Struggle in Russia

Nikolai Milyutin bowed slightly and replied: "The count has the persistence of the count, and I also have my position. Of course, everything is as your Majesty said, for the great Russia!"

Alexander II nodded patiently, not taking Nikolai Milyutin's words seriously at all. He was thinking more about how to open a breakthrough and test whether the other party could talk to Count Uvarov. How about it.

He pretended to praise: "That's right! Everything is for the country. I believe that as long as you and the earl adhere to this point, there will be no unresolved conflicts... By the way, regarding issues related to reform, have you consulted the earl? What’s your opinion?”

Nikolai Milyutin also breathed a sigh of relief, because Alexander II finally stopped going around in circles and went straight to the topic, so he no longer had to bother to accompany him in circles.

He bowed again and replied: "Of course there is, to be honest, the count just talked to me about this topic this morning..."

Alexander II's heart suddenly rose to his throat, fearing that Nikolai Milyutin would say something next: We had a great conversation and reached a high degree of agreement on many issues.

He forced a smile and pretended to be calm and asked, "Oh? Really? What did you talk about?"

Nikolai Milyutin became calmer and calmer. He certainly couldn't say that he was just chatting. This was not the result he wanted. According to Dmitri, it was best to put some pressure on Alexander II.

He decided to give it a try: "We talked a lot about the key issues of reform."

As for what the key issue is, he will definitely not say.

Alexander II's heart was scratching like a cat, that scratching! He pretended not to care and asked: "Oh, it's good to talk more. It's best to solve the problem calmly. So what's the conclusion?"

"Yes, we all believe that reform is necessary," Nikolai Milyutin replied cautiously, "As for how to carry out reform, we can have a more in-depth discussion..."

Alexander II's heart skipped a beat again. This was what he was afraid of, and he thought to himself: Sure enough! Count Uvarov, this old bastard, is going to rebel and surrender to the enemy! What should I do?

He wanted to take action immediately to stop Count Uvarov's rebellion, but on the surface he still said calmly: "Okay! How about we discuss it openly at the next imperial meeting, and everyone can express their opinions..."

It seems that he is very enlightened and intends to promote the reform process, but only those who truly understand Russian officialdom and the actual situation in Russia know that this is completely harboring evil intentions!

Why do you say that?

The reason is very simple. Major decisions related to reform are not undiscussable and should be discussed through brainstorming. But these discussions are best conducted in private, where everyone can fully exchange opinions. When it comes to negotiating, the fewer people there, the better, because people talk a lot!

The imperial meeting seems to be a high-end occasion, but in fact it involves too many people, relationships and forces from all aspects. Taking conservatives as an example, Count Uvarov, Baryatinsky, Pobedonostsev plus Chernyshev, old Adlerberg and so on almost all have their own Intend.

Almost everyone's interests are not completely consistent, and all kinds of details can make your scalp numb.

To put it simply, Baryatinsky and Pobedonostsev may not necessarily agree to the conditions that Count Uvarov can agree to, and Count Uvarov may not necessarily agree to the conditions that Baryatinsky agrees to. promise.

If so many different opinions are allowed to appear in the final decision-making situation at the same time, there will only be one result, and that is, nothing can be discussed!

This is based on lessons learned from the past. Alexander I also reformed the serfdom system and established a decent committee. But in the end, nothing was accomplished. The reason is that the interests and demands of all parties are different, and there is no agreement at all!

If reform is really needed, the correct approach is for Alexander II to first put pressure on the conservatives headed by Count Uvarov and tell them that it has reached a point where reform is no longer an option and must be reformed.

Then, let them discuss among themselves to see what interests they have.

Then make a careful identification to see which interest demands can be met and which ones cannot be agreed to in a coordinated manner.

Similarly, Alexander II should also let the reformists hold an internal discussion to discuss their interests and demands.

When the interest demands of the two factions are basically stable, representatives from the two factions will be sent to face-to-face negotiations, with Alexander II mediating.

At this time, the final decision-making process can be carried out. It is absolutely not possible for the two factions to come into direct contact because they are all in the same pot, with all kinds of voices, and various interests and demands are not unified.

If you do this, you definitely don’t really want to reform, but you really want to stir up trouble!

Alexander II really wanted to stir things up. He wished that the conflicts and differences between the two factions would be as big as possible. It would be best if they could not agree on anything, so that he, the tsar, could use both sides to consolidate his position.

Nikolai Milyutin was not aware of such sinister intentions before, but today, when he discovered some of Alexander II's true inner activities, he became vigilant.

So he did not follow the other party's lead, but replied: "Both the Earl and I believe that it is not appropriate to rush things yet. For the time being, we can communicate privately as representatives. This will be more efficient and easier to resolve conflicts..."

Alexander II was really nervous. Of course he didn't like to communicate in private. This meant that the reformers and conservatives could communicate without him as the czar. What if they reached an agreement?

Even if there is no agreement, Alexander II can't stand the feeling of being kept in the dark. If he can't grasp everything clearly, he will be restless!

"This is not appropriate!" He quickly interrupted, "Reform still requires everyone to brainstorm and express their opinions, and it is most taboo to work behind closed doors. It is better to discuss these issues openly at the Imperial Council!"

Nikolai Milyutin's heart suddenly sounded alarm, and he realized that Alexander II's true purpose was not to promote reform at all, but quite the opposite.

He bowed and replied: "The relevant issues are very sensitive. I think it is not appropriate to expand the discussion. Some information should be properly kept confidential, otherwise some people with ulterior motives will do everything possible to destroy it. I think it is more appropriate to discuss it in a small area first!"

Alexander II frowned. He felt that Nikolai Milyutin today was a little different from usual. Normally, this guy would not dare to refuse his kindness. Could it be that this guy really made an agreement with Count Uvarov? Things, otherwise how confident would you be?

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