Chapter 92 Arriving at the Winter Palace St. Peter’s Castle

Chapter 92 Arriving at the Winter Palace St. Peter’s Castle

Chapter 92 Back to the Winter Palace St. Petersburg
On the way back to St. Petersburg, with widespread snowfall, the north of Russia turned into a white world.

Grand Duke Constantine on the sled was sleeping wrapped in blankets and furs, not caring at all where he had arrived. It was still some distance to St. Petersburg.

At this time, Solovyov was also thinking about the situation he might encounter when he arrived in St. Petersburg, especially if Korsakov arrived early and falsely accused the Field Marshal, saying that the failure in Switzerland was not his responsibility and he wanted to shift the blame.

If the Archduke returned to the palace, he would certainly speak on behalf of the Grand Marshal. After all, he was a witness to the entire battle from the time the Russian army entered Milan to the time the army escaped. He also participated in many actions, as well as endorsing the Grand Marshal to deal with the Austrian nobles and persuade the Cossacks who went to the expedition.

This kind of false accusation will obviously affect his personal achievements in this expedition.

It is for yourself and for others.

Solovyov had learned some information about the Battle of Zurich from Korsakov's defeated generals. Although the problem was not entirely his fault, as the Austrians' retreat and treacherous "forced execution" also played a part, the main responsibility still lay with him.

However, he may have thought too much about all this. After returning to St. Petersburg, he saw that everything on the interface was still very quiet. It was already the end of 1799, and the year was still very quiet, with no entertainment activities on the streets.

Logically speaking, with two grand duchesses getting married, the streets should be extremely busy.

After the sled arrived in St. Petersburg, it stumbled on the stone road surface. Although Constantine did not curse out loud, he also complained in his heart. The civil servants and clerks under St. Petersburg have always been a group of "chameleons" in order to please their superiors. When cleaning the roads in St. Petersburg, the road surface must be exposed. In this way, the sled, which is only operated in winter, will suffer like this when it reaches some ground.

"Your Highness, please keep calm. When we return to Petersburg, we will go directly to the palace."

Komarovsky was the highest-ranking adjutant among Grand Duke Constantine's lieutenants and had been with him for a long time. His remarks at this time indicated that Tsar Paul would immediately summon his son, but not to discuss matters at the front, but to reunite with his family.

In a royal banquet hall in the Winter Palace, Ms. Scherer, the lady-in-waiting of the Queen, had already begun to ask the servants to make the arrangements. Although according to European tradition, dinners should be more grand, Tsar Paul wanted to make preparations in advance for his son who had just returned from Prague, so he began to make arrangements in the small banquet hall.

This was an exception for Tsar Paul, whose personal diet consisted of kohlrabi, ham, water, bread and a small amount of red wine.

When the sleigh came to Million Street, it was not far from the Winter Palace. It had to pass the Pavlovsky Grenadiers Barracks and the pharmacy first, then the Grand Duke Constantine's own residence, and then the residence of Countess and Countess Lita - the "little fairy"'s mother also officially remarried, so she got this name. The end of this road was where nobles lived or the ancillary buildings of the palace. At the end was the outskirts of the Little Winter Palace, where the Guards were always stationed.

When they arrived outside the Small Winter Palace, several Grand Duchesses were listening to Maria playing the harp in the concert hall. This was the sisters' own pastime when there was no entertainment in the winter. Men were excluded and only their younger brother Nicholas was allowed to enter.

However, this child may not have much musical talent, and he does not know how to appreciate Maria's harp. He really cannot hear the complex tones. It may be because he is too young. Of course, he will still clap his hands if it is some simple tones.

At this time, a servant came in from outside and told them.

"Grand Duke Constantine has returned, and His Majesty wants all of your highnesses to come over."

The sisters were very excited about their second brother's return as they hadn't seen each other for a while.

Paul's family, even the girls, are lining up to welcome him, like an army. It seems that there has been some change in his mood recently.

When Constantine came over, he first shook hands with his sisters one by one, then Crown Prince Alexander and sister-in-law Elizabeth, and finally Tsar Paul and Queen Maria.

As for the two brothers-in-law, they have not yet officially married, so they did not appear here. They will only appear at the palace dinners and dances.

"Constantine, it's good to have you back."

Then he saw the lieutenants, who were also following behind him.

"You have worked hard. It is noon now. Let's go to the small banquet hall. I heard in the report that you almost ran out of food in the Alps. That was really hard. From childhood to adulthood, I have never felt this way, except for the trip to Paris when I was hungry for a day on the road. You have all worked hard. According to your respective merits, you will all be rewarded and have a new place to go."

Ever since he took on the role of Grand Master of the Order of Malta, he had this problem of awarding medals. Fortunately, his eyebrows were not thick, his body was not that broad, and his tongue did not curl in his mouth, otherwise people would have thought that a person who loved awarding medals had also come to St. Petersburg.

However, Paul's own political level may be a little bit behind that of the medal lover with thick eyebrows. After all, he was born to be a tsar, and the struggle he needed to fight was just to maintain his position.

At the banquet, several adjutants were crowded at the back half of the table, with the Tsar's family in the front. This time, Constantine sat opposite the entire table, while Alexander and his wife sat in the two seats on the right.

To be honest, there was nothing new about Paul's banquet, especially the lunch. This time the portions were large and full, and some dishes were added because there were so many people. It was not the shabby treatment that the Tsar received when he had his working lunch.

These adjutants didn't eat well, only Komarovsky and Solovyov were able to maintain basic table manners. They had indeed been hungry for a few meals at the front, so they needed to cherish the days of being fed every day after returning. Although Constantine was strict with his subordinates, he didn't care about the dinner table. His motto was not to care about other people's meals, but to serve whatever was edible.

