Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

After the signing of the Prasewitz Armistice, there was actually a dividing line between the two sides.

Some French fortresses that had not been captured were now being supplied with supplies by the Allied forces, which was also part of the armistice agreement.

It even sounds a bit autumnal.
Although Solovyov was dedicated to spreading these knowledge in Europe, he did so more from a philosophical perspective.

After all, Plato in the West was a wrestling master, and this name was his nickname, not the Greek's tongue-twisting name.

His teacher Socrates was also a conscripted heavy infantryman and fought in many battles as a citizen.

As for Confucius, considering the things he is good at and his disciple Zilu who is also good at fighting, he is definitely not someone that is easy to mess with.

Philosophers from the East and the West both prefer fighting and preaching, which sometimes sounds very interesting.

After all, this period of time is relatively peaceful, and both sides are mobilizing their troops. If the negotiations break down, there will eventually be a war.

They were going to Reichenbach to meet the Tsar and discuss the attitude of the Queen of Prussia.

She lived for three more years, which had brought about quite a few changes. At least it was very helpful in rallying the generals of the Prussian army.

If I continue to live, I don’t know what will happen.

Now there are always people who insist on fighting, even if they fail. It is because of this spirit that her husband will obviously be suppressed.

When Solovyov recalled the time he spent with the queen, he also remembered a troublesome thing.

That is, only Queen Louise was proactive in bilateral relations and was also very charming.

But this can only be put aside. What is important is what needs to be done now.

To be honest, according to the three schools of thought on the Spring and Autumn Annals, namely Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan and Guliang Zhuan, Solovyov might be more like the Gongyang Zhuan school.

After all, this faction still has some inherent advantages when it comes to finding an excuse for war.

But it was just a thought. When he arrived in Reichenbach, after meeting the Tsar, he soon met Nesselrode.

"Karl, I haven't seen you for a long time. You did a good job in both Vienna and Paris, but you were with Monsieur Talleyrand in Paris, and he must want to get some more checks."

"That's right. This gentleman wants more. Every time he asks for more than 3 francs. But it's better than asking a young American who can't get anything done with him."

This statement is also a mockery of French diplomacy, which is all about making money and sleeping with women. Mr. Talleyrand, with two Ls, is like Mr. Talleyrand with two legs. He is very familiar with this kind of thing.

He was actually a priest before, but after returning to secular life he found his own path.

"Let's not talk about this for now. How is the negotiation going?"

"The remaining thing is to persuade the Austrians to join us. I think they would be willing to stop when they can reap the benefits."

"But Austria is such a big country, but Archduke Karl is the only famous general. Those experienced veterans are either too old or have passed away. It seems that there is a lack of young generals. We can't let Schwarzenberg take over, right?"

"what?"

Although Nesselrode had no talent in military affairs and had applied to Paul, who favored him, to be transferred from the Guards Cavalry to the Diplomatic Committee, he was able to distinguish the levels of the generals.

His friend Solovyov, although he had not yet commanded a large army, was also very capable in fighting, but he did not lead the troops independently when fighting the French.

Schwarzenberg, he was a marshal, and probably still is.
Even Nesselrode thought it was ridiculous for such a person to lead the Austrian army.

But sometimes, ridiculous options can work out.

"Even if someone comes out, I wrote to Archduke Karl before. He probably has no interest in coming out, especially since he and Metternich don't have a good relationship."

In diplomatic situations, words are always carefully considered. When translating, some allusions may cause trouble because the other party may not know them.
"This is really a pity. After the death of Prince Kutuzov, Archduke Karl is probably the only one who is suitable to lead this army."

"I thought so, but the Austrians"

"Karl, do you think Metternich can do it?"

"I can't guarantee that."

Although Nesselrode admired Metternich very much and could be said to be a fan of this Austrian Foreign Minister, it was difficult to determine whether he could persuade Napoleon or successfully delay the war in diplomatic mediation.

Sometimes diplomacy is like this, and the results are actually unpredictable.

"To be honest, what we see on the battlefield is easier to solve. Napoleon, for example, was obsessed with this kind of power. As for the Austrians, they are afraid of the French control over Europe, and they are also afraid that we will enter Europe. Maybe one day, their country will need the iron hoofs of our cavalry to protect it!"

This may need to be verified in the future.

Solovyov did not trust the Austrians and Prussians, and never had any expectations for European diplomacy. This was because these countries did too many double-dealing things, and the Russians were relatively stupid compared to them - although they always had some Russian-style cunning.

His judgment of Metternich was generally correct.

This Austrian foreign minister dominates the political direction of Austria. Obviously, he is afraid of Russia and France. Now he has to mediate with the known Napoleon.

What if it was Russia?
Although Alexander's appetite would not be that big, Metternich could not guarantee where he would have his demands.

His high energy level also means that he is always outstanding in some aspects, and his love of socializing is also a reflection of this.

Metternich and Napoleon met alone, without even a waiter.

"It started at 11 o'clock when Count Metternich arrived here. Your Majesty has been talking for such a long time and has not allowed anyone to approach."

Caulaincourt was outside, but he was always helpless in this kind of situation.

Napoleon himself had a very strong attitude towards diplomacy. Talleyrand also realized in the later period that those ideas that did not conform to Napoleon's opinions would eventually be thrown aside, or even shelved.

No matter who becomes Foreign Minister, Napoleon will probably be the sun there.

