Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The white wine at Chavchavadze's house was quite good. Solovyov rarely drank alcohol, but he was willing to have a little of this good-tasting wine.

Zaza over there was already drinking freely. Whether in Russia or Georgia, the host always treats the guests with great hospitality.

If you bring Tatars here, they should get used to it, because it's an extension of the customs of the steppe.

Even those from Western Europe who came with prejudice had to admit that, as long as they didn't encounter thieves or bandits, Russians, from nobles to serfs, were generally quite warm and hospitable.

The prince himself had no objection to the serfs and soldiers drinking incessantly, and even prepared extra snacks for them to accompany the drinks.

"Your wine is very good. I hardly drink alcohol, but I've already had two glasses."

"This white wine is good for your health."

Even in Georgia, Chavchavadze's descendants eventually lost the estate due to debt. Later, when it became state-owned during the Soviet era, it remained an important brand and a source of local revenue.

"The wines from your estate are not as good as the wines I've had before, except for those from France and Italy. Of course, if it's for disease, you should try mixing some 'Bordeaux liquid,' which can be disinfected with copper."

"Does it really work?"

"Of course it works."

"But what is 'Bordeaux liquid'?"

The prince himself did not ask any questions; it was her eldest daughter, Nina, who spoke. Solovyov could tell from the child that she was a beauty in the making. Her second son was about the same age as her, and it would be wonderful to bring her home as a daughter-in-law in the future.

Of course, he wouldn't voice this thought; the child's mother was a Georgian princess, and both parents were of very high lineage.

The key is to answer the child's questions and always explain things clearly to her big, bright eyes.

“Nina, you’ve asked a good question. What is Bordeaux mixture? It’s a mixture of copper sulfate and quicklime that can be used to treat diseases, especially in vineyards.”

Solovyov himself was unaware that the "Bordeaux mixture" he mentioned had not yet appeared at that time; it could be called "Solovyov's liquid."

"I know what lime is, but what about copper sulfate?"

"Nina!"

“Your Highness, it’s good that the child is interested in asking questions. It’s also not a bad thing for a girl to be knowledgeable. She will always be of benefit when she teaches her younger siblings and her own children in the future.”

“Mikhail Sergeyevich, you are right. We all know that you are a soldier, but you are very knowledgeable and good at educating children, especially guiding their interests. For example, it was you who supervised His Highness Nikolai Petrovich’s studies.”

Solovyov, despite the prince's academic failure, managed to transform him into a reasonably capable scholar through a study plan and "secret exams," a feat that is quite famous even in the Caucasus.

Not to mention the female college student who is also a university student, and even published a math paper in Göttingen.

"Nina seems to enjoy learning too. What books have you read?"

“Your Excellency, I have read your translations of poetry and novels, and recently I have also read Mr. Pushkin’s poems, as well as the translated poems of Lord Byron, and some chronicles.”

"Won't the little girl find it difficult to read chronicles?"

“I found it very interesting, and Mr. Griboyedov also recommended that I read some history books.”

“Yes, Mikhail Sergeyevich, I’ll come and tutor Nina when I’m free.”

“If a girl is ambitious, she might become a female poet. Even in a conservative place like Spain, there used to be female professors. This is something you can only know by reading a lot.”

Solovyov mentions his past conversations with Luisa here, which is nothing unusual.

"May I ask you for advice?"

“Of course you can, but Nina you are too young. You can come over when I am in Tbilisi. Perhaps when I visit your father’s estate sometime, we can have a small salon.”

"That's great."

“Sir, it would be our honor if you would deign to visit Zinan Dali.”

"But not now. I have a lot to do in Tbilisi. I need to ensure the safety of Georgia's roads and also to give the local people a bright future, including material well-being."

As for his casual mention of Bordeaux mixture, it is currently summer, which is naturally the time to use it for disease prevention and control. However, the proportion used on different crops varies. If the ingredients are not mixed correctly, lime needs to be added to reduce the damage.

Moreover, it can also prevent theft. When passing by a beautiful vineyard, it is inevitable that someone will be tempted to steal a bunch of vines. This is the case from the Caucasus Mountains to Damascus and then to the river valley.

This river valley is Mesopotamia.

As for what it can bring to the locals, Solovyov also needs to invite agronomists to the Caucasus.

His core task was actually to do concrete things and gain everyone's trust, so that he could continue to rule smoothly.

Fortunately, many of the separatists in Georgia are Russian-certified nobles, and some even serve in the Russian army.

The table where Solovyov is sitting is occupied by Griboyedov, a friend of the Decembrists and a close friend of Pushkin. Griboyedov is not only Yermolov's secretary but also his relative.

Prince Chavchavadze also maintained close ties with the Decembrists and nobles who supported Georgian independence, all of whom were considered progressive forces at the time.

Fortunately, this was already in the Caucasus, and even the Tsar's spies had to be careful when monitoring a big figure like Solovyov. In addition, wherever he went, the local rebels and writers would listen to him, and those who wanted to take action would be careful to avoid being eliminated by him. The common people and even the serfs did not treat him as an outsider.

There's no way around it; what he did was just like what Paul did back then, even more advanced and covert. Many people couldn't say anything after seeing it, and if they wanted to refute it, he would slap them in the face with his current achievements. He also spoke eloquently and persuasively.

As for Solovyov talking at length about managing the vineyards, the Georgian man with the same beard as his grandson and great-grandson kept praising him.

“Sir, what you say makes perfect sense. Our crops are sick, and we need a learned gentleman to take care of them.”

What's the point of what I said?

"Sir, there's just one thing. You said the grapes get sick. I'm a shepherd for you, and your vineyard is right next door. The problem you described is the same as what you said—well, I didn't understand everything you said. The leaves turn yellow and then grow..."

