Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

"I think you have some schemes here. After all, you are a first-class general who has led an army of 200,000. Now you only have a few thousand soldiers. How can you deal with this?"

"Your Majesty, could you lend me two captains and six hundred soldiers?"

When Emperor Jiaqing heard that he wanted to borrow troops, he was stunned for a moment.

"Minister Suo, do you still want to borrow troops from me?"

Although the fighting strength of the Eight Banners troops has been declining, it also depends on the region.

Solovyov actually wanted 600 Solon soldiers, but without that foundation, Jiaqing wouldn't give them to him.

"If Your Majesty wishes to borrow heavenly troops, how about I return to Your Majesty a Ryukyu Kingdom that is solely loyal to the Celestial Dynasty?"

"From your daily words and reports, I know you are a man of great military talent. Now you want to borrow six hundred soldiers, which is nothing more than to borrow the prestige of the Celestial Empire. Your own elite troops can probably treat the surrounding countries as mere weeds. Moreover, I also know that Russia and Japan have a grudge, and it is very difficult to mobilize elite troops from the West. If we can borrow troops, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Is this your intention?"

Emperor Jiaqing did reign for over twenty years. Although he was more mediocre than Emperor Qianlong, he was still above average for a competent emperor.

Solovyov borrowed 600 Manchu soldiers to show the Qing Dynasty what powerful ships and cannons were, and how Europeans fought.

Moreover, these 600 soldiers will have to be returned to Jiaqing later, and after things are settled in Japan, they will need to be transported back by troop transport ships.

Not all of Solovyov's fleet was going to return home.

Among them, the armed merchant ships of Sukup were intended to remain in Southeast Asia to conduct trade. Even when the Qing Dynasty's Guangdong Customs needed to dispatch troops, two or three of these merchant ships would be sent to Guangzhou to obey orders.

Those troop transport ships and treasure ships, fully loaded, returned with the main fleet.

Some of the vacated ships immediately began operating in the North Pacific and East Asia, as Russia still needs to maintain a presence in these regions.

From this perspective, it seems that Jiaqing's army can indeed be borrowed.

However, Emperor Jiaqing also wanted to show Europeans the might of the Qing Dynasty's Eight Banners elite troops.

To be fair, the soldiers in the Ruijian Battalion are quite good.

Solovyov believed that this was probably the last elite Qing army outside of the Eight Banners outside the Great Wall that could still maintain a disciplined formation and dare to engage in hand-to-hand combat.

If this army were given to him, it could naturally be developed into an elite force, at least at the level of the elite grenadiers in the Russian army.

Each Niru (a military unit) has a Zuo Ling (a military officer), and each Niru has three hundred men. Selecting the elite from among them is sufficient.

If Emperor Jiaqing were to borrow troops, Solovyov would also introduce the "Far East Mutual Defense Agreement." If Russia's colonies in the North Pacific were attacked, and the Qing Dynasty were to learn of this, the Governors-General of Guangdong and Guangxi would have to stop supplying Russian merchant ships docked in Guangzhou in accordance with the emperor's edict.

If the Qing Dynasty were to accidentally go to war with a major European power, Russia would have the option of arbitration and mediation, as well as the ability to intimidate its homeland from Europe, thus securing a ceasefire.

The secret agreement stipulated that the Qing Dynasty would provide some assistance to Russian ships in supplying them through the treaty port of Guangzhou.

Of course, according to Solovyov's wishes, the Russian side had to pay.

There have been instances before where Russian warships were repaired in France, but the French failed to pay for them, resulting in the warships being seized by the French and incorporated into the French Navy.

In this way, the obligations of both parties in the secret agreement are still largely equal.

Each side should provide assistance; if this were in Europe, the power of this mutual defense treaty would likely be even greater.

In addition, the Qing Dynasty had a million-strong army, which sounds like a very large and somewhat frightening scale.

However, the bows used by the Green Standard Army archers were not as strong as the Eight-Strength Bow that Emperor Qianlong broke, and the bows used by Emperor Jiaqing were of a higher quality than those used by ordinary Qing soldiers.

As for broadening one's horizons in this way, it's not necessarily a bad thing.

Although Emperor Jiaqing was conservative, he was quite concerned about the Ryukyu issue, and therefore agreed to Solovyov's request.

"Your Majesty, I have another request."

"Apart from this matter, there is nothing more. For the remaining matters, Minister Suo needs to discuss them with the Grand Council, the Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, and the two Ministers of the Ministry of Rites."

In fact, Emperor Jiaqing was already showing exceptional leniency because he had a good impression of Solovyov.

Upon hearing this, Solovyov knew that he had found a way.

"If His Majesty grants permission, may Russian merchant ships fly tribute flags when they travel to Ryukyu and arrive in Ningbo?"

