Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 1073 The Qing Dynasty Delegation, which even somewhat overshadowed the main event.

Solovyov couldn't say it outright, and this was the only way to get rid of Sergei Volkonsky.

These matters will be discussed again later. When Alexander and his party arrived in Berlin from St. Petersburg and met up with Nicholas, the group was complete.

"Your Majesty, I have fulfilled my mission and returned safely from my mission to China. Except for one ship that ran aground in Cuba, the entire fleet has reached Europe and is heading towards the Gulf of Riga. We will be able to return to St. Petersburg before the Baltic Sea freezes over."

"Very good, you did very well this time."

Alexander still speaks the same way; formal occasions are where he truly shines.

As for the Qing Dynasty delegation that returned the visit, Solovyov introduced them to Alexander one by one.

Although this meeting in Berlin was not a formal occasion, it served as a preliminary exchange.

On my way back, Nikolai was getting married, which led to this early meeting.

The timing wasn't finalized, but Jiaqing's gifts had already arrived.

This is not surprising, because the Russian delegation gave so much that if they didn't bleed a little more, it would be a loss of face for the Celestial Empire.

Face is often considered very important by Chinese people, and a nation of etiquette must have etiquette.

The state gifts given in return for diplomatic protocol are on a separate list.

Nikolai is now truly getting married, so the wedding gifts for him are on a separate list.

Given Nicholas's current status, since Alexander and Constantine have no sons, the land will belong to Nicholas in the future. Therefore, many of the arrangements are nominally for the second in line of succession, but in reality, they are prepared for the status of the heir apparent.

Louisa had also passed the best time of her life, having given birth to seven daughters during her childbearing years. Alexander felt it would be a bit difficult for her to have a son.

The two of them have a relationship like that of an old married couple who have been together for over twenty years and are ready to stay together for life.

The number of mistresses around the Tsar has decreased significantly, which is also important.

However, many of Nikolai's relatives and friends from St. Petersburg will attend his wedding, and the Polish woman will also bring her daughters with Alexander to Berlin.

It must be said that Alexander's daughters are all exceptionally beautiful. The line of dolls refers to the younger ones, who are indeed very cute.

I believe that as they grow up, they will have many suitors.

In the palace, they were also quite well-mannered and polite, and would come out one by one to greet distinguished guests.

It must be said that this largely depends on the mother.

"They are growing up one by one, Your Majesty. It is time to find suitable grooms for them one by one."

"There's no need to rush, Solovyov. You've already brought your distinguished guests from China to Berlin, so why don't we meet here first? This friendship between our two countries can also be reflected in these friendly and mutually beneficial visits."

In fact, Alexander was sometimes influenced by Solovyov when he played with diplomatic rhetoric.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

As for Alexander meeting Zhaolian here, he also had to use the Prussian territory.

The Wuyou Palace was also a more suitable choice. After meeting Zhaolian there, she bowed as agreed beforehand.

In China, the custom is to kneel and kowtow three times and to bow nine times, as well as the traditional bowing ceremony. It's hard to say which is more complicated, but seeing such a grand display might evoke lingering memories of one's ancestors in Russians.

Even if the Mongols didn't come, the Rus' people still performed the grand ceremony of kneeling and bowing.

They embraced Orthodox Christianity, were invaded by the Mongols, and subsequently occupied the territory of the Golden Horde—all of which were necessary before Peter the Great cut off the Slavs' beards.

When Zhaolian met with Alexander in a non-private setting, Alexander simply offered him a seat and invited him to have a talk on an almost equal footing, which made the Qing Dynasty prince feel flattered.

When it comes to saving face, Alexander, who is very concerned about his image, can indeed satisfy other people's needs.

Zhao Lian, who was well-read, recalled that when the Holy Ancestor Emperor Renzong was still alive, he personally offered a toast to the Russian delegation, bestowing upon them special honors.

Alexander hadn't thought of that; he was merely making a gesture. The other party's status in Russia was roughly equivalent to that of a Grand Duke and a hereditary prince, and this was something that had to be taken care of.

The two sides were not on the same wavelength, but the results were very good.

Alexander was very satisfied with Zhaolian's respectful attitude, which was evident in her every gesture.

