Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

There weren't many things to talk about at the banquet.

Solovyov, on the other hand, didn't seem inclined to continue the topic.

He's said enough; there's nothing more to say.

As for sending him to London, it was a necessary activity for this trip.

Fortunately, he came to England in a private capacity as a friend of the Duke of Clarence, and the newspaper news surrounding the royal family was mainly about the Regent and Princess Charlotte; the matter concerning the Duke of Clarence was not big news.

After leaving Brighton, he took a carriage to London.

The problem now is that Mihrima is pregnant and can't go out with him.

Katya also had to take care of the children, so naturally she wouldn't go.

He then decided to go to the interface himself.

He did the same thing when he came to England in his youth.

The main purpose was to get a feel for the local conditions. It's not news that a gentleman would go to the relatively poor East End, but what was surprising was that he was willing to sit down and chat with the coopers and brewery workers.

In fact, it's still his personal business. His brewery business in Ireland is doing quite well, so he plans to re-export the beer from Dublin to England, or acquire another brewery in London.

However, what he saw here was that the workers were all unemployed, which was even worse than when he was recruiting workers in London.

Britain relies on overseas trade, so it's not surprising that problems would arise once trade barriers were erected, coupled with their internal adjustments.

"Sir, please have mercy."

“I know that on the streets of London, able-bodied adult men can’t just beg like this; they always have to have some kind of ‘talent’ or something else.”

"It seems you are a gentleman who has come to London from out of town?"

"You're dressed like this, you used to be a soldier, right?"

"On the peninsula, I served in the Duke of Wellington's army. I was lucky enough not to go to Sweden, where the brothers were badly beaten by that Russian pretty boy. Fortunately, that bastard was kind to the wounded, and many of them came back alive instead of going to Siberia to dig potatoes."

Solovyov probably also realized that his great fame was due to the fact that he had beaten up the British.

Fortunately, he was a veteran of the Korean War and was able to come back alive, only losing half a leg and two fingers.

This meant he couldn't do any work and could only beg on the streets of London.

There are probably quite a few cases like this.

Many retired soldiers still work in factories, and when they came back, they were probably wearing leather boots issued by the government.

Solovyov's mind would always inadvertently wander to a famous scene from Repin's novel.

The Volga barge haulers and the British laborers sounded no different.

He had imagined the scene when his Cossacks were speaking eloquently.

As for the fact that he himself is Solovyov, he couldn't say that, so he could only habitually switch to a German accent.

"But the Russians weren't all that bad; they even released quite a few French soldiers."

"Who would have thought that shorty would suddenly appear out of the sea and fight us so hard? He lost this leg on the farm. Looks like you're a soldier, sir?"

"Judging from my accent, where am I from?"

"Like those Prussians, they arrived at the right time, but they were beaten up by a bunch of ragged French soldiers. Then we were defeated. Luckily, our commander managed to get a few carts and bring the wounded back, so I didn't encounter any Frenchmen."

"From what you've said, there seems to be some regret?"

"We didn't get to eat French food, so the food here isn't very good."

"The French army's cooking pots didn't have much of a good stuff. Not every place has wine and coffee, let alone for soldiers. Also, I was with the rearguard at the time. My regiment in Ligny was scattered by the French, and when we brought them back, half of them were missing. It's a pity I couldn't help you much."

To be honest, Solovyov ultimately resolved the situation by overwhelming the enemy with hundreds of thousands of troops.

But if you explain it too clearly, that's also a problem.

"You guys are lucky to have made it. That Corsican dwarf could put up a fight for a while, but in the end, it was the pretty boy who brought the Russian soldiers and defeated him."

Well, that's probably how I am in Old Ying's stereotypes.

However, I had a very pleasant chat with this veteran after learning about his experiences.

Solovyov then asked, "How's the hiring going at the nearby factories lately?"

"Sir, it seems you are also a gentleman who owns a factory."

