Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Solovyov stayed in Tbilisi for a few more days, and even planned to spend the winter there.

He did want to study the situation in the South Caucasus.

Many places in the west are inhabited by Christians. There are the Armenian Orthodox Church's "forbidden spell masters" sect, as well as the standard Eastern Orthodox Church, and some heresies. Even, judging from the cross, the Nestorian Church, a more primitive Assyrian church version of Wang Hanxin's Nestorianism, is also present in this area.

For Russia, this half is relatively easier to deal with. The Russian Tsar protects them on a religious level, and they also have strong military backing.

Although there are some independent forces, their strength is probably not enough to surround a few infantry regiments, and the number of people they can mobilize is also limited.

From this perspective, there doesn't seem to be much to worry about.

Solovyov requested a grenadier company from the Georgian grenadier regiment and watched their performance on the training field, but he was not satisfied with their performance.

In terms of military training, these troops stationed in the rear, as an important supplementary force to the front lines, also need to train diligently.

Mr. Huo Wen was not a soldier, so he had no authority over the military.

But Solovyov was different; there was no one in the Russian army who didn't know his name.

With his previous victory over Napoleon and his military exploits in Sweden and the Balkans, he should be considered Russia's number one general.

This makes it more convincing within the military.

"These reserve units should be guaranteed sufficient training, especially in shooting practice. Since I've raised funds, a portion of them can be used to produce training ammunition, and the quality of shooting practice must be ensured."

With the cavalry under Yermolov's command and only reserve infantry remaining in Tbilisi, Solovyov was unable to identify further problems through the exercises.

However, he did consider other methods, such as organizing local militias in Georgia and setting up such garrison forces in major cities. However, unlike the Ottoman Empire where many people still used knives, their armed forces could be modeled after the infantry during the Cossack expansion period.

These infantrymen were also equipped with a number of vehicles carrying muskets, making them an upgraded version of the vehicle formation.

As for the specific organization, Solovyov himself did not express any opinion; he only provided an outline.

It's not that you have to feed someone to understand everything.

If you keep playing the babysitter ball, problems will definitely arise.

So Solovyov then began to consider what to do next as he toured the village.

Solovyov had considered the best way to win over the hearts of the people: with the autumn harvest approaching, he would travel to various places to inspect the region and let the locals see that he, the high and mighty governor, could personally appear by their side.

There's no need for any showmanship; just getting published is enough. Tbilisi does have newspapers, after all.

In addition, Huo Wen was instructed to post notices in villages and towns through officials at all levels.

Although it was difficult for Tsarist Russia to organize effectively, it was not impossible. Moreover, religious power was still very useful. The Church in the Transcaucasus was also able to implement various administrative orders. After all, for clergy to advance, literacy was a must.

Solovyov also personally inspected some places, especially the route from Tbilisi to Zinandali, which is not long, but you can see many mountain villages along the way.

He wasn't moving very fast, and this wasn't the most troublesome mountain road in the Transcaucasus, but there were many villages along the way.

Solovyov didn't even ride a horse; instead, he rode a donkey.

Napoleon did not ride a horse when he crossed the Alps.

It would be more convenient for Solovyov to get to the village by donkey.

"But sir, it's bound to seem unusual to people that you're riding a donkey into the village."

"Alright, Zha Zha, don't say any more about this. We also need to understand the people's situation. Some horses are too delicate when it comes to fodder in the village, so donkeys are better suited for this kind of place."

"Alright then, sir, you are also a skilled horse rider, so riding a donkey is naturally no problem for you."

The old man riding a donkey was indeed, as Dzhugashvili said, a novelty.

Solovyov visited the villages along the way and observed the growth of the crops there.

He clearly has a good understanding of agriculture, and when he talks to the farmers, all he needs is a translator to accompany him.

But he wasn't very good at Georgian, so that was all he could manage to talk to.

The locals were also very hospitable. When they heard that he was a friend of Prince Bagration of Dagestan, they even slaughtered a sheep to entertain the guest.

Solovyov knew that the people here were hospitable and might not even accept silver rubles, but he was also unwilling to eat for free.

"Sir, it is only right that we entertain you, so we will slaughter a fat sheep."

“But you must charge me. When I, Solovyov, led troops, I never let my soldiers eat for free. I didn’t bring any troops this time, but I can’t break the rules I set for myself. Consider this 20 silver rubles as the cost of lodging and food here. We’ll probably have to stay here again on our way back, and we’ll definitely have to bother you then.”

“Master, putting everything else aside, you are indeed different from other masters.”

That's true. It's common for ordinary Russian soldiers to not pay for meals when they arrive in the area, since everyone there shares the same religion. They wouldn't go so far as to rob people.

When they reached the mountains of the Caucasus, Yermolov was determined to carry out a policy of all-out war, and the resistance was extremely fierce.

Solovyov was also quite worried about the East Caucasus, especially since the Sufi branch of Shia Islam was preparing to expand its activities there.

Solovyov was also aware of a famous Sufi legend.

That was Naserdin Afanti, the man who rode a donkey backwards, wore a turban, had a beard, and was always going against the rich man, wanting to stand up for the poor.

This legend originates partly from Nasreddin Hoja, a figure from southeastern Türkiye, and partly from a retired minister in the Timurid Empire, along with various other legends.

Ultimately, this led to the existence of a wise religious figure who stood on the side of the poor, from the Middle East all the way to Xinjiang. His legends and stories were widely circulated and had a foundation among the people.

Solovyov was eating roasted lamb here, muttering to himself as he ate.

"Eating roasted lamb and going to heaven."

"Sir, what you're saying is quite strange."

