Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

After leaving Trier, on his way to the army, Solovyov was thinking more about how to find a suitable battlefield.

He knows his uncle-in-law all too well; if you give him a little sunshine, he's an Italian.
The diplomatic situation was already difficult to resolve, and when he returned to headquarters, he found that Barclay was bedridden again.

The war in the previous years had also greatly damaged his health.

“Mikhail Bogdanovich, you still need to take responsibility for your health, like this.”

“I know, so you should now shoulder this responsibility. When Bagration was still alive, he said that if anything happened to him, it would be best if you took over. If we’re going to deal with Napoleon, I’ve suddenly realized that only you can figure out how to keep up with his strategy. And now you’re an infantry general, so you don’t have to worry about those people interfering with your decisions. Besides, all the generals are acquaintances of yours.”

“But if you include Alyosha, they are all older than me.”

Solovyov said something that seemed casual, but Barclay knew it too.

“I brought them all here so everyone could express their opinions. Except for Sabanev, the rest of them are familiar with you, and we can also have an overall strategic plan.”

It is clear that even after Barclay fell ill, he was still working hard to keep the legion running.

However, considering that the main force of the Russian army had moved west of the Rhine River at this time, it would have been unusual to entrust more than 20 troops to Solovyov alone.

Even the four army commanders, Dokhturov, Raevsky, Sakeng, and Langeron, were acquaintances of him, and he had met Venzengrod when he was serving as an aide-de-camp. Such a young acting commander-in-chief certainly had some issues.

The Russian army also has a reserve force composed of the 1st and 2nd Corps, which is under the command of Prince Eugen of Württemberg.

Barclay also planned to write down the situation at the front in a report and submit it to the Tsar in Vienna.

Vienna has now become a mixed bag.

Although the fate of these territories outside of France was decided at the Vienna Conference before the battles between the French and Allied forces ended.

However, Napoleon's victory at the Battle of Saint-Jean made it seem as if this series of talks had ended prematurely.

Even the Tsar himself was shocked after receiving the battle report.

Moreover, he witnessed the shocked Viscount Castleray firsthand at a reception held at the British Embassy.

Where would Napoleon go next?

Alexander is not worried now, because the Austrian army has also set out. The Russian and Austrian armies have 40 men, and Prussia has four more armies. If the monarchs of Russia, Prussia, and Austria gather their armies, there will be 60 troops available for battle.

An interesting situation even presented itself to the Tsar: Archduke Karl himself had come to Vienna with his wife, four sons, three daughters, and his heavily pregnant wife.

Are all women with Austrian blood so fertile? It's like they're on the next baby almost as soon as they deliver the first one. It's surprising that this woman, who seems to be in average health, and who used to be frequently ill, is so remarkably advanced on the production line.

Mary Therese also missed the best age for childbearing when she was just mature, and it was too late when she was reincarnated as a granddaughter.

The Archduke himself held a position in Mainz, but he returned to Vienna to be with his wife and because he was worried about the few remaining relatives she had.

If it weren't for his bad relationship with Metternich and others in previous years, he probably would still be in Tessen instead of here.

In addition, the chaos in Spain has already given rise to much speculation.

Ferdinand VII's perverse actions in Madrid led the parliament and the church to believe that Joseph Bonaparte, aside from being the devil's elder brother, was actually quite decent.

The Grand Duke himself did not have this idea, and he was not enthusiastic about military affairs; he was only concerned about the current situation.

But because of his arrival, Alexander discussed a few more things.

“If the coalition needs another commander, I think you should step forward and take on that role.”

“No, Your Majesty. I have already considered it. Life on the manor suits me better, and I think my wife would worry if I returned to the military.”

Incidentally, he also looked at his wife with affection. They had been married for over ten years and were quite in sync.

“I understand your point of view, but you should also know what happened in Belgium.”

"Yes, it's unbelievable. I never expected it to end up like this."

Archduke Karl also remarked that Wellington was not an incompetent general, and with Blücher's forces, the allied forces even had the advantage.

However, due to the French attack, they eventually collapsed, while the British army was able to maintain some order and board the ships in an orderly manner upon reaching Antwerp, temporarily returning to England.

After reaching Liège, the Prussian army's four armies continued their eastward retreat, only stopping at Aachen.

"Even how the map of Europe will change can only be decided by a war."

Alexander himself was not very optimistic, but this seemed to have nothing to do with Archduke Charles.

He simply walked over, sat down with his wife, and watched the changing attitudes of everyone involved in this social setting.

Metternich, on the other hand, was more nervous. After the British defeat on the battlefield, he hoped to convene a meeting of foreign ministers.

This doesn't even include Talleyrand, since Louis XVIII is now fleeing from Liège to the Rhine. He learned the news and ran even faster than the Prussian army, which is very much in line with French "orthodoxy".

He was also watching the spectacle unfold, and because of the changing political situation in France, he wasn't prepared to speculate again.

You have to see things clearly before you can place a bet, otherwise he'll probably only bet on the Tsar.

Alexander soon returned to the Russian embassy, ​​where he summoned his entourage, who were still in Vienna at the time.

"Your Majesty, Prince Metternich wishes to convene a meeting of foreign ministers to determine how to deal with Bonaparte."

"Count, what do you think now?"

After hearing this, Nesherrodie simply stood there without saying anything more.

"You should say something."

“Your Majesty, I think we should not let Metternich succeed. His trick is to play the principle of shared interests among nations, which means that we cannot make peace with them alone. We should remind Prussia and Britain of this.”

"Yes, and at this point, he wants to seize the initiative, just like the Austrian army, which has suffered so many defeats in the past, wants to become the dominant force, which is disgusting."

