Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 290 057 Solovyov officially takes office in Smolensk
After this trip to Tula, he found nothing at Nikolai Volkonsky's place. He had just gone to Moscow with his daughter Maria, and it seemed that they were planning to spend the winter there and would not appear in the countryside.

Therefore, Solovyov first returned to Lanenburg to make basic plans for the construction of the cannery, and entrusted his cousin Nikolai to handle the specific matters - if it went through someone else's hands, he would not even know where a lot of the funds disappeared in the middle.

This was probably how his days in Ryazan were. For him, time was still very important. After all, he was going to Smolensk to take up his post, and there were many things he needed to do there.

After all, he could not mention that in 1812 the French would attack from the roads of Vitebsk and Smolensk. One of the biggest characteristics of a prophet is that what he says is not easily believed.

This is what happened in Greek mythology, so he had to complete some tasks in Smolensk according to orders, including some specific projects such as building a textile factory locally.

By then, it will probably be burned down by fire, but the destructive power should be less than Pugachev's uprising.

Although the serfs were liberated, his way of doing things directly led to the deindustrialization of many parts of Russia, which is unreasonable.

His failure in the end was inevitable, after all, he became a bandit out of habit as he kept fighting.

As for this trip, he didn't even have to go to Moscow. He could go directly to Mikhailovsk and turn onto the main road, which would lead him west from Tula to Smolensk.

There are quite a few ancient forests along this road.

So, some people will also see the old oak tree, but he comes in autumn, and if he feels some emotion, it is probably because of the arrival of the solemn atmosphere and the coming of war.

There is no time to waste. From the moment he takes office, he must properly replenish the garrison in the Smolensk Governorate and the local regiments that serve as a source of troops. Also, he must repair the roads in advance as all troops dispatched in the directions of Moscow and St. Petersburg will pass through this important transportation hub.

Especially in the muddy autumn rainy season, and the muddy fields caused by melting ice and snow in spring, these are the characteristics of the East European plains and must be tasted.

Therefore, his journey to Smolensk was not smooth.

Even so, he still managed to reach the Smolensk base.

"You came at the right time. As soon as we sat here, the rain outside got even heavier."

It just so happened that Andre was going to take Lisa back to see his father, and they were going back to Tongshan, but in this kind of weather, they had no choice but to stay in the city first.

"But you live in the barracks of my regiment, Andre. Isn't that a bit unfair to Lisa?"

"No, it doesn't matter, Mikhail, your place is very clean, it's better than the inn we stayed in in Velikiye Luki."

"Maybe, but it's only the officers' quarters that are okay. The barracks of our regiment are built separately and are quite different from other places."

"Yes, the Guards always use palaces or large official residences that have been nationalized as military camps. It is rare for them to rebuild a military camp like this."

"It's probably because the Selenge Regiment came from Siberia and all the available barracks in the area were used up, so this is what happened. The two-story house where this regiment commander lives was left to the previous commander by the Hussars."

"But it's not bad here, Andre. If you become an officer in the regiment, I will accompany you to the garrison."

Lisa seemed to be of the same kind as Natasha, and had grown up in a social environment, and was a little frivolous, but she was a good girl and would follow her husband to the ends of the earth.

"Lisa, don't follow me down there and suffer. If I really join the regiment, you can stay in Petersburg."

The premise is that this would have happened if she hadn't gotten pregnant.

Moreover, Andre is still adapting to the sweet life after his marriage. If there are problems in the relationship between the couple at this time, the other party must have other intentions.

Solovyov gave them the bedroom on the second floor, slept on the sofa in the reception room on the first floor, and even asked Adela to serve Lisa.

The reason was simple. Although Lisa looked strong mentally, her body was very delicate. She felt tired after being here for a short time and really needed someone to serve her.

The newlyweds did not have any servants with them, only a coachman.

Soloviev left Belzoni in Lannenberg and came here with Adela only, sending the girl away.

In the end, he still needs to solve the problem himself.

He also recalled the divorce between Count von Paaren, the son of the regicide, and his wife. It happened when the cavalry regiment was stationed outside, and the couple broke up over trivial matters. Cases like Andre and Lisa were quite special.

Lisa, who grew up in a social circle, is so special that although she has some opinions about Andre's indifference, she is still willing to accompany him.

This is what Solovyov, the unfortunate young wife, thought. Her slim figure might cost her her life in the end. However, there was no large hospital like the one in St. Petersburg in Smolensk. Although the quality of doctors was acceptable, it still depended on the situation if she went to the hospital.

Of course, given Lisa's current situation, she probably isn't pregnant yet, so there's still time to prepare.

He was very clear about this. When he went to Tongshan to visit Andre's father, he didn't know what kind of evaluation the other party would give him.

Of course, the old duke's comments on women have always been rather harsh, and after living in a country estate for so long, he is no longer as decisive as he was in the army, and has developed quite a few quirks.

But he should still have some expectations for the young officers.

The next morning, Solovyov got up very early because he had nothing to do the night before. However, the reception room on the first floor was just below the bedroom on the second floor. Andrei still took good care of Lisa and did not torture her during the tiring journey.

Solovyov thought so himself, and he also felt that he seemed to be thinking in the wrong direction. Perhaps he was always thinking about this kind of thing, and he was about to be assimilated by those reckless guards. It might not be a bad thing to stay in Smolensk for some time.

It also helps him calm down and start writing at his desk.

In addition to translation, there is also submission of articles on military regulations.

What he is concerned about is the use of new equipment. If it is the Congreve rocket, this thing will not be of any use now.

