Struggle in Russia

Recently, Alexander's dissatisfaction with his second brother, Grand Duke Constantine, has skyrocketed. Adlerberger Jr. has already reported everything to him in detail about what happened in the 748 regiment.

He knew exactly how Grand Duke Constantine dealt with Mesadov, how he challenged Menshikov, and how he openly spread some terrible gossip in the Admiralty.

Although Alexander did not have absolute self-consciousness as a crown prince, his years of royal education made him relatively sensitive to politics. The unreasonable actions of Grand Duke Constantine immediately aroused his suspicion.

Although he couldn't figure out what this younger brother wanted to do, he could feel that it seemed to be aimed at him. Otherwise, he shouldn't have taken Messadov down without notice.

Although that guy is a bastard, he is also a pawn to cooperate with little Adlerberg to suppress Li Xiao. Nicholas I entrusted him with this task, and Grand Duke Constantine suddenly intervened and disabled a key chess piece on his side. What does this mean?

That is to say, Adlerberg and his son still couldn't see through the intentions of Grand Duke Constantine and Nicholas I for the time being, and advised Alexander not to make a hasty move. Otherwise, he really wanted to teach this younger brother who was getting more and more out of line.

But even if Alexander could endure it for the time being, he was definitely not happy. And with Nicholas I's acquiescence to the behavior of Grand Duke Constantine, Alexander also felt panicked for the first time.

For the first time, he felt that his status was threatened. For the first time, he felt that this brother was so annoying and an eyesore. He hoped that this brother would get away as far as possible!

This terrible feeling once shocked Alexander himself. For the first time, he realized that he didn't care as much about the throne as he had advertised in the past. In fact, he still cared about it, and was still worried about losing it.

This made Alexander flustered and panicked for a while. He cried and confessed bitterly while hugging his teacher Zhukovsky, but he couldn't feel better. He really didn't know what was wrong with him. Could it be that he was really a despicable villain who said nothing?

However, Alexander did not know that when his teacher Zhukovsky met Nicholas I and protested to the emperor that he connived at the Grand Duke Constantine's "persecution" of Crown Prince Alexander, it caused great psychological pressure on the crown prince and made the crown prince's After the mind was "distorted", the crown prince was no longer pure.

At that time Nicholas I was actually secretly happy. He has always felt that Alexander lacks the temperament of an emperor, and lacks the domineering spirit to protect the throne by all means. I feel that this son is too careless about the position of emperor. If he continues to be so careless, the Romanov family may be ruined in his hands.

But this time, when Alexander showed concern about his status, and was even willing to no longer be "pure" for this, and was willing to use despicable means to deal with his dear brother, Nicholas I was relieved.

He felt that this son was not extremely stupid and could still be saved. Maybe we can take this opportunity to take advantage of Grand Duke Constantine's strength to put a little more pressure on him, so that he has a more sense of crisis. Maybe this way he can grow into a real emperor!

Alexander had absolutely no idea that his father had hatched an evil plan, much less that it was his petty concerns that made Nicholas I decide to let Grand Duke Konstantin go to torment Menshikov. If sacrificing an old minister can create a qualified prince, it's so worth it! That's it!

Nicholas I was very satisfied with this method. If he had known that he could put pressure on Crown Prince Alexander through Grand Duke Constantine to force the Crown Prince to grow up and act like a real emperor, he would have done it long ago!

The only thing to blame is that Alexander's character was too deceitful before. Nicholas I always thought that his eldest son was a soft dough, a cowardly waste who was unwilling to bear the responsibility of the crown prince, and an out-and-out crybaby.

Nicholas I thought that Alexander was not interested in the throne at all,

So before, he always tried every means to make Alexander interested in power, telling him how important and precious power is.

But the effect was not ideal. Apart from using the power in his hands to flirt with the court maids and ladies and gentlemen from all walks of life, the crown prince did not realize the more wonderful uses of power at all, nor did he realize the value of power.

For a time, Nicholas I was desperate and didn't know what to do with Alexander. But this time, when Grand Duke Constantine pierced Alexander's hypocritical mask, Nicholas I was ecstatic. He knew that his eldest son and the great system he had established were finally saved.

So Nicholas I was in a very good mood when he attended the imperial meeting. This autocratic monarch known for his rigidity, seriousness and meticulousness had a rare smile on his face, and his slightly bald forehead and the top of his head were shining brightly. , like a radiant sun.

With the exact same stride and the same degree of swinging his arms, Nicholas I was almost like a robot, walking to the position where he should be at every minute and every second. Glancing at the people present, he cleared his throat and ordered in a thick and stern voice: "The meeting!"

Under the suppression of Nicholas I's awe-inspiring field, the hearts of every courtier are heavy. Even Menshikov, who had been dozing off for a long time, the old eunuch couldn't help holding his head high. After the word "meeting" came out, he stood up with a snap, stood at attention with a snap, and then sat down solemnly.

Not only Menshikov, but other people as well. It was as if they had rehearsed countless times, and they made this set of procedures decisive, neat, and uniform, so that no one could find anything wrong.

This is the style of the imperial meeting, full of the atmosphere of the army. It is Nicholas I's favorite style, and the courtiers can only follow his preferences. Even Count Nesselrode, the foreigner who advocated freedom the most, has been almost assimilated these years. He no longer looks like an elegant diplomat, but a seasoned and decisive military strategist.

"Your Majesty, the main topics of this imperial meeting are as follows..."

Immediately, Prime Minister Nesselrode went straight to the point. Although Nicholas I liked to create numerous bureaucratic institutions and create dazzling bureaucratic procedures, he himself hated wasting time, and his venue could only be simple and direct without procrastination.

In just 20 minutes, the procedural affairs were all dealt with, and the next thing everyone knew, the meat show was finally about to begin!