Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 108 008 This scene is too useless to learn

In addition to the Tsar's decrees against speeding carriages and stray dogs, his obsessive-compulsive but effective decrees also included making the buildings in Petersburg look like chessboards with distinct colors. The reason is that Petersburg is located in a high latitude and there were no street lights at that time. People trapped in the cold can use the weak light to find guardhouses and rescue stations for help.

Some of the things he did may seem strange to modern people, but they were also very reasonable.

But keeping cats at home is a common practice among Russians.

Solovyov also has cats at home, and he can also see cats in many places such as the palace, the city and the countryside. This is a Russian custom.

The Tsar himself preferred horse racing and dog walking, while cats belonged more to the female members of his family.

It was Soloviev's first time to visit Maria's bedroom. It was not like the usual impression of a princess' room. The wallpaper was a carefully selected sky blue, the cabinets were piled with sheet music, and there were various musical instruments in the room. On both sides of the bed, there was a piano on one side and her favorite instrument, the harp, on the other. Her Highness herself was now leaning on a recliner and playing with a cat.

It's just that Solovyov always felt that Maria's cats, dogs, and canaries
"Your Highness, don't you have any mice here?"

"Don't mention rats, Major. They are my greatest fear."

Her configuration here took these species into consideration, and the only reason this bedroom was not demolished was because there were no rats.

The white paws and fur color of the cat in her arms easily remind people of TOM.

What he was thinking about was that he had a white female cat at home, which had recently given birth to a litter of kittens of all colors, but he didn't say anything.

If these kittens grow up a little bit, his yard will definitely be able to accommodate them, and he will also give some of them away to other families.

"But there aren't necessarily rats in the palace."

"I saw it in the Winter Palace, and fainted from fright."

The Queen called you "Dragoon", why are you so frightened? It's just a rat, right?
Solovyov thought so but did not say it out loud.

"I'm not afraid of this thing, but rats are indeed a dangerous pathogen and must be eliminated in the palace."

"You are a Royal Guard. If you are afraid of rats, that would be weird!"

What Maria said was right. Solovyov came here with another mission, which was that the women had to go out on horseback. Alexandra, Elena and Anna were all in the carriage. The queen asked Maria and Catherine to go out on horseback today.

The Guards officers in Pavlovsk will also accompany Their Highnesses to select horses.

After putting the cat down, Maria, accompanied by her maid, walked through the corridor to the palace stables in Pavlovsk.

"Your Highness, you have grown taller. But I don't recommend you to ride a horse that is too tall. You have to consider that when a woman rides, both legs are on one side, which is too unstable."

Solovyov went to get a Siberian pony, and after petting the horse, he confirmed that there was nothing wrong with it.

"Your Highness, this is good enough."

"So what kind of horse are you going to ride?"

"Me? The new breed bred by Count Orlov is quite good. He recently presented several horses to the palace. The emperor himself doesn't ride this kind of horse, so it's a good deal for us, the officers of the Imperial Guard."

After all, this is the earliest Orlov trot horse bred. Although it was bred by Count Orlov, who was said to be "not good at riding", it is also very famous. It is the main horse breed in Russia and has a very docile temperament.

The unfortunate third of the five Orlov brothers lived in exile during the reign of Tsar Paul. He wanted to test the Tsar's attitude towards him by offering him a horse.

However, most of these bred horses are now in the royal stables, and are ridden by Guards officers. Although the Tsar did not allow Orlov to return to his country, he never confiscated any of his property. He only said that if he wanted, he could choose to return to Russia.

But such a speech was not enough to make the earl dare to make the decision to return home, and he could only continue his self-exile.

The horse that Solovyov chose this time is a second-generation gray Orlov trotter. The riding feeling is very comfortable. Perhaps the huge hooves and special horseshoes of the horse can also play a role. The stability is really strong.

"It would be great for the cavalry to have a horse like this on the battlefield!"

Solovyov thought so, and after galloping around, he turned back.

But he is a guard, and when he goes to the battlefield in the future, he will probably be with the infantry, not the cavalry.

"You are a very good rider, Major."

In response to Maria's praise, Solovyov said: "Your Highness, the Guards are not only infantry, but also more professional cavalry. My good friend Prince Dolgorukov of the 'Blue Hussar' is a very good rider."

Although the key words were separated when this series of comments were raised, Ekaterina blushed. It was not known whether this girl really liked the prince or whether it was because of the feeling of being held in the prince's arms after she fell recklessly.
It sounded like what she meant. Maria saw her sister blushing and wondered what the little girl was thinking.

"Everyone must have a great time on this trip today."

This is what she said after meeting the Queen, but it turned out to be a cross-country horse race for several Guards officers who were sent to escort her.

They also wanted to show their faces in front of the empress and unmarried girls. The two grand duchesses might be married abroad, but the empress and the maids around them were all favorites of the tsar and descendants of famous families, so it was necessary to win the favor of these girls.

Every girl in every family hopes that her "prince" is handsome and capable.

Solovyov had run a lap before, but it was only because he couldn't hold back after choosing this good horse.

You should know that the Orlov Trotter was an excellent breed for horse racing and carriage racing for a long time in the 19th century. It was only surpassed by the American Trotter in the late 19th century. After that, it was revived through continuous breeding and cultivation. It is an extremely excellent horse.

Owning such a good horse is like owning a sports car. But today Solovyov faces a strong opponent, Count Pavel von Palen, the son of Count von Palen, the favorite of Tsar Paul, the commander of the Cuirassier Regiment and an excellent rider.

This burly German, still wearing the uniform of a cuirassiers, looked tall and mighty.

