I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 412 The final struggle
Sergei was the second member of the imperial royal family to be assassinated after Alexander II.

It has been 24 years since Ya Er was assassinated, and George is already 33 years old.

Since the outbreak of the Russo-Japanese War, the losses in the Russian Empire have exceeded 10 people.

Most of these 10 people are civilians, with few members of the nobility.

The Grand Dukes of St. Petersburg had previously agreed that the war was far away from them. No matter how the frontline fought, it would not affect them or affect their enjoyment of life in St. Petersburg.

Sergei's assassination reminded them how cruel war is. Don't think that you are not immune to the threat of war if you are far away from the front line.

Sergei was George's brother, and Nikolai sent a telegram to George, hoping that George would return to St. Petersburg to attend Sergei's funeral.

It's almost impossible.

Even if the Trans-Siberian Railway was fully opened, it would still take 14 days from Vladivostok to St. Petersburg. Even if George got on the train immediately, he would not be able to make it in time for Sergei's funeral.

So attending the funeral was just an excuse.

This seems to have another meaning.

George does not explain to Witte how the city of Vladivostok works.

Witte expressed his understanding. He was the imperial official who knew the Siberian Railway best besides George.

"You're right, because these abnormal things happen too often, they become normal."

After the Siberian Railway is fully opened to traffic, it will theoretically take 14 days from St. Petersburg to Vladivostok.

"I was sick once, but now I'm better."

Vladivostok policemen only carry pistols.

George is not in a hurry, what is urgent now is St. Petersburg.

After Plekhva's assassination, Nicholas appointed Svetopolk Mirsky as Minister of the Interior.

Werther thought thoughtfully, and his words were also a pun.

Werther thought the sanitation worker wearing a sheepskin hat, sheepskin jacket, thick gloves and big leather shoes was a woman.

George and Werther did not take the subway to the guest house, but took a car.

There are many people on the streets of Vladivostok, but they are not marching, but shopping in large and small bags, with happy smiles on their faces that cannot be faked.

"That's nothing to be happy about. How long did it take you to get here?"

When the car came in, he saw the coat of arms of Duke Yuriev on the car. The sanitation worker took off his hat and bowed, and only then did Werther see clearly that it was a man.

So George did not return to St. Petersburg, citing physical discomfort.

So news of George's illness reached St. Petersburg, and Nicholas immediately sent Werther to visit George.

When he saw George, Werther had a wry smile on his face.

If it were in the past, George would definitely be modest and say that this is the glory of everyone, not George's achievement alone.

George didn't bother to think about it, he had the final say in his territory.

"Aren't you sick? When you are sick, you should lie down——"

After Sergei's assassination, Nikolai dismissed Mirsky from his post and appointed Alexander Bregin to replace him.

Werther's trip took a full 20 days.

The police on the streets of Vladivostok are either patrol officers or traffic policemen, sparse in twos and threes, which fully proves that the city's security is very stable.

George had given all his property in St. Petersburg as gifts to the crown prince, and he didn't even have a place to live when he returned to St. Petersburg.

Werther was an old friend. He came to Vladivostok in person, and George would definitely go to the station to greet him.

This is thanks to the hard-working sanitation workers.

Werther was impressed by the tranquility and cleanliness of Vladivostok.

The streets of Vladivostok are very bustling, with shops lined up on both sides of the road, and all kinds of neon lights dazzling people's eyes. In theory, Vladivostok is still winter in March, and St. Petersburg is closed by heavy snow, but the streets of Vladivostok are very clean, and there is no snow at all.

George had always been in good health and almost never got sick.

When St. Petersburg police are dispatched, they must at least be in squad units and must carry long guns and heavy weapons, otherwise they may be attacked by unknown persons.

Now that George was too lazy to talk in circles, he couldn't be polite to the people in St. Petersburg. He was afraid that they wouldn't understand if he spoke a little more obscurely.

George didn't know what St. Petersburg was like.

Werther has eyes and can see for himself. If he cannot see, he is pretending to be blind.

It is true that I hope George will come forward to take over this mess in the Far East.

"Breckin should learn from you how to run a city."

"Heavy snow, broken bridges, delays, and a bear was killed on the train I took. This is all normal -"

George arranged for Werther to stay at the Guest House. On the way to the Guest House, Werther first congratulated George on the opening of the Siberian Railway.

It would be best if George took the initiative, then Nicholas could go along with the flow.

Some time ago, another 8 people went on strike in St. Petersburg, and it was Bloody Sunday again. The whole city was in chaos and smoky.

Werther was convinced.

The replacement of interior ministers like a revolving door is of no use. St. Petersburg should be in chaos.

George smiled and said nothing. The empire's problem was not in a certain city at all.