"It's nothing. I just remembered a story, not from Georgia, but from Azerbaijan."

"Ultimately, there are always wandering poets passing through our mountains, and there are also infidels from Azerbaijan. In the end, the only difference between us in the Caucasus Mountains is our faith. It seems that the only difference between us is the religious habits of the Azerbaijani people, but there are also Armenians and Georgians living there." In reality, the differences between Georgia and Armenia are not that great.

The wandering poets here often travel between different ethnic groups.

"Alright then, I'll tell you this story, but someone will need to translate it. Listen carefully."

Solovyov was telling the story of the "Fairy Rabbit," which made the villagers laugh uproariously.

“That Burke, and those gentlemen, are really stupid.”

"Yeah, rabbits can't talk, they're just asking for trouble."

Of course, a group of village children also sat around the fire listening to the stories. Although they could only understand them with the priest's translation, they found them very interesting.

"Sir, please tell us another one."

“Then I’ll tell you a story about the shade of a tree, another story about a foolish rich man.”

While telling stories, Solovyov was also thinking about the issues himself.

How to win people's hearts and minds and prevent the war in the Caucasus from escalating further.

The mountains in the East Caucasus are lower, and there is oil there, but oil is not attracting the US military right now because they are too far away.

However, it is still necessary to do some further work.

Some people, under the guise of Sufism and with the support of the Ottoman and Persian Empires, would come out to promote the Sultan and Shah, and then use the fierce Caucasian mountain people as cannon fodder for them.

Solovyov knew exactly what was going to happen, so when he finished telling the story, he also asked a question.

"Sir, do the villages around here all follow orthodox churches?"

"That's right, to find some infidels, we have to go far east, over the mountains, and to the Armenians before we can see them."

"Ah, they've already reached Persian territory."

However, regarding this distance, Solovyov took out a map, and the village elder said that he quickly marked the locations on the map.

It was also quite magical in the eyes of these villagers.

“This is nothing. I used to be an adjutant, and I needed to quickly mark these locations when my superiors needed maps and information.”

In the eyes of the villagers, it might be considered a stroke of genius.

The intelligence was processed quickly, and Solovyov also took into account the issue of religious infiltration.

We need to equip people with knowledge, but we also need to make villagers wealthier, even if farming doesn't earn them enough money.

However, if they brew wine, mine, produce wool textiles, and make leather, it is not only needed by the country and the army, but it is also easy to make the villagers rich.

Moreover, Solovyov had always wanted to abolish serfdom.

Now, in the Crimean Viceroyalty, he is the only one who has the final say, unless the Tsar himself intervenes.

But Alexander neglected state affairs and trusted him greatly.

Regardless of whether it is Constantine or Nicholas who becomes Tsar, the trust will likely be doubled, after all, Solovyov is the former's confidant in the Guards and also teaches the latter.

Therefore, his power as governor was almost limitless.

If there were "state serfs" in the past, Solovyov intended to divide the land into public and private fields, thus forming collective farms.

It sounds a bit far-fetched, but village self-governance is a Russian tradition.

The only difference was that the protector of the serfs changed from the lord to the state.

Moreover, the serfs were also liberated and given land and means of production. Solovyov even thought that if he were to make such arrangements himself, it would take about ten years, with the help of the nobles who supported him, to complete all these goals.

Based on the progress he had already begun, he had started some operations in Crimea in 1820, and at the earliest by 1830, if there was no war, he could probably complete the operation on schedule while serving as governor of the south.

Next, the government will take control, suppress prices, and execute all grain speculators who hoard and speculate.

From now on, whenever the Tsar holds a meeting, he will have to say that an old man named Bülow has sneaked in.

Solovyov's ideas are quite radical, but they are not without room for maneuver.

For nobles, relying solely on land income was indeed of little use; it was better to concentrate their wealth in workshops, mines, and factories, and then invest in commerce.

If the people are prosperous and education is available to a certain extent, some of the problems can be solved.

The Eastern Caucasus region is a poor and remote area, which has produced many unruly people. External intervention has been a major problem since the Golden Horde, and whoever rules the region faces considerable trouble.

Tormasov, who had served as governor of the Caucasus before Yermolov, thought the same way. However, the problem was that the locals were very stubborn and kept resisting, even over a series of rumors.

Then, Tormasov's operation failed, and Yermolov was replaced. Solovyov's old friend felt that the unruly people in the Caucasus needed to be intimidated by the "Three Alls" policy.

It was the kind of operation where some reactionary elements were stuffed into toilet bowls; they were killed for several years and it had a considerable deterrent effect.

At this point, Solovyov wanted to use his old friend's methods, which had been quite effective, to implement a policy of appeasement and force these people to come down from the mountain.

If they dare not come down the mountain, Solovyov has even more ruthless methods up his sleeve.

Although not necessarily so bloody, in addition to Yermolov's "sweeping" version, he would build fences, start "pacification" campaigns, and also concentrate villages and hamlets.

This is rather cruel for those who are still resisting, but in this era of low human rights, it can be said to be the best solution out of necessity.

However, Solovyov decided to negotiate first, and he himself would not resort to drastic measures unless absolutely necessary.

His infamous reputation in the Ottoman Empire was earned on the battlefield. The locals who passed through his army knew what a true "benevolent army" was. The Sultan's army could never do what the Russians did. Even the worst disciplined soldiers in the Russian army were only those who looted villages of infidels. In the case of the Sultan's army, they would have been scorched earth even against their own people.

This time, it is hoped that the mountain people of Dagestan, Chechnya, and Ingushetia will behave themselves. If they remain obstinate, they will suffer the consequences. (End of Chapter)