CHAPTER 611: CHAPTER 602 THE FUTURE IS YOURS

"I’m tired!"

After Nicholas I finished speaking, his whole being seemed drained, and he sat back on the throne.

The four people below the steps, seeing the weary demeanor of Nicholas I on the throne, called out anxiously, "Your Majesty!"

"I’m fine! Just a bit fatigued!" Nicholas I showed a forced smile and waved his hand to the four below the steps, saying, "Dolgorukov, Nesselrode, Orlov!"

"Present!" The three, whose names were called by Nicholas I, responded almost simultaneously.

"The three of you may leave!" Nicholas I took another glance at Alexander and said, "Alexander, stay!"

Although the three present were somewhat worried about Nicholas I’s condition, they had to obey Nicholas I’s order and leave.

The empty room was left with only Alexander II and Nicholas I, one looking up from below the steps, the other looking down from above.

The father and son represented the past and the future, respectively; they exchanged no words, only silently gazing at each other.

Until a ray of sunlight passed through the Summer Palace’s glass window, shining separately on Alexander II and Nicholas I, Nicholas I spoke to Alexander II: "Alexander, come up!"

Upon hearing his father’s call, Alexander II stepped up the steps one by one, the shadow cast by the sunlight stretching gradually with his movement, covering Nicholas I on the throne.

When Alexander II stepped onto the final step and stood before Nicholas I, Nicholas I stood up and moved to the side of the throne.

"Father, what are you..." Alexander II inquired, puzzled.

"Alexander, sit!" Nicholas I pointed to the throne symbolizing the Tsar’s authority and said to Alexander II.

"No!" Alexander II shook his head in refusal; he didn’t want to sit there while his father had not yet returned to God’s embrace. "This seat belongs only to the Tsar!"

"This seat belongs not only to the current Tsar but also to the future Tsar!" Nicholas I replied, slightly breathless, to Alexander II: "I am the Tsar of the past, you are the Tsar of the future, so you are qualified to sit here!"

"The future doesn’t represent the present!" Alexander II argued.

"I am telling you to sit, so you will sit!" Nicholas I commanded Alexander II sternly: "In the name of the Tsar, I order you to sit!"

Faced with this situation, Alexander II had no choice but to obey Nicholas I’s command and sat down. A peculiar sensation entered his mind, a feeling he could never perceive while he was the Crown Prince.

"Now look down!" Nicholas I’s voice reached Alexander II’s ears.

At the moment Alexander II complied with Nicholas I’s order to look down, an illusion filled his mind, as if the world lay within his grasp. This chair was no longer a mere chair, but rather the entire world.

"Did you feel it?" Nicholas I asked Alexander II.

Alexander II subconsciously nodded.

"Tell me, what did you feel?" Nicholas I continued questioning Alexander II.

"The world!" Alexander II immediately answered, "I feel that I can control the entire world!"

"Very good!" Nicholas I smiled and then said to Alexander II, "Now you stand up!"

Although Alexander II felt a bit reluctant internally, he still stood up.

However, this feeling of controlling everything had not yet vanished.

"Now you slowly walk down!" Nicholas I spoke again.

Alexander II obeyed Nicholas I’s order and walked down, then turned to face Nicholas I.

As he once more looked at Nicholas I standing beside the throne, this feeling disappeared without a trace, and he returned to his status as Crown Prince.

"And now?" Nicholas I inquired once more.

Alexander II shook his head and said to Nicholas I: "No more!"

"I hope you can always remember these two feelings!" Nicholas I instructed seriously: "After I die, you will become the new Tsar of the Russian Empire. By then, you will have the feeling you just had sitting here (Nicholas I patted the chair), it will be like a poison slowly corroding your whole being, your wisdom, your rationality will gradually disappear amidst overwhelming flattery.

You will gradually create a gap with this, becoming arrogant and conceited..."

"Father!" Alexander II wanted to say something, but was interrupted by Nicholas I’s deep voice: "Listen to me!"

Alexander II had no choice but to quiet down and listen quietly to Nicholas I’s self-deprecation.

"Alexander, I hope that after you become Tsar, you won’t be like me!" Nicholas I showed a self-mocking smile.

