Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Nikolai was also curious about the newcomer, and he was somewhat puzzled when he saw the officer come to his side.

After all, a person with a permanent, reinforced bandage on their head is already very noticeable.

Captain Alexander Yakubovich was a brave cavalry officer who was seriously wounded in a battle with the mountain people near Kuban. He was sent back to St. Petersburg for surgery, and that's how he ended up like this.

"Your Majesty, I have come here to pledge my loyalty to you."

"What's going on with you?"

Nikolai was quite alarmed by the officers. He had heard that some regiments had refused to take their oaths or remained inactive because they questioned the legitimacy of their succession. At first, he was a little panicked, but later he became angry.

Moreover, the visitor spoke in a particularly strange manner. After meeting Nikolai, Yakubovich explained that he had gone to the Semyonovsky regiment that morning, but left because of a headache. In the end, he decided to pledge allegiance to the Tsar and volunteered to persuade the soldiers to surrender.

After listening, Nikolai nodded in agreement: "Very good, Captain. If you can persuade the brothers to complete their oath and return to their barracks, I promise that everyone will forgive and forget. This is my personal guarantee, and my guarantee as the monarch."

Then Yakubovich rode his horse to Senate Square. Nikolai breathed a sigh of relief; at least there was a reliable officer who remembered his oath as a soldier.

Moreover, under Solovyov's tutelage, Nikolai placed even greater emphasis on the credibility of the monarch's words than he had before. He believed that the monarch must keep his word to his subjects and could not express opinions arbitrarily. Once he spoke, he had to establish his position.

But when Yakubosky left Nikolai's side and went to the square among his brothers, he changed his tune completely, his attitude shifting as easily as turning the pages of a book.

What was the real purpose behind his expression of loyalty to the Tsar?

They acknowledged Nicholas as Tsar, but the Tsar also had to acknowledge some of their positions and take reform measures.

If Solovyov found out, he would come back and curse him as "Sukabry," and then whip him.

After all, Solovyov's own plan was to gradually loosen the reins on Russia with the help of himself, Speransky, and a group of former ministers of Alexander. The things they demanded, apart from constitutional monarchy and the State Duma, could even be implemented gradually over the next ten years.

Of course, we can't be too hasty. We have to break things down and do them one step at a time. We can use a salami-slicing tactic to gradually boil those nobles like frogs in slowly boiling water. One day, we will naturally achieve our goal.

However, these officers were young and impulsive; who knew what they were thinking?

Some onlookers threw vegetable leaves and carrots at Nicholas, and some even threw sticks. Some citizens did not know that Nicholas's succession was legitimate and that he had the approval of his two brothers, but they thought Constantine was the Tsar.

Of course, Nicholas I was not Nicholas II. He did not order a crackdown on such behavior by the common people, but simply had his attendants persuade them to leave.

"Don't gather here. There are soldiers in Senate Square who refuse to take the oath. If any conflict breaks out, bullets don't discriminate. Citizens, go home. More troops will be coming here later. In the end, there will be an explanation. His Highness Constantine abdicated voluntarily; there will be a public announcement and His Highness's statement. Russia needs an emperor! The current emperor is Nikolai Pavlovich, as you all know. His brothers have a very good relationship."

In short, although Nikolai was usually quick-tempered, Miloradovich commented that "he dared to make a decision even with tens of thousands of troops."

However, he was still quite popular. At least when he sent people to persuade them, the civilians, though they didn't leave, stopped throwing away the junk.

At this moment, it was Mikhail who rode over on horseback, which made him feel a little more at ease.

“Brother, the brothers of the Moscow Guards Regiment who are still in the barracks have all completed their oaths. It took a lot of effort to persuade them.”

"Mishka, thank you for your hard work. Today doesn't seem to be going well. Did you check how things were over there on your way here?"

"There's only half a regiment at the moment. I also saw some Guards grenadiers heading towards the square. I don't know what they're going to do."

“I have already sent someone to inform Count Miloradovich, asking him to persuade the brothers to return, on the condition of a complete pardon, whether they are officers or soldiers. And just now there was an officer who claimed to be from a secret group, and he is also willing to persuade them to surrender.”

"This is a good thing."

