War and Peace

Chapter 36

Throughout July, the old prince was very industrious, even in good spirits.At the beginning of August, the old prince received another letter from the Duke d'Andrele.In the first letter, written shortly after his departure, Duke Andrée begged his father for forgiveness and longed to be loved again.The second letter was written near Vitebsk, which was occupied by the French.He described the battle and asked his father to go to Moscow, which was a little farther from the battle.

[three]

When Mikhail Ivanitch entered the room, the prince was reading the papers he was holding in his hand, which he was going to present to the Emperor after his death.Tears welled up in his eyes as he reflected on the age of the document he was now reading.He took the letter from Mikhail Ivanitch, put it in his pocket, put down the papers, and called in Alpatitch, who had been waiting for a long time.

For more than two hours the prince gave Alpatych instructions on what he was required to do in Smolensk.

After the envelope was finished, it was already late, and the Duke called Jajo again, and went with him to each room, so as to tell him where to put his bed for the night.

In a small clearing behind the grand piano in the living room, the Duke found what he thought was the best place: he never slept here.

After the Duke found the place, Jiehuo undressed him.As soon as he lay down, the bed began to rock back and forth under him, every night.He had no choice but to open his closed eyes and look.

"No peace, damn it!" he said angrily. "Yes, yes, there is something very important, very important, and I will keep it in bed at night to think about it."

He asked someone to fetch the letter, moved a small table with a glass of boiled water and a small red candle in front of the bed, put on his glasses, and began to read the letter.It wasn't until this moment that he saw the letter that he began to understand the meaning of the letter.

He put the letter under the lampstand and closed his eyes.He thought of the Danube, the bright noon, the reeds, the Russian barracks, and himself, a young general.He remembered what he had said when he first met Potemkin, and when the Empress Dowager—a little fat woman—had first received him graciously.

"Ah, hurry up, hurry back to that era, hurry up and end everything now!"

[Four]

The villa of Prince Malar Bolkonsky is located sixty kilometers east of Smolensk and only three kilometers from the road to Moscow.On the evening when the Duke gave Alpatych the order, Dessalle met the princess and told the princess that the health of the prince and the location of the villa were not conducive to staying here, and finally he wrote for the princess A letter to the duke, asking him to tell her the state of the battle and the extent of the threat to the villa.The letter was sent away by Alpatych.

Alpatych, multitasking, wearing a fluffy white fur cap, and carrying a cane like a duke, was escorted out of the house by his family and got into a large carriage.The people around him, the secretary, accountant, cook, servant boy and other domestic servants, as well as his wife and daughter, all came out to see him off.

On the evening of August [-], Alpatych arrived in the city.On the way, he met and overtook baggage trains and troops.Near Smolensk, he heard firing ahead.But for Alpatych, as long as it is not related to carrying out the order of the prince, not only does it not interest him, but it makes him feel as if it didn't happen.

Alpatitch came to Smolensk on the evening of August 30 and stayed at the Ferapontov Hotel in the Gachinsk neighborhood beyond the Dnieper, where he had been used to for thirty years.

"Welcome, welcome, Yakov Alpatitch, you are coming in when the others leave the town," said the innkeeper.Alpatitch ordered a cup of tea, some water and hay for the horses, drank the tea, and lay down to sleep.

All night troops marched through the streets from in front of the inns.The next day Alpatych went out on errands in a jacket which he wore only in the city.

At seven o'clock in the morning gunfire and cannon rang out in the town.There were many people hurrying up and down the street.Everyone was talking about the army, about the enemy already attacking the city, talking and comforting each other.

In the governor's office, the governor met with Alpatych.He hurriedly said to Alpatych: "Report to the prince and princess, I don't know anything, I'm following the orders of my superiors..." He hadn't finished speaking when a dusty, dirty man came running in at the door. An officer who was sweating and sweating began to say something to the governor in French, and the governor's face looked pale.

When Alpatych came out of the governor's office, he heard the sound of more and more intense shooting at a close distance, and he hurried back to the hotel.The governor's document to Alpatitch turned out to be a letter of guarantee from Barclay to the governor of Smolensk, Baron Ash, saying: "I assure you that the city of Smolensk is not in the slightest danger, and it is impossible to under any threat..."

Everyone was walking up and down the street restlessly.Carriages loaded with furniture, sundries, seats, and cupboards were constantly driven from the gates of the houses to the street.Alpatych walked into the yard with a more hasty step than usual, and went directly to his horse and cart in the barn.He woke the groom to harness the horse for him.

It was already afternoon and the sun was moving west.As Alpatitch was walking towards the door, the sound of cannon was heard in the distance, shaking the windows.This is how Napoleon ordered more than 100 cannons to bombard the city at [-]pm.

