Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 104 004 Russia Should Not Only Have Russian-American Companies

What has recently made Tsar Paul unhappy is actually the profit sharing of the Russian-American Company. After they merged together, although there was profit, according to the company reports, it was obvious that the four companies were operating in several different regions. However, no matter how "beastly" they were managed at that time, there was still some competition.

Doing this now can be said to be a one-time act of draining the pond of fish, which also led to a sharp decline in the profits of these fur merchants in 1799.

It was this question that Paul raised as he returned to his office in the Winter Palace.

"We don't need a company that operates at a loss. If they can't even manage the franchise granted by the emperor, we can build a new company opposite theirs to compete with them!"

Paul was really a little angry. The environment of this area of ​​Russia connected to Siberia was also harsh. Although there were rich resources buried underground, it was not yet time to develop them. Moreover, Russia's territory was vast, and the output was often not transported out. The losses in the process were shocking.

Especially when a country's territory is concentrated in such a cold region, even if it obtains some ice-free ports and islands in the Far East as strongholds, it will be difficult to use them.

"Your Majesty, if that is the case, you may as well issue an imperial edict to the Russian American Company's office in Petersburg and the company's headquarters in Irkutsk, ordering them to make improvements."

"That won't work. The Tsar of all Russia is not the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, who travels around the territory and even has a mobile court. Our country is so vast that we can't adopt the methods of the Alemanni."

He was making good use of the French word for "German," and Kutaisov knew that at this point in time, there was no way to rectify the situation at the Russian American Company.

"Your Majesty, then you may consider using your trusted confidant to handle this matter."

At this point, Paul began to sigh, he only had a younger brother and a younger sister, it would be great if Anna could grow up, if she were to get married now, the Queen would only find a son-in-law for her in the country, and a brother-in-law could be sent to take on this task.

Paul cherished his only younger brother very much. After the death of his mother, the Queen, he made him a count. This brother has now started a family and a career. His wife is a German noble in the country, which may be of some use to him, but not much.

And when Paul counted the nobles who were related to the royal family and could contribute to these matters, there was not even a single male one. The one he was talking about was the Count Skafronsky family. This family was a branch of the brothers of Empress Catherine I. The former ambassador to Naples was the only male representative of this family.

The Russian royal family's marriages were mainly with German states. There was no descendant of Prince Alexei's branch. He knew that his sons, Alexander and Constantine, were too high in rank. Nicholas had just begun to receive tutoring.
If his incompetent father had a useful illegitimate son, Paul would have accepted the matter with a pinch of nose. After all, he couldn't put all the property in the name of his most trusted brother, and his daughters were destined to marry abroad.

As for the claims of other illegitimate children, Paul has a say. After Alexi and Anna, he has never seen his queen mother's belly bulge!
"It's only when you need them that you realize you don't have enough relatives."

Russia's overseas operations can actually be carried out by establishing colonies and trading posts in relatively empty areas of Africa, or by renting ports in allied and neutral countries.

This required that we should not fall out with Britain. The Netherlands, which had always been relatively friendly, was now under control of its homeland, while the British had long coveted the East Indies and Ceylon and were ready to take action.

There is a simple way to solve this problem, which is to attack Persia directly. Although it deviates from the original plan of marching into Constantinople, it is also more convenient in the Caucasus.

This is also the reason why, starting from the Empress, three generations of Russians have caused trouble for Persia, but they have always been minor ones.

But after thinking about it, he decided that the only option was to ask his brother and sister-in-law's relatives to solve the problem.

The Countess's father was Baron von Ungern-Sternberg, and her mother was from the German noble family of Tickenhausen. The most prominent member of this family was Ivan Andreevich, the Empress's loyal chamberlain. Her younger brother and sister-in-law's family was in any case related, and the relationship had been certified.

This was the only way at the moment, and his brother's wife had always been liked by his wife. Queen Maria liked this sister-in-law very much and often summoned her when she lived in Pavlovsk and Tsarskoye Selo.

But it was rare for him to summon this lady.

What can be confirmed is that the two families are very close cousins, and Count Tickenhausen did not make any arrangements for their marriages.

"Your Majesty, my mother is indeed very close to Ivan Andreevich, and is not a distant cousin."

"That's perfect. I've thought about developing an overseas business. I had this idea after returning from Kotlin Island."

"But Alexei already has a job. If Your Majesty gives us too much in reward, it would be too much of a favor to our family."

Yes, in addition to palaces, jewelry and manors, the Tsar's rewards to his brother also included a number of profitable businesses in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Tula and Ryazan, and even recently a 3% stake in the Russian-American Company.

"I know that, so I considered that I would need the help of Count Tickenhausen's family, your mother's family, Anya."

It was just that the Tsar always had a whim, and when he heard about the clipper ship, he wanted to try it. He had already thought of the brand of this company, and he was indeed full of malice towards the British, "Russian South Sea Company".

Think about the modern bubble crisis caused by the British, which was comparable to the Ponzi scheme of the "Tulip Mania". These business-loving people are like this, they can always create bubbles.

Moreover, the Russian Tsar was not too worried about establishing good relations with African chiefs and kings, because they really had black nobles here. The descendants of General Hannibal, after several generations, had no obvious difference in skin color and still had the characteristics brought by their grandfather.

"The Emperor is not being whimsical this time. He must have thought of this after returning from Kotlin Island. He just wants us to make preparations."

There are still many places along the coast of Africa that have not yet been occupied by colonists, so there are still opportunities.

But Africa also had all kinds of terrible diseases. The West African coast was still okay, and there were still a few countries in the inland areas that actually went back and forth between slavery and feudalism, and the trade there was mainly slave trade.

