Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796

When going to the Tuileries Palace, you must always wear military uniforms and then wear medals. Especially Solovyov has a medal that is more conspicuous, which is the Cross of the Order of the Order of Malta, Second Class. Tsar Paul was awarded the title by von Palen. This medal is no longer issued after a murder during a coup.

It was indeed a bit interesting for him to meet Napoleon, who was still the First Consul in a public capacity. After all, the classic skin of this man's life has not yet appeared. The First Consul's outfit is still red, which is quite eye-catching.

Entering the Tuileries Palace behind Count Morkov was a relatively novel experience, and since the palace would no longer exist, it was an experience he had never had before.

Because he has no impression of this place, just like the Louvre does not have the glass pyramid.

Now he wants to write a novel or adapt a script for "Phantom of the Louvre" played by Sophie Marceau. After all, this thing is quite impressive, but he just doesn't know how to express it on the stage.

Even now the three major drama systems do not exist

At that time, we may have to think of some solutions.

When entering the Tuileries Palace, diplomats from various countries are also here, as well as celebrities from Paris, and many generals.

"Misha, don't talk too much when you get here. Don't speak until I ask you."

"I understand, Mr. Ambassador, there are certain things you cannot say."

At this time, Napoleon was receiving diplomatic envoys one by one. Today's reception was quite large and would last for a long time.

When it was Count Morkov's turn, Solovyov could see the expressions of Napoleon and Mr. Talleyrand on crutches from behind.

Mr. Talleyrand was as expressionless as ever. If he lowered his head, I don't know what he was thinking. But if he went to a church in London, he might turn Britain into a prison - at least Solovyov That’s what I thought, maybe a Blackadder or Agent Bean needs to appear at this time.

Napoleon himself did not like Count Morkov, but he was interested in the young man behind him.

"Count Morkov, is the young officer behind you the new embassy attaché?"

"Yes, Mr. First Consul, Lieutenant Colonel Solovyov is from Petersburg and served in the Guards of our Emperor."

"I have always been interested in young soldiers. After the reception, I can ask him to come to me and introduce himself at the beginning of the reception."

Napoleon didn't know what was going on, so he set his sights on Solovyov, maybe because he was really good-looking and more pleasing to the eye.

Anyway, neither he nor Josephine knew that Josephine's cousin could actually live in Petersburg and that he was their cheap nephew.

Solovyov didn't know that this person was his cheap uncle, and Josephine was his aunt, because the two children, Polina and Anton, were really estranged blood relatives.

"The First Consul seems to be very interested in you, and regardless of your military rank or title, you can go over and meet him."

"Isn't this inappropriate?"

"I know this arrogant consul doesn't like me, but he is interested in you. If you can speak your words well, our 'beautiful boy' may be able to win the recognition of the first consul and the people around him. In diplomacy, It also helps.”

"Okay, Mr. Ambassador, I'll be there when the time comes."

Moreover, he also saw that Moreau and Bernadotte were there. His appearance was not popular among the public. Because he was handsome, he had a high rate of turning heads. After all, he was impressive.

There will be no need to pretend in the future, and then the people of Paris will know not to duel with Russian sharpshooters easily.

There were banquets and dances at the reception, as was always the case at the court. Solovyov had experienced a lot in Petersburg in the past, although he always stood aside and watched.

Those members of the Bonaparte family also made their appearances here one after another, except of course Napoleon's mother Letizia, the second sister Bonaparte and her brother-in-law General Leclerc who were in Haiti, and Napoleon's stupid brother Jérôme. , he is currently hiding in the United States to avoid the limelight because he accidentally shot a British frigate at sea.

Of course, General Leclerc's lifespan was coming to an end due to the effects of yellow fever.

Today's visitors also included many generals, civil servants, and bankers in Paris, as well as various socialites, and the hostess of the salon. It was quite lively.

There are also actors such as Miss Mars and Miss George. Miss George, Solovyov actually knows that she and another actress Miss Dushesnova are competitors, but they are just supporters of these two, respectively. For "Georgians" and "Colchisians", you like to name Georgian places after nothing.

Moreover, the bodies of these two ladies, one plump and the other thin, no wonder attracted tit-for-tat from fans. Miss George was only at this age and had already attracted Napoleon's attention.

The time that Solovyov was looking for passed, that is, he slipped and touched along the window.

The strange thing is that these two young ladies will receive their own care from the First Consul and his wife here.

It's just that Josephine is interested in Miss Duchesnoy's acting skills, while the First Consul is interested not only in Miss George's stage performance, but also in how young she is and how plump she is, and I'm afraid she will be even more spectacular in the future.

However, Solovyov did not appreciate Miss George, and he was not very interested in this category.

"You are the new Russian embassy attaché. You are really young."

Napoleon was sometimes so straightforward even in a "civilized" country. And he was also very satisfied with Solovyov, that is, he was about the same height as himself, because the young man's figure made him appear stronger, and he did not have the same height difference as General Augereau.

"Yes, General Citizen, or His Excellency the First Consul."

He was indeed a bit rude, Solovyov thought so, and sometimes he wanted to agree with Mr. Talleyrand. After all, the Tsar was a civilized man.

But as a diplomatic attaché, you still have to maintain diplomatic etiquette and basic courtesy.

"How old are you?"

Solovyov remembered a famous joke, but he couldn't laugh. Over the years, he had developed the skill of suppressing laughter.

"21 years old."

"How many years have you been in the army?"

"I have been serving in Moscow since I was 13 years old. It has been 8 years, from sergeant to lieutenant colonel."

"It was pretty quick. I see you have won two medals and must have been on the battlefield."

