Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Solovyov brought up Menshikov's situation to prevent Nikolai from falling into the trap himself.

Although this man is the great-grandson of his former master, his character must be taken into account. He is only qualified to be a loyal attendant general.

Being neither good at literature nor skilled in martial arts is a state of being unable to do anything.

Nikolai naturally adopted Solovyov's advice.

More than 20 years ago, when Solovyov began translating the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he actually put a lot of thought into the section on the Northern Expedition, and thus had discussions with Zhukovsky.

Zhukovsky translated some historically available articles into Russian, following the main theme, while Solovyov handled the French parts himself. Unfortunately, although Russian nobles could all speak French, their proficiency varied greatly.

If Nikolai misbehaves today, Solovyov will probably pull out the graduation form. Memorizing texts is the most terrifying thing for Nikolai; even a single wrong word will result in a deduction of points.

The biggest problem in the Luo family was probably that the men didn't like to study. They had this bad habit of not studying at all. It wasn't until Nicholas's sons that things started to improve a little. His second son, Constantine, was not only a representative of liberals but also loved to study. However, it was the eldest son who inherited the throne.

Nikolai's problem has been forced out of him.

"Boss, do you know who the guests my brother is hosting this time?"

"I'm not the chief steward, and this isn't something I can arrange."

"This time, in addition to my brothers-in-law, there were also envoys from various countries, including the ambassadors from Türkiye and Persia."

"They want the Persian ambassador to come? What's the purpose of this?"

"It's still a border issue, because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs to arrange negotiations, all of which are taking place in Tsarskoye Selo."

"I don't think the Persians will negotiate properly. They think that with British support, they can do whatever they want. In reality, their army is even worse than the Turks'."

Moreover, the Ottoman sultans at least knew not to go too far in diplomatic situations.

If Persia were to cause trouble, it would most likely lead to a serious diplomatic crisis.

Using surrender to lure and kill enemy generals, the country has never followed proper diplomatic rules, and even its cooperation with European countries was poor for a period of time.

Solovyov also recalled that even during periods of low morale in Persian history, killing prisoners and wounded soldiers was commonplace, and sometimes even used as a form of demonstration.

Such outrageous actions usually only happen when other companies have lost control.

For example, a Southern Song general killed a Mongol envoy; the Southern Song killed a Mongol envoy before surrendering; a Southern Song envoy negotiated terms with Genghis Khan, but his family did not implement them upon returning home; the Southern Song wavered greatly between allying with the Mongols and assisting the Jin Dynasty; the Southern Song's breach of contract by entering Luoyang at Duanping gave the Mongols a pretext; and the Southern Song angered Bayan even though Kublai Khan did not want to fight, ultimately leading to the country's demise because it could not even pay its annual tribute.

The Persians were capable of doing not only more of these things, but also in increasingly innovative ways.

When he thought of this, Solovyov himself forgot that Khwarazm and Persia were neighbors, and that they were the ones who killed each other's messengers and plundered passing caravans, like the thieves of Baghdad, not warriors who earned honors on the battlefield.

This explains why Persia was always breaking its promises; it could be considered part of the corporate culture of the Persian Empire.

The fact that the Sassanid Persians always made exorbitant demands and took advantage of others' misfortunes was highlighted by these people. Besides, they were actually able to defeat the Romans, even capture the Roman emperor, and annihilate the Roman army.

Colleagues are all about making each other stand out.

Solovyov's face inevitably darkened when he heard that the Persians were coming.

There are so many things to do now, and the war might even have to start earlier than planned.

He had previously witnessed Gustav IV's cerebral hemorrhage procedure, and eventually he led the Finnish division to Sweden, where they achieved a resounding victory.

But Gustav IV was still a relative, and the Tsar couldn't bring himself to kill Sweden.

If it were Persia, there wouldn't be so many concerns. If it really came down to war, Solovyov would actually very much like to fight a battle in the Caucasus.

He went to Yermolov's place and also investigated the situation at the border.

His plan was to advance from the mountain passes in the eastern Caucasus Mountains, take Baku directly, quickly resolve the battle there, and then move the army to Tabriz.

However, the marching route inevitably involves operations in mountainous areas, requiring the army to undergo mountain-adaptation weaponry modifications.

