Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796

Chapter 154 011 Von Palen’s acting is full of loopholes (Part 1)

Tsar Paul was going to summon Count von Palen to have a showdown, but his considerations were always very inconsiderate.

If there was any suspicion, he should be arrested on the spot, regardless of whether he had any problems or not, and handed over to the Attorney General for interrogation.

The hot-tempered Attorney General was a rough man who only knew Russian and didn’t know a single foreign word. However, his work was very effective. Compared to Count von Palen’s ability to peek at nobles’ letters, his intelligence work was more professional.

Although the Count didn’t know why Paul suddenly summoned him, he already knew the evidence that the Attorney General was collecting recently from the letters he secretly opened.

Obolyaninov would never have thought that the Tsar’s confidant was such a shameless person. Although he had greatly lowered his assessment of this person’s bottom line, he didn’t expect that he would even dare to peek at the memorials he wrote to himself, the Tsar, and the Crown Prince.

Von Palen looked "loyal", but he was actually very shameless. He was going to serve in the palace, and he was well prepared for these things. He was very adaptable.

After entering the Mikhailovsky Palace, he met the family teacher, Mrs. Leven, and greeted this respectable lady.

But Mrs. Leven, with her experience of raising children in the palace, found that the count's actions were a little strange.

She thought of the dinner last night when the Tsar and the Queen had a rare good meal, but Paul himself said something very strange, asking adult members of the royal family not to get involved in the conspiracy, which confused the Queen and her nephew Prince Eugene.

Some of the recent strange rumors in the court have a lot to do with this Count von Palen. Mrs. Leven's main responsibility is to teach the young princes and grand duchesses. Catherine had recently "graduated" from her and was being taught by a separate teacher. Although she was responsible for Maria and Catherine's academic progress, her main focus was on educating the younger Anna, Nicholas and Mikhail.

"Count, you came to the palace at this time, is it because His Majesty summoned you for something?"

"Yes, Madam, I think you should pay more attention. Forget it, it's nothing."

He was suddenly asked by Mrs. Liven, and he unconsciously said this sentence with incoherent logic.

After he walked to the Tsar's new office, Mrs. Liven looked at the tall back of the Count and had doubts.

"What's wrong with him today? What is he doing?"

She also had to teach the young prince. Maria and Catherine also moved in. Only Alexander and Constantine did not live in the palace because they had their own families. They lived in the Winter Palace and the Marble Palace respectively. Alexander told Paul that Louisa was in good health and they were going to move in in April.

The lady looked at the garage where the grooms were, where there were royal carriages and horses, which might be useful if something really happened.

After all, the rumor of "March 15, Caesar" had already appeared, and it was Count von Paalen himself who was heard by Ribeau-Pierre and some other attendants. As a noblewoman like Mrs. Lieven, who was a royal tutor, she naturally had to pay more attention.

Let's not talk about her here. Count von Paalen came to the door of Paul's office, and there stood the attendant general Major General Kutuzov. This person happened to be the person closest to Paul in the conspiracy group, and could even know his daily movements.

"Your Majesty met with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince yesterday. Although he was not satisfied with his failure to report the duel, he did not give any punishment measures. I am just wondering why you were summoned today?"

"Who knows? Just wait and see!"

Count von Paalen found that only Paul was in the office. The adjutant, attendant and secretary were not there. Count Kutaisov, who was usually by the side of the Tsar, was not there either.

"Please sit down, Peter Alexeevich. I think we should have a good talk about 'March 15' and 'Caesar'. Everyone knows what happened on this day. Caesar was stabbed 23 times in the Senate. And if you count the days, the gap is not far! Today is March 9, which is less than a week away. How do you explain it?"

Paul seemed to have known it! Count von Paalen was also surprised. After all, he was in the palace every day before. He could still find out whether the Tsar had noticed it by observing his words and expressions.

"Your Majesty, but our country does not have senior senators with sharp swords in the Senate, nor does it have the tradition of the Republic."

