Struggle in Russia

Nicholas I died, Alexander II was confused, and Russia fell into an inexplicable and strange atmosphere.

panic?

It seems there is, but it seems there isn't.

sad?

Some people may be sad, but most people are content with it.

If you want to accurately explain the mood of the Russians at this moment, I am afraid it cannot be expressed clearly in a few words.

But one thing is for sure, that is, everyone is waiting to see where Russia will go.

The most active and anxious among them is undoubtedly a small group headed by Count Uvarov, well, strictly speaking it should be a large group of people.

This group of people was the most unprepared for the death of Nicholas I, and they were also the most panicked. Because they had invested so much in Nicholas I, they could not accept Nicholas I dying like this, whether emotionally or in terms of vital interests.

"Your Highness...what did your Majesty say?" Count Uvarov asked old Adlerberg anxiously.

From his words, it is not difficult to see that he is also adapting to the era. He always involuntarily wants to call Alexander II His Highness.

If the old Adlerberg's status was very embarrassing during the previous period, and he had little sense of presence and voice in the conservative group, then his status has skyrocketed now. The reason is simple. As the person closest to the Winter Palace and Alexander II and the Empress Alexandra, he is now the eyes and ears of the conservatives.

What he saw and heard could help Count Uvarov and others figure out what Alexander II was thinking and what he liked, which was really important to conservatives.

Old Adlerberg replied cautiously: "His Majesty is immersed in grief and is temporarily busy with funeral matters, so he doesn't say much..."

The funeral of Nicholas I is definitely a top priority, but it is by no means the main concern of Count Uvarov. Alexander II may first reveal his strategy for governing the country at the funeral, or he may not.

What's more, it was too late to know Alexander II's policy of governing the country in that kind of public place, at least it was too late for a conservative boss like him.

After all, once Alexander II expressed his attitude, as a minister, he would either follow up or oppose, and he would immediately take sides.

But what if he doesn't like Alexander II's strategy or is even dissatisfied?

Especially in the current environment, because of the disastrous defeat on the front line,

Reflection on the past and review of failures have become central to Russian politics.

Judging from the public opinion on a large scale, it is quite unfriendly to conservatives. Anyone with a little bit of common sense and knowledge feels that Russia needs to make changes.

But as a conservative boss, what he hates most is making changes. Once he wants to change, it will be a knife to their vested interests. How can he bear this?

"Your Majesty has no expression?" Count Uvarov asked persistently.

"No," Old Adlerberg shook his head, "His Majesty spends most of his time shutting himself up in the royal study or prayer room. Only the Empress Dowager and the Empress can see him."

Count Uvarov frowned. Alexander II's performance was a bit beyond his expectation, because he felt that with Alexander II's character, it was impossible for him not to do something in the current critical environment, at least to do something. Frequently convene meetings with trusted ministers.

But old Adlerberg actually said that he only saw the Queen Mother and the Empress most of the time. What the hell is this?

He asked reluctantly: "Is there no one else?"

Old Adlerberg thought for a while and replied: "I have met Grand Duchess Elena a few times. As you know, the Grand Duchess and the Queen have a close relationship..."

Count Uvarov frowned in dissatisfaction. Among the names he hated most in Russia was the Grand Duchess Elena. That person is also a die-hard supporter of reform, so naturally he is at odds with him.

When Nicholas I was still alive, the Grand Duchess always caused trouble for him. Now that Nicholas I has just passed away, she is eager to be by the queen's side. Is she preparing to blow the pillow?

This possibility had to be guarded against, but just as he was about to say something, he suddenly realized that there was no particularly good way for the time being. After all, Alexander II doesn't see foreign ministers at all now. He has tried to lobby the tsar several times, but he has not responded at all.

But Grand Duchess Elena is different. She is both Asia and

Alexander II's family had a good relationship with the empress, so they naturally had an excuse to hang around the Winter Palace and Alexander II.

Count Uvarov really had no choice but to be itching with hatred. He could only say to old Adlerberg: "I asked you to contact Baroness Saripova. Have you done it?"

Baroness Saripova is Alexander II's confidante and has been very popular with him recently. Count Uvarov's intention is very clear. He also wants to take the lady route and find ways to give Alexander II a good reputation. Blowing pillow wind, Alexander II must not be led away by the nose by Grand Duchess Elena.

Old Adlerberg's ability in this regard was beyond reproach. Of course he contacted Baroness Saripova and the price had already been negotiated. But there was only one problem, the baroness had no way of entering the Winter Palace. After all, she was not a female official or maid in the Winter Palace, so she was not qualified to be close to the Winter Palace, let alone Alexander II.

Actually, even if Saripova can get close to Alexander

The second term is of little significance, because the situation in the Winter Palace is actually completely different from what Count Uvarov had guessed. Although Alexander II was relatively sad about his father's death, he was not sad enough to ignore national affairs at all. There was only one reason why he did not receive his ministers - he had not yet figured out how to face these ministers.

Or maybe he hasn't figured out how to face this mess yet!

The situation before Alexander II was quite difficult. There was no hope in the war. How to end it properly was definitely a big problem.

It is absolutely impossible and undesirable to surrender directly. Even if you think about it with your buttocks, you can know that this will cause an uproar and may shake the foundation of rule.

However, there was no hope of continuing the fight without surrender, and neither the economy nor international relations allowed Alexander II to be as willful as his father.

How to properly find a staircase to go down was the first thing Alexander II had to do.

Secondly, he also saw that the reason why Russia lost this time was due to a lot of problems in all aspects. Domestic conflicts were already showing signs of breaking out. How to deal with this end was a big problem! To be honest, he had no confidence at all!

