Struggle in Russia

The autumn of 1855 passed in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, there was only one tail left. ..

For the Russians, this year was no different from previous years, monotonous and lacking in variety.

If there was anything worth mentioning, it would probably be the coronation of Alexander II.

But if you insist that this is worth writing about, I'm afraid it's not. At most, it just gives the villagers a little more to talk about after dinner.

Regarding the new tsar, most of the Russian people or serfs watched with caution. Everyone just hoped that the supreme leader would stop torturing him, and it would be best to let them take a breather.

“It’s still more comfortable in Gatchina!”

Alexander II took a deep breath. The fresh air in the countryside had a unique fragrance that made him feel refreshed. Looking at the blue and sky-green forest, I felt that my whole body suddenly became energetic.

In addition to the guards and military attachés surrounding the tsar, naturally there were also several of his confidants. For example, Pobedonostsev, Count Rostovtsev, Duke Dolgoruki, and the intangible cultural heritage left to him by Nicholas I, Peter Andreevich Kleinmicher. count.

To be honest, as Nicholas I's auxiliary military attache, it is a bit strange that this army lieutenant general can still stay in the palace.

It stands to reason that as an emperor and a courtier, this count with mediocre abilities and nothing but a noteworthy relationship with Nicholas I could still gain the trust of the new tsar. This is beyond the imagination of many people.

Now Count Kleinmicher actually continues to serve as the military attache of Alexander II and the chief of the tsar's bodyguard.

These two positions are not prestigious, but they are very critical. Generally, they can only be held by the people whom the tsar trusts most. But in terms of connections and abilities, Count Kleinmicher should not be included in this list. Even Pobedonostsev and others were a little surprised. How could this person win the favor of Alexander II? ?

Only Count Kleinmicher himself knew that the reason for his favor was very simple, because of his good relationship with Nicholas I. Before his death, the former tsar made a special request to Alexander II to entrust him with full responsibility for the security of the Winter Palace and the tsar.

Nicholas I also specially warned: "Alexander, I hope you will always remember one thing, Peter Andilevich will never betray you, no matter how mediocre or eye-catching you think he is, but when you find another Never transfer him before someone like him, or you will have no peace! Always remember my words!"

Alexander II did not take this seriously at first. The reason why he continued to appoint Count Kleinmicher was because he could not find a replacement for the time being. But after experiencing some things, he found that Nicholas I was right. People around him still had to use the most reliable ones, otherwise he would not even be able to sleep well!

So even if he still doesn't like Count Kleinmicher very much, he still lets him be responsible for security. Just like Nicholas I said, Count Kleinmicher will stay until he finds someone more reliable than him. .

Count Kleinmicher was actually eager to leave the Winter Palace as soon as possible, because there was no one he could care about in this cold palace. His good friend Nicholas I died, and his confidante Neridova finally regained her freedom. body, isn't this the time for them to stay and enjoy life together?

He would rather leave St. Petersburg, leave Russia, and start a new life in France or a completely new place, rather than continue to stay in this terrible palace that can devour people.

Unfortunately, his ambition was completely crushed by Nicholas I, and he had to stay here and endure all kinds of intrigues and intrigues.

"Earl, you seem to be in a bad mood?"

Count Kleinmicher raised his head and glanced at Count Rostovtsev, the expression on his face became more and more complicated.

He knew how powerful and difficult Count Rostovtsev was. He could be said to be one of the most difficult people to deal with in the court.

If he could, he would walk around this person, but unfortunately he couldn't. He could only laugh and said: "No, I'm just a little tired!"

After saying this, he kept his mouth shut and hoped that Count Rostovtsev would find it boring and go away on his own.

However, Count Rostovtsev did not accept his words at all and had no intention of leaving. He said with a smile: "Is it because of Ms. Nelidova? I heard that she has been very active recently and attended dances everywhere. And Sharon?”

Count Kleinmicher looked at Count Rostovtsev suspiciously. He knew very well that this man was a master who never saw rabbits and never let go of hawks. It was impossible for him to talk about Neridova without any reason. Since he mentioned it, there must be a reason.

Suddenly he asked nervously: "What do you want to do? She has left the palace and has nothing to do with this place!"

Count Rostovtsev smiled slightly and said: "Really? But why did I hear that she had some conflicts with the Queen Mother?"

Count Kleinmicher suddenly fell silent. Even though the Queen Mother Alexandra seemed to be very generous when Nicholas I was alive, she didn't care how many confidantes her husband had. But after Nicholas I died, her long-suppressed emotions exploded.

All the ladies who had been close to Nicholas I before were made things difficult for her, ranging from being humiliated to being ruined.

This is very scary. Unfortunately, Neridova happens to be one of the women that the Empress Dowager Alexandra hates the most. Although Neridova was smart enough, as soon as Nicholas I died, she quickly donated a huge fortune of 300,000 rubles to please the Empress Dowager Alexandra. It was considered a temporary escape.

It's just that recently, after the Queen Mother Alexandra dealt with the other vixens who were not very interested, she somehow thought of Neridova again. She would talk about her from time to time, and even invited her several times. I went to the Winter Palace to sit for a while.

The question is, is the Winter Palace so easy to sit in?

Every time Neridova was called over, even if she handled it carefully, she would inevitably suffer some hidden losses. Anyway, it’s a lot of trouble.

What's worse is that she has to go. A former female official in the same situation was humiliated several times and then refused to go to the Winter Palace and then suffered bad luck. It was obvious that the Queen Mother Alexandra wanted to torture them slowly. Anyone who dared not come would be slapped to death.

So Huneridova could only cope with it, and she was exhausted physically and mentally from the torment, which even made Count Kleinmicher worried. He wanted to ask Queen Alexandra for help and put in a good word, but he couldn't. Knowing how to speak, it might be counterproductive. Now that Count Rostovtsev suddenly mentioned this matter, it naturally made him extremely vigilant!