Struggle in Russia

The Winter Palace, the official office of the Crown Prince.

Although Nicholas I was a lusty emperor who liked the grand Byzantine style and liked to build various tall palaces, monuments and religious buildings, he was not luxurious. On the contrary, the decoration of his private office is extremely simple, with no luxurious carpets, no expensive furniture, and no huge crystal lamps. Apart from the simple office desk and chair, sofa and coffee table, there are various file cabinets, and at the end is a single camp bed for him to sleep every night.

Influenced by Nicholas I, Crown Prince Alexander's office was also extremely simple, except that he didn't sleep on a camp bed covered with straw like his father, but everything else was pretty much the same.

Contitantin Pobedonostsev waited less than five minutes before being ushered into the Crown Prince's office by his attendants. Crown Prince Alexander stood behind his desk and stared at the globe on the table in a daze. The location he looked at seemed to be the Black Sea coast of Wallachia. Could it be that the rumors were true and the empire was preparing to use troops against the Turks again?

Pobedonostsev's thinking was taken astray in an instant. If he wanted to use troops against Turkey, how many chances of promotion and fortune would there be? For a while, he was thinking more about which "friends" he should recommend to join this feast.

"Konstantin, my friend, why are you here so suddenly?"

Crown Prince Alexander warmly invited Pobedonostsev to sit down and asked his attendants to serve him black tea. This made Pobedonostsev a little proud. Not everyone can enjoy this kind of confidant treatment. Doesn't this just show his status in the heart of the crown prince?

But this kind of complacency quickly faded away. Pobedonostsev knew too well how ruthless the Tian family was. When you are useful, you are a treasure, but when you are useless, you are worthless. How many dignitaries who have power for a while, because they don't know how to maintain awe and humility towards their masters, they will perish without a place to bury them.

Pobedonostsev did not want to be like those unfortunate predecessors, so he was very good at expressing his respect and humility. He took the teacup with both hands respectfully and tremblingly, and replied with honor and gratitude:

"Your Highness, please forgive me. It is really because of the appalling case that occurred in the 748 regiment, so I have no choice but to visit you and ask for your help."

Alexander was taken aback for a moment, unable to make a turn in his head. After all, at his level, even if he doesn't like someone, it is impossible to stare at someone all the time. When I saw Pobedonostsev coming over just now, I subconsciously thought it was a major national event, but who would have thought that it was a small matter of the 748 regiment, which caught him off guard.

"The 748 regiment?" Alexander pondered, "Did the Grand Duke cause trouble?"

Alexander knew that Pobedonostsev was someone in the 748th regiment. After all, the grievances between him and Menshikov were a well-known joke among high-level officials. Moreover, it was his intention to assign manpower to the 748 regiment. After all, he also needed to train a group of people who were particularly loyal to him, didn't he?

No matter how loyal Menshikov's old officials are, they are also loyal to his father. Before he took the throne, he was only the second-in-command, and those old officials would not be absolutely loyal to him. And how can the emperor and the courtiers keep using some veterans? Strictly speaking, Menshikov is a veteran of the four dynasties, and he is already an extremely talented minister with no rewards, and if he continues to use it, he will lose his tail.

Alexander didn't want to be constrained by a group of dignitaries in the future, and he also pursued something. What's more, his younger brother Constantine also flirts with those old ministers every now and then, so he has to guard against it!

Therefore, Pobedonostsev is willing to quarrel with Menshikov, and Alexander is happy to see it. It can not only prevent Menshikov from being too inflated and not treat him as the crown prince as his master, but also train Pobedonostsev's men and horses, so that he can use them when he ascends to the throne. Why not do it?

Pobedonostsev emphasized: "Yes, the Grand Duke has made a big case!"

Alexander frowned,

This was the second time he had heard Pobedonostsev say the word case. Obviously there is something to be said here, if it is an ordinary disturbance, at most it means a certain incident. But here Pobedonostsev has repeatedly emphasized that it is a case, which is of a completely different nature. A case involves a crime, and if it's a crime...

Alexander regained his spirit immediately, and he couldn't help but think: 【If Andrei Konstantinovich committed the crime, wouldn't he be punished for the crime? Haha, it's not sleepy. Send a pillow, that's great! 】

Pobedonostsev saw Alexander's joyful expression, which he expected. As expected, the crown prince hated the grand duke's plan to make him look good, and he could make good use of it to turn bad things into good things!

However, Pobedonostsev was not in a hurry to express his opinion, because as far as he knew, the situation was very unfavorable for Kutepov. If he took advantage of the crown prince's trust but was slapped in the face in the end, then he must be the one who bears the crown prince's anger in the end. He's not that stupid. In the officialdom, self-preservation is the number one priority.

Alexander couldn't wait to ask: "What case? What did that guy do? Tell me!"

Pobedonostsev replied as carefully as possible: "According to what I know, the Grand Duke is a bit of a bully, relying on his title and status as a knight, he has no superiors as soon as he arrives in the 748th regiment, and is ready to do anything wrong. He falsified evidence and made up charges and led a group of gangsters to attack the battalion commander, Captain Gasinski..."

Alexander beamed when he heard that, and said happily, "I knew this guy would get carried away! Haha, let's do it now! He must be severely punished for such a horrific case just after he took office!"

Pobedonostsev still didn't express his position. Of course he supported severely punishing someone, but the problem was that he didn't have any cards in his hand, so how could he carry someone's king bomb with a bad hand!

He still said cautiously: "Your Highness, these are the reactions of Lieutenant Colonel Kutepov, the deputy head of the 748 regiment. I will report to you as soon as I get the news. It is too late to understand the specific situation. I think..."

Alexander became a little impatient: "Isn't the charge obvious! What do you know, let the local military police arrest people and arrest that bastard directly! I still don't believe it, a mere Andrei Konstantinovich can still Overturned!"

Pobedonostsev "persuaded" calmly: "Your Highness, I think it's better to be cautious, after all, he is a grand duke. If you want to punish him, you must have strong criminal evidence, otherwise you will be punished with that eloquent tongue." Maybe it will cause some trouble... I think it's better to have a long-term plan, and it's better to let the third part send competent people to investigate and deal with it."

Alexander thought about it, and felt that he was indeed a little impatient. It is indeed more reasonable to let the third part be shot, and it can also make the charges more solid. Experts like them believe that someone will be finished soon.

Persuading Alexander to let Pobedonostsev is completely relieved. In the third part, he has a good relationship with Ordorf. After saying hello, I believe that those disgraceful things will disappear. Without that evidence, repairing a duke on a slope isn't the same as playing!