Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Formal audiences begin at the government level first, and then with the royal family.

Solovyov and his group had a relatively smooth trip.

When presenting their credentials, Prince Talleyrand, the head of the French Empire's government and prime minister, accepted them.

Talleyrand came out leaning on a cane. In the Qing Dynasty, no one ever went to court with a cane, let alone the head of government.

In the Ming Dynasty, he was the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet; in the Qing Dynasty, he was the Chief Minister of the Grand Council. In short, he held a very high position. Except when they set off, Lord Dong Gao was quite old. However, he seemed to rarely use a cane.

Talleyrand's leg was broken when he was a child, which is quite different from the usual situation. If it were in the Qing Dynasty, it probably wouldn't have much to do with the imperial examination.

But perhaps Talleyrand and Newton preferred China's system, where they would always have a chance to rise to prominence.

However, Talleyrand's scheming tactics had to be adapted to a different approach.

The talks between the two sides mainly reaffirmed the trade agreements between the Qing Dynasty and France.

It just so happens that the young French emperor's official title is emperor, unlike the Bourbon, who is just a king.

This made things proceed relatively smoothly.

Through the translator, Talleyrand also learned of the Qing emperor's attitude, and therefore expressed his hope to have further trade activities at the future trading post in Guangzhou.

Zhaolian can make the decision on this, since the overall tone has already been set and there shouldn't be any major problems.

As for the Tuileries Palace, it is connected to the Louvre. After the meeting, the French delegation, led by the Duke of Corancourt, participated in various activities.

The meeting place for the young emperor was then changed to the Palace of Versailles.

The main reason was that Catherine wanted to put on a grand show and project an air of importance.

This would make things a bit cramped in Paris, making it more convenient at the Palace of Versailles.

Moreover, many high-ranking French nobles will be present there at that time.

During Napoleon's time, he was always on campaigns abroad, so there weren't many court activities.

Now that Europe is at peace, it's time to put it into practice.

Our trip to Versailles will have to be postponed by one day.

During this time, Talleyrand encountered a minor problem.

The British Embassy sent someone who said that if Prince Talleyrand could arrange for the ambassador to meet with the Chinese delegation at Versailles, he would have to pay £20,000.

That's not a small number either.

Talleyrand will definitely take the money, but he also has his own considerations.

It's just a meeting; at most, we'll arrange for someone to say hello.

Whether the other party is willing to agree is another question.

After all, Talleyrand could tell that although the Chinese emperor's delegation paid attention to etiquette and even learned about the precautions of European diplomacy in advance, they were still somewhat unfamiliar with it and could show some discomfort.

There's something to be done here.

Moreover, the British only require meetings or something similar; it depends on their mindset.

This money came in way too easily.

Mr. Talleyrand preferred to accept the francs from Alexander, as it did not require foreign exchange settlement, could be withdrawn from French banks, and could also be transferred, which was very convenient.

But Alexander had many demands.

I'm worried that the British might cause trouble again in the future.

Solovyov, on the other hand, seemed to have anticipated the British actions. Even before Talleyrand brought up the matter, he had already instructed Zhaolian to make preparations at the luncheon.

"When Your Highness meets the British, you must not utter a single truthful word. You only need to feign compliance. Also, if the British do this, you can test them in return."

"I know that."

In short, they make no promises whatsoever and just keep whining and laughing.

But Zhao Lian also found it rather strange that this widow and her child could stay in Paris so well.
Catherine did have one advantage: her family was incredibly powerful. No other French queen's family had such influence.

Zhao Lian also met many soldiers in France, but he was worried that these military leaders would follow the example of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.

However, the French army, having entered the modern era, did not exhibit such warlord tendencies in this regard.

The military is mostly comprised of various interest groups.

If it were someone else, they might not have this concern.

Zhao Lian was simply too well-read. Compared to some Qing Dynasty princes, whose knowledge level was appalling, it was like the difference between the Himalayas and the Philippine Trench.

