

Moreover, this was still during the Jiaqing reign, and Prince Zhi had not yet become the miserable figure he would later become. Although he looked malnourished in the portrait, he was in relatively good condition at this time.

He continued his speech, talking about the Qing Dynasty and its achievements.

Although it seems to be declining now, it's still quite intimidating.

The British are confident at sea, but they still have no conclusion about what lies thousands of miles away, and they don't even know the true state of the Qing Dynasty.

Solovyov knew this; he sat there listening to Prince Zhi speak, and after he finished, the envoys from various countries applauded.

The main issues are those of Russia, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, and Portugal; the other countries are merely supporting players.

After talking for a while, Prince Zhi finally brought up the important matter.

"The British envoys came in the summer of the twenty-first year of the Jiaqing reign. His Majesty, considering that they had come from afar and were unfamiliar with etiquette, granted them special leniency. However, the British envoys were still blindly arrogant and did not understand the proper etiquette like you gentlemen. Therefore, His Majesty also bestowed gifts upon them. In addition to the imperial gifts he gave back to the kings, princes, and dukes of the British and other countries, the envoys of other countries also received gifts."

After inquiring about the situation of the envoys from various countries, Emperor Jiaqing categorized them and matched their rewards according to their respective status and position.

At first, only Pasha had the privilege of being a child and was given a jade pendant.

Now everyone has received a reward: each person was granted a packet of tribute tea and two purses by the emperor. The envoys from several small countries also received a pair of teacups, though they were all different styles.

The items in the palace were all of good quality, but most of what they acquired were newly made imperial tea sets from the Jiaqing era.

This is already quite a generous gesture, considering it's just a gift for an envoy.

Upon arriving in the Netherlands, Sweden, and Portugal, the envoys were each presented with a pair of plates used in the palace.

Everyone knows that Europeans came to trade for raw silk, tea, and porcelain. Although the last one does not account for a large proportion of the goods, its price is still there.

Even products from folk kilns often fetch high prices in Europe.

At such times, everyone should express their gratitude. Count von Felsen led the other two envoys over and knelt down on one knee to express their thanks.

Since it wasn't a meeting with the emperor, this kind of etiquette was the etiquette for meeting the king in Europe, so Prince Zhi didn't care much about it. Moreover, von Felsen was particularly eloquent and had met many European monarchs.

After the flattery was over, everyone received their rewards and went about their business. When it came to Nei, the gifts were of a much higher quality.

Although Solovyov was still sitting to the side, he had a particularly sharp eye. Underneath the yellow silk was probably a sword, and possibly something else.

Once the lid was lifted, inside were a yellow riding jacket and an imperial sword. This reward was something that even the garrison generals and commanders-in-chief of the Qing Dynasty rarely received, even if they risked their lives.

There was no other way; Nanmide had translated everything truthfully. For a fierce general like him who could still charge ahead even after becoming the "Grand Marshal of the Palace Guard," he was a true hero among heroes in Jiaqing's eyes. In addition to the rewards from the envoys of the three kingdoms, he also brought these two special honors for military generals.

In terms of reciprocation and status, it's just right.

Ney was somewhat confused, after all, his and Solovyov's attire was not suitable for wearing yellow jackets.

Moreover, the young man sitting opposite me had never mentioned this aspect; he had only seen that the imperial guards of the Chinese emperor, from generals to lower-ranking officers, each had one.

Remusa, unsure how to translate, went to find Solovyov.

"This is a special honor, equivalent to the French Legion of Honour."

This explanation was very concise. Nei knew that this was also a special favor from the Chinese emperor. By speaking a few more truthful words and introducing his own experiences, he could obtain this.

Before he joined the army, when he was working as a notary in the countryside, he probably never imagined that his nearly thirty years of military experience would be of such use.

He also knelt on one knee to accept the gifts according to the etiquette of the Knights. The minimum goal to be achieved on this mission was to "pay tribute." The Chinese emperor would not have returned the gifts in this way if he was not satisfied.

But this isn't the place to show off the sword. This sword alone is already very ornate in appearance and decoration, and it would be priceless even as a collector's item.

Solovyov, watching from the side, found it rather comical.

Emperor Jiaqing, though frugal, was quite generous with his rewards. Moreover, the Qing Dynasty's treasury still had money at that time, which had even recovered to over 20 million taels, approaching 30 million taels.

