Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Yonglin dared not neglect his elder brother's orders. Although this kind of task was quite expensive, it would bring benefits in return. Since the other party was willing to talk, it was practically a free favor.

The important thing is that this credit was given away for free.

Such a good opportunity was only possible because he was the emperor's younger brother and was also in charge of entertaining the Russian envoy.

Solovyov went on to talk about many other things, even unfolding a map and directly mentioning where he had been.

Yonglin was indeed somewhat shocked by someone who was so familiar with the geography.

"General Suo has been to many places now."

"The world is so big, as Buddhist scriptures say, there are four continents, and the world is divided into six continents, but we have never been to Oceania, which is controlled by the British."

His deputy, Bellingshausen, was the first person in world history to discover Antarctica, and is thus recorded in history.

As for that place in Australia, apart from the southeast corner and some coastal areas, such a large area is actually a vast desert, and it can even be considered a primitive and undeveloped place.

Anyone who wants to make a living there should consider whether they have the strength to withstand the poisonous creatures along the coast.

"I didn't realize the British had already reached so many places."

It sounds a bit scary, but Solovyov explained that these places were colonies, unlike the governors-general and governors of the Qing Dynasty and the governors-general of Russia, who had effective control over the local areas.

The British were still willing to cooperate with the local upper class. In uncivilized places like Oceania, the Maori were the most difficult to deal with, but they were in New Zealand.

"Of all the countries in the world, only the Qing Dynasty and Russia are large countries with vast territories. The rest are just the United States in North America and Brazil, which is controlled by the King of Portugal in South America. These can be considered to have vast territories."

However, Brazil is entirely tropical rainforest, and strictly speaking, the only advantage it has is its large territory, which is crucial for its future membership in the UN Security Council. Russia, on the other hand, still faces the problem of being sparsely populated despite its vast territory.

The British, they have cannons and warships, they can come and go as they please, they come and go as they please.

"That is precisely why General Suo is so eager to promote warships. Can even the general's flagship be sold? These are national treasures, not ordinary things."

Although Yonglin was unreliable, he tried his best to adapt to the job when his elder brother asked him to do it.

Solovyov could answer that question.

"Such large ships are found in France in the form of the 'Marseille Chamber of Commerce' type warships, which were originally built with funds raised by the King of France and various local chambers of commerce. Although they are giant ships, they are also agile in handling. The 'Grace' is modeled after the 'Trinity' of the French Grand Vincent de France in Luzon, and is somewhat cumbersome. However, both are powerful warships with 120 'General Cannons'. If there are ten of them at sea, even if the British have a thousand warships, they will not be a threat."

But the Qing Dynasty might not be able to buy it; this is just talk.

After all, this costs money. By the Jiaqing era, due to the development of the Qianlong-Jiaqing school of thought, the Qing Dynasty, while cutting back on expenditures, also knew that it was sometimes necessary to increase revenue, and was not completely useless in economics.

However, this approach also slows down the progress somewhat.

Moreover, even if the warships were on sale, Emperor Jiaqing would probably still feel the pinch.

The ten brand-new first-class battleships alone cost more than one-tenth of the Qing Dynasty's silver reserves, or 9% of its annual income, not to mention the need to grit one's teeth and build even more warships.

There will definitely be people who oppose this.

Even a second-hand warship would probably cost 200,000 taels of silver.

However, given the Russian Navy's capabilities, the number of warships docked in St. Petersburg is already astonishing. So what difference does it make who gets the ships?

Alexander actually did this kind of secondhand ship business, selling them at a discount or even giving them away, once for Spain.

But in any case, it all depends on the Qing court's attitude.

Yonglin was quite knowledgeable about firearms and cannons. Even if it wasn't the "Weili" that his second nephew carried on his shoulder, which could fire in rapid succession, his other fast guns were still superior to the Qing army's standard matchlock guns.

Moreover, Solovyov's sales pitch was mainly focused on cannons and manufacturing technology.

The package included twenty muskets with each cannon, and also guaranteed that Qing Dynasty craftsmen would learn the latest wax molding method for cannon making, instead of the old clay mold casting method.

With such armed artillery emplacements, the still-capable elite Eight Banners troops, and the Mongol cavalry, they were still able to maintain a certain level of combat effectiveness.

However, if we encounter rebel forces that dare to engage in close combat, I will still have to serve as the transport captain.

Given the Qing army's current state, it's hard to imagine that just over a decade ago, during the suppression of the White Lotus Rebellion, it was an army where officers led the charge. (Although the one charging forward was Hailancha's eldest son, his second son was also a leader in attacking members of the Heavenly Principle Sect.)
The speed of the decline was unexpected.

