Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Konovnitsyn told Trubetskoy about the idea of ​​holding a salon.

Solovyov's attitude was also very cautious, which Trubetskoy could sense.

After all, the other party had a higher status and a more assertive attitude. As for the abolition of serfdom, many nobles had mentioned it in their daily lives, but it was always the high-ranking nobles who were willing to actually implement it.

Those aristocratic families who have long hovered around the top of Russia's rich list have more or less realized that the current system is hindering the development of productivity.

Even in 1823, due to the demand for cotton, there was a resurgence of slavery in the American South. In fact, over the past few decades, many American farmers had complained about inefficiency and advocated for the abolition of slavery.

Cotton always seems to bring unexpected progress, and what the future holds is uncertain.

Sergei Trubetskoy, whose brothers Alexander, Peter, and Nikita were also activists, only allowed his third brother to join his circle, and Peter went to serve in Odessa.

In fact, he was one of Solovyov's subordinates.

“Mikhail Sergeyevich, it is a pleasure to have you come to our place.”

"Your Highness, I would prefer to attend a pleasant banquet, not..."

"Didn't the Countess come along?"

“She just gave birth and needs to rest, and I have so many children, so someone always needs to take care of the family.”

“That is a great pity, Earl. You and your wife are respectable people and have an open mind on many points.”

"An enlightened attitude is also about making people happy; at least there are no more serfs on my estate."

"You have restored their freedom, which means there are no more serfs."

"But considering the realities of Russia, I still need to protect them. What Ivan the Terrible and Boris Godunov did back then greatly worsened the village-community relations in Russia, which has always been my view. Her Majesty's closest confidant, Mr. Karamzin, has always held the opposite view to me, both in the past and now."

It's quite remarkable that Louisa's salon, though not large, always had two opposing groups of people.

Solovyov and Karamzin had always disagreed. The latter was a historian recognized by Alexander, while Solovyov was a soldier and an important governor, but he also had a unique view of history. He even believed that history was driven by the people, and that heroes accomplished great things at that moment by relying on the power of the people.

This statement already deviates from the heroic view of history. If he hadn't been so capable and relatively low-key, there would probably have been many people in St. Petersburg who opposed him.

"But you can still communicate."

“In the past, I was not far from Vyazmako, but not anymore. I am in the south and always have to keep in touch with people through letters.”

"That's why we invited you here; we all want to hear your opinion."

“Who are they? Petya told you about your affairs. Sometimes, public salons are actually safe.”

When Solovyov said this, he also checked the people around him, and they still had some expectant looks in their eyes.

Even Nikita Trubetskoy, who had just joined the Guards, was Sergei's younger brother. He looked like a handsome officer, but that only applied to the Guards.

Prince Sergei was about to introduce the friends who had come today to Solovyov, who, sitting on the sofa, also wanted to take a look at these young people.

"Prince Yevgeny Obronsky".

His family was a branch of the Chernigov Principality, a noble family with a long history that can be traced back to before the Golden Horde.

"Sir, I regret that I was unable to participate in the war of 1812 because I was not old enough. I was in the reserve force in 1814."

"But there will be many more opportunities in the future. You're an artilleryman?"

"Yes, my lord."

"Artillerymen need to master more technology. Although I am an infantryman, I am good at math when it comes to studying artillery matters. The new type of exploding shells you are using have very poor fuse reliability. The formula should be changed."

Solovyov's focus on military equipment surprised the young prince.

“Reljev, Kondrati Fedorovich, you should know who I am.”

“I have read your poems. They should not just tell heroic stories, but should express emotions and resonate with people’s feelings. Besides, you are also a shareholder of the Russo-American Company, while the Emperor only holds 20 shares.”

Solovyov is still very concerned about the operation of the Russian-American company. He and his son currently own about 10 shares there, roughly the same as Ryliev's shares.

A wealthy young man also joined in, purely for the sake of his ideals.

"Of course, you have always had a great interest in the Americas."

Have you ever served in the military?

“I was also an artilleryman, but I was discharged after the war. My mother always needed someone to take care of her.”

How is your mother's health lately?

“At this time of year, she should go to the south for recuperation, but her health doesn’t support long-distance travel.”

"Then she should be well taken care of at home. Please give my regards to your mother."

"Thank you for your greetings, Mikhail Sergeyevich." "The Turgenev brothers, I think you, Count, should also know them."

"Yes, I agree with your proposal, but this requires a comprehensive plan, and you also served as the Emperor's secretary in the past."

"It's just that you've rarely appeared at court these past few years, Earl."

"Yes, your suggestion is gradual, but after farmers gain their freedom, they only have two good options: one is to own their own land, but such land is always hard to find. The other is to come to the city to find work. Our factories always need workers, and we must arrange for them properly and ensure their well-being, unlike the British."

"You have never been very friendly to the British."

“That’s because I’ve been to England, walked the streets of London, and seen the poor workers, whose plight was only slightly better than that of our serfs. And if you know, some people sleep on ropes, and unlike the worst-treated serfs, they don’t even have a straw mat. Sometimes you really don’t know what might happen. What if the peasants were like they were in the time of the late Emperor Pavel Petrovich? He worried that the peasants might rise up and become a significant force. What would happen then?”

"Your opinion is indeed very interesting. It's just that farmers have always lacked education."

