Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The Russian army continued its advance towards the coastal region, eventually reaching the shore of the Persian Gulf.

Solovyov had no intention of letting them fill his tank with seawater, because the Persian Gulf was much saltier than the Baltic and Azov Seas.

He personally arrived at the shore of the Persian Gulf with his entourage, but unfortunately, the location was the Strait of Hormuz, with the country of his friend, the Sultan of Oman, on the other side.

"When you get to the seaside, you can never see the boundless ocean."

"My lord, Muhammad Shah has sent messengers to express his intention to surrender the crown and scepter of the Persian Shah to His Majesty the Emperor and His Excellency the Marshal."

"Do they still have some ulterior motives? I am not Suleina, and I will send them to Tehran to meet with the Emperor's representatives and diplomats to see how their fate will be decided then."

Gorchakov was also somewhat puzzled after hearing this.

"My lord, why did you mention Suleina?"

"It's nothing, just something from Kale's past."

No matter how much Nicholas trusted Solovyov, the fact that he had torn apart the Persian Empire in just one year and was able to decide the fate of the land was already a great achievement that threatened his authority.

It's inevitable that there will be some criticism within the St. Petersburg court.

What he's doing now is making a gesture to the Tsar that his teacher was never one to crave power.

Presumably Nicholas would understand and entrust him with the power to decide the future fate of the vast Persian Empire.

Besides, surrenders are always made between kings, emperors and Shahs of equal rank. It's more likely that a prince of the highest rank would accept the surrender of the Persian army.

When Mohammad Shah learned of this, he was relieved, since Nikolai wouldn't kill him.

The Tsar hasn't even killed those Persian relatives who offended his authority and caused wars, so he won't be targeting him, the Shah, anytime soon.

Solovyov stood on the shore of the Persian Gulf, also looking at both sides of the Strait of Hormuz.

On one side is the Persian Gulf, the region with the world's largest oil reserves in the future, and Sha and his neighbors with their heads covered in cloth.

On the other side is the Indian Ocean, which can be said to be very close to the lifeline of the British.

The British will not let this go easily. The previous fifteen years of peace in Europe were a period of both confrontation and cooperation between Britain and Russia. It is hard to say what will happen in the future.

But for Solovyov, he felt that was enough.

Unfortunately, Napoleon was still alive, and with his support, Bolívar possessed a large Colombia and, through retired French veterans and Polish cavalry who had come to South America, had driven the Spanish viceroyalty out of the Americas.

The Franco-Russian alliance is still maintained through the previous marriage alliance, and for the British, a situation that will haunt them for the next hundred years has already taken shape.

Gran Colombia, supported by France, also has Lake Maracaibo, which is where oil is found.

Russian troops have reached the Persian Gulf and have already taken control of most of the oil fields, including those in Wallachia and the Caucasus.

But people don't realize yet that oil is not a major fuel or chemical raw material.

When people realize this problem in the future, they will also see what these two plots of land have become.

France, Russia, Spain, Gran Colombia, Netherlands, Sweden.
This has become a shackle for the British, but their naval strength is simply too great. Although Solovyov witnessed Ushakov defeat the British fleet twenty years ago, that was under conditions of local Russian superiority.

"Gorchakov, fortunately, I arrived here before I was fifty years old, and I still have some time to plan a strategy. If we can guarantee a period of peace in the future, and then develop military technology, repair roads, expand the navy, and enhance national strength, we may not be unable to compete with the British in twenty years."

"My lord, by then, you will be no more than the age of a Grand Marshal on an expedition to Italy."

"Yes, the Grand Marshal was 69 when he went on the expedition to Italy, but I didn't want to lead an army on an expedition at that time. It would have been better for me to stay at home with my wife. I owe her too much. I spent my youth taking care of my children."

When Solovyov arrived at the Persian Gulf, he began to consider retiring, as power was not a necessity for him.