The Green Standard Army might have collapsed even faster than the Eight Banners. During the Qing-Burmese War, Empress Fucha's nephew, Mingrui, was able to hold the rear and fight against the Burmese army, eventually dying from severe injuries and exhaustion.

The Green Camp's influence waned even further during the reigns of the Jiaqing and Daoguang emperors.

Solovyov had much more to say, but it all depended on the Emperor's final decision.

Moreover, the following day was a banquet to be held in the Hall of Preserving Harmony. Emperor Jiaqing summoned princes, ministers, and important officials in Beijing. In addition to the banquet, he also wanted to display the tributes from foreign envoys.

After reviewing the gift list, Emperor Jiaqing was even struggling to decide what to give in return.

The Russian envoy also had to negotiate trade. If such "tribute" could not be exchanged for trade, it would probably make the Celestial Empire seem rather stingy, unlike the Ming Dynasty before it.

Although Emperor Taizu Wu and Nurhaci, the old Khan, were the Dragon and Tiger Generals of the Ming Dynasty, they couldn't learn everything from him.

As for the emperors and civil officials of the Ming Dynasty, their ultimate fate was predictable.

No matter how cowardly the Song Dynasty was, its eventual demise could still be considered heroic.

Starting with Emperor Chongzhen's hanging from an old crooked tree, each dynasty in the Ming Dynasty was more humiliating than the last.

Of course, going back in time, there were some people who lived off the legacy of Zhu Yuanzhang and his son Zhu Laosi for two hundred years, losing to Vietnam and then to Burma, and now they had nothing left to lose.

The boxes that have been brought out in front of the Hall of Preserving Harmony are indeed worth seeing.

As for the scrolls carried by people, they also contain a lot of information.

There are many portraits of people in this collection, and each portrait is listed below with their names.

One of the paintings is a portrait of Alexander the Great and his family.

Above are the Empress Dowager, the Tsar and Empress, seven girls, three brothers beside them, and Constantine's daughter, Sophia the Elder.

Individual portraits are also on display, as well as a scroll depicting the three monarchs at the front lines during the Battle of Leipzig, showing the most intense period of the battle.

There is also a panoramic painting of the Battle of Borodino, but it is divided into several parts.

Solovyov himself appears in the scene at the Fortress of the Convex, drawing his sword and leading Russian soldiers in a counterattack.

Upon seeing this, the Jiaqing Emperor was also somewhat curious. In Europe, apart from a few cavalrymen who were equipped with helmets and breastplates, most soldiers no longer wore armor.

Furthermore, it can be seen that the infantry used muskets with ring-shaped bayonets or bayonet mounts, while only the officers carried handguns and swords.

Following this were presented jewels, enamelware, clocks, and various handicrafts. All of them appeared quite exquisite, reflecting the performance of the Russian Tsar and his army on the battlefield.

Solovyov has not yet been summoned inside; he is waiting outside the Longzon Gate, where his family is also present.

Because of his family's circumstances, the Jiaqing Emperor specially bestowed upon Katya a sedan chair, which was a special favor.

"General Suo, you may enter once the tribute gifts are displayed."

"Thank you, Eunuch E. I just don't know what His Majesty's arrangements are for today."

"The seating arrangement will remain the same as when the Prince hosted the banquet at Ziguang Pavilion, but His Majesty has granted the General special permission to sit closer."

This can be considered a blessing.

The presentation of gifts is still ongoing. After the handicrafts and books, various military standard equipment and models are being presented.

This collection includes repeating muskets, cavalry swords, binoculars, revolvers, military maps, compasses, and various staff implements. The largest actual item, besides the oil paintings, is probably a hot air balloon capable of taking flight.

Following behind were models of warships, cannons, trains, and various fortresses, as well as 120 fine warhorses "tribute" from the Kyakhta Port.

No military riding horses were presented as tribute, as Solovyov still had some use for them.

After being fed three times in Batavia, Guangzhou, and Tianjin, most of these horses are still alive and in good condition.

If we're on the road later and have to fight some ignorant little country, we might be able to use it.

The horses contributed were all of carefully selected and bred breeds.

This also included six Akhal-Teke horses, which were obtained from the Khanate of Khiva.

In addition, there were two Arabian horses. When these fine horses were brought over, the Jiaqing Emperor, who was somewhat weary from reviewing memorials for days due to the long ceremony, was immediately impressed.

Men skilled in riding and archery, from emperors to ordinary commoners, all had this attitude when they saw a fine horse.

