Judging from the appearance, Paul I does have a bit of personality. With a big forehead, a slightly flat nose, and red and swollen eyes, Paul I's appearance makes people completely unable to think that he is the crown prince of Russia and the future.
tsar.
But after all, people cannot be judged by their appearance alone. Who would have known that the person in front of him could not wait to implement various reform measures as soon as he came to the throne, changing many rules and regulations of the Catherine Era. During his time
In just over five years of rule, more than 2,000 laws were signed, with an average of 40 decrees issued every month.
While William was sizing up Paul, Paul was also sizing up William. William, who is ten years old this year, looks like a normal young man of fourteen or fifteen years old. And in the short two years of being in power, William has resolutely
He had the kind of demeanor that can only appear on an excellent ruler. His jet-black hair, slender eyebrows, and piercing big eyes all revealed William's noble and elegant temperament.
After a while, Paul seemed to have just finished looking at him. He smiled and gestured to William, and William responded with the same courtesy. Before Paul and William could be polite, an attendant behind Paul quietly approached Paul and whispered.
After saying something, after the attendant finished speaking, Paul looked at him dissatisfied, and then helplessly signaled to William that Catherine II was waiting for William in the palace. After William nodded, Paul led a group of people to the palace.
Go inside.
The magnificent meeting hall of the Polish Palace had changed its appearance at this time, from its usual solemn and solemn appearance.
When the attendants standing at the door of the hall saw Paul and William arriving, he knocked the long staff in his hand, and then a trombone sounded, and the attendants said loudly:
"His Majesty King August of the Kingdom of Poland, His Majesty King William of the Kingdom of Prussia, and His Majesty Crown Prince Paul of the Russian Empire have arrived"
After the attendant announced the end, the door of the hall was opened by the attendants on both sides.
Next, what appeared in front of William was a road paved with white woolen carpets. William walked onto the carpet first after being humble to Auguste to no avail. Around the carpet, many nobles in gorgeous clothes came to the carpet.
He bent down, and his usually arrogant face became kind and humble.
At this moment, among all the people present, William was the undisputed center point. William saw three chairs lined up side by side on the steps at the end of the carpet. He knew that one of them must be his position, and William strode forward with his chest puffed out.
walked forward.
When William, Augustus, and Paul reached the top of the steps, with the ceremonial officer's trombone blast, the nobles present straightened up. But soon, exclamations of exclamation broke out from the crowd at the bottom of the steps.
August and Paul looked at each other awkwardly, knowing that this exclamation was definitely not for them, but for William, one of the protagonists tonight.
When they saw William's appearance, some of the aristocratic girls present were jealous. Although William was only barely handsome, power is the most beautiful coat of a man. As long as he has power, no matter how he looks, he will still be handsome.
There are a lot of women who are crazy about you.
Just when some bold girls were about to make a move, the attendant at the door announced again:
"The arrival of Her Majesty Empress Catherine II, ruler of all Russia, living saint, conqueror of the Crimea"
As the announcement ended, a lady wearing a long skirt appeared in William's sight. William stood with his back straight and facing the door. He did not look like August, Paul and all the nobles present. Still lowering his head.
How should I describe this noble lady? Her long skirt did not have many decorations, but the intertwined black and yellow patterns on the long skirt made her more noble, even though William had already known the queen beforehand. He did what he thought was enough research, but William admitted that when the queen appeared in front of him, he was as shocked as sailing alone on the sea.
William looked at the Queen who was getting closer and closer, and the impact he received became stronger and stronger, but William knew that he must not show cowardice on such an occasion, because this was the first face-to-face confrontation between William and the Queen, and William's hands became more and more intense. Holding the scepter in his hand tightly, William tried his best not to show any discomfort.
When the Queen walked in front of her, her eyes that had been staring at William instantly turned into crescent moons. William admitted that the Queen was really charming. If the Queen were thirty years younger, maybe William wouldn't be able to stop her fatal temptation.
After exchanging greetings with Catherine II, Empress Catherine II took the seat in the middle of the three chairs on the steps without hesitation, and William did not express any objection. Of course August was more It won't be uninteresting.
Paul stood in front of Queen Catherine II and saluted the Queen. William obviously saw a wrinkle on the Queen's forehead. William walked to the chair on the right and sat down. After William sat down, August came to Take a seat on one of the remaining chairs.
After signaling to Paul, Catherine II said:
"We are here today to welcome our Prussian guests who have come from afar. Of course, according to tradition, the first dance must be danced before the banquet. I wonder if His Majesty William can come and dance this first dance." , Catherine II said to William kindly, but William knew that Catherine II was not as kind as she appeared on the surface.
But William did not have the appropriate interface to refuse the first dance. After nodding his head to agree to the Queen's arrangement, he stood up and walked down the steps. Seeing William's footsteps, some noble girls on the steps began to get excited. , although they didn’t say it, everyone knew that these girls really wanted to dance with William.
But William was not what everyone thought. William walked to the bottom of the steps and turned around and performed an aristocratic courtesy and said to Catherine II:
"I wonder if I would have the honor to invite Her Majesty the Queen to dance with me."
After listening to William's words, Catherine II's expression was startled at first, but soon the surprise turned into a smile. She lifted up her skirt and walked towards William with a smile.
After seeing Her Majesty the Queen's movements, everyone present immediately began to scatter around. You must know that this is a dance between the supreme rulers of two of the European powers. Maybe this scene will not happen again for another hundred years. .
After receiving the hand extended by Catherine II, the first movement of the "Brandenburg Concerto" composed by Bach, the father of Western music, sounded in the hall.
William, whose appearance is similar to that of a young man of 14 or 15 years old, has no height difference with Catherine II. This allows William to lead Catherine II to dance to the cheerful music.
It won't make people feel that there is any disharmony.