Struggle in Russia

Duke Dolgoruky undoubtedly disappointed Alexander II, but to be honest, the Duke cannot be blamed for his incompetence.

His opponents are really too powerful. His enemies on the surface include Nikolai Milyutin and Li Xiao, and his hidden enemies include giants like Count Rostovtsev and Pobedonostsev. Even the inconspicuous Dmitry Milyutin might stab him in the back.

If he can still make a difference in such a situation, how can he become as virtuous as he is now?

What was even more funny was that not long after he came out of the Winter Palace study, he was called over by Pobedonostsev.

"Your Majesty the Duke, does your Majesty have any special tasks for you to go to the Winter Palace today?"

Duke Dolgoruky was shocked. Although his visit to the Winter Palace was not classified as confidential, confidentiality was a basic requirement in his profession. No matter what he did, he paid special attention to confidentiality, but his whereabouts still could not be hidden from Bobie. Donostsev, what does this mean?

It shows that Pobedonostsev may have sent people to watch his every move, which means that the previous leak of Baryatinsky's whereabouts is likely to be related to this guy.

Maybe he discovered his whereabouts secretly!

Thinking of this, Duke Dolgoruky was filled with hatred. Originally, Baryatinsky's move of returning to St. Petersburg in secret to act as a surprise soldier would have worked wonders, but by being tricked like this, he was self-defeating.

This also caused him to suffer a lot from Alexander II and Baryatinsky. This account must be settled!

However, he did not have the capital to settle accounts now, so he could only answer honestly: "No, His Majesty is just consulting on some daily affairs of the third department."

Pobedonostsev glanced at him. How could he believe such nonsense? Even if Alexander II wanted to ask about the situation of the third part, he should ask him as the commander-in-chief, not Duke Dolgoruky.

Alexander II told him that there was only one possibility in the past, and that was to do some secret affairs that were not visible to the public. Considering the current situation, he had no doubt that this matter was closely related to the battle with the reformists.

I am being excluded from the circle!

Pobedonostsev was a little helpless. He knew that this was the consequence of opposing Alexander II to help Grand Duke Constantine and not reaching an agreement with Baryatinsky.

This is definitely not a good thing, but he is not particularly nervous, because he feels that as long as he passes this level, as long as he performs well later, as long as he can secretly reach a deal with the reformists, sooner or later Alexander II will have to rely on him!

But before that, he had to hammer Duke Dolgoruky. This annoying nail had made him uncomfortable for too long. In the past, he could only endure it because he was concerned about the attitudes of Alexander II and Baryatinsky.

But now there is no need to be patient!

"There is nothing wrong with reporting to His Majesty, but His Excellency, the Duke, must abide by the rules of the Third Department when working in the Third Department. What kind of behavior is he leaving work for no reason without saying hello? To put it mildly, it is undisciplined... Without rules, there is no Fangyuan. , as a department leader, you should set an example! Half a month's salary will be deducted from you as a punishment! If you want to go out for work in the future, you must report it, otherwise I will severely punish you!"

Duke Dolgoruky did not expect that this killing blow would come so suddenly. He had already said that he was going to report to His Majesty. Well, is this reason still strong enough? But Pobedonostsev still didn't give him any face. This was clearly to embarrass him!

Suddenly he became unhappy, stared at the other party and said: "Your Excellency, I did not leave my job without reason. I was summoned by His Majesty to report to the Winter Palace. Is there a problem with this?!"

Pobedonostsev sneered: "It means His Majesty is looking for you, otherwise this time it won't be as simple as deducting wages... As the director of the third department, all the work and things of the third department must first be obtained. With my permission, no one can act without my permission, let alone have their own way!"

Duke Dolgoruky was furious. It was obvious that he was going to mess with him. Neither Count Benkendorf nor Duke Ordorf dared to speak like this. Do you really think that the third part belongs to your own family?

At this moment, he really wanted to walk away, but he was still somewhat rational. He knew that if he really dared to do this, Pobedonostsev would never let him go, and would definitely make the matter bigger. He will definitely be the one who suffers at that time.

As the saying goes, a good man never suffers immediate losses. As long as he can keep his useful life, he will definitely have a chance for revenge in the future. He vowed to make Pobedonostsev look good!

So he didn't argue, he just let the other party do whatever he wanted. This disappointed Pobedonostsev, because he did have the intention to use the topic as an excuse. Even if he could not be taken away by Duke Dolgoruky, he would at least deal with him well.

But now that people are not fooled, this is a bit troublesome.

To be honest, Pobedonostsev was quite helpless with Prince Dolgoruky. He couldn't drive him away, and he couldn't even beat him or scold him casually. It felt like a fish bone lodged in his throat, which was really uncomfortable.

He can be sure that the other party must be holding back his thoughts to retaliate against him. This is definitely a hidden danger in the future!

Pobedonostsev did not like to leave hidden dangers, but after all, Duke Dolgoruky was an important member of the conservatives. Neither Baryatinsky nor Alexander II would allow him to kill him.

Can we just sit back and watch the other party slowly grow stronger and take revenge on ourselves in the future?

He became restless when he thought about this possibility. After thinking for a long time, he felt that the only feasible way at the moment was to kill someone with a borrowed knife!

As for the knife, he had already thought about it. Who else could kill Duke Dolgoruki except the reformists who had such sharp knives?

The only question is why would the reformists do him this favor?

On the issue of Duke Baryatinsky, the other party sold him a benefit, and it stands to reason that he has not paid it back yet!

Now if he wants the other party to help him, he has to show some sincerity, right?

But this sincerity is not easy to get!

After all, he is also the core leader of the conservatives and cannot help the reformists dig out their own foundation.

What if the other party’s conditions are too excessive?

But he really couldn't rest assured, always feeling that if Duke Dolgoruky was allowed to develop, there would be endless troubles!

After thinking about it, he didn't have a good idea. If it didn't work, he could only contact the reformists first and explore their tone.

"Notify the Third Department in St. Petersburg that the headquarters will hold a working meeting. Officers above the lieutenant colonel must attend!"

I have to say that Pobedonostsev is quite a thief. He knows that he is definitely being stared at by countless pairs of eyes. If he secretly comes into contact with Li Xiao, the consequences will be disastrous. It is better to find a reason to call him out openly. come over……