Why don't complaints explode even as His Majesty the Tsar's purge continues past the year?
Of course, partly because justification and power are too firm for anyone to dare step forward... but this purge itself was just too perfect.
Though Count Elston hadn't seen this purge from the beginning, from a third party's perspective this purge was more about settling karma than removing political enemies.
Whether that karma was from the mir, zemstvos, or Duma. Each had accumulated no small amount in their past. If even one thing was dug up, they were immediately dragged to court.
Though called a purge because too many died, Count Elston couldn't deny this was work the empire long needed.
Nevertheless, no small number like Count Elston expressed concerns about this purge.
Because no matter how just and necessary a purge, it's different when prolonged.
'Like an antelope's body freezing before a tiger, continuing fear will freeze the empire.'
If reform meant to lead the empire to a better future paradoxically stops the empire, what exactly is this purge for?
Hence, Count Elston was among those hoping this work would end as quickly as possible.
Though clearly maintaining such a cold third party stance...
"What? His Majesty threatened your daughter?"
"I must enter the palace tomorrow morning to give an answer. Major General, what should I do?"
"There must be a misunderstanding. You know well he's not that kind of person?"
Count Elston wanted to believe so too, but his daughter returned crying yesterday saying she was "threatened that he would destroy the family if she didn't accept."
Not only was that child not one to lie, but seeing how she frequently met His Majesty the Tsar whenever visiting the imperial palace lately, it seems true that His Majesty wanted to meet Anna.
"If he wanted a domestic marriage, there would be no reason to threaten."
"That's why it's even stranger! I'm afraid the Okhrana's targeted investigation might come tomorrow!"
"Stop! Don't say such things anywhere. I happen to have business at the palace this afternoon, so I'll try to ask then if possible."
"Please."
Major General Dukhovskoy, feeling something was definitely wrong the more he heard his aide's story, immediately requested to see Nicholas that day.
Nicholas made time despite being busy since it was urgent business from the St. Petersburg commander.
The question he heard upon meeting was this:
"Perhaps... are you selecting your inner circle before restarting reforms?"
"Huh?"
"I'm not protecting Count Elston because he's my aide, but he's truly an officer who works for this country! I can prove how hard he carried out Your Majesty's orders in the Far East!"
"No, no wait. What did Count Elston say?"
"...He said their family was put on the purge list."
"...?"
Nicholas momentarily lost words at news of an unprecedented event in history - purging potential in-laws.
Where in the world do you execute the family of a bride before even marrying?
When Nicholas was bewildered, unable to grasp what went wrong where, Major General Dukhovskoy watching was also bewildered.
'I tried to purge Count Elston?'
'...Was that not it.'
After a brief grogginess reviewing all past memories, Nicholas regained his dignity.
"There seems to have been a misunderstanding. I proposed to Count Elston's daughter."
"That you would decide on purging the family within 48 hours..."
"That was just giving a deadline since I need an answer."
"..."
Can this be cause for misunderstanding? What kind of conversation did those two have when they met?
Though Major General Dukhovskoy didn't know well, he had a strong conviction that responsibility clearly lay with the Tsar.
"That's how I work with officials..."
"..."
He finally seemed to understand why the Tsar was still alone past thirty.
==
Though the conclusion of the 'one-sided romance misunderstanding' incident came as quite a bitter shock and wound, there was no time to be sad for me who had completed absolute solipsism in the Slavic country.
"Now zemstvos will be formed in a binary system of independent farmer representatives and noble representatives."
"That's not enough. Give zemstvos their own audit rights and appoint separate administrators for practical work."
Of course you must rebuild what you've destroyed. Though officials were dying just from mir dissolution, we had to appoint local administrators and leave to expand reforming provinces.
Though official numbers sharply increased every year since accession, there was no small amount of work so all I could do was slightly raise officials' salaries.
And.
The purge that continued for nearly a year ended with national celebration.
Though there was talk about marriage between nobles and commoners, even Mother said "as long as it's not homosexual" so there weren't many who would strongly oppose.
The greatest disadvantage of noble-commoner marriage, loss of inheritance rights, was meaningless to me who had already become Tsar.
The coronation ceremony held six years after the previous Tsar's death was performed simultaneously with the wedding.
Though we couldn't spend much time preparing and the scale was shabby compared to other countries, I had no intention of wasting money on events.
"Your Majesty, preparing 30,000 barrels of beer, 10,000 barrels of mead, and 400,000 mugs-"
"Count Dashkov, stop."
"Then preparing sausages, bread, candy, peanuts so imperial citizens can enjoy at least in the capital-"
"Stooop!"
Canceled the usual events of Tsars ascending the throne and touring regions.
Canceled hundreds of thousands of bags filled with all sorts of gifts.
Canceled things like giving souvenirs or holding festivals for days.
So though it was somewhat bland despite being a huge event combining wedding + coronation...
"Long live the Tsar! Long live the Tsar!"
"May Russia's glory shine bright!"
