"In the period after I returned to Petersburg, I visited every corner of the Russian Empire and saw many tragedies that could not be seen in Petersburg.
At that time, I realized that Russia was decadent and backward. Although she defeated France, I thought it was just another barbarian invasion of Rome.
We are far from reaching your level in all aspects. Our nobles can only plunder and whip serfs..."
Duke Golitsyn talked endlessly about the ugliest side of the Russian Empire to Marcel Jerug. His words were filled with love for the Russian land and hatred for the tsar and nobles who were parasitic on the Russian land.
Marcel Jerug listened quietly to Duke Golitsyn's speech, and tried to analyze Duke Golitsyn's character from his micro-expressions.
Only by understanding the character traits of Prince Golitsyn can we truly conduct a dialectical analysis of what Prince Golitsyn said.
"At that time, I felt deeply ashamed that I was a nobleman living in this country!" Duke Golitsyn's voice had a slight vibrato and his tone was slightly choked: "I desperately wanted to change, I went crazy.
I’m looking for someone who has the same ideals as me!”
Speaking of this, Duke Golitsyn smiled: "After my persistent search, I finally found them. They are a group of young people full of ideals and passion; they also want to rely on their own strength just like me.
Change the whole of Russia! So, I joined them and became a member of the Petersburg Northern Association!"
At this point, Marcel Jerug realized that Prince Golitsyn could be regarded as an old rebel.
Because the Northern Association mentioned by Prince Golitsyn was exactly the tandem organization established by the Decembrists in Petersburg.
The Decembrists were able to launch a series of uprisings against the Tsar in St. Petersburg only because of the help of the Northern Association.
However, Marcel Jerug is a little curious. Since Duke Golitsyn has joined this organization, why can he still wander around Russia and France leisurely?
You must know that Nicholas I set off a bloody storm in Russia for several years in order to thoroughly investigate the situation of the Decembrists.
Many princes (dukes) in Russia suffered great misfortune because of the Decembrists, and some of the princes were directly exiled to the Far East for several years before returning.
As a participant of the Decembrists, Prince Golitsyn had no reason to stay out of the matter.
Later, Duke Golitsyn continued to look at the doubts in Marcel Jerug's heart, "After several years of development, the Northern Association quickly attracted a large number of soldiers who were eager to change the Russian imperial system! Perhaps it is because soldiers are naturally adventurous.
Because of this, the association that originally wanted to gradually accumulate strength and then overthrow the Russian Empire in one fell swoop began to become more and more radical under the influence of soldiers.
They were no longer content to continue dormant, and many officers began to plan to launch an armed uprising of their own troops when Alexander I died, thereby liberating the entire Russian Empire.
At that time, I did not agree with their plan for an armed uprising, because it was less than four years since the North-South Association was established, and the power we had was too weak compared to the Tsar.
A sudden uprising is like a sheep entering a tiger's mouth, but at that time they were obsessed with armed uprising and could not listen to any other voices.
Gradually, I was ostracized by the entire association. They first refused to allow me to speak at meetings, and then deprived me of my right to attend meetings.
This caused me to become a marginalized figure in the entire association for the next three years.
At that time, I was also a person who was unwilling to compromise. Since they wouldn't let me join the association, I would form a new association myself.
So, a year later, I secretly established a new association. This association was more rigorous and more stable than the Northern Association. In order to avoid the sight of the Russian Empire's secret police, I named it
Loyalty Association.
Two years after the establishment of the Loyalty Association, the vigorous revolution began.
The result is just as I thought at the beginning, it is impossible for an organization that has only been established for less than 7 years to accumulate too much power!
Although the uprising they launched in Petersburg caught Nicholas I by surprise, the Tsar, who had just come to the throne, quickly mobilized nearby troops to kill them.
Many of my friends were captured during the uprising, and I was still spending the winter in Marseille.
After that, the Tsar tightened his control over associations in the Russian Empire. Many associations were banned and members of the associations were escorted to the Far East.
In those few years, the loyalty association I established also had to move underground, and the contacts between members gradually became less and less.
It was not until a few years later that Nicholas I realized that there was no longer a group that threatened him in the Russian Empire, and his own prestige was gradually established during the battles in the Ottoman Empire, that our society was able to continue to develop and grow..."
