Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Solovyov's mind is filled with many specialized thoughts. Now 47 years old and having experienced more than 30 years of military career, some of his memories have begun to fade.

However, he still remembered the Iranian embassy crisis, which caused a huge uproar, and Carter's operation failed, ending in an embarrassing situation.

Because of this, even though he didn't know that Griboyedov's trip to Persia was fraught with danger, it would be strange if something didn't happen at the embassy in Tehran.

Therefore, he was busy sending an urgent letter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and informing Greg and Paskovich that they must consider more issues.

I believe that after they see the letter, they will understand the current dire situation and make some preparations in advance.

Especially Greg, if he were to wage war in Persia, although the Black Sea Fleet would not be able to play its full role as it did against the Ottoman Empire, eliminating a series of Turkish strongholds.

On the Persian side, they could act as transport teams, quickly transporting troops and supplies to Georgia. If the entire Black Sea Fleet were mobilized, it could quickly transport three armies there, first assembling in Tbilisi, and then heading to Yerevan. Much of Armenia's core territory was ceded to Russia during this war.

Although the Persian Shahs were defeated and the Ottoman Empire was too terrifying, Russia quickly gained control of the country, but they were still unwilling to accept defeat.

Even raising reparations is now difficult, a fact that Griboyedov, as the ambassador to Tehran, has witnessed firsthand.

Because the Russian army still controlled some relatively economically developed areas of the Persian Empire, the Persian side faced difficulties in raising funds.

It's no secret that even within the Shah's own palace, jewelry is being sold off or used to settle debts.

Among the treasures Nader Shah plundered from India were some priceless jewels, but to this day, the Shah has been unwilling to make large-scale use of this treasury.

It's worth noting that there's an 88-carat diamond inside. This diamond is priceless. Although it's not the largest, it's one of the highest quality diamonds that has been produced, and its estimated value is even higher than other diamonds of the same weight.

Griboyedov was unaware that Solovyov despised diamonds and similar jewelry. Of course, the latter had nothing to do with this matter; diamonds probably had no value in excess. It was purely a case of unscrupulous jewelers in Antwerp hyping things up.

Solovyov always prepared rubies, sapphires, and emeralds for his wife and daughters.
In short, these are the jewels; Solovyov didn't like diamonds.

But this thing was surprisingly effective at settling debts. Seeing the sale of jewelry and the act of settling debts, Griboyedov also suggested in diplomatic letters that the Russian army retreat to a place closer to the new border, so that the Persian side could reclaim those cities with relatively high taxes, which would also make it easier to raise war reparations.

And by changing the original strategy, we can collect physical goods, even this year's grain and various supplies, which will also help us raise funds quickly.

Griboyedov's ideas were even considered from the Persian perspective.

It was not for any other reason than that the Shah of Persia was currently facing financial difficulties. Years of war, coupled with natural disasters, man-made calamities, and various other problems meant that few of the nobles were willing to contribute money. Therefore, the Shah and the Crown Prince had no choice but to step in and raise funds.

The ambassador's letters were all diplomatic correspondence, so the Shah was not very clear about them. However, based on Griboyedov's hints during his several meetings with the Grand Vizier, Russia was considering replacing cash with goods, which would be good for Persia.

If it's enough to settle a debt, the Russians are usually quite easygoing; they'll probably just make do with whatever amount is available.

The problem is that the Persians are currently very poorly organized; they can't think of these things.

Griboyedov was also helpless. After discussing with his subordinates, he also decided to take the approach of diplomatic mediation.

He wrote to the Shah, indicating that there would be some troop movements on the Russian side, leaving central Azerbaijan and returning to Ganja (Elizabethville) and Baku, which were now under Russian control. The Georgian troops would also return to Yerevan, and the Persian side could use the relatively wealthy cities in the northwest to raise funds.

But the message went unanswered. Although the British tried to mediate, progress was slow.

What troubled Griboyedov next was the constant stream of Armenians seeking asylum; many did so as soon as he arrived in Tehran.