"Long live His Majesty Nicholas!"
Still, filling streets with parades and military bands made for a proper absolute monarch's coronation ceremony.
The purge ended together with national celebration.
Though there were hands reaching out to me quietly right after the coronation, sensing this atmosphere.
"Ah, tell Prime Minister Waldeck-Rousseau I don't have room to expand externally while domestic matters are still noisy. Come to think of it, I heard France values relations with Britain so much... Ah, that must be my misunderstanding? Hahah, this almost became disappointing?"
However, I had no thought of heading south again at France's request.
Because if we just wait a bit.
Because those who would feed us land about 7 times the Korean peninsula appeared.
"Your Majesty! They're killing priests in successive riots in Qing! Simultaneous riots!"
"My goodness. Damage to our Orthodox priests?"
"...Fortunately there's zero damage since Orthodox Christianity isn't popular in East Asia."
Tactless bastard. Was such a tactless official still in my meetings?
"Ahem, Your Majesty according to Foreign Ministry reports, their spread speed is unusual and difficult to dismiss as ordinary riots."
"Right! Indeed Minister Giers sees the situation accurately."
"The South Manchurian Railway we built at Qing's request and imperial citizens residing in Qing are also in danger. We cannot stand by any longer, so we will formally request help and proper punishment from Qing."
"Good, I hope Minister Nicholas Giers takes responsibility for protecting our precious imperial citizens' lives."
The quick-witted Minister Nicholas Giers immediately caught what I wanted and took on the mission.
Though some still thought 'isn't that something like protests?' - nonsense.
Kung fu and shamanism don't appear in our country's protests. When Slavic workers gather it's just give us bread, work is hard, give us more money level, but there they get infected with unexpected chuunibyou across the whole country shouting "Ooh, the gods give me power to beat up foreigners!"
Still, if it ended there maybe it would have concluded with just cursing them as uncivilized bastards.
But here one more person joins the Boxers.
"Qing has rejected our request."
"Empress Dowager Cixi! Empress Dowager Cixi of Qing has joined hands with the Boxers!"
"Oh my, how terrible."
"Your Majesty? Why are you smiling?"
When the empire's ruler added the monumental stupidity of joining hands with fanatic traitors, the common riots just kept growing bigger.
How significant this was - it made European countries form an allied army with one heart and mind even while French-Dual Monarchy antagonism, French-German antagonism, and British-Russian antagonism were ongoing in real time.
Britain, United States, Australia, India, Germany, France, Austria-Hungary, Italy, and finally Japan.
Empress Dowager Cixi who turned all those listed into enemies in a short time and united eight countries as one.
I applaud her decision. At the same time, I gave new orders.
"Secretary, contact Governor Roman. Tell him to occupy all of South Manchuria where our railway is connected."
"Understood."
"Let's just eat that much first and watch other countries' reactions."
Though it was formation of eight countries' allied forces, really only we Russia had military preparations.
It was the moment Li Hongzhang's designed East Asian three-way battle collapsed.
==
Though not concluded since our Russia showed much interest in the Far East from the early 90s, in original history the Russo-Chinese Secret Treaty was concluded in '96.
This secret treaty overseen by Sergei Witte and Li Hongzhang was a treaty solely to check Japan.
1.If Japan invades the Far East, Korea, or Qing, both countries immediately dispatch army and navy
2.Neither side makes peace treaties with enemy countries without the other's consent
3.During war Qing opens all ports to Russia
4.Qing connects Qing and Russian railways for troop movement and allows Russia to use railways when war begins
5.Treaty effective period is 15 years
Though at first glance not seeming very different from the current Far East situation, Li Hongzhang's Three-Legged Cauldron Plan very similar to the original history Russo-Chinese Secret Treaty had several huge differences.
First, the point that the South Manchurian Railway was built entirely with pure Russian funds not Russo-Chinese bank funds and the Amur Governor-General's Office handles all operations.
The point that unlike the Russo-Chinese Secret Treaty where Qing and Russia recognized Japan as their only enemy and tried to unite hearts, Li Hongzhang's Three-Legged Cauldron Plan tried to check Russia too.
Finally, the point that we keep expanding in the Far East without fighting Japan.
The essence of the Russo-Chinese Secret Treaty was 'Qing draws in Russia to block Japan.'
Because in original history Russia had no strength to advance south and try to occupy Korea or Qing.
In other words, examining each slightly changed historical difference one by one, the fundamental reason Li Hongzhang's Three-Legged Cauldron Plan collapsed was because Russian power became stronger than expected.
Development not neglect.
Active military reinforcement.
Rapidly increasing immigrants and development too.
The Russian Empire's power in the current Far East was incomparable to 10 years ago.
Even Li Hongzhang who justified choosing the lesser evil wouldn't have known this.
That the Far East would grow this much in a short time.
'Internal politics stabilized, reform smooth, and weathering global food price crash well.'
Now that the interior has stabilized like this.
I did not want peace in the Far East.