Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 286 053 Only the Menshikov family is qualified to be a thief
Solovyov also had to go to the Moscow Imperial University to attend an academic conference. Although it was related to paleontology, this was not his main business after all, and he was just participating in the conference as a fan.

The paleontological research of this era is more or less based on the original source, and the introductions to these Permian and Mesozoic paleontological organisms are all based on known organisms rather than those large reptiles.

Here, he could only listen along and even fell asleep easily.

If you want to visit Prince Sergei Menshikov, you still have to go to the manor.

Even though their property had been confiscated several times, including the first prince's own property and the dowry of his daughter Alexandra, they were still very wealthy.

Speaking of which, Peter the Great also needed this thief back then.

He once felt sad after the death of Lefort, a Swiss man he trusted.

"I only have one hand left, and it's a thief, but also a loyal man."

However, because Peter the Great received more and more accusations in his later years about Menshikov's collusion with foreign countries, he would not release this person abroad.

As for the transfer of property, the people involved were the four brothers of the Solovyov family, and they almost lost their heads.

After that, Menshikov's story was that he supported the Tsar twice after the death of Peter the Great, was exiled to Siberia during a coup, and eventually died of smallpox.

Such a powerful official was able to build a church himself in exile and was buried in Siberia.

But no one would have thought that with the violent flooding of the Northern Sosva River in the exile area, his grave could no longer be found.

The Menshikov family regained their noble status during the reign of Queen Anna, but they no longer had the glory they once had.

However, during the reign of Nicholas I, Prince Sergei's son once again held an important position at court.

Only this time, it's even more negative than the previous one.

Prince Menshikov also had a lot of property overseas, all in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and it was not completely taken away by Western European bankers.

After all, the British also know that as long as the great nobles who have fallen now are not completely wiped out, they will still have a chance to make a comeback in the future. Things like wipe out a family also depend on the situation.

Like some things in the 21st century, even the most greedy Jewish bankers today cannot help but ridicule them for not attaching importance to business reputation and having an ugly way of eating. If they want to take away customers' money, they cannot use such an open method.

This part of the money was only taken back some time after the second generation prince returned, before Solovyov's grandfather passed away. As for how much property Menshikov actually had overseas.

Apart from Prince Sergei himself, probably not many people know about it.

When we arrived at the Cheremushki-Znamenskoye Manor, the gate was also closed, which was very different from General Apraksin's house which was full of guests.

In Moscow, the nobles were still known for their hospitality, especially the older nobles who often held grand banquets and balls at home, which were even more grand than the original French ones they imitated.

Prince Alexander Kurakin's pomp and circumstance had already shocked his French friends.

Not to mention Count Stroganov, whose family is now the richest in Russia, and their life was luxurious enough when they were in France.

From now on, French food will be served in a Russian style, and this style of serving has also been brought to Paris, which can be regarded as a kind of reverse cultural export.

Solovyov also met another cousin, Vasily, at the estate. He had some time because the master was taking a walk in the garden.

Perhaps Russian masters all like to play a band in the garden and then go for a walk.

"Misha, I remember the last time I saw you was when I arrived in Ryazan. You were 5 years old that year."

"Don't always look at me as a child. I have a younger brother and a younger sister."

"Yes, Uncle Sergei has been married twice, and the current aunt is still very young, and they have several younger children."

"How are you doing?"

"As for me, it's still the same. Your grandfather has a title, but my grandfather is a butler. He doesn't hold any position, so he can only be considered a registered noble."

There's nothing we can do about it, he said it very clearly himself.

But Vasily can still enjoy many privileges here. After all, his master is often not in Moscow, and even often not in Russia.

In other words, the Solovyov family, the branch that served as stewards for Prince Menshikov, had been loyal and reliable for generations, otherwise thefts like the one that happened in the Tauride Palace would have certainly happened.

"Misha, do you want me to inform you?"

"Don't worry, we can talk. Father gave me the old house in Petersburg."

"But you're not married yet, when are you going to start a family?"

Speaking of this issue, Solovyov felt a little embarrassed. After all, he proposed to Silvia and was rejected, but he had two daughters with her. As for Her Majesty the Queen and his "aunt" Polina, they also had a child.

However, he is indeed not married, and may not have such plans for the time being, as he obviously has a lot of things on his hands.

This was different from when he was at court, when he came to Moscow to settle two matters: the canning factory and the fountain pen factory, and to move part of the pencil factory on Count Bobulinsky's estate to Ryazan or somewhere else.

As for why it was not Moscow, it is also very simple. If the French attacked in 1812, it is hard to say whether someone would set a fire.

They are scattered around Moscow, which is more convenient.

Of course, he had no plans to arrange routes in the direction of the main gate of Mozhaysk. Instead, he planned to arrange routes to places like Tula, Ryazan and Simbirsk.

In this case, he would probably have to visit several of his benefactors who had helped him. The letter of recommendation that allowed him to join the Moscow Grenadiers was the beginning of his meteoric rise.

"So you came back to do business! In addition to household chores, there are also tasks assigned by the emperor. However, if you need help in opening a factory, I can find a way."

After all, Vasily still has some face in front of the prince, and the management of this manor has always depended on him.

"No, everyone in my family knows what Peter the Great said."

Vasily found this boring, but by now the tea he had made was almost ready.

"Come and try it. This is black tea from Ceylon. When Uncle Sergei wrote to me, he said you liked it."

