Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Solovyov spent his time in Batavia drinking and chatting with the newly arrived Dutch governor, and held several receptions.

The British had not completely left Java; they had long coveted the Dutch East Indies and even controlled the region until 1815. The new Dutch governor had been in office for several months, but it was only this month, with the arrival of the Russian army, that they were able to take Batavia back from the British. Many other places had not yet been recovered.

However, there was still gunpowder and food left behind by the British. Since Britain, Orange Netherlands, and Russia were allies, there were not many conflicts at this time.

The Russian troops' replenishment in Batavia went very smoothly.

At this time, Solovyov also issued orders to conduct surveys of Sumatra and Bali, and to establish contact with the Lanfang Republic.

Solovyov was also very curious about their nature.

However, he didn't hold out much hope, since Southeast Asia was too complicated, and if he really got involved, it would definitely cause a huge uproar.

Regardless, he was determined to continue his journey north in September, heading directly to Guangzhou, and had even dispatched a ship to Macau beforehand.

He, Bellingshausen, and Sukov were in the villa used to entertain the main members of the Russian delegation, and the reception had just ended.

"Robert, do you think the British will succeed this time? I know some things; the British cabinet has indicated that Amherst's mission can proceed at its own discretion."

“I don’t think they will succeed, Earl. Although the British cabinet holds great power, they cannot transmit orders to the Governor-General of India immediately, and the British East India Company has always acted erratically and disobeyed orders. I had already heard about the British East India Company’s actions when I sailed my privateers to the Indian Ocean.”

“I think so, Your Excellency. Their attitude was quite strange when we passed through India.”

Bellingshausen had been to India, and Surcouf was a frequent strategist who outwitted the British; their opinions were somewhat relevant.

Solovyov himself knew that, given Amherst's arrogance, this mission was bound to fail.

In fact, Emperor Jiaqing was very tolerant of the British envoys this time.

Even though he didn't understand the rules, because Staunton was recognized by the officials who had previously received the Macartney mission, and because Staunton regularly traveled between Guangzhou and Macau and was very familiar with dealing with Qing Dynasty officials, he was able to get through to Amherst and the East India Company representatives no matter how much they tried to change their minds.

Moreover, Qing Dynasty officials also presented a very abstract account in their memorials to the Jiaqing Emperor, stating that Amherst had already practiced it.

In reality, Amherst was even less sensible than the Russian Golovkin, who at least knew the rules. He just happened to be as foolish as General Uliastai, making them a truly peculiar pair of adversaries.

The reason the former was selected, rather than the British deputy envoy Staunton, was because he was dignified and handsome, and his appearance was not bad either.

But when they actually arrived in India, and landed at Tianjin, they were truly on the move.

He really made me cry to death.

What is that?

When I arrived in Tianjin, I hadn't learned anything, not even how to get into a carriage. Once I was on one, things were difficult. When the officials saw me, I trembled and scrambled to my feet.
I'm sorry, although it's not exactly a crossover, clapper talk is not easy to compose, and I'm not Zhang Zhikuan's apprentice.

However, upon arriving in Tianjin, Amherst displayed extreme stubbornness, preferring to believe the East India Company's version of events and considering it the opinion of experts.

The real expert on the ground was Staunton Jr., who knew that maintaining contact with the French missionaries around the Jiaqing Emperor was actually able to guarantee a certain level of friendly relations.

Upon arriving in Guangzhou, fearing obstruction from the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi and the Governor of Guangdong, Amherst headed straight for Tianjin before completing the formal notification process.

At the time, Staunton Jr. had no objections, but as the situation deteriorated, the Qing government also began to realize the problems with the British.

However, since they had already come, the guests should still be entertained. Moreover, relations with Britain were not a bad thing. Although the British were not good at etiquette, they always sent treasures. This time, they brought gifts from the Crown Prince of England, which were of high quality. Furthermore, the officials repeatedly assured them that the gifts were not bad.