Carefully recalling his own life, having worked hard for most of his life, only to find that everything he did was "useless work". (Here Nicholas I’s thoughts had already gone to another extreme, beginning to completely deny everything he had done before.)

"Father, you are an excellent Tsar!" Alexander II hurriedly comforted Nicholas I.

"A good Tsar?" Nicholas I shook his head, self-deprecatingly saying: "I’ve accomplished very few things in my life, so how can I be called a good Tsar! Alexander, you must remember a few things..."

Nicholas I, as if delivering a last will, told Alexander II that after Alexander II’s succession, he must use the emancipation of serfs as a means to remedy the mistakes he (Nicholas I) had made; the Russian Empire should also learn from England and France, just as Peter the Great did in learning their advanced technology. Only then could the Russian Empire avoid facing failure again; he should be good at discovering Russian local talents, and not rely too much on German talents, because this era was different from any prior era...

After Nicholas I finished speaking, he sat back down on the throne, saying nothing more.

"Father, these reforms still require someone like you to manage!" Alexander II said to Nicholas I.

"I cannot!" Nicholas I shook his head and said to Alexander II: "I am a person living in the old era; our era was not like this! If I were to implement reforms, it would only worsen the original situation!"

Saying this, Nicholas I pointed at Alexander II: "But you are different, you live in this era... you probably already have a set of solutions in your heart!"

Alexander II remained silent, indeed having a set of slightly different plans from his father. He wanted to negotiate peace with Jerome Bonaparte, and then use the money from the French Empire to develop the Russian Empire to become like Britain and France...

"After I die, whether you negotiate peace with England and France or continue to fight with them, it’s all fine! But before you become Tsar, I hope you will fight with me to the end! Consider it fulfilling a dying old man’s fantasy, can you agree to this!" Nicholas I said to Alexander with a nearly pleading tone.

"Father, I promise you!" Seeing Nicholas I lowering himself to "appease" him, Alexander II had no choice but to agree to Nicholas I.

From now until Nicholas I’s death, Alexander II would become a staunch member of the War Faction.

...

On the seventh day after Franz Joseph and Prince Albert left Paris, Jerome Bonaparte suddenly remembered that he seemed to have been "stood up" by that guy Nie’er.

He recalled that before the military parade began, he ordered Nie’er to assist Kuzan Montbanto in organizing the list of award recipients, but weeks had passed, and Nie’er still hadn’t delivered the specific list to him.

"What are Nie’er and Montauban up to?" Jerome Bonaparte put down the document in his hand and mumbled discontentedly, then called over Mokar, ordering him to immediately go to the General Staff and Ministry of War.

Mokar received the order and quickly left.

After a while, France’s Deputy Chief of Staff Nie’er and Minister of War Kuzan Montbanto appeared in his office.

"Minister Montbanto, how is the list coming along on the Ministry of War’s side?" Jerome Bonaparte inquired about the list from Minister of War Kuzan Montbanto.

"Your Majesty, here is the draft list of promotions and medal recipients! Please have a look!" Hearing Jerome Bonaparte inquire about the list, Kuzan Montbanto internally sighed in relief. He hurriedly handed the list to Jerome Bonaparte.

"Why is it only handed to me now!" Jerome Bonaparte, while opening the first page of the list, asked Kuzan Montbanto.

Kuzan Montbanto had to apologize to Jerome Bonaparte, who waved his hand to Kuzan Montbanto, saying: "Never mind, it’s not easy for you either!"

On the first page, the first name was Marshal Saint Arno, whose "merit" was leading French soldiers to seize the Sevastopol Fortress at minimal cost, so the Ministry of War "suggested" awarding the Grand Cross Knight’s Medal, representing France’s highest honor, and simultaneously bestowing the title of Count of Sevastopol on Saint Arno.

Second in merit was the de facto Commander-in-Chief of the French Expeditionary Army, Pellissier, who, as the commander of Sevastopol, seized Sevastopol with bold military action, for which the Ministry of War "suggested" awarding the Marshal’s Staff.

Third and fourth were Conrobel and Bo Ke Si, respectively awarded the Golden Honor Legion Medals at the Commander Level.