Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796

Chapter 97 047 The farce performed by the Military Committee

After the ball, Solovyov was asked by his stepmother whether he had a crush on the countess from No. 7 Million Street.

"Misha, looking at her, although she is a little short, she is plump, with a delicate and lovely face, golden hair, and gem-like eyes"

"Okay, don't talk about this. She took the initiative to invite me to dance yesterday because she needed my help. Before this matter is confirmed, I have to help her investigate the other party. You may have to keep it secret from you because this is something that friends have to say. She is so rich and has a high family background, and she can't be with me. Just like I told you on the way home, I spent a few nights with a noble lady from the Visconti family at her house, but because it was during the expedition and Italy was far away from here, this was also impossible."

This lady was fine when she could only speak French. After she adapted to Russia, she began to become noisy and wanted to marry any girl she saw.

Especially the appearance of the "Little Fairy" is so good, but this is a bit absurd.

"That's right, but you are also a major in the Guards, and you may become a new noble in the future. At that time."

"Okay, don't say it. I can understand your thoughts. As the mistress of this family, even if Yulia and I are not related to you by blood, we still have to make arrangements for our future. You don't have to worry. My father is now working for Count Bobulinsky. He is the emperor's only brother. Neither of us needs to worry too much about the future."

Indeed, from the time when the count was favored in the court before he was given a title until 1917, the glory of this family in Russia lasted for more than a hundred years. Although this backer is not the strongest in Russia, it is still long-lasting.

"I know, but someone asked me about you, but I think those families are not of good family background, and they are all civilians."

"Like the third estate in France?"

At this time, it is too early for Solovyov to talk about these.

However, he had no plans to get married or even engaged in the short term, so he had to persuade his family not to make contact in this regard recently.

This also made the Baroness give up this idea temporarily and shifted the topic to jewelry and salons.

"Yes, it may be more interesting to interact with merchants and citizens, and it is different from the court and salons. It may be because I come from the West Indies."

"What you are pursuing is more of a free living environment. This is okay in St. Petersburg. If you go to the countryside, I am afraid you will be suffocated. Russia is so big. In addition, there is a small village near Pavlovsky that the emperor has arranged for me. I have to find someone to visit it every year."

If it is based on the set of chivalry, that is, Tsar Paul has been keen to inject chivalry into the nobles after becoming the Grand Master recently, and has also implemented many new regulations in Russia. Some of the officers newly granted to this village are like feudal fiefs.

It sometimes makes Solovyov wonder if Tsar Paul has the same hobby as Wang Mang. I should not have translated this part of the content?

After he came back from Italy and Switzerland, he was about to start translating the subsequent content. The manuscripts that had been prepared on the way were sent to the Petersburg News and were serialized one after another.

However, considering his status as a Guards officer, it was unlikely that the editor would urge him to submit the manuscripts, and he had to pass it through the official residence of Stroganov at No. 17 Nevsky Avenue.

During this period, he also had to reorganize the troops as the new battalion commander and let the 1st Battalion itself strengthen military training.

However, his approach was not only to line up, but also to play some tricks.

Some veterans agreed with this point. After all, he wanted 24 Guards soldiers to come out for line training with guns, which was still a sure thing, because without bayonets, it was easier than the Cossacks playing with knives.

However, Solovyov did not immediately show it to the Tsar, but it became a way for the veterans of the Guards to pass the time.

It also saved some officers from feeling that they had nothing to do, and then ran out to play and caused trouble.

After all, a young battalion commander who rose to prominence through military exploits is very suitable for shutting up others.

And the end of the year is not boring either. In addition to arranging the marriage of the two grand duchesses around Christmas, there is also an inquiry into General Korsakov.

Many people from the Military Committee participated in this inquiry. Petersburg and Vienna also have Military Committees, but because they are usually farther away from the battlefield than their Austrian counterparts, the interference is not so great.

But if the generals on the front line make a fool of themselves, they have no way to deal with it.

It is precisely because of this that when the army other than the Turks and Persians is defeated, the Russian Military Committee often initiates such investigations.

Korsakov still has some connections in the court, and the advantage for him at present is that the Grand Marshal himself is still in Bohemia. Although Russia has withdrawn from the anti-French alliance, the main Russian corps are still wintering around Prague, and only some of the vanguard troops have returned to the Russian border.

However, his connections this time involve old Count Palen.

"You go find Madame Chevalier and ask her to say a few good words for you, and this matter will be easy to handle. In the process, you also need to find Count Kutaisov. This 'Turk' is the Emperor's Secretary of State after all, and everyone knows them."

Korsakov roughly understood what the Count meant when he heard this.

The questioning of the committee is one aspect, and the relationship among the close ministers is also very important.

This matter is a Russian feature and must be tasted.

Before the questioning of the committee began, he had at least avoided severe punishment through his activities with Madame Chevalier, but how to speak in the necessary questioning was still a problem.

He was ready to put the blame on Marshal Suvorov's order in early September: "Find and defeat the enemy!"

And he also planned to say so at the Military Committee.

But Paul's attitude was also very clear, that is, Grand Duke Constantine, Colonel Komarovsky and those adjutants should participate, but only as observers.

Solovyov also met his old superior, Prince Dmitri Volkonsky, here.

"Misha, everyone knows that you have done a good job. With my health, I guess the emperor will not let me go back to lead the troops. You and Bejia should do a good job on my part. My nephew has been transferred to His Highness recently. You have made a contribution."

The prince's health is really bad. He doesn't want Solovyov to help him sit down.

"Today's meeting is about the Battle of Zurich. You were in Switzerland at the Grand Marshal's headquarters. Do you know what orders were issued at that time?"