Emperor Jiaqing always prepared a carriage to take Amherst to Tongzhou, and then have him come to the capital to "meet the emperor".

Even the usually lenient Emperor Jiaqing could not have imagined that by making such concessions to the British, which was tantamount to granting them permission to cheat, the British themselves would still manage to botch their job.

Before entering the city, Amherst put on airs again, which greatly annoyed the Qing officials who had been protecting him.

We've come this far, we're about to enter the capital and meet the Emperor, and you're still putting on airs?

With your current abilities, you might as well jump into the Haihe River. I'll definitely go with you through thick and thin, and if you even flinch, I'm not an official appointed by the Emperor!

Going to Beijing like this will definitely cause trouble.

The fact that the British were sent back home without even meeting them displeased the Emperor.

If this British barbarian were sent to the Emperor, and caused any trouble, it would definitely lead to a major disaster.

Even if the emperor is good-tempered and doesn't kill anyone, this demotion is the lightest punishment.

So Amherst was packed up by Qing officials and sent back to Tianjin, since he had no place to go.

But he was very angry, after all, this diplomatic mission had failed to be completed.

Moreover, Amherst had also heard that a larger Russian mission was on its way to Guangzhou.

However, the Russians made frequent stops along the way, and although the entire fleet consisted of fast ships, the British estimated that they could only reach the Dutch East Indies.

Those who spend years at sea naturally understand this principle.

Staunton Jr., while in Macau, had also heard about the arrival of Russian fleets and the interactions between the Qing Dynasty and Russia.

In addition, there were other things, such as Solovyov being a general but also an amateur sinologist.

Even Staunton Jr. could have foreseen that, although Count Solovyov was an amateur, his sharp commentary on some Chinese stories that circulated in Europe, as well as Voltaire's adapted plays and his dedication to translating Chinese popular novels and classical texts, would actually carry some weight in Europe.

Even this deputy envoy, who was about the same age as Solovyov, was able to determine that the Russian ambassador had a high level of Sinology and that his accurate translations conveyed the meaning perfectly; he was no ordinary scholar.

If he hadn't been a general, and had chosen a scholarly path, he would likely have been a prolific writer.

But he overestimated Solovyov. The count preferred to immerse himself in the comforts of his wife and lover, and scholarship was probably a byproduct. Because he was always being sent on missions by the Tsar in Russia, and because his position in politics and the military was rising, it was unlikely that he would focus his attention on scholarship.

This adversary was practically tailor-made, a benchmark prepared specifically for Lord Amherst.

Moreover, Amherst was a count, and Solovyov was also a count. In fact, considering their backgrounds, Solovyov, a high-ranking general who came from the Tsar's guard, had seen battle, and was fluent in Chinese, was simply unimaginable.

Little Staunton was helpless when he saw his leader being sent back like this.

Compared to when he came to China as a child with his father and Lord Macartney, the Qing Dynasty officials had already given him a much wider opportunity. They hadn't even gone through such a watery preparation. Although Lord He was more flexible in handling diplomatic affairs back then, he wouldn't have given him this much leeway.

It's fair to say that the Qianlong Emperor of yesteryear and the Jiaqing Emperor of today are not even in the same league.

In contrast, Staunton Jr. still preferred the return of the old Emperor Qianlong. Although the old emperor was strict, he could let his boss know what the majesty of the Celestial Empire was. A leaky first-class warship was still a first-class warship. Once the hole was repaired, under the command of an experienced captain, the salvo fired would be extremely powerful.

Emperor Jiaqing was merely a mediocre captain. He could command a perfectly good warship with some skill, but this ship now looked like it was leaking.

Little Staunton himself was unaware that because of his past dealings with Qing Dynasty officials, and because officials in the capital recognized him, he had already been put on Emperor Jiaqing's blacklist.

Because Qing Dynasty officials could not possibly shift the blame to Amherst, as doing so would be tantamount to failing in their duties and would be a serious diplomatic incident.

Moreover, Qing Dynasty officials did not deal directly with the East India Company's bosses, so they could only shift the blame onto Staunton.

