The Shadow of Great Britain

258: Chapter 172 Tsarist Russia Representative (4K) 258: Chapter 172 Tsarist Russia Representative (4K) After bidding farewell to Arthur, Mrs.

Livon lingered in the embassy hall, looking at the four tickets in her hand, seemingly troubled about how to distribute the seats for the concert.

At this moment, a crunching sound of hard military boots on the floor suddenly came from outside the reception room.

Mrs.

Livon looked up and her face immediately brightened with a smile, “Count Orlov.”

The visitor was a man with a mustache, wearing a blue-green officer’s uniform.

Speaking of the Orlov surname, it was a household name in Russia.

The five Orlov brothers were instrumental in the coup that led to the ascendance of Catherine II to the throne.

Almost without exception, the brothers became influential figures in Tsarist Russia’s political and military arenas, and the second and third brothers even became Catherine II’s lovers, climbing the ranks faster than the other siblings due to this intimate connection.

The father of the Count Orlov standing before her wasn’t the Empress’s lover, but he himself was brought up under the personal supervision of Catherine II, which meant that Count Orlov practically grew up playing with Catherine II’s two grandsons—the former Tsar Alexander I and his brother, the current Tsar Nicholas I.

Just based on this experience alone, no one in Russia would dare to underestimate the power of Count Orlov.

Especially after the ascension of Tsar Nicholas I, the Russian political elite’s flattery and fear of Count Orlov had been steadily increasing.

Everyone knew that compared to the indecisive and gentle character of his brother–the former Tsar Alexander I, the current Tsar was resolute, single-minded, with an iron will, a strong sense of responsibility and mission.

Even though these descriptors could be considered strengths, if they were all combined in one ruler, the country was likely to end up with a great dictator.

Nicholas I was such an energetic ruler with an almost pathological lust for power.

He took an extraordinary interest in all matters of the Russian Empire, especially the army, to the extent that he personally ordered changes to the number of buttons on military uniforms.

Regarding the Decembrist uprising against his rule, Nicholas I naturally took great interest in the arrests, investigations, interrogations, and punishments, insisting on being involved in every little detail.

This uprising also exacerbated his suspicious nature, leading him to distance himself from normal governmental institutions.

From the beginning of his reign, Nicholas I favored managing the state through various committees independent of the standard state apparatus, usually made up of a handful of his most trusted confidants.

But due to the small number of these confidants, the numerous different committees of the Russian state were essentially made up of different combinations of the same people.

The work of these committees, much like the Private Office, was usually secretive; however, aside from providing the Tsar with a negligible sense of security, they only served to make the already complex imperial administration even more chaotic.

The entire government machinery increasingly exhibited a direct command, absolute obedience, and meticulous military style, which became more apparent in official documents and outward appearances.

And Count Orlov, with his dual attributes as both a military man and the Tsar’s childhood friend, naturally belonged to the select few trusted by the Tsar, or to put it more straightforwardly, Count Orlov held important positions in many committees directly governed by the Tsar.

And naturally, the Russian delegation at the London conference was led by Count Orlov.

However, while others would likely be trembling in front of this favored personage in the presence of His Majesty the Tsar,

Mrs.

Livon could converse with him in a calm and collected manner, discussing all manner of topics.

The reason was simple since her father, Earl Livon, also greatly trusted by His Majesty, was the Director of the Third Office of the Private Chancellery.

In Russia, it was well-known that His Majesty the Tsar spent more time with Livon and Orlov than he did with the Empress.

Count Orlov, seeing Mrs.

Livon holding the tickets with a worried look, couldn’t help but ask, “Is there something troubling you, Dorothea?

If there’s anything you need help with, just let me know, and I’ll definitely find a way to solve it for you.”

Upon hearing this, Mrs.

Livon couldn’t help but tease him, “Aleksey, this isn’t St.

Petersburg; if you plan to arrest someone, you’ll have to ask permission from the officers at Scotland Yard first.

Oh, perhaps if you turn around now, you might still catch him.

To be honest, I just met with a young detective from Scotland Yard.”

Count Orlov turned his head to look back and said, “Are you referring to the young man who just left?

A quite tall and robust lad, indeed.

When I first saw him, I thought he was so tall, he must be from the Netherlands.

It wasn’t until he greeted me with his thick London-accented English that I realized he was indeed a true Brit.”

“Shh!” Mrs.

Livon placed a finger on her lips and chided, “Be careful what you say, Aleksey, and don’t let the Duke of Wellington hear you.

He would never let you live it down.

He hates discussions about height the most.”

Hearing this, Count Orlov couldn’t help but laugh heartily, “Now that you mention it, I recall the Duke of Wellington is even shorter than Napoleon, right?

Napoleon claimed to be 5 feet 6 inches tall, but everyone calls him short.

Yet most people don’t know the Duke is only 5 feet 5 inches.”