Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 393 035 Letter from Golovkin's Mission to China
During the party, when they were going to dance the waltz, Solovyov felt that little Katya was too light and it was a bit difficult to follow her rhythm.

When he appeared in the palace before, he rarely had to follow his partner's steps when attending a ball.

These polonaises were really too fast, especially Katya's.

However, if someone else were to dance with him, they might not be able to keep up like Solovyov did.

All Solovyov wanted now was for the Polonaise to go on quickly, whether it could be replaced by French or Austrian, but not so quickly.

Ever since he injured his leg in the Battle of Novi, he has never liked high-intensity exercise, let alone walking from one end of the palace to the other by doing a series of squats. He is not a Cossack, although he has some Cossack colleagues and subordinates with whom he has a good relationship.

Just as he wished, the orchestra changed to Vivaldi's Four Seasons Suite, and it was winter.

If it were spring or summer, I would probably have to continue jumping around with the lively little Katya.

"Fortunately, it finally slowed down."

"Brother Mishka, you dance very well, why do you have to slow down?"

Solovyov could not say that Katya danced too fast. He just said: "In a dance, the rhythm must always be changed. If you always dance in a 'quickstep', it will be very tiring."

"Since you say so, we can go slower."

"You can find someone else to dance with if you want."

"They are all too slow. Only you can keep up with me."

Well, I don’t know if this can be considered a compliment.

But after the music slowed down, Solovyov and Katya cooperated better, which gave him time to observe the situation on the scene.

A servant appeared beside Alexander and seemed to be handing him a letter.

After Alexander saw it, his expression remained very gentle, and he could be seen discussing something with Badberg, probably a diplomatic issue.

But he didn't need to worry about this. Little Katya still needed him, so he just continued dancing.

"I hope there won't be any more polonaise."

Solovyov muttered something, and when it was heard, it seemed that the orchestra understood what he meant and stopped playing after completing the last part.

"It's time now, Brother Mishka, I have to go back to the maid's 'apartment'."

"Ah, do you have a companion?"

"Martha is with me, and some of my sisters."

"I'll take you there."

"What about Yulia?"

Little Katya always cares about her best friends, especially Solovyov's sister Yulia.

"She, the girls from the girls' school will go back in batches by carriage, and she doesn't want me, her brother, to send her back."

"Ah, that's good, too."

However, Solovyov was only being polite; he had no intention of getting a wife today, and little Katya naturally had no such idea either.

However, this does not mean that others did not observe it, and both parties noticed this situation.

On one side was Princess Saltykova, on the other were Elena and Nikolai.

"Sister, you are really familiar with the boss."

"He was an officer in the Grenadiers at the time, and he often came to the palace to serve as a model for my paintings."

"It's no wonder."

"Didn't you see him often when you were a kid? He was always there to accompany your brother and you to the aquarium."

"that time."

"Don't play dumb, Kolya. You've grown up very early, otherwise you wouldn't have gone to such lengths to find a female companion for your young master. Are you planning to find him a wife?"

When Nicholas heard his second sister say this, he blushed instantly.

"My brothers and sisters all got married very young. The boss is already 25 years old. I think it's time for him too."

Elena actually smiled, this kid Nikolai was already a matchmaker at the age of ten, and although he was rather stiff in his actions, he had the precocity of a child, not a real adult.

"Marriage is a matter between two people. If I find you a bride in the future, she will be a princess from another country. What kind of bride do you want?"

Nicholas felt even more embarrassed this time, but fortunately it was just the two of them talking and no one else was involved.

"Of course I want it, but I won't tell you what kind of bride I want even if my sister tells me."

This kid is also weird. Elena doesn't care about that. After leaving, she still has to go to her sister-in-law. There are too many children in the Imperial Village now.

Nikolai was more cautious. He followed Solovyov and little Katya quietly with his entourage.

"Kirill, do you think they can do it?"

"Who are you referring to, Your Highness?"

"that is."

Nicholas suddenly realized that marriage was a big deal and that he couldn't use such intimate terms. What was needed was a formal term.

