Struggle in Russia

The VIP reception room on the second floor of the Russian State Library.

Count Rostovtsev sat upright on the hardwood chair, focusing all his attention on the open book in front of him, following his slender fingers across the lines of text.

The VIP reception room is quiet and warm. The new hot water heater introduced from the UK can drive away the severe cold silently and keep the room temperature at a comfortable level.

Not everyone enjoys the pleasure of this new technology. This kind of heating equipment that needs to install boilers and water pipes is too advanced for the crude and rough Russia, and not everyone can accept it.

Most of the nobles, including Nicholas I, preferred the traditional fireplace, and the burning flame could make them feel comfortable. Of course, this is nonsense. There is only one reason for insisting on using a fireplace instead of a heating system-to adhere to the so-called Russian tradition.

Tradition meant everything to the conservative Russian tsars and nobility. Any subversion of tradition is unacceptable and inexcusable. Even if the new type of heating is more comfortable and safer, they still insist on burning fires to keep warm, even if it burns down the Winter Palace.

That was in 1837, and by order of Nicholas I, the architect was forced to add fireplaces to the rooms of the Winter Palace for heating. Although the poor architect had repeatedly warned the tsar that it was very dangerous, the autocratic Nicholas I still used his strength to get the fireplace he wanted.

Then, shortly after, when the new fireplace was put into use, the chimney soon began to leak smoke and catch fire. The servants tried to extinguish the flames with mud-stained mops, but instead engulfed the entire palace in flames.

It is very unfortunate that Nicholas I and his family were not in the Winter Palace because they were watching "Abduction in the Boudoir" in the theater, so the poisonous family escaped.

The raging fire covered the entire Winter Palace, and the strong wind pushed the fire to continue to spread. In the words of Alexander Zhukovsky, the teacher of Crown Prince Alexander: "It seems that a volcano has erupted in the center of St. Petersburg."

The terrible conflagration torched the Winter Palace came at a cost. But did Nicholas I learn his lesson?

Nothing at all!

The terrible poisoner didn't even think that his nonsense caused the fire, and he didn't have the slightest reflection and no remorse. In that winter of minus 35 degrees, his only concern was how to rebuild his palace as soon as possible.

According to the order of Nicholas I, the reconstruction of the Winter Palace must start immediately and must be completed within a year. As a result, hundreds of serfs were conscripted during the season when dripping water turned into ice, and then they wore thin clothes to work for the tsar's family in the freezing weather. After paying the price of hundreds of people freezing to death, the Winter Palace was completed as scheduled.

That day Nicholas I returned to his lair very complacently. For him, as long as he can make himself happy and satisfied, everything else is not important.

Count Rostovtsev was also a witness to the fire. When the fire broke out, he was accompanying the Tsar to watch a play, and then drove back to the Winter Palace together in a carriage. Witnessed the chaotic and disorderly firefighting operations, witnessed the tsar's family hastily salvage property from the palace, witnessed the tsar's family fleeing in embarrassment under the escort of the guards, and witnessed the collapse of this magnificent palace.

At that moment, Count Rostovtsev's heart was bleeding, and the palace that had condensed the painstaking efforts and collections of several generations of tsars was burned by the misconduct of a stupid solitary husband. Where is the Winter Palace that was burned, it is clearly Russia that was burned.

Count Rostovtsev was convinced that if Nicholas I was not prevented from continuing to do wrong, sooner or later Russia would be destroyed in his hands. From that day on he quickened his pace and went all out to prepare at all costs in order to save his motherland before Nicholas I destroyed Russia.

Count Rostovtsev sighed, closed the page, and looked at the radiator next to the wall. The VIP reception room of the National Library originally had a fireplace.

But after witnessing the catastrophe of the flames, Rostovtsev ordered the immediate dismantling of these fireplaces, which were later replaced by new heating systems. He was terrified that another fire would destroy the National Library, which contained an invaluable wealth of knowledge that could no longer be destroyed by idiots.

It's just that there are too many stubborn idiots and idiots in Russia. They would rather risk their lives to kneel and lick and please Nicholas I than take a step forward.

After the VIP reception room of the National Library was replaced with heating, the rare noble readers basically disappeared completely. But that's also good, Count Rostovtsev was very happy not to see those idiots, and very happy that he could enjoy the quiet reading environment to himself.

Every winter, as long as he is not working in the Winter Palace, Count Rostovtsev will come to the VIP room of the National Library, read here, think here, and meet his closest friends here, such as Nikolai Milyu Beijing.

"My young friend, you are late," said Count Rostovtsev with a smile.

"I'm sorry, Count. Something has been delayed."

Nikolai Milyutin looked very tired, his eyeballs were bloodshot, his coat was also wrinkled, and traces of ink could be vaguely seen on his fingertips. This is not like the shrewd and capable man he used to be.

"My friend, what can keep you so busy. You haven't changed your clothes for at least two days. Don't tell me you haven't been home for two days."

"Yes, Earl." Nikolai Milyutin found a chair and sat down, humming comfortably, "I've been busy with the affairs of Duke Constantine for the past two days, and it's a bit tricky and troublesome. It took a little more work.”

Rostovtsev was not surprised at all, as if he already knew what Nikolai Milyutin was up to.

He said calmly: "Grand Duke Constantine decided to challenge that old man Menshikov?"

Nikolai Milyutin nodded and said: "Yes. The Grand Duke is going to give him a surprise attack and completely crush him!"

Rostovtsev's expression was still so indifferent, as if the rivalry between a grand duke of an empire and a prince of an empire was nothing more than a trivial matter.

"The Grand Duke Constantine is very confident!"

Nikolai Milyutin smiled and replied: "Yes. Because the ammunition is abundant and the planning is sophisticated enough this time, it is enough to make this old man Menshikov go!"

Count Rostovtsev looked up at him, and said indifferently: "Don't be too confident. Excessive self-confidence will not bring victory. And according to my observation, although the Grand Duke has cards in his hand, Menshikov's The old thing is not easy to eat, and the little ammunition in your hands is not enough to bring down the old thing!"