Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 155 012 Von Palen's flawed acting (Part )

"You did the right thing. With this arrangement, the adult members of the royal family will be separated by family and go to their own palaces at night. The guards are not under the same command, so if someone really rebels, they won't be wiped out at once by the rebels."

This is how old Count Stroganov praised Solovyov after he reported back.

This happened in February. Paul, Alexander and Konstantin lived separately. Paul's protection was mainly carried out by the Putin Regiment, while Alexander and Konstantin were the leaders of the Semenovsky Regiment and the Izmailov Regiment respectively. It was their job to have their own guards.

At the same time, it should be noted that coming out of the Mikhailovsky Palace, to the north is the Ares Square, and in the northwest corner here is the base of the Pavlovsk Grenadiers Regiment. Although they are not the Guards Regiment, they are soldiers handpicked by Paul.

In terms of the military system, it is the same as the Guards, in that soldiers are selected rather than conscripted. Therefore, although only the Jaeger Company has been on the battlefield, their training has always been very good. Judging from their performance on the training ground, this type of force is no less elite than the Guards.

The regiment is stationed at No. 2 Million Street, just opposite the Marble Palace, which is Konstantin's home. There is also a company of the Izmailov Regiment that takes turns guarding this place every day, so it is relatively safe.

At that time, Solovyov was still with Paul, so he set up a guard plan that was not subordinate to each other, and separated the three most important adult males in the royal family to avoid being killed in one fell swoop. The father and son were really kind and filial, and the brothers were friendly and respectful. They would not kill each other first. The Russian royal family was different from other places. The only regular drama retained was the battle between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law, and usually the mother-in-law unilaterally bullied the young daughter-in-law.
"Father, what should we do next?"

"We are also related to the emperor, Pasha. Your grandmother is from the Naryshkin family. Although our family is from a wealthy merchant family, we have become prosperous because of the royal merchants. No matter who the emperor is, we must serve him carefully and not make any mistakes. Moreover, becoming a personal friend of the monarch will be more conducive to our sacred mission to turn Russia into a progressive and enlightened monarchy. Do you understand?"
When you joined the Jacobins in Paris, why did Her Majesty call you, Prince Golitsyn, and dozens of young nobles in Paris back? It was because she was afraid that you would be deceived and incited. Now it seems that when the world is in turmoil, the British are always involved. The affairs of Paris have nothing to do with them. In Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Lisbon, Naples, and St. Petersburg, their shadows can be seen everywhere. The more the British muddy the water and the more chaotic things are, the more beneficial it is for them. If it is a stable country, it will not be profitable for them. "

"Father, why are you suddenly talking about the English?"

"The Emperor sent one of his own guard officers to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. It was an unintentional and brilliant move. He was about to hand over the Kuran groom to the General. Pasha, tell me about this Soloviev. What did you talk about when you were with him?"

"They all talked about art, but when it comes to politics, Misha doesn't have a strong dislike for any country, except for Britain."

"This kid is a continentalist at heart, and he pursues a balance on the European continent, which is what Her Majesty the Queen has always pursued. But the British don't want Europe to be stable. The more chaos there is, the more it will benefit them across the Channel. If Count von Paalen succeeds, no matter what the result is, he thinks he can issue orders and then be friendly with Britain. But he doesn't understand Your Highness. Only a few of you confidants will tell the truth to our Crown Prince, but you won't tell him the truth. Even if he really staged a coup this time and successfully seized power, he would not be able to accomplish anything without the real support from the royal family and close ministers!"

"What should we do?"

"If His Majesty doesn't move, we can't move either. It's a pity. If such a monarch was not so paranoid, he would be an ideal monarch. It's a pity that he has always been trying to prove himself since he was a child. He likes to go against others and it's inevitable that he will get stuck in a dead end. It's not easy for us ministers in the court to persuade him. Even if he finds the problems, he always wants to do things his own way, which leads to the chaotic situation today. As for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, he is good in every way except that he lacks determination and patience. The Emperor is impatient and paranoid, which is not good. It's not easy to really get rid of the bad policies."

The Earl and his son were both enlightened liberals who advocated reform, but their status as wealthy aristocrats meant that they could only bring about reforms by influencing the monarch himself; other methods were not feasible.

"Father, this won't solve the problem."

"We can only wait and hope nothing happens. But when someone takes a risk, Pasha, you are by the side of the prince, so you must ensure the reliability of the Winter Palace eunuchs and the Guards."

"Father, it's not a big deal. The attendant general is not only by your Majesty's side, but there is always one by your Highness' side as well."

"Who is the general on duty these days?"

"Your Highness, it's Bagration, and your Majesty, it's Kologrivov of the Guards Hussars."

"If someone really wants to take action, I'm afraid they will attack the general on duty at His Majesty's place. We must ensure that Prince Bagration can issue the order as the aide-general. The Guards Chasseur Regiment under his command was brought by His Majesty from Gatchina. The relationship is so deep that it is not comparable to ordinary troops. As long as this troop can move, even if they are stationed outside the city, we must be able to allow this troop to enter the city quickly."

And there is another more fatal thing, that is, this regiment is the only unit in the Russian army that uses all new guns. Bagration is the leader of this regiment and is absolutely trusted.

As for the specific arrangements, the old earl, as the leader of the nobility and without military power, could not say anything. He could only ensure that some of the attendant generals were not affected by the coup and that he could mobilize troops calmly.

Another hope might be Admiral Kutuzov in Vyborg. Although he is an old fox, he is still very loyal to Paul. When the time comes, he may become the key to victory or defeat.

