VIP reception room on the second floor of the Russian National Library.
Count Rostovtsev sat upright on the hardwood chair, focusing all his attention on the open book in front of him, following his long fingers across the lines of text.
The VIP reception room is quiet and warm. The new hot water heater imported from the UK silently drives away the cold and keeps the room temperature at a comfortable level.
Not everyone can enjoy the pleasure brought by this new technology. This kind of heating equipment that requires the installation of boilers and water pipes is too advanced for the crude and rough Russia, and not everyone can accept it.
Most nobles, including Nicholas I, preferred traditional fireplaces. The roaring flames could make them feel comfortable. Of course, this is nonsense. There is only one reason why they insist on using fireplaces instead of heaters - insisting on the so-called
Russian tradition.
For the conservative Russian tsars and nobles, tradition means everything. Any subversion of tradition is unacceptable and unforgivable. Even if the new heater is more comfortable and safer, they still insist on burning fires to keep warm, even if it burns them.
The Winter Palace also spared no expense.
That was in 1837. According to the order of Nicholas I, the architect was forced to add fireplaces for heating in the rooms of the Winter Palace. Although the poor architect had repeatedly warned the Tsar that this was very dangerous, the arbitrary Nicholas I
Still used his strength to get the fireplace he wanted.
Then, not long after, when the new fireplace was put into use, the chimney soon began to leak smoke and then caught fire. The servants tried to put out the flames with mud-covered mops, but instead the entire palace was engulfed in flames.
It was very unfortunate that Nicholas I and his family were not at the Winter Palace because they were watching "The Abduction from the Boudoir" in the theater, so this poisoner and his family escaped unharmed.
The raging fire covered the entire Winter Palace, and strong winds pushed the fire to spread. In the words of Zhukovsky, the teacher of Crown Prince Alexander: "It was as if a volcano had exploded in the center of St. Petersburg."
This terrible fire burned the Winter Palace to the ground, and the cost was heavy. But did Nicholas I learn his lesson?
Nothing at all!
This terrible poisoner didn't even think that it was his nonsense that caused the fire, and he didn't reflect or repent at all. In that winter of minus 35 degrees Celsius, the only thing he cared about was how to rebuild his palace as soon as possible.
According to the order of Nicholas I, the reconstruction work of the Winter Palace must be started immediately and must be completed within a year. So hundreds of serfs were conscripted in the season when water dripped into ice, and then wore thin clothes in the cold weather
After working hard for the Tsar's family and paying the price of hundreds of people freezing to death, the Winter Palace was completed on schedule.
That day Nicholas I returned to his lair very proudly and complacently. To him, as long as he could be happy and satisfied, nothing else mattered.
Count Rostovtsev was also an eyewitness to the fire. When the fire broke out, he was accompanying the Tsar to watch a play, and then they rushed back to the Winter Palace in a carriage. He witnessed the chaotic and disorderly fire-fighting operations and the tsar's family hurriedly
Rescued property from the palace, witnessed the tsar's family escaping in panic under the escort of guards, and also witnessed the collapse of this gorgeous palace.
At that moment, Count Rostovtsev's heart was bleeding. This palace, which had condensed the efforts and hard work of several generations of tsars, was burned to the ground by the reckless behavior of a stupid tyrant. What was burned was the Winter Palace. What was burned was clearly the Winter Palace.
Russia.
Count Rostovtsev was convinced that if Nicholas I was not stopped from continuing to act recklessly, Russia would sooner or later be destroyed in his hands. From that day on, he accelerated his pace and made all-out preparations at all costs in order to win the war in Nicholas I.
Gula I saved his motherland before destroying Russia.
Count Rostovtsev sighed, closed the page, and looked at the radiator beside the wall. The VIP reception room of the National Library originally had a fireplace, but after witnessing the disaster of the fire, Rostov
Tsev ordered the fireplaces to be immediately abolished and later replaced with new heaters. He was deeply afraid that another fire would destroy the National Library. The wealth of knowledge contained in this library was priceless and must not be used by idiots again.
Destroyed.
However, there are too many stubborn idiots and idiots in Russia. They would rather risk their lives to kneel down and please Nicholas I than to take a step forward.
After the VIP reception room of the National Library was replaced with heating, the originally sparse aristocrats basically disappeared completely. But that's fine. Count Rostovtsev was very happy that he couldn't see those idiots, and he was very happy that he could be alone.
Enjoy a quiet environment.
Every winter, as long as he is not on duty at the Winter Palace, Count Rostovtsev will come to the VIP room of the National Library, where he thinks and meets his closest friends, such as Nikolai Milyutin.
.
"My young friend, you are late," Count Rostovtsev said with a smile.
"I'm sorry, Count. There is some delay."
Nikolai Milyutin looked very tired. His eyeballs were bloodshot, his coat was wrinkled, and traces of ink could be seen on his fingertips. He was no longer the smart and capable person he used to be.
"My friend, what can keep you so busy? You haven't changed your clothes for at least two days. Don't tell me that you haven't gone home in the past two days."
"Yes, Count." Nikolay Milyutin found a chair and sat down, humming comfortably, "I have been busy with the affairs of Grand Constantine's bus agent for the past two days, which is a bit tricky and troublesome.
It took a little more effort.”
Rostovtsev was not surprised at all, as if he had already known what Nikolay Milyutin was up to.
He said calmly: "Grand Duke Constantine decided to challenge that old guy Menshikov?"
Nikolai Milyutin nodded and said: "Yes. The Grand Duke is preparing to give him a surprise attack and completely defeat him!"
Rostovtsev's expression was still so indifferent, as if the conflict between an imperial prince and an imperial prince was nothing more than a trivial matter.
"Grand Duke Constantine is very confident!"
Nikolay Milyutin smiled and replied: "Yes. Because this time the ammunition is rich enough and the planning is sophisticated enough, enough to make the old guy Menshikov get out!"
Count Rostovtsev raised his eyes and glanced at him, and said calmly: "Don't be too confident. Overconfidence cannot bring victory. And according to my observation, although the Grand Duke has cards in his hand, Menshikov's
The old guy is not a living person, and the little ammunition you have in your hands is not enough to bring that old guy down!"