From the conversation between Solovyov and the "little fairy", he knew that the little girl was in love with the count, but he didn't know that her sister Maria was the same.

If he knew, he would probably first sigh, what a heroic cavalry officer he is, and then care about the gossip about him.

He rode an Oldenburg Warmblood horse, which was selected through strict breeding. When paired with him, it was really like a tall man and a big horse.

"Good morning, Count."

"Hello, Major. I've heard of you from Katish's letter, you brave little officer. But you don't look like an infantryman on horseback. Are you interested in leading a cavalry regiment? The real warriors are either the Guards or the Grenadiers, but the Guards Cavalry are the bravest of the brave!"

Although these words were spoken in a gentle tone, they highlighted his arrogance as a cavalry guard.

And this guy was really strong. Solovyov thought he was definitely no match for him without a gun.

Another problem was that he was a major general of cavalry and a general before he was 25. Solovyov was just a major in the Guards, and except for his greater responsibilities, he was inferior to him in every other aspect.

"Although I am only the commander of the first battalion of the Emperor's Guards, I have captured three enemy flags on the battlefield, commanded my men to capture the commander-in-chief of the Italian Legion, and even crossed the Devil's Bridge. I followed the Grand Marshal in Italy and Switzerland, participated in more than a dozen battles, and walked the most difficult roads. As a warrior, I am no worse than you!"

Seeing that this young man still had some courage and telling him about his achievements in commanding the troops, the count asked for a horse race here.

"Major, besides you and me, there are also all the officers present. Since Her Majesty the Queen said that we should have fun today, we warriors cannot spoil the fun. We will have a horse race in front of Her Majesty. Although we cannot compare who is braver, we can know who is the best rider!"

In terms of horse riding, the general was clearly at an advantage, as he was quite confident in his riding skills. The officers present were all of similar age. The oldest were Prince Peter, the "professional referee", and Count von Paalen, while the youngest were Soloviev and William of Württemberg. All of them were excited, holding the reins tightly for this impromptu competition.

This stretch of grassland is especially spacious and has no pedestrians, making it ideal for horse racing.

The queen herself was different from ordinary noble ladies. Her brothers were all soldiers. She loved these brave young men and hoped they would have a place to give full play to their abilities.

In this event, Prince Peter was not allowed to compete, but served as a referee because of his impartiality.

"You always come to referee, just like in the old days."

"I know, Major. But I have to say that your opponent is very strong. You may not be his match. My brother is also involved."

This time the opponent was indeed strong enough. Think about it, Alexandra's husband William rode all the way from Budapest, so he was not an easy opponent to deal with.

They will not adopt a sprint race in this competition. Instead, Peter will set a route based on the map that Solovyov brought with him. Several guards cavalry will be sent to serve as standard bearers along the way. After completing the designated route and returning, they will be considered to have completed the race.

The infantry officers all chose their horses from the stables, except Count von Paalen and Prince Mikhail, who were cavalrymen and each brought their own horses. The latter, in particular, was a hussar and was always very confident. Before he set off, he saw Catherine, who was blushing, waving a handkerchief at him.

"Sisters, who do you think will win?"

"I don't know, Catherine, but a cavalry officer is always better than an infantry officer of the Guards, right?"

As Prince Peter fired a shot into the air, the 14 officers participating in the horse race galloped forward on their horses. Once they started sprinting, they ignored everything and tried to seize a favorable position.

Solovyov's start was not fast. Several guys from the cavalry regiment rushed to the front at the start, leaving him and the prince of Württemberg behind.

Alexandra warned William not to fight before they set out, and the prince listened to the advice of his wife and cousin, so he didn't rush in too fast at the beginning.

As for Solovyov, it was purely a matter of experience. If he rushed too hard and was knocked down, it would be a small matter to withdraw from the competition, but it was not a good idea to get injured in a violent collision at the beginning.

Seeing Catherine's encouragement, Prince Mikhail did not want to lose to the Count. As they were both professional cavalrymen, they naturally had to compete as well.

William was actually quite capable. When Solovyov was overtaking his opponents along the way, he found that the prince was on par with him all the way. He and the good Württemberg horse were very compatible. In fact, according to the prince's own thinking, if he were to compete in classic dressage or obstacle racing, he was confident that he would not lose to those present.

This temporary rule of fast racing made him less satisfied.

The Earl's riding skills were indeed superb, but he did not expect that several people would catch up with him. Although he had always maintained the advantage, the advantage was still narrowing. At this time, he could no longer conserve his horsepower. After passing several pacesetters in a row, he could sprint before reaching the finish line.

At this time, Solovyov wanted to compete with the count, so he sprinted forward on the widest part of the road.

This Orlov trotter horse was really good. In the sprint stage, it relied on its strong legs to almost catch up with the count. However, at this critical moment, it stumbled.
When Solovyov fell, he was more worried that this good horse might break its leg. He himself fell into the grass, which was not a big deal.

He was relieved when he saw the horse get up and come to him without its rider, and put its nose close to him to make sure the rider was okay.

What a good horse. When it fell out, it was because he was too impatient.

After seeing this scene, the frightened women finally felt relieved when they saw Solovyov coming out again leading the gray horse.

The Count finally won, but it was a close victory as Prince Mikhail chased him throughout the race and ultimately came in second.

The victor was more worried about his new friend, and was relieved to see that he was okay. This was an upright knight, and he was completely different from his father who was plotting against him.

Of course, he did not forget to wave to Countess Maria.

At the same time, Elena also noticed the "little fairy" crying and didn't know what was going on with her.

Actually, this is what happened. It was obviously her who started it first, from writing the letter to proposing love, so why did the sister win in the end?
(End of this chapter)