The journey to Versailles was quite easy, and there was no need to rush.

Unlike the Qing Dynasty, which arranged for foreign envoys to stay in Haidian, the Qing Dynasty delegation this time was arranged to stay in suites at Versailles Palace.

This is also related to the differences in the court systems on both sides, and Solovyov has offered some explanations on this point.

Moreover, the Qing Dynasty did not establish an embassy in Paris, so the Solovyov family could live on Mont Blanc Street. Many European nobles also owned property in Paris.

That's how the accommodation was arranged.

In any case, when Catherine was taking care of the children, she lived in Little Trianon, separate from the main architect.

When the Qing Dynasty delegation arrived, there was a grand welcoming ceremony.

Escorted by the Queen's dragoons, the delegation's carriage also entered the Palace of Versailles.

The guards lined up on both sides were Napoleon II's personal guard. This guard regiment was stationed at Versailles Palace and was a result of Napoleon's previous military expansion.

The old guard is now divided in two: one group followed the emperor to the Caribbean islands, while the other veterans remained in Paris.

Even these guards looked quite imposing.

Zhao Lian and others also realized that Solovyov's assessment of the European army was definitely not exaggerated.

In addition, there is the firing of cannons to welcome guests who have come from afar.

This palace was not as solemn and majestic as the Forbidden City; instead, it was resplendent with gold and jade. According to the French translator accompanying us, many parts of it were built during the reign of Louis XIV.

Louis XIV and Emperor Saint-Baptiste had previously exchanged official correspondence, but only Louis XIV's letter reached China by sea; the letter sent overland was not received because Peter the Great refused to allow it to pass.

Compared to its neighbor Russia, the Qing emperors were actually more interested in France.

Many missionaries from France and the Low Countries also came to China and were still highly valued during the Jiaqing period, but only in the areas of astronomy and translation.

Therefore, the Qing Dynasty had some understanding of France. However, France rarely sent missions on its own initiative, and they did not have any trading posts near China. Thus, the European missions received by the Qing Dynasty, apart from the ungrateful British, were mainly Portuguese who wanted to protect their interests in Macau, and Dutch who were obsessed with money.

The Portuguese were able to provide the Qing Dynasty with some intelligence, while the Dutch were mainly friendly. The British, however, were truly uncooperative.

The Qing emperor's delegation has now passed through the garden where the ceremonial guard was located and has officially entered the palace.

Guided by palace attendants, Soryon and her entourage arrived at the Mirror Hall, where the envoys were received.

Although this place is used for everyday purposes, it also represents the highest level of hospitality in diplomatic settings, and the French side certainly performed their duties in terms of etiquette.

In any case, it is only polite to reciprocate. When the Qing Dynasty delegation walked on the red carpet, they also saw the mother and son sitting on the throne.

In fact, Catherine was not very old, only 29 years old at the time. Becoming Empress Dowager at this age was somewhat forced upon her.

But Solovyov saw Maria sitting there beside him, this time with only their two daughters.

This signal is, to put it mildly, terrible.

For Napoleon II, this was his first appearance at a major diplomatic event since his ascension to the throne. The boy was not shy at all; he showed glimpses of the adventurous spirit of the Bonaparte family and the love of lively social occasions of the Rothschild family.

This is very convenient, as Solovyov has explained.

Meanwhile, Zhaolian also performed a single-knee kneeling ceremony.

They also had to follow suit with phrases like, "This foreign subject is sent to your country by order of His Majesty to pay respects to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor."

"No gift."

After Catherine finished speaking, Zhaolian and the others stood up and presented the jade ruyi.

This jade ruyi was prepared only for two major powers, which can be seen as an affirmation that France and Russia were countries of equal status with the Qing Dynasty.

The three emperors recognized each other, and diplomatic occasions were relaxed and pleasant.

At this moment, Napoleon II had to step down from his throne to accept the jade ruyi.

Children also like pretty things, especially jade ruyi (a type of scepter) in their hands, it feels great.