The two adjutants who were still able to remain polite on this point, one was transferred from the cavalry regiment, and the other officially joined after arriving in Italy.

But Solovyov also noticed that there was donkey meat in this meal, which was in the cold dishes served later.
Wow, this Western-style braised beef recipe is used on braised donkey meat. Is this the “Secret Braised Donkey Meat of Lao Luo’s Family in St. Petersburg”?
He himself wanted to complain that Bobulinsky had purchased too many donkeys, and that the imperial estates under the jurisdiction of the crown prince had begun to raise donkeys on a large scale for various purposes. The changes on the dining tables in St. Petersburg were already big enough.

Originally, donkey-hide gelatin was only used for nourishment by noble ladies. It seems that it was used once by the Queen and the Crown Princess. Then its reputation became more and more famous. Even during the establishment of the anti-French alliance, the ports of Crimea and Odessa in Russia began to import large quantities of various donkeys. After all, there were still a lot of such livestock in Turkey.

There will definitely be some changes on the dining tables of Russian nobles, but how this will affect ordinary people is another matter.

After this meal, the adjutants will not leave the palace before the dinner. They will have to wait until today's duty is completed before they can go home the next day.

Anyway, it was not a problem for Solovyov. Although he was from Ryazan, he still had a small courtyard passed down from his ancestors decades ago. He could get home quickly in just two steps.

Moreover, he also saw the princes opposite him. Anna and Nicholas also sat at the table today, but the raised children's chairs prepared for the brother and sister were also the ones that Count Bobulinsky had come up with with his "creativity". Of course, he had found a good host. Although Russia did not have the large-scale patent protection like Britain and France, the count gave him and his old father a share of the money. If this money was saved up, it would be very considerable over the years.

The four sisters who were inseparable and paired up together had not been seen for almost a year, and they looked more and more radiant, especially the two who were getting married. Alexandra could be said to make the turbulent Dnieper and Volga rivers pale in comparison, while Elena was at the level of the Neva River. Who would have thought that both of them would be getting married at the end of the year?
As for Maria and Catherine, they both have freckles on their faces and are growing very fast. To tell them apart now, one has to look at the pockmarks on Maria's face - she had smallpox when she was a child and there are still some slight scars left, but that doesn't have any impact.

Of course, she is still talking about it today: "I don't want that Austrian painter to paint my portrait anymore. He can paint me like an old lady!"

She has been complaining about this since the spring.

"That's fine, Maria. While your two sisters are still in Petersburg, we should draw a family portrait as a souvenir. If you girls marry far away in the future, I won't be able to see you in the palace. If I miss you, looking at the portrait will help relieve my pain."

Paul's emotions were becoming increasingly difficult to control. He and Prince Bolkonsky did not get along with each other, but the way they expressed their emotions was very similar. No wonder he was considered a "Prussian" by the outside world, while the other was nicknamed "King of Prussia" in social circles.

Even at the dinner table, he was discussing the position of everyone in the portrait. According to the tradition of this kind of family portrait, even Olga, who died young, had to be given a place in the background.

"Our house has never been so tidy before. When William and Frederick come in the evening, as well as their relatives in Petersburg, the people we invite will be even more lively!"

"Father, if you say so, tonight, whether it's a banquet or a dance, this will be a big deal!"

"Yes, Alexander, in the future you and Constantine will have to build more achievements, have more children, and be better to your wife. Especially since Anna has returned from Saxony this time and has given birth to another child, we should be like any other family and have more children."

Paul's political ability was a little limited, he looked unattractive and even a little thin, but as a tsar, his ability in this regard, and the fact that he and the empress raised their children, could be said to be the strongest among all the Russian tsars. Even though he slept in a separate bed from the empress, there was no news of him having any physical relations with his mistresses outside. As a husband, father, and father-in-law, he was still qualified. The only thing was that as a son, he had many opinions about the empress.

"Also, we are going to move to the newly built Mikhailovsky Palace next year. Everything there is brand new. Although it doesn't look as luxurious as here, I have visited every bedroom and they are all well built."

That place was where Tsar Paul was born. He had deep feelings for this place, so he demolished the old summer palace left by Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and replaced it with a brand new fortress, and also deployed his guards there.

When it comes to family matters, Paul himself actually knows that apart from sleeping with women and having children besides being the first heir, there is nothing private about it for the Tsar.

He also mentioned in passing the rewards given to several young adjutants and officers who were still in the army and had not returned.

"Also, you adjutants can't always be adjutants. I heard that you all performed very bravely. Komarovsky is undoubtedly the chief adjutant I personally selected for Constantine. In the spring, I will arrange for you to officially take over the command of the Guards Regiment, as well as the other young men. You will all go to your new units and I will make arrangements. But... Solovyov, you were not Constantine's adjutant originally. You were a liaison officer arranged by our invincible Marshal Alexander Vasilyevich. But when you went on the expedition, you were the company commander of the Guards, and I also sent you there."

"Your Majesty, I am very satisfied with everything I have now. Besides, I am too young. If you want me to return to the Grenadiers, or to the Chasseurs Guards, that would be fine."

"Yes, you are too young. If you were a few years older, I would find a girl from the palace maids to be your bride."

Hearing this, not to mention Solovyov himself, he was sweating. Starting from Alexander, everyone knew that a marriage designated by the Tsar was a disaster. It was always good intentions that led to bad results. Only the noble men and women whom he particularly liked could receive this treatment.

"Yes, Father. Misha is only 18. He is the son of a squire, and it's not like us brothers have to get married so early. I think it's best to discuss the arrangements for the ball."

This time it was Constantine who interrupted and brought the topic back to the main topic.

(End of this chapter)