He also expressed high praise for the treaty brought back by Solovyov, but noted that the Foreign Minister was still in St. Petersburg and could not make a final confirmation. However, he requested that the Emperor's private secretary make a note of it at this time, so that it could be kept as a memorandum.

This passage emphasizes the friendly relations between the Russian Empire and the Qing Empire, confirms the current territorial boundaries, and states that there will be no further territorial disputes between Russia and the Qing Dynasty in the future.

However, Alexander also stated that Russia has always hoped to provide support to the Russian-controlled Kamchatka Peninsula and Russian-occupied American territories through the Amur River basin, and hopes that when the two countries cooperate further in the future, they can designate some navigable rivers and trade routes.

When Solovyov was translating, he never expected that Alexander was really good at giving people big promises.

Moreover, he probably treats the Qing Dynasty even more seriously than I do.
Zhao Lian was a little dumbfounded. This Russian emperor was too easy to talk to, and even too straightforward.

The two countries jointly dealt with Khiva, Bukhara, and Kokand in Central Asia, and also divided Kazakhstan and established a permanent border. Emperor Jiaqing did not object to this, at least in terms of the Kazakhstan and Kokand issues, the two countries had common interests.

Khiva and Bukhara were beyond the control of the Qing Dynasty, which posed a challenge for Russia.

As for trade facilitation for the Qing Dynasty, Russia offered a very generous deal: two trade routes extending from Siberia and Central Asia for Qing caravans to use, and Chinese trading posts could be opened in Kazan and Moscow.

If necessary, we should still establish an embassy in St. Petersburg.

That is, Alexander I. If it were any other Russian Tsar, they probably wouldn't be like this. Their style is inherently different from others.

Although he did not take into account that the Qing Dynasty was a closed country, the envoy sent by Jiaqing this time had not seen a Chinese delegation in Russia for more than eighty years.

Even if these benefits were granted, the Qing Dynasty would probably need a while to process them before considering whether or not to use them.

The trade regulations also clearly state that the two land ports of the Qing Dynasty were mutually open.

However, the opening of Guangzhou to Russia was a "favor" by the Qing Dynasty. Russian goods were also very popular in Guangzhou, which was mutually beneficial. Russia could also import various Chinese goods from Guangzhou, which was closer to the source of the goods.

It was perfectly normal for people from various countries to do business in the Qing Dynasty.

But did the Qing Dynasty want to do business abroad?

I've never heard of this. Since the Qing Dynasty, only during the reign of Louis XIV did missionaries bring believers to Europe, and even in China, very little is known about it.

Not to mention doing business, the Qing Dynasty continued the policies that the Ming Dynasty had long followed.

The opening of the seas during the Longqing era was only a short-term event; from the Ming Dynasty onwards, the seas seemed to have been closed off to the Chinese.

Of course, there are exceptions, such as the Zheng family pirate group in the past.

The Qing Dynasty, on the other hand, refused to recognize overseas Chinese residents, which naturally led to some stories.

However, considering the nature of these people, it's hard to say whether their existence is better or their absence is better.

These Russian trade routes might have been accessible to merchants within the Qing Dynasty, but for the court, they were beyond their comprehension.

Many things still need to be processed gradually.

Zhao Lian already felt that the Russian emperor was doing things that were a bit too much.

However, at the end of the meeting, Solovyov also mentioned the problem.

"His Majesty acted according to European rules, but never considered that Your Highness came from the distant East."

"I see. However, this matter requires further consideration and review by His Majesty. A decision cannot be made before then."

"That's true, but His Majesty is probably quite satisfied. In that case, the trade regulations can be passed once we return to St. Petersburg."

"Very good, then I can return to the Emperor to report back."

Next, the main event in Berlin is the engagement ceremony of Nikolai and Charlotte, which will be attended by relatives and friends from both sides.

Prior to this, Prussia had also wanted to take advantage of the situation, but they had not sent any envoys. Instead, they had drafted an agreement, intending to sign a new trade treaty the next time Prussia paid tribute.

However, for Prussia, their occupation of West Prussia and western Poland, control of many grain-producing areas, Baltic grain trade, and industrial output were already enough to feed them.