This explanation makes sense, so Jiaqing also wanted to expel him from the country.

However, after accepting the letter of credence and gifts, Jiaqing did not break off relations. When the gifts were sent out of the country, they traveled along the Grand Canal, and there were also gifts in return.

In conclusion, Amherst's mission was a major diplomatic failure.

Solovyov knew the ending, but he didn't realize the content was so abstract.

When he was selecting state gifts, he personally wrote out the list by hand with a fountain pen.

"Dad, your handwriting is so beautiful!"

Lisa, that little "black-hearted cotton," is clever and quick-witted. She knows how to please her father, but she doesn't recognize Chinese characters. She only knows that her father wrote a list.

This little girl is cunning yet has a sweet tongue; if she were a boy, she might do great things in the future.

"Can you understand, Lisa? Your father wrote Chinese characters. This style is a variation on ancient Chinese calligraphy by a calligrapher. His whole family was loyal to the emperor and loved their country. They were very loyal to the emperor of China at that time, just like your father always served the emperor, only they did more."

Even if you tell a little girl the specifics, she wouldn't be able to understand anything.

However, the Yan style of calligraphy with a pen is not as heavy as that with a brush. After writing down each character, Solovyov completed a preliminary gift list, which then needed to be categorized.

For rare birds and exotic animals, a copy should also be made, indicating the origin of these animals, their characteristics, and how they should be raised.

The contents of picture albums and books should also be described.

The portraits of the Russian imperial family also include those of Tsar Paul and Empress Dowager Maria, with all but Olga, who died young, depicted.

Solovyov's work allowed the Qing emperor to understand the basic situation of the Russian royal family, as well as the Russian official system and military situation.

The mere mention of "a million armored soldiers and a thousand skilled generals" might still frighten Emperor Jiaqing.

After all, the British knew that the Russians were too strong.

Therefore, his explanation of the military system was rather vague.

As the last disciple of Marshal Suvorov, he was very familiar with the Marshal's military reforms and subsequent changes.

This method is actually quite simple. When the old cat teaches his apprentices to climb trees, he always holds back.

Lions and tigers can climb trees, but they are not that agile; in fact, they are rather clumsy.

Solovyov's intention at this time was merely to confront Britain and lay the groundwork for future conflicts with the Qing Dynasty. When the British and the Qing Dynasty actually clashed, it would lead to a larger-scale dispute.

At that point, Russia will either act as an arbitrator or directly give Britain a severe beating.

Therefore, some content is not written in great detail.

As for presenting the auspicious beast, if he hadn't actually not gone to the East African coast along the way, he would have had to bring a giraffe to fool Jiaqing into thinking it was a qilin.

"Alright, that's all for now. If you think of anything else tomorrow, we'll continue with Mihrima. It's so late, aren't you going to rest?"

"I came out to get some water. If you'd like some, madam..."

"Is Katya asleep too?"

"She's asleep. Madam is in good health; she'll probably be fine."

"The doctor did say that, but I'm worried about her too. She's still my wife, after all. If she's unwell, she doesn't have to come on this mission. It's still my problem."

But Mihrima is very beautiful, even in her pajamas.

He really struck gold back in Serbia, a dazzling gem.

However, he still had to restrain his impulses and not always act that way. Although Mihrima was his beloved concubine and doted on him, Katya needed someone to take care of her. She was also aware of this and would not allow him to act recklessly.

"Sit with me for a while. The children have gone to bed. It's so hot in Batavia. I can't sleep. I always want to find someone to talk to."

"But you must wait until your wife no longer needs care. Master, I love you too, but you must be aware of your status and position, and refrain from any inappropriate actions. And..."

"You're blushing."

"I'm not blushing."

She's a little awkward, not like before when she just knew how to obey her own will. She's grown up, and as she matures, she might become even more beautiful.

He felt very lucky, but sometimes circumstances are special, and now that he had gone too far, he sometimes had to restrain his desires. (End of Chapter)