It wasn't for any other reason than that the Persian Empire during that era expelled many Armenians, though not as cruelly as later figures like Enver Pasha.

Some Armenians who do not convert will have their property confiscated and their land seized. Those places may be given to subjects more loyal to the Shah, or nationalized.

In this context, it is not surprising that Armenians come seeking asylum.

This time, however, it was the Grand Eunuch Mirza Yakubu who came.
He arrived at the embassy with his personal belongings and sought asylum from the ambassador.

Griboyedov's current predicament is that if he doesn't provide asylum to this person, his promises to the Armenians will become meaningless.

But he was a close confidant of the Shah, subordinate to another Armenian eunuch, Manucher Khan.

Solomon Melkov, Manucherhan’s nephew, was working as a civil servant at the embassy in Tehran. He was there to visit his grandmother in Tehran and also to assist Griboyedov.

What should we do?

“Sir, if you take him in, please read the letter my uncle wrote from the palace.”

Griboyedov understood some Armenian and knew what Manucher Khan meant; he was speaking on behalf of Shah.

But he was clever; he wrote one letter to the embassy and another to his nephew.

In a letter to the embassy, ​​the Shah expressed his dissatisfaction and hoped that Griboyedov would hand over the man, promising that the Shah would be magnanimous and pardon the fugitive.

The private letters contained other matters, even some important intelligence, which were only to be known by Griboyedov and Melkov, and were to be burned after reading.

This later became an open secret, because Mirza Yaqub was the eunuch in charge of the court's finances and he was very knowledgeable about Persia's financial situation.

But Manucher Khan was clearly more authoritative; he knew everything that happened in the palace.

The fact that Mirza Yaqub fled is not even a big deal, because the Shah's predicament is not only a secret in Tabriz and Tehran, but even Paskovic knows about it, only the exact number is unknown.

But this was a matter of the Shah's own face, and Griboyedov was well aware of that.

However, because of the promises made by Russia, he could not abandon an Armenian seeking asylum; he had already rejected petitions from others.

If even such an important figure cannot be protected, then that is an even bigger problem.

Fortunately, both sides remained calm, and Griboyedov stated that the chief eunuch would remain at the Tehran embassy as a guest and would not leave.

Seeing this situation, the Shah didn't dwell on it. After all, Mirza Yaqub couldn't leave the Russian embassy, ​​as leaving would only mean arrest. Moreover, Griboyedov's assurances and his attitude that the war reparations from the Persian side could be postponed were eventually understood by the Shah, and a tacit agreement was reached.

That alone might be enough to fool people.

After all, although the Shah was fickle, he knew that the Russians were very strong and he couldn't afford to offend them.

The British even tried to smooth things over by speaking kindly to ease the awkward atmosphere between the two sides.

In Tehran, the Shah's ministers and the Russian ambassador were willing to have intermediaries mediate. However, subsequent events led to the complete loss of control of the situation in Tehran.

Those were two women from the former Grand Vizier's harem who had run away from this important man's home to the embassy.

This Alahar Khan is a staunch opponent of Russia, and he was naturally furious when his woman went to the Russian embassy in Tehran.

So he gathered some people and staged a demonstration outside the embassy.

Griboyedov had no intention of releasing the two women and returning them to the former Grand Vizier; the embassy had an obligation to provide asylum.

However, he also stated that both women would be safe under his protection.

The disagreement between the two sides began here.

Alahar Khan consulted with the religious leader and then increased the number of people outside the embassy, ​​attempting to use the demonstration to force the Russians to release the prisoners.

However, Griboyedov did not intend to do that.

At this point, the two sides were locked in a standoff, and Griboyedov could see that there were people everywhere outside.

However, he has no intention of backing down and will fulfill his duties as ambassador.

At this time, he wrote to the Shah himself, stating that the Russian embassy was under threat and that he was no longer able to fulfill his duties as ambassador to the host country, and hoped that the Shah could intervene.

However, Shah is currently in Tabriz, not Tehran.

