Struggle in Russia

Vasily Konstantinovich yawned. Yesterday he stayed up all night with a few friends. To be honest, he stayed up like this every day, which made him feel uncomfortable even if he wanted to do something serious during the day. I can't keep up with my energy.

Sometimes he wonders if the other friends can do good things during the day? Seeing that they are much crazier than me at night, can they get up and go to work in the morning?

He thought it was unlikely and felt that such a living situation was very problematic. After all, the people participating in the carnival are all the rich and powerful children of St. Petersburg. They are not said to have high positions but are more or less small and medium-sized leaders of various yamen. The backbone of so many departments are not interested in going to work. Isn't this a problem?

He had discussed this issue with many friends at the beginning, but the answers from those people did not convince him. Those guys actually said that handling official business at the dance party and the salon at night was the same, and even more efficient, and that all the big guys were there. , anything can be solved casually!

He thought this was nonsense, and it was just an excuse for these guys to have fun without doing anything.

It's just that these things are not something he can change overnight. Even if he disagrees a hundred times, he can't change the customs that have lasted for decades or hundreds of years.

Just when he was yawning and thinking about how to avoid part of this meaningless carnival, Li Xiao arrived.

"Who says otherwise? The balls and salons in St. Petersburg are almost catching up with those in Paris. If everyone could use their enthusiasm for dancing and beauty hunting to get down to business, we would never have lost the Crimean War."

Vasily Konstantinovich nodded repeatedly. He felt the same way. He always felt that the big heads in St. Petersburg were too unprofessional. They only knew how to spend money and were of no use to the country.

"Who says it isn't! Dancing all day long or drinking and bragging is a waste of life!"

Li Xiao laughed and said, "I also think this is not good, but others don't agree. Look at Alexei and the others forcing me to practice dancing. Wouldn't it be good to read more books if I have that time?"

Vasily Konstantinovich laughed and said: "Your situation is different. Alexei is also helping you solve your marriage problems. If you had gotten engaged earlier, you wouldn't have this problem!"...

Li Xiao had a headache when he mentioned the engagement. He really didn't want to bring it up, so he quickly changed the subject: "If you don't mention this, it's useless. It's just adding trouble...recently, there have been one trouble after another. You also know that I have no connections in St. Petersburg, so I can only ask a few of your friends for information."

Vasily Konstantinovich laughed loudly and said: "You are too modest. I think you can easily open up the situation as long as you practice your dancing skills... But what information do you want to find out from me?"

"News from the Winter Palace!"

Vasily Konstantinovich was a little surprised, because the news from the Winter Palace was extraordinary. It basically involved the most core things. Could it be that something big had happened?

Li Xiao didn't show off, and explained the strange behavior of old Adlerberg in detail: "You also know that that old fox is not generally difficult to deal with, and his behavior is so strange that it is difficult to let people know. There is no association!”

Vasily Konstantinovich nodded in agreement. Old Adlerberg is indeed a figure worthy of attention. When he behaves strangely, you really need to pay more attention.

But this matter made him a little embarrassed, because to be honest, he was just the military attaché beside the crown prince. It would be okay if the crown prince was an adult, but the problem was that the crown prince was just a kid. To be honest, these military attachés were The Winter Palace has a very low sense of existence and can only be regarded as a minor figure.

For little bastards like them to try to find out what a big shot like old Adlerberg was doing was, to put it mildly, overestimating their capabilities. What's more, this matter might involve Alexander II, which would be even more troublesome.

He sighed and said: "You also know that I am just a small figure in the Winter Palace, a bit far away from the core. I can only say that I will try my best to help you inquire, but the results are really not guaranteed!"

For Li Xiao, this was enough. As long as Vasily Konstantinovich was willing to help, he would be very satisfied. What's more, the other party immediately agreed to help without saying anything. This face was really enough.

He immediately said: "I know this matter is a bit troublesome, so if you need help, just give me your instructions. If you want money, things, or people, I will be able to get it without any ambiguity! Let me give you 10,000 rubles in advance. You, make it easier for you to take action!”

Now it was Vasily Konstantinovich's turn to be surprised. It would definitely cost money to find out the information, especially in a place like the Winter Palace. Not to mention too much, you have to give away some gold and silver jewelry to bribe the female officials and maids, right? As for other attendants or military attaches, they have to do what they like. Without money, it is really difficult to establish relationships.

When Vasily Konstantinovich agreed to help, he was already prepared to contribute money to help. After all, he recognized Li Xiao's style of doing things and was willing to make this friend. As the saying goes, it’s hard to buy something like money, but he just likes it and is willing to pay for it!

However, Li Xiao's generosity and understanding still made him very comfortable. Ten thousand rubles was definitely not a small number. He was willing to pay for it immediately without saying a word, and he didn't even mention nonsense like more refunds and less compensation. Well done!

Suddenly he felt better about Li Xiao, because he had met many people similar to Li Xiao who were determined to change Russia's backwardness, but these people were either high-minded but low-handed or just nerdy. There is really no other person who understands the truth, has specific directions for action, and can flexibly handle actual problems.

Li Xiao's grandeur made him feel comfortable, so he was naturally less likely to be stingy. He waved his hand generously and said: "It's just a few small coins, what's it worth! Besides, I may not be able to find out the information here. Let's talk about it after the matter is settled. !”

However, Li Xiao disagreed. He immediately said: "The money is not much, but you can't do things well without money...Besides, I can't ask you to pay for your efforts. This is inappropriate...What's more, it depends on the situation." In the long run, even if you spend money this time and don’t get any news, isn’t there another time? As long as the relationship is maintained, the money spent will be valuable!”

As he said that, he couldn't help but put the check into Vasily Konstantinovich's hand, which made the latter sigh more and more that someone could do things and take a long-term view.

You see, people don't care about temporary gains and losses, and are willing to make long-term investments for the future. This fully shows that they have vision and great ambitions, and they are willing to be friends with such people!