When the Jiaqing Emperor passed away, the national treasury held 3121 million taels of silver.

At this time, although the Qing Dynasty was facing internal troubles, it was still in a slow recovery process following the White Lotus Rebellion, and the situation was not yet so bad.

It's not surprising that they're giving out these rewards.

Even Solovyov, as the head of all the envoys, must have received special rewards.

He used to own the same black Prussian uniform that Paul and his two sons wore, but he almost never wore it because of his job.

After the previous rewards, when it came to his turn, Solovyov also noticed him.

After the yellow silk was untied, a sword and a yellow jacket were also worn underneath.

"If it is a yellow jacket, when I was in charge of the Imperial Guard by the late emperor's side, he also bestowed upon me a black one because the late emperor admired Frederick the Great of Prussia."

"What is the reason for General Suo's actions?"

“I, an official from humble beginnings, was originally the adjutant of a third-rank general. I have never forgotten the favor bestowed upon me by my late father.”

Prince Zhi was quite impressed upon hearing this.

"A true general indeed."

Although Solovyov answered casually, considering that every Manchu nobleman had a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms, who didn't know the story of Guan Mafa (Manchu for grandfather)?
For the rulers of the Qing Dynasty, it would be a good thing if they had such a capable general, especially one who was relatively young.

Unfortunately, those who are currently active are mostly veterans who fought in various battles during the late Qianlong period.

As for the design of the sword, it's clear that Jiaqing put some thought into it when preparing the return gift.

Solovyov was clearly a rare cultured man in the army, and he even described himself as a long-time "military officer" who, in addition to his sword, also carried sachets, fans, and other items often worn by refined scholars.

As for Ney, according to his own account, he was given a sword.

These are all priceless treasures. As for the imperial porcelain bestowed upon the emperor, the inscription "Made in the Yongzheng Reign of the Great Qing Dynasty" on the bottom of the bowl and the rather unique seal mark indicate that these were palace utensils used during the Yongzheng and early Qianlong periods.

In the future, those in excellent condition will be priceless.

After the bestowal of rewards was completed and the envoys returned to their seats, the formal banquet began.

Prince Zhi was also representing Emperor Jiaqing in hosting the banquet. Although the imperial wine was not very strong, it was still bestowed as a "wine gift".

Well, Emperor Daoguang, of course, would pour out all the wine.

He also recounted that being granted a title was a favor from the emperor, so much so that he had to work hard in all his social duties and official business.

Of course, the Qing Dynasty's secret succession system actually only took effect twice, from Yongzheng to Qianlong and from Daoguang to Xianfeng, and used even fewer edicts of succession than Russia.

But he mentioned rapid-fire guns, which were very useful in suppressing rebels, and Solovyov immediately understood.

Yes, I was sure I was rewarded for advising Alexander to focus on weapons when he gave me the gifts.

Although Russia was able to obtain some intelligence about the Qing Dynasty through merchants entering the country, it was still completely in the dark most of the time.

Solovyov, the arrowhead of Longzongmen, knew that the Tianli Sect, a pyramid scheme organization, had infiltrated the Forbidden City, a fact that was even mentioned in some of the more comprehensive children's history books.

From a standpoint of fact, this is an uprising. But from an organizational structure perspective, it's a cult combined with a pyramid scheme. After its iterations, it's the kind of thing that Abe is good at using to make money, but it can't get anything done properly.

Daoguang's coming down to offer a toast at this time was also unexpected by Solovyov.

"In the past, the King of Japan was able to achieve great feats largely thanks to the 'Mighty' spear. I wonder who the spear maker was?"

"Your Highness, it was this foreign minister who drew up the designs and ordered the craftsmen to build it. In fact, the late emperor promoted him because of this very matter."

"I see. General Suo should drink this cup to the brim."

Even if he can't hold his liquor, Solovyov will have to step up this time.

After all, it was closely related to him, and Prince Zhi paid close attention when he talked about the principles of weapons.

When he heard that the Russian Imperial Guard was fully equipped, with even the cavalry carrying short guns, he couldn't help but feel a little Slavic awe.

Solovyov even thought he could use this opportunity to sell off some of his surplus munitions, which would then be transported out through the Kyakhta border crossing without the British even knowing. (End of Chapter)