Shadow of great britain

I am an emperor, but, my God! At what price did I become an emperor? With the blood of my people.

——On December 14, 1826, Nicholas I wrote in his diary that evening.

If we look at Nicholas I from a human perspective, this monarch hated by European liberals is actually a saint-like figure.

He has firm religious beliefs and is a devout Orthodox Christian. He strictly abides by Orthodox religious rules, is very self-disciplined, and never misses any religious activities.

He never smokes and hates people around him who smoke. He never drinks strong alcohol and insists on taking a walk and exercising every day. He has a regular schedule and hates procrastination. His schedule can even be accurate to the minute.

In addition, the Tsar was a man with an extraordinary memory and hard work. Even a famous Scotland Yard file king like Sir Arthur Hastings did not dare to talk about diligence in front of the Tsar.

After all, even during Arthur's most difficult days, he could not work 16 to 18 hours a day, 365 days a year like the Tsar.

In addition, the ruler of the Russian Empire also advocated strict discipline, repeatedly emphasized law and order, and often personally inspected the army, educational institutions and state agencies. During each inspection, he would comment on local work, point out shortcomings, and make suggestions for changes.

Even in the selection and appointment of talents, Nicholas I could be said to be a man of good judgement.

Whether it was appointing Benckendorff as the director of the Third Bureau, recalling the famous legal reformer Speransky from exile in Siberia to serve as the chairman of the Imperial Office to compile the "Complete Book of Russian Imperial Laws", or transferring the Second Army Chief of Staff Kiselev to the position of Minister of State Lands, and pushing Uvarov, who proposed the theory of "official national character", to the position of Minister of National Education against all odds...

If we do not put ourselves in a preconceived position, each of these ministers who are highly trusted by the Tsar deserves the reputation of being "capable".

Even Pushkin, who was privately regarded by the Tsar as the "leader of liberal elements", was properly arranged by him as a court attendant.

To be fair, from the perspective of personal qualities, Nicholas I was an almost perfect monarch.

Resolute, single-minded, with an iron will, a strong sense of responsibility and mission, and able to perform their duties competently.

Both in terms of character and his handsome and majestic appearance, Russia's patriarch Nicholas I was a nearly perfect autocratic monarch.

However, this perfect monarch also has many intolerable shortcomings.

Perhaps this is not accurate, because in fact, these shortcomings can only be called shortcomings in political circles.

His blunt words, meticulous planning and precise language meant that he was not popular with diplomats.

If your words are too blunt, your plans are too perfect, and your terms are too precise, you will not be able to do a good job in diplomacy. Because if you hold such a mindset when going to the international poker table, it is like putting all the cards in at the start. Once things change, it will be difficult to have any way out.

He disliked deliberation, consultation, or other procedural delays, drastically reduced the role of the Council of Ministers, the State Council, and the Senate, and preferred to bypass the conquered institutions and instead efficiently implement his intentions through special committees, political groups, and the Privy Council, which were under his direct and absolute control and could immediately execute his intentions.

Although these actions could maximize the efficiency of policy implementation, allowing him to hold all power in his own hands as much as possible and enjoy power that no previous tsars had ever enjoyed, they also aroused resistance and frustration among the Russian upper nobility and bureaucracy.

As for the middle and lower level bureaucrats, seeing that they could not gain power, they focused on making money, and the corresponding result was even more extreme corruption and chaos than before.

This sentiment is particularly evident in Moscow, the old capital of Russia.

In Moscow, the nobility was licentious and weak-willed. The old councillors who had lived through the days of Catherine and Alexander were indignant at the Tsar's lack of concern for them, so when they discovered that the Tsar was courting the young Princess Dolgoruky, they could not help but complain - courting the daughter of Sashka Bulgakov! What a bitch!

Arthur did not empathize with the feelings of the Moscow nobles, but he clearly understood why Baron Dantes advised him to stay away from the young duchess.

He had no interest in competing with the Tsar for women, although the Duchess was indeed pretty and charming. But rather than seeing aristocratic ladies, he would rather go to the Caucasus or Georgia to see if the local country girls were as charming as Pushkin described.

Twelve crystal chandeliers flickered as he entered the Kremlin's Georgiev Hall.