However, the Tsar probably wouldn't let him end his military career there; he would even have to wait for Nicholas's arrangements.

When Muhammad Shah's messengers arrived in Tehran, they finally met the new "ambassador" sent by the Tsar. In reality, the Persian Empire could no longer exist as a state.

The British are considering supporting local forces in Herat, which serves as a land-based buffer for India.

The main battleground for the future rivalry between Britain and Russia will likely be Afghanistan and the Indus River Valley.

It's quite a coincidence that these are all places Alexander the Great visited during his eastern expedition.

Nicholas was in Moscow when he received the report of the surrender of the new Persian Shah.

Upon hearing the news of the victory, bells rang in all the churches of Moscow to celebrate this great triumph.

"Your Majesty, how should we reward the Prince of Thrace?"

"He is my teacher and has done so much for me. However, I still respect his wishes and will not give him the title of Grand Marshal."

"Your Majesty, why is that?"

“Count Arakcheev, you served the Emperor before I was born and later served the Emperor’s brother. You should know about what happens in the court. The Prince of Thrace once told the Emperor that the marshals before the Prince of Italy, Marshal Suvorov, did not have good outcomes. Moreover, he personally did not want to be on the same level as his mentor at this age, and I can understand his thoughts.”

"Your Majesty, what should we do then?"

“Speransky will be sent to draft the decree.”

In a way, although Speransky married Solovyov's adopted sister, they were both scholars and warriors.

This configuration would likely make anyone other than Nikola feel unsafe.

When Speransky arrived, he was somewhat surprised after hearing what Nikolai had said.

"Your Majesty, is this really how it should be arranged?" "Until the status of Persia is finally determined, Prince of Threst, Field Marshal Mikhail Solovyov, will exercise the powers of the Persian father. I also do not have any extra brothers or adult sons who can go to Persia, whether it is Persia or Isfahan."

Seeing Nicholas's resolute attitude, Speransky had no choice but to draft the edict according to the Tsar's own opinion.

As for Solovyov himself, he did not hold the meeting in Tehran, but instead came to Isfahan.

He will also hold a triumphal procession here to showcase the glorious victory of the Russian army.

After the marching column passed, they presented the captured Persian military flag, and a group of high-ranking prisoners were also led across the street. In fact, these people were not considered good people by the locals of Isfahan, but because the Persian people were exploited and impoverished, they were not offered rotten eggs or vegetable leaves.

Then there was the throne of the Persian Shah, and the treasures and exotic animals in the Shah's court.

Solovyov's victory here was somewhat in the style of the Romans. Persia had always been at odds with Rome throughout its history, and the struggle between the two powers eventually led to the Arab Empire's invasion during their decline. In the end, the Arab Empire successfully controlled most of the Middle East, and religious beliefs underwent a fundamental change over the millennium.

As for what he was going to give the Persians next?

The priests also came to Isfahan, eager to see what this merciful conqueror would do.

Although the schedule was tight, what he brought to the Persians was the known history of Persia.

From Cyrus the Great establishing his empire to the Parthians and the Sassanids, and the Samanid dynasty, all the way to the present day, the historical exhibits are quite well done. The last part features soldiers dressed in the attire of Nadir Shah's era, and these Persians come to recreate the scene, for which they have to pay.

The Persians were greatly surprised; they had watched the first half of the performance, which was Roman-style, but the second half was entirely Persian.

Although I don't understand it, I am deeply shocked.

Solovyov passed through the street in a four-horse carriage, but he was dressed in a Persian-style robe, and it was sometimes unclear what he was up to.

Once he was on the platform, he read out the edict of the Russian Tsar, announcing that a constitutional convention would be held in Isfahan to finalize the future of Persia. Solovyov himself, as vice-king, would oversee the entire constitutional convention before the final determination of the Persian state and establish governing bodies in Isfahan.

