"Russia? It was a desolate country, where the climate was cold, the land was barren, and the men were rude and savage, Mrs. Todd, what are you doing there? ”

Before Ye Kai reached the second floor, he heard a voice pretending to be surprised, a woman in purple clothes covered her mouth exaggeratedly, with an unbelievable expression!

Lady Todd, known as Mrs. Todd, was an elderly woman, one of the noblewomen who often accompanied Jenna, and he frowned, as if he had suppressed some anger, but nevertheless opened his mouth to explain.

"My father had some connections with Empress Catherine, and she heard that my son Todd Jr. was doing a good job in India, so she wanted to invite us to Moscow once.

It is said that the Russians are determined to strengthen their presence in the Caspian Sea, and they need an experienced official, and perhaps my little Todd will get a knighthood from Her Majesty the Empress! ”

Talking, talking, the joy on the face of Mrs. Todd, who was a little angry, couldn't hide it, the Russian aristocracy is also a nobleman!

"Really, Mrs. Todd? I heard that Catherine II the Great was a very enlightened monarch, she was deeply influenced by the ideas of the French Enlightenment, and was said to be a great monarch who could put an end to serfdom in Russia! ”

Anna the golden cat has shining eyes, and it seems that she is Catherine II's little fan sister!

"What's the big deal, it's just a barbarian country, it is said that Catherine almost froze to death on the way from the Anhalt principality to Moscow to get married, what is there to be proud of!"

At first, the voice that pretended to be surprised changed to an indifferent tone, but everyone could hear that she was jealous!

Jenna, the English girl, Mrs. Todd beside her, and Anna the golden cat all frowned, looking a little dissatisfied.

Anna opened her mouth twice, presumably to refute, but she didn't know how to refute it, because Catherine II was indeed almost frozen to death on the way to Moscow.

And Anna's understanding of Russia is only that she knows that Russia is a big country and its general location!

"Madame, you are not right, Russia is indeed cold, but it is not at all desolate and barren!"

Ye Kai said loudly and walked over, and after speaking, he gave a chest salute to Jenna's chick, "Miss Jenna, I don't know what you have to do with me!" ”

A woman wearing a purple skirt, revealing most of her white breasts, and a somewhat chubby woman glanced at Ye Kai with disdain, "What do you know as a yellow person?" I'm afraid you even know where Russia is! ”

"Madame! I'm afraid I'm a yellow man who knows much more than you know, Russia to the east of the Grand Duchy of Finland and the German states. ”

The most familiar white country for the Chinese in later generations is probably Russia, the big Mao smash who is also a teacher and friend and an enemy, and has been entangled with China for hundreds of years!

"Then tell me why Russia is not barren at all?" Anna happily ran over and grabbed Ye Kai's arm!

"Because Russia has owned Ukraine, which is the richest land in all of Europe, and its black soil covers most of the known world.

The wide Dnieper River runs through the Great Ukrainian Plain, bringing abundant water to the Great Plain, and I am afraid that the combined output of all the lands of Britain and France will not be able to withstand the output of one part of Ukraine, which will become the breadbasket of Europe! ”

"Then if Ukraine is so rich, why can't Russia always develop and become a powerful empire?" Jenna Chick was also a little interested, she took a sip of sweet black tea and asked.

At this time, Russia was indeed not strong, although after the reforms of Peter the Great, Russia also had a certain number of factories, and the number and quality of the army were further improved, but it was still only a middle power.

Even now, Russia can't even mass-produce a qualified flintlock pistol, and the entire manufacturing level may only be a little higher than my Daqing!

"That's because of serfdom, serfdom greatly restricts the development of Russia, and the current Russia is only Russia with millions of serf owners, not Russia with tens of millions of Russians, so its huge potential cannot be brought into play at all!" Ye Kai sat down next to Anna before he began to speak.

"So you mean, Russia is not using its strength, do you? But I don't see any strength in Russia, they have nothing but food, and even weapons need to be imported! Jenna shook her head, still not quite agreeing with Ye Kai's point of view!

"Russia does not have a strong industrial power, but it has the most reliable population in Europe!" What Ye Kai said is the most reliable, not the most!

"The most reliable?" Jenna also showed a puzzled look!

"Yes! The most reliable, because I found that the most reliable source of soldiers for the countries of Europa was not the enthusiastic French, nor the calm and resilient English, but the silent Russians, because of the existence of serfdom and thousands of years of cultural traditions, the Russians were the most obedient and the most eager to fight.

In this era of queuing to be shot, as long as His Majesty the Tsar organizes the Russians with simple flintlock guns, whether breech guns or breech guns, they will become the most terrible army in the whole of Europa, if not one!

I gave the tsar's soldiers a nickname, 'Grey Cattle', and I thought that Russia was a country of military strategists, and I thought that Russia would be invincible until there was a weapon that could quickly harvest lives! ”

Ye Kai finished his theory with a smile, in fact, what he still wanted to say was that even if weapons of mass destruction appeared, Maozi was still an unconquerable country, and Napoleon and Hitler had proven it before and after!

"It turns out that Russia's potential is so strong!" Anna blinked and exclaimed, "Then if Her Majesty Catherine II solved serfdom, wouldn't Russia be stronger?" ”

"I don't know if Russia will become stronger, but I know that Her Majesty Catherine II will not be able to solve the serfdom in Russia, and I guess she has now abandoned her former ideals and become a resolute defender of serfdom!" Ye Kai shook his head, not agreeing with Anna's point of view!

"It can't be!" Enraged, Anna shook off Ye Kai's arm, "Her Majesty Catherine II is the finest woman I have ever met, she is an enlightened and wise king, she will never betray her ideals!" ”

Ye Kai looked at Anna's performance in surprise, he had never seen Anna so angry, even if she was beaten by Ye Kai who had just crossed, Ye Kai had never seen her spark of anger from her heart!

"Little Anna is angry! You said you had met Her Majesty Catherine II? Mrs. Todd first glanced at Ye Kai with a smile, and then asked.

"Not really, ma'am, but my ancestors were also from the German Confederation, and many of my family members worked for His Royal Highness Staniław I (former King of Poland, Grand Duke of Lorraine, and grandfather of King Louis XV of France).

In 1775, my family moved from Lorraine to Paris, where we lived next to Her Majesty's former residence in Paris. ”

Anna finished answering carefully, and then glanced at Ye Kai apologetically, "I'm sorry, Zinedin, I didn't mean to, I just..."

"It's fine!" Ye Kai regained a comforting look, he didn't feel offended.

"But, Anna, what Mr. Ye said may be right, Her Majesty Catherine II has gone against her ideals at that time!"

Jenna chick, who sighed, gave Anna a sympathetic look!