The draft blew ice chips across the glazed floor tiles, and on the thirty-meter-long oak table, the exquisite ceramic tableware glowed in the shadows.

The silhouette of Tsar Nicholas I appeared behind the malachite columns, and the silver badges on the bearskin caps of the Guards lit up one after another like the pupils of a pack of wolves.

It must not be a comfortable experience to dine with the Tsar under such circumstances. The corners of Arthur's mouth twitched slightly.

"Is Sir Arthur allergic to light?" The Tsar's voice came from below the dome mural "The Last Judgment": "Remove all the ice mirrors shipped from Siberia."

The servants trotted away the twelve ice crystal prisms, and sunlight suddenly poured in from the stained glass windows.

Arthur's retina still retained the stunning glimpse he had just caught - those ice mirrors cut the entire hall into pieces at a special angle, and each piece reflected the faces of different officials, some of whom were wiping sweat, some had Adam's apples rolling, and an old earl in a purple robe stuffed a cross into his collar.

Nicholas I sat on a Byzantine-style gilded dining chair, with the old scar on his index finger pressed against the cover of "History of Little Russia".

"Whiskey from your hometown." The Tsar lifted up the glass, and the sound of ice cubes hitting each other caused a slight echo in the hall. "But we added some water from the Volga River to it. I heard that drinking this way can make you hear the confession of those who drowned under the ice."

Arthur bowed slightly to greet the Tsar, and then he saw a set of porcelain plates painted with English countryside landscapes on the table: "This is... whiskey and Wedgwood tableware, you really took the trouble."

Nicholas I was in a better mood when he saw that Arthur had discovered his meticulous arrangement. He said, "You have a good eye. It is indeed a Wedgwood porcelain plate. My grandmother likes Wedgwood porcelain very much. She places orders with Wedgwood almost every year. Although people often say that Meissen porcelain from Saxony is a symbol of nobility, my grandmother only prefers British porcelain."

When Arthur heard this royal anecdote, considering his own status, he naturally came out to speak for British manufacturing: "Empress Catherine the Great had good taste in this regard, and was also very wise in managing her household frugally. As you said, for nearly a century, everyone has been using Meissen porcelain as the benchmark for the industry. But in my opinion, the reason why Meissen porcelain is so popular is simply because its traditional production method has led to a small output, and it is the mentality that things are more valuable because they are rare. And Wedgwood's high-quality porcelain is a good example of a saying - British manufacturing is for the general public, not just for the rich."

Arthur looked at the porcelain carefully. When he saw the frog head used as decoration on the edge of the porcelain plate, he suddenly seemed to remember something: "Could this be the frog porcelain set?"

Nicholas I was quite surprised: "You know this set of tableware?"

Arthur nodded slightly and said, "I'm a little embarrassed to say this, but when I ordered Wedgwood porcelain in London, they recommended their signature product to me - Queen's Porcelain. It's called this because two queens have ordered products from them. One set is the cream-colored tea set ordered by our Queen Charlotte, and the other is the set of 952 frog porcelain ordered by your grandmother. According to them, when this set of frog porcelain was first fired, they took advantage of the public's curiosity and advertised it."

Nicholas I asked curiously, "How do they advertise, in newspapers?"

"No." Arthur flattered in a roundabout way: "Wedgwood brought this set of Queen's porcelain to London for exhibition, and you need to buy a ticket to visit. But even so, because this set of porcelain is known as 'exclusively for Catherine the Great', there is still an endless stream of people coming to visit. After the exhibition, the reputation of Queen's porcelain was completely well-known in Britain, which doubled the value of their products. It can be said that the supply can hardly meet the demand."

Hearing that the title of Tsar was so respected in Britain, this greatly satisfied Nicholas I's vanity, and his bad mood caused by the Moscow fire also improved greatly.

Nicholas I even joked with Arthur: "Only British businessmen can think of such things. To be honest, I sometimes pray to God in private, hoping that our businessmen can be half as smart as British businessmen."

Arthur also joked, "Perhaps you should add another wish. The citizens of St. Petersburg and Moscow must have the same love of joining in the fun as the citizens of London. Not to mention masterpieces like the Tsarist porcelain, even if they find two dogs biting each other in the street, they will have to gossip about it for a whole day, and even bet on the dog's victory or defeat."

