Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 165 022 Petersburg Unlimited Fighting Tournament (FIN)

Even if Solovyov had really read history books, he would not have imagined how abstract this assassination of Paul was.

But if he looked at the facts before him and then looked at the historical records for comparison, he would probably find it even more abstract.

He issued orders and actually pointed cannons at the gate of the Mikhailovsky Palace. In return, the guards inside came out to surrender. The rebel officers were either leaderless or followed the crowd and surrendered along with a few leaders.

Alexander was still trying to figure out what to do, whether to conduct an investigation, and he had good reasons to leave the scene and go to the Marble Palace.

Constantine's palace was the closest to the Mikhailovsky Palace, and Louisa's frail health was now known to all the soldiers in the square.

Alexander took Louisa in his arms and took her to the Marble Palace, asking the maids to take good care of her. Then he stayed in the hall of the Marble Palace, waiting for the report from Constantine and Prince Bagration.

Constantine did not expect things to go so smoothly. They now entered the Mikhailovsky Palace. Knowing that his father had been killed, he sent several guards to seal the palace entrance, and then summoned the royal doctor and the priest.

Paul was murdered, not committing suicide, so even if the Patriarch came, he couldn't perform the resurrection - and there was no such black magic in the Slavic world.

But at this time, even a communiqué was difficult to draft. After all, this matter was horrifying. Moreover, according to Count Nikolai Zubov, the group of people who entered the Tsar's bedroom, except for their brothers, General Bennigsen, and their entourage, the rest of them were on Count von Paalen's side.

"It's like the king hiding behind the castle in chess. They have all changed positions and should have run away by now."

"Your Highness, how should we deal with this?"

"Don't worry about anything else. Clean up this place and chase after these king killers. I want to lead the team myself!"

The reason why Grand Duke Constantine decided to go there in person was very simple: he wanted to capture him alive.

There are still many things to do next. After all, there are too many things to do to count.

Alexander has now become the Tsar, and the cheers of the Guards are proof of that. One more thing is needed, which is to bury Paul and keep his body in the Mikhailovsky Palace for people to pay their respects. Only after the old emperor's funeral can the legitimacy of his succession to the throne be proved.

As for the relations between the two countries and the communications with foreign countries, and even what kind of conspiracy is involved, it is difficult to conclude.

"Your Majesty, I think at this time, the homes of the leaders of the rebellion, that is, Count von Palen, the Zubov brothers, General Bennigsen, Count Panin, and General Tarejin, should be sealed off. Of course, in order to show the emperor's mercy, their families will not be implicated, and their property will not be confiscated. They should be tried in accordance with the existing laws of our country."

The old earl knew what was going on. Since the outgoing imperial prime ministers had all passed away, as the current first-class Privy Councilor, his rank was the highest among all civil servants, so he also had the right to make suggestions.

Moreover, his only son was a close confidant of the new emperor. In order to pave the way for his son, he had to cheer up.

“That’s fine.”

"It's just that I'm in a state of confusion right now. I'm sure you all know what happened. In this situation, you should all come up with a set of rules on what should and shouldn't be done."

But he was still acting, perhaps because he was stimulated by what Queen Mother Maria had just said.

"You can have your wish come true now! You can sit on it and be your emperor!"

To be honest, this family, except for Archduke Constantine who is hunting down Count von Paaren and others, and Louisa who has gone back to bed, is now a group of actors.

The commander of Solovyov's Guards Artillery Battalion was only a temporary position. The battalion had its own owner, Paul's youngest son, Grand Duke Mikhail. He had held this position since he was born to the sound of the salute.

By now he had handed back command of the artillery and returned to the Marble Palace.

"This night is quite lively!"

He was also tired and wanted to find a place to lie down.

"Mr. Major, Her Majesty the Queen is calling you over."

The one Solovyov saw was little Natalia. It seemed that big Natalia, after going through the whole night, could not bear it anymore and went to rest, so this yellow-haired girl came out instead.

