Chapter 321 If you don’t take the blame, who will?
From the moment Yasan passed away, Nicholas automatically became the new tsar of the Russian Empire.
When Nikolai’s only grandfather, Grand Duke Mikhail Nikolayevich, announced the result on behalf of the Orthodox Council, the atmosphere in the Livadia Palace was extremely tense.
The cause of tension came from Queen Maria's relatives.
Just a few days before Yasan's death, the Queen's relatives arrived in Crimea one after another. They were the King of Denmark (the Queen's father), the British Crown Prince (brother-in-law), the King of Greece (second brother), Hanover Crown Prince (sister-in-law), and Grand Duke of Bulgaria (brother).
These kings and crown princes gathered in Crimea, and their bodyguards totaled thousands of people.
Sergey did not dare to neglect. Starting from October 31st, the Gusarsky Guards Corps, which is responsible for the safety of the Tsar, and the Gatchina Guards Corps, which is responsible for Nikolai's safety, are here. Stationed outside the Vachia Palace.
In Yalta, 10 kilometers away from the Livadia Palace, Nicholas Jr. led the 1st Cavalry Division and 2nd Cavalry Division of the Guards to stand ready.
The Imperial Black Sea Fleet fully took over the port of Yalta and no ships were allowed to enter or exit.
The sentry outside the Livadia Palace is composed of five people.
Wearing dark green uniforms are the Guards.
Sergei’s guards came from the Moscow Military District. They wore dark green tops and white trousers.
The main color of the navy honor guard dress is white, with rusty gold thread on the short coat.
It is in sharp contrast to the white Amur Military District dress without any decoration.
The most eye-catching ones are the Hussars, who wear Hungarian-style Hussars cloaks with fur edges, and the fur hats on their heads are made of black bearskin.
"Now please all go out and leave this place to the doctors."
Grand Duke Nikolayevich expelled the people, and the next step was to embalm Yasan's body.
Nicolai's brother Mikhail wanted to leave with the queen, but George pulled him back.
Greek Crown Prince George, who had accompanied Nicholas on his round-the-world trip, noticed this scene, as if he had not seen it before, and said nothing.
“From now on, you have to stay with Nikki.”
George warned Mikhail.
“Why?”
There was not much sadness on Mikhail’s face, he had not yet realized the seriousness of the situation.
"Don't ask why, just do whatever you are told."
Sergei is arrogant. He is now the emperor's uncle, no longer the tsar's brother.
Nicholas is so miserable, all four of his biological uncles are still alive, plus George and those cousins, there are 16 in total.
George accompanied Nikolai to find Alex. Alex’s leg began to hurt after arriving in Crimea, but the doctor could not find out the cause.
Nicola was in a very sad mood and burst into tears after seeing Alex.
George quietly walked out and closed the door, guarding the door with Yuri on his left and right.
This will last until dawn.
An open-air altar was built on the lawn in front of the Livadia Palace, where Nicholas would accept the allegiance of the princes and ministers as Tsar.
The warships in the Yalta port fired salutes to bid farewell to the old tsar and pay tribute to the new tsar.
After Vladimir, Alexei and Sergei pledged their allegiance to Nicholas, they stood aside.
George was left by Nicholas.
After everyone saw this scene, George’s eyes were completely different from before.
In the afternoon, the princes and imperial ministers gathered in the conference room of the Livadia Palace to discuss the next process.
There are three processes in total. Yasan's funeral is definitely the most important, followed by Nicholas' wedding and enthronement ceremony.
On November 27th, the Russian Empire will enter Great Lent, which will last until January next year.
So Nikolai’s wedding will be held before November 27th.
Nicola is very eager and hopes to hold a wedding with Alex directly in Livadia.
This suggestion was collectively rejected. Ya San's funeral was to be held in St. Petersburg, so Nicholas and Alex had to return to St. Petersburg before their wedding could be held.
As for the enthronement ceremony, it will not be held until at least 1896.
Although Nicholas had not yet ascended the throne, he had already begun to exercise the power of the Tsar.
The first decree issued by Nicholas was to appoint Ignaev to replace Pobedonostsev as the governor of Amur.
This appointment was proposed by the Queen and approved by George.
During Ignaev's stay in the Balkans, the queen's brother Valdemar became the Grand Duke of Bulgaria, and the controversy over the Grand Duke that lasted for three years was finally settled.
Austro-Hungary was not satisfied with this result, but there was no better candidate.
The third son-in-law of Christian IX, Crown Prince of Hanover, currently lives in Vienna.
From this point of view, it is not completely unacceptable.
Vladimir and Alexey returned to St. Petersburg after Asan's death to prepare for Asan's funeral.
George and Sergey did not escort Yasan's coffin back to St. Petersburg with Nikolai and Mikhail until November 8.
The coffin, which was temporarily parked in the church, first took a boat from Yalta to Sevastopol. Georgi did not return to St. Petersburg and stayed in Crimea to continue recuperating.