Since the Dutch were engaged in the immoral slave trade, Paul was against serfdom. However, due to the poor state of his own country, he was very slow in implementing a three-day decree. This only gave the serfs a break and prevented them from being bought and sold at will. However, he could not accept the blatant slave trade in Africa.

He still remembered his friend Louis XVI and his wife who had lost their heads. The little cake queen did not like to regard black slaves as "objects" or "property". The little black slave presented to her was adopted as a nominal son, and someone was sent to teach him skills. Louis XVI also acquiesced to this practice. Although it sounds a bit abstract, the French royal family did not like slavery. When Marie-Thérèse was in St. Petersburg, she also mentioned her adopted brothers. One of them seemed to have died in the army. She also remembered that the little black man learned the skills of locksmith and carpenter in the courtyard of the Palace of Versailles.

But she probably didn't know that her "black brother" also died of illness.

Paul's thoughts at this time were rather naive, but it was also true that he was eyeing the Netherlands' overseas colonies.

Whether Russia's "South Sea Company" can be established depends on how quickly the Tsar acts. His understanding of the world is not only through the huge Russian map, but also through places overseas.

In the past, when the Tsar was chatting, he heard his younger brother talking about geography. Although his younger brother might not have other skills, he had the ability to dig. When his two nieces got married, in addition to sending gifts, he also submitted a memorial to his royal brother, stating that coal mines had been dug in Ryazan, and the output was not low.

Although he was "my stupid brother", the Earl was still very competitive. He helped his brother a lot in the few projects he was good at, especially mining.

This was what Solovyov wanted to see most. He stood guard for the Tsar for a whole day. At dinner that day, the Tsar suddenly called him and the two brothers, the adjutants of the Putin regiment, and three Guards officers to go to the bedroom of the Crown Prince.

"Your Majesty, why did you go to His Royal Highness again?"

"It's nothing. As a grandfather, I want to see my granddaughter."

But Paul was really ugly, and Tonya had become accustomed to her grandfather's face. When Maria was picked up, she burst into tears.

"It seems that I am not good-looking. Children are honest, especially babies who can't speak."

He then did not hand his granddaughter over to the nanny, but to Major Solovyov.

"Misha, I heard you're good with kids."

It must have been Maria who told them, for she was Paul's favourite, and she must have said something to the Tsar.

Solovyov even felt that he might have owed Maria in his previous life, otherwise this would not have happened.

He already had this idea. Apart from the idea in his head, he was not too different from the Russians around him. Just like another major who recently came to the Crown Prince's Guards, if he rubbed his face, he would look like a handsome middle-aged uncle. He would say the same thing in Germany.

Solovyov stroked little Maria's back like this, and after placing her in the crib, he began to gently pull the child's arms.

What she made now was no longer crying, but she started laughing as she found it very funny.

"Major, you really have a way. It would be better if you were a maid."

But when Paul thought of this, he remembered a painting of Elena, "Officer in Maid's Clothing", and the model was this boy. He was indeed very handsome, and if his title was not too low, he would really like to arrange a wife for him from a high-class family.

He actually thought of arranging such a husband for Maria. Anyway, his third daughter had said so when she was gossiping. He could even arrange a hereditary earl for him.

Paul's idea was simple. After all, he didn't want all his daughters to get married during his lifetime. Thinking of this, he was even a little afraid that in the future, all five of his precious daughters would marry abroad, and except for Alexander and his wife, they would all move to their own palaces, leaving the Tsar's palace empty.

After all, he couldn't imagine how many children Louisa would have, nor could he imagine his own fate.

After finishing reading, the Crown Princess came to see her father-in-law.

"I'm so sorry, Lisa. I made the child cry just now. After all, as a grandfather, I'm not that good-looking. Alexander isn't here?"

"Your Highness went to Count Stroganov's house today. The Marshal's nephew and his daughter are going to be formally engaged there."

"Ah, that's a good thing, Lisa. You should also participate in more social activities and not always leave Alexander outside."

"Your Majesty, I just prefer to be with children, not only my own. If my brothers and sisters had children and raised them in the palace, I would also like it. You know, Elena vomited this morning. I asked Countess Skafronskaya to see her, but the doctor couldn't confirm it because it was only five weeks away from her wedding."

Louisa said this as if she wanted to convert the Crown Prince's apartment in the Winter Palace into a huge nursery. She was too partial to children.

Paul was not too surprised by this matter, but he was more worried that Elena was too young (she was indeed going to give birth to the heir to Mecklenburg this year), and a very young woman would be at high risk during childbirth.

As for Alexandra, it was the same. Paul was afraid of all these things, and as a father he was also quite worried.

This is indeed one of the strange "cursed" names in the Russian royal family. Alexei was no longer used because he was the crown prince of Peter the Great. Two girls named Alexandra died in childbirth, and one died of meningitis at the age of 7, so there were no girls with this name anymore.

Then, Nicholas II used both of these cursed names at that time, and since Paul had also had a daughter named Olga who died young, it was not surprising that his family ate peanuts together in the mine.

After all, these names are poisonous. Paul did meet a charlatan who told him that girls from royal families should not be given certain names. He also told him this when he was fortune-telling for Alexandra and Elena, along with some superstitions. If these two girls can get through a difficult time, they will experience hardships in their lives but will still be happy.

Paul, a devout believer, still believed some of what the fortune teller said, especially since superstition was very serious in the Russian countryside. If Paul had become the Tsar, his decrees would have been supported by the serfs. Otherwise, Peter III would have been "pretending to be dead" all day long.

(End of this chapter)