The time when barley briefly piles up in warehouses before leaving, and wheat takes its place.
The Duma voting began, not by revolution from below but by orders from above.
Meanwhile, Nikolai diligently received successor education, but even with accelerated learning, he couldn't be seen as a mature monarch overnight when successor education typically takes 8 to 15 years.
Rather, many believed this was why parliament was established. They thought the Tsar recognized his own inadequacies and created parliament as a substitute.
Parliament, the State Duma, formed by local city Dumas gathering to create its head.
Parliament can propose new bills, essentially policies.
If the Tsar approves them.
Though the Prime Minister system hasn't been implemented yet, parliament can demand minister replacements.
If the Tsar permits it.
Parliament can demand administrative audits from judicial institutions.
If the Tsar agrees.
Parliament can even amend fundamental laws with two-thirds majority approval.
If the Tsar doesn't oppose.
Of course, they must pass the Senate before reaching the Tsar.
Regardless of their party's foundational ideology, all pledge loyalty to the Tsar. They all appeal to the people that they can best assist the young Tsar.
'We too must ultimately imitate England. Constitutional monarchy is the only way to both unify the nation and ensure everyone lives well-fed and prosperous!'
'We never intended to be satisfied with just an advisory role. We must secure power before the Tsar awakens to it!'
However, perhaps because Alexander II's death wasn't long ago, there were surprisingly few so-called revolutionaries calling for abolition of the class system or socialism.
It was also too early in the current Tsar's reign for the empire to accept such groups into the light.
"Let's see, the Democratic Party has the largest influence?"
Originally in history it was the 'Constitutional' Democratic Party, but they seem quite cautious still, naming themselves Democratic Party without 'Constitutional'.
Established by Pavel Milyukov, with quite a few intellectuals involved.
Looking through the main figures listed in Okhrana's report, Nikolai discovered several familiar names.
"Duke Georgy Lvov. His family was completely ruined and became debtors during his father's time due to the abolition of serfdom."
In a way, a man who overnight became the eldest son of one of the empire's poorest families from its highest position.
That past apparently hasn't left him, as he's said to wield influence almost matching co-founder Milyukov.
"Vasily Alekseyevich Maklakov. Still an unremarkable lawyer, but this future leader of liberals also belongs to the Democratic Party."
While the Democratic Party generally carried a socialist scent with claims like wealth redistribution, it mostly consisted of supporters of constitutional liberalism and constitutional monarchy.
They actually fought with the White Army supporting the imperial family during the Civil War, so they can't simply be called revolutionaries.
"Idealists. They're closer to dreaming idealists."
Still, with quite liberal party leanings, even large businessmen like Konovalov joined.
Ivan Konovalov, chairman leading manufacturing companies and connected to various businessmen, joined the Democratic Party as a strong supporter.
The Progressive Party has a similar character. Reading through their names, Nikolai summarized them in one word.
"Bourgeois party. Capitalists who believe their very activities are progressive."
Though there are many intellectuals here too, Nikolai assessed that the Progressive Party alone would struggle to secure many seats.
'This is still a country of farmers. How could the bourgeoisie expect to get votes?'
So this Progressive Party is expected to secure a minority of seats centered in cities through paying massive taxes.
Then those likely to oppose this Progressive Party would be the Labor Party.
"Originally named the Russian Social Democratic Labor Party... They dropped all the front words too."
If the bourgeoisie swept urban votes through massive tax payments, the remaining votes belong to this Labor Party.
Though they don't openly advocate it on the surface, they're simply viewed as leftists.
They're Marxist-aligned and steadfastly socialist. Though they don't openly deny the imperial system yet, they should be seen as the origins of the Communist Party.
"These will grow to become the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks."
Just remove imperialism from the current Labor Party's ideology and add theories like 'alliance of peasants and workers', and it's an immediate departure from Marxism to Leninism.
The birth of Leninism, as advocated by the Soviet Union's first leader, Vladimir Lenin.
And lastly remains the Conservative Party.
Nationalistic and relatively closer to the imperial system compared to other parties. Though 'closer' just means they want constitutional monarchy rather than absolute monarchy.
What's funny is that this conservative and nationalist character seems to align well with the Orthodox Church.
According to investigations, devout Orthodox believers are surprisingly likely to vote for this Conservative Party. It seems quite a few bureaucrats who turned this way aren't few either.
Besides these, there were cases of sweeping votes in one region or founding parties but failing to find candidates to run, but it ultimately became a four-party system.
Lining them up from left to right:
Labor Party - Democratic Party - Progressive Party - Conservative Party.
That's how it breaks down.
And looking at seats alone, the Democratic Party will be overwhelming, Conservative and Labor parties will be similar, and the Progressive Party will occupy a minority of seats.