"Therefore, before submitting a petition, we have to see if there are any literate priests or clerks in the village. The petitions we receive always reflect the situation of the nobility, but we rarely know the suffering of the peasants. Educating the peasants and reforming their thinking may be a long process, but education will always help them make some progress. The petty bourgeoisie and serfs are not unintelligent; they simply lack vision and education. Walking more and reading more will broaden their horizons. To prevent the people from blindly following, they must acquire knowledge and be reformed according to our wishes."

"Is it really possible to do this?"

“It can certainly be so. Even when our serfs are not free, and the French come and destroy our homes, they will eventually be able to take up arms. For those patriotic peasants, this is a well-deserved reward; they deserve a great deal.”

“I hope it is as you say, Mikhail Sergeyevich.”

"You even accompanied the Emperor to Tilsit, so you should know more about all this, shouldn't you?"

Trubetskoy then introduced some members of the Northern Association, including radicals like Bestuzhev who had not yet joined the association at this time.

These young people were willing to listen to what Solovyov had to say, but it did seem a bit strange that a general was always talking about economics.

“But you’re always thinking about the economics, Mikhail Sergeyevich.”

"Of course. How much land do we have to give a serf to gain freedom? And tools, horses, mules, and some poor people might only have donkeys, like in the Caucasus Mountains in the south. I saw the situation there last year when I crossed the Caucasus Mountains to Tbilisi Province. To be honest, the oppression of serfs in Georgia is not as severe as it is here. Some peasants who commit crimes are even helped by their lords. But here, since the time of the Empress, there have been many shocking cases of serf abuse, family separation, infringement of their rights, and even the killing of young women. How many times have these things happened? We must first legislate. If we can guarantee the rights of serfs and stipulate the obligations of people of all classes in Russia, that would be a good way."

"What about constitutional monarchy or republican system?"

"Is something like this about the Republic something that can be discussed in public?"

"But many of the members of the Southern Association had fought in France."

"Then the French had an emperor, who was my uncle, and the current little emperor is the emperor's nephew."

In a way, Solovyov was a relative of the royal family by accident, and Maria and Catherine even bore him children.
Following Ortenberg's example, Catherine secretly gave birth to a daughter named Isabel. She left the child in Little Trianon to be cared for, a fact unknown to outsiders and thus able to keep secret from many people.

Even Alexander, Napoleon, and Solovyov didn't know. Maria casually pulled Solovyov aside and told him which one was his child.

Speaking of which, Catherine's influence in France was quite formidable. Even though Catherine was the Regent, she was still leaning towards that woman, the Medici.

Solovyov himself was unaware of this; he was referring to things that were already public knowledge.

Meanwhile, in France...
"France is, as you all know, a conservative political system. Although its core has improved considerably compared to ours, the Prime Minister is Mr. Talleyrand. Those who have accompanied the Emperor to Erfurt, Vienna, and Paris know this 'two L's' (Talleyrand and Talleyrand). He acts solely in his own interests, with the interests of France secondary. He has many bargaining chips he's willing to sell for these. As for Catherine Pavlovna, I watched Her Highness grow up and know her likes and dislikes. She only didn't change those laws because of the French Emperor. The rest are just administrative officials and former generals. It's a miracle they can even maintain the achievements of the Revolution. If it were a republic, some might incite public opinion and cause terrible things to happen."

"You're going to bring up those stories of Greek philosophers again. I remember when you translated the works of classical Chinese philosophers, you mentioned the responsibilities of a monarch. Can we take those as your views?"

"If it's just the views of philosophers from the East and the West, that's probably not enough. If we progress enough in the future and the people are clear-headed, perhaps we can try a republic. But once there are votes, do you know the situation with the British? Right now, their votes are distributed unfairly, a point I should have published in the newspapers in one of my open letters to the Emperor."

“We’ve read that article; the constituency is for those noble gentlemen.”

"Yes, even with a constitution, it probably wouldn't be very effective. Also, everyone should remember that in these voting countries, the division of electoral districts serves the interests of the rulers. His Majesty is worried that some scoundrel politicians will incite the people, which is why he wants to convene the State Duma. However, he needs to study this carefully, especially since the timing is not right now."

Solovyov was very cautious; he knew there would definitely be spies in public.

Of course, it doesn't matter what they say.

Miloradovich once said to Trubetskoy while riding a horse, "In Freemasonry, people talk a lot, but all they can do is shout."

It's worth noting that joining various Freemasons was quite fashionable in Russia. Laws prohibiting secret societies existed, but Alexander turned a blind eye and was very lenient in his restrictions on them.

However, when it comes to practice, many people are just wasting their time.

Solovyov is someone who prefers action to talk, and people generally believe that he is capable of doing things himself.

Therefore, the Northern Association invited him, but he has always said that the timing was not right and that there were considerable risks involved.

This is a well-intentioned warning, and also intended for those with ulterior motives.

Balasov had only managed to bring down Speransky before, and he had no way to deal with Solovyov, who had a distinguished military record and had long held real power.

Solovyov is almost completely silent when it comes to public opinion.

But now he has spoken, expressing agreement with those fashionable and radical views, but also stating that the timing is not right and that Russia's current environment is not suitable, before giving his own opinion.

Even if there were weaknesses, they couldn't be exploited. After all, Solovyov knew all about the problems in Britain, France, and the United States, and his assessments were flawless. (End of Chapter)