"But I'm still worried."

Nikolai was still waiting for news, while the Guards naval infantry were also taking their oaths, albeit with a minor farce.

Lieutenant Fyodor Vishnevsky, who was returning from a long voyage with the Baltic Fleet, did not join the flotilla intentionally. Instead, he was instigated by a naval officer who was plotting against him, and he insisted that the captain produce an official document to prove the abdication of Grand Duke Constantine.

After the officer said this, some of the naval infantry officers who had participated in the conspiracy joined in the commotion.

Moreover, among them was Nikolai, the eldest of the Bestuzhev brothers. This naval officer was highly skilled and had progressive ideas, unlike his younger brothers. He was already a naval lieutenant commander with a bright future.

However, in this situation, Yakubovich, who was originally assigned to command the naval infantry, has left the troops and gone to Nikolai. His whereabouts are unknown. Moreover, several company commanders have been arrested. Major General Shipov, a former member of the National Salvation League, has only imprisoned them and will then go on to persuade the soldiers.

However, the naval infantry are more particular about procedures. Either Grand Duke Constantine's declaration must be made public to them, or their Guards Commander, Grand Duke Mikhail, must come in person to give them an explanation before they will acknowledge Grand Duke Nicholas as Tsar.

Because of the incident involving the Guards Moscow Regiment, Mikhail had to rush there to put out the fire. He managed to persuade half the regiment to return, but he was on his way to Nikolai and hadn't yet reached the Guards naval infantry.

Shipov acted decisively, but he only locked up the officers. He couldn't bring himself to harm his former comrades, and he couldn't offer any further explanation for the naval infantry.

So the Guards naval infantrymen ignored Shipov. Nikolai Bestuzhev was now the highest-ranking officer in the Northern Association, and the young officers who hadn't been arrested naturally obeyed his orders.

They didn't care about what General Shipov said, but they didn't do anything to him either, since he used to be one of their own, and Nikolai Besturzhev didn't make things difficult for him.

The arrested company commanders have now returned, and Nikolai Besturzhev did not detain the officers who were unwilling to go with them to Senate Square; he simply took the troops away.

This older brother was the only one who managed to bring the entire group out, and they headed towards Senate Square.

When he arrived, apart from his second brother leading half a regiment in the square, he found that only a few guards grenadiers were arriving one after another.

Moreover, Trubetskoy was not present; he and his deputy, Bulatov, had already gone to the General Staff building to observe the situation on the square. Seeing the situation, he knew the operation would not succeed, and thus prepared to leave the building.

But he had no intention of running away; he simply went to his sister's house to wait for the day to end and for fate to take its course.

This left the Decembrists leaderless, and Nikolai Besturzhev was also confused about the situation. At this time, he brought the most people, and he was a legitimate naval officer leading an entire regiment of naval infantry.

But apart from Trubetskoy, there were several others with higher titles and military ranks than him.

He treated him like his own subordinate and superior, insisting on following the proper procedures.

Of course, even with the nearly two thousand men brought by the brothers, the force was still far from sufficient.

There were even people watching from one side of the square. Nikolai Besturzhev noticed that these people were also members of the association, but they just wouldn't join in.

Then came Yakubosky, who was supposed to go to the naval infantry garrison. He arrived at the square carrying Nicholas's statement that as long as the troops were dismissed, returned to their barracks, and swore allegiance to Tsar Nicholas, both officers and soldiers would be pardoned.

When he arrived here, he was still discussing with Oberlensky and others whether or not there should be some terms for negotiation.

After the Guards grenadiers and some scattered soldiers arrived, there were already more than two thousand soldiers here, as well as onlookers from the surrounding area. Some of them were there to support them, while others were there just to watch the spectacle.

Others were also worried. Trubetskoy's wife happened to be passing by in a carriage. She got off the carriage and heard people talking behind her in the crowd.

"Whom should they pledge their allegiance to? They don't know either!"

But then Miloradovich arrived, riding there on horseback with only a few adjutants.

His prestige among the military, and his status as a confidant and friend of Grand Duke Constantine, gave him some credibility.

Some even believe that, regardless of whether Miloradovich supports or opposes the uprising, his presence alone will be enough to persuade officers and soldiers.