The father was still quite concerned about where his eldest son went, especially in Russia.

"I am very busy. After this matter is done, I have to go to Smolensk to take up my post. I won't have much time to take care of these things."

"Someone will still come from Petersburg when the time comes. Just do what you are supposed to do."

"Makes sense."

After he had chatted with Vasily for a while, Prince Sergei Menshikov returned from his walk.

"Sir, this is my cousin Mikhail, the son of my uncle Sergei."

"Ah, that's the promising boy who is beside the emperor. Hmm, he looks good."

The prince was still wearing a wig. He was curious about Solovyov's hair, which he could tell was real just by looking at it.

"You still have your hair, Misha."

"Yes, but it will be cut off when we get to Smolensk."

As for the hair, after it was cut off, Solovyov would leave this braid, which was neither too long nor too short, to Louisa.
"This hair looks great, why do you want to cut it?"

"Because the latest regulations require it, I have to cut my hair too."

"Yes, you are a soldier, and this is not my father's era anymore."

They chatted for a while in the courtyard, mainly about recent events in Moscow and St. Petersburg. This kind of meaningless conversation was more common in the salons in St. Petersburg.

"This is also a political barometer. I just returned to Moscow recently, and my son will return to serve in the court next year. In your opinion, which one is better, the Guards, diplomats, or court attendants?"

"If it is my personal opinion, Sergei Alexandrovich, the tasks that diplomats have to undertake at this stage are very heavy and not suitable for novices. Moreover, our diplomats will inevitably be influenced by some foreign friends abroad. The court is relatively idle, and the guards are not what they were in the time of Emperor Paul."

"But when you were Emperor Paul, you were the battalion commander in the Prussian Regiment."

"The duties at that time were very demanding, and they are still the same now, and there are also a lot of responsibilities."

Solovyov's goal was to get Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov to the inner court so as to prevent him from entering the army, as his prospects in both the army and the navy were not very good.

But he didn't know that Menshikov was a Guard from the inner court, and his resume when he was a middle and lower-level officer was also quite impressive.

But he was still not suitable for the next step up, so he served as an aide-de-camp to the Tsar, and then joined the navy during Nicholas' reign.

Then, this person's suppression of technology due to personal grudges will also cause huge trouble.

Besides, his title is there, and even if Solovyov holds a high position in the future, he will probably have a struggle with him.

However, there is also a vicious rumor that his biological father is the Swedish general who slept with Arkady Suvorov's ex-fiancee. Although this is nonsense, in Russia, spreading rumors is a daily routine.

For example, there are often some fathers from the subspace appearing.
"Then the inner court is better. If I go to the Guards, you will be transferred away. If I entrust someone from the Volkonsky family, it may be more troublesome."

The prince's speech and manner were not like those of a typical Menshikov family member, but rather like those of a foreigner, although he spoke Russian and even had some local dialect in his language.

It fits his background. After all, Alexander Danilovich came from a humble background. This is only the third generation, so it's not surprising that he would say something like this.

As for the Volkonsky he mentioned, he was actually General Peter Volkonsky, the nephew of old Commander Solovyov, Alexander's aide-de-camp general and senior staff member.

In fact, Solovyov did not want to have too close a relationship with the Menshikov family. After all, strange things always happened to this family, and he was already in St. Petersburg, which was quite a distance away from the Moscow nobles.

Besides, the Menshikov family wasn’t the type to entertain guests, so the farther away from here the better.

This meeting was like this, and cousin Vasily did remind him of some small things.

"Misha, I understand your thoughts. You don't want to have too much to do with this place. If the people Uncle Sergei knows can still help you, it's not the case here. You have to remember that these masters and young masters who have served our family for three generations are the most loyal thieves of the emperor, not just the first generation of princes."

"I know, so I'm going back to Moscow. It's a short journey, and it's not suitable to stay here for a long time."

"I won't keep you here anymore. Go to Kolya's place. His wife is a good cook. You are closer cousins. Did you go to his house before you came?"

"Yes, to be honest, our family has always been prosperous."

Speaking of which, the two oldest of the four Solovyov brothers had no offspring, and one of them even remained unmarried throughout his life, so the remaining two brothers had a special interest in adding population to the family.

It is also because of this that there are so many descendants of Fyodor without titles. Although Solovyov's branch has many people, it is not as numerous and powerful as theirs.

Then, their status was not high yet, and they were always doing the work of manor stewards, but they were responsible for managing money at a higher level. Fyodor was in charge of the inner house, and he did not teach his descendants much.

Vasily himself, his current wife has given birth to eight sons for him, and his sister-in-law is still pregnant.

Before leaving the Menshikovs' home, Solovyov visited his nephews and nieces.

Speaking of which, if the conscription office comes, we will all cry, we are all good materials.

However, it is hard to say whether this is their ambition.

After all, the only ones who could actually receive medals from the Tsar were Sergei and Mikhail, father and son. The rest of the people had no military rank higher than captain, and they all retired and went home.

"Misha, if you come to Moscow again, write to me, too."

"I know, Vasya, but who knows whether I can come to Moscow?"

Vasily fed his horse and sent him away from the luxurious manor.

As for how luxurious it is?

A manor that was often uninhabited. After Sergei Menshikov bought it in 1783, it took more than ten years to build a luxurious classical palace. Anyone who sees it will be shocked by the extravagance of the manor owner.

This is probably a consistent characteristic of the Menshikov family.

(End of this chapter)