At this time, Solovyov did not know about Count Stroganov's palace counter-coup arrangements. After all, if Count von Palen really wanted to do it, he would go directly to the Mikhailovsky Palace. Without the Tsar's own clear order, even if this guy was exposed, he could not be arrested.

Paul seemed unwilling to believe that his close followers since the time of the Queen would rebel, so he did not take any action.

Solovyov had no choice but to return to the Winter Palace to report.

When Alexander saw him come back, he also learned some details of Paul's questioning of Count von Paalen.

"Your Highness, that's about it. I was next door at the time and heard it all clearly."

"You did a great job, please step back."

Alexander is now going to summon Count Stroganov and his son. They and Kochubey are the only civil servants who can offer advice on such matters.

However, Kochubey himself was demoted for resisting Paul's arranged marriage, and in a fit of anger he took his fiancée to Dresden, and was not here.

The only one left was Novosiltsev, Count Pavel's cousin and former valet of Alexander, but he had also been travelling abroad recently and was not around.

"Your Highness." "You have come at the right time. I want to tell you the truth now. I am afraid that Count von Paalen is really involved in the rebellion. But without the order of our father, we can't take any action."

"Your Highness, I don't know if it's appropriate to say this at this time."

"Alexander Sergeyevich, you are an old minister, you have been in the court since the time of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, and you are well-informed. Every word you say is valuable advice."

"At this time, if someone wants to take action against the emperor, I'm afraid you will have to get involved, or at least acquiesce to their actions. Your Highness, you must not agree to them, and you must also make preparations early. If these people take risks, they will use any means!"

“You mean.”

"Use all possible means, Your Highness. If someone comes to you at this time, you must be careful and don't agree to anyone's order, unless it is an order with the emperor's seal and personal signature, or an order brought by His Majesty's confidant. Do not believe any edict that comes out of the palace."

Although the old count lived a wealthy life all his life, he had experienced a coup d'état. There were even rumors in St. Petersburg that this amateur chemist poisoned his first wife Anna Vorontsova and Peter III. Although these were all nonsense, it was true that the count had experienced several coups d'état and conspiracies, so he had some experience.

"Alexander Sergeevich, this way"

"Your Highness, only this way can your safety and reputation be guaranteed. Count von Paalen is the Military Governor of Petersburg and the Minister of Posts. He can even bypass the Attorney General and the Minister of Police, Prince Kurakin, to read all the correspondence between the nobles, including the memorials to the Emperor. At this time, you can't guard against anything. Only the edict of His Majesty himself, with his signature, is the most effective order. But if they really want to force His Majesty to abdicate, or even go a step further and imprison members of the royal family, it's hard to say."

The old count himself could not explain too deeply, and could only give Alexander some pointers. Although Alexander had no patience, he was very smart and understood things immediately.

If such a thing happened, Alexander's own considerations would also be crucial, but he did not like these favorites of his grandmother and father very much. In fact, he did not like either Count Zubov or Count von Paalen.

"In this case, if someone comes to see me, they cannot move unless it is an order brought by my father's confidant with all the signatures and seals."

"That's it, Your Highness. You will have to make your own decision on what to do next. We are just your loyal servants, offering you advice."

Speaking of this, Count von Paalen was going to visit the Winter Palace. When he came here, he actually brought something that neither Alexander nor the count and his son had expected.

"This is the Emperor's decree. You, His Royal Highness Constantine, and Her Royal Highness the Empress will be arrested and imprisoned in Shlisieburg on Lake Ladoga, the Peter and Paul Fortress, and Archangelsk respectively. We, his close confidants and close ministers, will all be sent to the guillotine and the gallows."

"No way?"

When Alexander heard this, he also felt that it was a bit too sensational. However, judging from the wording and the seal, it was indeed Paul's edict. However, the old count told him to pay attention to whether the signature was issued by Paul himself, which made him more alert.

"If your Highness doesn't believe it, such an order will be issued soon. His Majesty has gone mad. He sent someone to summon me to his office today and questioned me face to face whether I participated in the conspiracy. Then I got such an order from the aide-de-camp. After all, no one wants to lose their head. Your Highness, I risked stealing a copy of such an imperial edict. Please understand. His Majesty is probably really going crazy and wants to destroy this country."

"Okay, I understand. You can go now. Don't mention this to anyone."

Alexander simply used body language to indicate that he understood and nodded to indicate that Count von Paalen could leave, but did not make any verbal promises.

After all, the Crown Prince himself is an actor and he knows exactly what will happen.

The count thought that Alexander had acquiesced. After all, he had seen this prince grow up. However, he never imagined that Alexander's complex personality was so difficult to guess.

"Then let's get ready"

"There's a performance at the palace tomorrow, March 3th."

Alexander interrupted von Paalen. He could guess that the count was planning to take action tomorrow, but that would be stupid and would let the whole of St. Petersburg know that it was a coup.

As for Alexander himself, he would not give up easily. This kind of coup would be very difficult whether he informed Paul or participated in it directly.

After he said this, Count von Paaren knew that it would definitely not be possible tomorrow. He regarded this as Alexander's promise to acquiesce to his actions, but Alexander himself would not express his opinion.

After all, the final right of interpretation belongs to the company, and he doesn't want to see the worst case scenario.

Count von Paalen set the time for launching the new coup at the late night of March 3, and the actual action would be carried out in the early morning of March 11 in the Russian calendar. Paul would also be asleep at this time, and it was the time when the palace was changing guards at night and was relatively relaxed, making it convenient to take action.

However, he himself did not notice that Alexander had already played him, and he secretly submitted a memorial to Paul, requesting him to strengthen the court's security.

At this moment, Count von Paalen still looked like he was counting money and preparing for the victory settlement, and he even felt that the advantage was on his side.

(End of this chapter)