Chapter 30 Arriving in Petersburg in the Winter of 030

Chapter 30 Arriving in Petersburg in the Winter of 030

The Solovyov family home at No. 4, Xili Lane is not big. When the four Solovyov brothers became rich, all the properties were sold and only this one was left. In the past, they all lived around Prince Menshikov's house. Moreover, the urban planning of St. Petersburg used to have more messy buildings, unlike the planning it is now.

This mansion actually survived the great fires of 1736 and 1737 and was considered a good piece of land, so it was not sold.

After all, if you believe in the Orthodox Church, being too devout will turn it into superstition. However, compared with Catholicism and Protestantism, the Orthodox Church is better. From the priests to the patriarchs, there are not too many bad things. Their hobbies are a bit similar to those of the King of Understanding.

Having said that, the reason why Xiyi Lane is less likely to be affected is that there are many places using water around it and it is on Kazan Island, so it has been fine.

Because it was behind the residences of Count Shuvalov and Prince Yusupov, this place was not very conspicuous, but it was a small courtyard very suitable for a small noble to live in. Although Count Shuvalov wrote several times wanting to buy this place and expand his courtyard, the old baron chose to refuse.

Now Solovyov lives in St. Petersburg, where there are people living there every day. They have also lit a fire in advance and paid attention to ventilation.

According to the old man, he was going to bring his sister and stepmother here from Moscow to spend the winter because Count Rostov's family did not have a fire this year and they had all moved back to their estate in the countryside. It was not convenient for them to stay in other noble homes, so they wanted to come and see their son.

It was also a good opportunity to come and see what his son looked like now, because he had shown his face in front of the emperor. The old father was very proud of his son. The last time their family showed their face in front of the emperor, it was a dangerous job that almost got them beheaded by Peter the Great. It was only because of Prince Menshikov's great reputation that he was lucky enough to stay alive.

It goes without saying how glorious this made the old baron. He followed General Grushetsky during the war and only earned a medal after his leg was broken. His son got a chance to show off in front of the emperor by using his brain. Moreover, all newly manufactured "Model 1797 Jager Rifles" were called "Soloviev Rifles" from then on. This would be a great honor even in China.

As for why he was in such a hurry to come to St. Petersburg, it was because it would be more convenient to find a doctor for his wife here. At the same time, he also took into account that his son was doing business with several young nobles, and they still needed someone to help. Although his father was not very good at other things, he was very capable in business and helping nobles manage their property.

Actually, Solovyov welcomed his coming, but when his father came, even though there were not many people from home, it was quite lively.

As for when they will come, it was clearly stated in the letter. The original plan was to come the day after tomorrow, but due to changes in the schedule, they will come one day sooner.

So what this letter means is that it will arrive tomorrow.

This old man is really a worry. If he had come a little slower, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But he came so suddenly that I only had time to order the servants to clean up.

Even Solovyov himself took part in cleaning out the master bedroom which had been empty all this time. He also asked Uncle Sergei and his family to clean the room on time when he was away. He was busy until the evening, and only then did he clear out the room.

The next morning, the old baron's carriage arrived at the Moika River Embankment. However, their house was located in an alley, which required some technical skills to operate the carriage. It could only stop after entering the yard, otherwise it would be blocked if someone was traveling in the alley.

When getting off the car, Solovyov watched his sister Yulia jump down directly, still full of energy. As for Madame Solovyova, Miss de Rivery, she was able to get down directly without much help from the servants, and she seemed to be in good physical condition.

"Misha, let's see what you are like now. It's good to be an officer in the Emperor's new regiment in Petersburg. This makes father very proud."

"But this is only the beginning. There is still a long way to go. Petersburg is different from the countryside in Ryazan. We cannot compete with some of the local masters there. If you are willing to come from home, you can help me a lot."

"Yes, I am an idle man, and I shall get rusty if I live in the country."

"Dad, you're not the Tin Man!"

Yulia turned around and added that this girl was also sharp-tongued. Coming to St. Petersburg was still a new thing for her, and she was clamoring to go out and play with "Katya".

This was a bit unruly, after all, the Dolgorukov family had a good background. However, there were quite a few activities in St. Petersburg in winter, including many performances and balls. Of course, children were not usually taken to balls. Before they officially entered social occasions, it was rare for a family to appear at such occasions, except in some salons and banquets, where they could bring their families.

As for Vasily Vasilyevich, his nearest manor was not in the city, so it was impossible to find him.

Walking to the Moika River Embankment, there were people selling flyers for this year's new performances and various activities. There would be no ice performances because the ice had not yet frozen. In fact, if you want to hold an ice performance in St. Petersburg, it would definitely not be as convenient as in Moscow or some colder places. Because of the climate, this venue would be completed later.

The earliest performance was the "Real Chess" show held by the owner of No. 17 Nevsky Prospekt last year. This time the venue was at the Ares Square, and it was not so cold yet, so it was more convenient to set up. It was also the first winter entertainment project.

Solovyov really wanted to sign up to be a chess player. The soldiers for the performance events were all selected from the Guards. The Pavlovsky Grenadiers Regiment did not have the title of Guards yet, and its base was not in the city center. This kind of thing was usually done by recruiting people from the Guards headquarters.

However, it is obviously not his turn to be a chess player. Those who want to stand out in any aspect of the performance have to fight hard for it.

Finally he was able to accept it and become a spectator nearby, and today's performance was attended by the Tsar himself.

The people on the field, as well as the organizers, all performed very hard.

Solovyov found a seat very high up in the stands. In fact, when watching a chess game live, one can see the scene more clearly from a high place. He came here on his own. After his father came, he took over his business and claimed that he wanted to let his son see what a professional is - the old baron could indeed guarantee this. Their family was not of high origin, and they were able to enter the ranks of the nobility by managing the money for the masters.