On November 11, the coffin arrived in Moscow and was temporarily parked in Arkhangorsk Cathedral before heading to St. Petersburg the next day.
On November 13, the coffin arrived at Nikolaev Railway Station in St. Petersburg. It takes 4 hours from the train station to the Petropavlovsk Royal Cemetery. Asan's coffin was placed on an open-air carriage, and Nikolai and the Grand Dukes took separate cars, one for each person.
The road was crowded with people seeing off the Tsar. People wore black veils on their arms, and black flags decorated with white ribbons were everywhere on the buildings. The whole of St. Petersburg was immersed in great grief.
Before the coffin of the Tsar arrived in St. Petersburg, the St. Petersburg secret police uncovered an assassination case. Someone was preparing to use a bomb to attack Nicholas at the Tsar's funeral.
General Danilov, who was in charge of the secret police, did not know whether to deal with it as usual and send the assassin to Siberia, or to lock him up and wait until after the funeral.
“All those who are related to such cases will be executed for treason!”
George is decisive in killing. If this kind of person is not hanged, will he still be waiting for Nicholas to ascend the throne? Does the queen grant amnesty to the world?
Asan was indeed a benevolent czar. During his reign, he actually gave the assassin a chance to choose. If the assassin confessed and showed repentance, he would not be sentenced to death.
Even if he does not plead guilty, only the assassin himself and the direct participants will be sentenced to death, and many people related to the case will be treated more leniently.
George has nothing to say here. As long as it is related to the case, everyone must die, no matter who is involved.
“This is not good——”
Danilov still wanted to ask Nikolay for instructions, and did not want to be known as a butcher and executioner.
"Are you sure you want His Majesty to worry about this kind of thing?"
George's eyes were cold. He wanted to enjoy the beauty of power but didn't want to take the blame. How could there be so many good things.
If this matter is reported to Nikolai, whether he is killed or released, it has nothing to do with Danilov.
If Nicholas were to be executed all, then through careful interpretation, Nicholas would be the most tyrannical and cruel czar in history, and he was not worthy of being the father of the Russian czar.
If Nicholas does not kill, he will be interpreted as weak, incompetent, and indifferent to black and white——
In short, no matter what he did, Nicholas was not worthy of being a tsar.
Getting to George is easy.
As the head of the secret police, if you don’t want to take the blame, just stay away. There are many people who are willing to take the blame.
Danilov looked at George's cold eyes and couldn't say a word.
George actually didn’t want to go on a killing spree.
But in this troubled year, all hidden dangers must be completely eliminated.
Besides, this kind of thing is nothing at all.
Just now, after the Japanese captured Lushun, they carried out a massacre in Lushun that lasted for 4 days and 3 nights. At least 20,000 people were killed. Even the nursing children were not spared. There were only 36 in the entire city. The person who buried the body was spared from being killed.
When George sees Albert later, he will ask Albert what he thinks about this matter.
Is this the result the British want?
Is this what Britain calls civilization?
If this is civilization, then George would rather be a savage.
The saddest person at the funeral was not Nicholas, but the empress - the empress dowager.
Maria suddenly broke down when the Metropolitan was giving a speech, crying hysterically: "Enough, enough!"
The funeral ended hastily, and Alex went to Sergei's house To be married, Nicholas and Maria returned to Gatchina Palace.
George spent his first night back in St. Petersburg at Gatchina Palace.
For a whole day, Nicholas ate nothing and was on the verge of mental collapse.
George asked Mannerheim to bring some of Nikolai's favorite pirozhiki (a semicircular pie, Russian dumplings) and Karachi (a kind of bread) to accompany Nikolai. Gula dine together.
“George, I can’t eat——”
Nicola’s eyes were red and swollen, and his body exuded a bad smell. He hadn’t bathed or changed in the past few days. clothing.
"Nikki, the deceased is gone, but life will go on. You are now the Tsar of the Russian Empire. For the sake of the empire, you must take care of yourself."
George forced Nikolai to eat.
“Bring me some wine, I want to drink!”
Nicholas wants to get drunk and relieve his worries.
This is not bad, at least you can have a good sleep after getting drunk.
George drank with Nicholas.
Nikolai has a very good drinking capacity. He once set a record of drinking 125 bottles of champagne in one day. Although Nikolai did not drink the champagne alone, Nikolai himself also has a good drinking capacity.
George also has a good drinking capacity, and the two bottles of champagne were quickly consumed.
Nicola was not drunk at all and asked Mannerheim to continue getting the wine.
“Stop drinking, go to bed now, you will have to get up early tomorrow to preside over the imperial meeting.”
George was a man of moderation, and no matter how good the wine was, he could not drink too much.
“George, I don’t want to preside over the imperial council, I miss Dad, I don’t want to be the Tsar——”
Nicholas fell on the sofa and soon began to snore.
George was beside Nicholas, lying in his clothes.
(End of this chapter)