Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Chapter 521 033 The victory of the Russian Navy has become the most concerned topic among European countries recently
The Royal Navy suffered a defeat this time not because of their own poor fighting ability, but because their teammates were too bad.

In the port of Hanko, the glorious victory of the Russian Navy naturally attracted the great attention of the local Russian garrison.

The Russian army was naturally very excited when they saw the navy towing the Swedish ships in.

Although it was the Royal Navy that was blocking the gate from the outside, causing the entire squadron of the Baltic Fleet to be stuck in the port of Hanko, it also had a strange effect.

For example, the British looked at the coastal artillery and those blockhouse ships. They also knew that this place was difficult to deal with and had no intention of coming in.

Kronor could have sent a letter of victory directly to Alexander, but it would have had to start from the port of Hanko, pass through the main roads in Finland, and reach Vyborg.

As for who should come and go, there are actually some problems.

Solovyov could still strive for a better result. In addition, someone had to go to St. Petersburg to explain why Khanikov was dismissed from his post on the battlefield. At this time, only Solovyov could go.

At the same time, this is also a way to give Alexander some weight before he goes to Erfurt.

But whether to send troops back is also a question that both Kamensky Jr. and Bagration are currently considering.

In the end, the person who was assigned to escort Solovyov along the way was Prince Mikhail Dolgorukov, Solovyov's best friend.

"How's it going? Have you been feeling pretty good lately?"

"I have been following the fleet at sea for a few days and have witnessed more dangerous battles. Shells are flying around all the time. Who knows what will hit you? If you are hit, you won't even have a complete body."

"You were able to come back because you were lucky and you are very courageous. What's more, you can go home and rest for a few days and visit your children."

"Don't talk about me, what about you and His Highness?"

"Your Highness has already privately agreed to my proposal, but you also know that it is not easy for Her Highness the Queen Mother to agree."

"If this girl marries you, she can choose not to go abroad, right? I have heard some bad rumors, such as the rumor that my uncle is going to divorce my aunt, and at the beginning of the year, Mr. Caulaincourt, the French ambassador, privately asked me about the situation of the princes in the palace."

"You might as well not acknowledge this relative. What will you do if your aunt is bullied?"

"Never mind all that. We're fighting the French. I'm not going to Paris to be a general. Besides, the competition there is more intense. It's better to stay here."

After Solovyov finished speaking, he rode on a white horse, sealed Kroner's victory letter in the mailbox, and Dolgorukov followed on horseback.

The Russian soldiers along the way shouted "Ura", and only this small group of hussars wanted to march eastward.

Solovyov actually paid close attention to the places he would visit along the way. Apart from considering the war factor, the land in Finland was still good and many places could be developed.

"You still can't change your habit of looking at maps along the way."

"I can't help it. I've always been the chief of staff, unlike you, who has been a cavalry commander since you joined the army."

"So what? But you and my cousin have a very happy life. I didn't expect Katya to be so tolerant of you."

"From the time she got pregnant to the time she gave birth, I seldom left her except for work. I didn't go to Madame Recamier's place very often, and when I did, I was just a guest in her salon. I'm afraid Julie would have a lot of complaints about me."

"So what? She didn't give you a child. If you had a lover, you would definitely have a child with her. As a friend, I know you too well."

"You don't need to get involved in my affairs. Besides, if you are engaged to His Highness, you have to follow the rules. You have to adapt to the customs of the palace first. When the three previous His Highnesses got married, the sons-in-law had to adapt in advance."

"I'm not like that. You know that Katish was very familiar with me when she was a child."

"You used to be her reliable big brother, but now it's different. As a husband, you have to love your wife, take care of her when she needs you, and even tell her stories. And Her Highness is not like my Katya, she is a little narrow-minded."

"How do you know so well?"

"I can't help it. Who made me stay in the palace for so long?"

Solovyov told his friend this, and the two of them went all the way to Helsingfors, where they met Raevsky, who had just stepped down.

Rajevsky also had guards, so he had another companion with them.

Solovyov could not have imagined how many great changes would take place in this year. It seemed that all the major forces, except Prussia which had been the worst hit, were gradually increasing their strength, but they would also decline afterwards.

When they arrived in Vyborg, they even received a grand welcome. This was the newest Finnish regiment of the Guards, and its backbone was the reinforcements of the Guards and a part of the militia from St. Petersburg.

When Grand Duke Constantine saw them coming, he came to greet them in person. Now they still had to rush to St. Petersburg, and Alexander also had to prepare to set off in the next few days.

"Your Highness, this is the victory report from Vice Admiral Kron. We annihilated the main force of the Swedish Navy in the Gulf of Finland and captured two British battleships. This is a brilliant victory. The Swedish Navy will not be able to threaten us in the next ten years!"

"I know that, but you still have to think about what to say when the emperor wants to see you, Solovyov. You did a great job on this inspection mission, but you still have to come back and do a good job later." The Grand Duke said so, and Solovyov also understood the current situation.

"If we want to defeat Sweden and launch an attack from the north, I don't think we will be able to achieve any further results once winter comes. If necessary, we should stop fighting now and stabilize the rear. Our actions in Finland are unprecedentedly cruel."

Even though he had a good relationship with Kamensky the Younger, Solovyov had to explain this problem. The Russian army's retaliation against the Finnish guerrillas had always been cruel. It started with the Cossacks' looting of Finnish villages and grew with the Finnish guerrillas' counter-retaliation. The most intense stage was before this naval battle, and the Russian army retaliated again.

