Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The Russian fleet left Madagascar, and King Radama sent people to see them off, while also taking over Tuamasina.

Solovyov had little interest in the island, and the young king, who had come to the city and visited the battleship "Grace," was quite surprised by it all.

Russia appears to be stronger, yet it claims its navy is still inferior to Britain's.

Given Solovyov's special relationship with France and the fact that he did not ask for any benefits, people trusted this general even more.

It seems that relations between Russia and the Kingdom of Imerina will start off very amicably.

He brought along two of Imrena's brothers, as well as "tribute" for the Qing Dynasty emperor and the Russian emperor. Solovyov also had to deliver a message for the people of Madagascar.

However, it was Solovyov who suggested the tribute items for the Chinese emperor.

So King Radama brought back many Madagascar specialties, including rare animals such as lemurs, chameleons, Madagascar rats, geckos, and mongooses, which were put in cages as tribute to the Chinese emperor and were also the spoils of Solovyov's expedition.

Lemurs are naturally the main attraction, a chameleon is over 10 centimeters long, and a Madagascar rat is a whopping 50 centimeters long, quite a large creature indeed.

Predators elsewhere are large, but those native to Madagascar are these rare and exotic animals.

As for chameleons and geckos, they are both masters of disguise, appearing inconspicuous, but they are also unique animals.

If possible in the future, we really should exchange goods with King Radham, because his place is not only strategically located, but also has great scientific research value.

Solovyov's thinking certainly didn't seem to be that of someone coming to colonize.

Next, we traveled to Réunion and Île-de-France, where we also replenished our supplies along the way.

When humans first arrived here, they could still see dodos, but they are no longer there.

However, Solovyov knew a way to prevent the island's peculiar tree species from continuing to reproduce.

He told the new governor of France that he wanted to import turkeys, which are good at eating nuts.

The reason is that in the past, the dodo bird pecked at the seeds of local trees, which ultimately ensured its reproduction.

From an ecological niche perspective, this approach was possible. Île-de-France, which wasn't taken by the British, wouldn't be called Mauritius; it's simply too small and far from the continents, but it was still a necessary stop for quickly reaching the Dutch East Indies.

The Dutch used this route to save a lot of time, but now it's all under French control.

In reality, the British control of these two small islands is not of much value. Even if the Royal Navy cannot defeat other countries' fleets in certain areas, their size and strength are undeniable, and no one wants to provoke them on the high seas.

Moreover, the French naval strength has been greatly diminished, and it would be good enough if they could maintain a few frigates and armed merchant ships on these two islands.

Solovyov's voyage this time was not a scientific expedition, but an diplomatic mission. His stop in Madagascar was also because of its important strategic value, which was too obvious in the southwestern Indian Ocean.

Now he's going to the Dutch East Indies to continue the main storyline.

However, Solovyov also used the name of the King of the Netherlands to conduct investigations of the colonies.

He ordered Lazarev to lead the frigate "Mercury Memorial" to Aceh to gather information, and then to Bali and Johor, with the more important task of conducting research.

In addition, Solovyov has a particular fondness for felines. Not only does he keep a large and numerous cat population at home, but he also signed checks for six cheetah cubs when his daughter asked for them.

He would actually welcome the discovery of lion, tiger, and leopard cubs.

In this respect, he seems to have no difference in mentality from those Arabs who wear a cloth over their heads.

The key point is that among the existing tiger species, the Bali tiger is the smallest, with a body length about the same as his eldest son's height and a weight of only around 100 kilograms. Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming could probably defend it one-on-one, and the person who calls himself a goat would definitely run away when he sees it.

Upon arriving in Batavia, Solovyov kept thinking about the tiger problem.

When the Dutch do business, they are obsessed with money; they will do anything as long as they can make money.

What they do in the Spice Islands might be considered extreme by even the most hardcore shopaholic neighbor.

However, because the events occurred very early, and the Dutch colonial strategy changed later, some people knew about these things, but they were not widely circulated.

