Struggle in Russia

Alexandra Fyodorovna was very upset, and for a while she thought about going to see Grand Duke Konstantin to comfort the tortured child, but she quickly dismissed the idea because she felt that This did nothing to change the situation of the Grand Duke Constantine.

The queen's second thought was to go to Nicholas I, start directly from the roots, and persuade this devil-like father to be kinder to the children and stop treating them so harshly.

Old Adlerberg just sat so quietly, he didn't even pay attention to the queen. He knew the queen's temperament very well, and she was a standard loving mother. The idea is very simple and simple, and it is not difficult to guess at all.

Old Adlerberg was observing the female officials around the queen, and the emotions of these three ladies were much more complicated than hers. For example, the smile on the corner of Countess Lukyanovna's mouth at this time shows that she did not believe her words. It seems that this countess is a gossip, and she must have heard about the relationship between Grand Duke Konstantin and Menshikov. grievances. Knowing those nonsense that naturally will not believe him.

However, the old Adlerberg was not worried that the countess would do bad things, because the countess's husband was the military attache of the crown prince Alexander, and he was his own person who followed the crown prince to make a living.

It is impossible for her not to know about the battle between the Crown Prince and Grand Duke Constantine, so for the sake of her husband's future, she can only pretend to be stupid.

Old Adlerberg turned to Viscountess Tarasovna again. This Viscountess was an old man beside the Empress. She was known for her dullness and honesty.

Old Adlerberg liked such people very much, and he always believed that there were only two kinds of people who could serve in the Winter Palace for a long time: one was a fool, such as Viscountess Tarasovna, and the other was extremely smart.

Old Adlerberg has his eyes on Baroness Trofimovna, who has just been with the Empress not long ago, and her temper is really not clear, just to see if she is a smart person, a fool, or a combination of both. The nasty one in between.

Baroness Trofimovna felt like she was being targeted by her poisonous tongue. Old Adlerberg had a benevolent expression, but why did she feel cold? She felt like her hairs were going to stand on end.

Baroness Trofimovna was not confused. From the day she was lucky enough to enter the Winter Palace to serve the royal family, she knew that she had entered the center of the vortex. The one in her family was just an ordinary mid-level officer, and he was sent to the queen only after his old father begged his father to worship his grandmother.

Trofimovna just wanted to serve the queen well, earn a salary and at the same time find a way to change a better job for the head of the family. Being a soldier, especially in the Caucasus, was hard and dangerous, and she wanted her husband to come home and her family to be reunited.

Even though Trofimovna was mentally prepared, she did not know how deep the water was until she entered the center of the vortex. She naturally knew about Grand Duke Constantine, and she only listened to it as gossip at first, but who would have thought that this gossip would soon turn into a horror story.

She didn't know why old Adlerberg was talking nonsense, but she knew there was definitely something wrong. Looking at the worried queen, she didn't know what to do.

[Remind the queen? Or pretend you don't know anything? 】

Trofimovna fought fiercely in her heart, but soon her reason prevailed. She had no doubt that if she saw through old Adlerberg's tricks, she might be kicked out of the Winter Palace tomorrow, and she Her husband will also be sent to the more dangerous and difficult front lines.

Trofimovna shuddered at the thought, and cast a last glance at old Adlerberg's kind face, which made her shiver all the more, and she did not even dare to look a second time. Immediately looked away to the side.

[Still smart! 】

Old Adlerberg was quite satisfied with Trofimovna's performance,

This guy doesn't seem to be looking for trouble either. He likes that there are more smart people around the queen. After all, fools still have convulsions occasionally, and the Empress of the Winter Palace really can't stand such convulsions.

At this moment, Alexandra Feodorovna finally ended the battle between heaven and man in her heart, and her simple mind still couldn't think of any good solution. At this time, she saw old Adlerberg, and immediately rushed forward like a drowning person grabbing the lifebuoy.

"Count, you must have a solution, right?" The Queen asked urgently, tearing up the handkerchief with both hands.

Old Adlerberg's acting skills are really not covered. He looked confused as if he couldn't understand what the queen was saying, and asked doubtfully, "Your Highness, what are you talking about?"

The queen said anxiously: "You must have a way to help poor Kostya, right?"

Old Adlerberg was still pretending to be stupid: "His Excellency the Grand Duke Constantine needs my help? Your Highness, you really think highly of me. I am just a diligent old minister. How can I help the shrewd and capable Grand Duke."

"No!" Tears could be seen in the Queen's eyes, "You must have a way, the wisdom of the old is what young people lack the most... You must have a way, right?"

Old Adlerberg showed a very embarrassed look, and replied after five times of refusal: "I have no good solution, but a stupid solution. Your Excellency is under a lot of pressure, so why don't you find him a helper?" If someone can help His Excellency Grand Duke share one or two, even if he does something wrong unintentionally, His Majesty will not blame him entirely, will he?"

The Queen's eyes lit up immediately, why didn't she think of such a good idea? Grand Duke Constantine was pushed to the forefront because of Menshikov's suspension. If someone with similar status and status as Menshikov went to the Admiralty, wouldn't the pressure on Grand Duke Constantine be less?

The queen happily asked: "Count, who do you think is more suitable?"

Old Adlerberg immediately shook his head again and again: "Your Highness, I am really not familiar with the Admiralty, and I don't know who is more suitable, and I am not suitable to intervene in this kind of matter, which may easily cause misunderstanding... I think, in the Navy It is enough for the Ministry to find someone with sufficient status and status to help His Majesty the Grand Duke for a while, there is no need to go to war, and there is no need to make major personnel adjustments..."

Alexandra Feodorovna nodded after hearing that, and silently memorized the key points that old Adlerberg said—it needs to be from the Ministry of the Navy, and the status must be sufficient of. Well, that's very good, let's do it!

Old Adlerberg was still sitting there so leisurely, as if he was admiring the actress singing on the stage, his right hand was still beating the beat on his thigh, as if it was just a chat. But this small talk is very fatal to Grand Duke Constantine, he never thought that his mother would give him a heavy blow of love!

Of course, the old Adlerberg's task is not over yet. There are not always opportunities to apply eye drops to Grand Duke Constantine. If you encounter them, you will have to apply a few more, right...