Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

After the banquet began, Solovyov sat very upright, wanting to see what the host, and the even higher-ranking Emperor Jiaqing, would do.

During the Qing Dynasty, there was an emperor named Qianlong who disliked people who would put down their chopsticks before he had even finished eating.

Or rather, sometimes when he's in a bad mood, he'll find fault with whatever foot he's stepping through the door.

However, Emperor Jiaqing didn't have so many requirements. After the dishes on the table were finished, he would have a eunuch bring up a new plate.

This made Solovyov and the other Russian envoys feel at home.

After all, this is how dishes are served in Russian high society.

Why do the British often use French and Russian banquet serving methods?
Because both of these are good. If it were the British themselves, they would be very shabby, and the food wouldn't be very good either.

The only passable item was the fried cod and fries. Where did they come from?
Cod comes from the sea, and chips come from the New World; neither is native to England.

The British have a more pathetic history than the Americans.

At least the history of Americans, though short and filled with many unethical acts, still has some stories to tell.

As for Chinese cuisine, it is excellent.

Solovyov knew he couldn't boast about the meal that Kuajun had treated Emperor Gaozong of Song to, even though it was the most luxurious menu available at the time. But some things just couldn't be said.

After all, one was kneeling in Hangzhou, and the other was criticized by name by Emperor Gaozong of Qing. It's simply unspeakable.

What truly surprised Solovyov was that the Jiaqing Emperor himself rose and, holding a small porcelain bottle containing imperial wine, offered Solovyov a toast.

"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable."

"Alas, Suo Qing, you are unaware of this. In the past, when the Russian envoy came to our court, my great-grandfather, the Holy Ancestor Emperor Ren, also did the same."

Seeing this, Solovyov could only accept it.

Emperor Jiaqing was also pleased with the Russian envoy's actions; it was a special honor for the supreme emperor who ruled China to offer a toast.

However, after Solovyov drank, Jiaqing gave him another cup.

"Your Majesty, I am truly unable to hold my liquor. Although my mind is clear when I'm drunk, I might say something inappropriate."

"Then let's have another one."

Fortunately, Emperor Jiaqing only gave him a small cup each time, otherwise it might have been troublesome.

Given Solovyov's tendency to collapse after just one bottle when he's in bad form, he's likely to embarrass himself.

However, Ney on the other side has a pretty good alcohol tolerance.

The alcohol content of the imperial wine was also limited, and the drinking capacity of envoys from various countries had to be taken into account.

The smaller countries in the atmosphere group behind them suddenly got excited.

These guests usually had a good capacity for alcohol. When Jiaqing raised his glass, they followed suit, and everyone enjoyed themselves.

As for the performances in the palace, they were just for entertainment; they were merely going through the motions.

Solovyov was still thinking about what to do next.

At this point, he will have to make use of his limited alcohol tolerance.

We can't just sit there eating all the time. Katya has a high alcohol tolerance, but we can't let her come now because of the child.

The purpose of this trip was not only to pay tribute, but also to establish trade relations.

After he got up, he also greeted the Jiaqing Emperor.

Now that kneeling is no longer required, proper etiquette should still be observed.

After he stood up, he expressed that he had come from afar, had long admired the Celestial Empire, and was fortunate to be able to meet it in person. He also expressed his gratitude for the Emperor's great favor and said that as a foreign subject, he hoped to maintain good relations. For the sake of the friendship between the Qing Emperor and the Russian monarch, he would pay homage to the Emperor here and then offer a toast.

Emperor Jiaqing was satisfied with this outcome. Solovyov had been waiting for his word to grant the order to trade with Guangzhou.

However, Emperor Jiaqing was not in a hurry, and his reply was very simple.

"Since you are interested, Suo Qing, you should naturally draft a plan."

As for which personnel to assign, Jiaqing had already made preparations.

He even concluded by saying that Russia and France, in giving such gifts, should always be reciprocated, and that they should also express their gratitude to the countries in return.

Of course, if translated, the European envoys would have considered it a diplomatic return visit by the Qing Dynasty.

Moreover, they also supervised whether all the return gifts given by Emperor Jiaqing were delivered accurately.

As for their respective rewards, there are indeed many.

Solovyov was also surprised; Jiaqing's spending was far too extravagant.

However, the Qing Dynasty's annual national fiscal revenue, without issuing national bonds and relying entirely on small-scale peasant economy and limited foreign trade, was only slightly less than that of Britain, which had excluded national bonds, and was on par with France.

In comparison, Russia's fiscal revenue is far inferior.