"Baron Solovyov and Princess Dolgorukova, do you think they can do it?"

Not only Elena, but even the servants who had been serving him were somewhat puzzled by his thoughts. After all, children nowadays were too precocious.

"It's hard to say, Your Highness. There is a difference in age and status, but the Krimsky Prince's family does not care about rank, but rather appreciates prospects."

"Ah, the future."

Nicholas was relieved when he heard this. If the boss could take the initiative, there might be a chance. He didn't like the "old witch", although the old lady often hugged him when he was a child, and the big-mouthed adjutants and maids in the court had talked about it, but they never mentioned it in front of the person involved.

What Nicholas knew was that the palace was not optimistic about the union of the two. After all, Sergei Saltykov's personality had always been a problem, and the affairs of this family always gave people a weird feeling.

This Archduke does have many traits of Paul in his personality, and even his behavioral habits have some subtle influence on him.

He wanted to introduce someone he was familiar with, but it was much better than Paul's tough arranged marriage. After all, it gave both parties some time to adapt.

The love between Bagration and his wife only lasted for a few years. Although they had a good relationship at first, and as a daughter-in-law, she handed over the huge property inherited from her uncle Prince Potemkin to her husband, she had a lot of fun outside and more or less forgot about her husband and three daughters.
Although friends on both sides came up with many ideas for this marriage, there were still some minor troubles.

Solovyov himself, after sending little Katya to the area where the maids lived, was preparing to return.

"Colonel, His Majesty wants you to come over."

When Alexander called him over at this time, Solovyov didn't understand what was going on.

You know, Serbia's Rajic is still on the way, and the Operations Department has made four sets of plans against Prussia. There should be nothing that requires the Operations Department to take action recently.

But if Alexander asked him to go, he would definitely go.

This time it was still in the Alexander Palace. Solovyov also knew that this place was the wedding room of Alexander and Louisa. The Queen was very fond of them both.

Alexander himself was still in the study, where also sat Peter Volkonsky and his brother-in-law Sergei, as well as Kirill Naryshkin of the Golovkin delegation.

".Your Majesty, that's right, Yuri Alexandrovich's opinion is that we should at least put pressure on the Chinese court."

"Kirill, we are now fighting in the Caucasus and the Danube. We don't have the energy to deal with the Chinese, let alone guard against the French."

Alexander was very clear-headed and didn't want to get into trouble at this time.

If Count Golovkin had not been cultivated by old Count Stroganov, Alexander really wanted him to stay in Siberia and not come back.

As for Kirill, he also has some connection with Solovyov, which comes from the Marshal's son Arkady.

Arkady married his sister Elena Naryshkina. Solovyov was considered the Marshal's last disciple, so there was some relationship between the two sides.

"Now it's all right. I have called the most authoritative expert in Petersburg."

"Your Majesty, I happened to hear the last conversation. I can only say that 'exerting pressure' in Siberia is not a suitable solution. The Chinese emperor is more likely to be soft-hearted. When they look strong, they will not be hard-hearted. In addition, our two expedition ships are expected to return to St. Petersburg after July. We will also listen to what they say then."

After listening to this, Alexander was also very satisfied. Now he had lost interest in exchanging treaties with the East, and he also knew that Jiaqing would not buy his tricks. In fact, Golovkin's stupidity and the opposite side's Uliastai general, Cheng Kuan, a member of the royal family, could be said to be a perfect match, which finally messed up the negotiations.

It can be said that all the royal relatives in the world are stupid. Solovyov, who knows the inside story, cannot complain too recklessly. Even if Alexander would be happy to hear it, other people in the court would not be happy.

"Well, we'll do it then. But how should we solve this problem?"

"Your Majesty, it looks like I need to take action at this time."

"Are you going?"