An inexplicable object sounded like a bird flying down from the sky, and then it exploded on the street, and the whole street was filled with gunpowder smoke immediately.

Women and children cried out in grief and panic at this moment.

After a while, the street was empty.In the evening, the bombing also ended.The evening sky is filled with gunpowder smoke, and a bright moon shines strangely from the smoke.The city was quiet, only the sound of people's footsteps, sighs, and shouts from afar broke the silence from time to time.

Alpatych returned to the house and ordered the coachman to drive on the road.The Ferapontovs went out with Alpatych and the coachman.

Ferapontov came back from the street at this time and met soldiers who were packing wheat flour and sunflower seeds into bags and rucksacks. He wanted to shout, but he swallowed it suddenly, and then grabbed his hair, crying and laughing .

"Take it all, brethren! Don't leave it to the devil," he cried, carrying sacks of flour himself into the street.

It was already late at night.There are stars in the sky, and the moon shines brightly, sometimes obscured by smoke.On the slope of the Dnieper, the wagon of Alpatitch and the shopkeeper's wife advanced slowly between the soldiers and other wagons, and then had to stop.Seeing that the car could not pass quickly, Alpatych got out of the car and went back to the side street to look at the burning houses and shops.

In the crowd, the old man suddenly heard a familiar voice calling him: "Alpatych!" Alpatych immediately recognized his own child.

Prince Andrey did not answer Alpatych's questioning, but hastily wrote to his sister: "Smolensk is about to be abandoned, Bald Mountain will be occupied by the enemy in seven days. Go to Moscow at once. Send me at once Reply, when will you leave, and send a special messenger to Usvia Day." After writing, Duke Andrée asked Alpatitch for a while, and said that if he did not receive a reply within two weeks, he would reply in person. A trip to Bald Mountain.Before Duke Andrele could finish speaking, Chief of Staff Berg called him away.

[five]

The army continued to retreat from Smolensk.The enemy pursued them, and on the [-]th of August the regiment commanded by the Duke d'Andrew advanced along the road, passing the branch road to Mount Bald.The conflagration and abandonment of Smolensk seemed to him a timeless event, and anger at the enemy made him forget his own troubles.He devoted himself to the work of the regiment and cared about his officers and soldiers, and the regiment called him "our Duke".

On August [-], the column of his regiment passed by Bald Mountain.Although he had received news three days before that his father, son and sister had gone to Moscow, he still decided to go to Bald Mountain.He ordered his horse to be saddled, and he left the marching party and rode to his father's village, where he had lived.Duke Andrele rode up to the house.

Numerous peasants and domestic servants came from the lawn towards Duke d'Andrele with their heads bare.Alpatitch wept against the leg of Prince Andrey.Duke Andrele pushed him cautiously, and galloped along the avenue.

The Duc d'Andrew left his troops for a part of the dusty lane, feeling a little refreshed, but not far from the Bald Mountain he took the road again, and caught up with his regiment at the resting place by the bank of the little pond.Passing by the embankment, Duke Andrele smelled the mud and the cool vapor of the pond.He looked at the pool, and there was laughter in the pool.Those naked, white-skinned soldiers were laughing and playing in this sewage pool, like crucian carp stuffed in a pitcher.

"Muscles, body, gunfire," thought Duke Andrele, looking at his naked body, and trembling, not so much because of the cold, but because of the sight of the large number of people bathing in the cesspool. It caused disgust and panic that he himself did not understand.

On July [-], Prince Bogoradeo wrote a letter to Arakcheev from his residence in the village of Mikhailovka on the Smolensk Avenue, knowing that his letter would be presented to the Tsar , so he carefully chooses words and sentences and thinks comprehensively.In the letter he described his view of the situation:
I think you already know about the fall of Smolensk.This is indeed sad and disappointing.On my part, I did my best, but he totally disagreed.Our military has never fought like this.I used more than 1 people to block the enemy for more than 38 hours, but he didn't even want to maintain it for twelve hours.This is the shame and weakness of our military.For this reason, he should feel ashamed to live in the world.He had promised me that he would not retreat, but suddenly he retreated.As a result, the enemy will be brought to Moscow at once... It is said that you are ready to make peace.Make peace after all sacrifices and retreats, it will turn all Russia against you, and it will make us ashamed to wear the uniform of soldiers.As long as there are Russians, we will continue to fight... Your subject may be a good subject, but he is not a good officer.How can the fate of our country rest in the hands of this man!I beg you to issue orders to form militias, as the enemy is about to enter Moscow.The whole army was very suspicious of the aide-de-camp Furcagen, thinking that he was helping Napoleon, not us.Even though I am superior to him, I obey him only because I love my benefactor and Your Majesty.I feel sad and pity that His Majesty handed over the army to such a person.What will our Fatherland say about our retreat and panic, about our handing over our country to murderers, about our subjecting our people to dishonor and disaster?I cannot bear the consequences of the minister's cowardice and confusion.

