Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Nikolai has finally extricated himself from the "rebellion" incident, and he promised Sergei Volkonsky that if he admitted his mistakes, he would be spared hard labor and instead placed under house arrest.

However, the latter has not responded for a long time. He has also expressed his forgiveness for the other "rebels." Some of them have expressed remorse, but others still hold the original opinion.

"That's just how they are. We have so much to do, including for the Persians."

"If possible, you should send General Solovyov to the Caucasus."

"But who will serve as the military governor of St. Petersburg? Moreover, I recalled him from his post as governor of Crimea for the sake of stability in both capitals of Russia. No one is more suitable than him to keep the army in check at this time."

Nikolai also knew that there was no time to rush things, so he did not change his mind no matter what the Minister of War told him.

Moreover, he believed that Paskovich was capable of handling the situation, that Yermolov's ideas were too rigid, that his confidants were involved in the St. Petersburg rebellion, and that the current investigation had only just ended.

The change of commanders and the display of friendly attitude ultimately only led to the Persian invasion.

The British strategy in Persia was to prevent the country from being annexed by Russia; if they could do that, they would consider their mission accomplished.

But the Persians believed they should reclaim their lost territory.

The war in the Persian direction, like the Russo-Turkish war, was not necessarily initiated by Russia. However, if the opponent did not receive reliable off-the-ground assistance, they would likely suffer a terrible defeat in the end.

If it comes to a fight now, Nikolai also feels that the Danube side is more important.

He wouldn't be too afraid even if the Persians came to Tbilisi.

Meanwhile, in Tbilisi, some nobles appeared panicked, and the Russian troops on the front lines of Karabakh had to be abandoned because of the Persian military superiority.

Griboyedov had just returned from the investigation. He knew that Menshikov had messed things up, but the responsibility did not lie with Menshikov; it was the Persians who had done it willingly.

“This time it was Shah’s own will.”

"Do you really think so?"

“Nina, you’re still a child. Girls can’t play a very big role in politics.”

"But I am somewhat interested in this, and you are also my teacher."

The little Georgian black rose is growing more and more beautiful, and she also loves her teacher very much.

Although Griboyedov liked his student, he was now praising her intelligence, even though he was anxious to be arrested by the military police.

"The Shah of Persia has always considered Georgia to be his territory, whether Georgia was independent, under Russian protection, or part of Russian territory, they wanted to control it."

Not only the Persians, but the Ottoman Empire also coveted these places, especially the area near Mount Ararat, the holy mountain of Armenia. The Ottoman and Persian Empires fought there for several years and had a long standoff, but neither side achieved a decisive victory, while each claimed victory.

Griboyedov also remembered something: Solovyov's letter, written before he returned to St. Petersburg.

The Persian Empire's war machine was outdated and backward. They merely decorated themselves with guns and cannons and considered themselves an army. However, apart from the weakened northern states of Hindustan, the Persian Empire had no opponents that could be completely defeated by them, so it remained in its current state.

If an opportunity can be found to launch an offensive to the south, perhaps a decisive victory can be achieved, and then the Azerbaijani problem can be resolved, allowing the Russian army to open the road to Isfahan.

Solovyov doesn't like to mention Tehran or Tabriz, which the Shahs frequently visit, as these places are in the north, while Isfahan is the key to the south.

Griboyedov, however, considered this even more radical than that of his superior Yermolov, and inconsistent with Solovyov's consistent advocacy for maintaining peace in the South.

He spent relatively little time with Solovyov and didn't know that Solovyov was someone who liked fishing but disliked trouble.

Once we take action, we'll crush those guys to death.

"So what should we do? Should we wage war? I think if Mikhail Sergeyevich came, he would be invincible."

Solovyov was a bit old, but he looked very young in his forties. He was also very kind and popular, especially among children, which made him quite different from other generals.

Even a smart girl like Nina acknowledges him as a remarkable hero.

For the enemy, it was quite terrifying; in the Ottoman Empire, it could stop a child from crying.

"It would be best to avoid war, but now that it has broken out, the Persians simply have more people. Unfortunately, I am just a diplomat, not a soldier, and I don't know much about this. I think Russia will definitely win; this is based on past experience from wars."

"But they still came this way, towards Tbilisi."

"Your Excellency, you need not worry about that. Their efficiency is very poor. According to the report that Alexei Petrovich asked me to prepare, and based on my experience in Tehran, the Persian army is undisciplined and cannot even be called a modern army; it is only because the British provide them with weapons."

At the very least, Griboyedov was a skilled duelist in the past. He was famous for a duel in which each of the four men, each with their own assistant, fought. It was after that that he became Yermolov's assistant and eventually became the governor of the Caucasus, in charge of diplomatic affairs with the Persian Empire.

But some time ago, Menshikov went there and unfortunately got detained by the Shah. In the end, the British mediated and resolved the problem.

"Will the British intervene in the war?"

"If they are to come, they will probably have to send troops from India, but we don't know what the situation is like in India."

"You really don't know either?"

"Nina, I really don't know."

Griboyedov could be considered an expert on Persia, knowing their likes and dislikes, and that the Persian Shah was always unpredictable, making his job in Tehran a dangerous one.

Menshikov was lucky this time. He took a hard line and refused to submit to the Shah's tyranny, which is why he was detained. What if it weren't for the British help?

The next person sent to Tehran may not be as lucky as him.

“Since you don’t know, I suppose you really don’t know.” Her eyes were truly beautiful, Griboyedov said, looking at his student.

Nina also noticed that her teacher was watching her. He had taught many students in Tbilisi, all of whom were children of nobles, but Nina was one of the few girls he had tutored for an extended period.