What we should pay attention to is the combat of light infantry. Because of the use of new weapons, the Russian army will still have the opportunity to arrange the chasseurs into a wide line of skirmishers to fight in mobile warfare in the future. In time, the tactical action of line infantry will become outdated and will become a target for others to shoot.

However, due to the limitations of the weapons currently used by hunters, most of them have either a low rate of fire or limited production, and cannot change the battlefield.

"Andre, you should stay here today. The quartermaster of my regiment just reported to me that the road is very muddy and the carts carrying vegetables from the city are stuck there. You can wait for two or three days. I will ask the soldiers to start a new training course. Of course, I will not ask them to fill the mud pits with their bodies."

"What are you going to do?"

"To the west of Smolensk, there are swamps in Belarus. If I prepare the logs and pave a temporary road, there should be no problem." "It should be fine if you do this. I think there should be people doing this in the countryside."

"We may be nobles, but we cannot separate ourselves from the common people and serfs. If we do that, it will seem as if Russia is divided."

“I agree with you that everyone has the right to freedom, but there are institutional problems.”

"The difference is whether it should be removed all at once or in stages."

"That's always a question, Mikhail. You and Pierre have similar views on the revolution, but you also agree with our views."

"To be precise, when Emperor Paul was still alive, a common view among the enlightened people in St. Petersburg was that these systems needed to be gradually reformed. A revolution would cause too much harm to Russia, and the current contradictions were not yet enough to trigger a revolution. The peasants in the countryside had not yet realized their own power, and at the same time, they were unable to properly use their power."

Although Solovyov said this, he still had some sense of propriety. Revolution would definitely not work in Russia now, and even reforms would face some embarrassing issues.

Even after Paul was assassinated and Alexander began to make great strides in liberalism, he did not solve some inherent problems.

It is already a headache that the peasants misinterpreted the content of the three-day decree under various conditions after only hearing about it.

Moreover, this is a common phenomenon worldwide.

But Andrei and Solovyov were talking about political instability, and it was obvious that Lisa couldn't keep up with them, and it was a bit awkward for her to sit here alone.

In the end, Solovyov wanted to bring Lisa into the topic and not let her become a cute ornament.

"By the way, I also prepared some marinated meat. If this kind of meat can be packaged in a can, it will be convenient to carry on long-distance travels."

Then, he forced the topic to food, but Andrei might be more familiar with Smolensk than he was. After all, he was a local nobleman. His father Nikolai Andreevich bought Bald Hill and opened up this manor. Although it was some distance away from Smolensk, it was not far.

"You talk like you want to promote donkey sauce throughout Russia, Mikhail."

"That's not the case anymore. When I get up in the morning, I need some dishes to go with it. I'll let Adela do it."

"Then you are not bullying a child? Let's do it together."

Lisa has a really good personality and doesn't have a clear sense of hierarchy. She wants to drag Adela to cook with her. As for Andrei and Solovyov, they can help out.

By the way, when Lisa and Adela were there, it wouldn't be awkward for the two of them to talk about anything.

"I suggest you go to Tongshan and meet my father."

"Nikolai Andreevich wants to see me?"

"You are the last staff member brought by Alexander Vasilyevich. In fact, you can be considered a disciple. He hopes that someone can pass on the military theory of the Grand Marshal."

Of course, judging from the cases of Bagration or Miloradovich, both of them were quite tough on the battlefield, which only reflected one aspect of Suvorov.

However, there is relatively little knowledge about the mobility in employing troops and the wisdom on the battlefield.

"But I only learned the basic methods of training soldiers and rapid maneuvers on the battlefield. I didn't learn anything else."

"I just want to know what you have learned. We plan to stay in Smolensk for a while, and you can go to Bald Hills after a while."

"All right."

After all, Solovyov still had a lot of things to do, and after leaving St. Petersburg, he had even less chance to take a break.

"But where are you going to spend the winter?"

"Just to see father. We will go to Petersburg after all."

It seems that the "plot time" is approaching. Another problem is that the Third Anti-French Alliance is probably inevitable. Russia and Austria have become the main combat forces on the European battlefield, and the British will still buy suitable thugs.

“Probably next year too.”

"Yeah, I'm afraid Lisa isn't too willing."

"After all, you just got married! Lisa is really nice. Girls like her are different from the girls in the social circles in Petersburg."

Andre knew that he looked serious, but he actually had a great sense of humor, and...it was just that he was too secretive for most people to see.

"What about you, have you found the right one?"

"not yet"

There is no need to talk about Louisa's affairs. It seems that he will just marry a court maid in the future, which will help keep it secret.

As for today's training, Solovyov also sent the soldiers out to pave the roads. At this time, log-falling exercises may be a more suitable form of exercise for these soldiers.

By the way, Solovyov was an example of Russian soldiers who used their bodies to fill the road so that artillery carts and baggage could pass through muddy sections.

Although this was often voluntary on the part of the soldiers, he could always think of the Battle of Red Cliffs, when a prime minister fell in love with someone else's wife and what he did was hard to describe.

Therefore, he always believed that self-rescue logs should be carried when marching.

There are no tanks now, so it is not very suitable for tanks, but it is very suitable for horse-drawn carriages.

The training of the Selenge Regiment started with logging. Even for these soldiers, after the new commander came, this was still a very easy job, much better than what the previous commander had done.

However, Solovyov's training method is still troublesome.

Fortunately, he didn't have the habit of hiding weapons on his body, otherwise a lot of them would have fallen out.

(End of this chapter)