Louisa was confused. She was not weak, just tired. And at the critical moment, she could really withstand the big scene.

"Misha, come here. I want you to get some medicine for me." Louisa grabbed Solovyov's hand and placed it on her chest. She knew that this cunning boy would fall for her trick.

"Your Highness, you don't want donkey skin, do you? This thing replenishes blood and is good for your body."

"I know this, and thank you for protecting me for such a long distance. His Majesty, he just came over and praised you for your proper response today and said he would promote you."

"Why did His Majesty tell you?"

"Don't worry about it. Go and have a rest."

Solovyov was afraid that his secret intimacy with Louisa would be exposed, and he was also worried about some other problems. However, on such a night, he and Count Tickenhausen were the busiest people. Not only were they responsible for delivering orders, but they also had to coordinate everything.

As for Count von Paalen, he was hit by the Hussars dispatched by Kutuzov on his way to escape. He did not dare to resist and turned back to the city. As a result, a very funny thing happened under the dragnet.

Count Pavel von Paalen is the son of Count Peter von Paalen. Among the sons born to this Count, only this one often serves Paul, and he happened to be not among the officers on duty recently.

However, last night, he was patrolling the streets as the commander of the Guards Cuirassiers, and he didn't care about anything else. He arrested anyone without the password on the spot.

Then he discovered that although he had indeed performed a great deed by capturing the escaped regicide alive, this man was actually his biological father!
When he came back and escorted the men to the Marble Palace, Alexander himself felt somewhat helpless.

"General von Paalen, please step down. We have our own arrangements for this matter. I will naturally pardon you for your meritorious service." My goodness, the father planned to murder the king and killed his own father, but his son was honest and strong, and he directly captured his father back. This is "a loving father and a filial son."

"It's hard for your son. We have to catch you, this poisonous snake. I don't have the heart to care about you. I will suppress him and send him to the Peter and Paul Fortress, where he will be kept in solitary confinement!"

As for the trial, that will take some time. There is still a lot to be done now, including the arrest of Count Kutaisov and Madame Chevalier in the palace.

Count Kutaisov cried out that he was wronged. After all, he was very loyal to Paul himself. However, Alexander had long been dissatisfied with this "Figaro". As the Tsar's barber, he eventually obtained the title of count and the position of secretary of state.

"Your Majesty, I am extremely loyal to the late emperor. Why did you arrest me?"

"Just one thing. I just heard from the soldiers of the Imperial Guard that someone gave you a secret letter yesterday afternoon and asked you to pass it on to the Emperor. Why didn't you pass it on?"

In fact, there was only one thing: there was not enough time, as he and Madame Chevalier were having a passionate affair.

"I am guilty, please Your Majesty."

"Forget it. Since you have been loyal to my father for many years, I will not punish you. You have made a lot of money in the past few years, and my father has also rewarded you with a lot of manors. You can go to the manor and become a rich man. I don't want to see you again!"

Count Kutaisov, the captive captured in Georgia and Paul's favorite from Gatchina, now also got a suitable end for him, except that he would not be able to appear in St. Petersburg in the future.

But life in the countryside was not bad either. Paul was very generous to his confidants. All this property was enough for the earl to enjoy for several lifetimes, not to mention the annual output of the manor and the income from business operations.

As for the Unlimited Fighting Tournament, in the end, because the Unicorn Cannon was too scary, and the Guards also knew that it was Count von Paaren who murdered the emperor, they had no intention of fighting, so they smoothly pledged allegiance to the new emperor.

This ended the coup. In fact, no matter what the outcome was, the winner was Alexander himself. He chose the one that was most beneficial to him, but it was a pity that he would never see his father again.

Paul's body was now lying in the coffin. Due to the fierce fight with several officers who killed the king, his face looked so hideous that even the professional team of court painters, royal doctors and priests could not completely conceal the fact that Paul died of murder.

