It's okay that Crown Prince Alexander didn't say anything, but when he spoke, things immediately went astray. Before, it was just a dog-eat-dog fight between Menshikov and Grand Duke Constantine. No matter how bad it got, it was just a trivial matter for the Admiralty.
That's all.
But after Crown Prince Alexander spoke, the nature of the matter changed, and it became a matter of taking sides. Obviously the Crown Prince supports Menshikov, so supporting Menshikov means supporting the Crown Prince, and opposing or not supporting Menshikov means
To oppose and not support the Crown Prince is to support Grand Duke Constantine in disguise.
This nature is extremely serious. For the veterans present, most of them are actually unwilling to take sides. Because Nicholas I is still there, when the big boss is still there, they are busy showing courtesy to the small boss. What does this mean?
Are you looking forward to the big boss’s ascension to immortality as soon as possible and preparing to become a hero of Conglong?
In particular, Nicholas I is only 51 years old now, at the peak of the Spring and Autumn Period. To put it bluntly, he should be able to live longer than the 60 or 70-year-old guys here. Even the current emperor will not survive. Take a photo of Little Boss
What's the matter with your flattery? Isn't that stupid!
Therefore, the important ministers here generally kept a respectful distance from Crown Prince Alexander, maintaining formal respect but never deliberately making friends, lest they be resented by the petty Nicholas I.
In other words, if it is not a last resort, these old foxes are not willing to take sides. The risk is too great!
But in this situation, it doesn't matter whether they are taking sides or not, they are really riding a tiger.
Support Crown Prince Alexander, Nicholas I is watching! Just now he clearly helped Grand Duke Constantine beat Menshikov. Now, helping the Crown Prince talk to Menshikov is not giving the emperor eye drops.
!
Don’t support Crown Prince Alexander? In case, no, nothing in case, Alexander will definitely regard him as a descendant of Grand Duke Constantine. After the prince ascends the throne in the future, even if they are no longer around, their children and grandchildren will still be working in the Romanov family.
Eat! What should I do if my shoes are worn?
For a moment, the old foxes were in a dilemma, and they really wanted to beg God to give them a way to survive!
Fortunately, Nicholas I finally came to his senses at this time. He knew why Uvarov came to the fore. Although he was very pleased that this literary genius "worked hard", this really did not meet his wishes. All he wanted was to borrow money.
With Grand Duke Constantine forcing Alexander to grow up and allowing Menshikov to pass easily, how will the rest of the drama end? Isn’t this an anticlimax!
Nicholas I made a decision in an instant and said decisively: "Nonsense! How can this be a trivial matter? There are naval officers spreading banned books within the navy. Isn't this serious enough! If we don't kill this unhealthy trend ruthlessly
Evil spirits, those heresies will soon sweep across the navy and then the country!"
Nicholas I said categorically: "This is by no means a trivial matter!"
"We must investigate seriously, get to the bottom of it, and deal with each discovery one by one without mercy!"
Nicholas I glanced at Uvarov and lectured: "Count, you are the Minister of National Education, how can you be vague about such a big issue of right and wrong? Just leave it alone, I think it's okay
Standing has done a good job, so leave it to him!"
Nicholas I quickly cut through the trouble and set the tone. Now the old foxes breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, the alarm was lifted and they no longer had to take sides. But at the same time, they, who were a little slower than Uvarov in reacting, also woke up:
[Why is the emperor’s attitude so strange? Why is he always helping Grand Duke Constantine to speak, is it possible? 】
Suspicious, they began to carefully look at Nicholas I's expression, and then looked at Uvarov. Finally, their eyes were fixed on the ashen face of Crown Prince Alexander, and they suddenly took a breath!
【Things are getting serious!】
In an instant, the air in the conference room seemed to have dropped by dozens of degrees, almost as cold as an ice cellar on the icy and snowy Bolshoi Nevsky Street outside. It was also like the cold air from Siberia swept through the hearts of the ministers - it was so refreshing!
Nicholas I was very satisfied with the effect he had created. When he saw Alexander looking at Grand Duke Constantine with a pale face and cold eyes, he knew that this would work.
As long as Alexander understands the importance of imperial power and the harshness of the road to the throne, this weak-tempered little kid will start to grow up and become a man who can truly stand up to heaven and earth!
So Nicholas I decided to add fuel to the fire. He asked Grand Duke Constantine with a pleasant and unusually gentle look:
"Kostya, weren't you responsible for the case? It's been so many days, tell me what you found. If I see you have accomplished nothing, I will punish you severely!"
Was Nicholas I ever tender?
There are definitely some, but most of them are to his wife, daughter and close lover. To his son, he has always been strict, super strict, and is a real devil's father.
So when this sudden and rare warmth fell on Grand Duke Constantine, he was shocked. He looked at Nicholas I infatuatedly and was stunned for nearly three seconds before he replied in a panic: "Uh... yes...
...Father, I...what..."
However, Grand Duke Constantine has received royal education for many years. As the most educated prince of the generation, his overall ability and psychological quality are quite good, and he quickly adjusted:
"According to my investigation, the 748th Marine Infantry Regiment has widespread problems of lawlessness and discipline. The main officers headed by Messadov ignore national laws and moral decay, and have long been engaged in corruption, bribery, smuggling and other egregious illegal activities.
."
"Under the leadership of this person, a large number of officers of the 748th regiment lost their respect for the empire and the royal family, and continued to become corrupt. In addition to being corrupt, they even sold their souls to the devil, and began to secretly hide and spread banned books.
Among them, Gerasimovich, the second lieutenant of the 2nd Battalion and 2nd Company, was discovered on the spot and captured by me!"
"After my review, this person confessed to the crime and testified that the regiment leader, Colonel Messadov, instructed him to spread banned books... It can be seen that Messadov is a key figure in this case, so I will investigate
The focus is on this person!”
Nicholas I asked with a smile: "So has this person confessed?"
Grand Duke Constantine suddenly showed a look of anger, and he said with emotion: "This person is slippery and stubborn. Initially, even in the face of all kinds of conclusive evidence, he only admitted that there were corruption and other problems, but did not discuss the dissemination of banned books.
He denied it in every possible way and claimed that he had no knowledge.”
"After that, for some reason, I even resisted the interrogation, retracted my confession, claimed that I was innocent, and claimed that I had not committed any crime. It was really bad!"