Most of the young officers didn't dare to act rashly when they saw him there, except for one young officer in a cavalry uniform who went over first.

"Sir, it's dangerous here. You should go back."

“Young men, you should go back too. You’re gambling with your future. If you’re labeled as rebels, your brothers will be implicated. Although the Emperor is lenient and benevolent, what about your families?”

The young man didn't say anything, but simply left and returned to his companions.

Then, Miloradovich began his speech.

“Brothers, I know what you want, but this is not the place to petition, and you have brought weapons. I also hope that Konstantin Pavlovich will be our new emperor, and I have discussed this with the current emperor, Nikolai Pavlovich, but His Highness, far away in Poland, has refused to inherit the throne, which is the current fact.”

However, the soldiers remained standing there, unsure of the situation. At least Miloradovich had arrived, and he enjoyed high prestige within the army. The officers and soldiers were still easily convinced of his authority, and even some of the officers were wavering. If the general made a guarantee, and with the news relayed back by Yakubosky, the new emperor would not punish them severely.

And so far, only a few unlucky generals have been slashed. Although it looks scary, the officers who attacked them did not kill them. Even though they bled a lot, they did not die. In fact, the adjutants immediately sent these unlucky guys to the doctor for treatment.

At this point, it did seem that there was some room for maneuver, and he continued his speech because he saw that none of the soldiers had moved.

"Brothers, haven't you seen me? Haven't you heard me speak? Does anyone remember? Tell me, brothers! I served with you in the Guards, don't you remember? Do I really need to remind you where we fought and marched together, freezing in the snow and baking in the sun? We went to Kulm and Leipzig in Germany, to the Alps, across the Gotthard Pass, to Bucharest, across the Danube, to Tarutino, Vilnius, and Borodino! You haven't been there? God, there isn't a single real Russian soldier here. If there were even one officer or soldier, even just one, you would know who I, Miloradovich, am."

The tone of his voice had become stern when he said this.

"You brats! You are thugs! Robbers! Scoundrels! You have tarnished the uniforms of Russian soldiers and the glorious title of soldiers! You have tarnished Russia! You are guilty before the Tsar, before God, and before the Fatherland! What have you abandoned? What have you done? Quickly swear allegiance to Tsar Nikolai Pavlovich of Russia! Kneel down! Kneel down now, brothers!"

By this time, some of the soldiers had already begun to waver. Seeing that things were not going well, Oberensky spurred his horse closer to Miloradovich, but he only held the governor's saber at bay.

"Sir, it's dangerous here. You should go back."

Although he was also an impulsive fellow, as an active-duty officer, he would never lay a hand on General Miloradovich, who had distinguished himself in battle. However, by threatening him like this, even if the saber tore through his uniform, it would only result in some minor injuries.

"Is this a threat, Prince Obronsky? Ranka, you should go back to the barracks and pledge your loyalty to the Emperor. Nothing will happen to you."

Even with a knife to his stomach, Miloradovich was still trying to persuade Oberensky, who could see that he was now in charge.

As active-duty soldiers, they didn't dare to do anything. The governor saw that Oberlensky's eyes were firm and knew his attitude, but he still tried to persuade him.

However, there are always some who are not active-duty military personnel.

Kakhovsky was a troublemaker in the Imperial Guard, where he was demoted to private for laziness and pranks. He later served in the Cuirassiers, where he was also reprimanded by Grand Duke Constantine.

However, the punishments were not severe. He later retired and traveled abroad. When he returned to St. Petersburg, he planned to go to Greece as a volunteer to fight and try his luck.

But once he arrived here, he became a member of the Northern Society. He despised monarchical absolutism and serfdom, and believed that a republic should be established.

Furthermore, he had few friends and almost no relatives, only one brother, and nominally 250 serfs, but only 17 of them were inherited by his brothers.

Although Karkhovsky is a very prestigious surname, the family was extremely poor.

He is lonely, passionate, and somewhat impulsive; such a person is prone to taking risks.

At that moment, he raised his pistol, aimed it at Miloradovich, who was confronting and negotiating with Obolensky, and pulled the trigger. (End of Chapter)