Typical Italian, this is the only explanation, any other explanation is not credible.

As for the issue that Napoleon himself discussed with Metternich, it was about the current situation between France and the anti-French alliance, and whether Austria should act as a mediator or as an ally of France.

In fact, because there was no marriage, the relationship between Austria and France was not so stable. Napoleon knew this very well, but he still acted like a manipulator of his subordinates, just like he did with the jellyfish king and the stupid crown prince of Spain in Bayonne.

But Metternich now believed that Napoleon was just bluffing and no longer had the power he once had.

It can be seen from the faces of the new recruits on guard in Dresden that many of them are very young, and are even called "Catherine's soldiers" because these young men are younger than their queen.

Even among the cavalry, there were more people called this, because Catherine was good at riding and could shoot on horseback. She was not an ordinary queen.

So Metternich thought.

But Napoleon did have an ability, and that was the ability to tear apart the anti-French alliance with his bare hands. Even though the strength was much weaker this time, he still had some chance of doing it, because there were always many funny things between the coalition forces.

When he had an army of a few thousand men or a million men, he was Napoleon, who would fight on and be full of fighting spirit. In this respect, he was not like an Italian wolf, but a Gallic cock.

As for the sound of something falling, people outside probably wouldn't be surprised.

What fell to the ground was just a metal can, which would probably just deform but not break.

Napoleon's bicorne hat also fell to the ground, and it was obvious that he was very angry.

"Your Majesty, I think anger cannot solve the problem at this time. I am still willing to convey the opinions on behalf of Russia and Prussia. This is also the sincerity of Austria to see peace in Europe. If Russia wins the war that Europe is experiencing now, although their monarch is civilized, there is one thing that your Majesty cannot ignore. If there is no discipline, the barbaric Russian army will probably do something to this land."

After hearing this, Napoleon was still angry.

But he always has to stay rational and try not to be so impulsive.

"That means war, sir. Do you want war?"

Napoleon said this, obviously with a threatening tone.

"Whether it is war or peace, it is ultimately in the hands of Your Majesty."

Metternich's reaction was very indifferent, which reminded Napoleon of Talleyrand, whom he had become more disgusted with recently.

He then went on to explain the current situation: "You can still live in peace today, but what about in the future? If this decision is made too late and is not implemented according to this proposal, everything seems to be too late."

When Metternich said this, he sounded completely emotionless.

This is what is so scary about diplomats, they say the harshest words in a plain tone.

"Sir, this will never happen!"

Napoleon was quite confident when he spoke.

"I know how death will come, but I will not give up an inch of my territory! Your ruler, sir, was born on the throne, and he will remain a monarch even after twenty defeats. I will not do that, I am the child of destiny! My rule will continue until I am no longer powerful and cannot be feared."

Obviously, he was still conceited, and Metternich could do nothing about it. He had seen too many people, but it was rare to find someone like Napoleon who called himself the "son of destiny."

From Solovyov's perspective, a person who is always saved by bad weather might really be lucky.

But if you abuse your power, you will probably have to rest and return to normal state in the end.

With Wang Mang, there would inevitably be Liu Xiu.

The meteorite falling from the sky is a very impressive operation. Although it is just a natural phenomenon, it is indeed a strong luck.

Metternich was also thinking about what to say. He did not believe Napoleon's nonsense.

And now the conversation between the two is still going on, and no outsiders have interfered.

He always had to think of some way, and when he saw those young people, Metternich always had his reasons.

"But this luck will only disappoint you a second time, Your Majesty. You have been successful in the past, but in Russia in 1812, this failure was impressive. In normal times, the army only occupies a small part of the people. But today, Your Majesty, you called on all the people to arm themselves, and it seems that many of the soldiers are still children. What will you do if this young army you have assembled is wiped out?"

In other words, Napoleon could no longer afford failure.

Fortunately, Solovyov never appeared in such scenes, otherwise he might use Napoleon's famous saying "the hen that lays golden eggs" to tease his uncle.

As for what Napoleon himself said, Solovyov fortunately did not hear it.

After all, what is mentioned next always makes people feel that when Napoleon needs to be studied, what is needed is Buffon and Fabre, not Tycho and Kepler.

"I grew up in the fields, and a man like me would not care about a million lives, and the French can have no complaints against me. To spare them I sacrificed Poles and Germans, and I lost 300,000 men in the Battle of Moscow, of whom no more than 30,000 were French."

This is indeed Bonaparte's classic nonsense. After hearing it, Metternich frowned and said very seriously.

"Your Majesty, don't forget that you are talking to a German now!"

If it were Solovyov, he would probably have a clear understanding of his uncle.

After all, he thought he was the sun, and all countries and peoples should revolve around him. He was also an astronomer who observed himself. He always had a bit of Italian narcissism, and even mentioned the price of one million lives.

How can France be governed with insects like these?

He himself relied on the Kudieta to get to the top, and there may be some other Kudietas in the future.

Obviously, this meeting will not produce any good results.

At the end of the meeting, Napoleon reportedly said: "It may cost me my throne, but I will bury the world in ruins."

Metternich's answer was reportedly this.

"You are lost, sire. I guessed it when I came here, and I know it now."

This meeting ended in an unpleasant atmosphere.

But diplomatic mediation will probably not end this time, there will be more contacts in the future, this is only the first month of the truce. (End of this chapter)