Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 373 015 Personnel Changes in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
When Solovyov went to Louisa these days, he did find something wrong.

This time, someone died again, but judging from Louisa's situation, it was most likely a girl.

Alexander also knew that Louisa was pregnant, but he never suspected Solovyov. This guy was too secretive in doing things, and he was always loyal, even though he was so loyal that he even went to the Queen's arms.

But Alexander's suspect was still his good friend Czartoryski. Although he had become Louisa's brother-in-law, Amalia's belly had not moved at all, and Czartoryski's whereabouts had always been...
There's nothing you can do about it. Except for his Maria Antonovna, these Poles are all more capable.

At least someone in the court reported that when Louisa was in the Queen's bedroom, she received many guests, including Czartoryski.

But at this moment, only a few weeks had passed, and among the people who came in and out of the Queen's bedroom during that period, Alexander instinctively suspected his good friend.

But Alexander also had his own plans. Even if he found out who was really intimate with Louisa, he had no intention of punishing him, no matter if it was a reckless officer of the Guards or Czartoryski, who had always coveted Louisa and even married Louisa's sister.
And Czartoryski, who had recently lost his post as foreign minister, always had to be held accountable for the current failure of Russian diplomacy.

A typical example is that Count Golovkin's mission to the Qing Dynasty was the most unsuccessful Russian mission to China in history. Even if Lao Duozi had not lost face, or Su Zhongtang had competed with the Russian diplomatic mission in Nerchinsk, at least there would have been a result.

This arrogant Golovkin, in the end, failed to even submit his credentials and returned to Irkutsk in disgrace. Someone in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs must take responsibility.

So, Czartoryski needs to take the blame here.

In addition, in his diplomacy with Europe, Czartoryski always had ulterior motives and always wanted an independent Poland.

Not to mention that the essential part of Poland's territory was annexed by Prussia.

Many of the lands occupied by Russia were still inhabited by Russians, and there were vast areas of wasteland. Even if Poland were to restore its country in the plan he was selling, it would be very weak, and there would be no Warsaw.

Unless Prussia sides with France and gives Russia an excuse.

It is true that Frederick William III is powerful on the outside but weak on the inside, but his greed for land is no less than that of the previous Prussian king. He has also been planning to covet the Hanoverian territory under French control.

But it is impossible for the French to hand over Hanover to Prussia, and the current diplomatic negotiations between the two sides are very delicate.

At the same time, the French were encouraging the Ottoman Empire to take hostile actions against Russia.

At this time, Alexander wanted to change his foreign minister, and obviously he had many considerations.

In the end, he chose Badberg, who was once Alexander's teacher.

But this also led to personnel changes in the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Count Stroganov returned from London and went back to St. Petersburg when the Baltic Sea had just thawed.

As soon as he returned to his official residence at 17 Nevsky Avenue and met his father, he couldn't wait to see his wife.

Logically speaking, with Count Stroganov being a man of divine looks and the richest heir in Russia, any socialite in the Petersburg social circle would warm his bed if he wanted.

But he loves his wife so much that he remains loyal to his marriage and love even if he has the capital to have affairs outside.

This model husband can be said to be perfect, but his career is sometimes not smooth. Even though he can live a very boring life as the richest man in Russia, he also has his own troubles.

Due to Czartoryski's departure, the new president, Badberg, disagreed with Stroganov on many issues.

Therefore, the young and handsome Deputy Foreign Minister also resigned from his post.

After returning home, he began to practice military skills.

The count himself was no stranger to horse riding and shooting, and he also liked to participate in equestrian activities and go hunting around St. Petersburg.

But he had a problem: he had never served in the military for a single day.

Therefore, he always needed to find some friends who were familiar with military affairs to give him extra lessons.

"Honey, why do you want to be a soldier again?"

The Countess is still beautiful and intelligent. They are indeed a perfect couple, and all their children are adorable. This is something that no other family can compare to. There may be challenges from later generations, but among the great nobles of St. Petersburg, no family has a happiness index as high as theirs.

The wife also silently supports her husband's decision, but she also has doubts.

"Budberg doesn't like my position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I don't need to be manipulated by him changing foreign policy 180 degrees while serving as ambassador to the UK. For the negotiations with the British, please ask the respected Semyon Romanovich to choose a suitable person for Sasha before he retires."

Alexander also knew that Badberg had always had a bad relationship with the two key figures in his "secret committee", so he approved his friend's resignation and asked him to take up a position in the court of St. Petersburg after returning and then consider his future.

Alexander had never thought about galloping onto the battlefield.

"But you have never served in the military, and you were not even registered as a soldier since childhood, like your two brothers and brother-in-law."

"It doesn't matter, I also invited friends."

"If you do this, even Mishka won't be able to handle so many tasks. Even if he steps down as the head of the Royal Guards, he still has a lot of work to do."

"Yes, and he also teaches the children in the palace. How does he keep himself so busy?"

"It's all about ability. Pasha, everyone says you are handsome and open-minded, but you rely on your courage and knowledge."

"Come to think of it, Misha will be 25 soon, and his face still looks like a child, except that he is much stronger than before."

The Countess had always patronized Solovyov's cultural endeavors, and therefore often mentioned him.

The count himself had always regarded Solovyov, who came from a respectable family, and Speransky, who came from a humbler family, as candidate members of the "Secret Committee".