Therefore, Jiaqing did not need to grit his teeth; he could simply use the utensils accumulated in the palace and some unused stock from the Qianlong era to bestow upon the monarchs of these countries an equivalent amount.

If we estimate the value, Jiaqing would have to give a return gift. Although the gifts were plentiful and the expenditure seemed high, there was actually still some profit.

It's worth noting that some items in the palace, after being used for a long time, would be sold to the market.

The utensils from the Kangxi and Yongzheng periods were exquisite, while those from the Qianlong period were of even better quality. Many items from the Jiaqing period returned to normal aesthetic standards and even had a touch of modernity.

However, this sense of modernity was probably picked up from the Song Dynasty.

Solovyov saw in the return gifts to Russia a string of official kiln imitations of Jun porcelain from the Qianlong and Jiaqing periods, as well as some artifacts from the Yongzheng period.

Upon seeing these gifts in return, one must once again offer thanks.

By the time they arrived at this point, the banquet was almost over.

Emperor Jiaqing then specifically stated that the trade requests from Russia, France, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Portugal could be negotiated and some of the requests granted under the leadership of the Grand Councilors and with the participation of the princes.

Apart from Portugal having Macau as a leased territory, it was permissible to establish trading posts there, but these would be subject to the management of Qing Dynasty officials; leasing out territory was absolutely out of the question.

The specific charter still needs to be negotiated. During this negotiation process, responses can be provided item by item according to the charters drafted by each country.

Upon hearing this, Solovyov concluded that Jiaqing was not confused. Moreover, he had witnessed Qianlong's actions towards Britain in his later years and had recently been thoroughly disgusted by Amherst. Now, every "gift" he was about to bestow was directed at the impudent British barbarians.

Missionary work has always been a concern for France, even though Napoleon II, who now sits on the throne, was just a child and inherited the fruits of the French Revolution.

However, missionary work and concessions were still out of the question for the Qing Dynasty at this time. As for trade and diplomatic missions, the former could be negotiated, but the latter depended entirely on how well the negotiations went.

Judging from the tone of Emperor Jiaqing's words, Solovyov believed that there was still a good chance.

The negotiating team he arranged was relatively lenient towards the envoys of various countries.

Although Chief Grand Councilor Dong Gao's name was on the list, he was too old to participate in important matters.

The person primarily responsible was Tuo Jin, a Grand Councilor of the Eastern Pavilion and concurrently in charge of the Court of Colonial Affairs.

And Zhang Xu, Grand Councilor, Associate Grand Secretary and concurrently Minister of Rites;

Three assistant ministers
Qingpu, Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs;
Cheng Ning, Minister of Rites;
Su Leng'e, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works;
As for Qingpu and Suleng'e, they were old acquaintances, and they accompanied him the whole way.

More importantly, a group of princes and ministers followed behind to listen in.

Leading the group were Prince Zhi, Mianning; Prince Mianzhi, representing his father, Prince Yi, Yongxuan; Prince Cheng, Yongxing; and Prince Qing, Yonglin.

The lineup of people listening in looks very impressive.

In addition, there were some imperial relatives, making it arguably the best lineup available at the end of the Jiaqing Emperor's reign.

Even Delin, the son of Fukang'an who had been demoted to Beizi and was in charge of the firearms battalion as a minister of the Imperial Household Department, came along.

As for his demotion from the hereditary position of prince, it was because he was not very capable.

This was a posthumous title of Prince of the Second Rank bestowed by Emperor Qianlong, an exceptional honor. Even Emperor Jiaqing initially granted it the hereditary title of Prince of the Third Rank, making it a special case among Manchu nobles.

The negotiation was indeed of a high standard, but Solovyov always felt that it was like watching a dissection table while someone was giving an anatomy lesson by looking at a corpse cut open along the abdomen.

However, there were also advantages. Under the Qing emperor's capital, these Manchu nobles were still around, and they even had a Han official in the Grand Council, with a Han minister in charge of the Grand Council behind them. Those Manchu officials who were always capable of causing big trouble could finally have some peace and quiet.

When Songgotu and Tong Guogang went to Nerchinsk to negotiate, Lao Duozi did not lose face, but Ma Zhongtang probably accepted money.

However, during Emperor Qianlong's reign, everything had to be reported in a memorial, leaving no room for those who tried to deceive their superiors.

However, if this emperor's level were to collapse to that of Jiaqing, it would be quite troublesome.

At least Emperor Jiaqing was able to identify problems, but he was constantly interfering with the imperial family and Manchu bannermen. Emperor Daoguang at least knew about maritime transport and salt administration. It's hard to say what level they will reach in the future, as some people are indeed not very competent.

