Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 222 The First Consul Arrives at the Tuileries Palace

When going to the Tuileries Palace, one must always wear a military uniform and medals. Solovyov especially had a very conspicuous medal, which was the Second Class Cross of the Order of Malta. This medal was no longer awarded after Tsar Paul was murdered by von Pahlen in a coup.

It was indeed interesting for him to meet Napoleon in public when he was still the First Consul. After all, the classic skin color of this man's life had not appeared yet, and the First Consul's outfit was red, which was quite eye-catching.

Following Count Morkov into the Tuileries Palace was a relatively novel experience, and this palace no longer existed, so it was an experience he had never had before when he came in at this time.

Because he has no impression of this place, just like the Louvre does not have the glass pyramid.

Now he wants to write a novel or adapt "The Phantom of the Louvre" starring Sophie Marceau. After all, this thing is quite impressive, but he just doesn't know how to perform it on stage.

Even now the three major drama systems do not exist.
By then, we may have to think of some solutions.

Inside the Tuileries Palace, there were diplomats from various countries, as well as Parisian celebrities and many generals.

"Misha, when you are here, don't talk too much. Only speak when you are asked."

"I understand, Mr. Ambassador, there are some things that cannot be said."

At this time, Napoleon was meeting with diplomatic envoys one by one. Today's reception was quite large and would last for a long time.

When it was Count Morkov's turn, Solovyov could see the expressions of Napoleon and Mr. Talleyrand, who was leaning on a cane, from behind.

Mr. Talleyrand was as expressionless as ever. If he lowered his head, we wouldn't know what he was thinking. But if he went into the church in London, he might turn Britain into a prison - at least that's what Solovyov thought. Maybe a Blackadder or Mr. Bean would be needed at this time.

Napoleon himself did not like Count Morkov, but he was interested in the young man behind him.

"Count Morkov, the young officer behind you is the new military attaché of the embassy, ​​right?"

"Yes, Mr. First Consul, from Petersburg, Lieutenant-Colonel Soloviev, formerly in the Imperial Guards of our Emperor."

"I am always interested in young soldiers. I can ask him to come over to me and introduce himself at the beginning of the reception."

Napoleon didn't know why, but he set his eyes on Solovyov. Maybe it was because he was really handsome and pleasing to the eye.

Anyway, neither he nor Josephine knew that Josephine's cousin had actually ended up in St. Petersburg, and that she was their adopted nephew.

Solovyov didn't know that this man was his step-uncle, and Josephine was his aunt, because Polina and Anton were really distant blood relatives on both sides.

"The First Consul seems to be very interested in you, and you can go and meet him regardless of your military rank or title."

"Isn't this inappropriate?"

"I know this arrogant consul doesn't like me, but he is interested in you. If you can talk well, our 'pretty boy' may be able to gain the approval of the First Consul and those around him, and it may also be helpful in diplomacy."

"Okay, Mr. Ambassador, I'll be there when the time comes."

Moreover, he saw Moro and Bernadotte were both there. His appearance was not ordinary, but because he was handsome, he attracted a lot of people's attention. After all, he was very impressive.

There will be no need to disguise anymore, and the people of Paris will know not to duel with Russian sharpshooters easily.

There were banquets and dances at the reception, as was always the case at court, and Solovyov had experienced them many times in St. Petersburg, although he always stood by and watched.

People from the Bonaparte family also appeared here one after another. Of course, Napoleon's mother Letizia was missing. There were also his second sister Bonaparte and brother-in-law General Leclerc in Haiti, as well as Napoleon's stupid brother Jerome, who was hiding in the United States to avoid the limelight because he accidentally shot down a British frigate at sea.

Of course, General Leclerc's life was coming to an end due to the impact of yellow fever.

Also present today were many generals, civil servants, bankers, various socialites and salon hostesses in Paris, making the party quite lively.

There were also actresses such as Miss Mars and Miss George. As for Miss George, Solovyov knew that she and another actress, Miss Dushesnova, were competitors, but their supporters were called "Georgians" and "Colchis" respectively. You all like to name places in Georgia for no reason.

Moreover, the figures of these two young ladies, one plump and the other thin, are no wonder that they attracted tit-for-tat among fans. However, Miss George, at this age, has already attracted the attention of Napoleon.

Solovyov chose the right time and slipped over to the window.

The strange thing is that these two young ladies are cared for by the First Consul and his wife respectively here.

It's just that Josephine was interested in Miss Duchesnoy's acting skills, while the First Consul was interested not only in Miss George's stage performance, but also in the fact that she was so plump at such a young age, and would probably be even more spectacular in the future.

However, Solovyov did not appreciate Miss George. He was not very interested in this kind of thing.

"You are the new military attaché of the Russian embassy. You are quite young."

Napoleon was a man who was sometimes so straightforward, even in a "civilized" country. And he was also very satisfied with Solovyov, that is, this height was about the same as his own, because the young man's physique made him look stronger, and there was no height difference like General Augereau.

"Yes, Citizen General, or rather, His Excellency the First Consul."

He was indeed a little rude, Solovyov thought, and sometimes he wanted to agree with Mr. Talleyrand's point of view. After all, the Tsar was a civilized man.

However, as a diplomatic military attaché, one must still maintain diplomatic etiquette and basic courtesy.

"How old are you?"

Solovyov did remember a famous meme, but he couldn't laugh. Over the years he had developed the skill of holding back his laughter.

"21 years old." "How many years have you been in the army?"

"I started serving in Moscow at the age of 13. It has been eight years. I have risen from a sergeant to a lieutenant colonel."

