Chapter 93 043 Solovyov Becomes Major of the Guards

Chapter 93 043 Solovyov Becomes Major of the Guards

Chapter 93 043 Solovyov Becomes Major of the Guards

On the afternoon of the day when Grand Duke Constantine returned, Tsar Paul heard reports from the Grand Duke himself and Komarovsky in his office.

"Since this is the case, I think the facts are clear. However, before our Grand Marshal returns, a military committee must be convened. Constantine, you must bring your adjutants to participate. We need to discuss the gains and losses in Italy and Switzerland. In addition, in the spring of next year, we will conduct a military exercise based on the battlefield arrangement at the training ground in Gatchina."

Regardless of whether Tsar Paul's prescription was right or not, at least his diagnostic approach to the problems in the army was correct. If he had not been born in the Russian royal family, but in an ordinary noble family, he might have grown up to be a good hand at organizing the army. However, his performance on the battlefield still needs to be determined.

In this respect, he must be better than Crown Prince Alexander. His heir is a man who is good at networking, which is different.

The specific arrangements for the adjutants should also be made at this time.

Solovyov didn't expect that he would be the first one to be picked out and stand in front of the Tsar.

"During the battle to cross the Po River, you jumped into the river to save Constantine without caring about your own life!"

"Your Majesty, there was no time to think. The Italian boatmen attacked us very suddenly. When Your Highness fell into the water, he was alone against two people and faced danger. As for the credit, it was mostly those Cossacks who found a way to use a lasso to pull Your Highness and me up."

"Yes, that's true. These Cossacks are great. They will all be rewarded when the army returns home."

Although Paul was always surrounded by a group of jesters in the court, he still preferred to hear the truth, and Solovyov was still very honest in front of him.

"As for you, Captain, your merits cannot go unrewarded. Kutaisov, is there any precedent of an 18-year-old officer being promoted to major?"

Kutaisov had not expected that he would have something to do here, but as the Tsar's closest confidant, he had to bite the bullet and do it since he, a guy who had been captured in Turkey, had to speak about such things.

After all, Prince Saltykov went to the Diplomatic Academy as a permanent affairs officer, and he had to be there whenever something happened.

"I think so. Even if such a young soldier is not a high-ranking noble, he can be promoted to a higher position because of his military achievements."

"Well, very well, that is it. I hope to make you an example of a loyal young officer, Major Solovyov."

Although the official appointment has not yet been made, the Tsar's own speech in the office is still very effective. This is not the case of giving rewards when talking nonsense after being drunk (of course, Paul himself has always been self-disciplined and is unlikely to get drunk) or when he is happy while taking a walk.

"And I have decided where you are going. You will be the commander of the First Battalion of my Guards Regiment. Although the commander of this battalion is often a colonel or even a general, I don't like the arrangement of Talyzin in the regiment, even though he is Prince Kurakin's cousin."

Paul himself did not know that Lieutenant General of the Guards Pyotr Alexandrovich Tarechin, whom he regarded as his confidant and the commander of the most core and main force regiment of the Guards, had actually participated in the conspiracy against him.

The soldiers in the 1st Battalion of the Putin Regiment can be said to be the best of the best. The requirements for daily service are very strict. The Tsar himself may be a little tolerant of the soldiers, but he is extremely strict with young officers. This position is a hot position.

But Solovyov had no right to refuse, and the Tsar himself even began to write the appointment in French, which was an irrevocable order.

"The best young officer, who has made four achievements on the battlefield and commanded the troops to capture the enemy's commander-in-chief, is enough. When I was 18 years old, I could not do anything in the palace! You are there to set an example for them. Also, you are the last official 'disciple' of the Grand Marshal. No one else will tell you about these identities."

Paul said this, obviously he did not intend to let Solovyov go anywhere else. In the Guards Regiment, a group of officers of the 1st Battalion of the Regiment had been replaced, and the soldiers were all selected by Paul himself. These guards were very loyal, but the officers were all young aristocrats, and they were always poorly disciplined. For them, participating in social activities in St. Petersburg and pursuing aristocratic ladies and beautiful girls might be the real thing.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am Mikhail Solovyov, Major of the Imperial Guards, and I am at your disposal at any time."

"But you have to use your brains, not like some people who are willing to defend their emperor with their lives. Go get a major's uniform in the Guards now, and ask the adjutant of the regiment, Captain Algamakov, to go with you. He must be very envious of you when he sees you like this! When I promoted him to adjutant of the regiment, he was crying the whole time and couldn't utter a word."

A typical Russian chameleon, Solovyov left the Tsar's office and, under the guidance of the captain, went to the quartermaster's office of the Guards Regiment to change into clean clothes. It was very important to keep one's appearance neat and tidy, as there would be many people coming to the ball at the Winter Palace in the evening.

They also had to wear medals and rings awarded by Tsar Paul to those who had made military contributions. Even some soldiers and servants would receive such rings. Even the loyal old servant of the field marshal received one as a reward to the field marshal.

"That looks good, Misha. You are no different from other Guards battalion commanders except that you are too young. You became a major in the Guards at the age of 18. Our previous unlucky battalion commander lost his job in front of the emperor because he didn't pay attention to his appearance. He was an old officer, so he was kicked out of our 'Emperor's Guards' and became the battalion commander of the Grenadiers."

"Going to the group I came from?"

"That's it, Misha."

The captain spoke very lively. He was satisfied with the position given to him by Paul. He and his brother, as adjutants of the Guards Regiment, could freely enter the Guards' defense zone in the palace and all areas except the Tsar's own bedroom.

"Then he is really unfortunate, knowing full well that the Emperor is the strictest in his requirements for the regulations."

