Looking at the radiant Prince in front of him, a flash of astonishnt crossed the Military Attendant’s face. He was quite curious about what kind of magic the Princess nshikov had used to bring about such a dramatic transformation in Prince nshikov in such a short ti.
However, now was not the ti to be curious. The Military Attendant could only suppress his curiosity and lead Prince nshikov from St. Petersburg back to Tsarskoye Selo.
Exiting the castle, Prince nshikov and the Military Attendant walked to the carriage adorned with the Romanov Clan’s emblem. Upon seeing nshikov and the Military Attendant approaching, the coachman straightened up imdiately, and the white horses pulling the carriage perked up alongside their handler, exhaling a warm breath from their white nostrils.
"Prince, please," the Military Attendant extended his hand, inviting Prince nshikov to board the carriage.
Prince nshikov naturally sat inside the carriage with a sense of entitlent. The Military Attendant and the coachman sat on the driver’s seat together.
The carriage slowly started to accelerate through the streets of St. Petersburg. After traveling for nearly five minutes, they left the city center, crossing a pebble-paved road through the outskirts. On either side of the road were endless grasslands. If you stood on the roof of the carriage and looked into the distance, you would see the forests on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
After traveling through the St. Petersburg suburbs for over an hour, a large palace complex gradually appeared. nshikov and the Military Attendant finally arrived at Tsarskoye Selo, located on the outskirts of St. Petersburg.
Entering Tsarskoye Selo unhindered, nshikov and the Military Attendant soon arrived at the grand gates of the Catherine Palace.
Stepping out of the carriage, parked at the foot of the steps to the Catherine Palace, nshikov slowly walked down and raised his head to look at the majestic palace perched on the steps, feeling a complex mix of emotions in his heart.
Just a few months ago, he was still the most trusted general in the hands of the Tsar. But who would have thought that in just half a year, he would beco what he was now?
If not for the Ottoman Empire, I wouldn’t have ended up like this!
Thinking of this, Prince nshikov couldn’t help but clench his fists.
Had it not been for his near-embarrassing failed diplomatic mission in the Ottoman Empire, nshikov wouldn’t have beco the laughingstock of the Russian Empire’s diplomatic world, and His Majesty Nicholas I wouldn’t have distanced himself from nshikov because of his failure.
Ultimately, it was all the fault of the Ottoman Empire! Why couldn’t they just surrender honestly? Why did they have to resist the great Russian Empire!
After months of neglect, nshikov’s resentnt towards the Ottoman Empire grew. He swore that within his lifeti, he would destroy that vile heretical empire... He believed that it wouldn’t be long before he achieved this wish!
Filled with resentnt, nshikov stepped onto the stairs leading to the Catherine Palace. Inside, he was guided by the Military Attendant into one of the rooms.
When the Military Attendant opened the door, Prince nshikov saw Nicholas I and others.
nshikov quickened his pace to enter the room. He first knelt to pay respects to Nicholas I, and after receiving Nicholas I’s permission, nshikov approached Nicholas I.
"Tell about your previous plan," Nicholas I first explained why he had summoned nshikov, then pointed to the map of the Near East and asked nshikov.
nshikov gratefully looked at the Minister of War Dolgorukov. He knew that without Dolgorukov’s help, his plan could never have reached the ears of the Tsar.
Dolgorukov, standing by, calmly accepted nshikov’s gratitude and pointed to the map, reminding nshikov, "Prince nshikov, don’t keep the Tsar waiting too long!"
"Yes!" nshikov responded resolutely.
Then, nshikov reiterated his plan to ambush the Ottoman Empire’s ports in Constantinople and Sipuno to Nicholas I.
After hearing nshikov’s plan, Nicholas I imdiately asked him, "nshikov, if I entrust all the Empire’s ships in the Black Sea to your command, can you guarantee to completely annihilate the Ottoman’s entire fleet in the Black Sea within a month? Rember, all the ships!"
Faced with Nicholas I’s unwavering expression, nshikov hesitated for a mont, then saluted Nicholas I and firmly replied, "I can assure you, I will annihilate all the Ottoman fleets within a month!"
"Good!" Nicholas I smiled again, turned to Dolgorukov, and said, "Did you hear that? Prince nshikov said he would annihilate all the Ottoman Empire’s ships within a month!"
"Understood!" Dolgorukov promptly responded to Nicholas I.