As for their amusement in hunting large numbers of wild animals, compared to the British practices in India, the Dutch were perhaps a bit extreme.

The Javan tiger and the Bali tiger were quickly wiped out. Initially, it was the Dutch who caused it, and later Indonesia's own population surge left little room for wild animals to survive. It's not surprising that some wild animals were hunted and killed because of their valuable nature.

We should thank the Dutch for their great lack of morality. As for the medicinal value of rhinoceros horn, although it is indeed effective, it has been exaggerated.

As a Russian general who enjoyed keeping felines, Solovyov was quite clear about the reasons for animal extinction.

Upon entering Batavia, a city with a European style, the architecture is pleasing to the eye.

He was also able to discern the local cultural style by observing the Southeast Asian-style village buildings surrounding the city.

After adapting to Madagascar, the Russians did indeed gain a much better understanding of the local customs and traditions.

Of course, they are still very friendly to Malays, who are mostly distributed along the coast and islands of Southeast Asia.

However, to develop a powerful regime in the tropics, one must be able to contend head-on with the small armies of large-scale European colonies.

Sorry, but apart from that stubborn Burma, it seems that no other country can last more than a few rounds against Dai Ying.

Siam is not yet Westernized, but the Nguyen Dynasty of Vietnam, whose Crown Prince Duan Hue visited Versailles and was received by Louis XVI in 1788, when the Estates-General had just been convened.

After that, there was no more.

This is roughly the current situation of Southeast Asian countries. In terms of strength, they may not even be as powerful as the Imreina Kingdom of Madagascar, which also has Malay ancestry.

Although they were also weak and fit the unique matching mechanism of the African region, King Radham actually managed to organize an army capable of fighting in formation.

Other factions don't even have this level of organization. Only the warriors of Abyssinia and Zulu have superhuman courage, and Kanem-Bornu has armored cavalry in cotton armor. The combat strength of other factions is really not worth praising.

In the past, during wars, they were almost laughed at by the Dutch and Portuguese colonists.

However, there was no problem with bullying outsiders and acting as accomplices to the Dutch colonists.

The Dutch themselves also had to take into account that the king in their homeland had changed again, and that the crown princess was a Russian Grand Duchess, the Tsar's younger sister, so they had to be very hospitable.

Solovyov also decided to stay here for a few days to collect various rare birds and animals, especially Lisa, who wanted to see tigers.

Lisa, she herself is the "Siberian Big Cat," but she doesn't have that awareness.

I begged my dad for those cheetah cubs, and he agreed.

During her voyage, she learned about many unique animals in different places. Now that tigers were mentioned, her father surprisingly agreed and said he would try to get her a few live tiger cubs.

The Dutch found it strange, but Solovyov had his reasons.

Some of the animals he collected on his trip were wild beasts presented to the Jiaqing Emperor. Since Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean during the Ming Dynasty, the emperors in the Forbidden City had probably not seen these rare and exotic animals for a long time.

On his way back, Solovyov would pass through these places again, and even visit the magical India once more. This expedition was actually a preparation for the future.

He thought about many things, especially strategic planning.

If war were to break out with the Ottoman Empire or the Qajar dynasty of Persia in the future, the battlefield would inevitably be opened in the Caucasus.

For many years, Russia's southward expansion has been hampered.

If Russia were to shift its attention to the Black Sea and launch a military operation in the Caucasus region, and then move further south, the Indian Ocean would be its next target.

Both the Dutch East Indies and Madagascar choked off maritime routes in the Indian Ocean, posing a significant threat to the British.

What he wanted was to head south and open a route to the Persian Gulf, build ships in a port within Persia, and further threaten Egypt and India from both directions.

His mission to the Qing Dynasty also had this purpose in mind.

In his memorial to Alexander, Solovyov also mentioned that his mission was to establish a good relationship of mutual trust with the Chinese emperor and to reach a consensus on the potential future threats that Britain might pose to Asian countries.

One must also consider his personal feelings; he may dislike certain things, especially opium.