So where are the imperial nobles positioned in this parliament?
Elections are for lower house seats.
Those of high rank don't beg for votes from their inferiors.
Instead, they've entered underground competition for upper house seats.
In principle, the Emperor directly appoints all upper house seats this time.
Following the system called the Senate since Peter the Great's time, the Emperor appoints individuals outstanding in all areas including scholarship, status, achievements, social reputation, and age.
In other words, it's difficult for those trying to rise to power's center through the lower house or those relying solely on status to secure positions.
"Let's follow tradition. Follow tradition."
First, university chancellors from across the country.
Representatives from local regions.
Retired officials and former government personnel.
And as always, one seat each for newly incorporated regions like Ukraine and the Orthodox Church, plus one seat with military recommendation.
While lower house election preparations were in full swing, I composed an upper house that couldn't appear more fair and diverse.
Referencing my grandfather Alexander II's era, the upper house has only twenty-five seats compared to the lower house.
I crammed all the empire's representatives into those twenty-five.
Literally a government where everyone participates. In other words, a government no one can dominate.
Considering this upper house even doubles as a civil court, these people who originally only knew their own fields are hopeless as politicians.
They might finish their term after passing just one bill necessary for their field. Or even that might be difficult.
I well understand that this parliament's establishment is receiving huge expectations enough to shake the entire nation.
As long as the election process is fair and I don't veto every parliamentary agenda, this is an extremely rational system no matter what anyone says.
How could it be merely rational? For the Russian Empire, whose system has been stagnant for 50 years, this is a tremendous reform and power shift that shakes the nation.
But I know. That one system alone doesn't change much.
1905 was like that, 1917 was like that, and it continued that way even after the Soviet Union's birth in 1922.
History tells us whether the empire was truly difficult to live in because of one system, or if thousands and tens of thousands of problems were hidden while only blaming the system.
"If reality remains the same even though the system has become fair... what will that expectation turn into?"
Probably negative emotions like resentment, anger, skepticism, disappointment.
But that's not enough. I want to go one step further.
Despair.
Because sometimes people need to hit rock bottom to face reality.
When those screams of despair spread across the empire, that will mean appropriate preparations are complete.
Preparations for reform.
==
Why did Russia become the Socialist Soviet Union?
Lenin? Did 120 million subjects agree to socialism just because one person named Vladimir Lenin appeared?
Future studies presented various analyses.
That they had to choose between imperial rule or socialism at the time, and everyone bet on the new ideology.
That the lack of basic education and the main intellectual class representing the people all leaned toward socialism.
Or that the medieval imperial system couldn't keep up with rapidly spreading capitalism since the 1860s, widening the gap.
The previous me thought these were all correct and somewhat rational theories.
However, after acquiring all this background knowledge and actually looking at reality, there's quite a gap between theory and reality.
First, the word that first comes to mind with socialism: workers.
'It was strange. This country is 90% farmers. Even though this decreased, it wouldn't easily fall below 80% farmers even entering the 20th century.'
Logically, isn't it strange that this keyword 'labor' exists when urban workers were only 7% of the total population in 1899 when protests surged?
Of course, there weren't few rural workers with less urbanization, but they ultimately belonged to rural society.
Quite different from the socialization of means of production and self-liberation shouted in the Soviet Union.
I've pondered this issue for the past 5 years. Why were they more imperial-friendly the further from the capital, closer to the Far East?
Why did the relatively wealthy European land quickly cooperate with communism during the Civil War?
How did imperial subjects easily accept 'revolution' that overturned everything when they didn't even know what this communism was?
Since my crown prince days, I tried solving problems step by step from theory while grasping the empire's reality, but it wasn't easy.
However, now that father has passed and I've become emperor, I see the problem. No, I feel it on my skin.
For imperial subjects of this era, communism was, very simply put, land.
The Soviet Union's call for shared means of production meant giving land to farmers, not giving factory shares to workers.
The land reform continuing since Alexander II's time is still sluggish and not properly achieved even after 30 years, so they thought it wasn't that it couldn't be given, but that it wouldn't be given.
There's land right before their eyes.
That land clearly has an owner.
But they won't give it to me.
Oh, but communism says they'll give it using any violent means and methods?
Actually, while the core of grandfather's reforms was 'class', class and land cannot be separated in Russia.
Just like how Duke Lvov lost all his land and property and now begs for votes from farmers his family once employed.
Now the harvest is completely finished.
The election will end soon too.
Parliament will start with the dreams, hopes, and expectations of countless people.
Forgetting all my long musings, I want to ask that parliament just one question.
"Can you give land to the imperial subjects?"
Quality land enough to fairly satisfy all farmers within current laws, at that.
If you don't have that ability...
That will be the day you face the wrath of both Tsar and people.