Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Solovyov remained in Constantinople until the spring of 1828, when a message arrived from St. Petersburg.

After returning to St. Petersburg, Louisa was bedridden for more than a year before passing away.

The messenger was Katya's former court lady-in-waiting, who had married a Praetorian Guard officer and was visiting her family in Constantinople.

"Did Elizabeth Alexievna have any last words?"

She didn't say anything, she just looked south.

Solovyov thought to himself that she and he were both willing to keep the secret, and looking south could refer to the Tsar. Only those familiar with the inside story would know it was him, and this circle of secrecy was so small that probably only Katya could guess it.

After arranging her marriage to Solovyov, Louisa did not explain this situation, but simply sent her former maids as scheduled.

"That's truly His Highness's style, silently protecting everyone from behind the scenes."

Moreover, thanks to the doctor's care, she lived a little longer.

In addition, there was Katya's letter, which explained some of the situation.

While Luisa was still conscious, she intended to give the diary to Mr. Karamzin, but he died after catching a cold in Moscow, so she had to leave it to Solovyov.

Queen Maria was able to guess some of the situation, so she also instructed the girl who went to visit her relatives to observe Solovyov's attitude.

However, Solovyov didn't say much, but instead inquired about the funeral arrangements.

Even procedures like dissection and embalming, according to royal custom, always involved embalming followed by burial in the crypt of a church or in the coffin display area.

Because Queen Louise, though past her prime, still retained some of her youthful beauty at the time of her burial, the improved royal embalming methods involved opening the body cavity from the side, similar to the ancient Egyptians, to remove the internal organs.
Louisa did not make this request, and she knew that the person she loved was either no longer there or far away from St. Petersburg.

"His Highness said she is no longer young and that there is no need to trouble the doctor."

However, Nikolai respected his sister-in-law very much, so he still requested that she look good during her encoffining.

That's roughly how it happened. Solovyov didn't have time to go back. Luisa mentioned him in her will, hoping that he could take good care of their youngest daughter, Nastya, since she had married into Solovyov's family as his daughter-in-law.

With this in mind, Solovyov knew what to arrange next.

There are still two crowns to be decided in the Balkans, and Solovyov will also help Luisa's daughters fight for them. One of the queen's titles will probably fall to one of their daughters.

Although Louisa did not fight for power, she would still strive for some rights for her daughters with Nicholas's tacit approval. If the Grand Duchess of Russia became Queen, it would also be beneficial for Russia to control these regions.

Of course, they don't need to worry about being annexed by Russia.

"As for His Highness, arrangements will naturally be made. I have written a reply to the Emperor. Nadja, are you still going back to St. Petersburg?"

“I will go back. Please have mercy and let my husband return home soon, so we can…”

“I know that newlyweds should enjoy some sweet moments together. If your husband is willing to become a civilian or transfer to the reserves early during his military service, you can be reunited. But if there is a war, he will have to answer the call. There may still be war in the Caucasus, and if officers are needed elsewhere, he can be appointed as a garrison commander.”

"Sir, thank you for your care."

"This matter hasn't been accomplished yet, so don't rush to thank me. I don't want to fight anymore; it would be best if I could go home."

Solovyov said he did not want war, and that he had crushed the Ottoman Empire in one fell swoop. At this point, it seemed that no one would bother Russia again, at least not for the next fifteen years.

He calculated his age and realized that he would be 62 years old in fifteen years, at which point he should retire or stay in St. Petersburg and not need to lead troops into battle.

No one wanted to fight a Russia that was constantly making progress. After returning, there was another important matter to consider: how to resolve the issue of serfdom.

Solovyov devised a five-step plan, but the first step was not to liberate serfs. Instead, he announced a time-limited plan to invest in education among serfs belonging to the nobility and state serfs.

Then came reducing the proportion of serfs in the country, freeing them, providing employment opportunities, allocating land to them, and finally abolishing serfdom, turning Russia into a completely new country.

Before that, we need to build up some prestige for Nikolai.

After Luisa's death, he postponed his planned coronation in Warsaw, but announced that he would maintain Alexander's rule over Poland and guarantee the semi-independent status of the Kingdom of Poland.

But if the Polish restoration movement continues its self-destructive path as before, Nikolai's methods will be much more ruthless.

He wouldn't be like Alexander the Great, afraid of offending people and always acting as the messiah.

Moreover, Nikolai, whom Solovyov had advised, was clearly more resilient and less foolish, and he also knew how to discuss opinions with the courtiers.

That would be great.

However, it will be difficult for Nikolai to go to Warsaw for his coronation today, partly because his sister-in-law has just passed away.

In addition, Queen Mother Maria's health has visibly deteriorated. If she unfortunately falls seriously ill in the autumn or winter, Nikolai's trip to Warsaw will have to be postponed until next year.

Regarding the Polish coronation, Solovyov believed that although it showed the importance attached to Poland, the Polish peasants and Polish lords had different ideas. Nikolai's taxes were obviously very low, which was a good thing for the farmers and landowners.

But the nobles are probably not satisfied; who knows if they'll pull some tricks.

Moreover, who knows what might happen in the Persian direction?

Of course, there were also letters from his son and daughter. He's a grandfather now, a bit early, but it's a good thing, as his family will eventually have many members.

A litter of foxes has several cubs, and the number increases exponentially with each generation. Solovyov could imagine that his family had probably stirred up a fox den, and if he lived long enough, he might even see two more generations. At that time, early marriage and childbirth were still common among European nobles.

After an heir is identified, people generally live separate lives, with perhaps one or two backup options, and those with special needs might even want a daughter. However, Solovyov's cotton-padded coat at home is drafty, while it's quite comforting outside.

Their lifestyle is quite unique; the couple always have a very good relationship, so they continue to live together and have children.