Emperor Jiaqing couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.

"You, Suo Qing, I had anticipated this. You come from a merchant family, and although you have a title, you inevitably have some of the vulgarity of the marketplace. I will grant you this favor, but at that time, you will only be allowed merchant ships approved by the Russian Emperor, no more than four at a time, and to travel to and from Ningbo twice a year."

"Thank you for your grace, Your Majesty!"

Solovyov originally thought that no matter how good-tempered Emperor Jiaqing was, he would find it difficult to agree to such a bug-exploiting thing according to the rules of the Qing Dynasty.

However, during his months in the Qing Dynasty, Solovyov made such a good impression that he gained the trust of Emperor Jiaqing, who granted his request, which was considered a huge favor.

Solovyov even went back and, because he and his son were both shareholders of the Russian-American Company, they were naturally able to send merchant ships to Guangzhou.

This channel for exploiting the bug was in his own hands. Ships returning to Europe would be able to do so because the local customs duties were very low when the fleet arrived in Ningbo, and the Zhejiang Customs did not have many corrupt practices. Moreover, the Zhejiang Customs was known for its excellent service during the Qianlong era.

The Dutch also preferred to land at ports under the Zhejiang Customs. Unfortunately, after the British filed a complaint in the 22nd year of Qianlong's reign, Qianlong, who had originally planned to close the Jianghai and Zhejiang Customs to foreigners, finally decided to restrict trade to Guangzhou.

This can be seen as the reward that the Solovyov family received for winning over Emperor Jiaqing.

If this privilege were to circulate only within Solovyov's own company, it could bring in even more profits in the future.

It would be a pity to give away the trade privileges he worked so hard to obtain.

However, this was also considered a diplomatic achievement, and the secret agreement was only known to the emperor and the Grand Councilors. For matters that were granted special permission, the imperial edict would only be sent to the Governor-General of Fujian and Zhejiang and the Governor of Zhejiang.

On the return trip, Solovyov will also confirm this.

When they returned to Europe, it naturally caused a sensation.

Emperor Jiaqing waited until February to go to Dagukou to observe the troops.

At that time, the Russian Guards will perform live-fire exercises and various tactical drills in front of him.

In addition, the emperor himself also wanted to see those giant ships.

No matter how law-abiding Jiaqing was, he was still a normal man with a strong sense of curiosity. Even though he was already old and middle-aged, it was impossible for him not to be curious about such a large toy.

According to the descriptions of the ministers who received the Macartney mission back then, as well as the reports of various admirals and generals, this thing was much larger than the British ships.

Even Qing Dynasty officials found it strange that Russia's warships were so large and had even defeated the British, so why did they say that the British were stronger?
After all, they knew nothing about naval power. The treatment the Jiaqing Emperor bestowed upon the Russian and French delegations was unprecedented.

After all, they gave so much that many of the Qing emperors' return gifts were not completed until the first month of the twenty-second year of the Jiaqing reign.

The imperial porcelain supervisors in Jingdezhen were also busy for a while.

Only then were all the necessary porcelain pieces packed and shipped to the capital for inspection by the Imperial Household Department.

But as for calligraphy and paintings, I imagine there aren't many people in Europe who can understand them.

Therefore, the items given were mainly porcelain and various handicrafts, representing the current achievements of the Qing Dynasty's handicraft industry.

However, it is still somewhat inferior to the Qianlong era.

"The items bestowed by His Majesty are all of the highest quality. We hope that General Suo can transport them to the Western Ocean."

"Your Excellency, please rest assured. The Emperor's delegation will also be traveling to Europe, and I will assist in the matter of offering condolences. These items, representing the Emperor's great favor, will naturally be delivered to the palaces of the various monarchs and princes."

After the pleasantries were over, it was time to begin the final negotiations and the formal signing of the treaty.

Solovyov's primary concern was trade, and the charter presented by Tozin allowed for the addition of two more trading ports: Guangzhou and Tarbagatai.

In addition, there was the secret shipping route of the Zhejiang Customs. If Solovyov could appease the Satsuma Domain and get the shogunate to recognize Ryukyu as a vassal state of the Qing Dynasty, thus relieving the Satsuma Domain's oppression of Ryukyu, it would be crucial.

Therefore, this secret shipping route from Okinawa was equivalent to giving Russia a small bonus.

The extravagant practices and customs fees should also be explained to the Russian merchant ships and listed in detail.

The Qing Dynasty's response was one of agreement; some of the outdated customs were abolished, but some still existed.

Now that the prices are clearly marked, even a simple-minded foreigner can understand them.

Regarding the establishment of a trading post in Guangzhou, the Qing government made some concessions, allowing the Russian trading post to be established in Guangzhou, and according to the Russian side, it could also have certain consular functions.