Alexander II had never been a strong-willed person. Compared with his father's decisiveness and neatness, he was capricious and procrastinating on many things. It was always difficult for him to make up his mind and stick to the end.

For example, when he was traveling around Europe when he was just an adult, he suddenly fell in love with Queen Victoria. He was very fond of the future Queen of England and even wrote to Nicholas I expressing his feelings for the queen. love.

But he was soon beaten by Nicholas I, because Nicholas I would never allow his eldest son to go to England to become a royal husband.

Faced with his stubborn father, Alexander II quickly backed down and honestly went to marry a German bride as his crown prince.

Although this is a trivial matter, it is enough to illustrate his character.

Ever since he was young, he has always been ambiguous and always wavering in his stance. It is difficult to say whether it is a good thing or a bad thing for such a person to be the tsar in charge of Russia.

The good thing is that he will not be as controlling as Nicholas I, always trying to dominate the entire country by himself. It is possible that he can listen and modernize the conservative and barbaric Russia a little bit.

But the bad thing is that as long as he encounters problems and troubles, he may waver and give up his ideas and persistence. Moreover, he is prone to "soft ears" and will scratch his head and beard for good and bad opinions.

This makes his governance a mixed bag, which makes people feel mixed.

But at the moment when Nicholas I died, Alexander II's indecision turned out to be an advantage.

At this moment, Russia is sitting on the crater of a volcano, and any drastic action may cause this country to be completely destroyed by a ground plane.

Whether Alexander II advocates reform or conservatism, if he makes his attitude clear as soon as he comes to power, it is likely to light the fuse, causing reformers and conservatives to merge, and plunge the entire country into turmoil.

"Sasha, I think the most important thing for you right now is to stay calm and maintain stability. Don't do anything else, otherwise the consequences will be disastrous!"

In the imperial study, Grand Duchess Elena faced the frowning Alexander II and expressed her opinions bluntly.

To be honest, her statement surprised Alexander II because he had always known that this aunt was a staunch reformer and had been running around and shouting for reform. He originally thought that Grand Duchess Elena would be firm. He was asked to start reforms immediately!

"I remember," Alexander II asked in confusion, "I remember that you have always supported reform, right?"

Elena forced a smile and replied: "I do support reform. To this day, I still think that the only way out for Russia is reform, but..."

"but what?"

"But supporting reform does not mean that I think reform should be started immediately!" Grand Duchess Elena replied.

Alexander II blinked, he could not understand Grand Duchess Elena's words more and more.

"Reform also depends on timing," Grand Duchess Elena replied, "and now is undoubtedly the worst time. We are facing huge difficulties both internally and externally. At this time, we must be cautious and maintain stability first. , hastily starting reforms will not only bring no good results, but may intensify the problem and make our situation even more difficult!"

Alexander II understood now. To be honest, Grand Duchess Elena's knowledge far exceeded his expectations. He began to re-examine his aunt and found that this woman was much wiser than he imagined.

To be honest, Alexander II was actually not clean when he was hiding in the Winter Palace these days. The conservative forces that supported reform always tried their best to infiltrate into the Winter Palace, constantly trying to lobby and test his attitude. pinterest

These guys always muttered in his ears in a roundabout way: "Reform! Reform quickly!" or "No reform! Reform is a dead end!"

He was almost driven crazy by these chattering noises. These guys always forced him to express his attitude immediately and always tried to put him on fire. This was especially the case with relatives and friends who were once very close to him. This made him very tired!

But Grand Duchess Elena did not do this. She very considerately stood in his perspective and helped him think about countermeasures. She was unbiased and completely based on the facts, and she was completely considerate of him. This is really rare!

Alexander II felt tears in his eyes

The water was swirling, and he was really moved. Apart from his Queen Maria, Elena was probably the second relative who was so kind to him!

"Thank you for your advice, it is very important to me... At this difficult time, you made me feel a rare sense of family affection, which is so precious to me!"

When she walked out of the Winter Palace, Grand Duchess Elena let out a long sigh and said to Nikolay Milyutin in the carriage: "Sure enough, it is exactly what the count expected. He does not want to reform immediately..."

Nikolay Milyutin's face also collapsed, because he once still had hope for Alexander II's sway. He believed that the reason why Alexander II swayed was that he had realized the necessity of reform. As long as he actively If you work hard, it may be possible to kick off the reform process.

But now, this hope has been shattered. Alexander II's attitude is to maintain the status quo, and maintaining the status quo is tantamount to no reform. uuread a book

Even if Grand Duchess Elena said that Alexander II might support reforms in the future, who can say for sure what will happen in the future? It is very likely that he will not

It's just perfunctory.

"This is not good news," Nikolai Milyutin said with a solemn face, "But the count makes us wait again, why are we waiting!"

Grand Duchess Elena sighed and said: "The Earl should have the Earl's consideration. Since he has already guessed His Majesty's thoughts, there will definitely be targeted arrangements. He cannot let this opportunity pass by!"

Nikolai Milyutin also sighed, and now he can only think like this, but he still doesn't understand why Count Rostovtsev can stay calm so much. He would have exploded a long time ago!

Some people can hold their breath, but others cannot. While Count Rostovtsev was calmly waiting for the opportunity, Count Uvarov could no longer bear it. He asked old Adlerberg to help him contact Alex. Queen Mother Sandra, he was going to work hard on this Queen Mother to open a breakthrough.

"Count Uvarov?" Queen Mother Alexandra didn't expect Count Uvarov to come to him. She didn't even understand why the count came to her, but seeing that the other party was an important minister of the country and old Ade For the sake of Lebesgue, she agreed unconventionally: "Then please invite the count in!"