The Tsar himself was an expert in this area. He was familiar with all military regulations and judicial provisions. If he got the job, he would be able to transfer it out. It was the unlucky battalion commander who had served well in the past. The Tsar got rid of him because he had never made any mistakes in the Guards. If it was someone else, direct dismissal would be the least of the punishment.

Solovyov looked in the mirror at his Guards major uniform, his new boots and military cap. After taking a shower, he would like to put on some men's cologne - of course, he was very clean, which was an important reason why Paul always chose him.

He had not done any homework in this regard. From the first time he was seen by the Tsar, who was a bit of a germaphobe, he was favored by him. Appearance was still very important.

When they met the Dolgorukov brothers again in the palace, they also smiled when they saw him. "Misha, you have made it big. Now you can wear the uniform of a major in the Imperial Guards. Not bad, really good."

The Hussar came to examine his friend's clothes, and then turned back to his brother.

"Bie Jia, we can't compare to him. He really earned his honor on the battlefield."

These two princes, one was a major general of infantry and a general of the aides-de-camp, the other a lieutenant colonel of hussars, but both rose to their positions by virtue of their prominent family backgrounds and the fact that their fathers were close ministers of the Tsar himself.

Different from the other noble sons who just live a carefree life, both of them are very ambitious and popular in social circles, but they still maintain the elegant demeanor of a young gentleman.

"This trip was really hard. We fought for more than half a year, but I don't know what to say about the stupid Austrians. If our Grand Marshal, Alexander Vasilyevich, wrote to the emperor to tell him what our allies had done, it would have been even more exciting! But he has always only cared about the current war situation and was unwilling to interfere too much in court affairs. The written reports he wrote are still in the headquarters in Prague. Really, when His Highness comes back."

"If you have any, don't tell me, but I heard that you were very proud of yourself over there."

The Hussars were always a bit unserious, and officers of this branch of the army were more or less easily led astray. What Prince Mikhail Dolgorukov mentioned were the few good days that Solovyov had in Milan.

"Although I am a little proud, it is a long-term thing. The girl is not bad, but unfortunately she is from the branch of the Duke of Visconti. Her status is not comparable to that of a son of a squire and baron like me. Besides, we can go to many places in our lifetime, but I don't know if we can go to Italy again."

"I know what Italian girls are like?"

"Very good, but you still need to go to Italy and experience it for yourself. I remember you went to Greece, what was it like there?"

"I was traveling in Greece. When I was in Laconia, some old Greek soldiers there, who said they were my father's men there, surrounded me and told me a lot. But I didn't get to know what Greek girls were like. After all, it was all in the countryside, there were no balls or receptions, and I didn't meet any noble ladies. The girls I saw were all from the village, and it was their big feet that made a deep impression on me."

"Achilles was shot by a poisonous arrow. Can we find the prototype?"

"You're right. But if you can come to the Guards, we'll have more opportunities to meet in the future. After all, the Grenadiers are not under the jurisdiction of the Guards Headquarters. If there's anything, we'll call on you. After all, the Emperor has assigned you to the 1st Battalion this time, which is the core team of the Guards. You really have to do a good job."

The pressure is still quite high. The daily task of the 1st Battalion of the General Regiment is to carry out guard work in the palace. Among all the regiments, the 1st Battalion performs the most such duties, and they have very little time to rest.

"That's right, but who's coming to the dance tonight?"

"His Highness's return is like a 'small triumph'. All the nobles in Petersburg will be present. Even your father and stepmother will come. They will feel honored to see you like this. Your father, Sergei Osipovich, is a good manager. Our partnership is profitable. It's not easy to find someone like him who can talk and make good connections in Moscow."

"That's our family's 'family craft'. My grandfather and his four brothers served the Grand Prince Menshikov, so we should be careful in this regard. But my father always said that although I am smart, I can't learn his skills. If I have another brother, I can learn his skills."

"But how old was he at that time? Don't you think about it carefully?"

"There's nothing I can do about it. Since I've chosen the path of becoming an officer in the Guards, I have to stay in the barracks forever."

"Of course, you are welcome to join our Guards. Who would have thought that this day would come."

There are many things that these two brothers can find out in the palace, especially they know the situation around the Crown Prince best.

It’s not because of the Crown Princess. Solovyov doesn’t have the courage now. After all, Alexander is destined to be the future Tsar. Tsar Paul likes him very much, but whether he can continue to do so depends on Alexander.

The Crown Prince's elusive personality really needs the help of these two good brothers he made in the salon to grasp.

Moreover, even if you don't doze off in history class and search the Internet diligently, you should know that Paul's two sons became tsars, and later there was Nicholas I.

If he succeeded, he might have got a long-term meal ticket to a successful career in Russia, just like Count Bobulinsky's sons.

But then he also thought that Tsar Paul was assassinated because he was "unpopular", and only then did Alexander come to the throne.

How did this "unpopularity" come about? From his perspective, although Tsar Paul was eager for quick success and enforced the law strictly, he would dismiss officials at will. Even Marshal Suvorov was first demoted and then appointed, and was promoted to the pinnacle of the Russian commander-in-chief.

He was not really "unpopular". At least in the circle that Solovyov had entered, whether it was nobles or civilians, officers or soldiers, and even serfs and Cossacks in the countryside, they all loved the Tsar.

It's not an act, but a spontaneous love.

Of course, in the far East, it is unlikely that people would know such details about the assassination of Tsar Paul. Just knowing that this incident happened would already exceed most people in terms of knowledge reserves.

It is unlikely that he, Major Solovyov of the Guards, knew that the commander and adjutant of his regiment were members of the conspiracy, although neither had yet joined the group of Count von Paalen and Count Zubov.

(End of this chapter)