"It was pretty quick. I saw you got two medals. You must have been on the battlefield."

But we should also note that if Solovyov accidentally tells the truth, the gun he designed will be exposed. Although it is not completely confidential, some things should not be said.

"Yes, sir. I have been to Italy and Switzerland, and learned a lot from the teachings of Field Marshal Prince Suvorov. Unfortunately, I encountered the French army in the process of practice. This medal was awarded by the late Emperor Paul himself, and I was enlisted in the Guards because of this."

"The father of your current Tsar was also a friend of mine. I feel sorry for his death. After all, he was an upright and honest monarch, which is a very rare virtue."

However, when it comes to Italy, Napoleon is still somewhat interested, otherwise after a few simple greetings, Solovyov would have returned to his original seat and would have gone to the dance floor to dance.

Moreover, although the First Consul had a sharp tongue, he was not as arrogant as he would be after becoming the Emperor, at least not as arrogant as he was before.

"I would like to hear your comments on the campaign in Italy. At your age, you are about the same age as Eugene, and perhaps you have your own judgment."

"You mean from 1796 to the present?"

"Yes, Italy has changed hands several times and is now in the hands of France. The biggest setback was caused by the Russian army. If it were only the Austrians, it would not have been possible to make such rapid progress."

"To be exact, General Citizen, it should be the Russian Expeditionary Corps with the cooperation of the Austrian Army. We only brought light cavalry. If there were no Austrian cavalry following on the battlefield, some battles would be difficult to fight. On the battlefield, the coordination of each branch of the army is very important, just like your artillery organization is very good."

Napoleon also smiled when he heard the compliment, and it seemed that he also enjoyed it.

"Also, the tenacious Russian infantry and the brave Austrian cavalry, the soldiers of each country have their own strengths, and of course they should be brought into play. As for your dispatch in the war from 1796 to 1797, you eventually defeated the Austrians and achieved a brilliant victory, which is undeniable. And Marengo, General Melas, after reporting the victory, could only get a 'lost victory'."

"Hahaha, 'Lost Victory', sounds like the helpless cry of a loser. Victory is definitely not achieved through memoirs, diaries and various comments. It can only be achieved on the battlefield. Also, I don't want to hear too much about me. How was your veteran, Suvorov, when he came to Italy?"

Alexander Vasilyevich was, in any case, Solovyov's master. Although he no longer had the energy to teach his disciples (including his son Arkady), the relationship between the master and the disciple was still very deep.

"What I want to say is, General Citizen, that in 1799, which was the seventh year of the French Republic, if General Kray had not stopped General Scherer's attack in the Verona area, this battle might have lasted even longer. However, judging by General Scherer's performance there, he could be said to have foolishly sacrificed the French army's strength, otherwise the subsequent advance would not have been so rapid. It's like pushing forward in the opposite direction according to your actions in 1796."

"That's a little bit true. The action was very quick, but it was also because of the commander's stupid actions that we almost lost Italy in the end."

According to Napoleon himself, various boomerangs often appeared at different times, but he still took Suvorov's actions seriously.

"Moreover, General Scherer was captured. The corps commander-in-chief was captured. This is worse than losing every battle."

Then, it was Solovyov who did it, and he couldn't say more.

"However, in the end, due to disagreements within the coalition forces, a stalemate occurred, but this could also be said to have reversed the entire situation, until your army crossed the Alps, just as our predecessors had done. Our Russian army also advanced through the St. Gotthard Pass. It was a difficult march. Because of the situation in Zurich, we could not achieve our goal and had to leave the battlefield and go to Liechtenstein."

"I was very interested in Field Marshal Alexander Suvorov, but unfortunately he died of old age."

He was not as arrogant as he was when he had torn apart the anti-French alliance one after another. He was still interested in competing with opponents he had never defeated.

"I was beside Alexander Vasilyevich at the time. From a personal perspective, he taught me some of the art of war, but the time we spent together was too short. I was too young, and the Field Marshal was too old. This is also a pity. Well, General Citizen, I will take my leave first."

Napoleon also found the young man interesting, and he also saw Moreau's expression.

As for what the Russian military attaché did in Paris, what would be his reaction when he found out?
Also, Solovyov was quite smart and he wasn't stupid enough to seek relatives in front of Napoleon.

If he were so stupid, this problem might have been solved today.

After retiring, he also wants to dance, but choosing a dance partner is also a problem.

This is quite different from in St. Petersburg, and there are several ladies here today, especially Madame Récamier. She seems to be tied to the recliner, leaning there and watching the people dancing on the dance floor.

It looked very funny, and some people were absent today. Although Louis was seen, his wife did not attend the reception because she was pregnant.

Napoleon did not come to the dance floor today, he just sat there.

It really is like Caesar, admiring his own imperial reflection there, even though he is not yet emperor.

When Moreau saw Napoleon, he couldn't help but think in this direction.

"General Moreau, we meet again."

"I didn't expect it, Baron. It would be more appropriate for you to show up in your true identity. There are girls in Paris who like young officers like you, even though you are a foreigner."

"There are many foreigners in Russia, including my stepmother. When I was in St. Petersburg, there was an area where French immigrants lived. Regardless of why they came to Russia, many people were there."

"So, you are a relative of our French?"

"Perhaps, General Moreau, and I have fought on the other side of your front and throughout the Italian campaign, especially during the four-day Battle of the Trebbia and the Battle of Novi. I hope there will be no war between us. Peace is best."

If he wasn't so smart, he might have become a relative today, even here with General Moreau, he could have had a rough idea.

(End of this chapter)