This refers to Emperor Xianfeng and his wife.
Solovyov knew that with so many Manchu princes and ministers coming to the negotiations, he had to keep a good appearance and not lose face.

After the tribute mission was over, Emperor Jiaqing still had to review memorials, handle government affairs, receive ministers from all over the country who came to Beijing, and also take some time to stroll in the Imperial Garden.

Being an emperor is very hard and busy; if you also have personal hobbies, then time becomes even tighter.

Some people like to sing opera, some like to stamp documents, some like to be carpenters, some like to hold Buddhist and Taoist rituals, and some even like to cultivate immortality.

In fact, it's a good thing that some emperors had artistic hobbies, as long as they didn't make it so wasteful and burdensome for the people.

After returning to the palace, Emperor Jiaqing reviewed the gift list again and was still somewhat interested.

At this time, among the brothers, the one who could discuss art was still Prince Yongxing.

"Eleventh Brother, do you remember when Father Emperor was still alive, among the things the British paid tribute to us were astronomical instruments and telescopes? Russia and France also made similar contributions. They even said that all the stars in the sky revolve around the sun, so why couldn't Kuafu catch up with the sun?"

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, all things in the world are endless and cannot be fully known."

"Yes, it's impossible to know everything. Back in the time of the Holy Ancestor Emperor Renzong and our Grandfather Emperor Shizong Xianzong, there were quite a few foreign missionaries in the capital. The name Nan Mi De chose is probably related to Ferdinand Verbiest. It seems that during the time of the Holy Ancestor and when Father Emperor was alive, they were wary of Western countries. The Holy Ancestor fought several battles with Russia, and the northern border was stabilized. As for the British, I think Father Emperor was right to be so vigilant against them back then. But now, they've become too powerful to control. A significant portion of the silver that the Guangdong Customs pays to the British comes from them every year. We still need to take a closer look at the British issue."

"Your Majesty has your own insights."

“Eleventh Brother, you shouldn’t always say that I have my own opinions. As for the British, I don’t hear many honest words from my officials. It’s only my brothers and nephews who can have a few heartfelt words with me.”

Seeing this, Yongxing had no choice but to speak up.

The rivalry among the four brothers was already decided before Emperor Qianlong updated the edict of succession for the last time, due to Yongxuan's eccentricity, Yongxing's stinginess, and Yonglin's unreliability. Moreover, the four brothers had an exceptionally good relationship.

At this time, Yongxing's mind was not very clear, probably due to some problem brought up by his mother, Consort Jinjia.

The eighth and eleventh brothers often do some strange things.

But when he's clear-headed, he's quite capable, so he spoke up this time.

"Your Majesty, in my opinion, although trade with the British may bring benefits, it is not a long-term solution. If the British were to invade one day, it would be a matter of great concern to the late Emperor. We must take precautions and continue trade. Many of the words spoken by our ministers in the past were false, and there are fewer people who speak the truth to Your Majesty. However, I am also old and cannot share Your Majesty's worries. I can only observe things, but I cannot make decisions."

"That's enough. What I want are a few words of truth. Among the memorials submitted by my seventeenth brother are the words of the Russian envoy, which are indeed heartfelt."

"Perhaps Your Majesty would like to summon me again in a few days, so that we may be able to discuss some matters?"

"Does this seem inappropriate?"

"In my opinion, since he has come for peace, he naturally has something to say. He can speak frankly to the Seventeenth Brother, and he can also say a lot to the Emperor."

Although Yongxing was also a prince who was essentially AFK (away from keyboard), he always understood things.

He's not young anymore, and he doesn't want to get involved in these things.

I mentioned it briefly, and that was it.

This aligned with Jiaqing's idea, as he wanted to summon the Russian envoy for a private meeting. These foreigners, who could communicate without barriers, were young, energetic, and knowledgeable, making them a more convenient channel for understanding the Western world compared to missionaries.

These kinds of messengers come relatively infrequently, and they'll probably have to be replaced next time they come.

In addition, they wanted to discuss business, and the Russians clearly knew the proper etiquette.

If it were Emperor Qianlong, would he have first sent Fukang'an to see what they wanted to do and sign a contract? Moreover, the conditions they proposed were quite unreasonable. They wanted to trade with these conditions and even wanted an island for them to live on?

Then close the door and release Lord He. The words were well said, and the British envoy was very satisfied, but nothing was done.

The Russians were well-mannered and even offered to provide intelligence. Their demands, apart from wanting to open an embassy in the capital, were all acceptable.

Let's talk about it then. It just so happens that Solovyov gave Jiaqing the impression of being a walking encyclopedia. (End of Chapter)