Prussia didn't have any noteworthy colonies overseas. Sending people to China would only get them a few nice words and some tribute in exchange, and that was about it.

King FW himself was aware of this, so he simply treated him to good food and drink, knowing that Prussian merchants would likely still need to utilize the maritime trade networks of France and Russia in the future.

In addition, Archduke Charles and Queen Maria Theresa – the former Little Cake Princess – came from Madrid, which was quite unexpected.

Now we can announce a European reconciliation right here.

The marriage alliance between Russia and Prussia was based on a clear relationship between the two countries. Britain always sent a representative, so the Duke of Clarence and the Duke of Cambridge came. They were easier to talk to and had many connections with the Russian monarch and his ministers.

This was also the first time that an envoy from the Qing Dynasty had come to Europe.

Zhaolian even met Goethe, a literary giant in Europe at the time, who was also quite interested in Eastern culture.

As for Goethe's numerous magnum opus works, not only was his output astonishing, but he was also an amateur scientist.

Zhao Lian brought three Hanlin scholars with him. Despite neither side understanding the other's language, they had a very pleasant conversation with the help of a translator.

Goethe also lamented that he was too old to travel across the ocean to China like his younger friends.

But it was a rare stroke of luck that Solovyov was able to introduce a friend with such high literary talent to Europe.

Moreover, Goethe had previously been limited by the translations he received. These were either poems and novels introduced by England and France, or philosophical classics and poems and novels that Solovyov had translated during his youth, now in Europe in their original form. Naturally, he was eager to acquire books and also hoped to obtain some culturally significant souvenirs.

Like Solovyov, who always carried the fan of Ji Da's pipe, the kind he never let go of since he returned.

Zhao Lian had made preparations for this; he and the three Hanlin scholars each inscribed words and affixed their seals to Goethe as a parting gift.

Goethe also presented her with his latest collection of poems, and, following the practice of Qing Dynasty envoys, he also wrote some maxims and poems in return.

Although this exchange of songs was a cross-server chat and required a translator, both host and guests enjoyed themselves immensely.

Goethe himself came to Berlin from Weimar at Maria's invitation.

For a time, his villa in Potsdam also became a venue for literary salons.

This time, all those who came were literati and scholars. Among the women, those who did not have some talent in poetry and music were not allowed to attend.

Solovyov was forced to take on the role of entertaining the guests at the salon.

Making friends through literature, and even chatting across servers, it's amazing how enjoyable it is for literary people to connect.

Fortunately, the prince and the three scholars who came were all very skilled, and they were introducing Chinese calligraphy at the moment.

Solovyov had to go up and write a few strokes of Yan Zhenqing's calligraphy, and he also got a rubbing of Ouyang Xun's calligraphy on the way. He also had to represent Europe and demonstrate the art of calligraphy.

Even in a situation like this, one cannot lose face.

Long Ruyan was skilled in painting. When Lin Zexu became friends with him, he wrote a poem for the cabbage that Long Ruyan painted.

Here, he also wielded his brush and ink, painting a pair of mandarin ducks playing in the water, and then composed a poem on the spot, with Zhao Lian providing the text and Niu Jian and Yan Botao offering their comments.

Next, each of them stamped their seals.

This production speed also shocked the European literary circles present.

Of course, the composition of this picture is also very clever.

Mandarin ducks playing in the water also symbolize congratulations on the engagement of Nicolas and Charlotte. Whether it is painting, calligraphy, poetry, articles or seals, they all reflect the profound Chinese culture.

Before the ink was even dry, everyone who saw it praised it.

Long Ruyan was somewhat influenced by the painting manuals he had read before. He was favored by the Jiaqing Emperor and had seen many of Lang Shining's paintings, as well as the works of many other great painters, which allowed him to integrate and master them.

As for these European friends requesting calligraphy, there are some minor inconveniences.

The Xuan paper brought from Europe, used in this way, will probably need to be imported from Siberia again to meet the demand.

European paper and Chinese Xuan paper represent different branches of the same technological path.

In this way, it might even boost the paper trade for the sake of Chinese art.
(End of this chapter)