In Li Xiao's view, some people in later generations praised Alexander II for being so great, which was really a bit nonsense. A truly great person was not like him. At most, he was forced to do so, and he was simply unwilling.
If such behavior can be considered great, then the standard of greatness is really low. To be honest, there are not many rulers in Russian history who can be called great. Peter the Great may barely be considered one, and then there is Lenin.
, and then Stalin was considered half, after all, the controversy was too great.
But no matter how you calculate it, it cannot be blamed on Alexander II, and even his great-grandmother Catherine the Great cannot be considered great, because the blame for the demise of the Romanov family can be traced to her to a large extent.
At most, this empress stabilized Russia's political situation at a critical moment, preventing Russia from falling into turmoil again and leading to catastrophe. As for her groundbreaking achievements, to be honest, I can't really talk about it.
What's more, even if this group of people is really great, Li Xiao will not place his hope on them. As the saying goes, self-reliance is more reliable than anything else.
In any case, Li Xiao couldn't trust Alexander II, Count Rostovtsev, let alone Grand Duke Constantine, the reformist leader who was openly visible.
He believed that we must try to weaken the power of the tsar, and must not let all power be concentrated in the hands of the tsar. If possible, it would be best to turn the tsar into a virtual monarch, just like the Queen of England as a rubber stamp.
This was Li Xiao's judgment based on the current situation. He felt that the best outcome was this. The power of the tsar was greatly restricted, making it impossible for him and the conservatives to make a comeback.
“Is it a constitutional monarchy?”
This suggestion is acceptable to Anton, but he thinks it will be particularly difficult to implement. After all, the authority of the Tsar is widely recognized. Even to the majority of serfs, the Tsar is not a king in the secular sense, but the spokesperson of God in Russia.
, to oppose the Tsar is to oppose God.
Moreover, those extremely stubborn conservatives will resolutely oppose it under the banner of royalism. It may be very difficult to defeat such stubborn enemies.
Li Xiao calmly replied: "It is difficult, but this is the only feasible way at this stage. It is better than putting all your hopes on an unreliable person!"
Anton was speechless for a moment, and then said: "Have you discussed this issue with Count Rostovtsev?"
Li Xiao said openly: "We've talked about it, otherwise I wouldn't have told you this!"
Anton frowned, realizing that the result of Li Xiao's meeting with Count Rostovtsev might not be ideal. Could it be that the count didn't agree with this plan?
However, Anton immediately rejected this idea, because based on his observation of Count Rostovtsev, this count was not an unreasonable, stubborn, conservative and extremist who blindly supported the tsar. With his intelligence, it was impossible not to see that
Potential risks, so why doesn’t he agree with Li Xiao’s plan?
Li Xiao slowly explained: "The count has no objection to the constitutional monarchy. The biggest difference between us is what kind of constitution Russia needs in the future!"
Anton was stunned. He felt that there was nothing debatable about this issue. Could there be anything else to say in it?
Just by looking at his expression, Li Xiao knew that he did not realize what the problem was, so he explained patiently: "What I want is a constitution that fully limits the power of the tsar and allows the parliament or cabinet to take charge of the overall situation.
But the count disagreed. He didn't want the emperor to become a mere decoration, and believed that Russia still needed a strong power, otherwise many policies would not be implemented."
In this regard, the differences between Li Xiao and Count Rostovtsev are not generally big. Because Li Xiao means to completely limit the monarchy and let the parliament or cabinet become the actual controller of the country. Count Rostovtsev believes that this
No, I think that a feudal, backward and ignorant country like Russia must have a core. If power is allocated to a group of people, the result will be internal strife and division.
In his words: "Russia must have a core, otherwise the country will inevitably be divided!"
But Li Xiao believes that there can be a core, but it does not have to be the tsar. If the tsar becomes the core, then what is the meaning of this constitution? It will still pin all hopes on the unreliable imperial power, and the final result will not be
any changes.
The two argued about this, but neither could convince the other. Li Xiao believed that Count Rostovtsev relied too much on the imperial power and would eventually be harmed by the imperial power, which was a complete risk. Count Rostovtsev said that Li Xiao was too
You are young and have no political experience at all. Russia's national conditions are much more complicated than imagined. You must not be bullied. The country will inevitably be in internal strife, and nothing can be accomplished by fighting for power.
It should be said that both the opinions of these two people are reasonable and have problems. A vast country like Russia must have a strong central power, otherwise division will be inevitable. But Count Rostovtsev retains too many czars.
Authority inevitably leads to the existence of risks.
So in the end, the two of them had no choice but to break up. In the end, there was no result for them to discuss or debate this issue. It was still a bit early to discuss the constitutional issue. After all, the power was not in their hands, so it was meaningless to talk about it.
Anton nodded and said: "It is indeed a bit early. Our most important task now is to defeat the conservative forces. It is best to minimize losses and chaos!"
Li Xiao looked at Anton and didn't say anything, because he knew that after talking so much to Anton, the other party didn't actually listen to much. His meaning was still similar to Count Rostovtsev, which was very regrettable.
.
However, Li Xiao did not blame or force him. After all, everyone has his own will and ideas, and has his own analysis of things. It is impossible for everyone to be the same as him.
Of course, it would be false to say that he had no regrets, because he had discussed this issue with Alexei and others in Bucharest before, and the opinions of these good friends were similar to those of Count Rostovtsev and Anton.
In other words, Li Xiao has become an out-and-out minority on this issue!
It can only be said that having a vision that transcends the times can sometimes be quite depressing. You know clearly that it is a trap, but no matter what you say, no one believes it. Instead, you are considered to be unfounded.
Sighing in his heart, Li Xiao suppressed his depression and told himself that he must be more patient. Maybe as time goes by, more and more people will understand his painstaking efforts and worries...