“That’s called plant anthracnose, and it’s effective against leaf mold and the like. But Dzhugashvili, you’re quite observant, which is worth the wages the master pays you and the protection he provides for your family.”

He was quite lucky; the Georgian lords were much kinder than the Russian lords, and they were quite protective of the locals. In fact, the proportion of Georgians who participated in the revolution was higher than that of lords elsewhere.

So much so that outside Stalingrad, German planes could drop bombs that killed a prince, who turned out to be an old military officer, also named Bagration.
Plant anthrax and animal anthrax are two different concepts.

Copper ions are particularly useful for these things, and copper sulfate is not difficult to prepare. Quicklime is readily available everywhere. If the ingredients are used in the summer, the effects can be seen in the vineyard in less than a month.

If the proportions are adjusted correctly, all the crops in the fields will benefit.

It was so simple to use, had very low toxicity, and had limited impact on humans and animals, making it a valuable agricultural tool in the 19th century. After explaining this, Chavchavadze had his steward copy it down in Georgian, specifying what ingredients were needed to make the formula.

His vineyards need this, and the recipe will be promoted to vineyards in the South Caucasus in the future through Mr. Hoven.

As for Zaza, he was illiterate, but he had a good memory. After the butler whispered something to him in Georgian for a while, he roughly remembered it.

His son, Vanno, helps his father look after the vineyards, and this little trick can also come in handy.

"But, Zaza, there's something you can't forget."

"Sir, is there anything else?"

"This formula is only effective for grapes. If you apply it to crops, fruit trees, or vegetable gardens, it's like making soup; some are thin, and some are thick."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

Although he was a shepherd and a skilled cart driver, it didn't mean he was unfamiliar with farming, especially since his son was the gardener.

When the grandson was born, he became a shoemaker; becoming a craftsman was considered progress.

After the meal, Solovyov went to the yard.

He genuinely likes children, and Nina caught him off guard, quickly asking him questions.

It wasn't enough that a talented poet like Griboyedov was her tutor; now she wanted to find a highly learned man, a great hero whom even her father considered remarkable, to consult.

Solovyov not only supported girls' education, but he also had no problem with these girls learning the same things as the boys.

So he relaxed, spread a blanket on the lawn, took off his coat, and sat there in his shirt.

"Like this, Nina, is there anything else you want to know?"

"You must also love growing flowers, otherwise you wouldn't be using this perfume."

"Ah, this is what my wife requested."

Of course, lovers also like it; it has a jasmine scent.

“It’s jasmine. Dad used to buy jasmine flowers from Smyrna.”

"They even grow this in Türkiye?"

"Yes, there is one, Mikhail Sergeyevich, in Greece as well."

"When I arrived in Greece, I was so busy fighting that I didn't notice this matter even after staying in Athens for a while."

"You want to transplant jasmine?"

“I think so. When I was serving the Emperor, I transplanted jasmine flowers to the Summer Palace and Pavlovsky Palace. So it would be suitable for Georgia.”

“Your Excellency, I have another question to ask you.”

Nina grew up on the estate of Zindali, unlike children raised in Russia. The maids in the Bagration household spoke with honorifics, while Nina always addressed them by their official titles.

There's nothing else to it, it's just that the Russian way of addressing elders is far too long for a ten-year-old girl.

From Solovyov's perspective, she's quite a cheerful young girl, and her black hair is really beautiful.

"Nina, what are you trying to say?"

What do you think of the writer?

"You mean Griboyedov?"

"Yes, Mr. Griboyedov."

“I have read his poems, but I have not seen his plays. All I can say is that he is very talented.”

How does it compare to you?

"If someone knows too much, then they probably won't delve too deeply into anything outside of their strongest area. I'm not good at writing poetry, and I feel my recent work is rather mediocre. Sasha, what poems have you written lately? I think Nina is like a little black rose."

"Even a small black rose can be very beautiful when it blooms."

According to Griboyedov, the black rose is actually a red that's almost purple, and a purple that's almost black, which actually matches Nina's black hair quite well.

“But that’s in the future, Nina. You’re such a good girl. My daughter Lisa is just as studious as you, but she’s not as straightforward as you.”

The child wasn't afraid of the unfamiliar, important figure he was meeting for the first time; on the contrary, he dared to ask questions.

Solovyov thought it would be great if all the daughters raised at home were like that.

He rarely felt that it was better for his daughter to be someone else's daughter, and for the first time, the option of "someone else's child" appeared.

However, he did not go to Chavchavadze's house for leisure and vacation.

Mr. Huo Wen arrived soon after, accompanied only by a small number of attendants.

The situation in Georgia is quite different from that in Russia, since Georgia was only formally annexed as Russian territory in 1801. Therefore, the governance of Georgia faces many challenges.

However, they are all under the same religion, unlike the serious turmoil in the East Caucasus.

"As you know on the way here, we've been trying to resolve these taxation issues, but it seems like it's not going to work."

"Don't blame yourself. I heard that after the Chinese emperor conquered the Dzungar Khanate, he went on to control the southern part of the 'Western Regions'. The officials he appointed there were all locals, and the tax rate he set was very low, but there were still people who resisted. This shows that there was a problem with the appointment of officials."

"If you do things like you did in Crimea, you might not have a suitable group of officials to take over, and that's the problem."

"Looks like you've tried it before?"

"Yes."

“In that case, we’ll have to use other methods. You can summon the nobles to the governor’s mansion in Tbilisi and say that you have something to say.”

Solovyov always resorts to underhanded tactics; he'll pull off something big later. (End of Chapter)