Not long after Count Rostovtsev discovered Count Shuvanov as his son-in-law, the already turbulent officialdom of St. Petersburg finally experienced a major shock before the start of the reform.
What happened was that while Nikolai Milyutin was busy teaching the third part a lesson, a wave of voices suddenly appeared in St. Petersburg. In various progressive salons, there was a sudden discussion of the Crimean War.
Summarizing call.
Both progressive young aristocrats and students have unanimously called for a good summary of the experiences and gains and losses of that war, demanding to understand why Russia failed and why it paid such a heavy price.
At first, Alexander II didn't take it seriously when he heard these voices, thinking that they were just the actions of a few liberal students and nobles who didn't know the bounds of justice. So he didn't interfere too much, and didn't even order Pobedono.
Stev went to arrest someone.
This laissez-faire attitude was undoubtedly the first mistake Alexander II made. Although it was not fatal, it was enough to make him trapped and passive.
Sure enough, this voice spread widely immediately, evolving from a small-scale discussion among a few young aristocratic students into a core topic in all progressive salons.
This is also normal. Russia lost everything in this war, both in terms of honor and reputation. For the Russians who have been proud for decades, this fiasco is simply unacceptable. If the reasons for the failure are not discussed, then
That's called abnormal.
In fact, there have been discussions about the reasons for the failure since the Paris peace talks, but at that time it was more about reviewing the Russian army's backward military quality and equipment. It was still a technical discussion, but now the big discussion has begun to change.
national strategic level.
The finger began to be directed at the small group of decision-makers at the top of the pyramid, such as Nicholas I.
Russians have very complicated feelings towards Nicholas I. Those who like him love him to death and think he is the father of Russia, but those who hate him also want to eat his flesh alive. They think that the reason why Russia is unable to move forward and is left far behind by Britain and France
The fundamental reason behind this is his conservatism and reaction.
In the past, because the authority of Nicholas I had not been wiped out, the former could still occupy the mainstream market. However, the disastrous defeat in the Crimean War destroyed all this. All the prestige of Nicholas I was squandered, and radical students and
The young nobles pointed the finger of failure directly at the tsar, thinking that he was the sinner of Russia!
"Russian sinners! How brave they are!"
Alexander II was surprisingly angry. Although he once thought that his father was too poisonous and overbearing, it was only when he actually sat on the throne of the Tsar and served food that he found that the Tsar was not overbearing. And although the finger of blame is still pointed at him now
I, but who can guarantee that these cowardly guys won’t come to him and cause trouble for him?
What's more, although Nicholas I was domineering and unreasonable, he was still a qualified father to his children. It was the responsibility and obligation of every son to protect his father's reputation, and naturally Alexander II was no exception.
"These shameless remarks must not be tolerated. Every bastard who spreads rumors and slanders my father must be arrested and they must pay the price!"
Alexander II's saliva could almost spray onto Nikolai Milyutin's cheek. Who made the latter the Minister of Internal Affairs?
Of course, the police and gendarmes and other violent agencies commanded by the Minister of the Interior are indeed in charge of this matter, but the real reason why Alexander II got angry at Nikolai Milyutin is that the tsar felt that this embarrassing situation occurred because
Nikolai Milyutin and other reformists are making nonsense.
If there were no reformists, how could these rotten fishes and rotten shrimps have the courage to say such treacherous words? Naturally, if there is an injustice and a debtor, they will definitely cause trouble for Nikolai Milyutin.
"Your Majesty, I must remind you that these rumors in the market do not involve personal attacks. Most of the discussions focus on reviewing successes and failures, and do not involve malicious slander and attacks..."
Nikolai Milyutin was telling the truth. After all, even if Nicholas I died, even if Alexander II did not interfere from the beginning, most of the young nobles and students who participated in the discussion would not dare to say anything.
On the contrary, the evaluation of Nicholas I's merits and demerits is actually quite objective, unlike the keyboard warriors of later generations who would just criticize him if they couldn't make sense.
Obviously, the Russians who were domesticated by Nicholas I were really not very courageous. In a sense, it was indeed Alexander II who was too sensitive.
It's just that Nikolai Milyutin's truthful words made Alexander II even more angry. He didn't allow anyone to evaluate his father, and he didn't care whether what others said was reasonable or not. For him, this kind of behavior was unacceptable.
Accept it, this is treason.
And Nikolai Milyutin actually allowed this kind of treasonous behavior and even defended it, damn! How can I tolerate this!
Alexander II really wanted to grab him by the collar and ask Nikolai Milyutin whose food he was eating! Otherwise, he would have ruined the Romanov family like this!
"You disappoint me so much. You actually think this is normal?" Alexander II slapped the table and stood up. "My father worked hard for Russia all his life and created unprecedented events for our country. But
Behind him, as his single-handedly promoted ministers and as nobles deeply favored by him, you actually allowed a group of vicious villains to criticize him. Where are your moral values!"
Nikolai Milyutin was a bit confused. He felt that he had suffered an unreasonable disaster. He had dutifully reminded Alexander II when these discussions arose in the public, but his Majesty just smiled and said don't worry about it.
Well, now you are suddenly shouting and killing again, putting all the responsibility on yourself. Is this fair?
It’s just that Nikolay Milyutin knew that now was not the time to go against Alexander II. His Majesty was obviously extremely angry. Wouldn’t goring against him at this time add fuel to the fire?
He could only lament, lowered his head and apologized: "Your Majesty, I definitely didn't mean that. I just want to remind you that this matter can be big or small. If you blindly expand the scope, it may be counterproductive."
Alexander II was blinded by anger. He roared at Nikolai Milyutin: "I don't care about this. I must protect the reputation of my father. I will never allow scoundrels to slander him. I ask you
Arrest them immediately and let them shut their mouths and accept just punishment!"