CHAPTER 575: CHAPTER 566: NICHOLAS I: DEATH DOES NOT BELONG TO THE TSAR!

"Advisor Jomini wants to see me?" Nicholas I thought for a moment and said to Alexander II, "Then let him come over."

"Yes!" Alexander II responded to Nicholas I, then turned and headed to the General Staff.

Just as Alexander II stepped out the doors of the Amber Hall, Nicholas I’s voice reached his ears.

"Wait a moment!"

Alexander II stopped and turned, looking questioningly at the approaching Nicholas I, "Father, do you have any instructions?"

"Let’s go! Don’t keep your teacher waiting too long!" Nicholas I said to Alexander II.

"Father, there’s no need for you to go personally!" Alexander II said to Nicholas I.

"Why? Can’t I go?" Nicholas I showed a hint of displeasure, his tone more agitated than before.

Alexander II saw through Nicholas I’s sensitive and suspicious heart and quickly responded, "Of course, you can! The entire Russian Empire is your domain; you can go wherever you please!"

"Then why did you stop me just now?" The suspicion caused by military defeat made Nicholas I develop a paranoia that "there’s always a traitor out to get me."

When he ascended to the throne, he was only 29, and his son is already thirty-five. Could he be...

Facing Nicholas I’s suspicious gaze, Alexander II calmly said, "Father, you once told me that as a monarch, it’s enough to have your subordinates report to you; you don’t need to go in person! It undermines authority!"

"Did I say that?" After pondering for a moment, Nicholas I asked Alexander II softly.

"Father, I can be sure; you did say it!" Alexander II replied to Nicholas I.

"Alright then!" Nicholas I showed a trace of helplessness, then smiled cunningly, "I must also tell you this: rules set by the monarch only take effect when he sees them as useful. In other words, the monarch is not bound by rules!"

"Father, I understand!" Alexander II pretended to comply, replying to Nicholas I.

Thus, Nicholas I and Alexander II walked out of the Amber Hall together.

Walking along the corridor, Nicholas I glanced at the evening glow outside the window, then at Alexander II walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him, and couldn’t help but sigh, "Alexander... it’s been a long time since we’ve walked side by side like this!"

"Yes, Father!" Alexander II also reminisced, "I remember the last time was when I was twenty!"

"Unconsciously! More than ten years have passed! You’ve grown a lot!" Nicholas I spoke with a slight sadness in his voice, "And I’ve aged, it’s almost time for me to retire!"

"Father, you are still young! The Russian Empire still needs your leadership!" Alexander II hastily responded to Nicholas I, not daring to agree with his statement.

If handled poorly, St. Petersburg might again erupt in chaos.

For the current Russian Empire, nothing is more important than stability.

After all, Alexander II didn’t want to inherit a mess.

"No need to flatter me! I know my own body!" Nicholas I smiled gently, looking at Alexander II with a loving gaze, "It won’t be long before I return to the bosom of the Lord, and you will inevitably inherit my position and be crowned as Emperor!"

Alexander II said nothing; he knew that no matter what he said at this moment, silence was his best weapon.

Looking at his son, who remained silent, Nicholas I shook his head and sighed, "You! You! All of you are like this, silent when confronted with matters."

"Father, I just don’t know what to say!" Alexander II explained.

"Say what? Can’t you tell me, feel free to retire; the Russian Empire is in my hands!" Nicholas I chided his son, disappointed, "Words like that would make my heart feel more at ease."

His son had a completely different character from him. While Nicholas I was a pure soldier, his son was a quintessential politician, completely insulated from the military, and strong words rarely came from his mouth.

"Father, I can’t say those words!" Alexander II shook his head, saying to Nicholas I, "There is no reason for a son to force his father!"

Nicholas I shook his head; he knew Alexander II’s words weren’t sincere. In front of power, father and son mean nothing; it’s just a matter of time.

"Once we defeat the Anglo-French Alliance Army, I will immediately abdicate! You will take my place and become the Tsar of the Russian Empire!" Nicholas I said casually.

To be honest, with the war reaching this stage, Nicholas I really wanted to completely let go, but he worried that his son would not be able to control the Russian Empire. (Nicholas I overthought, as after Alexander II ascended, his capabilities far surpassed those of Nicholas I.)

