Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Nicola's workload was indeed very high, but like Paul, he was considerate of his subordinates.

Especially someone like Solovyov, who now seems to be a veteran of three reigns, is bound to have some insightful opinions when he comes to Gatchina.

In fact, there was nothing vulgar about it.

Solovyov rarely used vulgar language; he was unusually civilized for a Russian.

Therefore, he can rest well at his home on the Kutuzov Causeway and has been reading the newspaper more often lately.

Also, the children in the family spend more time with their father.

The younger daughter might think her father is too old; she's a bit superficial, but her father likes her very much.

"Sasha, come to Daddy, my sweetie."

As a seasoned general skilled in childcare, now arguably a prince-marshal also adept at it, he certainly knows how to raise children.

Speaking of which, this kid is very strong, with powerful legs. If he were around for a while, he might become an athlete.

Although she was born late in life, the child seemed to be in better health than her older siblings when she was young.

"Dad, why don't you grow a beard?"

"What, do you want Dad to grow a beard?"

"I don't like it, some uncles always prick me with their beards."

"Which uncles are they?"

By all accounts, this child belongs to a super-generational group; some officers born around 1800 are of the same generation as her.

Sasha would complain, saying which of their adjutants did this when they came to their house.

"Alright, I won't let them grow beards anymore, especially Rostovtsev. Soldiers need to be neat and tidy. If they have beards, it will always be a little troublesome when they eat."

But who knows what trouble his words will cause in Russia?

Because of his statement, many Russian officers changed their hairstyle to "hygiene mustache".

And then matching it with their hairstyles, that's a real hassle.

Solovyov himself is already at the age where he needs a monocle, and with a group of people with mustaches below him, he instantly transforms into a villain.

"Sasha, what toy do you want? Daddy can arrange for someone to buy it for you, or invite the manager of the toy store over."

"You're spoiling her way too much."

"Katya, after all, is our youngest child, and she deserves to be pampered. Besides, she has never seen me since she was born. It's not just about me holding her to make her feel close; she also needs plenty of toys."

"Then I want a doll, Sasha wants a doll."

"Getting a doll is so easy."

Think back to those years when babies were born in droves, there were often fierce battles to get a baby. But in Alexandria, the competition isn't as intense.

She was born much younger than her older brothers and sisters; her eldest brother had already started his own family, and her eldest sister had gotten married. She was even younger than her nephews and nieces, so no one came to take her away to play with.

It's understandable that she wanted a doll to hug.

Solovyov was also thinking that Katya's recent condition seemed strange.

Although that's what she said, there are still some risks associated with older mothers. Mihrima is still at a suitable age, and as an adult, she is tall and has a large frame, so there's not much to worry about.

He wouldn't have thought that much in the past, but Katya was no longer the little girl she used to be. After Alexandra was born, she wrote to him mentioning the child and that this childbirth was somewhat difficult, but not as dangerous as when the Empress Dowager gave birth to Grand Duke Mikhail.

She's over forty years old, yet she still acts like a child.

In Russia, it was common for women of this age to give birth, especially among peasant women of that era, but noblewomen rarely suffered this hardship.

Because of marital problems, couples who are still relatively close at this age usually have a mistress outside the marriage, while the one at home is truly in love.

After all, when a wealthy woman is pursued or praised, it means she is attractive.

Similarly, the popularity of a prince like Solovyov, a field marshal, is a manifestation of his charisma and prestige.

However, Solovyov did not win by quantity; his lovers, even those who were only publicly known, were of very high quality.

After receiving his reward money, Zaza went to look after the vineyard his eldest son-in-law had bought in Geli. After learning about his master's affairs outside, he couldn't help but talk about it.

"The master is quite lucky with women; others can only look on with envy."

It can be confirmed that the cobbler's son is undoubtedly the coachman's great-grandson. Their family is known for their loyalty and sometimes playful jokes.

Now the couple has a very close relationship, and with Mihrima by their side, they raise the children together. If there were no political problems, Solovyov could even choose to retire like Katya's second brother Nikolai and return to his estate to live out his life as a happy country gentleman.