This is essentially the best supercar available today, how could anyone not like it?
"What a magnificent steed! Even Emperor Wu of Han's heavenly horse couldn't have been more impressive!"

Only after all the horses had been presented could the envoys and their families from various countries enter.

Today, Emperor Jiaqing also invited the Empress, several high-ranking concubines, the wives of his three brothers, and his father Emperor Qianlong's most beloved tenth sister.

The identities of both sides were corresponding according to the emperor and the envoys of various countries. It was because the gifts were so excessive that Jiaqing changed his previous strategy towards the British and specially arranged for them to be seated in the place of honor.

As for Solovyov's entrance, just like when they met at the Hall of Supreme Harmony, he was dressed neatly, wearing medals, and carrying a cane.

According to him, this was considered "holding the imperial staff," and the palace guards had already checked it.

When they met the Jiaqing Emperor again, they could simply kowtow, and the process was greatly simplified.

However, at this time, Emperor Jiaqing also had the chief eunuch read out an imperial edict.

Solovyov and Ney were granted the privilege of not having to kneel, but only needing to bow in ordinary manner, while Katya, being a Russian princess and a noblewoman, only needed to greet him in ordinary manner.

Of course, this was the first time that the women in the palace, including Emperor Jiaqing himself, had ever seen a foreign woman.

Aside from Katya having a larger nose and more defined features, making her resemble one of the Russian zonalmen, there's nothing else particularly remarkable about her.

Lisa hadn't fully grown up yet; she had a gentle face and, although she resembled her father in many ways, her eyes and figure were like her mother's, though she was a bit too small.

When Emperor Jiaqing finished exchanging greetings and everyone took their seats, he made a point of having the Russian envoy and his family of five sit closer together.

Ney was on the other side, next to the emperor's three brothers, all of whom were noble princes and dukes.

"Minister Suo, it was only today, when I presented this gift, that I realized Russia is also a wealthy country, and it also has rare items that are scarce in our Celestial Empire."

"Your Majesty, this is also a state gift carefully prepared by foreign ministers and rulers. There are also contributions from various countries, which Your Majesty must have seen on the gift list."

"Such extravagance! I think we should be more frugal. It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality."

Emperor Jiaqing was still somewhat fearful after being defeated by the White Lotus Rebellion, and he was still diligently saving money.

"His Majesty resides in China, which is rich in resources from all over the world. The things he uses must also be exquisite."

"It is still not advisable to be extravagant. Next time you come to 'contribute,' we should not do it this way. I already know the Russian ruler's sincerity, and naturally I should return the favor."

When Jiaqing spoke, he also gave him a way out.

The gifts given in return were not "bestowed"; rather, it was a sign that both Russia and France had lowered their stance, thus earning equal treatment from the superior nation of China.

As for the gifts that Emperor Jiaqing bestowed upon the monarchs of various countries, there is also a very long list.

The Jiaqing Emperor had also heard about the current situation in Russia. Since there was no son, succession would have to be passed down from brother to brother. He still wished that Alexander would have a son.

However, given Louisa's current physical condition, and as she gets older, it's likely that she and her husband will find it difficult to have more children.

The Jiaqing Emperor was also moved by the scene of brotherly affection and respect within the Russian royal family.

"In this light, it is indeed as Suo Qing said. The four brothers of the Russian king possess the virtue of Taibo and Yu Zhong, as well as the wisdom of Ji Zha. Their harmonious relationship is truly rare."

After all, his two older brothers and his younger brother were still alive and healthy.

Unlike his grandfather's time, the struggles were not as intense.

Of course, they are brothers born of the same mother, so their bond is even stronger.

The list of gifts given in return shall be read aloud once more.

Solovyov was also somewhat surprised after hearing this.

It is said that the reigns of Emperors Jiaqing and Daoguang marked the transition from prosperity to decline, with Jiaqing being frugal and Daoguang even resorting to stinginess.

The gifts that Emperor Jiaqing bestowed in return were merely personal favors bestowed upon the envoy the day before yesterday.

This time, it wasn't just the royal families of various countries who received the rewards. Even King Imrena of Madagascar, who was accompanied by his two brothers, received a reward because these rare and exotic animals were unheard of and unseen before.

Of course, Russia received the most, and each soldier also received a reward. This time, it can be said that Jiaqing spent a lot of money even though the national treasury was still relatively full.

Even though Solovyov was exempted from kneeling, he still bowed and paid his respects to express his gratitude for the Emperor Jiaqing's gift.

The envoys from various countries then bowed in gratitude, and after the exchange of thanks, the royal banquet began. (End of Chapter)