Thus, the Qing Dynasty's matchlock gun, after being modified at the Tula Arsenal, became the Russian matchlock gun, except that the loading mechanism was changed to a rotary type, and it could fire continuously.

However, the airtightness issue still needs to be resolved. If it is to be used for fire suppression, this thing needs to improve its reliability.

But that will be decided on the battlefield in the future; for now, we will meet with representatives from various countries in Tsarskoye Selo.

Alexander now lives in the palace and rarely goes out, only attending events like this.

Solovyov hadn't seen the Tsar in person for some time, and Alexander didn't look well; he still seemed worried.

He doesn't seem as spirited as he used to be. I'll probably need to have a deeper conversation with him to understand his mindset.

In 1812, at a reception at the Winter Palace, Alexander was quite confident.

According to Solovyov, mysticism probably makes people feel empty, and devout prayers don't necessarily have any effect.

Of course, he is an atheist, which is different from others.

The ambassadors from various countries have been arranged here in the order of their reception. Today's reception is the most extravagant reception that Alexander has held in recent years.

The invited guests included the newly appointed ambassadors of various American countries to St. Petersburg, as well as envoys from the Qing Dynasty who came to report on the situation.

After the two missions that came to Moscow during the reign of Emperor Yongzheng, the last mission of the Qing Dynasty to St. Petersburg was a return visit. This time, after the death of Emperor Jiaqing, Emperor Daoguang sent people to return the visit.

Previously, the Governor-General of Siberia, representing the Tsar, sent a delegation to Beijing to mourn. This visit by the Daoguang Emperor was a return visit, and also a final agreement between the two sides on how to divide the land between China and Asia, reaffirming the results of several talks in Beijing and the capital of Kokand.

This was also a show Russia was putting on behalf of the European countries, hence the invitation extended to the envoys of these major Asian powers.

On the Ottoman side, there was no major disturbance. Both sides reaffirmed the contents of the 1812 Treaty of Bucharest, and that the Ottoman Empire would treat Christians well in its own country. Russia guaranteed to mediate the dispute between Greece, Serbia, and the Ottoman Empire on this basis.

Seeing that the Greeks were very active south of Larissa, having driven the Turks into southern Macedonia, Russia had not sent troops, nor even increased its garrison north of the Danube. It must be said that Alexander's absence slowed down the progress of many things.

If Solovyov's idea were followed, an army could be sent across the Danube to threaten Constantinople.

However, he was not the Tsar, but only a general. If he were a monarch, there would be many more things to consider.

Seeing the Sudanese envoy's behavior, even if there were radical elements in Russia who wanted to cause trouble, they would have no reason to do so.

In those days, the Russians usually sent shrewd and cunning generals like Kutuzov to Constantinople; they wouldn't send a fool who would mess things up.

When it was the turn of the Qing Dynasty envoy, it was once again the top scholar, Long Ruyan, who was on a mission. He also read out the letter of credence on behalf of Emperor Daoguang, reiterating the friendly relations between the Qing and Russia, and pledging to open ports on the border to exchange goods and engage in in-depth commercial cooperation.

Furthermore, it was stated that since Grand Duke Nicholas III intended to invite doctors to Russia to practice medicine, the Qing emperor would also send senior doctors from the Imperial Medical Academy to St. Petersburg and Moscow to practice medicine.

This refers to Tongrentang. China is so far away that Europeans are always curious about things from there.

And now they're going to see for themselves the seemingly "bizarre" theories of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Although we always take advantage of Tongrentang, it also proves that they are worth taking advantage of.

After Long Ruyan read the letter of credence to Alexander, she went to the side and saw Solovyov with his wife and children.

"How has Commander Suo been lately?"

"I was serving as the governor in the south and only recently returned. The Hanlin scholar's mission this time must have been quite arduous."

"It is also to share the Emperor's burdens. Fortunately, your country sent troops to help with the border invasion of Kokand, so that there is no danger."

"Now that Kokand has been destroyed, it is naturally a good thing that the two countries have formed an alliance."

After the Qing Dynasty purchased ships, the training of the navy still focused on large ships, supplemented by small ships, and also included a large number of fire ships. This traditional method of warfare probably required hiring people from Europe to solve.