The Queen Mother's behavior was very abnormal, so she was also sent back to the Winter Palace and did not appear in the Mikhailovsky Palace. Here are Alexander, Constantine, Maria and Catherine, who were Paul's most beloved children during his lifetime.

Maria and Catherine both changed into black mourning clothes in the Winter Palace before coming here. The two sisters couldn't stop crying when they recalled the scene when their father helped them onto the pony to learn how to ride horses, and how their strict father doted on them in daily life.

As for the guards on the side, they cried bitterly when they thought of the kindness the late emperor had shown them. There were even a few soldiers who looked very impressive with their big beards, but they cried so hard that they fainted.

After all, it’s hard to say whether there will be such a good emperor in the future.

The same thing happened on the streets of St. Petersburg.

Solovyov now has another position as acting commander of the regiment. He has to control four battalion commanders whose ranks are higher than his, which is indeed quite ridiculous.

After he left Louisa, he returned to Alexander to wait.

"Soloviev, come here."

"Your Majesty, what are your orders?"

"You have done a great job and your plan is also excellent. I want to promote you to be the real head of the Primorsky Regiment. How about that? I will directly promote you to the rank of colonel. How about that? Colonel Baron Solovyov, the head of the Primorsky Regiment, is very impressive, right?"

"Your Majesty, I cannot accept such a reward."

"Oh? You have made three great contributions, why don't you accept a new position?"

"I'm too young. When the late emperor was alive, I was promoted from a 16-year-old adjutant to the commander of the Guards. I'm not from a noble family, and I don't have any foundation. People even say that my family is a smuggler, and that I got this title because of Prince Menshikov's protection. I don't even have a certificate. Anyone who sees it would be jealous."

Alexander understood before Solovyov had finished speaking.

"I understand. You are afraid of being in this position and you can't sit still, right?" Moreover, Lieutenant General Tarejin, who was the first to pledge allegiance to Paul, actually joined the conspiracy group to kill the king as the commander of the Putin Regiment. This is indeed very scary. Alexander could hear it from what Solovyov said.

"That's right, Your Majesty. If you really want to reward me, you should give me a reward after the veterans and generals, and according to their ranks and titles."

"Well, I will arrange your reward later. But I think your family's title can be upgraded. Your baron was awarded by Empress Catherine I, and there is no real certificate. Alexander Sergeyevich, you are the leader of the nobles in St. Petersburg, the current first-class Privy Councilor of the Empire, and the leader of the civil servants and nobles. What do you think?"

"Your Majesty, let's not talk about other rewards. I think the issue of this certificate should be resolved immediately. Strictly speaking, titles with imperial edicts but no certificates can only be written into the Velvet Book as senior nobles."

Solovyov finally solved the problem of his family's title certificate, but it was only limited to the branch of his old father, Baron Sergei.

"That's it, Mishka. I will ask Alexander Sergeevich to arrange for your family's title certificate. By the way, what do you have in your hand?"

"Just now, the maid of Her Royal Highness the Queen asked me to go over. Her Royal Highness is a little weak and needs some tonic. I took the initiative to get some donkey-hide gelatin cakes, which also contain walnut kernels and various dried fruits. Her Royal Highness needs to take care of her health."

"Well, it would be great if all the servants in the palace could do their jobs as well as you do!"

Alexander didn't know about the things about Louisa and Solovyov that others wanted to know but didn't know, and he didn't know that his Polish friend almost succeeded.

Although the actor's mind was difficult to guess, Solovyov discovered that he particularly loved to be high-profile, and except for those close confidants who could say a few heartfelt words when giving him advice, he would enjoy the flattery of everyone if it was right.

No wonder he is so ambitious, he has accomplished so many things, but he often fails.
After knowing his temper, no matter how difficult his thoughts are to figure out, you can probably figure out a way.

Paul is dead, and Russia has now officially entered the era of Alexander I. It is actually difficult to predict what the future will be like.

(End of this chapter)