But there were still some things, and as he looked at Alexandra, he began to worry about his descendants.

There will always be things to do in the future. The Solovyov family also needs its own way of survival. Their family is inclined towards openness and progress, which will be a talisman for the future.

His thinking was far ahead of its time. Given his relationship with the tailor and the coachman, the tailor's grandson and the coachman's great-grandson wouldn't do anything to his descendants; the bond of kinship was there.

Because of the passage of time, Solovyov had forgotten that Tolstoy's youngest daughter, Alexandra, had acted recklessly after 1917, but was only briefly arrested by the Cheka. She didn't even receive any of the major memory restoration techniques. Later, she immigrated to the United States, and no one stopped her.

On the contrary, her eldest brother stayed in Moscow to teach and educate people. The descendants of her brothers who had gone into exile later returned to Moscow, back in 1945.

Actually, it's not what was advertised.

He takes his children's education very seriously.

“Education is very important, Katya. At home, you and Mihrima can’t just teach your daughters to sing and dance.”

"Girls are just suited to these things. They can't be like Princess Svetlana, who publishes math or physics papers all the time. It's hard to imagine that she and Princess Polina are twin sisters. Princess Polina can sing and dance, and even write scripts."

This can be described as a perfect inheritance of the characteristics of their respective fathers, plus Louisa's...
"If we have time, let's go visit His Highness at Peter and Paul Fortress together."

Katya couldn't help but sigh upon hearing this.

She was betrothed to her husband by the late Queen Elizabeth. Originally, she was to marry Prince Sergei, but Alexander and his wife felt it was not appropriate.

Although Prince Sergei was just as promiscuous as her ex-husband, there were some differences between them. Misha valued marriage very much, and even his relationships with his lovers gradually turned into friendships. Only Mihrima, who served him, remained at home as his housekeeper.

Prince Sergei's wife did not have a happy life after marriage. Later, the two separated, and she actually went back to live with her parents.

After the husband's death, the property he was supposed to compensate his wife for was divided up by his nephews.

Katya could imagine such a thing, because her aunt was just like that. Her good fortune probably lay in the fact that the Empress had arranged for her to be the mistress of this house. Her husband was a promising young military officer at the time, but she never expected him to be this promising.

If we're going to thank Her Majesty the Queen, we really should go and see her.

On her deathbed, she mentioned that she and Solovyov were close friends, and probably had that kind of relationship.

However, she didn't have her husband's extensive scientific knowledge, nor would she think in that direction.

It doesn't really matter if I think about it. Alexander and his wife are no longer here. Nicholas wouldn't care if he knew about the relationship between his teacher and sister-in-law. Such things happen often in the court.

He knew that his sixth niece's eyebrows and eyes were very similar to the "boss's," but because she was a girl, she was too charming and her temperament was different, so he didn't have too many suspicions.

Even if you put Solovyov's old female attire in front of you, because of her heroic spirit when dressed as a woman, you would never think that they are father and daughter.

After all, the Emperor's knowledge was all stuffed into him by Solovyov, and his biological knowledge was of little use except for continuing to produce offspring with the Empress.

Moreover, the Queen's health was very poor. Although she had received treatment, the doctor did not recommend that she conceive again after this pregnancy.

Solovyov wasn't very familiar with the family tree, and he didn't know the Empress would have another child.

Nikolai always uses what he learns in unexpected ways.

On the political level, because Benkendov and Kiselev repeatedly mentioned the dangers of serfdom to him, he finally resolved to change the status quo.

In addition, Solovyov and Speransky, one highly respected in the army and the other a reformist civil servant left over from the time of Alexander the Great, were able to help him accomplish many things.

Solovyov was still mentioning to Katya about visiting Luisa's grave when an adjutant arrived at his residence on the Kutuzov Causeway.

"Your Highness Prince of Thrace, His Majesty has sent me with a letter."

"Has His Majesty issued an imperial decree summoning me?"