But it should also be noted that if Solovyov accidentally tells the truth, the gun he designed will be exposed. Although it is not completely confidential, there are some things that should not be said.

"Yes, Your Excellency, I have been to Italy and Switzerland. I have learned many skills from the teachings of Grand Marshal Prince Suvorov. Unfortunately, during the practice, I encountered the French army. This medal, It was awarded by His Majesty the late Emperor Paul, and I was incorporated into the Guards because of it.”

"Your current father, His Majesty the Tsar, is a friend of mine. I feel sorry for his death. After all, he was still an upright and honest monarch, which is a very rare virtue."

However, when it came to Italy, Napoleon was still somewhat interested. Otherwise, after a few simple greetings, Solovyov would have returned to his original position, and it would be time to dance on the dance floor later.

And although the First Consul had a vicious tongue, he was not as arrogant as he would be after becoming the emperor, at least not that proud.

"I want to hear your evaluation of the battle in Italy. At your age, you are about the same as Eugene. You may also have your own judgment."

"You mean from 1796 to now?"

"Yes, Italy has changed hands several times, and now it is in the hands of France. The biggest setback was caused by the Russian army. If there were only Austrians, it would not be possible to progress so fast."

"To be precise, General Citizen, it should be the Russian Expeditionary Corps. With the cooperation of the Austrian army, we only brought light cavalry. If there is no Austrian cavalry following on the battlefield, some battles will not be easy to fight. On the battlefield, every one The coordination of arms is very important, just like your artillery organization is very good.”

Napoleon smiled at the compliment, and felt that it was said to him.

"Also, the tough Russian infantry and the brave Austrian cavalry. Soldiers from all countries have their own strengths, and of course they must be used. As for your dispatching in the battle from 1796 to 1797, you finally defeated the Austrians. , achieved a brilliant victory, this is undeniable. And even Marengo, General Melas can only gain a 'lost victory' after his victory."

"Hahaha, 'lost victory' sounds like the incompetent cry of the loser. Victory is definitely not obtained through memoirs, diaries and various comments. It can only be obtained on the battlefield. Also, I don't want to say too much I heard that your veteran general, Suvorov, how was his command when he came to Italy? "

Alexander Vasilyevich can be regarded as Solovyov's master. Although he no longer has the energy to teach the closed disciples (including his son Arkady), the relationship between master and disciple is still very deep.

"What I want to say is, General Citizen, from 1799, which was the seventh year of the French Republic, if General Crey had not blocked General Scherer's attack in the Verona area, this battle might have lasted for a long time. , it will be longer. However, based on General Scherer's performance there, it can be said that he foolishly destroyed the strength of the French army, otherwise the subsequent march would not have been so rapid, as if he followed you in the opposite direction. The actions of 1796 pushed past the same."

"That's what it meant. They acted very quickly, but it was precisely because of the commander's actions, how stupid they were, that Italy almost lost in the end."

According to Napoleon's personal account, various boomerangs often appeared at different times, but he still took Suvorov's actions seriously.

"Moreover, General Scherer was captured, and the commander-in-chief of the army was captured. This is worse than losing every battle."

Then, it was Solovyov who did this, and he couldn't say more.

"However, in the end, disagreements within the coalition forces led to a stalemate, but this can also be said to have reversed the entire war situation until your army crossed the Alps, just like its predecessors had done. Our Russian army also passed It was a difficult march towards the Gotthard Pass. Because of the war situation in Zurich, we were unable to achieve our goal and had to leave the battlefield and go to Liechtenstein. "

"This Grand Marshal Alexander Suvorov, I was very interested in him, but unfortunately he died of old age."

He is not as arrogant as he was when he was tearing apart the Anti-French Alliance continuously. He is still interested in teaching opponents he has never defeated.

"I was beside Alexander Vasilyevich at the time. From a personal perspective, he taught me some war arts, but the time we spent together was too short, I was too young, and the Grand Marshal was too old, which was also a pity. Well, General Citizen, I will take my leave first."

Napoleon also thought the young man was interesting, and he also saw Moreau's expression.

As for what the Russian military attaché did in Paris, what would his reaction be after he knew it?

Also, Solovyov was still quite flexible in his mind. He was not stupid enough to look for relatives in front of Napoleon.

If he was so stupid, this problem might have been solved today.

After retiring, he also wanted to dance, but choosing a dance partner was also a problem.

This is not quite the same as in St. Petersburg, and there are still a few ladies here today, especially Madame Recamier. She seemed to be tied to the recliner, leaning there, watching the people on the dance floor dance.

It looked very funny, and some people were absent today. Although Louis was seen, his wife did not attend the reception because she was pregnant.

Napoleon did not come to the dance floor today, just sitting there.

He was just like Caesar, admiring his own imperial reflection there, although he was not yet an emperor.

When Moreau saw Napoleon, he could not help but think in this direction.

"General Moreau, we meet again."

"I did not expect that, Baron, you would still appear in your true identity, which is more appropriate. There will be girls in Paris who like young officers like you, even though you are a foreigner."

"There are many foreigners in Russia, including my stepmother, and when I was in St. Petersburg, there was an area where French immigrants lived. No matter what the reason for coming to Russia, many people were there."

"So, speaking of it, you are still a relative of our French?"

"Maybe, General Moreau, and I have participated in the entire Italian campaign on the opposite side of your front, especially in the four days of the Battle of the Trebia River and the Battle of Novi. I hope there will be no war between us. Peace is the best."

If he was not very smart, he might have become a relative today, even with General Moreau, he could have a rough idea.