Catherine and the Black Emperor

006. Old man

Early that morning, Sergei got up, put on his courtier uniform, and went to the Winter Palace.

Courtiers and foreign envoys were waiting here. The welcoming ceremony was unprecedented in scale, for the person to be welcomed today was the Mother of Russia, Empress Elizabeth, returning from Moscow.

"They're here!"

When the incredibly luxurious royal carriage appeared at the entrance of the Winter Palace, the sound of cannon salutes resounded throughout St. Petersburg.

The welcoming procession was spectacular, with the honor guard raising guns and beating drums in salute, and including envoys from various countries, numbering over a thousand people.

The dignified and majestic Queen Elizabeth stepped down from her carriage. Razumovsky, the Queen's lover, stepped forward and kissed her hand. The Queen's gaze then turned to Peter at the front of the crowd.

But Peter remained silent for a long time.

"Your Highness, it's your turn," Sergei whispered a reminder.

Peter reluctantly stepped forward, called her "Aunt," and kissed her hand in return.

The Empress, maintaining a smile, reprimanded, "I truly don't know how to describe what you've done in the palace. At tomorrow's celebration, I expect you to represent my late sister and make a good impression on the guests... And, at this time, address me as 'Your Majesty'!"

Then, the Empress, surrounded by her courtiers, entered the magnificent palace.

Peter deliberately lagged behind, while Sergei, as a courtier, was required to stay close to the Empress. He pulled Naryshkin along, and Peter, who had been reprimanded, showed no resentment whatsoever; contrary to his usual behavior, he was extremely happy.

"My aunt wasn't angry after all! I can't wait to walk my hunting dog!"

Naryshkin offered compliments from the side.

After exchanging pleasantries with the French ambassador, Elizabeth entered her bedchamber. Even in the outer room, only a handful of people accompanied her, including Prime Minister Bestov and her male favorite, Razumovsky.

Sergei, as Elizabeth's personal guard, followed along with several other guards.

Elizabeth sat down in the chair, and Razumovsky massaged her shoulders. She closed her eyes, and only then did a hint of fatigue show beneath her imposing presence.

"Besdutev, who received the German princess?"

"It is your courtier, Prince Saltykov, Your Majesty," Besdov replied.

Elizabeth opened her eyes, not looking at Sergei, but staring at Besdudev: "I admire your clever move. This German princess was probably out before the competition even started, wasn't she?"

Besdov seemed to have anticipated this scene, and smiled, saying, "Your Majesty, this is precisely a test for the German princess."

Elizabeth looked at the first meritorious official who had helped her ascend the throne, but in the end, she didn't say anything. She turned to look at Sergei. They were discussing his womanizing ways so openly, yet he could still stand there calmly, which made her look at him with new respect.

"Saltikov".

"Your Majesty." Sergei stepped forward.

"Has the princess arrived safely?"

"I await your summons at any time."

Elizabeth nodded in satisfaction, waved her hand, and everyone except Razumovsky left the room.

Only after leaving Elizabeth's palace did Sergei finally feel relieved.

As expected, he performed the mission exceptionally well in Elizabeth's eyes, which not only allowed him to retain his position as a courtier but also earned him Elizabeth's special regard.

With Elizabeth's shrewdness, when she learned that Besdudev had arranged for her to pick up Sofia, she had already guessed Besdudev's plan.

By pointing it out directly to his face, it seemed like he was being embarrassed, but in reality, it was a way of putting Bestudev in the spotlight—there would be no more rumors about him and Sofia in the palace.

However, his troubles are far from over...

"Prince Saltykov!" came Besdutev's voice from behind.

Sergei took a deep breath, turned around and smiled, "Prime Minister."

"I think we can talk. How about you ride in my carriage?" Besdov invited.

Sergei nodded, got into the other man's carriage, and his own carriage followed behind, as they left the Winter Palace together.

Sergei looked out the window, glancing at the man sitting opposite him out of the corner of his eye.

He had thin lips, a protruding nose, a sharp chin, and a broad forehead that was slightly tilted, but none of these things affected his status. The name "Besdutev Liumin" alone was enough to make the entire Russian court tremble.

Moreover, his name is followed by a series of intimidating titles such as Privy Council Prime Minister and Earl.

"I've been busy helping His Majesty with state affairs these past few days, and I'm so tired I feel dizzy," Besdutev said, tilting his head and gently massaging it with his right hand.

Sergei had already guessed Besdudev's purpose in seeking him out, but since the other man wouldn't say, he kept him in suspense: "The hot chocolate is good."

I'll give it a try later.

Once the massive Winter Palace was no longer in sight, Besdov got down to business.

"Was the journey to pick up Princess Frederica smooth? I heard from Brummer that they traveled light and used aliases. Did they encounter any difficulties?"

Sergei thought that Brummer's actions, which he believed were not Elizabeth's request, but rather the instructions of the Prime Minister in front of him, were not necessarily at Brummer's request.

"It was quite dangerous. The carriage overturned halfway there, and Princess Frederica nearly froze to death outside. The horses ran away, and the coachman ran away too, but he was later caught by the guards in the village," Sergei said, pretending to recall.

"Oh? The coachman dared to abandon the princess and run away; he's got some nerve. What happened afterward?"

Seeing Besdudev's calm demeanor, Sergei had to admire the man's composure. However, he didn't fabricate any lies and stated directly, "I had the guards kill him."

"Killed them? But they shouldn't have been killed so easily. There must be some conspiracy involved!" Besdutev frowned.

"My lord, you know me. Nothing interests me except women. Of course, Princess Frederica was invited by the Queen, and I dare not have any improper thoughts. I just want to finish this mission as soon as possible." Sergei revealed his "true nature".

Besdudev smiled and made a joke about Sergei, which made the rest of the conversation much more relaxed.

At the next intersection, Sergei got off the carriage and watched Besdudev's carriage leave.

"Old man, not easy to fool," he muttered to himself.

Given the other party's cunning, Sergei knew that his words wouldn't hold up for long. The reason he was able to save Sofia was that Besdutev hadn't expected him to have an affair with his illegitimate daughter, and even less that his illegitimate daughter was a fool.

But Besdov will eventually find out about his relationship with Agafia, and he will naturally understand how he saved Sofia.

"Let's take it one step at a time. Hopefully, the old man won't choose a suicidal, mutually destructive approach!"

This was precisely why Sergei had the captain of the guard kill the man to silence him; it was a way of doing Besdudev a favor, since even if he brought the coachman to Elizabeth, it wouldn't shake Besdudev's position.

"Getting on the Prime Minister's big ship is much more useful than an ant trying to shake a tree."