Struggle in Russia

Nikolai Platonovich Ogarev was not in a very beautiful mood. In fact, he had not been in a good mood since the beginning of 1847.

At the beginning of the year, his good friend Herzen was forced to go into exile abroad, which caused him a huge blow. You must know that he was inseparable from Herzen when he was thirteen years old, swore an oath on Sparrow Hill together, was admitted to the Faculty of Law of Moscow University together, worshiped the Decembrist Party together, and organized Herzen together——Ogarev’s utopian Socialist The group was arrested together and exiled together.

Who would have thought that Herzen and him would have to part ways one day, which made Ogarev feel that half of his life was missing, and his whole person became incomplete.

It was not only Herzen's departure that made Ogarev feel lost, but what made him even more depressed was Nicholas I's strict censorship system. In order to prevent the spread of new ideas in Russia and to ensure the absoluteness of the absolute monarchy, the terrible tsar set up a dozen review committees, which locked Russian intellectuals like iron tongs.

In such an extremely suffocating environment, Ogarev could not express any opinions, could not publish any works, and even the spies of the third part could often be seen secretly operating around him. Sometimes he wants to escape this suffocating country immediately and go abroad to develop with his good friend Herzen.

But Herzen disagreed, and this good friend told him: "Dear Nicholas, I have to leave my dearest motherland, otherwise Nicholas I will get rid of me like the great Pushkin, I had to save my life and go into exile abroad."

"But our great cause cannot be terminated. I need eyes and ears to observe what is happening in the country. So please, my most loyal friend, be my eyes and ears! I know it is extremely painful and dangerous, but the only thing I can trust and Only you can rely on..."

Ogarev took over this arduous task, and used the secret letter he had agreed with Herzen to inform St. Petersburg and major events in Russia one by one. However, in Ogarev's view, 1847 was undoubtedly a disappointing year. Russia was in peace and stability. Nicholas I formed a tight net like a big spider to monitor everything. The new youth and revolutionaries could only hide In the dark secret meeting secret exchange of views.

For example, he had just participated in a progressive salon at St. Petersburg University, and had a lively discussion with a few good friends, venting part of the backlog of depression.

"Sir, you have a visitor."

As soon as he entered the door, Ogarev received a notice from the housekeeper. He asked indifferently, "Which gentleman is it?"

The butler replied with some embarrassment: "I'm sorry, this gentleman doesn't want to reveal his name, but he has been waiting for you for several hours and said that he will never leave until he sees you!"

Ogarev pondered for a moment. He was not surprised by this kind of strange visitor who hides his head and tail. In this country where there is no freedom at all, new ideas are regarded as a scourge by those conservative, backward and stubborn guys.

No one dared to openly talk about their thoughts, let alone express their inclination for new thinking. Even when dealing with dangerous people like him who registered in the third part, they had to be extremely careful. Who knew if there were any spies from the third part watching. Especially those young people who have just come into contact with new ideas, they are especially careful in this regard, they can only worship their idols with their heads covered, and he was not like that back then.

"Is this gentleman very young?" Ogarev asked casually.

"Around twenty."

Hearing this answer, Ogarev was more than half relieved. Obviously, this was another immature "pilgrim", but he hoped that there would be as many such pilgrims as possible, because it meant the awakening and rejuvenation of young Russians. rise.

"Take me to the reception room."

After Ogarev untied his thick cloak and handed it to the butler, he quickly walked into the reception room. He couldn't wait to guide a new youth.

However, when Ogarev saw the mysterious visitor, he partly corrected his thoughts at the first moment.

Although the tall blond young man in front of him looks young, he has a very unique temperament. He is not the kind of immature young man he imagined who has only read a few progressive books and has a very shallow understanding:

This person held his head high, his chest high and his limbs slender, which contained the temperament of an athlete, completely different from those educated youths who had buried their heads in books for a long time. Especially those eyes, which are clear, bright and full of power. This is completely different from the young people who have just come into contact with new ideas. The eyes of the latter are more confused at this time. They have too many problems that they have not figured out and have too many questions to ask answer.

Obviously, the person in front of Ogarev didn't have so many questions to answer, and he definitely didn't come to ask him for answers. On the contrary, there is a resolute temperament unique to soldiers in the opponent's body. Is this the third newly developed undercover agent?

The military police in the third part are the best at playing such despicable methods. Every year, a group of undercover officers who are close to the new youth in appearance and temperament are selected from the junior officers who graduated from the military academy and sent to the watch list, pretending to be revolutionary youths to scout for information. Many professors, scholars, and social activists with new ideas fell under this despicable means.

Immediately, Ogarev became vigilant, and while carefully observing the micro-expression of the visitor, he asked tentatively: "Sir, I heard that you insist on meeting me, so I don't know what advice Su Wei can give you?"

"You are Mr. Nikolai Platonovich Ogarev?"

The visitor seemed not quite sure that the person in front of him was Ogarev, or he felt that Ogarev should not have such an ordinary appearance in front of him. As a believer of the Decembrists, as one of the rare dangerous people who was exiled by Nicholas I after the Decembrists, he must have a bit of a dangerous temperament, right? Why does this person in front of him look like an extremely ordinary government official?

"I am Ogarev!"

The visitor still didn't quite believe it, and asked again: "Is that Mr. Herzen's close comrade-in-arms Ogarev?"

Ogarev felt that everyone knew about his relationship with Herzen, and there was no need to deny it: "It's exactly!"

The visitor fell into deep thought, appearing hesitant. This made Ogarev very strange. Why did the other party keep struggling with his identity? The spies in the third part can't be so incompetent, right? The third part of his portrait has everything, do we still need to confirm it face to face?

Ogarev asked curiously: "What advice do you have? Or what do you want from me?"

The visitor looked at him and thought about it, hesitating over and over again, and finally said hesitatingly: "Sorry, you are completely different from what I imagined. But this is not the point, the point is that I have no other way now , I can only... I can only ask you for help. As far as I know, you know Mr. Nikolay Alexeyevich Nekrasov, right?"