Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Before heading to London, Solovyov had to travel from the Black Sea to the Baltic Sea and then to St. Petersburg.

The fast boat travels across the Mediterranean, which is obviously a much longer journey.

When he returned to St. Petersburg, Alexander did not summon him. Recently, the Tsar himself has been keeping to himself and rarely appears in public.

For Solovyov, this was nothing unusual. After all, the Tsar had a rebellious phase when he was young, and now he was seeking his own peace, ignoring state affairs and entrusting important ministers to handle them. He also placed two high-ranking governors in Crimea and Siberia.

This configuration seems somewhat strange, with conservatives Arakcheyev and Neserrodie at the center, and two liberal heavyweights, Solovyov and Speransky, sent to the provinces.

Mrs. Soloveo was also very popular because she never took advantage of others' misfortunes, and her reputation and prestige among the nobility were among the top tier.

However, upon arriving in St. Petersburg, he was unable to meet the Tsar himself, and Solovyov was unable to express his opinions.

However, Arakcheyev, as the actual leader, still received his colleague at the Marble Palace on Million Street.

"Misha, how are things in the south?"

"Work is very demanding, but now that the Duke of Clarence has invited me to his wedding, I have a chance to relax in between."

“You are a decisive person, and you are also an excellent governor, which is something I did not expect.”

"But some of the instructions I received were based on my personal understanding."

Arakcheev would have to roll his eyes too. Solovyov was Paul's most trusted minister before his assassination. Because of the assassination, no one was arranged to entrust the young Alexander with his care, especially since Alexander was already an adult.

So, if you look through the files, you'll find that when Paul summoned Solovyov, he entrusted the safety of his family to him.

In this respect, Solovyov did a pretty good job. Russia has gone through nearly 20 years, and although it is heavily indebted, its national strength is still recovering and growing stronger day by day.

Speransky's reforms to the tax system and the judiciary threatened the interests of conservatives. Although many of his policies were retained, he himself went to Siberia.

This time, the internal tax structure has been adjusted, the administration is more efficient, and more money can be collected.

Solovyov traveled to the East specifically to open up new avenues.

Russia's opening of trade through new ports approved by the Chinese emperor did not bring immediate financial gains. Although it was a significant diplomatic victory, the return on investment was still a long way off.

As for his relationship with Maria, they were close when they were teenagers, though it couldn't be described as intimate.

Moreover, this matter is kept secret.

"Misha, I really can't control what you do."

Solovyov was different from other generals. Even if you count down to the group of generals like Paskovich, he was only slightly older. But if you count up to his rank, he was the youngest among these generals.

Therefore, Arakcheyev couldn't control him either.

In Crimea, Solovyov turned military settlements into agricultural settlements and did not manage them very strictly.

In addition to their labor, the Southern Russian army also frequently underwent Suvorov-style military training.

There's no way around it. With his two prestigious titles—"defeating Napoleon" and "Suvorov's last disciple"—as well as being a favorite of the royal family and having a good reputation, he wouldn't intentionally harm anyone. As long as he doesn't do anything to rebel against the Heavenly Gang, no one can control him.

In other military settlements, there are bound to be some complaints, but in Solovyov, everyone is genuinely happy.

Although the training was tough, there was basically no corporal punishment, and all the soldiers were assigned to different areas.

Solovyov also purged the corrupt local officials. Arakcheyev had a problem with his execution ability, but he also pushed other tasks out of his way and even exceeded his quota. There was nothing to say about that.

"But sometimes you also need to know that if you force something, it will have the opposite effect."

Arakcheyev's policy strategy was something that people of Solovyov's caliber could confront face-to-face with.

What do you mean?

"People can't accomplish everything just by being whipped. People have emotions; they're not machines. If you forcefully suppress them, there will always be voices of resistance. We don't have obedient servants here. As you know, Russian society in ancient times, specifically during the Grand Duchy of Moscow, was mainly based on protection. Although it could be called 'serfdom,' it's very different from what we have today."

Arakcheyev was afraid of being led astray, so he didn't continue the conversation.

The two men's policy platforms are already in two completely different directions, and they will never overlap. In fact, they can be said to be drifting further and further apart.

The fact that they can get along peacefully is a result of both of them being quite magnanimous.

Arakcheyev was also aware of the matter of Solovyov going abroad. Solovyov had always been grateful to Paul for promoting him from an adjutant to a battalion commander in the Guards. He harbored hostility towards the British government, especially towards the self-righteous British cabinet.

This trip also marked Katya's return to social events after giving birth to her daughter Maria.

Of course, while raising her daughter, Katya was also taking care of Grand Duke Alexander, who was still breastfeeding, because the Grand Duchess's milk supply was never quite enough.

This is truly a case of "a real man with big breasts."
However, the couple needs to leave for a while and will need to hire a strong nanny to replace them.

"If the child is allergic to cow's milk, other options can be considered."

“Earl, you are quite experienced in raising children.”

When the Grand Duchess came to St. Petersburg with her mother, she was already quite familiar with Solovyov.

Although I had heard that he was very good at taking care of children, it was only when he returned to the palace and made arrangements for the children that I was truly impressed.

After all, Solovyov was a "child-loving general" who always enjoyed taking care of children.

As for little Alexander, he can now crawl and is trying to stand up.

These are all good signs. It seems that the future heir to Russia will be very strong, and the Empress Dowager is also very satisfied with Katya's nurturing of the child.

Solovyov was assigned to a post in the south, where the administration was far more important than raising his child. Moreover, the young Grand Duke needed a guardian and needed to grow up a bit more, which is why the Empress Dowager did not continue making arrangements for him.