"This kid is really capable. I would like to invite him over to discuss military issues." Solovyov was teaching children in the Tavrid Palace at the moment. He first gave a history lesson to Nikolai and Mikhail, and then taught animals to Louisa's older daughters, Tonya and Maria, and gave the twins an education.

The course schedule is very full, and there are also Countess Sofia's three daughters and their aunt Anna.

Therefore, the Countess came here often, and she also took this opportunity to accompany Louisa.

When Solovyov talked about arthropods to the children at the podium, the girls were obviously not very excited.

Although they are not afraid of insects, it seems that only seafood is within the acceptable range. Children will instinctively dislike some things.

But it has to be taught in the course. Who asked Louisa to add biology knowledge to the girls' syllabus?

After Solovyov stepped down from the podium, he was stopped by Countess Sophia.

"Ma'am, do you have any questions? Or what do you need?"

"Misha, you are still so polite with your sisters."

The Countess was still willing to joke with him, treating him as the big boy who had visited her before.

"I am no longer a child. His Highness even said that he would help me find a wife."

"Then after you get married, you must be nicer to your future wife. You can't always go to that French woman like you do now. Madame Recamier may be a good lover, but she may not be a good wife. You need a wife who can help you manage the household, but also be moderately extravagant and not too ostentatious. It would be best if she has a decent status and is beneficial to your future."

Solovyov also knew that Count Stroganov and his family were really kind to him. Besides the fact that they were from the royal merchant family, they were naturally close to Solovyov, who was also from the merchant aristocracy. The Count and his wife were always enthusiastic towards the people around them, especially the promising young people. Therefore, the Countess talked about his marriage.

The old count is still the leader of the nobility in St. Petersburg and one of the few first-class civil servants in Russia, but his connections are mainly in the civil service. No matter how promising Solovyov is, he is unwilling to be transferred from an officer to a fifth-class civil servant and is unlikely to be of help.

But on the other hand, if the count wanted to join the army, although for the sake of face, he could just ask Alexander or Constantine directly and they would arrange it, but he had to find an officer he could meet on a daily basis to help him, and it would be easier for Solovyov to be captured.

"Thank you for your concern, ma'am."

"You have indeed matured a lot since you returned from fighting overseas. Well, let's not talk about this for now. Did you know that Pasha is going to join the army?"

"I don't know that yet. But brother Pasha. Well, why did the count join the army? Even if he wasn't in the Foreign Ministry, there are many places he could go, even if he could be a civil governor, or in the Privy Council or the court."

"But that's how Pasha is, so I'm going to call you over to see what he's doing. In other words, I want you to see what my husband is up to."

Because of this, Solovyov still had to go to No. 17 Nevsky Avenue. Anyway, the lessons for the children were completed today, so this group of little "divine beasts" could have a day off in the afternoon.

As for the Stroganovs' mansion, there were still a large number of artworks on display. Due to his busy official duties, Solovyov had not visited them very often in recent years, but it seemed now that the old count had added a lot of things to his collection, including some relatively trendy miniature paintings.

"Misha, you came at the right time. I am planning to volunteer to join the army, but I have no military experience, so I called you here. After all, you have worked your way up from second lieutenant to colonel, and you are very familiar with the various military regulations and military skills."

"But why do you want to join the army?"

"Right now, except for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of War, civil servants in many places are just eating and waiting to die. Not to mention the palace, I don't like this kind of environment. Rather than our ambitions not being realized, it is better to join the army to deal with the current crisis."

When he said this, Solovyov understood what was going on.

It is obvious that the richest nobles, the former Jacobins, are also very dissatisfied with the current situation.

He had advocated the abolition of serfdom for a long time, but except for some top nobles in St. Petersburg who were close to the royal family, many people remained indifferent.

Therefore, he felt that he could not waste his time like this any longer, so he prepared to join the army.

After all, he served as the ambassador plenipotentiary in the UK for a period of time and was very clear about the current trend in Western Europe.

Peace in Europe was probably still a relatively luxurious thing, so the Count decided to join the army, starting as a volunteer officer.

In this respect, he is just like the father of the three Dolgorukov brothers, Prince Peter, who commanded the detachment as a volunteer in his early years.

"Are you going to go into the infantry or the cavalry?"

"I have agreed with Platov to go among the Cossacks."

"If it's cavalry, I may not have commanded cavalry, but in reconnaissance operations, some cavalry squad tactics can often be used."

"That's better, being the hunter or becoming the prey?"

"But war is no joke. You need to understand the latest military regulations, especially how to conduct battlefield reconnaissance and how to use tools skillfully. In addition, there is also the transmission of intelligence and how to communicate quickly on the battlefield."

Count Stroganov learned quickly. When the old count hired a tutor, Rousseau's educational theory was popular. Under this principle, he developed good study habits in his early years, so he learned very quickly.

As for the fact that their family was so wealthy, they still chose to join the army on their own initiative, which was in sharp contrast to some aristocratic families who hoped that their male soldiers would be transferred to civil service or the court.

Solovyov also lamented that the consciousness of each people is different, and this noble family is also the same. Compared with those people in St. Petersburg who talk nonsense all day long, this family is really noble.

The count and countess even planned to send their eldest son, Alexander, to a military academy to be established in St. Petersburg.

It was the place that Peter Volkonsky was planning to build to train non-commissioned officers for the Russian army. In the future, these young students would become grassroots staff officers in various command organizations.

(End of this chapter)