Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 1031 What's it like to launch a hot air balloon at the Old Summer Palace? (Part 2)
“Zijia, we are all in the Hanlin Academy. All we can do is study the classics and pay more attention to national affairs. When something happens, we will naturally be of use.”

As they spoke, they saw carriages heading towards the Old Summer Palace, with some people on horseback ahead of them.

Upon closer inspection, they were all foreigners.

Those in green are naturally Russians, while those in blue, who came from the vicinity of Haidian, appear to be French envoys.

Long Ruyan and Lin Zexu, among other Hanlin scholars, had met missionaries and translators from various institutions.

However, they did not know much about Western affairs at this time.

It was quite unexpected that the foreigners were so proactive this time.

Solovyov, being a military commander, also rode a horse here, and the woman sitting in the carriage was naturally a "foreign woman".

Katya is not very mobile now, but Jiaqing intends to invite her whole family.

As for the female relatives, inviting them here is also convenient for their recuperation.

Solovyov was worried that if his wife gave birth, it might actually happen in the palace, which would cause quite a stir.

It wasn't in the Prince's Mansion; it was probably in this way that he was summoned to the Yuanmingyuan Garden, if you calculate the timeline.

It might happen early next year, around the time I just boarded the ship.
Sometimes, some people just can't control themselves.

As for the Qing Dynasty officials he saw here, Solovyov recognized some of them as Hanlin scholars.

"It's Shao Mu and Zi Jia. They've arrived quite early today."

"The military commander arrived quite early."

"After all, this matter was initiated by me and was approved by the Emperor, which is why it was able to proceed."

"However, does the General know that His Majesty is the Son of Heaven? How can he act without fear?" Long Ruyan was not as curious as Lin Zexu; he was merely asking a core question out of good intentions.

In France, Louis XVI had Louis XIV's saying "I am the state," and he also had a fondness for mechanics and lock picking, so there were no obstacles.

Steam cars, steamships, and hot air balloons were all first invented by the French, and Louis XVI even encouraged their invention.

In the context of China, the Qing Dynasty was still at the peak of a centralized feudal dynasty.

Solovyov also has something to say about this.

"If a child is playing with a kite and it gets carried into the sky, what would that mean?"

Long Ruyan was also somewhat bewildered after hearing this.

"If birds are flying in the sky, what does that prove?"

"As for Qin Mi and Zhang Wen, you already know what the General is saying here."

"I wonder what insights Shao Mu has?"

"Naturally, it is used by the military to spy on the enemy's strength, but it moves with the wind, unlike the locomotives mentioned by the military, which can be moved on the ground by a mechanism. What if it goes up to the sky?"

"If it is feasible, please take a look, both of you."

Solovyov took out a piece of paper and, quite mischievously, made a paper airplane.

"That's right. If someone could operate it, it could also fly by a clever mechanism."

That would be an airplane, but it's unlikely to be available right now.

But the paper airplane went straight into the carriage.

Solovyov knew that his wife was in a bad mood and he had to coax her.

However, since Lisa, who was sitting inside the plane, grabbed it, it wasn't a big deal.

Amidst their mischievous antics, Katya, as the matriarch, is perhaps the only one in the family who, while sometimes quite playful, always maintains a ladylike demeanor in social situations.

Solovyov was glared at by his wife, but nothing happened.

After all, in the eyes of his wife and mistress, he was sometimes a big bad fox.

Mihrima treated him as her master and took very good care of him.

"Is the general also afraid of his wife?"

"My wife is a princess from a noble family, and the marriage was arranged by the emperor; moreover, she is young."

Even when he explained, it was always in a rather subtle way.

Lin Zexu and Long Ruyan both smiled but remained silent.

It turns out that this man, while not afraid of his wife, did show rare respect for his young wife.

If they knew that in Europe, it was considered charming for aristocratic couples to have lovers outside the marriage and for the women to be pursued by more nobles.

Most people would probably say that this was barbaric behavior.

Emperor Jiaqing has not yet decided who to send to Russia for a return visit. The journey is not short, and it will take a long time after setting sail.

They went to Europe, unsure whether to admire the ingenuity of the mechanisms or condemn the decline of morality.

Upon entering the Yuanmingyuan, Emperor Jiaqing was already waiting there.