The issue that both sides were more concerned about was probably the three main opium-producing areas. The British East India Company had been constantly outmaneuvering Qing officials, and even had an insider from the Thirteen Factories to help them deal with the situation. If they were discovered, they would be fined.

Even someone with a relatively tough stance like Ruan Yuan found it difficult to resolve the problem.

However, Türkiye and Persia are also producers, but their products are not pure and not as potent as the British ones, but they still have a market.

European and American businessmen who can reach these two countries are bound to have some ulterior motives.

Solovyov also knew that the arrival of envoys from various countries was Alexander's way of reaffirming past relations and, incidentally, reminding both countries of the importance of such relations.

Russia's foreign policy doesn't even seem like the stereotypical, bizarre country that seizes land and then refuses to relinquish it.

Alexander, through Neserrodi, told the Persian ambassador that Russia was willing to cede some disputed land and help with agricultural development in Persia, including eradicating poppy-producing areas, planting more cotton, and developing salt and livestock industries. This would improve relations between the two countries and ensure long-term peace.

Clearly, there's a strategy at play here. Helping with construction provides an opportunity for infiltration. Also, Russia doesn't want to deal with two countries in the Caucasus at the same time and wants to reduce its own pressure.

The Ottoman Sultan's cooperative attitude even gave Alexander the illusion that peace in the Caucasus region might actually be guaranteed.

But things didn't go as he expected; the Persians, upon hearing this, were unimpressed.

Long Ruyan doesn't understand Persian, and Solovyov is also relatively unfamiliar with Middle Eastern languages, but there was a translator present. Solovyov asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs translator to read it to him, and he relayed it to Long Ruyan who was standing next to him.

Of course, what he heard during the translation process was also very shocking.

"How does this compare to Kokand's arrogant behavior when he served the Ili General in the past?"

"If General Suo wants to ask this, I have been in the Hanlin Academy for a long time. I have also seen it in the official gazette of the General of Yili and the ministers in charge of affairs in various places. In comparison, Persia is a large country and Kokand is a small country. However, a large country cannot rely on its own strength. Moreover, Persia is not like the Celestial Empire. It has many connections with Western countries. In this way, it will inevitably be arrogant and domineering, and bring disaster upon itself."

"That's what I think too."

Solovyov never expected that the Persian envoy would demand that the Russian army withdraw from the disputed area, and even retreat.

Even if they have the backing of the British, they shouldn't be so arrogant.

A little while later, Count Vorontsov arrived.

"Earl, how did your conversation with the British ambassador go?"

"The British must be shocked that this is the Chinese Emperor's envoy. We've all heard that the Chinese envoy is not only the top scorer in the civil service exam, but also a famous painter. If he stays in St. Petersburg for several days, he can visit our art salon. As the hosts, we are always warm and hospitable."

"Alright, Vorontsov, what I want to know is the British attitude."

After exchanging pleasantries with Long Ruyan, Vorontsov sat down on a chair by the dance floor and briefly explained the situation.

"The British only agreed in principle to maintain the territorial boundaries of Persia, but this did not extend to all disputed areas; they merely mediated within them according to our position."

"This diplomatic conflict has come at a very opportune time. The war between the Ottoman Empire and Persia has just ended, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Who gave them the courage?"

"There's probably some misunderstanding about the level of British support. You know, my father served as the ambassador to the UK for many years, so he knows the British people all too well."

Although Count Vorontsov was pro-British, he was still a dutiful diplomat, except for his involvement in the conspiracy.

His understanding of the British, and Solovyov's understanding, while containing some stereotypes, were generally accurate.

Even if Britain supported Persia and imported weapons and equipment from the East India Company's territories, and possibly even instructors and technical personnel, the orders still had to be issued from London to the East India Company and the Governor-General of India before they could be carried out.

Even with full British support, the response will still take time.

The Persians were clearly somewhat arrogant and oblivious to how grim the expressions on Alexander and his courtiers' faces were.

While this provocation may not necessarily lead to war now, it is inevitable that it will worsen relations.

For Russia, the inclination to resolve issues by force may be increasingly apparent. (End of Chapter)