"But Novgorod is not far from here. Don't forget that the aristocratic republic is another political method. I am not Tarquin the Younger, not Caesar, nor Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero."

Paul usually calls himself "I" most of the time, and when "I" comes out of his mouth, his tone is usually not harsh. This is a gesture that he shows that the monarch is not high above. Count von Palen also heard from the tone of the Tsar himself that this posture seems to be wrong.

"Can you explain it? If you want to use a dagger or poison directly? Now it is very convenient. There is a pistol on the table. You can kill me with one shot!"

"Your Majesty, I think you must have misunderstood."

Count von Palen did not expect Paul to lose such a temper. After thinking about it for a while, he remembered one of Paul's biggest characteristics.

Even though he especially likes to punish others, because he is too concerned with laws and rules and evidence, Paul rarely comes to punish others. He must follow the rules, and even some decent people can defend themselves.

It is said that Paul is very authoritarian, but he is still very reasonable. At this time, when he is angry, he can actually give Count von Palen a chance to defend himself.

You know, if you want to deceive people in the palace, you have to bow first, then hide your panic eyes, and then go back to drama mode.

Solovyov knew this very well. He had watched TV series and movies from various European countries before, and he knew several of the more famous Talleyrands very well.

Today Paul threw him in the servants' room, and he could hear what Count von Palen said.

It's impossible to see. There is no place for peeping in this house.

"Your Majesty, you also know that conspirators have been detected in Smolensk and Riga in the past. What I am doing now is not to murder your Majesty, but to penetrate into their ranks. Your Majesty, you also know that if it is true, If there is any conspiracy group, they will also say, Count von Palen is a servant of the monarch and will not let me join so easily. I will only be able to get inside by flattering them. I am still loyal to His Majesty, but it is just to destroy this conspiracy group. Change some of these people’s minds.”

In fact, Paul didn't fully believe it. He was more upright than stupid. He could also find something strange in this by turning his head around.

"Is that really true?"

"Your Majesty, it is indeed true. I think you should also know that I have been serving at your Majesty's side since before Her Majesty the Queen granted Gatchina to Your Majesty."

Paul actually still doesn't believe it, but von Paalen has said so, and he won't get any clear evidence.

"No matter what, I still hope that the lost lamb can take the right path. You go back, this matter ends here, Palm Sunday is coming soon, and I don't want anything to happen. If these people know the wrong way, However, I can still forgive them. If they persist in their persistence, I have also thought that I will not forgive these people."

Paul rarely issued executions, but he was not soft on regicides and treason.

Before Count von Palen left, Paul said this: "If they want to come, they can just let their horses come!"

This is a strange intimidation, and Paul's mentality is obviously not normal.

Count von Palen did not expect such a thing to happen. He did know that today's level was over. If Paul really punished him, he would probably call the guards at the door to lock him up and then Locked up in a cell in the Mikhailovsky Palace.

Solovyov listened clearly inside, and he couldn't feel what the situation was. He had no right to read the prosecutor general's report, but judging from the prosecutor general's usual style, no matter what his style To put it simply and crudely, working in such a department also requires evidence.

He didn't know why Paul asked him to eavesdrop in the attendant's room today, but he also knew that the tsar trusted him very much and was now sent to Alexander, otherwise he wouldn't have let him stay like this.

After the door to the office was closed, Paul rang the bell. This was a command for the servants to come out.

After Solovyov came out, he saluted Paul.

"Your Majesty, what do you want me to do?"

"Misha, do you think Count von Palen is telling the truth?"

"I think so. He did join the conspiracy group, but in many details and from the tone of his voice, I cannot accurately judge the Earl's intention."

"If you think so, I will believe this report even more. If they want to come to kill the king, they can come directly!"

It is rather strange that Paul himself would do this.

"Your Majesty, let me tell you, now you must also be careful not to cause a story about Ivan the Terrible and Peter the Great!"

