Struggle in Russia

Li Xiao's article soon appeared in the newspapers, and Grand Duke Constantine also read the "defamation" and "abuse". Angrily, he crumpled up the magazine and threw it into the fireplace, then shouted at Nikolai Milyutin and asked:

"What does this bastard mean? Are you treacherous and ready to cross the river and tear down the bridge!"

Grand Duke Constantine's anger erupted extremely suddenly, which was a bit unreasonable. Because Li Xiao's article is more about facts, it just pointed out the fact that Russia's technical strength is weak, and then extended from this fact to talk about some practical issues. No names were named, and there was no wanton slander and abuse. Even the article still fully promotes steamships, pointing out that steamships are the future.

Judging from these, Grand Duke Constantine's anger is somewhat inexplicable and unreasonable. Even Nikolai Milutin, who had always supported him, felt that the grand duke had overreacted.

"Your Excellency, I personally feel that although some of the opinions in this article are a bit reckless and abrupt, they still make sense after deep thought..."

Nikolai Milutin wanted to persuade Grand Duke Constantine, but the latter obviously wouldn't listen. Recently, he has indeed swelled up very badly. The joy of "defeating" Menshikov and the extra attention given by Nicholas I all made him feel flustered. Coupled with the flattery of the sycophants around him, he really thought it was true. The ticket is in hand.

Under this state of mind, his attitude towards problems naturally undergoes a huge change. The qualities of the so-called virtuous kings that were deliberately pretended to be disintegrated little by little. The greed and violence that had been lurking in his heart for a long time began to emerge.

Grand Duke Constantine didn't like to listen to those harsh opinions more and more, he became more and more arbitrary, and he became more and more like his father who was authoritarian and poisonous.

These things made the disciples and grandchildren of the Decembrists who supported him before feel dismay and bewildered. They don't understand how a good and virtuous king can change, and some sensitive Decembrists even lamented in despair:

"Nothing has changed! The Romanovs are all the same!"

"Russia wants to be reborn! Only by eradicating the poisonous Romanov tree first!"

Such voices made Nikolai Milyutin very worried. He did not agree with these views. He always believed that the monarchy was reasonable and that Russia needed a king. But at the same time, the king must also have an open mind. Enlightened autocracy is the best system!

Nikolai Milutin believed that Grand Duke Constantine had lost himself for a while, and as long as he worked hard to persuade him, the Grand Duke would soon get back on track. So these days he has been trying to persuade, trying to make the virtuous king in his mind return to his original heart.

It's just that Nicholas Milyutin didn't know much about the children of Nicholas I. They were all like their father, full of domineering and barbaric blood, and their obsession with power reached its peak.

Especially this Grand Duke Constantine, who is most like Nicholas I, all his previous enlightenment was just a disguise, just an advertisement, but a means of accumulating strength to seize imperial power.

Now this Grand Duke Constantine is the truest him, his true nature. And this nature cannot be changed at all.

Sure enough, he interrupted Nikolai Milutin roughly, and said decisively: "It makes sense? Nicholas, did you make a mistake? You can't see the embarrassment at all. It's been planned for a long time. This is a deliberate provocation and a declaration of war against me!"

Nikolai Milutin was about to say something, but Grand Duke Konstantin once again declared forcefully: "I told you a long time ago that bastards like Andrei Konstantinovich must not be trusted. He has always been a despicable villain, with no shame, no credibility... an enemy of the country at all!"

Grand Duke Constantine yelled at the dumbfounded Nikolai Milutin, "We shouldn't have cooperated with him before. This despicable person is just using us and taking advantage of us.

You can't be soft on a guy like him! "

Nikolai Milyutin didn't know what to say at all. Because Grand Duke Constantine didn't say that before, he was the one who strongly advocated cooperation with Li Xiao, and he didn't speak like that at that time.

At that time, he said that cooperation with Li Xiao was necessary and absolutely beneficial. Even though Nikolai Milutin raised all kinds of doubts, the grand duke still insisted on cooperating.

How did everything change in the blink of an eye? How did it become as if we persuaded you to work with someone? Why did you throw the pot away so easily? And from your tone, it seems that this cooperation has suffered a big loss?

Nikolai Milyutin was full of question marks. Because they really benefited a lot from this cooperation, it was a great victory just to suspend Menshikov, which directly doubled the influence and power of Grand Duke Constantine in the navy.

Not to mention taking advantage of this to revitalize the non-performing assets in the hands in one fell swoop, so that the factory that has been losing money for a long time can turn around in one fell swoop, and the future development is still bright.

No matter how he calculated, Nikolai Milutin could not calculate the loss. He feels that this cooperation can be said to be small and big, and it only paid a small price and reaped huge benefits. If even such cooperation is a failure, how can it be considered a success?

Immediately, Nicholas Milutin's mood became very complicated. He looked at the Grand Duke Constantine who continued to attack Li Xiao loudly, and it was the first time he realized that the Grand Duke was so strange.

However, Grand Duke Constantine, who was completely focused on himself, did not realize the change in Nikolai Milutin's mood. He was still criticizing Li Xiao for attacking Li Xiao endlessly:

"The last time Leonid Gorchakov was appointed as the head of the 748 regiment, I can see that they are uneasy and well-intentioned... Otherwise, why would Rumyantsev help them... "

"And that damned little Rumyantsev, what kind of onion is he? How dare he! How dare he!"

In the end, Grand Duke Constantine was almost yelling. He yelled at all the people and things that made him displeased. Anyone who didn't agree with him was a bastard, a scum, and should be knocked down. Set foot on ten thousand feet.

That terrible tyrannical emotion made Nikolai Milyutin think of Nicholas I again. At this moment, the father and son are so similar, almost identical.

"I made a decision!"

No matter how much Nikolai Milyutin persuaded, Grand Duke Konstantin still made a decision arbitrarily: "Andrei Konstantinovich and Leonid Aleksandanovich must be given some color immediately , We must let them understand who is in charge of the navy!"