“When I was young, I entered the court to serve. At that time, there were big children, little children, and girls from the girls’ school. Nobles would also bring their children. The Royal Village was like a nursery, and later it became a school. Now that the children are getting married one after another, it has become much quieter.”

"I think things will get better."

Although the Grand Duchess said so, Solovyov was not optimistic.

The Geminis' marriages are also imminent. Louisa's health began to decline after her first two daughters got married. She was already frail, and her daughters had been the only ones who had kept her going all these years. Although at least one daughter will stay with her, she will miss her dearly.

Choosing fiancés for Polina and Svetlana would require selecting from among the minor German princes who were not related by blood.

This way, things are peaceful and there won't be any disputes.

The two women were older than Mary's son, and therefore were not among the candidates for Queen of Belgium.

Solovyov was also happy to see his daughter marry into a quieter place, preferably one where she wouldn't cause any trouble.

Svetlana was the best student among the children. Despite being a girl, she had no interest in the subjects at the girls' school and spent all her time studying math.

Gauss believed that the Grand Duchess had a talent for mathematics and even suggested that Svetlana could try to attend university in Göttingen.

If that's the case, the marriage can be postponed. Who knows which young nobleman among the German princes will fall in love with this talented woman in the future?
If it weren't for Maria's brother-in-law Bernhard getting married the year before last, they would probably be a match made in heaven.

After all, they both love mathematics, share some common ground, and are even considered fellow students, both being aristocratic scions once mentored by Gauss.

But if that were the case, the generational hierarchy would be quite messed up, with an aunt and niece marrying two brothers, although this isn't a common practice in Europe.
Even before Mikhail got married, the atmosphere in the court was unlikely to improve.

However, there was another strange thing: the relationship between Louise and the Grand Duchess gradually turned from friendly to cold due to the Queen Mother's favoritism.

Solovyov, whose wife was personally chosen by the Empress Dowager to raise the young Grand Duke, could not express his opinion on the matter.

However, the Empress Dowager's favoritism could indeed damage the relationships between sisters-in-law in the palace.

"While we're in the UK, you can keep an eye on your child. He's at the stage where he's about to stand up and learn to walk. The floor shouldn't be too hard or too soft. If you lay down a carpet, make sure to clean it regularly. Also, don't worry about him falling. Every child goes through this stage of learning to walk."

As for the Grand Duchess, she was holding her son in her arms. The little boy had just been put down and was already trying to hold onto the crib with one hand.

When Solovyov squatted down, he looked at the medals Solovyov was wearing and even tried to touch them.

"Your Highness seems to like my medals very much. But these were all awarded by the Emperor; what if one day in the future..."

In fact, everyone in the court knew that the inheritance law left by Paul would only pass to a girl if there was no son. Now, the line of succession is from brother to brother. Whoever has a legal son will inherit in order, and then it will pass to him.

Of course, Mikhail, who had little interest in the throne, also publicly stated that he would marry later.

In this situation, he effectively withdrew from the line of succession to the throne.

Alexander would revise his edicts and will every few years.

Although many close advisors suggested that the edict be made public, he never did.

They are all sealed inside churches in Moscow, and will only be released at this time in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

His approach was baffling.

But eventually, the edict was issued, and Solovyov heard about Alexander's will. However, every time the will was arranged, he happened to be away from the court, either on a military expedition or on a diplomatic mission.

Now that he's going out again, he needs to make all the necessary arrangements before he can leave.

With his family all ready, Solovyov boarded the fast ship to London.

While on the ship, he was also contemplating the future of Russia.

In fact, during the days he returned, he met with Arakcheyev and heard about his measures, and thus learned the source of the problem.

Essentially, they are the next generation of the same group from Paul's time. This time, they have made a major shift. As long as it is promoted from above, they will definitely rebel and create their own version from below.

However, while the concept was correct, the actions were extremely naive. Secret societies cannot solve any problems and are reckless and ignorant.

If they thought about it carefully, they realized that such a group of young officers with little military power couldn't accomplish anything significant.

But they were quite confident, believing they could do it.

In the end, it only benefited the British. Every time the British competed with a major power, the other party always had internal problems, which had even become the norm.

On the Russian side, although there might be some trouble, the outcome is already decided.

Because they don't have much power, it's difficult for them to cause any trouble.

Solovyov was thinking of his solution, which was to contact the generals and begin to gradually emancipate the serfs, using the power of the Freemasons and the army to solve the problem. This was better than secret societies and conspiratorial cliques.

He has more to consider than the younger officers.

It's fueled by passion, but that passion will likely fade with time.

However, by thinking calmly, proposing solutions, and pointing people towards the future, we can still make a difference.

He didn't take immediate action; he just thought about it.

When they arrived in Brighton, the Duke and Duchess of Clarence came to greet them. They had already held their wedding in Hanover, but were receiving congratulations in London.

This lady was indeed of average appearance.

But she has a gentle personality and is the kind of virtuous wife who takes care of household chores. Those who didn't choose her as their wife in the past were simply judging her by her appearance.

The Duke himself felt very comfortable with her, and rediscovered the feeling of sailing the seas in his youth.

Solovyov also congratulated them and brought them gifts.

"It's a real shame that Lord Amherst failed to complete his mission, while you achieved great success there."

"This is a matter of attitude. Also, I think Britain should re-examine its foreign policy toward the Far East. In fact, the Chinese emperor is very easy to talk to. As long as we act according to Chinese etiquette, we can at least get a lot of gifts in return."

“But that’s a custom you’re familiar with in China. If it were here, the Tories would be the first to question us.”

The Duke spoke with a hint of mockery. (End of Chapter)