Paul Fedorovich Sheremetev was secretly amused when he said these words. For a top bureaucrat like him, if he wants to confuse things, he has thousands of high-sounding excuses. Not only can he take the responsibility
Keeping it clean can make Nicholas I think that he has really tried his best.
So does the Ministry of Finance really have no money?
Actually, having money is relative. The Ministry of Finance may indeed have tighter money now than it did a few years ago. But if you say that there is no money left for a cable telegraph project, that is pure nonsense.
For Sheremetev, the function of the Ministry of Finance was that whoever he wanted to give money would get it, and whoever he didn't want to give money would get nothing.
Anyway, after saying what he just said, Sheremetev felt calm in his heart. In his opinion, the matter ended here. He did not believe that Nicholas I was willing to give more to the cable telegraph project than to intimidate Turkey.
priority.
It is certainly impossible for Nicholas I to give cable telegraphy priority over Turkey, but Sheremetev also underestimated his master. Because Nicholas I was not that easy to fool, maybe he was not so easy to fool elsewhere.
It is easy for him to fool him on projects that are not particularly important to him, but it is particularly difficult for him to fool him on projects that he pays special attention to. Moreover, he hates his ministers' prevarication and fooling him the most. It has to be said that poor Sheremetev kicked the iron.
On the board!
"No money?" Nicholas I snorted coldly, but he did not press or beat Sheremetev about this, but simply ordered: "Then I will advance one million rubles as a start-up capital.
When the ministry has sufficient funds, just return it to me!"
As soon as these words came out, Sheremetev's expression immediately changed, because he did not expect such a result at all. Originally, he and Uvarov expected that Nicholas I might check the finances.
They might criticize him a few words about the ministry's accounts, but they really didn't expect that Nicholas I would directly allocate funds from his family funds!
As a result, Sheremetev was completely passive!
Why do you say that? None of you here are fools. Everyone knows that the Ministry of Finance cannot be completely out of money. Someone's failure to allocate funds is nothing more than deliberate mischief. But now Nicholas I directly bypasses the Ministry of Finance and pays for cable telegrams himself.
Advance funds, what does this mean?
This means that Nicholas I attached great importance to this project, even if he personally paid for it!!
This is not of an ordinary nature. In a sense, this is a silent slap from Nicholas I to those conservatives who do not like the cable telegraph project. It means: "You have all seen that I attach great importance to this project.
It’s up to you what to do next!”
This is a very serious matter. Anyone with a little bit of official wisdom knows that Nicholas I is actually a little unhappy. Now he has once again emphasized the importance of this project. If there are still people who can't see the situation clearly,
Then don’t blame him for being ruthless next time!
Sheremetev could naturally hear what Nicholas I meant, so his expression immediately changed. It could be said that he was being burned on the fire at this moment, and he obediently followed Nicholas I's instructions.
The cable telegraph gave the green light. It was difficult for Uvarov to explain. But if Nicholas I wanted to do it, Uvarov would be very unhappy. For a while, he was extremely confused!
At the moment, he was looking at Uvarov frequently, hoping that the big boss would quickly express his position and tell him what to do next, because he really couldn't stand it anymore!
Uvarov naturally saw Sheremetev's distress signal. In fact, he was also shocked just now, because he did not expect Nicholas I to do this.
He has conquered an army!
However, Uvarov did not hesitate for long. He knew that he was the only one who could change Nicholas I's attitude now. He had to speak quickly. He immediately stood up and said loudly:
"Your Majesty, I think since finances are tight, the cable telegraph project should be put on hold for now. After all, you are still renovating the Winter Palace, and funds are not abundant. It will not be too late to start such a project when funds are abundant in the future."
Nicholas I glanced at him, as if it was not surprising at all that he stood up to oppose him. He had long known that Uvarov did not like wire telegraphy and had strongly opposed it before. He knew very well that the current situation was full of
The count's last resistance.
Nicholas I could understand the reason for Uvarov's objection. As a very conservative tsar, he did not like the endless new things. He felt that these things were sugar-coated bullets of the liberal devil. If possible, he was willing to ban all new things.
thing.
However, it is impossible to completely ban new things, and after carefully studying the wired telegraph, he felt that it was still very useful. This would greatly strengthen his control over the country, so even if it was a new thing, he would
Willing to support.
Therefore, Nicholas I understood Uvarov's concerns, but he could not agree with Uvarov's approach. He held this meeting today to unify his thinking and to tell the conservative factions to give in. Of course, given that the conservatives are also loyal, they can
Jia, so he didn’t take particularly drastic measures to beat Sheremetev, otherwise do you think he, the tsar, really doesn’t know about Sheremetev’s little tricks?
Huh! He has ten thousand ways to make Sheremetev unable to cry!
It was precisely because Nicholas I understood Uvarov's difficulties that he adopted the softest beating method. He once again expressed his determination to engage in wire telegraphy. This was the last time he told the conservatives: "Stop making trouble."
, they will all do what I want honestly!"
It should be said that Nicholas I has given Uvarov and the conservatives a lot of face, but Uvarov still can't accept it. He always thinks that Nicholas I's decision is wrong, since it is wrong.
He was going to oppose it to the end, so Uvarov was in conflict with Nicholas I.
However, Nicholas I was still very calm. He was not angry, but replied pleasantly: "Cable telegraphy is very important and must not be delayed. Even if there are some financial problems, they can be overcome. All departments must overcome the difficulties and pass.
It’ll be fine after a while!”
Nicholas I's answer made Uvarov's eyes dark again. He didn't expect that Nicholas I was so determined and had to do this. This gave him quite a headache, but he didn't have a headache.
Determined to oppose to the end.
So Uvarov replied bravely: "Your Majesty, I think..."