Things were quickly spiraling out of control, and even if Manucher Khan could exert influence around the Shah, it would be futile.

Neither St. Petersburg nor Moscow are too far from Tehran. Not long ago, Nikolai's sister-in-law passed away, followed by the death of Empress Maria Theresa. Russia has been busy with funeral arrangements.

The instructions from Nikolai and Nesherrodi will take a while to reach Tehran. If there were a telegram now, there might still be hope.

Unfortunately, the necessary technology was not yet complete. The Ohmian had just arrived at the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg and obtained a teaching position at the Tsarskoye Selo Lyceum.

The delay in the news put increasing pressure on the embassy in Tehran.

Griboyedov realized that he was in big trouble.

But he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue to fulfill his duties as ambassador.

It wasn't until outside the embassy that a gunshot was heard.

Later generations couldn't say for sure who fired the shot. Some said it was an Armenian guard at the Russian embassy, ​​but considering that tens of thousands of people had been mobilized outside, while the Russians inside the embassy numbered just over forty, it was clearly suicidal.

Solovyov later learned of this, but he didn't think it was the problem with Griboyedov, who was always calm and collected.

But then tragedy struck: the Persians outside began storming the Russian embassy, ​​and battle ensued.

The doors and windows were smashed, and these people rushed in. There were 40 people against 10 people. The disparity was too great.

All the living people seen inside the embassy were brutally murdered, and Griboyedov was still trying to command the dozen or so Cossacks around him to resist.

But it was all in vain; everyone died, except for the embassy secretary, Marzov, who managed to hide in a corner.

The brutality of the scene was shocking. Griboyedov continued to resist with a pistol until the very end, when he was finally stabbed to death with a spear.

He was the last to fall; all the Armenians who had pleaded for asylum before him had been killed.

Mirza Yaqub was even beheaded and his head was displayed on a spear.

The rest of the people inside the embassy also died horribly.

According to a unique mechanism in the Middle East, the bodies of those who are killed are dragged into the streets.

Griboyedov's body was further desecrated and torn to pieces.

When the people who came to collect the body arrived, they were only able to piece the body back together by using his wedding ring, the wounds he had sustained in a duel ten years earlier, and pieces of his clothing.

Poor Griboyedov, just a few days earlier he had written to his wife saying that she must come to see the baby when it was born.

Besides that, Pushkin, who had been on a diplomatic mission to Beijing, returned. He had a good relationship with Griboyedov, and the great poet was preparing to visit Nina in Tbilisi, and perhaps he would also visit his old friend in Tehran in the future.

But Griboyedov's tragic death made all of that impossible.

When they received the devastating news, everyone had to keep it a secret from Nina.

But Lisa knew that her father would definitely find out.

She and Nina were close friends. Because she was a few years older, she naturally took care of Nina's daily life as if she were her older sister.

She reassured Nina that no news meant everything was fine, because Tehran was all mountainous terrain, making travel difficult. Even if private mail could reach Tbilisi, safety along the way had to be considered, so messengers wouldn't travel too fast.

As for the letter to her father, she was utterly shocked by this barbaric act.

Having grown up with her mother, Lisa, despite always being a "black-hearted cotton" (a derogatory term for a woman), lived in a peaceful environment like St. Petersburg. Even the "Chechen bandits" she met in the Caucasus greatly admired her father and did not cause trouble in the Caucasus.

However, at this time, such a horrific and bloody event occurred: her best friend's husband was brutally murdered just a few months after their marriage.

Especially Mr. Griboyedov, who was a diplomat and writer whom my father had high hopes for.

All of this was so shocking that Lisa even temporarily left Nina because of this, using the excuse of visiting her husband at the garrison in Gori, and found Zaza Dzhugashvili there.

The old shepherd and coachman, with his long beard, was a straightforward and honest man. Lisa had some impression of him because he had helped her at the wedding, and he was one of the few people she could trust at the time.

"Please give this letter to my father so he knows what happened."

"Don't worry, Miss, I'll deliver the letter to the master." (End of Chapter)