[six]

Life phenomena are divided into two categories: content-based and form-based.Petersburg life, especially the salon life here, falls into the latter category.

From [-] to the present, we have drawn several battles with Napoleon, but the salons of Aina Saleo and Hanli have not changed.

The recent departure of the emperor from the army has brought several quarrels between the two opposing groups, but their mutual orientation has always remained the same.The French hosted by Ina Charleau are stubborn royalists. Their patriotism here is not to go to the French theater. They are eager to follow the progress of the war and spread the news that is most beneficial to our army.In Hanley's circle, that is, in Rumyantsev's and the British's circle, rumors about the enemy and the ferocity of the war were refuted, and Napoleon's intentions for peace were discussed.

Not long after the emperor's arrival, the Duke of Vohiel spoke of the war to Erna Charleau. He severely criticized Barclay, but he had no clear opinion on who should be appointed as the commander-in-chief.

On August [-] a meeting was held to discuss the situation of the war, attended by Marshal Saltykov, Arakcheyev, Vyazimitinov, Lopkhin and Kochubey.The meeting believed that the defeat of the war was due to inconsistent command. Even though the members of the meeting knew that the emperor did not love Kotusov, after a short negotiation, they still recommended that Kotusov be appointed commander-in-chief.On the same day Kotusov was appointed Commander-in-Chief Plenipotentiary in command of the entire army and military districts.

On August [-]th, Duke Vauchile and Aina Chareo met again.Prince Vauchil, with the air of a rejoiced victor and a fulfilled man, had now lifted Kotusov to the highest level when he spoke of Kotusov's deeds of keeping the crown prince and the emperor from the army. When he wanted to be the commander-in-chief due to the conditions, he even expressed some compliments.

[seven]

While these events were taking place in Petersburg, the French army had crossed Smolensk and was advancing, drawing closer and closer to Moscow.

After the Smolensk War, Napoleon searched for fighter planes several times, but the Russian army failed to fight until it reached Borodino, more than 100 versts away from Moscow.So Napoleon issued an order in Viazma to lead the French army to attack Moscow.

The word "Moscow" made Napoleon uneasy.On the march from Vyazma to Tsarevo-Zaimihi, Napoleon had a conversation with the captured Cossack serf Lavrushka.

Lavrushka was one of those servants who were rude, bold, and would give anything for their master, and he could cunningly guess what the master was thinking.In the hands of Napoleon and his gang, he has no sense of restraint.He knew that neither Napoleon nor the steward with the whip could take anything away from him.

When Napoleon asked him what the Russians thought and whether they could defeat Napoleon, Lavrushka narrowed his eyes and thought.He saw that there was a subtle trick in it, and he said thoughtfully, "If there is a war, and if it is very fast, then it is right. But if it takes four days, the war will drag on."

Lavrushka saw Napoleon's delight at hearing this, and to please him Lavrushka pretended not to know who he was.Napoleon asked Berthier, the chief of staff, to inform the "obtuse boy" that he was talking to the emperor himself, thinking he would be taken aback.In order to please his new master, Lavrushka immediately pretended to be dumbstruck with fright, and his face showed the expression he usually had when he was taken to be flogged.

As Napoleon walked forward, he thought about Moscow that surrounded him, while the "little bird that flew back to his hometown" Lavrushka galloped to the outpost of his own army, making up some things in his mind that did not actually happen. But he was ready to tell the story to his own people.

[eight]

Unlike what Duke Andrele thought, Princess Molière did not go to Moscow, nor did she escape the danger.

After Alpatitch returned from Smolensk, the old prince suddenly became sober.He organized militias everywhere, and wrote to the commander-in-chief announcing that he would stay and guard Bald Mountain.

The princess was quite surprised that her father changed his previous passivity and went crazy day and night.She did not leave him, which made the duke very angry again, and said many unfair things to her.But contrary to what Princess Molier feared, he did not order her to be sent away by force, but only asked her not to appear in his presence. This made Princess Molier ecstatic, and she understood that this confirmed He still feels happy that she stays at home and does not leave.

The day after Young Maral left, the old prince put on his full uniform and was going to see the Commander-in-Chief.Princess Molier saw the old prince in uniform, putting on all his decorations, going out into the garden to see the armed militiamen and domestic slaves.

(End of this chapter)