He hadn't expected that those who arrived early today would be envoys from Russia and France, as well as two scholars.

Neither of the two envoys had to bow.

Emperor Jiaqing may have been strict with himself, but it was difficult for him to be harsh on corrupt officials.

There is really no deterrent effect, so these corrupt officials are still rampant.

However, those loyal ministers were willing to follow him because he usually showed them kindness.

This could be considered an advantage, but it also brings some trouble when a dynasty is on the decline.

"Suo Qing, are you really going to board the hot air balloon?"

"I am deeply grateful for Your Majesty's kindness, and this is not the first time I have ever ridden this ride."

Ney, who was standing nearby, also mentioned that there was a French marshal named Masséna who liked to rob and was always eyeing other people's treasures. He even rode in a hot air balloon to observe enemy movements.

Of course, Remusa cut out a large part of what he was saying in the middle. Nei knew he had cut that part; he was telling Solovyov.

Solovyov understood French and had a good relationship with the old, roguish bandit, so he didn't extract Ney's long passage.

With Nanmid not around, Solovyov had no choice but to suffer internal injuries from holding it in.

"If, as you two ministers have said in the past, there are many good generals and brave soldiers who are willing to lead from the front, then the two kings will have nothing to worry about."

"However, with the British barbarians there, they cannot sleep peacefully. If the two countries become stronger, then the British barbarians will also find it difficult to sleep."

Emperor Jiaqing agreed with Solovyov's answer.

What kind of country makes others feel uncomfortable being around it?

Britain will definitely get the most votes, after all, his son is usually only interested in profit, but sometimes he's even foolish enough to suffer a setback for the sake of morality.

The British, on the other hand, have always been the type to seek out trouble with others.

Solovyov's purpose was to establish trade relations with the Qing Dynasty and to sign a secret agreement so that he could take measures if the British took any action in the future.

Besides strengthening the Qing army, another purpose was to ensure that the Russian army would be closer to the British genitals when it set out.

They were talking about India. Solovyov and Jiaqing mentioned Kokand in preparation for future military action against Afghanistan. Whether it was forming an alliance with the Pashtuns to go to India or conquering the region, both were feasible options.

Starting from Khiva and Bukhara in Central Asia, and passing through Afghanistan, one enters a relatively fast route.

At this time, many areas were not yet under British control, and Solovyov might face a proxy war with the British. However, whoever could seize territory or expand their power in India faster, and establish a relatively stable rule or form an alliance with the locals, would gain an advantage.

The relationship with the Qing Dynasty was similar; if diplomatic relations could be established, it would be very meaningful for weakening Britain in the future.

However, Solovyov's method could only save the Qing Dynasty temporarily.

Father Ma and King Hong, born in 1814, will eventually bring a lot of trouble.

However, at this point, all of this is just speculation.

"You should also know that some people in the court oppose your hot air balloon project, but I think it has some merit, which is why I specially granted permission today."

"Looking down at the monarch is disrespectful. Foreign officials can all guess their reasons. Such matters are to some extent related to Confucianism. When foreign officials were in Guangzhou, they discussed the railway with Mr. Pan, the head of the Tongwen Company. It was probably the same thing."

What is a railway?

"Let us wait for the foreign minister to descend from the heavens and answer the emperor's questions."

Anyway, he's here, so it's easy to summon him anytime.

As for the winter scenery, the Yuanmingyuan Garden still exists, thanks to the snowfall a few days ago, which has covered it in silver and white, meaning that the roads in the palace have all been cleared out.

The Jiaqing Emperor himself was already seated, with a brazier placed in front of him for warmth, which was also to take care of the young prince and a delicate female relative.

But on ordinary days, the Manchus still had to go hungry. Solovyov had only thought it was strange before, but after seeing it, he realized how serious it was.

Therefore, he specifically instructed that his son must not go hungry inside the mansion.

The princes knew that the way Russians raised sons was quite different from that of the Qing Dynasty.

Solovyov personally taught his son knowledge because he was very knowledgeable; otherwise, he would have hired a tutor long ago.

Meanwhile, in front of the hot air balloon, Pasha watched as her father discussed with the pilot how to launch it.

On the ground, you also need to find a place to moor and secure it with a thick cable.

Once everything was in place, Solovyov himself naturally went up.

"Does Suo Qing really intend to go?"