As for the matter of opening an embassy in Beijing, even though Emperor Jiaqing had a good impression of Solovyov, he did not agree to it.

Only after the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi reported to the court and received its approval, were the Russian merchants in Guangzhou permitted to come to Dagu Port to report matters to the Governor-General of Zhili.

This is something the Russian side can accept, after all, there are still Orthodox churches in the capital, and these priests who only know how to drink on weekdays will eventually need to be replaced by a group of efficient ones through the Patriarch of Moscow.

Otherwise, we would be outdone by the French missionaries.

Consider Ferdinand Verbiest, who received a posthumous title during the Qing Dynasty—an honor that Qing officials might not be able to obtain even after a lifetime of hard work, and a unique achievement among foreigners.

The main concerns of both the Qing Dynasty and Russia were concentrated here.

The plan to expand the Eight Banners, increase the number of Russian bannermen, and increase military strength, as well as to have a group of Cossacks renounce their allegiance to the Tsar and come from Siberia to the Qing Dynasty, was also approved by the Jiaqing Emperor.

These teams are all under the jurisdiction of the Bordered Yellow Banner's Zuo-ling (military units), and the number is tentatively planned to increase to six Zuo-ling.

According to the original Zuo Ling (military commander), another 1,500 people will be added here.

As for bringing Irish people to the Qing Dynasty, Tojin did not object to it, but it would have to wait until the people arrived before they could be incorporated into the two Red Banners.

As for the foreign instructors to be trained in the future, Tojin also proposed that these people should be considered as military officers of the Qing Dynasty, receiving salaries and acting in accordance with the laws and military orders of the Qing Dynasty.

That is, instructors in guns, drills, and military service, and the Russian side will have to carefully select the best candidates.

Solovyov didn't think there was a problem, after all, Russia had plenty of officers and adventurers.

It cannot be ruled out that there was a group of people who came to the Qing Dynasty seeking excitement.

At that time, he would be able to find a group of honest officers with no background who were having some difficulty getting promoted in the military.

Recruiting soldiers for the Qing Dynasty shouldn't be done in a grand manner, lest a bunch of troublemakers be brought in.

Solovyov knew best that to hold a place, you needed a tenacious and resilient officer.

This isn't about the Qing Dynasty's Eight Banners entering another pass; it's about guarding the coastal forts. He knows exactly who needs to go.

Solovyov didn't see anything wrong with Tozin's requests, so he agreed to them all.

In addition, all the military supplies provided to the Qing Dynasty had to be inspected at the two ports of Kyakhta and Tarbagatai, and the handover was handled by the Russian governor-general and the Qing general and minister in charge.

The number of weapons that come every day is not small.

The warehouses are already piled high with all kinds of weapons and equipment captured by the Russian army in various wars.

In particular, with the Ottoman Empire as a case study, the Russian army captured tens of thousands of rifles of various kinds from them, and the number of artillery pieces was also astonishing.

There was also the Lumi musket, which the Qing Dynasty was not unfamiliar with.

In the combat environment that Fukang'an used to be in, flintlock muskets were sometimes not very effective.

Even some of the Russian army's active-duty artillery could be provided to the Qing Dynasty.

The issue of warships will be discussed between the two sides in Kyakhta in the future.

The reason for the negotiations in Kyakhta was simple: it was a border crossing between the Qing Dynasty and Tsarist Russia, and only Qing and Russian officials, merchants, and nearby Mongolian herders were present. The negotiations were kept very secret.

Of course, this was already an overachievement for Solovyov.

Moreover, the treaty is equal, and neither side suffers any major losses, except that Solovyov's knees were a bit sore from the trip.

After the Russian envoys left, Tojin and Zhangxu still had to sign a treaty between the Qing Dynasty and France with Ney.

As for what these treaties are called?
Because the agreements were signed at the Yuanmingyuan, they became the "Imperially Approved Trade Regulations between the Qing Dynasty and Russia at the Yuanmingyuan" and the "Imperially Approved Trade Regulations between the Qing Dynasty and France at the Yuanmingyuan." At least both countries had equal diplomatic status, and the Qing Dynasty did not regard them as tributary states.

As for Emperor Jiaqing, the French actually held some advantages in diplomatic channels because of the presence of French missionaries.

When Solovyov mentioned this, he wanted to once again angrily denounce those drunkards in the church who, despite not having many restrictions, could only stay idle indefinitely.

If they had been able to play a role in the past, this time they wouldn't have had to go to such lengths.

As for the other countries, they continued to operate at the same level as the tributary states.

Only the Netherlands and Portugal received some preferential treatment because they are long-time partners.

Overall, everyone was satisfied, having obtained the desired trading licenses, especially the trading post in Guangzhou, which could operate independently but was still subject to the jurisdiction of Qing officials. (End of Chapter)