Chapter 27 In Count Stroganov's Residence
Chapter 27: At Count Stroganov's Residence
Count Stroganov's family is indeed somewhat eccentric. Although there are many eccentrics among the Russian nobles, Solovyov used to be on Million Street, and there were many strange people on that street, and he saw them all.
The eccentricity of the Earl and his wife is reflected in their lifestyle, which is still French. Especially the old Earl has been in the French royal court for a long time, and their life has always been more European. However, despite the habits brought from Europe, they still prefer the Russian lifestyle, especially when discussing things with the son of a squire like Solovyov.
After returning to Russia and getting married, Count Pavel realized many problems. After all, life in Russia is different from life in France.
When he came back, the crown prince, who was the second heir, Grand Duke Alexander, wrote to him, confessing his "Jacobin" tendencies. In order to protect the Grand Duke and prevent him from making inappropriate comments where he shouldn't, Count Pavel's godfather was the Tsar himself, and they were close friends for generations, regardless of their status as close ministers. On this basis, Count Pavel found his cousin, Count Nikolai Novosilitsev, who accompanied Alexander on a daily basis, to keep the secret together.
In fact, it is very simple. Before he came back from France and joined the Jacobin Club, he was already very clear that in Russia's current environment, if a great change was to take place, the conditions were not ripe, and the consequences could even be disastrous.
After he returned to Russia, he was even more convinced of this idea. Moreover, the progressive forces in Russia were already limited in strength, and if he was not careful, he would get himself involved.
Moreover, from the eyes of the Empress, anyone associated with the French Jacobin Club was prohibited from operating in St. Petersburg, and even the nobles returning from France were exiled to their estates in the countryside, and at most they could only operate in Moscow. It is clear that there is still great resistance in this regard in Russia.
The ruling class is very powerful. Even when he was in France, he was able to directly participate in the three-level conference and club activities. The count tried to remain restrained after returning. This was even more so after he got married. Especially after seeing his son Alexander and daughter Natalia, returning to family life diluted his past passion.
In fact, Solovyov himself believed that sometimes one had to act according to national conditions and the international environment. Even after success, domestic food shortages were commonplace.
The count himself was also well-known for his love of literature and art, and his family was also a famous patron of the arts. The old count was a representative figure of the Russian Enlightenment. When the couple was still living together, they were neighbors of Mr. Voltaire in his later years. When they were in France, they also sponsored various research activities.
Especially after the old count came back, he was still the leader of the nobility in St. Petersburg. Various salons and gatherings of all sizes were often held at 17 Nevsky Prospect, mostly on culture and art. If anyone talked about politics, considering that the family had lived in France for a long time, it was generally better to say less.
Today, when Count Pavel returned to his official residence at 17 Nevsky Avenue, it was already noon. He had heard about Solovyov's appearance before the Tsar. The source of the information was naturally the Crown Prince.
This aspect would not arouse his interest at the moment, but Madame Le Brun wrote to explain that the young captain wanted to introduce the mysterious East, but was at a loss as to how to start. The Count very generously expressed his support, and also considered that it might involve communication in multiple languages, so it would be better to communicate in person.
After all, he lived with Voltaire for a period of time when he was a child. The first person to praise China in Europe was probably this leader of the Enlightenment. Even if you have read his books, you will feel that what he said makes some sense, but he just exaggerated too much.
When the Count and Countess were in Russia, they tried to speak Russian as much as possible. However, the local nobles used French in social occasions, which made them run in both directions.
"I think it's better to talk in Russian at a time like this. After all, this isn't a 'formal occasion', Captain. What do you think?"
"When in China, we should follow the local customs."
The count heard it and just smiled.
"There are two problems with this. One is that people say we are 'returnees from overseas'. You are a guest in my home, and this is Russia, not France."
"That still depends on the master's opinion, ma'am. In this way, the decision is yours."
Then, now they are talking.
"We don't speak a word of French anymore, why are we still arguing?"