"Hey, Misha, you came to see this show too."

At this moment, Dolokhov from the Semenovsky Regiment passed by with his gang of cronies. Dolokhov was very serious and didn't want to let this friend from outside the circle in. After all, Dolokhov was too serious and had a bright future. Although he was a bastard, he was always a good friend.

"Let me introduce you to Captain Solovyov of the Pavlovsky Grenadiers. Although he is not very old." "Yes, Dolokhov, your friend is still very milky."

"He's quite handsome." There are also officers from Western Europe in the Guards, and they speak in the same tone as Mr. Langgelon.

"But don't underestimate him. He's a sharpshooter and an inventor. He's even appeared before the emperor. Look, the third-class Order of Saint Anna was awarded to him by the emperor himself. He got the medal based on his real ability without even going to the battlefield. The rest of us can't compare. Don't bother him anymore in the future."

Dolokhov said this, and he really understood that although the young Count Tolstoy, who had just joined the Guards, was also in their circle, he was not completely a jerk. When they made friends, they liked to find young men in literary salons, and they were from big families; and Solovyov, although he was from a small noble family, had a bright future. Sometimes he thought that his group of bad friends were not as good at shooting as the "greenhorn" little captain they talked about. They were just more brave, and they were not sure what they would be like on the battlefield!

He is issuing a warning: Don't drag my friend into this!

Although Solovyov sometimes attended gatherings of young officers, he did not like drinking, and apart from being an accurate shooter, he seemed to have nothing in common with these people.

He was wondering about one thing: how did that sturdy guy Pierre get into this circle? His style wasn't right, and he was a kind-hearted person.

As for Dolokhov, everyone said he was a bastard, but when it came to sticking up for his friends, he would go even if it meant going to hell.

But if he acts like a jerk, he can be one of the most dangerous people in St. Petersburg.

"But those who are willing to watch this kind of performance still like to play chess. Little Captain, just tell me, how is the game today?"

Not all of them are reckless. Among Dolokhov's friends, there are also some masters of cards and chess. Playing cards and chess is considered their daily entertainment.

"What are you looking at? You two are just two idiots. You are just watching a show. If I had known this, I might as well have gone to the theater to watch a play!"

These people also nodded. They felt that it was really boring for two bad chess players to play chess, so they left early.

After all, these guys are restless and have some excess hormones.

After they left, Solovyov also felt bored, and since the Mars Square could lead to the Moika River Embankment, he also planned to go back early.

This winter has just arrived, and there are quite a few entertainment activities in the city, which can help pass the time. There are also literary salons, music salons, and various social activities for many nobles.

He thought it was boring to watch a bad chess player play chess, so he thought of introducing something else, such as the ancient Eastern game of Go. But that required someone to know how to play it. Although Europe had heard of Go, it was mostly from missionaries and businessmen who went to China and Japan.

But even if he had seen pork, he might not know how the pig ran. He also didn't know whether the bill of exchange he gave to the people who went to Kyakhta would work in the end, and what he could buy back. If he really came back, it would probably be next summer.

As the year was coming to an end, at least he had completed an important project, which was to make a rifle.

If a grenade is loaded with black powder, it will probably explode into two pieces like a "border area grenade". The ignition method also needs to be considered, but he has no idea at the moment, and the team leader is a person who doesn't care about the matter, so there is no point in talking to him.

When he got here, he continued walking along the embankment. He was going home. It was still a long time before the show ended. If he walked a little longer, the night air would not be as fresh as in the countryside because there were too many houses with fires. The embankment and Nevsky Avenue were fine, however. He could go all the way back home along the Moika Embankment.

The first fork in the road is still Million Street. There are many places ahead. Although they are occupied by everyone, there are no buildings there for various reasons.

And one more thing to note is that many of the buildings on this street are not quite the same as the later St. Petersburg. Some of the mansions that were awarded to the nobles during the reign of Catherine II were the first owners, but due to debts and various reasons, they were replaced one after another starting from the Paul era. The famous Mariinsky Palace is still nowhere to be seen. It is still the official residence of Count Chernyshev. In the future, it will be demolished and a new building will be rebuilt.

Further ahead is the office building of the Russian-American Company in St. Petersburg, the house number here is 72 Moika Embankment. Speaking of which, one of Paul's important achievements was to send fur traders to North America, but it was inevitable that the British would cross the border and run to the Russian purchasing stations to stir up trouble.

It is no wonder that Tsar Paul has always disliked the British. If it were not for what happened in France, he might have chosen to ally with France to fight against Britain. The British have also put obstacles in the way of the Russians wherever they can reach.

However, the headquarters of the Russian American Company is in Irkutsk, and its entire operations are in the more remote Alaska and some settlements on the west coast of the United States. These places actually have great potential for development in the future.

I just don't know how much interest the Russian rulers had in that place. In any case, except Paul, who founded the Russian-American Company, other tsars didn't have much interest in it. During the reign of Alexander II, it was even sold directly.

Let’s not talk about what’s under the ground. In fact, although Russia had the longest distance to travel, they were not slow at all in reaching Hawaii and the west coast of North America. They only failed in the end because of sea power and various conflicts of interest.

You know, compared with Britain and the United States, the group of France, Russia and Spain were more anthropomorphic in the process of colonizing America.

However, things in North America were too far away for a young captain. After hearing about the Russian-American Company, his father wanted to subscribe to some corporate bonds. Of course, it was hard to say what the returns would be.

After all, in the business world, who is better at malicious competition? There is a pile of shit to the west of Beihai!

(End of this chapter)