The problems of the Russian Empire will never be solved if the poor peasants do not have access to land, if the workers' livelihoods are not guaranteed, and if terrorists continue to receive support from certain forces abroad.

Both Asper and the Bank of Siberia have evidence that organizers of the St. Petersburg labor movement received financial support from Austria-Hungary, the Ottoman Empire, and even Germany.

See who is missing?
George firmly believes that the country on the surface is just a smoke bomb, and whoever does not show up is the real culprit. Arriving at the Guest House, Werther didn't bother to rest and asked George directly about his views on the war.

George had no idea.

After the failure of the Pacific Fleet breakout, St. Petersburg finally recalled Alexeyev and appointed Kuropatkin as the commander-in-chief of the Russian Army in Kwantung.

Remember Alexeyev’s special train?

The first thing Kuropatkin did after taking office was to request a special train similar to Alexeyev's.

Alexeyev's special train was taken back to St. Petersburg by Alexeyev.

It's crazy if you can win this fight.

Although the war was a complete defeat, the country was in turmoil, and even Sergei was assassinated, some people in St. Petersburg did not admit defeat.

The Russian Empire continues to increase its troops, and the number of Russian troops under Kuropatkin has increased to 32.

Nicholas accepted William II's suggestion and focused on the Baltic Fleet, coupled with the four "Borodino" class battleships that had just been completed and put into service, and were sailing around Africa to the Far East.

Of these four "Borodino" class battleships, only the "Alexander III" was built the year before last. The other three were just built. The officers and soldiers did not even have time to get familiar with the battleships before they were incorporated into the Second Fleet.

Since the huge hull of the "Borodino" cannot pass through the Suez Canal, the Second Fleet can only choose to go around Africa to East Asia. This journey is equivalent to bypassing half of the earth.

Since the warships of the participating countries cannot enter neutral ports to replenish, the Second Fleet can only replenish through supply ships along the way. Once an accident occurs to a ship, it can only enter neutral ports for repairs on the premise of withdrawing from the war.

George knew that St. Petersburg would not admit defeat until all was lost.

So just keep fighting until the oil is gone.

"George, if you were asked to serve as governor of the Far East, what would you do?"

Since George refused to pick up the fight, Werther pointed it out directly.

"I will first send that bastard Alexeyev to a military court! Then let that idiot Kuropatkin copy "The Science of Winning" ten thousand times——"

George made no secret of his hatred for these two guys.

Werther was speechless.

When the war ended like this, Alexeyev not only was not held accountable, but also became a member of the State Council.

On the night of the defeat in the Battle of Tsushima, Alexeyev sat in the box of the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg, cheering for his mistress, the French ballet dancer Elsa, who had embezzled naval funds. The man shouted to his mistress: "Get out of Russia, you are not wearing gems, but our battleships."

"George, for the Empire—for His Majesty—"

Werther knew how to convince George.

"I can fight for the empire, for your majesty——"

George was cold and his words were colder than the Siberian cold wave.

"——But I don't want the worms and vampires in the empire to benefit from this. Do you want me to take over this mess? It's very simple. Let those who deserve to pay the price pay the due price!"

George's conditions are also increasing.

When the war first broke out, George's only condition was absolute command.

Now that the situation is further collapsing, George must make greater efforts than before if he wants to turn the tide.

Then George's conditions must also be increased.

"Who are you referring to?"

There is one last glimmer of hope for Werther.

If it were just Alexeyev and Kuropatkin, it would not be non-negotiable.

A dead Taoist friend is not a poor Taoist.

Sacrifice these two, everyone will be happy.

"You know who it is!"

George didn't want to say those names.

Alexeyev and Kuropatkin were certainly responsible for the outcome of the war, but there were others who held greater responsibilities.

Werther let out a long sigh.

Kuropatkin was transferred from the post of Minister of War to Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Army in Kwantung. The person who succeeded Kuropatkin as Minister of War was none other than George's mortal enemy Vladimir.

Minister of War Vladimir, Minister of Navy Alexei——

What a pair of sleeping dragon and phoenix chicks!
George knew why Werther came to Vladivostok.

Visiting George and all that was just a cover.

The real reason was that Sergei's assassination caused fear to the other Grand Dukes of St. Petersburg.

Therefore, they hoped that the war would end soon, but they did not want to bow to George, so they sent Witt, an old friend who had a close relationship with George, to test George's tone.

Even if George agrees now, St. Petersburg will not immediately transfer command to George.

Kuropatkin's men had accumulated enough troops to launch a large-scale campaign.

The Second Fleet is on its way to the Far East.

These two were St. Petersburg's last ditch efforts.

So George was really not in a hurry. He didn't take a fancy to the scraps and scraps of the Second Fleet, nor did he take a fancy to the so-called invincible Cossacks under Kuropatkin.

Invincibility depends on who is in charge.

(End of this chapter)