Struggle in Russia

This move was also damaging enough. After Count Uvarov found that he couldn't defeat Count Rostovtsev head-on, he decided to play rogue. Even if he failed in the end to disrupt the purchase of Alaska, he still wanted to damage Count Rostovtsev's reputation, and it would be best to make Nicholas I doubt his financial resources.

Will this work?

In theory, it is useful. After all, 1 million rubles is not a small number. 99% of Russian nobles cannot afford it. But you, Count Rostovtsev, are good at spending millions of dollars in an understatement. Unless all your money is blown by the strong wind, do you dare to say that there is nothing fishy?

It's just that theory is always theory, after all, it is different from reality. Because before Count Uvarov could start spreading the rumors, he and Chernyshov were the first to get slapped.

Rumors about him began to spread among the large and small aristocratic circles in St. Petersburg. They said nothing more than how stingy and stingy he was, and how he didn't give up even a cent at a time of national crisis. He was simply unworthy of a man.

He even said that he would not hesitate to instruct the finance minister to sell the land to the Americans at a low price without paying for it, because the Americans gave him a large amount of kickbacks!

Well, Count Uvarov exploded immediately. He had never suffered such a loss. Yes, he had nothing to lose, but he had never reached a private deal with the Americans, let alone received a dime in kickbacks from the Americans.

Isn't this a shit basin put on his head?

Count Uvarov's rhythm was suddenly disrupted. He did not care about spreading rumors to slander Count Rostovtsev. He first had to find a way to clear his name. I was a little bit exhausted.

"This is a great idea, but how did you know that Count Uvarov was trying to spread rumors to slander you?" Nikolai Milyutin asked curiously.

Count Rostovtsev smiled slightly and said: "I have watched Sergey Semyonovich's tricks for more than 20 years. If I still don't understand, it is really in vain. He just has such a set of tricks, or he is trying to occupy morality. I'll attack you from the high ground, or I'll slander you, that's all!"

After a pause, he added: "If you don't want to be led by him, then you have to be the first to treat him in his own way!"

Nikolai Milyutin blinked and secretly took note of Count Rostovtsev's words. In the future, if he bumped into Count Uvarov head-on, he would just follow the example and avoid suffering the consequences of that guy.

"It's just..." Nikolai Milyutin hesitated for a moment and then asked: "It's just that rumors of this level can't do anything to him. Once he reacts, he will still make tricks to continue to slander you, right?"

Count Rostovtsev smiled and said: "Sure, this will restrain him for a while at most. His brain will react quickly and he will definitely fight back. But, who told you that these are the only ways I can do it?"

Nikolai Milyutin quickly asked: "Do you have any other ideas?"

Count Rostovtsev gave him a meaningful look and said, "Of course, have you agreed with the people I asked you to contact?"

Nikolai Milyutin nodded and said: "It's settled. Duke Ordorf and the others are very satisfied with your plan and can't wait to develop those treasures!"

Count Rostovtsev hummed, and suddenly said: "This is not my plan, but the Grand Duke's plan. All of this is his plan, and I am just helping him a little bit!"

Nikolai Milyutin snorted, stared at Count Rostovtsev in amazement, and said in astonishment: "You mean all this is what Grand Duke Andrei meant? As far as I know, he has been Are they all in Wallachia? When did he start paying attention to that barren land in Alaska?"

Count Rostovtsev didn’t know the answer either. When someone told him about the plan at first, he thought someone was crazy. Who among the smart people in St. Petersburg would spend such a high price to buy a piece of barren land?

Until someone told him there was a gold mine in the Nome area of ​​Alaska, and suddenly the situation was completely different.

Count Rostovtsev knew very well how attractive gold was. Even in the Gobi Desert, as long as there was gold, the greedy nobles of St. Petersburg would regard it as a treasure. Not to mention that Alaska is not the desert next door. Although it is indeed a bit desolate, it is definitely more valuable than the Gobi Desert.

Count Rostovtsev believed that as long as the news spread in St. Petersburg, not to mention 10 million US dollars, 20 million or even 30 million US dollars would not be able to stop the nobles' desire for gold.

Of course, the premise is that someone's intelligence is accurate. There must be gold in Alaska, and it is best to have evidence.

Does Li Xiao have evidence?

Of course, there is. After inheriting the property of Cheap Daddy, he specially hired a professional prospecting team from Switzerland to go to the Nome area of ​​Alaska in later generations. After more than two years of arduous exploration, there is ample evidence to prove that there is indeed a gold mine there!

This naturally surprised Count Rostovtsev, because who would be crazy to spend so much money to explore a barren land. Normal people wouldn't do this, okay?

But someone did exactly that and actually found gold. He didn't know whether to say that someone was lucky or just unlucky.

But he was very surprised by Li Xiao's choice, because according to Li Xiao's intention, he needed to show these evidences to those neutral or liberal nobles worth winning over, and then take them to mine gold and make a fortune together.

To be honest, if it were Count Rostovtsev when he was young, he probably would not be as generous as Li Xiao and would not share the wealth with others. He might try his best to get the gold mine and then eat it all by himself.

So he was very curious about why Li Xiao was so generous. Li Xiao's answer was: "Compared to gold, connections are obviously more valuable. What's more, if you want to mine gold mines in Alaska, which is close to the wilderness, it requires huge investment. Even if I try to eat alone, I will choke to death!"

This answer made Count Rostovtsev appreciate Li Xiao even more. Only superficial young people will look at money in everything, but people who really want to do big things will know how important connections are. Gold is certainly valuable, but compared to the friendship of Duke Ordorf and others, it is nothing.

And this is also the key reason why Count Rostovtsev is willing to take action on the Alaska issue. If Li Xiao was just after the gold, he really would not risk falling out with Count Uvarov and confront him.

Even gold is not worth it to him, but if he can win over and unite a large number of people, or even take this opportunity to make these people stand against Count Uvarov, then Count Rostovtsev will be very I am willing...