Indeed, Solovyov and Count Stroganov smiled at each other and got down to business.
"Captain, have you ever read the works of Monsieur Voltaire?"
"Sir, I have had the pleasure of reading some of the Essay on Customs in this regard. Is it possible that I could make a straightforward comment on it?"
"Of course you can. After all, that gentleman doesn't mind someone making an objective and rational evaluation of his work."
"Well, what I want to say is that without investigation, you have no right to speak. I think what Mr. Voltaire wrote, the British delegation sent to China a few years ago, or the Nguyen crown prince coming to Fontainebleau, are just appearances. Usually, the summary and analysis we make are based on the intelligence we can recognize. There are still some things beyond our scope of cognition. In any case, it should be like this. Without a thorough investigation, you will not have the right to speak."
"Yes, that's true. So you want to use the translation of popular literature from the East to let us know the real Eastern world?"
"Indeed, I have two ideas. One is to translate a classic popular literature, Romance of the Three Kingdoms. The other is to refer to Eutropius's Outline of Roman History and any Eastern historiography that can be found, and do a compilation. This project may be very large and requires the participation of professional scholars."
"I can understand that the book, Outline of the History of the Roman Nation, was originally in Latin. I used this book when I was studying Latin at university in Paris. The content is also very concise and is a very good basic textbook."
"But unfortunately, my Latin is not very good. I came up with this book because I saw a bilingual manuscript of Greek and Russian translated from my former superior. That's why I had this idea."
He had indeed read the book. It was not surprising that Dmitri Volkonsky had some books about Rome from the "Third Rome" collection in his house. The book was dedicated to Emperor Jovian after Julian's death and the end of the Constantine dynasty. The content of the book was relatively brief, from the founding of Rome to the author's contemporary times.
Solovyov wanted to write such a book because he wanted Europeans to really understand the East. In fact, Russia and the Qing Dynasty were neighboring countries, and they knew the situation a little better than those Western European countries. The European missionaries who came seemed to be inefficient, and a lot of content was not able to be spread to Europe.
"The Orphan of China" is a relatively famous story. Solovyov did not want to take advantage of Voltaire's popularity, but Count Stroganov suggested that he analyze it.
"First, you should analyze the historical background of "The Orphan of China". I think this is a small achievement, and Mr. Voltaire."
"If I publish this, I'm afraid some people will say that what Voltaire wrote about was a fantasy China."
So that's how it is. The five-act version of "The Orphan of China" took advantage of the popularity of Laotie. If Soloviev put the content of the original deconstructed version and then narrated the original content, it would go back to the story when the missionaries brought the magically modified translation version of Yuan Zaju to China. This can increase a lot of related readings. It may not cause a new "China fever", but it is okay to correct the audio-visual. Those versions of the adapted dramas were all works from the Enlightenment period, from 1735 to 1785. Anyway, they were all outrageous. If there were really Chinese people who watched them, they would feel a little embarrassed knowing the background of the times.
After all, cultural differences caused by lack of understanding of the East account for a large part of diplomatic conflicts. In this regard, France and Russia are actually much more sensible than the arrogant British Empire.
"It is the truth, Count."
While they were chatting, the servants had prepared lunch.
"I think this is a good time to eat fresh venison. It is at its most delicious in autumn."
Those who could live on Nevsky Prospekt were actually older in terms of qualifications than the nobles on Million Street. This palace was built in the 1750s as the official residence of the Stroganov family, and the street itself appeared after the shipyard workers settled down and Bolshaya Moskaya Street and Malyo Moskaya Street were built. After the fire in 1736, there were these new streets that were continuously planned from the reign of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna to the early reign of Empress Catherine II.
Because it is newly built and has been replanned, it looks much better than the city center of Paris.
The venison dishes served on the table were carefully cooked and looked very delicious.
"Come and try it. When you come to our place, just treat it as your own home. We welcome any young people who are interested in art."
