Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Kutuzov's residence in Benzlau was the mansion of a local nobleman. It was not a large city at the time, so its specifications were one of the best here.

Before he fell ill, he had planned to go to Dresden with the Tsar, but because of his illness, the army had to be replaced by the most senior Admiral Tormasov.

If we look at the qualifications of the Russian generals at that time, Bennigsen was driven away by the commander-in-chief because his previous letter of denunciation was handed over to Kutuzov by Alexander.

Looking further down the line, we can't let someone like Apraksin Jr., who has decent administrative skills but hasn't been on the battlefield for a long time, right?

Although his two brothers-in-law from the Golitsyn family had served in the army in the past, so it was possible to talk about their relationship, but when was the last time he commanded an army?

What follows is about some young people. The reason why the Tsar himself was very optimistic about Wittgenstein was probably because he was loyal and reliable.

Although this is an advantage, and facing the generals sent by Napoleon, this may be an advantage - except for those like Massena who can command large troops.

But if the Russian army really faces Napoleon, the future is indeed unpredictable given its current level.

Kutuzov was already somewhat unconscious at this moment. He and Suvorov were only physically weak before their deaths, but their minds were still clear, and they were even calm about the fact that they were about to go to a place with abundant grass and water. So much so that when they were clear-headed before their deaths, they were still making different arrangements for their funeral affairs.

"Your Excellency is now suffering from a severe fever, and half of his body cannot move."

The doctor always shook his head when he mentioned the patient's condition.

"If that's what you're saying, is it true?"

"If the fever continues like this, His Excellency the Prince will probably not survive these few days. And because of the fever, even though he is awake, his consciousness is somewhat unclear. Of course, if he had a stroke, he probably wouldn't agree to let you in."

It seemed that he could no longer say anything more.

The Kutuzov that Solovyov saw now looked much paler than when he took over the army. When his one-eyed man saw Solovyov, he just nodded with difficulty. Because half of his body had difficulty moving, he just turned his head to look at the things on the bedside table.

There is a letter in it. When Alexander came to visit before, Kutuzov also said something, and it was recorded by the Tsar’s secretary.

He was pursing his lips at the moment, looking thirsty, or wanting something else.

“It looks like the patient wants to do something.”

Kutuzov nodded as Soloviev sat down beside his bed.

"You still need to rest at this time. At least your physical condition looks much better than that of the elderly people of the same age. It's just this time."

Solovyov wanted to say something soothing, but again he saw Kutuzov shaking his head.

"Then you should rest and recuperate."

He couldn't say much about this. Apart from that, he had to pick up the letter and take a look. Perhaps the commander-in-chief had something else to say.

When Alexander came before, he asked Kutuzov to forgive him.

But Kutuzov was sober at the time and said some strange things.

"Your Majesty, I can forgive you, but Russia will never forgive you."

Now, when he wanted to make arrangements for his last affairs, he could only dictate some phrases to his secretary in advance, mainly to Tormasov and other generals who had performed well in the War of 1812.

Solovyov was one of them. When he saw the content, he knew that the commander-in-chief still had some expectations.

But he was indeed worried about the current situation, and it was not his wish to work in the General Staff.

Kutuzov didn't say much at this time. His symptoms were considered to be nerve paralysis at the time. Even now he can't speak, and in fact he has reached the end of his life.

As for family matters, Alexander later forgave his debts. As a monarch, he always had to show a certain degree of tolerance and magnanimity towards capable subjects whom he disliked.

Even though Paul was so stubborn, he finally invited Suvorov to come out. His statue was on the Field of War. The Tsar also attended the funeral, which was rare, but he got impatient and finally caught a glimpse of the funeral procession on the street.

But there are so many things to do now.

Solovyov read the letter at Kutuzov's bedside and put it in his pocket.

In fact, his superiors also told him that they had recommended him to serve as the general on duty to succeed the commander-in-chief. This would require him to take on command tasks and also undertake a certain degree of staff work.

The more troublesome thing is probably to deal with those generals who are constantly arguing in the Russian army.

Without Barclay as a target, and without Kutuzov and Bagration, things did look very chaotic.

Anyone who can understand the situation at the headquarters now should probably know what kind of group crosstalk they will face.

After reading the letter, Solovyov also shook his head at Kutuzov and said nothing.

But the commander-in-chief smiled, and he also knew that the young man understood his thoughts.

As for the sky, it is raining at the moment.

Another important reason for Kutuzov's illness was that he was surrounded by a group of local people who seemed to be petitioning him, and were therefore caught in the rain.

After all, this was still an era when a headache or fever could take a person away quickly, and it would take many more years for European doctors to establish a relatively complete modern medical system.

There is no other way, the locals always hope that these liberators can do something.

The problem he faced in Poland was probably the opposite. The Poles were divided into two completely different groups. On one side were those who had no problem with Russian rule in the past, and on the other side, they were different. They had always been somewhat afraid of the Russians.

Even now, the Russian army can be welcomed wherever it arrives. The French even went all the way from Berlin to Magdeburg. Now the war is centered around Saxony.

Kutuzov himself probably hoped that he could play a role in this war, but his illness had stopped him from moving forward. Solovyov stayed with Kutuzov for a while. Bagration died in Vladimir, and because it was the most tense period of the war, he did not have the opportunity to see his senior brother for the last time.

As for Kutuzov, he was an officer under Suvorov when he was in the Astrakhan Grenadiers Regiment, but they did not spend much time together at that time. It was not until the Russo-Turkish War that they became more familiar with each other.