He even replied, "Thank you, thank you for the gift from the Chinese emperor."

Despite being so young and making her debut, she performed quite well.

The scene at the reception that followed was quite different.

The Empress Dowager invited Zhaolian to dine at the same table, along with her third sister Maria and the Solovyov couple.

This is why Solovyov's translations were more reliable than those of the French translators, allowing him to hear some interesting stories from the East.

Having lived in France for a while, Catherine has become somewhat like the locals, but it's rather strange that she still doesn't have a lover.

But there will probably be more in the future; right now, her focus is on the children.

However, the young Napoleon II insisted on calling Solovyov "cousin".

Although Zhaolian had heard Solovyov mention it before, she never expected that their relationship had become so close.

However, there are some problems. Demid is Solovyov's son-in-law and Napoleon II's cousin.

Demid married Solovyov's daughter, and Solovyov also had a child with his aunt. When Zhaolian heard this, she thought they had returned to Hetu Ala and Shenyang.

They don't have a formal marriage, but it's still chaotic enough.

Demid was quite tactful; after his father-in-law returned from China, he also called him "father." This made the French think he might be a sycophant, but Zhaolian and others were much more used to it.

However, among European nobles, not only were the seniority system chaotic, but their private lives were also somewhat chaotic. Solovyov was one of the more clear-headed ones in such a chaotic place.

At least things at home are well-arranged, and it can be considered that the two people are in love, but there are no strange things.

After all, his appearance was considered barbarian by the Qing Dynasty, albeit a barbarian who had always admired the rule of the emperor.

Of course, what made everyone satisfied with this meal was that France is a culinary powerhouse in Europe, and there were quite a few rare and precious ingredients on the table.

But those foie gras dishes... Solovyov always felt that they tasted more like duck liver than the previous ones.

In diplomatic settings, such matters should not be discussed, especially since one is representing Catherine's family.

"Misha, what do you think?"

"The taste is alright."

The problem is that Ekaterina even took the initiative to ask, trying to cater to the child's tastes while also engaging in conversation.

Solovyov felt that she had been acting strangely lately, after not seeing her for two years.

Probably.
Think back to when Maria and she were both little girls, they lived in the same room, and their habits were somewhat similar.

Isn't it?

It's best to avoid any trouble. Solovyov has already slept with Maria and had a child; it's better to avoid such problems.

Solovyov was already a good friend to women enough and didn't want to cause any more trouble.

"This year-long journey must have been very arduous."

"I have indeed broadened my horizons considerably, Your Highness."

The situation is alright now; her level of ambiguity isn't as high as Maria's.

In the past, Maria had forced me to work illegally in a small dark room, and Princess Elena had to pay for it all. Those days were part of my youth.

Solovyov is now middle-aged, so his mindset is naturally quite different from that of a teenager.

Then there were balls, theatrical performances, and hunting trips; in short, the hospitality in Paris was of a very high standard.

The play "The Chinese Orphan" is a re-arranged version of the original.

Although it seemed a bit strange, Zhao Lian realized that the Frenchman did indeed have some goodwill towards the Celestial Empire.

During this time, Talleyrand also arranged for the British ambassador to meet with Zhaolian, but he was fobbed off with hums and haws, and no substantial progress was made.

Moreover, what was even more troublesome for the British was that Zhao Lian also accused the British envoy of failing to even perform the most basic courtesies, unlike the French and Russian sides, who each made concessions.

It was also stated that when Britain sends another mission, they will still have to kowtow, a ritual that is mandatory for first meetings in the Chinese imperial court.

The situation was rather awkward for the British.

Even now, Lord Liverpool understands why this mission has once again ended in failure.

Parisian newspapers of various factions were also publishing the contents of the friendly trade clauses in the trade agreement between China and France.

Moreover, these newspapers were also collectively mocking the British for their failed diplomacy, and stating that when meeting the emperor in China, one must always observe proper etiquette, otherwise one would be regarded as a "barbarian".

The scene was incredibly lively. (End of Chapter)