"Your Excellency, do you think you have been developing for more than ten years?" Marcel Jerug asked Duke Golitsyn.
"That's right!" Duke Golitsyn responded proudly to Marcel Jerug: "After more than ten years of development, the Loyalty Association has formed a huge network of relationships! Our people are everywhere from the palace to the local areas!"
"Since your Excellency the Duke has such a huge power, why don't you choose to overthrow the Tsar directly!" Marcel Jerug asked Duke Golitsyn.
After Duke Golitsyn was silent for a long time, he responded to Marcel Jerug with a wry smile: "The Loyalty Association has indeed formed a huge force after a long period of development, but the larger the organization, the more internal it is.
The more inevitable it is to face division.
Some members of the association have become content with the status quo due to time and have lost their original enthusiasm. They believe that maintaining the status quo is a wise choice for the Russian Empire!
Another group of members pinned their hopes on Crown Prince Alexander. They believed that Alexander, with his liberal ideas, could abolish the shackles of slavery on Russia and allow Russia to throw off all its burdens and move towards tomorrow!
Speaking of this, a contemptuous smile appeared on Duke Golitsyn's lips, "They don't understand at all that it is impossible for a tsar to give up his birthright! They have lost their enterprising spirit.
I just want to rely on the saints descended from heaven to save everything, but how can there be so many saints descended from heaven!"
Duke Golitsyn's voice gradually became hoarse: "Our nation has placed its hope in the leadership of the Holy King again and again. What did it get in exchange? In addition to Peter the Great, two generations of Catherine the Great, the Holy King,
Apart from victory and death, what else have they brought to our nation? Which of them can truly sympathize with our troubled nation! Russia, under the impression of power worship, longs for an almighty little daddy. They
They can use their extraordinary power to lead the Russian nation out of the sea of suffering, but are there really such little dads in the world? (Duke Golitsyn smiled bitterly) No!
Since Russia cannot pray for an almighty little daddy, Russia should use its own hands to overthrow authority, build a new Russia, and let the flower of freedom bloom in the Russian Empire!"
After listening to Duke Golitsyn's impassioned speech, Marcel Jerug couldn't help but stand in awe of Duke Golitsyn's idealistic spirit of "sacrifice himself for others".
If Prince Golitsyn really does what he says, then the entire Russian Empire will likely pay for his own idealism.
"Your Excellency, Duke Golitsyn, I see the hope of Russia in you! Rousseau once said: The flower of freedom needs to be constantly filled with the blood of tyrants!
It was only after France killed a king and expelled countless nobles that it truly completed its revolution." Marcel Jerug praised Duke Golitsyn, "I think the Russian Empire has only
Only by being like the original France can change be achieved in a real sense!"
Duke Golitsyn showed a sneer on his face and said, "Mr. Marcel, your purpose is probably not to support our ideals at all, but to provoke internal strife in Russia! Only the Russian Empire has fallen into internal strife. You
Only then can we reap the benefits of being a fisherman."
"Your Majesty the Duke, if you are unwilling to take action, even if I say something to break the sky, it will be meaningless!" Marcel Jerug said in a normal tone: "Besides, it is you who need our help now, not
We need your help!
At worst, we will appropriately relax the conditions for ending the war!
I believe that the Russian Imperial Government is still willing to sign an agreement with us after the death of Nicholas I, and you only have this one chance!"
"Yes!" Duke Golitsyn nodded and said: "Once Crown Prince Alexander succeeds to the throne, he will definitely negotiate peace with you.
After taking the throne, he only needs to make some small reforms and give some people hope, then the association I created will immediately become torn apart!
This is my last chance!"
"Your Excellency, what do you need us to do for you?" Marcel Jerug asked Duke Golitsyn.
"I need you to contain the Russian troops stationed in Finland, Bessarabia and the Crimean Peninsula for me, so that they cannot withdraw from the battlefield, and at the same time, they prepare to march towards the Petersburg area..." Goli
Duke Cen made a request to Marcel Jerug.
"Your Majesty the Duke, you should know! These requirements of yours require us to spend a lot of money to realize them!"