Monarchy inherently carries a sense of isolation.
This is especially true for the autocratic emperor of all Russia.
If the palace intrigues weren't enough, returning to the inner court meant facing the deceptive machinations of women, significantly increasing the mental strain on most monarchs.
Fortunately, Nicholas's family was one of the few examples of warmth and harmony among the tsars in Russian history.
"What are you thinking about, Nicky?"
Nicholas's thoughts were interrupted by the delicate touch of Empress Alexandra's fingertip on his nose.
It was nearing midnight, and the two of them were already lying in the imperial couple's suite in the Winter Palace.
"Just the usual state affairs."
Like her mother-in-law, Empress Alexandra showed a passive disinterest in state affairs, which was both a blessing and a curse for Nicholas.
The blessing was the avoidance of unnecessary marital conflict, but the curse was the lack of support from the court.
"It's all settled now, isn't it?"
Although Alexandra didn't involve herself in politics, she had heard about the diplomatic storm Nicholas had stirred up in the Far East.
"It's not that... just let me worry about these things. You just relax."
Nicholas instinctively stroked his beard, then took Alexandra's hand, their fingers resting on her slightly swollen belly.
When Nicholas ascended to the throne in 1894, his cousin George had promised to grow a beard with him, making the young, somewhat inexperienced man appear more mature.
By 1895, Nicholas's beard had grown quite thick.
"It doesn't matter, Nicky. Whether you tell me or not, I'm fine."
Alexandra's pregnancy was discovered when she nearly fainted during a routine prayer in the small chapel attached to the Winter Palace. Having an heir to the throne was also good news for the Russian Empire.
"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"
"I hope it's a boy."
Alexandra's voice was filled with the joy and sweetness of becoming a mother for the first time. She playfully tugged at Nicholas's beard and then caressed her lover's face.
"If it's a boy, we'll name him Peter; if it's a girl, we'll name her Maria."
Nicholas unimaginatively chose two very common names.
"Whatever you say."
Their pillow talk continued until Alexandra drifted off to sleep, and Nicholas carefully pulled the covers over her.
"..."
The thought of becoming a father deepened Nicholas's connection to the world. The future was not just his but also belonged to those he cherished.
Meanwhile, as the tsar and his wife chatted and fell asleep, the Chairman of the Ministerial Council, Sergei Witte, was just finishing his day's work.
He had taken over many of the tasks Nicholas left behind, including some troublesome issues.
One of these was a controversial decision made by Nicholas as Tsarevich in 1892 to address the famine-induced refugee crisis through a work-for-relief program.
"Your Majesty, I understood your intentions to help the disaster victims at the time, but the implementers failed to provide a reasonable plan promptly, and the subsequent poor execution led to the failure of the work-for-relief program."
A few days later, after compiling a preliminary report on the aftermath of the 1892 work-for-relief project, Witte personally came to Nicholas's office to discuss it with the emperor face-to-face.
Witte delicately conveyed the failure of "Tsarevich Nicholas's" decision.
Nicholas recognized the pattern—it was another case of a well-intentioned plan gone awry in execution.
"Well, give me a moment to read through the report."
Feeling awkward, Nicholas could only nod and stroke his beard as he reviewed the report Witte had presented.
Looking back in 1895, the public works program was considered a failure for several reasons.
The first major flaw was the rushed implementation of the work-for-relief program.
Given the efficiency of the Russian bureaucracy, the decision to undertake the program was made at the end of 1891. By the end of the first quarter of 1892, many project plans were still not finalized. As a result, the program saw little progress before the summer and autumn of 1892, missing the critical period when the disaster victims needed the most aid.
The second flaw was the inadequate management of the disaster victims by the project managers.
Similar issues were mentioned in previous reports about the Valentin construction site, where workers had to walk several kilometers from the rest camp to the work site, lacked sufficient food, and faced poor sanitary conditions leading to disease outbreaks.
The third flaw was the inability of the project's chief, General Annenkov, to effectively manage the work.
He failed to control the project managers effectively, resulting in significant waste of funds and labor. There was also a lack of effective communication and cooperation with local governments and autonomous bodies, causing continuous delays.
Annenkov focused only on his forestry plan, which was expected to bring 3 million rubles in profits to the state. However, his poor management led to timber sales failing to cover labor costs, causing the Ministry of Finance to incur nearly 4 million rubles in expenses.
As a result, the Ministry of Finance initiated an investigation into Annenkov at the beginning of 1895.
"According to the investigation committee's report, General Annenkov did not engage in any corrupt practices. His main fault was poor management."
"So, he was incompetent?"
"..."
Nicholas's blunt assessment left Witte momentarily speechless, but it was indeed true.
"I believe this issue stems from the complex relationships between the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other departments and agencies."
This matter had little to do with Witte, so he quickly shifted the blame to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Durnovo.
"Since it failed, you will continue to handle the aftermath... but this reminds me of another topic we discussed earlier."
Witte, who had been nodding in agreement, was suddenly taken aback, recalling something Nicholas had not mentioned in a long time.
"Are you still considering dismantling the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Internal Affairs?"
Witte asked Nicholas in surprise.
"Why not? As you said, the bloated Ministry of Internal Affairs has far exceeded the scope of what the minister can manage. The best solution is to let professionals handle professional matters."
If it were just a reform of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I wouldn't object.
Witte thought to himself.
"I hope you give this matter serious consideration."
With this plan in mind, Nicholas was ready to take the next step in his reforms.