In particular, Suvorov once provoked Kutuzov. Solovyov had heard about this incident from the veterans who participated in the siege.

Kutuzov thought the fortress was difficult to capture, but Suvorov himself gave him instructions, saying that he had conveyed the victory news that the fortress had been captured to the commander-in-chief.

So Kutuzov went back and attacked desperately, and finally ended the battle that day.

In fact, this was probably Suvorov's unique method of abstract provocation, in order to stimulate Kutuzov, who has always been lazy, to achieve his goal.

By now, there is finally no one who can motivate him to achieve a goal, and instead he has to encourage others.

It’s just that he always likes to set up a trap, watch from the sidelines, and then come out to solve the problem at the end.

Two days after Soloviev arrived, Kutuzov died in Benzlau, and his body was initially embalmed and given a temporary burial there, like his son-in-law who was killed at Austerlitz.

When the time is right, people will be sent to bring the body back to St. Petersburg and bury it in the Kazan Cathedral.

The funeral was even simple, with only a few close officers in the headquarters attending, and among his relatives, only his son-in-law, Prince Kudashev, was by his side.

To be honest, being an adjutant is not a promising job in the eyes of some veterans, but by arranging some relatives to come in, there will always be some reliable people.

And it is always easy to face danger. Before, a relative of the Princess's wife was here and was injured in the most fiercely fought Battle of Borodino, and even broke an arm.

Not to mention Solovyov’s colleague Tickenhausen when he was aide-de-camp, there would inevitably be losses on the battlefield.

After this brief military funeral, there are further arrangements, especially the appointment of the commander-in-chief.

When Solovyov came to Tormasov, he didn't expect to see the general sitting there angrily when he first arrived.

"Misha, I know that Mikhail Illarionovich asked you to come here, but there is a problem. The emperor is now optimistic about Wittgenstein. According to seniority and order of succession, this is not a suitable arrangement."

It was not just a matter of seniority. When Kutuzov was still alive, Wittgenstein's detachment was the vanguard of the counterattack force and they were the first to enter Berlin, which also made him very popular in the army.

And there is another factor, which is that he led the troops alone to defeat MacDonald and Oudinot, which is considered an entry threshold for being a head coach.

Tormasov and Miloradovich actually made greater contributions, and in terms of personal ability, they were better than Wittgenstein, but now the Tsar’s own choice is rather confusing.

It was not surprising that Tormasov lost his temper, but the General Staff was probably unaffected. Scharnhorst joined in with the Prussian and Prussian staff, which actually seemed to fill in the missing part.

But they are not here now, but on the Prussian side.

"But it has already happened. What are you going to do? You can't be like that reckless Admiral Kamensky, right?"

Solovyov was referring to Kamensky the Great, who had fallen out with Tormasov at the beginning of the war in 1812 and was also dismissed from his post.

Because he was not involved in the matter, he might have seen it more clearly. This sentence served as a reminder to Tormasov.

"What you said makes sense. We can't do this. But now some people are advocating to divide the troops and act. What do you think?"

"If we divide our forces and fail to communicate with each other, we will be easily defeated one by one. The most tragic example is probably the Austrians."

Tormasov knew that Napoleon became famous for his wars with Austria. The Austrian army always acted in a dispersed manner, which made it easy for them to be attacked due to the terrain barriers.

But if they are concentrated together, something bad will happen.

For example, taking advantage of a piece of terrain to make a detour. Solovyov's great victory in the Balkans used both of these methods, and it was a brilliant victory.

"If action is taken in southern Saxony as well as in northern Saxony, what would you do if you were Napoleon?"

"Before 1812, the French probably wouldn't be short of cavalry. They should be able to detect our current actions quickly, even if the defeated troops retreating from Poland are heading west, to Magdeburg, or even further west. If the enemy is smart enough, they will give us a decisive blow here."

But the problem now is that the French do not have so many cavalry, and when Solovyov thinks about problems, he always thinks that the enemy is stronger.

Unlike Kutuzov who exaggerated the enemy's strength, Solovyov always felt that his opponent might run faster than himself.

In fact, the current record for the Russian infantry marching speed, after Suvorov's Italian expedition, may still be the fastest when he was traveling in the mountains of the Balkans, and the marching distance is also there.

"But I am a cavalry general. I understand what you mean. Once we are separated, even if it is two teams, the enemy will find an opportunity to attack one side first."

"I think so, and Napoleon is used to doing this. If he does this strategically this time, we may face considerable problems."

Tormasov's situation was actually okay. He just had a problem with Wittgenstein, who was competing for the position of commander-in-chief. Other aspects were fine, but when the monarchs were all here, Wittgenstein's ability was obviously not up to par.

He couldn't even decide every matter by himself. When it came to coordinating the armies of Russia and Prussia, it was probably more convenient to speak German.

But he even needed to ask for instructions from the monarchs. Even though Alexander had already delegated power, Wittgenstein had never experienced such a situation and he would always get himself into trouble.

Because in front of the monarch, even the smallest mistake may cause problems, especially since generals have their own channels for reporting. At least in 1812, Alexander had realized the problem at a critical moment.

It's not that he didn't make any adjustments now. After Barclay "recovered" and returned to the army, he took over Chichakov's Third Column.

However, once the advantage becomes too great, coupled with the replacement of generals at the last minute, problems are bound to arise.

But the monarch's decision had already been made, and the Russian generals probably had no choice but to follow his orders. (End of this chapter)