Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

The Persians suffered a crushing defeat; they initially thought the Russians were adept at using the dense gunfire as a weapon.

They even often overlooked the fact that Russians were also skilled in bayonet fighting. In addition to bayonet charges, they had made great progress in bayonet fighting after more than 20 years of training.

Griboyedov couldn't put his mind at ease; he was just a civil servant. But after witnessing the machine gun's first use in battle, he felt somewhat more relaxed.

"Unfortunately, this thing is too bulky. It would be better if it were lighter."

"Sir, this is no easy task. We also have a hand-cranked one, which frequently malfunctions in the testing field. That thing probably won't be usable for at least ten years. See this one? There are two gun muzzles blocked here, and we need to clean them. If these bullets get stuck inside, this damn machine will break down too."

On the Persian side, they launched another attack, and machine guns at the crossroads kept spitting fire. Persians who dared to approach were strafed from about 300 arshin (213 meters). Although the field of fire was limited, it still caused great casualties.

The Persians once again left large numbers of corpses in front of their positions, and the fear they had felt earlier was now spreading further.

By the second day of the battle, the Persians no longer dared to come forward and cause trouble.

"Your Highness, the Russian army appears to be using new weapons again."

"Samson Khan, do you really think so?"

"Although I am a cavalryman, I know some things. Moreover, over the years, the men we recruited from across the Caucasus Mountains have brought some information with them, and we have fought against them for ten years."

"Then, what could it be?"

“Your Highness, it might be a type of gun capable of continuous fire, but I’m not sure which category it falls into. They also have the rockets that our British advisors mentioned before, and they are even more powerful than the British ones.”

So what's your opinion?

“Your Highness, continuing the attack on Tbilisi will only bring us greater casualties. If the Russian commander sends reinforcements, it will be very disadvantageous for us. Therefore, we should retreat now. I am willing to lead my brothers here to block the Russian army’s advance. They should not pursue us, as the Russian army here is not their main force.”

However, this former Russian sergeant, now equivalent to a Persian general, was not always trusted, even though he always used them on the battlefield.

Some Persian generals believed that the Russian deserters might try to escape back.

But neither the Shah himself nor the Crown Prince sent here cares about this. If these Russians were to go back, they would all be hanged. Yermolov has demonstrated this several times before, and at least not recently.

Therefore, the Persian army withdrew, lifted their attack on Tbilisi, and did not even besiege the city.

The Russian army suffered minor losses. Griboyedov's main task now is to appease the refugees and ensure the safety of Tbilisi and the surrounding towns. He will not pursue them, but only send some Cossacks to follow the Persian army and engage them in a few skirmishes, but with little effect.

This battle seemed grand in scale, but it ended up being a disappointing failure.

Meanwhile, on the parade ground in St. Petersburg, the machine gun that Solovyov brought to demonstrate to Nikolai was also spitting fire.

The effect seems pretty good. Solovyov abandoned the hand-cranked Gatling gun because it required too much skill from the soldiers to operate and react on the spot. It would have to wait for an electric version to become practical.

Not only can't he not see it, even his great-grandson can't see it.

"Your Majesty, this is the 'machine gun.' We have tested several types of it, but only the 'Queen of Spades' is relatively reliable. A well-trained shooter can fire more than 300 rounds per minute. If you include the reload time, it may be even slower."

"Looks good, could it be widely used in the military?"

"Your Majesty, the Black Sea Fleet is going to support the Caucasus Legion this time, and it is carrying some machine guns. I think they will be able to be tested in actual combat."

“If that’s the case, I can feel at ease when I go to Moscow for my coronation. I can focus on the ceremony and leave the frontline affairs to Paskovich.”

"Your Majesty, if possible, I should be sent to the Caucasus front to reinforce the troops by 3. In two years, I will be able to take over the entire northwestern part of the Persian Empire."

“There’s no need to rush now. You haven’t been on the battlefield for a while now. Besides, we have a lot of new weapons, and by 1830, we will have an even stronger army. At that time, perhaps you can go on an expedition.”

“That is true, Your Majesty. But the problem of Persia must be resolved completely. They are different from the Ottoman Empire. They are located in the heart of Asia and are an important passage to India. When the Grand Marshal was still alive, he considered sending someone to this place.”

“A very good idea, but we haven’t had the opportunity yet. And there are some advantages to you staying here, as we will inevitably have to fight on the Danube front in the future. It’s just that no one can accurately predict when this war will come.”

"The Ottoman Empire was stronger than the Persian Empire, but only to a limited extent."

“You know very well that more than a decade ago you led a flank army to defeat them.”

"We still need to take action on one flank."

Solovyov had his adjutant show Nikolai a document containing operational plans primarily focused on the Danube Army.

"Do you really want to cross the Danube?"

"It would be best if we could go to Constantinople, Your Majesty. This was also Her Majesty's greatest wish during her lifetime: to have the banner of the double-headed eagle fly over the Hagia Sophia. In addition, the recent activities of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans, especially in Greece and Serbia, are also very alarming."

"That's true. When should we take action?"

"Although the Ottoman Empire and the Persian Empire are neighbors, we should not get bogged down in war on several fronts. For a period of time, we should concentrate our efforts on striking one enemy before dealing with another, while the troops left in the west should be prepared for possible European intervention."

"It's still best to be cautious and prudent. France is our ally now, and I think my sister thinks the same way."

"But Her Highness Catherine is the Queen Mother of France, and she has to consider her son to some extent. Moreover, Britain has organized several countries to deal with France in the past, and it is not impossible that they will spare some of their strength to deal with us."