To be honest, the Russian army's discipline has deteriorated significantly recently, and it is very different from the army that went on the expedition to Italy and supported Austria and Prussia.

But they had no choice. If we talk about the severity of the situation, the worst should be the Polish Corps in the French Army. Everyone is actually very clear about what they did in Prussia.

And when Alexander arranged the meeting, he actually prepared a grand reception, where the Tsar himself and the Queen Mother personally welcomed him.

As for the reason for such a grand ceremony, it was because the messenger who set out ahead delivered the battle report, which made St. Petersburg very excited for a while.

You know, this was the first unprecedented and glorious victory of the Russian Navy since Alexander ascended the throne. For Alexander, it could satisfy his vanity.

"Your Majesty, I brought this glorious victory in the Gulf of Finland from the port of Hanko."

"What good news is that, Soloviev?"

"This is a battle report written by Vice Admiral Kron and sealed by me personally. The wax seal is still intact. We annihilated the main force of the Swedish Navy, sank three Swedish battleships, and captured six Swedish battleships and two British battleships. Two Swedish battleships sank due to flooding on the way, and the remaining six were towed to Hanko Harbor and are also waiting for your Majesty's disposal."

"Naturally, as part of our glorious navy, Soloviev, this time our glorious victory should be awarded to Roman Vasilyevich Crown, the Order of St. Andrew the Apostle. As for you, Soloviev, you should receive the Order of St. Anna, First Class."

Speaking of this medal, it was naturally brought by Paul from Peter III. However, there is a story behind it. For the victory on Gotland Island, Alexander issued an Order of St. Anna. However, before the person concerned returned to St. Petersburg to receive the formal medal, it was taken away because Gotland Island was lost again.

He really knows how to save trouble. This medal is just going to be given to Solovyov who has made great contributions.

As for Khanikov, he was merely demoted to a sailor, and then Alexander pardoned him. In this way, the 65-year-old admiral landed safely and got the opportunity to retire - if it weren't for his long service, this result would probably not have happened.

Next, there was a grand banquet. The Scotsman, Kron, didn't like this kind of place and felt more comfortable on the boat.

Solovyov also took over here, and the scene was almost the same as the one his senior brother Bagration had at the Moscow Gentlemen's Club.

In addition, at this time, he himself became a lifetime member of the Gentlemen's Club in St. Petersburg, and it was approved unanimously - after all, Solovyov was also an amazing general who had won victories both at sea and on land.

The next time such a person appears, Solovyov looked at the Navy Minister Chichakov, maybe he could do something on the Berezina River. But this is all in the future, and the future is always unpredictable.

He also saw many people here. Prince Mikhail's eldest brother Vladimir retired due to serious injuries, and he also appeared here. However, his second brother Peter died of a sudden illness when he returned from the front two years ago.
Solovyov could not have imagined that this glorious victory would gather so many nobles in the rear in St. Petersburg, but in the next few years, many of them would even die.

In particular, Mikhail Dolgorukov, who had always been his good friend, helped him a lot in entering the circle of the great nobles.

Now he looks like a happy man. Although his engagement has not been made public, everyone in St. Petersburg knows that as soon as the war is over, the Prince of the Dolgoruky family will marry Grand Duchess Catherine, the Queen Mother and the Tsar's favorite prince.

Destiny, and road. Alas, the road ahead is long and uncertain. Who knows what will happen?

Now he also saw Louisa with the children, appearing in the second row, but because of pregnancy, she was obviously "fat" again. If Alexander and her gave birth to a prince, it might be more beneficial to her, but given the couple's strange luck
Russia's power is still on the rise. However, in addition to his wife, Alexander has many mistresses, all of whom gave birth to girls. He has not given up and even recently hooked up with Miss George who came from Paris to perform.

Although Miss George was young, she had a plump figure. When she was in Paris, she was famous for her plump figure as a girl. In addition, the quality of her performances was guaranteed, and she was indeed an actress that Napoleon had always strongly supported. She also overshadowed Madame Chevalier in St. Petersburg at that time.

Louisa had to watch her husband like this while she was pregnant, and her lover had already started a family. He had more respect for her and deep feelings for her as a long-term lover.

At this time, the music at the banquet became passionate, and the drunk people kept smashing their glasses. After all, this time it was not like the funeral celebration after Austerlitz, but a great achievement.

After the banquet, Solovyov had to meet with Alexander, go home to visit his wife and children, or go somewhere else, all of which had to take precedence over official duties.

Europe should soon know about the Swedish Navy's defeat. In fact, the British suffered little loss. The battleships lost by the Royal Navy were mainly the Centaur. The Ruthless was originally French.

What we need to pay attention to is probably that the situation in Northern Europe is about to undergo major changes, and there will definitely be problems with the Swedish throne.

While the Russians were making rapid progress in northern Europe, France was stuck in a quagmire in Spain. It only seems relatively stable now because Napoleon personally went to Spain and defeated part of the Spanish army.

That was why Napoleon arranged such a meeting in order to stabilize his most powerful ally.

Of course, since Alexander was the monarch of the largest country in Europe, he always had his own confidence.

Before setting off, Solovyov probably knew the most about the French among the aide-de-camp generals. Not only had he been a military attaché in Paris, he was also a relative of the French royal couple and had a son with Polina.
Another point is that he really studies the war situation in Europe on a regular basis. If something happens, he can still make some comments as an expert.

Alexander's concerns were different from Solovyov's. The monarch was thinking about how to respond to France and intervene in the European continent; Solovyov wanted to quickly end the Nordic War so that he could concentrate his forces in the main direction.

(End of this chapter)