Solovyov knew that his younger sister Yulia had already given birth to eight children for Christian, and that Anton and Marina had gone to the Qing Dynasty, where they would probably continue their work.
Then think about my cousin's family in Moscow, which has eight children, and the other cousins ​​also have quite a few children.
In short, this family consists of nobles of four different social classes. If they were to have a family gathering in Ryazan, there would be more than a hundred people.

Although he himself is a lecherous "bad fox," he has a good relationship with his wife and lover and still believes in love, even if it may fade.

When he saw that Griboyedov was getting married, he still wrote a letter to congratulate him personally. However, Nina was only just old enough to get married. Wasn't this a bit too hasty?
When the focus shifted to Tbilisi, Georgia's "Little Black Rose" had blossomed into a stunning beauty. She accepted Griboyedov's marriage proposal; although he was a bit older, he was very talented and held a good position.

More importantly, it's about finding someone you click with.

The wedding held in Tbilisi was quite enviable.

Griboyedov's superior, Yermolov, even joked that he was a little jealous of him for marrying such a beautiful young woman.
As the secretary to his former superior, Griboyedov couldn't help but feel somewhat awkward.

After all, he didn't know what his former boss really meant, whether it was the truth or something else.

In short, many people envy him, or in other words, are jealous of him.

However, there were still some unsettling factors at the wedding.

Although Lisa's husband was demoted to a soldier, he was still a member of the Northern Association's small group. He wouldn't mistreat his friends after arriving in Griboyedov in the Caucasus, so he was invited to the wedding. Lisa's father was still very important to liberals.

According to Caucasian custom, they were now exchanging rings, but Griboyedov's ring fell to the ground.

This is a very bad omen, and the locals in Georgia take such omens very seriously, to the point of being superstitious and even somewhat frightening.

However, Griboyedov and Nina announced their marriage, and the couple would remain in Tbilisi after the wedding.

In a short time, Griboyedov will serve as the Tsar's ambassador in Tehran, that is, the plenipotentiary ambassador to the Persian Empire, where he will oversee the implementation of the peace agreement and maintain good relations with the Persian Shah.

At that time, he was the most suitable Russian diplomat for the job because he had visited the Persian Empire many times, and the Shah had a good impression of him. His attitude was relatively mild, unlike Menshikov, who was a fool who only knew how to be tough.

Therefore, he will undertake this mission and travel to Tehran.

However, he knew the mission was dangerous, so he spent more time with Nina. If she became pregnant, she wouldn't have to go to Tehran with him, which was still quite dangerous.

"Sashka, why do you think Tehran is dangerous?"

“Because of the unpredictability of the Persians, Nina. You’ve met Mikhail Sergeyevich, and he’s highly wary of the Persians. But I can’t refuse to go; as a diplomat, I’m also there to maintain friendly relations between the two countries.”

"You're leaving me here at this time."

"It's not safe there, and this kind of adventure isn't suitable for taking you there."

Griboyedov knew that the death rate of Russian envoys in the Persian Empire was quite high, even during ceasefire negotiations, and the rulers of the Persian Empire did not seem to properly control their subjects.

Taking Nina with her in this situation would have been very dangerous, but thankfully she started feeling nauseous after only a short time, which is a sign of pregnancy.

She was to be left with her father, and of course, with some reliable female companions.

Griboyedov had hosted Solovyov, and it was this important figure who helped him get promoted in the Caucasus.

Therefore, he arranged for Lisa to come to Tbilisi, so that she wouldn't have to stay with the army and Konovnitsyn, and could also come to help Nina.

Lisa already has a son, and you can tell from his name that he is Konovnitsyn's brother in the family. The son is named Mikhail in honor of his maternal grandfather, since Konovnitsyn is already called Peter.

This way, Konovnitsyn's wife could relax a bit. Although she adapted well to life in the military camp, she was, after all, the daughter of a prince of the highest rank, and by Qing standards, she was already considered a princess.

Solovyov's title of Prince of the First Rank was ultimately chosen in Thrace, where the final decisive battle took place, in honor of his capture of the Sultan and the destruction of the Ottoman army.

In fact, Solovyov would prefer to receive a title related to classic ancient battlefields, but this wish is somewhat difficult to fulfill. Having a title would be good enough, as it is comparable to the title of Prince of Italy held by Marshal Suvorov, although Thrace sounds a bit too low in status.

There was nothing we could do; the enemy we encountered this time was too weak, and they collapsed very quickly.

Griboyedov also wrote to Solovyov, asking him for advice on some matters.

The prince's reply was simple: do not cause trouble in Tehran, as Azerbaijanis and Persians often do unexpected and outrageous things that could even threaten personal safety.

This doesn't mean he saw history. Even if Solovyov knew about the history of Persia and Russia, he probably wouldn't remember it, because it was on a secondary level.

He was more focused on strategic planning and arranging everything.

He didn't know Griboyedov's fate, but this time the advice was still insightful.

Russian diplomats in Turkey and Persia throughout history have faced a significant risk of becoming disposable assets, due to the unpredictability of the Turkish populace and the even greater troubles in Persia.

Solovyov had been planning to attack Tehran, but did not want to cause too much trouble on the Iranian plateau.

His plan was to gradually erode the territory, and after entering northern Azerbaijan, he could advance through fortifications and control Central Asia, thus posing a threat to Persia from two directions.

He even considered that he should no longer claim the military merit, but should let Paskovich and others also get the credit. His eldest son was also of age to join the army and serve on the front lines. Back then, he captured the commander of the Italian legion of the French when he was only 18 years old.

Solovyov also had high hopes for Pasha, but he himself didn't know how fast Pasha was growing.

Next, there's the matter with Persia, which is likely fraught with uncertainty. (End of Chapter)