The mind of an emperor is the most complex and difficult to guess, especially for an emperor like Nicholas I who was very power-hungry, mean and unkind, his mind was even more changeable. Maybe one second he was still in the spring breeze and the next second
The frost hit my face.
At this moment, Nicholas I's mood suddenly turned very bad. He was a little disappointed with Grand Duke Constantine and also disappointed with his own education. He felt that he had not educated his two sons well and made them too simple and naive.
.
why?
Because Nicholas I felt that as a qualified Grand Duke, facing an old man like Menshikov, he either had to be more cunning than him, or he had to be shameless. Only if he could do one of these two things, it would be considered
qualified.
It is obvious that Grand Duke Constantine is unqualified. It can be seen from his speechless, slow and helpless expression that he is not cunning enough to solve this problem, nor is he shameless enough to risk his life to make Menshikov uncomfortable. Instead, he is
There was hesitation and worry about gains and losses, which greatly disappointed Nicholas I.
Nicholas I had always felt that Grand Duke Constantine was the most like him, decisive enough, resolute enough, resolute enough, and generous enough. But today, it seems that that is still far from it!
Nicholas I believed that if he were younger, he might not have enough wisdom to solve the problem at that time, but he would have the courage to make Menshikov pay a heavy price. If Menshikov had played this game with him back then,
Set, Liangliang was gone in a matter of minutes.
Nicholas I's idea was correct. If it had been him back then, Menshikov would have definitely hit the wall with such a slippery officialdom.
The reason is very simple. At that time, Nicholas I never thought about being emperor one day. From the beginning to the end, he gave himself a very clear position, assisting his brother Constantine and becoming his right-hand man.
For this, Nicholas I was willing to go to great lengths to embarrass Menshikov, because he was barefoot and not afraid of wearing shoes.
The problem is that Grand Duke Constantine is different. This kid is very coveted for the throne. He thinks that he still has a chance to be emperor, so he naturally restrains himself in doing things and cannot really risk his life and be shameless.
Let's put it this way, the biggest difference between Nicholas I and Grand Duke Constantine is actually their mentality. The former has no extra thoughts and is fearless, while the latter is always timid when looking forward and backward. In short, these two father and son are in different places.
In fact, they are almost the same, and there is no difference between them.
Of course, now that Nicholas I has twenty years of experience in power, he is naturally much more sophisticated than before. Back then, he might not have been able to deal with an old man like Menshikov, but now he has something to do. And for
Forcing Crown Prince Alexander to grow up, he didn't mind helping Grand Duke Constantine.
So just when Menshikov was a little complacent and thought he had a chance to win, Nicholas I chopped him hard!
"Dear Alexander Sergeyevich, what did you just say?" Nicholas I asked pretending to be confused: "What happened to the navy again? What trouble happened? You said you shoulder the responsibility,
Is it so serious? Please explain in detail, this is not a trivial matter, how could it happen?"
Menshikov was stunned. He really didn't expect that Nicholas I would do this and ask him to explain clearly to his face!
Damn it, what can I say?
Menshikov's heart suddenly filled with confusion.
Indeed, the key to Menshikov's ability to retreat is to be vague. It seems that he admitted his mistake and bowed his head, but in fact he was backhanded general. But once the window paper was pierced, especially when Nicholas I asked so directly
When he got up, Menshikov was forced into a corner.
First of all, he had already admitted his mistake just now, and it would be impossible to retaliate. If he really did that, even if he molested Nicholas I, being dragged out and tortured would not be considered unjust.
Secondly, that is to say, when he handed over his responsibilities next time, if he said it too seriously, he would be digging his own grave. But if he said it lightly, Grand Duke Constantine could help "pick up the pieces and fill in the gaps" slowly.
In this way, he would not be able to fool things by taking retreat as an opportunity to advance.
Therefore, the old eunuch was immediately dumbfounded. He could only look at Nicholas I with a shocked face and slightly open mouth. His throat moved again and again, but he couldn't say a word.
Nicholas I ignored him, but glanced at Grand Duke Constantine first, giving him a meaningful look, as if to say: Son, did you see that, you have to come like this!
In fact, if Grand Duke Constantine had learned enough to pass the test, when Menshikov was retreating instead of advancing, he could have deliberately pretended to be stupid and asked, and the effect would have been just as good. Unfortunately, the Grand Duke had not learned well enough.
, I am not thick-skinned enough to be shameless, which is a pity.
At this time, the atmosphere in the venue became very interesting. The expressions of the powerful officials from all walks of life were different. For example, Neserroddie, the rubber-stamp minister of foreign affairs, looked like he was not interested in anything that had nothing to do with him.
care.
Prince Peter Volkonsky was watching the show with great interest. Chernyshev was a little worried and frightened. He probably couldn't figure out whether Nicholas I really didn't know or pretended not to know, or whether
Are you saying that you really want to capture Menshikov?
Duke Ordorf was somewhat gloating about his misfortune. When the case of Gazinsky was a big deal, he was the one who was roasted on the fire at the imperial council. At that time, the bastard Menshikov even laughed at him for being old and fatuous, and even continued to do so.
Even a bastard Grand Duke can't handle it. Hey, now you've fallen into the trap too! Just keep laughing!
Uvarov fell into deep thought. As Nicholas I's literary genius, paying attention to Nicholas I's emotions and thoughts was his most important job. Otherwise, how could he figure out his intentions and control ideology?
Based on Uvarov's understanding of Nicholas I, the emperor should still think highly of Menshikov, and it is not like he is ready to pack up the old eunuch and go home. Moreover, if the actions of Grand Duke Constantine before were not as good as Nikolai I's
The Emperor Gula I certainly couldn't make such a big fuss. Since the emperor clearly knew the inside story, but he pretended not to know what was going on, which made Menshikov unable to step down. What was the reason for this?
Could it be that there is something going on in the palace that I don't know about?
Thinking about this, Uvarov looked at Crown Prince Alexander suspiciously, trying to figure out whether this was the case based on the Crown Prince's performance. But at this moment, Crown Prince Alexander's expression confused him even more. The young crown prince's face
It is clearly filled with endless doubts such as "I don't believe it", "This is not true", "How is it possible", "Why" and so on.
Could it be that the Crown Prince doesn’t know?
Uvarov was suddenly taken aback, and an extremely ominous guess emerged in his mind, making him immediately nervous...