"Father, it is still too early to discuss these matters! Besides, I still have much to learn." Alexander II responded to Nicholas I.

As they walked and talked, they soon left the palace.

Seated in the carriage, Alexander II and Nicholas I, under the escort of attendants, set off northward and soon arrived at the General Staff located in the suburbs of St. Petersburg.

After alighting from the carriage, the two went straight into the General Staff and found Jomini in a room there.

At that moment, Jomini was holding a baton symbolizing the authority of a Russian Imperial General, gesturing continuously over a map, while beside him were the staff officers of the General Staff, who were also Jomini’s adjutants.

"Your Majesty!" Jomini and the adjutants showed a hint of surprise on their faces when they saw Nicholas I appear before them.

In their view, it was indeed surprising for the Tsar to personally come over.

"How is the next battle plan progressing?" Nicholas I asked Jomini.

"In response to Your Majesty’s question! The General Staff (similar to the pre-restructured French General Staff, it is merely a military advisory body to the Emperor, and its authority is related to the Monarch’s level of trust!) has not yet formulated a comprehensive plan!" Jomini reported to Nicholas I with a serious expression.

"Why hasn’t it been formulated yet? So much time has passed, what have the General Staff and the Ministry of War been doing?" Nicholas I murmured a complaint to Jomini.

"Your Majesty, the General Staff is currently analyzing the situation regarding the fall of Sevastopol!" Jomini replied unhurriedly to Nicholas I.

"What have you analyzed?" Nicholas I asked.

"Your Majesty, the combat awareness of soldiers from the Russian Empire and those from the two countries, England and France, is actually not much different!" Jomini first affirmed the combat awareness of the Russian Army, then shifted his tone to point out the shortcomings of the Russian Imperial Army: "However, in terms of weaponry and equipment, we lag far behind the British and French armies, and even our proud Cossack Corps cannot make a significant impact in the face of the new tactics devised around the new rifles!"

Since the invention of the rifle, cavalry teams have gradually lost their effectiveness.

The battle of Alma was the most typical example, where the Russian Empire’s Cossack Cavalry failed to play a decisive role and even caused the demoralization of the entire unit.

However, while the cavalry teams may have lost their main battle capability, they still excel in pursuing the enemy.

"What should we do then?" Nicholas I asked Jomini.

"The best solution is to upgrade the equipment!" Jomini said to Nicholas I.

"Advisor Jomini, you should be aware of the Russian Empire’s economic situation!" Nicholas I stated forlornly, "We don’t have the financial resources to support an overhaul of military equipment, let alone the fact that we are in a state of war! Even if we had the money, we’d still need a heap of skilled workers..."

Nicholas I was right; if the Russian Empire was merely short of funds, it would be relatively easier to manage, as Nicholas I could leverage his credibility as Tsar to unlock the potential of the Russian Empire.

Back then, Holy King Alexander I was able to quickly raise funds by relying on internal trust in the Tsar within the Russian Empire and external support from the United Kingdom.

The present needs of the Russian Empire go beyond money to include essential technology and manpower.

Both technology and workers are significant issues for the Russian Empire at the moment.

Short-term upgrades are essentially impossible to achieve.

"The second option is to engage in a war of attrition with the British and French armies!" Jomini proposed a second plan, "We can establish a fortress defense system around the provincial capital Simferopol, near the Kach River, using it as a center, and wait for the Anglo-French Army to make their move! At the same time, Perekop must be garrisoned with enough troops to prevent them from cutting off the Crimean Peninsula from Russia!"

"But if we do that, won’t Sevastopol never have a chance?" Nicholas I questioned Jomini.

"No, Your Majesty!" Jomini shook his head and said, "The two countries, England and France, will not stay here indefinitely; they must seek a quick victory, otherwise, the longer the war drags on, the more likely it is that the British and French armies will grow weary of fighting.

After all, no one wants to go out of their way to fight far from home.

So we just need to hold our ground, re-equip at the same time, and wait for the British and French armies to encounter changes or setbacks!"

"How long will this take?"

"I don’t know! It depends on when they become weary of war!"

Jomini’s strategy of holding firm and waiting for the opportunity does safeguard the army’s combat power to a maximum extent, but Nicholas I was not fond of this plan.