Before little Nikolai, who had returned to the embassy, had time to take Catherine back to his bedroom, the servant at the door said directly to him: "Young master, the Duke has asked you to meet him as soon as you return." ”

Although little Nikolai felt a little sorry that Catherine was in the room in the cold, his father was in such a hurry to summon him that he definitely had something important to discuss.

In the living room, old Nikolai sat on a leather chair, and in just over half a year, his fat body had become a little old. Unlike Little Nikolai, who was a little drunk and drunk, Old Nikolai was, after all, the prince of Russia, and he did his best to negotiate with the Northeast. However, their own side is completely in a weak and passive position on the battlefield, if it were not for the cold winter delaying the pace of the Northeast insurance team, maybe this negotiation would have been waived, and the people in the Northeast might have settled in Moscow now.

Of course, this is just a complaint in the heart of the elder Nikolai, who understands that at least in the last decade, the Northeast has not yet had such an invincible power. If this had not been clear, the elder Nicholas would not have accepted the order of Alexander III to come to the northeast to participate in this humiliating armistice negotiations.

But then again, although Alexander III was not as wise and decisive as his father, he was not the faint king in history. Considering that there were no chips in his hand that could suppress the Northeast, in order to relieve the pressure on Old Nikolavich in the East, he ordered the front-line troops to brave the low temperature of minus forty or fifty degrees Celsius to launch a sneak attack on the Northeast Insurance Team stationed in the fortress group. At first, there were some successes, and two border fortresses were breached. The morale-boosting Russian army seems to have regained the momentum to fight back against Napoleon's attack, but the technological progress of the times has made this frenetic atmosphere a joke.

From the moment the Russian army's night attack began, Zheng Haitao, who had been stationed on the front line to direct the battle, received the news. Although the cold weather and slippery roads made the military intention to assist the attacked fortress come to naught, in the next few days, with the help of the air force, the Tohoku insurance team immediately launched a counterattack.

The huge gap in the armaments of the two sides quickly extinguished the arrogance of the Russian army. After a week and three days of fighting, although not many soldiers actually died under the fire of the northeast, the harsh winter in the north became a deadly killer. Of the 30,000 troops before the expedition, only more than 23,000 returned, not counting a few thousand wounded.

The old Duke Nicholas in Shengjing also knew that his own Tsar Majesty had done his best, and he couldn't ask too much ahead. The negotiations lasted for half a year, and the attitude of the northeastern side was like a stone in a pit, smelly and hard, without the slightest compromise. And as time went on, the weather began to gradually get warmer. From Shengjing to St. Petersburg, the mood of the Russians has not become soothing and warm with the blossoming of spring, but has become increasingly nervous and anxious. Because of their greatest reliance, the biggest weapon of the Northeast Insurance Team - the cold winter! He was about to leave them.

Little Nikolai walked into the room and saw his father, slightly distressed. He found that the middle-aged man in front of him had only been seen for two days, and he had aged a little more. This is no longer the strong man who once had the impression of omnipotence, broad shoulders and can shelter him from the wind and rain, and now in front of him is just a bad old man in a gorgeous coat, just like the Northern Empire he represents.

"You're here!" Old Nikolai tried to squeeze a smile out of his haggard and tired face. Speaking of which, he knew what his son had done in the last three months, giving up on himself, spending all day drinking, and completely lacking the appearance of an imperial negotiator. But he doesn't blame his son, everything is his own fault. When His Majesty the Tsar launched the winter offensive, his son vigorously opposed it, believing that such a military adventure had no point, that the Russian army had no chance of winning, but would provoke the centrists in the top echelons of the Northeast and push them into the radical faction. And as Nikolai Jr. expected, when the sneak attack began, the Northeast side suspended negotiations. It was not until forced to make concessions of interests in the Central Asian region that negotiations were restarted.

"Father!" Little Nikolai cheered up and gave his father a salute. "What's the order for coming me so late?"

"There is new news in St. Petersburg."

Little Nikolai did not speak, waiting for his father to continue.

"Your Majesty has decided to send Pobedonoschev to assist us in our negotiations......"

When he heard this, little Nicholas was shocked, because the new one sent by Alexander III was of extraordinary status.

Pobedonoszev was Alexander III's most important advisor, and his official position was head of the Orthodox Church.

"How did you send him?" Little Nikolai asked a little puzzled, "Isn't he the crown prince's personal tutor?" He left, who is in charge of the crown prince's studies? ”

The crown prince is the last tsar of later generations - Nicholas II, whose Russian name is Alexandrovich Romanov, is exactly twenty years old this year. Because of his cowardly and indecisive character, he himself was not liked by Alexander III.

Speaking of this, little Nikolai suddenly realized, looked at his father, and said, "Could it be ......?"

Grand Duke Nikolai nodded slightly, and said: "Donoszev is just hiding people's eyes, and the person who is here this time is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince." ”

"Oh God!"

Little Nikolai couldn't help but exclaim slightly, but he immediately realized his gaffe, frowned and thought for a long time, and finally sighed: "It's better for my cousin to come to the Northeast to see what the world is like." ”