"Your Majesty should know the story of Zengzi killing the pig. Since the foreign minister has already agreed, he should naturally try it himself."

Besides, I've been up there many times before, so this is nothing.

"Since you are going, who will ride with you?"

"There is a charioteer, with an official assisting him, and two passengers are needed. I wonder who is willing to go?"

To be honest, Prince Zhi Minning himself was eager to try.

Although he'll be stingy in the future, he'll still have his curiosity.

Moreover, he was extremely skilled in using firearms. If the Qing Dynasty's soldiers had the prince's reloading speed, the British would be terrified.

Back when the Heavenly Principle Sect was active, his rate of fire was record-breaking. Moreover, while he was loading his own ammunition, he also had eunuchs help him load it, so for a time his firepower was comparable to that of a semi-automatic rifle.

However, given his current identity in Jiaqing's secret edict, he would not be allowed to go.

However, among the military generals, there were still some who dared to be bold.

Ancheng, the second son of Captain Hailancha of the Solon clan, inherited the title after his nephew died young.

Although this man was not as powerful as his father and brothers, he was still a good man.

He volunteered, and Jiaqing wouldn't be surprised.

After all, they are still considered Soren people, and their fighting strength speaks for itself.

Some military officers have already agreed to go, and the civil officials naturally cannot lag behind.

Solovyov was surprised to find that these "bookworms" from the Hanlin Academy were quite enthusiastic about going on the hot air balloon.

Apart from the two academicians who did not stand out, the learned scholars among them also wanted to come up and give it a try.

Those who dared to go up there must have some courage.

"If you climb to a high place and look out, that would be a wonderful thing."

Emperor Jiaqing was in a dilemma, but Solovyov looked at the Hanlin scholars and said something.

"Although one can climb high, it is more than ten feet above the ground. If one has ever climbed a mountain to look down at the ground from the cliff, it is extremely dangerous. Only heroes can go there."

While everyone's wishes are understandable, once the hot air balloon is up there, we should ask everyone if they are afraid of heights.

“If that’s the case, I come from Fujian and am used to walking mountain roads, so I might give it a try.”

Lin Zexu said this, and Solovyov knew that he was determined and had the courage to do so.

"If that's the case, then in this cold season, why not drink some wine to warm ourselves up?"

When you're high in the air, you definitely need to eat a lot, especially high-calorie foods.

When it comes to drinking alcohol, it naturally has to be served hot.

The scholars were quite envious, as the Emperor had indeed prepared venison and hot wine for them today.

After the hot air balloon was ignited, the entire balloon was inflated.

On the Qing Dynasty side, the civil and military officials, who had never seen a hot air balloon before, were also amazed.

However, this is just a large Kongming lantern, which is a kind of stereotype among people in the Qing Dynasty.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the four of them bid farewell to the emperor, civil and military officials, envoys from various countries, palace maids and eunuchs, and the onlookers outside.

The first thing people saw was the huge silk hot air balloon, with a yellow dragon flag on one side and a double-headed eagle on the other, representing that Russia had gifted the hot air balloon to the Qing Dynasty as a testament to the "friendship" between the two countries.

Whether it can fly or not is a topic of much discussion.

But they didn't understand the underlying principles, while Solovyov was very confident that nothing would go wrong.

This kind of flight has been done many times in Europe, and the silk fabric he used this time was ordered from France.

As for this huge thing, it has now been heated up and confirmed to be safe before the four of them slowly took off.

"Your Majesty, it's flying!"

The eunuchs nearby, though they also believed the thing could work, couldn't help but crack their voices when they saw it for the first time.

Emperor Jiaqing remained calm and was not particularly shocked.

However, the officials standing nearby were already somewhat shocked.

No matter how well we understand the principles, the fact that foreigners can create this thing and go straight to the sky is outrageous.

Those who came to watch from outside the palace walls were dumbfounded.

"This is weird! This thing actually flew up, and it's such a big one."

"Could it be that this Rakshasa has some kind of sorcery?"

"No, the Emperor is watching from the side. Besides, we can see from a distance that several other officials have gone up there."

Amidst the astonishment of everyone present, the hot air balloon slowly ascended, reaching its designated flight altitude.

Since it's just a demonstration, flying a hundred feet would be enough to make it seem like a proper flight.

(End of this chapter)