Solovyov's influence on Nikolai was arguably even greater. To the four brothers, he was a trusted and trusted general. The only problem was that his thinking was a bit too open-minded and progressive.

Because he has a family and many children, he is not too enthusiastic about "change" and prefers to make changes gradually.

Strategically, however, he was an authority. Nikola looked at Dibich and Jomini, asking for their opinions, and they both agreed with the arrangement.

Especially with the Black Sea uncovered, for Russia, the land battlefield is divided into two sides, making it difficult to carry out operations.

At this time, the Ottoman Empire's actions against Greece were also being closely watched by Britain and France, and the British support for the Greek independence movement had become increasingly apparent.

Nikolai was not willing to fall behind, and the squadron he sent to the Mediterranean would be gradually strengthened over the next few years.

In addition, Solovyov had private contacts with some Pashas during his last campaign against the Ottoman Empire, and some intelligence should be being transmitted back by now.

Nikolai believed the most important point was the meeting between Solovyov's second brother, Anton, and Muhammad Ali Pasha when Solovyov passed through Egypt.

Egypt appears to have a tendency to break away from the Ottoman Empire and eventually become independent.

This is not surprising, as Cairo was already the cultural center of the Islamic world after the Arab conquest, and this remained true even in modern times.

Even after Suleiman conquered Egypt, the Mamluks, when they were useful, submitted to the Sultan. When the Sultan of Constantinople was weak, they were more likely to obey orders than proclamations, and even when Napoleon attacked, they needed reinforcements from the Ottoman Empire.

This has happened more than once.

Now, it's just that the Mamluk forces of the past have been wiped out by Muhammad Ali Pasha, this Albanian tobacco peddler, and replaced by his power.

Although he had hostages in Constantinople, Muhammad Ali was actually busy sowing seeds in Cairo. He didn't need another son by the Sultan's side, and even if that son was the heir, he had enough backup plans for the future.

However, given Egypt's level of expertise, he simply cannot compete.

Whether it's modern reforms, the quality of monarchs, or issues of national strength.
In addition, whoever controls Egypt, or has a better relationship with the local rulers, may be able to gain even more.

Britain, France, and Russia are all making efforts in this regard, but Russia is lagging behind.

The strongman Berzoni, having been hired by Solovyov, had no experience of adventure in Egypt.

However, Champollion made significant progress in Egyptological research, especially in getting close to deciphering Egyptian hieroglyphs.

The French were ahead of the curve in this regard, while Britain had been trying to cultivate a pro-British force.

The report that Nikolai saw, as Anton clearly stated, already contained his own explanation.

The war in the Eastern Mediterranean in the future will not be small in scale.

In addition, Nikolai is also about to depart for Moscow.

Louise and the Queen Mother have already met in Moscow; they still have some things to discuss.

Louisa felt her health was very poor. After Alexander's death, she only met with her two youngest daughters in Moscow and did not even attend Alexander's funeral.

At this time, there were two important events: Nicholas's coronation in Moscow and the final trial of the "rebels" in Senate Square.

Solovyov could play a significant role in both of these matters.

He was there in drag protecting Louise when Alexander was crowned.

This time, Nikolai asked Solovyov to preside over the ceremony.

Although the trial was ultimately handed over to a committee headed by the Minister of War, Solovyov, as a State Councilor and Governor of St. Petersburg, was responsible for supervising its execution.

The outcome of the trial was no longer important. Solovyov knew that most people would not be severely punished, and even the number of death row inmates in the initial draft had been reduced to twenty. Only Ryliev, as the mastermind, and Kakhovsky, as the murderer of the commander and the attempted regicide, were bound to be hanged.

Of the unfortunate members of the Southern Society, only Pestor received additional evidence and was sentenced to death by firing squad. If Wittgenstein had protected his son and then his adjutant, he would probably have been exiled to Siberia.

Most people eventually have their own destiny, and whether they are sent to exile or placed under house arrest and surveillance is arranged by the Governor of St. Petersburg.

In addition, Miloradovich, after years of being single and being shot twice, finally decided to marry his lover and return to his estate in Ukraine after the coronation ceremony.

On one hand, he needs to recover from his injury, and on the other hand, he is not young anymore.

Solovyov could never have imagined that the weapon he painstakingly designed to climb the ranks would unexpectedly save his life when he attempted to murder his senior.

“Perhaps this is fate, Misha. We have all received Alexander Vasilyevich’s care, except for Arkasha, you are the youngest one, and you arrived the latest.”

"But I'm the only one still actively serving and leading troops. Al-Kasha is going to be the ambassador to Brazil; after all, he's the son of the Grand Marshal."

Of course, this is a good job, after all, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil is the son-in-law of the late emperor and the nephew-in-law of Nicolás, and the relationship between the two countries will surely become closer.

In particular, news of the birth of the last daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to King Pedro I and Empress Yevdokia had just reached St. Petersburg.

This means that the future heir to the Brazilian throne, and even the heir to the Portuguese throne, may very well have Russian ancestry.

In fact, from a diplomatic perspective, this is also very advantageous for Russia. After all, Portugal has traditionally been a British ally, and this undermining action will at least keep Brazil neutral in any future wars.

As for Lieutenant General Arkady Suvorov's trip to Rio, he had another important mission: to contact the two prominent figures in the South American wars of independence in Argentina and Gran Colombia.

Strategically, if we want to take a long-term view, we should maintain good relations with those distant countries.

Besides, Solovyov has many personal matters to attend to, and he will be quite busy during his time in Moscow. (End of Chapter)