"I know this. I was the adjutant on duty at that time. The Grand Marshal asked the troops in Zurich to gather and prepare to fight the enemy. In the meantime."

Before he finished speaking, Tsar Paul and Prince Saltykov came to the meeting room. This venue was in the Military Academy. It was originally Prince Menshikov's palace. After the prince fell, it was idle for a long time and later turned into a military academy.

What he said is not important now. What we need to see now is the attitude of the Tsar himself in presiding over this committee.

At this time, Solovyov had to stand behind Grand Duke Constantine again. Those sitting in front were all generals and above. Although Prince Saltykov had retired for more than 20 years, he had the rank of field marshal because of his seniority and status in the court.

It is so funny in Russia. Being a marshal is not necessarily the best fighter. The rank of field marshal is poisonous, especially the field marshal during the Russian Empire.

Prince Menshikov was exiled before, Anton Ulrich was abolished and imprisoned, and his whole family was imprisoned in Arkhangelsk. Suvorov is still fine now. He is the only one in Russia who was awarded this honorary rank entirely because of his military achievements, but there is no guarantee that there will be no conspiracy in the court.

For example, when old Count von Palen was planning with the Zubov brothers, he didn't like to let Nikolai Zubov get involved. No matter how he cut off the relationship, he was still Suvorov's son-in-law.

Moreover, this person is straightforward and quick-witted. As long as he drinks a few sips, he will easily talk nonsense.

So he did not involve Nikolai Zubov too much. This plan against Marshal Suvorov was also part of a chain conspiracy. He wanted to use the questioning of the Military Committee and the previous local rebellion groups to carry out a plan of alienation under the banner of the Marshal.

This conspiracy was very useful for the relationship between the officers of the local and Baltic systems brought by Suvorov and Paul.

And what he said did work now. Paul frowned. Now when talking about this issue, Korsakov did say so.

This point was something that Prince Vladimir, who was in Zurich at the time, could not cover up. The written order of the Marshal was indeed like this.

"If this is the case, then the question is still the order given by the Marshal?"

At this time, it was no longer possible to avoid it. Solovyov saw this situation. Although he had the lowest rank among the officers who came to the scene today, he could also speak.

"Your Majesty, I was the duty officer in the legion from Italy to Switzerland when this order was issued. The Grand Marshal did issue this order, but his orders were always very concise, and the details needed to be dictated by the liaison officer who delivered the order."

Count von Palen wanted to stop him from speaking, but Paul thought it was okay to speak.

"Count, although this major has the lowest qualifications, he can speak, and the person's speech can still be trusted."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I will continue to talk about it. The liaison officer sent at that time was the Cossack officer Maximov. When delivering the order, he also clearly requested that the troops be concentrated to avoid being defeated by the French one by one."

When these words were spoken, Solovyov could clearly feel that Korsakov's face was a little panicked.

He didn't expect that the soldiers sent by Paul to work today were all soldiers of the Guards Regiment, and the battalion commander came back with Grand Duke Constantine and was still the duty officer at that time.

"Constantine, is there such a thing?"

"Father, when the Grand Marshal issues an order, the officer on duty will indeed record it, and the details must be explained to the liaison officer."

Regardless of whether this matter is true or not, this returns to the deployment at that time.

Prince Vladimir, as a general who participated in the battle in Zurich, can also explain this matter clearly. If Prince Gorchakov also came back, he would definitely testify to this matter.

Korsakov only spoke part of the story, but in the actual content, there was also a communication from Archduke Karl to him, which put forward requirements for the formation, and at the same time there was an order for the Austrian army to cover the mountainous area behind.

The problem finally fell on Korsakov. Tsar Paul did not punish him, but asked him to serve as the commander of the cavalry regiment in the rear, but it was unlikely that he would return to the front-line troops in the future.

This was considered to be the removal of the buried mines, and Marshal Suvorov escaped a disaster, but von Palen did not stop the estrangement between Paul and his two sons.

And at present, when the two daughters-in-law had just given birth and were recuperating, it was just the right time to intervene.

Although Solovyov was on duty in the palace, he did not pay attention to the possibility of these conspiracies. In the last few days of the year, it was unlikely that he would uncover a conspiracy group, as the whereabouts of these people were very secretive.

He was on duty in the Winter Palace all day, not at the Guards Headquarters or the regiment's barracks, but strolling around the palace all day.

Such days would continue for a while, and he was actually far away from the people in the conspiracy group.

Except for hearing the two counts' plans for some things in the palace at the beginning, there was no further progress.

As the battalion commander of the Guards, his main task was not to fight, but to protect the safety of the Winter Palace, including the safety of the entire royal family, including the Tsar.

Moreover, he made new alert arrangements. In addition to the open sentry post at the door of the Tsar's bedroom, he also prepared a secret sentry of the Guards.

On a daily basis, a cavalryman from the Pavlograd Hussar Regiment or the Cuirassier Regiment would guard the door, and there would be Guards soldiers guarding the gate outside the door to be responsible for security.

This secret sentry was only arranged when the 1st Battalion of the Guards Regiment deployed it. They squatted at the door of the Tsar and the door of the Crown Prince to ensure the safety of the palace.

In the event that the visible sentry was killed, the secret sentry could also launch a counterattack against the attacker and sound the alarm.

In the event of an alarm, the Tsar himself could move to other rooms through the porch of the Winter Palace.

There were hundreds of numbered rooms in the Winter Palace, and it was unlikely that they had to search them one by one. At this time, the Guards who were loyal enough to the Tsar and the grenadiers outside the palace came to protect him.