"No, Your Majesty, China's affairs are not that important at the moment. They only involve the issue of the diplomatic corps. However, according to the previous Burlinsky-Kyaqta Treaty, both parties agreed that our merchants can go to the Chinese capital for a period of three years. At this time, we will present some gifts in the name of the merchant corps, and someone will also explain our attitude, which is based on the attitude of friendly exchanges. But I'm afraid that the Chinese emperor will not accept such words. What they need is 'submission'."

"That's good. You know Chinese. I wonder how good your writing skills are."

"Your Majesty, that's easy to do. I'll take the pen. I'll also put in some effort when writing, and the words must look good."

"Why is this happening?"

"Your Majesty, when I sent my servant to Kyakhta, I inquired about it. The Chinese emperor attaches great importance to handwriting. It must be written beautifully. Even in their civil service examinations, good handwriting is also conducive to ranking."

Before Solovyov finished speaking, Alexander probably understood what he meant. This was the same reason why he liked beautiful women. Pretty girls could attract his attention. Chinese emperors and bureaucrats also paid more attention to beautiful handwriting and the wording of articles.

"Okay, you will be the one writing this letter."

"It's just that Your Majesty, I'm afraid no one can understand what I wrote."

This problem has always existed. So far, there are very few people in St. Petersburg who understand Chinese, and there is indeed a lack of talent who can write relatively fluent classical Chinese letters.

The reason is simple. Although bilateral trade has been maintained since the Queen's reign, relations have not improved. Moreover, before the Golovkin Mission, exchanges between the two sides were at the government level, not at the monarch level.

It was more or less because Alexander didn't know much about the business and was tricked by his Polish friend, and Czartoryski knew even less.

As for Solovyov, he finally has a chance to show off here.

However, he still said the "ugly words" in advance.

"Your Majesty, if you are going on this visit, you also need to prepare tributes and find someone who is eloquent. The great emperors of China always feel that their status is higher, which is probably a characteristic inherited from the previous Ming Dynasty of Zhu. After all, the Qing Dynasty established by the Manchus of the Aisin-Gioro clan was once the Dragon and Tiger General of the previous dynasty. This should explain why the commander-in-chief of Jianzhou Guard is equivalent to a second-class official in our country."

Anyway, no one knows Khitan better than him, so everyone else can only listen to what Solovyov says.

Like those magical Qing Dynasty interpreters in 1840, Solovyov was able to explain the Qing Dynasty's official system and personnel in a Russian way.

Moreover, Tsarist Russia and the Qing Dynasty were a pair of brothers in distress who were both backward and had some similarities in their systems. Alexander and his entourage soon realized this.

"So that's how it is. Then what about earlier times?"

"It's too long ago, and I don't have much information, but the previous Chinese dynasties, no matter whether they were established by the Tatars or the native dynasties of the Chinese, are relatively easy to talk to, as long as they don't cause trouble."

After all, there is a saying that goes "even if the enemy is far away, he must be punished."

At this moment, Alexander was also interested in listening to Solovyov's comments on several great unified dynasties, and finally came to a conclusion: "The current Chinese emperor is relatively easy to deal with. They still have French missionaries stationed there, and our merchants can also go to their capital regularly. As for the previous dynasty, if Marco Polo's words are true, the great emperor of China is so rich and a superior person that he can be elected, and he has a close relationship with Elder John."

After all, Tolui's wife is the niece of Wang Khan of the Kerait tribe, who has a 100-member band, and she is also a Christian, so she is considered a fellow Christian.

Solovyov was sweating as he listened to Alexander's remarks. Fortunately, there was no Internet now, otherwise Ming fans would have been criticizing the "Rakshasa Country".

He simply stated the history from Jiajing to Jiaqing. Alexander was already very contemptuous of the Ming Dynasty, but he attached great importance to the Qing Dynasty.

After all, the opponents have expanded their territory to central Kazakhstan, which is right at their doorstep. Even a hundred years ago, Turichen met the Khan of the Kalmyks, Ayuchi Khan of the Torghut tribe.

There is still this level of importance between the two sides, and Alexander asked Solovyov to write this rather "respectful" letter, naturally hoping to get things done.

(End of this chapter)