Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 400 Solovyov's Birch Tree

Although Solovyov set the Rococo style as the main tone for his new house, he was also meticulous and careful, and paid attention to making full use of the trees on the gifted land.

During these days of accompanying Alexander to Kronstadt, Solovyov also learned that after careful consideration, Prince Vasily Dolgorukov rejected the Saltykov family's marriage proposal.

Nikolai Ivanovich, an indecisive old tutor and field marshal, actually agreed without consulting his wife, which was considered a strange thing in St. Petersburg.

Perhaps his youngest son Sergei is not really suitable for such a little girl. Little Katya just turned 15, and his wife is a bit too hasty. In addition, Sergei did not serve in the army. Prince Vasily's Dolgorukov is the son of Prince Krimsky after all. It would be better to find a promising young officer for his daughter.

In this situation, the "old witch" turned her target to other single young noble ladies, preferably those who were closer in age, such as the wealthy Orlova, whose father left her a large inheritance.

However, this marriage would probably require competition with Count Kamensky the Younger.

When the rumor reached Solovyov's ears, he had to admit that the old man had made up his mind this time and had chosen a good girl, but the competition she faced might come from soldiers.

Moreover, unlike Katya, who had no competitors but was mostly obstructed by others, Count Kamensky had a bright future and was favored by Marshal Suvorov during the previous expedition to Italy.

Even when he was teaching Nicholas, the boy heard the corresponding statement from the eunuch.

".Kolya, what are you doing?"

Solovyov found that children of this age were more naughty, especially boys, who generally deserved a beating.

However, considering Nicholas's identity, only Her Majesty the Queen Mother herself and General Langzdorf were qualified to beat him. Now, as the "teacher", he had better use his mouth.

"I've got something happy in mind, sir."

"What are you so happy about?"

Nikolai looked around to make sure there was no one around. This was indeed the case. Today's class was originally a private lesson for Nikolai. After all, he was older than Mikhail and had a better understanding ability. Then he said, "Have you heard? Sister Katya from the Dolgorukov family will finally not be treated as prey by that 'old witch'. Prince Vasily has officially rejected the engagement proposal."

“Isn’t this a normal relationship?”

No one knew what was wrong with Nikolai, the "stupid son of a landlord", and he spoke mysteriously to Solovyov.

"In that case, Boss, isn't this your chance?"

"Huh? That's it? You can't concentrate like this when I'm teaching you alone. It's because I can't hit you, Your Highness. You are too old to ask questions about this kind of thing. Even if you are old enough to get married, you can't talk nonsense."

In a few years, if Nicholas grows up to be over 1.9 meters tall, he will be impossible to beat.

"But, boss, if you wait for my sister-in-law to introduce you to a maid, you don't know how long you will have to wait. Besides, Sister Katya is my sister-in-law's reading maid, isn't this just right?"

"How old are you, and you're already thinking about getting a wife."

"I'm not asking for a wife for me, boss. I'm asking for a wife for you."

This kid has some respect for teachers, but he uses it in strange ways.

"It's class time now, not the time to be casual. But if my house is finished, I can take you and Mikhail to play for a couple of days when we don't have classes."

Nikolai didn't say much. He and Solovyov were very close. It was true that even though this master was 25 years old, he looked younger. The contrast was indeed a bit outrageous.

He was afraid that if he said more, it would bring trouble to himself.

"Why are you silent again? Normally, I'd be very excited if I told you I could go out with you in the future."

"There's still some time left. Building a house takes time."

It is indeed true. A foundation has been laid on the land, and a three-story building will be built. Although the core part is not large, if the construction progress is accelerated, the main building will be almost completed before winter. By the beginning of next spring, the subsequent projects will be ready, and it will be completed by summer.

This speed only takes into account the house itself, not the supporting facilities.

As for the decorative materials of this era, considering that the ventilation of large houses has always been good, there will not be any major problems.

What's more, Solovyov is good at building houses. Although this is not a family craft, considering the requirements of military engineering, he still has to learn something.

In addition, there is the material he chose. Considering that Rococo-style decoration itself is relatively expensive and complicated, the materials used also need to be paid attention to.

He would rather choose things of better quality, which is also his father's strong point.

Considering that this might be his eldest son's wedding house and long-term residence in the future, and it would also be the family's nearest summer retreat, Baron Sergei took it very seriously and asked his friends to inquire about materials everywhere, and he also went to purchase them in person.

There is no way. This son is too successful. He devotes most of his time to work and has received many medals from the emperor. As a father, I obviously have to put more effort into this aspect.

And Nicholas' interruption of the class did make him think that he should go and take a look.

The land that Alexander rewarded to Solovyov for his military achievements was indeed a good piece of land. There was a naturally formed pond on one side and birch forests on both sides. Even within the plot allocated to his family, there were a large number of trees.

According to traditional Russian folklore, the young shoots of willow trees can also have medicinal properties, and there is nothing much to say about this.

The birch tree, in addition to representing young girls and wives, also has a bit of the flavor of love in it. Russians are still somewhat superstitious about this aspect.

If tree branches are given as gifts, birch branches are a good way to test the other party. If the other party is satisfied, according to traditional wedding customs, they can get engaged after a week.

However, on this basis, there will also be a cooling-off period for marriage, especially when nobles are marrying each other. This kind of thing will happen.

If a yellow-haired guy like Anatoly intervenes at this time, it will be quite troublesome.

"Master, this piece of land is pretty good. The house we built is only in a corner of the manor. What should we do with these trees?"

"Leave them in the courtyard. They are already here. Uncle, go get some birch branches. I need them."