"No, there is only this letter."

"Alright then, you can have some tea and refreshments in the reception room before you leave. My family always welcomes guests, but it's not mealtime yet."

“Your Excellency, I have other business to attend to. The Emperor also wants me to go to the monastery.”

"Alright then, the mission is more important."

Solovyov let the adjutant leave and sat on the sofa, holding his daughter while looking at the Tsar's letters.

Compared to her sisters, Alexandra was more obedient, nestling quietly in his arms.

"What did His Majesty say again?"

"A meeting will be held in the Privy Council next month to discuss the issue of serf reform."

"That's something you've always wanted to do."

"Yes, but now there's a considerable conflict. This policy is opposed by state serfs and landowners because it harms their interests. The problem with state serfs is easy to solve: measure and allocate land to them, and then they pay taxes according to the acreage. But I think there will be many opposition from these landowners. Katya, Mother won't object, will she?"

"She knows you're the most promising son-in-law, so why would she object to you?"

"That's true."

The mother-in-law regarded Solovyov as the future support for her two sons and grandsons.

Prince Vasily the Younger assumed the position of leader of the nobility in St. Petersburg. Although the position was prestigious, he was heavily criticized for his philandering. His behavior of seducing other men's wives was so outrageous that his wife, Varvara, fell seriously ill, and Katya frequently visited her.

Her relationship with her eldest brother deteriorated, while her relationship with her second brother improved. Prince Nicholas even sought her opinion when he wanted to get married.

The mother-in-law also sided with her daughter-in-law and could not understand her eldest son's behavior.

And in this family, down to this generation, all the members who joined the army were actually grandsons. The Dolgorukov-Klimsky family was known for its military achievements, but now the son-in-law who married into the family has his own separate family tree and is also a prince of the highest rank, even more distinguished in military achievements than his father-in-law's family.

She also likes this son-in-law very much, so there won't be any major objections from the family.

The annoying aunt is now bedridden, so the Mushin-Pushkin family won't cause any trouble. Katya's cousin is even trying to ingratiate himself with her in a ridiculous way.

His initial arrogance followed by his later obsequiousness is laughable.

Solovyov wasn't sure what would happen to the local nobles.

Given his connections among the generals in the military, the provinces he could likely influence were limited to the area around Moscow, and even then, there would likely be opposition.

Petya married Katya's sister, Sonia, but he had little interest in politics and preferred to be a happy country gentleman.

Of course, he didn't have that talent, and Solovyov wouldn't make things difficult for his brother-in-law and former adjutant.

However, in all reform efforts, the Rostov family, though a relatively declining noble family, still held some influence in Ryazan.

With Pierre's net worth of 2000 million rubles, he could still maintain a respectable image in Moscow and Ryazan.

Solovyov also thought of Pierre, who had been quite successful in building railways over the years. He had been considering this issue since Tilsit in 1807, and by 1812, he had already built a railcar line.

By 1834, Solovyov could see that a communication system had been established along the railway line.

Advances in communications will make the transmission of government orders much easier in the future.

Productivity remains the core issue.

Solovyov was still holding his daughter when he noticed that the child was draped over his shoulders like a cat tree.

But the saliva was all over his own epaulets.
"Katya, take the child to bed. I need to write a memorial to the Emperor, or rather, a memorandum."

"Alright then, just your uniform."

"The child's saliva is still clean, and she was asleep so she didn't know."

"Yes, but don't work too hard. I know you've put in a lot of effort over the years. If you can help the Emperor solve this problem this time..."

"There is so much to do to ensure a stable living environment for future generations."

In addition to advising Nikolai, Solovyov also wrote to Count Ostermann-Tolstoy in Switzerland, inquiring about the purchase of a estate there.

He still knew that the reform of serfdom was indeed of great importance.

If it succeeds, it will probably be useful by the time it reaches the great-grandchildren.

If he fails, he'll probably go live in Switzerland, like an old comrade-in-arms who exiled himself out of sympathy for the Decembrists. (End of Chapter)