In fact, if it weren't for the fact that Solovyov was an Orthodox Christian, and that his remarks contained a great deal of atheism, and that some of the systems he mentioned were so shocking to the Persian gentry that they all wanted to support him as Shah.

He could even dedicate a separate chapter to the Book of Kings, arguing that he was a descendant of the Persian king, and that those green eyes were not only found in Europe, but also in the Caucasus Mountains.

However, if Solovyov heard about becoming a Shah, he would be in great pain. Being a king is a very difficult thing. He has to attend various events, be bound by royal etiquette, and also be diligent in his duties.

Although he was an excellent chief of staff in the past, he hated doing staff work.

Even if the religious leader and the Persian people offered him a Shah's crown, he wouldn't accept it. That thing wouldn't break his neck, but it's a symbol of the family.

This will be very tough; he's already doing enough as the vice-king.

He wouldn't have even bothered with this triumphal procession if it weren't for showcasing the Russian army's military might and demonstrating respect for the Persians, followed by a Persian-style parade.

But the Persians were satisfied, and he was about to continue his speech, announcing that a constitutional convention would be held in Isfahan to decide the future of the Persian state, and that the Persian borders would be drawn according to the lines drawn before the outbreak of the war in 1829.

Solovyov couldn't have imagined what the Persians were thinking.

This constituent assembly will be held for a long time, and sometimes he doesn't even know how long he will stay in Isfahan.

However, on the first day of the meeting, some people wanted him to become the Shah, but he said he would not change his faith, so the idea was dropped.

These Persians can be really dangerous sometimes.

Although they never intended to kill themselves, the things they proposed were truly dangerous.

The religious leaders stepped forward and declared freedom of religion, but the Shia sect remained the dominant religion in the vast lands of Persia, and that would not change.

While they were having their meeting, Solovyov, though sitting on the stage, was constantly focused on the situation in Syria.

If the Ottoman army performs poorly, they might actually need Russian reinforcements.

The heat of the Fertile Crescent was something that ordinary Russian soldiers could not withstand; the French had already suffered enough in Egypt.

However, the Russian side was very patient. They proposed that the Christians in the Asian part of the Ottoman Empire should be protected, in addition to the issue of the ownership of Mosul and the surrounding areas where the Assyrians lived.

The main issue is with the Persians; ultimately, we'll see how the locals decide.

If they thought the Russians' approach was acceptable, at least in that they had eliminated most of the exorbitant taxes, Persia might have become as powerful as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Finland, and even the British wouldn't have been able to say anything about it.

The Persians were also afraid. Although Solovyov did not launch a large-scale retaliation in Tehran, he had 120,000 troops under his command after reinforcements, including a large number of barbaric Cossacks and Tatars. If something happened, although the lord was merciful, his men were not.

Therefore, these people are generally quite law-abiding.

Because even among the Russian army detachments, there were those who engaged in petty theft and robbery.

However, this loss is insignificant compared to the plundering by the Persian Shahs in the past.

After all, they are very poor now. The Shah took away the last copper coin, and the Cossacks only caught a few chickens. They might even come to forcibly requisition things and give money back.

Although they were rude and almost all of them were alcoholics, they were surprisingly easy to get along with.

Therefore, a strange stability was maintained in Persia at this time, which even puzzled the British who were still in Tehran.

The embassy's letter to the British Foreign Secretary also indicated that the Russians' rule in Persia was not intended to be a long-term occupation and annexation of the country, but rather they were committed to restoring order.

This was the time for the British to take advantage of the situation and do something on the fringes.

In response, the British turned their attention to Egypt. If Muhammad Ali Pasha could become the independent ruler of Egypt, Britain could consider supporting him, which would also help counter the Russians in the Middle East.

The Russians can be said to have swallowed Persia whole, partly because the late Shah of Persia couldn't control Tehran and his self-destructive actions destroyed Britain's hopes of maintaining a balance of power in Persia.

Therefore, the British had no choice but to find a new place to set up shop and start over. (End of Chapter)