"Come to think of it, Count, you don't look like someone who has lived in France. You look more like a country person from Ryazan. You know, my father is a country gentleman from Ryazan."
"As Russians, we should be enthusiastic. When I was in Paris, everyone was equal. If it were me, I would restore the freedom of the serfs."
"Pasha, I have told you many times that you should entertain guests instead of giving speeches. You should tell the emperor and his highness about your experiences in Paris and your brilliant ideas, or you can do it in the salon instead of at the table."
This couple could be described as a model couple, except for their political views, as the Countess obviously did not discuss politics much, and the ladies who listened to this were all court ladies who were not young, and who more or less paid attention to these matters.
"Well, Sonya, you're right, let's change the subject. This winter we're going to have another live chess show here in Petersburg."
"Like the one our family organized last year? Then Alexander Sergeevich (the old count) will be very happy. He likes this kind of lively real-life competition the most."
"Are you going to play chess? I'm a pretty good chess player. I'm still undefeated among the adjutants of the grenadiers."
Speaking of chess, it may be the highest level skill in the brain and muscle memory of this body. Solovyov retained this skill. Many other skills, even language skills, were accumulated again after "deleting the account".
"No, Misha. It's a game where real people act as chess pieces, and the players give the orders on both sides."
If I were to explain it to the readers, it was just like the wizard's chess played by Ron in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". The nobles were watching the chess game while also watching the performance. In short, it was very lively.
"Oh, I understand! But who will play the king and who will play the queen?"
"Of course, we found the soldiers and the actors from the theater. Were you in Petersburg last year? The competition was quite lively at that time, but it was also accompanied by some... Let's talk about these things after dinner when we go to the garden to drink tea."
The reason was that this was when old Count Stroganov, the leader of the St. Petersburg nobility, was entertaining a visit from Gustav IV and preparing for his engagement with Grand Duchess Alexandra. However, the Swedish king messed things up, leading to a serious diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Until now, although Tsar Paul himself has a bad relationship with his mother, he has always been hostile to Sweden. It was only because of Russia's political interests that he did not send troops to raze Stockholm to the ground.
As for the venison, Solovyov's eating manner showed that he had a good appetite. He said that he was the son of a country gentleman, which was indeed true, but he was a gourmet who could maintain his demeanor and eat so much, so it was obvious that the venison was cooked very deliciously.
"You really like this dish, Misha. When we entertain guests at home, it's rare that you have such a good appetite."
"Countess, when you read those legendary stories and think of some warriors as being able to eat a lot, you probably won't be surprised by my appetite. These dishes are so delicious, and the seasonings used are just right."
"Of course, this is a Bohemian home-style dish prepared by a chef invited from Prague."
This is venison stewed with potatoes. No wonder, the Hungarian dish "Gulash" and the borscht in the Russian countryside are also relatively affordable dishes.
"Isn't that the same as that Hungarian dish?"
"The way you eat so fast, you look like a hussar." The Countess said this, probably because the famous Hungarian dish is "Gulash", and the hussars' uniforms are all Hungarian style, but the colors are slightly different.
"We all know that you are a friend of Misha from the Dolgorukov family. You two have the same nameday, but you are one year younger than him. That lively hussar sometimes comes with his brother. And you, the 'inventor', can't do many things without his help."
The count went on to joke that it was obvious that what these young people were doing could not escape the eyes of others, and anyway, it was some harmless business and promotion.
And the Countess was one of their clients, and beneath her literary noblewoman appearance, this lady was rather fond of settling accounts.
"Misha, can we buy the overseas sales rights for this 'Little Bee' you made?"
This princess, who lived a life of luxury, was surprisingly good at business. Her husband and father-in-law were both enthusiastic sponsors. Although the family assets were so abundant that they could not be used up by several generations, they still needed to be managed. She believed that as a hostess, she should manage the family assets seriously. Otherwise, sooner or later, she would face huge troubles. This kind of thing was so common in Europe and even around the world.
(End of this chapter)