Nicholas I once again turned to Prince nshikov and issued his latest appointnt to him.
From this mont on, nshikov has been appointed as the Governor of both the Cria and the Caucasus Regions, responsible for commanding the Russian Empire’s Black Sea Fleet, as well as handling all military and administrative affairs in the Caucasus and Cria Regions of the Russian Empire.
This appointnt by Tsar Nicholas I can be said to have created a vassal emperor governing the Caucasus and Cria.
During nshikov’s tenure as Governor, no one other than Nicholas I could interfere excessively with nshikov’s affairs, even Dolgorukov, the Minister of War, could only communicate military directives to nshikov as suggestions rather than commands.
This appointnt by Nicholas I not only surprised nshikov but also made Minister of War Dolgorukov feel it was a bit tricky. His original intention was for nshikov to act under the control of the Ministry of War, but he unexpectedly created a governor he could not control, sowhat like lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
However, through Nicholas I’s appointnt of nshikov, Dolgorukov also realized that their Tsar was truly determined to dismantle the Ottoman Empire.
After a brief mont of surprise, nshikov’s face was filled with excitent. He imdiately thanked Nicholas I and expressed that he would promptly eliminate the Ottoman Empire Navy.
"I only give you one day, after one day, you will imdiately go to Sevastopol to take up your post!" Nicholas I, unwilling to delay even a mont, ordered nshikov.
"Your Majesty, I can set off now!" nshikov imdiately responded.
"Set off now?" Nicholas I looked at nshikov, then nodded, "Then set off as soon as possible!"
"Yes!" nshikov, who accepted the appointnt, decisively saluted Nicholas I.
After Prince nshikov left the room, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Nesselrode, who had been silent, cautiously inquired whether they should inform the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia of the Russian Empire’s upcoming actions so those two countries could assist the Russian Empire at critical monts, adhering to a prudent diplomatic approach.
"That is not necessary at all!" Nicholas I rejected Carl Nesselrode’s suggestion, confidently saying, "I want them to witness our great success of conquering Constantinople before they even react. Only then will they be more submissive to the Russian Empire, not daring to harbor any other thoughts."
Carl Nesselrode could only remain silent about Nicholas I viewing the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia as "son states."
As a German, he sotis also found it hard to understand the extre arrogance and extre inferiority embedded in the Russian nature, such contradictory traits being perfectly combined in a Slav was indeed unfathomable to him.
It was precisely due to these two personalities that Carl Nesselrode’s diplomatic strategy was often criticized, and many in the Russian Empire considered Carl Nesselrode a despicable German, a traitor that hard the interests of the Russian Empire.
Since Nicholas I was confident in handling the current situation, Carl Nesselrode naturally did not wish to dampen Nicholas I’s mood.
Having navigated the political world for many years, Carl Nesselrode relied on swaying with the general direction to gain the trust of Tsar Nicholas I.
Subsequently, Nicholas I issued orders to Minister of War Dolgorukov, requiring him to issue marching orders through the Ministry of War to Paskievich, stationed in the Danube Duchy.
The aim was to seize the passage through Silistra before nshikov destroyed the Ottoman Empire’s warships, then split into two routes, one attacking Varna to secure sea transport supplies, and the other attacking Erdine, opening the passage to Constantinople.
Receiving the order, Dolgorukov imdiately assured Nicholas I that the Ministry of War would hastily deliver the Tsar’s command to the troops.
Subsequently, Nicholas I also ordered Orlov to impose strict control over expressions within the Russian Empire, arresting anyone who issued statents disloyal to the Russian Empire. Nobles were no exception!
No one understood better than Nicholas I that beneath the sacred Romanov Eagle Flag, many sympathizers of the Decembrists were still lurking.
If the Russian Empire relaxed its dostic oversight, those rats lurking in the shadows would once again erge.
"Understood!" Count Orlov, who seed to agree without hesitation on the surface, was internally indifferent to Nicholas I’s orders.
Having controlled the "Third Departnt" for many years, he was sowhat aware of the undercurrents swelling beneath St. Petersburg, which included so elents seeking to overthrow the empire.
However, Count Orlov dared not arrest them; in St. Petersburg’s intricate web of powers, a silent tacit understanding has ford among the nobility—so long as no one breaks the balance, various powers will tolerate their developnt.
This peculiar political balance is precisely the hallmark of St. Petersburg politics.
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