"Yes, my family owns factories, including textile mills, machine shops, breweries, and mines. If it's a brewery, we bought one in Ireland, otherwise I wouldn't be here."

“These days, business isn’t easy. Don’t let my current state fool you, I have an old comrade-in-arms at the cooper nearby, but I can’t go there to freeload.”

"What if I put you at the gate of a brewery, supervising the workers who sign in every day?"

"This is a job, and you're giving it to me out of compassion as a soldier?"

"Speaking of which, at my age, I am also a general, and I have some connection with your queen's family."

Yes, that's true. Queen Louise's family and the current Queen Sophie Charlotte's family are both from the Mecklenburg Minor Strallitz.

His intimacy with the Queen, their visit to the hot spring hotel where the owner mistook them for a wealthy young couple, and the fact that they had a daughter, all seemed to have some connection.

"The Queen is a good person, but her health is getting worse and worse."

Although this veteran has been reduced to begging on the streets, he still knows a lot of things and may be even more well-informed than the Foreign Minister.

"What about the others?"

“Princess Charlotte is a good girl, and I wish her many more children and a happy life. Duke Clarence is also a good man, it's a pity he's in the navy. As for the Regent, although he's not a bad person, he lacks decisiveness; if he were in the military…”

"There are things I can't say, my friend. Even if you're a veteran, there are some things you can't say."

Solovyov thought of Pavel's grandfather, who had distinguished himself in the Crimean War and the Tenth Russo-Turkish War, receiving the highest honor the Tsar could bestow upon soldiers—two St. George Medals. However, upon returning to his hometown, he beat up the officials in charge and ended up spending a few days in jail, probably only being released because of his medals.

In this respect, Britain is no different from Russia, and may even be worse.

Because Dai Ying was a pioneer in many techniques.

While Solovyov was chatting with the veteran, there had already been several days of rallies and strikes in Peterplatz, Manchester.

Without the great virtue and wisdom of the English, it's unlikely that Nicholas II, with his limited intellect, could have invented such a system. "You know you can't say it, but you are a foreigner and have some connection with Her Majesty the Queen's family, so they shouldn't do anything to you."

"There's nothing that can be done, but you're different, my friend. What would the British lords do if the workers were to hold a rally?"

"They'll probably deploy police, then mounted police, and finally the military. I've seen it before, back when I was still serving in the regiment."

"You made a move?"

"No, our group just stood there, and there weren't many country bumpkins on the other side, so we just dispersed."

"But if it really comes down to firing a gun, that's a different story."

"If you're going to say that, you should at least provide some evidence."

"If it were in the newspaper, that would be big news."

As Solovyov spoke, he could not have imagined that there would be a "Peterlu" in history, but now this bloody repression would happen ahead of schedule.

In Manchester's squares, more and more people gathered, and rallies and speeches continued. Henry Hunt knew that at this time, it was time to persist in the struggle and let the Manchester authorities see the power of the workers.

But everything was peaceful and a petition-based situation, with no violence.

Compared to the time they went to London and threw stones at the Regent's carriage, this was already quite civilized.

Many unemployed workers have also joined in, which has raised serious concerns among Manchester authorities.

Moreover, they will definitely disperse the crowd.

Henry Hunt's attitude at this time was still one of peaceful struggle, and it was already quite remarkable that a landowner who had come all the way from London was on the same side as the workers.

In his letter to him, Solovyov actually mentioned some concerns.

Mr. Hunt now says that the workers must persevere in their struggle so that the Corn Laws and the bills banning workers' assembly can be repealed, and that the cabinet and members of parliament can see their strength.

He still believed that the men would eventually back down, but Solovyov was a seasoned veteran who had seen it all.

If George III hadn't gone mad, the repression would have come even faster.

Because of the Regent's indecisive attitude and the constant infighting within the council, the order to suppress the repression will not come so quickly.

Henry Hunt was already on the list, and the local Manchester police were prepared to arrest him.

