Nicholas I was seriously ill. Pneumonia caused by a severe cold completely destroyed his health. At this moment, lying in bed and talking nonsense, he was no longer the domineering king he used to be.
The Winter Palace was quiet. Nicholas I's confidantes, including the queen and other female officials, were all standing outside the study door. Everyone was expressionless, and everyone seemed to have lost their souls. Queen Alexandre
Ra just clung to the cross and prayed continuously.
After a long time, the door of the study room was opened, and the chief physician Mante walked out with a sullen face. Queen Alexandra quickly took two steps forward and asked with infinite hope: "What's the situation...how is the situation?"
Mante did not answer Alexandra's question. He said seriously: "Your Majesty's situation is not ideal. I think we should invite the Crown Prince to come..."
After hearing this, Queen Alexandra's face turned pale, and her body shook a few times and almost fell to the ground. She stared at Mante with tearful eyes and looked at him pleadingly. Although she didn't say a word, Mante
I really know what she means.
So Mante slowly shook his head again, and this was the last straw that broke the camel's back. Queen Alexandra's eyes went black and she fainted.
It took a long time before Queen Alexandra woke up under the influence of smelling salts. The skinny Queen couldn't stop crying. Suddenly she struggled to sit up and told the chamberlains: "Go and ask the Crown Prince to come over."
, tell him that his father wants to see him!"
Crown Prince Alexander was presiding over the State Council at this time. For the first time since Nicholas I became seriously ill, he began to take control of the country's destiny. Before, he thought that becoming Tsar would be very exciting, and he could finally do what he wanted to do.
But when he actually took on this heavy responsibility, he realized that the pressure was greater than he imagined, especially since what Nicholas I had handed him was an out-and-out mess. There was no hope in the war with the coalition.
, Sevastopol is still in danger, the entire empire is in turmoil, and countless visible and invisible enemies are causing trouble.
These messy things made him lose sight of one thing and made him exhausted in just one week. He couldn't imagine how his father could stay in this position for so long and still be energetic.
"Sevastopol must not be given up," he once again rejected Neserrodie's suggestion and said categorically: "Sevastopol must be defended no matter what. It has become the spiritual pillar of all Russia. Give it up."
It’s the same as admitting failure! And we are far from failure!”
That's what he said, but only Crown Prince Alexander himself knew that Sevastopol was not impossible to give up. If the conditions were right and a decent result could be achieved, he actually didn't mind if the Sevastopol garrison raised its flag and surrendered.
However, judging from Duke Alexander Gorchakov's contacts with Austria, Britain and France in Vienna, the other party's appetite was greater than he imagined. Even if he could hold his nose and agree to those conditions, Nicholas I would not be able to agree to them.
So even if Sevastopol is very difficult, we can only continue to grit our teeth and persevere, otherwise Russia's last fig leaf will be blown away!
At this moment, the chamberlain finally arrived. He rushed to Crown Prince Alexander and whispered a few words. Suddenly, the Crown Prince's face changed drastically!
"Adjourn the meeting temporarily!"
Crown Prince Alexander stood up and left without hesitation, which made all the imperial ministers look at each other, and their already ugly faces became even more ugly.
Yes, they are all smart people. They can figure out what happened with a little use of their brains. It is very likely that the proud Tsar is about to die!
Crown Prince Alexander hurriedly broke into the royal study room on the first floor of the Winter Palace. His father was lying on the camp bed where he had slept all his life. He was covered with a military coat. He was skinny and his eyes were empty, as if he was whispering something softly.
"Is it soon?"
When Crown Prince Alexander walked into the study, he finally spoke clearly, as if asking when Crown Prince Alexander would arrive.
Mante looked at Crown Prince Alexander who had just entered the door, and quickly replied: "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince is already here!"
However, Nicholas I shook his head and said: "I'm not asking him, but I'm asking if I'm going to die?"
Mante was stunned because this question was difficult to answer. Normally, if anyone dared to discuss Nicholas I's health problems, he would at least be exiled to Siberia. But today the situation was different. Over the past few days, he had figured out Nicholas I's health problems.
I know that this proud and stubborn Tsar really has no will to live and is eager to meet death.
As for the reason, naturally the war started by him did not achieve the desired results. He could not accept failure, and he was not willing to become a loser. However, he had no good way to escape, so he had no choice but to die!
Mante sighed slightly and said in Nicholas I's ear: "Your Majesty, you don't have much time. If you have anything to explain, you'd better hurry up!"
Nicholas I took a long breath and seemed very satisfied with the result. He smiled at Mante and said: "Very good, very good! I have been looking forward to this moment!"
Having said this, he seemed to have gathered all his strength, and suddenly turned back into the czar he once was, saying with dignity: "Now let me talk to my son!"
Mante bowed and left. Nicholas I stared at Crown Prince Alexander for a long time, and suddenly sighed and said: "My time is running out. As a father and emperor, I
I really don’t want to entrust you with this heavy responsibility. It’s not that I’m attached to power, but that I’m very worried about you!”
"My child, you have been too... too sentimental since you were a child. You are more like an overly emotional poet than a warrior who can control the destiny of the country and fight continuously for it."
"But now it seems that the only one who can take over this responsibility is you. I want to pass the throne to you, but the situation is too bad. I have left you too much disappointment and trouble!"
After a pause, he suddenly said in the same high-pitched voice as before: "But this is your responsibility and your destiny, remember! You are a descendant of the Romanov family, and the blood of Peter the Great flows in your body. You must
Use your hands like those great ancestors did!"
As he spoke, he stretched out his hands to make a clenched fist gesture, and said sternly: "Use your hands to hold everything tightly like this! You must hold it tightly! Only in this way can you rule this country!"