"You're not going to make a crown of branches?" "That's right, you know me very well."

"Although you are often not at home, we all know what you are used to doing."

"Well, go get some, they have to be fresh."

In addition to the laurel wreath, there are also wreaths made of tree branches from several other trees, which represented the winners in the four major competitions in ancient Greece.

However, the birch tree crown does have some romantic connotations.

Solovyov was also somewhat helpless about his own amorous feelings. It was difficult for these lovers to have further results. After all, they were just lovers. He was also at the age to find a wife.

Although he was amorous, he had always had a good reputation. Unlike those troublemakers in St. Petersburg, he also had his own career.

After the birch branch was brought over, he also looked at its condition. It was very fresh and had just been picked from the tree.

"There has to be a bride, but who is this girl? Will she accept a husband like me?"

Now it still seems like a mirage, and he is already a little worried.

As for Louisa, nothing has been confirmed. She knows that the maids in the palace all have a good impression of Solovyov, but they rarely have in-depth interactions with him and do not know his secrets.

Although she believed that Solovyov still liked to be a secret lover even after marriage, he should still be responsible to his wife.

You know, compared with some of the great nobles in St. Petersburg, Solovyov's approach was quite simple.

Louisa even knew how many lovers he had, how their relationships were going, and the situation with Madame Recamier.

She is also thinking about this issue now. As for little Natalia, she plans to arrange for her to marry into the Goncharov family. The other party's parents have agreed, but little Natalia herself has not met Goncharov yet.

As for the other older maids, she had also made arrangements. The Queen Mother had married most of the older maids, and the ones left now were younger girls. Miss Vorontsova, who had no arranged marriage, returned to London to accompany her father. In fact, only the young girl who had just arrived needed arrangements.

This made Louisa worried. Katya's father had just rejected the Saltykov family, and it was not appropriate to arrange an engagement immediately. So she planned to arrange a secret blind date. As for engagement, that required a secret agreement between both parties.

Although it sounds a bit strange, it is actually quite appropriate to do so. A blind date is just a general meeting. As for the engagement agreement, the cooling-off period, and the wedding ceremony, they can all be put off until later.

After all, Katya is Prince Krimsky's granddaughter, and her life cannot be ruined. If Solovyov is not suitable, the girl can also get away in time.

With this mentality, she arranged for little Katya to stay by her side while she was recuperating in the Tavrid Palace.

".Your Highness, at this time."

"Don't worry, this is just an attempt. I will talk to your father, Prince Vasily, about this matter. And if it's not suitable, this engagement can be cancelled. You are still young, and I don't want to delay you, so I need to be more cautious."

"Your Highness, if it was Brother Mishka, he would have taken some care of me, but I didn't know. Sorry, I don't know how to put it. You know that his sister Yulia and I are good friends, so if we get engaged, it's inevitable."

Louisa also knew that Solovyov was indeed a bit of a playboy, but when he was with a woman, as long as a little emotional foundation was established, he would still be very attentive.

This is a good sign. Little Katya didn't resist, but just felt a little embarrassed.

As for Sergei Saltykov, the problem lies with his mother. If the "old witch" finds out, it may cause some trouble.

But this kind of engagement and proposal is always accompanied by duels and various disturbances.

Solovyov's background, on the other hand, depends on the Dolgorukov family. Although this family is no longer as influential in the army as it was during the Empress's period, it is still suitable.

After returning home, little Katya mentioned the matter to her father Prince Vasily, and received a positive response.

The couple was also quite satisfied with Solovyov, whom they had met many times.

".But we are also worried. Although he is a promising young officer and very capable, he is a member of the Guards and is bound to have some minor problems."

"Even so, it's still much better than brother Vasya."

What little Katya said about her elder brother was not without reason. He was filling a vacancy in the Semenovsky Regiment, and was arranged by Solovyov to join the regiment. He also had a position in the Guards Headquarters, which was very convenient.

However, as soon as he arrived at the Guards, little Prince Vasily mingled with the young officers of the Guards.

In the eyes of little Katya, her brother took many young ladies for strolls on the streets of St. Petersburg in a few months, and brought them to Prince Saltykov's house twice. Compared with Solovyov, who had only one public route and maintained a close relationship with Madame Recamier for a long time, the latter was more "restrained" and did not play so extravagantly. Instead, he seemed quite conservative.

She knew the rules and understood that not all young officers from aristocratic families could have the same good and loyal relationship with their wives as Count Stroganov.

She always grows up earlier, while the two brothers are different. The second brother is more mature than his age, while the eldest brother is... If we really compare them, Solovyov, the "Mishka brother", is more suitable, but it also needs observation.

As for Prince Vasily and his wife, after considering it, they agreed to meet first. The parents of both sides knew each other in social occasions, but they needed to avoid the sight of Princess Saltykova. The "old witch" was indeed very strange.

As for what happens next, Louisa will find Solovyov to discuss this matter.

Before that, Alexander's approval and endorsement were also needed.

When the Tsar himself heard his wife's idea, he had no objection. He just felt that Solovyov had had several lovers and was not the most suitable candidate.

However, it is much more reliable than the "old witch's" previous plan of forcing little Katya to become her daughter-in-law.

No matter how you look at it, Solovyov is a capable and promising young officer who is not dependent on his family background. He should be promoted to general according to his merits.

As for Sergei Saltykov, he more or less relied on his father's status. His ability was average and his reputation outside was also average. Moreover, the great nobles would have some unclear things, which made Solovyov stand out.

Even if he knew the secret, Alexander would still do this, after all, it could get this guy away.

(End of this chapter)