Griboyedov was a poet and playwright, very talented, and probably had a bright future within the civil service.

If possible, Nina has probably fallen for her teacher; aside from being a bit older, he's a really good lover.

In Russia, it's not uncommon to see couples with a significant age gap, like Solovyov and Katya, who were only about ten years apart, and Pierre and Natasha, who were also in that category. It was rather surprising that Dolokhov, that scoundrel, pursued Sonia from the Rostov family, since Sonia, besides being kind and beautiful, didn't have much wealth. And Sonia rejected him, continuing to live with her cousin Nikolai's family.

A man who is either a brave warrior charging into battle, a strategist commanding from behind the scenes, or a talented poet is likely to become a friend of women.

After miraculously escaping death from the gun, Miloradovich planned to marry his mistress, even though she was a ballet dancer from a humble background.

As for teacher-student relationships...
Griboyedov was unaware of Nina's thoughts at this time, after all, she was too young.

The border conflict is the topic of our conversation today.

Moreover, Griboyedov knew that some of the Persian troops were deserters from the Russian army, enough to form a battalion or even more.

Among these people were Russians and Poles.

These men who escaped from the Caucasus Legion weren't very effective against the Russians, but they were able to demonstrate their fighting prowess when dealing with a few heretics.

Surprisingly, Solovyov was not very clear about this matter; when he came to the Caucasus, he focused his efforts on pacifying the mountain people of the Caucasus.

Perhaps he was a person who preferred stability at heart, while Yermolov was proactive and much more assertive.

In recent military intelligence, Griboyedov also learned that these men, commonly known as the "Bahadur" battalion, were formed and commanded by a sergeant who had defected from Russia. They looked more like European troops, and it was hard to say how effective they were in combat.

However, given the state of the Caucasian Legion at that time, they were probably a group with stronger combat capabilities.

The temptation on the other side. On one hand, there is freedom, but Solovyov's arrival has diminished that.

Griboyedov even mentioned his ability to marry multiple wives in a poem.

Because of this, he was also investigated, and was even suspected of mocking the army. If he hadn't been Yermolov's secretary and assistant, and if Paskovich hadn't protected him, and if he hadn't had some connections in diplomatic circles, even if he had been acquitted, he would have inevitably left the Caucasus region now that he had been released.

But he had also seen Solovyov satirize this: "Men always go to women, and women go to men, but going to Persia doesn't necessarily mean freedom. For these illiterate bumpkins, the court there offers both opportunities to make a fortune and the danger of having their necks unprotected."

He knew very well that the lack of protection of the neck was a common occurrence in Persian court intrigues, which were always extremely brutal; even the Shah himself had his head chopped off.

"Sasha, what do you think of that side?"

"You mean Persia?"

"Yes."

Nina's father and he became increasingly familiar with each other, and he has now returned to the cavalry because of the Persian war.

"They are unpredictable, but we will surely win. The Persians always think they are strong, manly, and some even have big beards, but they are tough in battle. I remember that time I followed them."

"When you and General Yermolov went to Tabriz, you must have been amazed."

"Yes, that's right. We only need a general with a strong character, not Prince Solovyov's rich skills. To deal with the Shah of Persia, we don't need to use a general who defeated Napoleon unless absolutely necessary."

"That's true. Although the brothers are a bit nervous, they are all eager to make a name for themselves. It's just that you are a diplomat, and your main focus is not on this."

In addition, Griboyedov is 31 years old and still unmarried.
Diplomats, because they are often away from home, do tend to get married relatively late.

Especially in the Persian direction, it's rare to have such a beautiful encounter.

The deserters who went there eventually chose to marry Armenians, Georgians, and Christians of different faiths and denominations, and in fact found it difficult to integrate with the Persians.

Griboyedov knew what ancient Persia was like; it was at least a large, inclusive empire, but now it was riddled with internal divisions, which were always accompanied by religious issues.

“I’ll have a lot to do when it’s time to negotiate.”

"We might have to fight the Turks again. We have two neighbors on the edge of the Caucasus Mountains."

"It's still that kind of thing, what is it? Fighting you, you can't beat you, but you still have to keep fighting. This endless fighting is really troublesome."

Meanwhile, Paskovic, on the front lines, has also devised a counter-offensive plan. The Caucasian Legion will launch a counter-offensive against the enemy in the summer, at which time he will also have some reinforcements.

Before leaving, Solovyov arranged for several thousand cavalrymen from the Cossack and Tatar tribes. Although Paskovich thought these men were not good for regular cavalry combat, they were capable of reconnaissance and harassment on the front lines, keeping the Persians from having a peaceful time.

The Kuban and Don Cossacks arrived later, mainly keeping an eye on the Circassians' movements.

Admiral Greg also sent men to bring in naval infantry from the Black Sea Fleet from Crimea. These soldiers were specially trained by Solovyov and, although they were all naval personnel, they were to be accustomed to land combat and to use the new rifles.

They even carried two strange weapons. One was a two-person operation that looked like an extended Turkish musket; this was a slingshot.

Another type of weapon was mounted on a 6-pounder cannon carriage, with a honeycomb-shaped arrangement of the "cannon barrel," which was actually all the caliber of a musket.

This was the first "machine gun" to be successfully manufactured. Solovyov ultimately failed to produce a hand-cranked Gatling gun or a "coffee machine." The finished product he produced was similar to the "Montini" machine gun.

Because there was no war in Europe, these weapons were used for the first time in actual combat testing in the Caucasus. (End of Chapter)