Of these two, one accidentally killed his son, and the other finally killed his own crown prince Alexei.

After Paul heard this, his body trembled. As a monarch who was familiar with history books and laws, he also knew the deeds of his great-grandfather very well.

The tsar knew that he needed to calm down, and now he was also trying hard to remember which forces were involved in the previous coups in Russia.

"Solovyov, your history homework seems to be very good. Which of the coups that have occurred in our country has anything to do with foreigners?"

"Your Majesty, Crown Prince Alexei is trying to flee to Austria. Her Majesty, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, has the support of the French."

"Yes, these are all obvious. The court in Vienna wanted to recognize Crown Prince Alexei as Tsar, and there was a secret agreement."

As for Queen Elizabeth, her situation was quite special. The nobles in Russia were really intolerable, and with the support of the Guards, the French were not so involved.

Paul actually knew that his father, Peter III, turned to Prussia on his own, and the final result could be imagined.

"If it is the British, if the British want to do it, they will definitely take action. In this way, it will not be that simple."

Then Paul waved his hand and asked Solovyov to leave as well. He wanted to stay in the office and think quietly.

At this time, Count von Palen seemed to think that the progress should be accelerated and the coup should be launched within a few days. After returning home, he hurriedly wrote to Count Zubov and prepared to win the support of the crown prince.

However, judging from Alexander's reply and the attitude of the conversation in the court in recent days, his attitude has always been ambiguous, which is a trouble for Count von Palen.

He didn't know that Count Stroganov told Alexander that no matter how Count von Palen wanted to convey his intention to persuade him, he should not agree.

Only when he received a clear signal from Paul himself could he take action.

As for Paul himself, he lived in the Mikhailovsky Palace, which was difficult to break unless all the guards rebelled. At least these soldiers respected the Tsar himself very much. The slightly petty Tsar could recognize every long-serving veteran and remember their full names. Most of the new soldiers could also remember their names.

With such defense, everyone can think of the problem, and it is unlikely that a bloody coup will happen in the heavily guarded Mikhailovsky Palace.

"Your Highness, if a coup really happens, I am worried that Count von Palen is not as he said to Your Highness, but will eventually kill the king. March 15 and Caesar are two clear signals."

"Pasha, are you sure?"

"Your Highness, it has come to this point, it must be contre nous de la tyrannie. You once called yourself a "Jacobin", I think you should know this kind of thing better, right?"

Alexander was now enlightened. Count Stroganov was indeed right. Now among his confidants, only this one was in the palace.

"What should we do in this situation?"

"Wait for Misha to come back first. The Emperor wants to summon him because he has been a guard in the palace for more than a year. He is very loyal and a reliable person for His Majesty and His Highness. After he comes back, he will naturally bring His Majesty the latest situation today. In addition, there will be a grand performance at the Mikhailovsky Palace on March 10. And if the conspirator is discovered, he will obviously not sit still and wait for death. He may come back to His Highness and seek support again."

Count Stroganov's brain was working fast. Whether it was Paul or Alexander, the favor they showed to their family was incomparable to that of the rebellious count, who had been Paul's long-term confidant. Therefore, the father and son were more relaxed when standing in line and betting.

In this case, both sides can win, and Paul is actually more stable alive. After all, his new policy on abolition of slavery, if it continues to be implemented, is to liberate serfs. With Paul's character, he is more determined than Alexander.

The count once chatted with the old count at home. The father and son were considered the richest family in Russia, with at least tens of thousands of serfs under their name, but both of them supported abolition of slavery, believing that this system of imprisoning identity was meaningless.

Alexander, a "Byzantine", would not be so determined to promote abolition of slavery. What's more powerful is that Paul broke the shackles in front, and then Alexander came out to pretend to be a good man to clean up the situation. This is an excellent two-act drama.

As the "director", the count and his son would never have thought that someone would come out to kill the king under the banner of the country. What to do now is indeed very tricky.