Alexander treated Metternich very badly because of his past actions.

He recently learned from his "little devil" cousin that Austria seems to be orchestrating some action against Russia, and Krakow, currently the only place in Poland that can maintain its independence, could be a starting point. According to Alexander's thinking, Krakow shouldn't continue to exist as an independent city, even though it was once the center of Polish culture.

The Poles could maintain their own system, but they needed to acknowledge the Tsar as their king.

This was due to his Polish friend who had always wanted to sleep with his wife, and the Tsar's personal desire for tolerance towards Poland.

Metternich was despicable; he simply refused to watch Russia grow stronger.

It would not benefit him if either side became dominant, and it would also create many modern ethnic problems.

For example, many of the religious beliefs in the Balkans were planted by Austria when it forced the Yugoslavs to change their faith.

In addition, there is Krakow, the center of Polish culture, which will later bring Polish Zionism.

As for Lviv, it is an even heavier force, and it continues to play a role today.

How can Austria still exist? All this is for their crown. How much has happened within Europe?

When Alexander saw Barclay's letter, he also thought of Solovyov.

This young man, besides the wife he and Louisa introduced him to, had a French banker's mistress, the French emperor's sister, a beautiful young housekeeper from the Ottoman Empire, his wonderful first love in Italy, and other women he had or hadn't gotten his hands on, as well as those the Tsar himself was unaware of (such as his wife Louisa, his sister Maria, and the Queen of Prussia). He was quite proud of his beautiful women and had many opinions about them.

But I've never heard of him ever praising a living Austrian woman!

He probably had some reasons for it; Austrians can indeed cause problems sometimes.

However, Austria was still very powerful, and to this day it remains a formidable force, like a centipede that, though dead, does not die easily. For a time, Russia had no way to deal with them.

But when it comes to diplomatic leadership, is it possible for Austria, a latecomer, to want to take the lead? That's impossible!

Although he still had to deal with Britain in the future, the Tsar was also very clear about who the allies were worth winning over at the moment.

He then wrote a letter to Viscount Castleray explaining the current situation.

Furthermore, it is hoped that the British side can maintain consistency with Russia on the following issues, and it is also noted that with the Prince of Orange captured, the British side still needs to consider the marriage issue.

Of course, Regent George was informed much faster than Vienna.

He also learned of the Prince of Orange's capture and his cousin's death.

Russia initially guaranteed that the Dukes of Brunswick would become Kings of Belgium, including not only the Black Dukes but also the two sons of Mary of Baden.

She is now plunged into grief. She had just reunited with her husband and was looking forward to a happy life together, but her husband passed away first, and she became a widow.

After she put on her mourning clothes, quite a few members of the British royal family came to offer their condolences.

The Duke of Clarence, having once considered an engagement with Mary's eldest sister, also came to visit her.

This poor widow, barely over thirty, is indeed quite pitiful.

The reason the regent hasn't come yet is because he's always been rather lazy.

The Duke of York and the Duke of Cambridge were away dealing with Hanover affairs, so the Duke of Clarence had to come. He was a very good man and always took care of his family's feelings, especially since she was his cousin's wife.

As for the regent, as the de facto king, he certainly didn't perform very well.

Before George III went completely insane, he refused to acknowledge the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire. Therefore, the British still considered Hanover to be an electorate until the Battle of Saint-Jean ended a few days ago.

"Your Highness, what kind of announcement should we make, or perhaps give a speech in the Senate?"

“If it were a speech, problems would inevitably arise. But now we need to get the Lord back to London to explain things clearly, otherwise the people in the House of Commons will definitely cause chaos again.”

He hates trouble the most. If he had half the courage of his daughter Charlotte, this matter could probably be resolved very well.

Princess Charlotte, now freed from confinement, finally got what she wanted. She already loathed that unfortunate Prince Orange, and now that she had achieved her goal, she could prepare to marry Leopold.

However, before the formal engagement, the princess took the initiative to visit the soldiers who had retreated from Belgium.

The princess's strong personality is clearly the kind that the cabinet doesn't really want.

Of course, the Liverpool Lords still hope to maintain the current stability and avoid any trouble between the royal family and Parliament.

However, it was indeed unexpected that the princess herself went to comfort the soldiers.

When the soldiers saw Princess Charlotte come to comfort them, their spirits lifted, even though they no longer had to fight.

As for the Duke of Wellington himself, he also had a brief meeting with the princess.

Compared to the regent, it seems that the Duke of York, the Duke of Clarence, and Princess Charlotte are all fulfilling their duties.

While other members of the royal family, including the Regent, might be unable to do anything about the Duke, Princess Charlotte is a special case.

This girl is naturally likable, and she seems to have no fear of anyone.

Wellington may have failed, but he was not afraid of Napoleon and held out until night before retreating.

And what about the princess?

She was "the special one," and she offered Wellington a few words of comfort, while also warning him to be careful of Parliament.

Although Wellington has always been a Tory, both the princess and the Duke of Clarence are Whig-leaning.

It looks like something's going to happen in Parliament. These kinds of inquiries are troublesome. Even though he took the entire Iberian Peninsula back from the French and has a great honor, a defeat in the House of Commons is not a good thing, especially for those gentlemen who have been investing recently; they've probably all lost a lot of money.

The London Stock Exchange saw a massive sell-off of stocks following news of the defeat of the Allied forces at Saint-Jean.

The most unfortunate were probably the Rothschilds, who believed the Allied forces would win and had planted spies in advance to try and get information.

Alexander and Solovyov probably didn't know when they planted the mines that their bombs would wipe out a very influential financial group, or at least delay its emergence. (End of Chapter)