But he himself had quite a few lovers, though because they were mutually attracted, and because there were many people in Europe who were even more promiscuous than him, and not even as erotic.

When we arrived here, it was already August or September of 1816.

Solovyov claimed he was slow, but in reality, he had been moving quite fast along the way by taking advantage of the clipper boat's characteristics.

If the Jiaqing Emperor and the Amherst mission had made contact, it should have been around these days.

He also needs to resupply here before heading directly to Guangzhou.

This kind of setup is quite large; the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and the Governor of Guangdong might even be intimidated.

After some negotiations, the Russian delegation was able to continue its journey north.

During this time, Solovyov also needs to check on Katya's physical condition, and the doctor also needs to assess whether she is suitable to continue the journey.

However, Katya's belly was already swollen, but her physical condition was surprisingly good, and the baby was probably developing very well in her mother's womb.

Katya was even able to walk around on the ship when someone was taking care of her, and her appetite gradually increased after arriving in Batavia, which seemed to be to replenish the energy for the child.

From this perspective, there probably isn't a problem.

The next thing to do is to do some things in Java and Bali.

Solovyov's request for Lazarev's operation was to sail to Batavia at the end of September and rendezvous with the fleet.

If the fleet has already set sail for Guangzhou, he must follow behind and head there as quickly as possible.

Solovyov was quite confident that he could handle the explanations properly, as long as the Qing officials weren't blockheads, blinded by greed, or unable to understand human language. He believed he could get through this process.

Although the Jiaqing Emperor knew that the Russian fleet would be very large, he did not know its exact strength and might even be frightened.

Before heading to China, Solovyov also rested here, mainly to replenish his antimalarial medication, as malaria is rampant in tropical regions.

In the past, if a few small sailboats were sailing, there might not have been so much trouble. They could go in and out quickly and wouldn't necessarily get sick.

But with so many people coming out at once, hundreds crammed onto a single ship, it's inevitable that something will happen.

The rest and replenishment in Batavia can also boost morale.

Although Solovyov may have been quite strict earlier, the appropriate relaxation and rewards boosted the morale of the army and navy officers and men on board.

If a war were to actually break out, it might have some surprising effects.

However, Solovyov's fleet did not include many land troops, unlike what the British did during the First Opium War.

He left more space in each ship to carry supplies, and also crammed in as many goods as possible, as well as "tribute" collected along the way.

Even the final list of supplies before departing for Guangzhou has not yet been finalized.

While collecting rare birds and animals, he also gathered intelligence on the Dutch East Indies and surrounding Southeast Asian countries.

Russia actually lacked this kind of intelligence. Although it first reached the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific and established a foothold, it was ultimately thwarted by the Americans.

They did many similar things.

The Russians were also unexpectedly targeted by various countries, but in reality, their brutality in the Americas was far less than that of the British and Americans.

Solovyov was aware of similar situations, and when he arrived at the Qing Dynasty government, he did not follow others' practices; he naturally had his own set of theories.

Let's not talk about territory; let's just talk about treaty ports, and we need to be reasonable about it.

Chinese emperors were generally concerned with saving face, so if one could maintain a good relationship with Emperor Jiaqing, things would be much easier to resolve.

Therefore, he also needs to tutor his two children to help them become familiar with some Chinese.

Previously, during the Macartney Mission, the then 12-year-old Staunton demonstrated resourcefulness and resolved many issues, leaving a deep impression on Qing Dynasty officials.

He had a son and a daughter with him; although they were a bit young, they were learning to speak very quickly.

The little girl has some advantages in this regard; Lisa has already reached the stage where she can read and even recite one or two poems.

Katya herself had also studied, and Russia has always had interpreters. As a mother and wife, she even taught herself some things when Solovyov went on an expedition abroad.

And when the two of them are in bed, they should at least learn some Chinese.

That's progress, so it won't be small either.

Moreover, the father and son, along with the other diplomats in the delegation, had grown their hair quite long; if Emperor Paul were to rise from the Peter and Paul Fortress, he would all shout "gut!" (End of Chapter)