Nicholas I lamented: "In any case, British goods are now everywhere in the European royal families. For example, my brother, Leopold of Belgium. I heard from others that when he was just a little prince of Anhalt, his small estate in the countryside of Wörlitz was designed as a small England, from the very English garden to the very English lattice windows and very English neoclassical rooms. He even set aside a perfect place for Wedgwood's ceramic products. Goethe visited his residence several times for this purpose."

Arthur took the opportunity to recommend to the Tsar: "In fact, it's not just porcelain. If you need it, you can send someone to Sheffield in my country to have a look. 90% of the knives in Britain are produced there. It would be great to buy a few sets for use in the kitchen."

Nicholas I looked at the cultural counselor who had suddenly transformed into a salesman, and felt both admiration and amusement. "It's a waste to send someone on a special trip just for a few sets of knives. However, if they can forge cavalry swords, I'd be willing to consider it."

"Cavalry swords? If that's what you're thinking, I think Birmingham is the best place." Arthur smiled and replied, "All kinds of tools, all kinds of locks, guns, swords and household hardware, all made in Birmingham. To be honest, you should know that I was shot at the bottom of the Tower of London? That bullet was also made in Birmingham."

"Hmm..." Nicholas I pouted and jokingly said, "Perhaps Count Daramo should consider handing over the business work to you. Excuse me, your talent in business is not inferior to that in culture and art. I heard that you own a newspaper in London? Is the "Englishman" your business?"

Arthur's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.

The Tsar knew that The Limey was his property, and that was no great matter.

But what if the Czar knew that The Economist was also his flagship product?

After all, The Economist once published the political commentaries of Prince Czartoryski, the leader of the Polish exiles, and also spoke a lot in favor of the Poles during the Polish uprising.

Arthur smiled and said, "I am indeed one of the shareholders of The Brit, but I am not the one with the highest shareholding. Above me are Mr. Disraeli and the Rothschild family."

"Rothschild?" Nicholas I was slightly surprised to hear the name, but he was not shocked for too long. After all, it was normal to do business in the UK and have connections with Rothschild.

He then asked mysteriously like an insider: "Rothschild... Could it be that old guy Nathan is holding shares on behalf of the Duke of Wellington again?"

Obviously, the Tsar was aware of Rothschild's relationship as the Duke of Wellington's money bag. Whether it was the Peninsular War or Waterloo, Rothschild was behind the Duke's military success in helping to exchange gold and silver currencies and purchase military supplies at great risk.

For Arthur, it was naturally the best thing that the Tsar took the initiative to approach the Duke of Wellington.

He did not want to be labeled a "Polish sympathizer" alone. He would rather the Tsar understand that the publication of Polish articles was instructed by the British government.

Arthur said vaguely: "I have not received any clear notice on this point. At least every time the board of directors convened, I saw Rothschild's representatives instead of His Excellency the Duke's representatives."

In the Tsar's view, not denying is equivalent to affirming. Moreover, he never believed that the British government would fully implement freedom of the press. It was normal for the powerful to hold shares in newspapers and magazines.

Arthur took a sip of the amber liquid, the scent of tobacco and burnt wood exploded on his tongue, and the pungent smell forced him to cough repeatedly.

Such a reaction made the Tsar's mouth curl up: "You are not used to drinking whiskey?"

Arthur picked up the napkin and wiped his mouth and nose. "The Scots and Irish may like it, but I am an Englishman. When it comes to the choice of drinks, I prefer the same choice as the late King George IV."

"Really?" Nicholas I cut a piece of veal. "What do my brother's tastes look like? I heard he has a good sense of pleasure."

Arthur put down his napkin and said, "The late king was a heavy drinker. He usually had two glasses of hot ale and a few slices of toast for dinner. Then three glasses of red wine with strawberries. After that, he would lie on the couch with a novel and drink a glass of brandy. Even when he was at his worst, after taking the medicine, he would drink three glasses of port wine and a glass of brandy."

Nicholas I shook his head and said, "I think wine is fine, but strawberries and malt liquor mixed together, even the Don River horse can't stand it. You should persuade him."

"That's what I said at the time." Arthur said helplessly, "But Lady Arbuthnot told me that he wanted all these. He is the king, who can stop him? When it comes to drinking, the king will drink even if the Duke of Wellington comes out, let alone the court attendants."