Although the workers did not intend to engage in violence, the arrest of Mr. Hunter, who was on their side, was naturally something that the workers and their families did not want.

After police failed to arrest Hunter, the military and mounted police present took action.

Mounted police may be a figurehead in some places, but in Britain they are a real weapon for suppressing civilians.

Solovyov was still talking to a beggar veteran he had just met on the street, while the British attitude was one of direct repression.

Not only batons, but also knives and bayonets were used to drive them away.

Soon, a bloody incident occurred in Petersburg Square.

If you see blood, it must be something serious.

It's just that newspapers in London are slower to publish news, but some newspapers that will be called by that name in the future spread gossip news faster. The current Sun also spreads political news.

Solovyov hadn't expected them to arrive so quickly.

Although he was very familiar with Dai Ying's ways, he never imagined that those gentlemen in Dai Ying would go to such extremes.

The workers weren't armed, yet they dared to suppress them.

That was truly ruthless and decisive, completely unexpected.

If they were armed with batons, these mounted police officers would be in serious trouble dealing with tens of thousands of workers and their families.

If it were the Tsars, as long as they still had a normal brain, being surrounded by commoners would be a minor matter. They would at least accept the petitions they submitted, as long as they had the necessary channels.

Therefore, there were many instances where serfs would wait on the route that the imperial envoy was bound to take, to submit their petitions.

Sometimes, some enlightened nobles would also help to pass on the money.

Although such cases are relatively rare, most serfs, except those who possessed skills and various techniques, were illiterate. To write a petition, they would have to rely on clerks in their own villages or towns who could write it for them, or on particularly enthusiastic priests, which made it quite difficult.

However, in Britain, it's even difficult to find workers who can help.

This isn't the same plane where the Duke of Clarence officially became William IV. When His Majesty the King is strolling down the street, someone might greet him and chat with him. He's a rough man with little sense of boundaries, and maybe if they have a good chat, the King will go back and give the councilors a hard time, and then be tricked back by them.

Although Princess Charlotte was there, she always sat in the carriage. As a woman, she couldn't possibly be as boundless as her third uncle.

After talking with the old soldier, Solovyov returned to his London residence to arrange his journey home. However, his wife and children would have to take a ship directly back to St. Petersburg, and Katya had official business with the Empress Dowager. After all, helping to take care of the children was a noblewoman's job, and taking care of the young Grand Duke was considered a favor to the couple.

Then, the plan was to acquire another brewery in London.

If it comes to a price war, these London "horse urine" (a type of beer) wouldn't be enough to go a round against Irish beer.

Solovyov even considered selling kvass on the street, which has a low alcohol content, so people wouldn't have to worry about wearing badges like "Safe Driving Ambassador" on their chests when they're drunk driving.

Of course, some people get attention for driving under the influence and speeding.

There are also cases where the police officer notices someone because they are driving too slowly.

This refers to Mr. Jim George Hack of the West Birmingham constituency, who is inexplicably mentioned in Solovyov's pamphlet.

When Charlotte was looking at the booklet at home, she wondered why her father couldn't get into such a fun book.
If there were civil servants like Sir Humphrey, these gentlemen in the cabinet would be nothing more than animals in a zoo.

Prince George has been weaned and is sleeping in his cradle.

Charlotte actually knew that her uncle had invited Solovyov to Brighton to celebrate his late-life marriage, and even wanted the couple to share their parenting experience with her.

For her husband Leopold, it was also easy; Solovyov had to give face to Constantine's brother-in-law, even though he was the matchmaker.

However, Solovyov's visit was a quick trip, and a private one at that.

Under normal circumstances, it is impossible to catch them, and the cabinet probably dislikes high-ranking heirs contacting important foreign figures.

For example, Victoria's first love was Alexander II, who was then the Crown Prince.

Although Solovyov's identity is not so sensitive, and he is a friend of the royal family, he is skilled in both military and political affairs and has diplomatic experience. Perhaps he can extract some important British intelligence.

However, things always change. (End of Chapter)