Chapter 1465: Even the Tsar Was Baffled!

"Sofia, what language are they speaking? Can you understand it?"

Tsar Alexei I was utterly baffled. He had no idea what Count Lev Naryshkin and Alexander Stroganov were talking about, so he turned to a "plus-size maiden" in splendid court dress standing beside him.

The girl was not pretty, but she was very "big" — big everywhere: big build, big head, big features, and a bit plump. Her face even had hard, fleshy lines, making her look fierce.

This fierce-looking girl was named Sofia Alexeyevna, the third daughter of Tsar Alexei I by his first wife Maria Miloslavskaya, and Alexei I's favorite child. For in Alexei I's view, Princess Sofia was extremely intelligent, cleverer than all her brothers and sisters (a view that was, of course, mistaken — Peter I was the cleverest, but Peter was only four months old and no different from a stupid baby who could not even say "Papa"). She spoke many languages, took a keen interest in politics, and even wrote poetry.

So the Tsar often kept her by his side, sometimes even bringing her along when receiving courtiers and foreign envoys — Sofia had an excellent memory, and if the Tsar failed to understand what ministers or envoys said, he could simply ask her.

This time, however, even the clever and quick-witted Princess Sofia was somewhat baffled.

"Father, they are speaking Russian," Princess Sofia said with a frown, looking extremely fierce. "It seems Alexander Stroganov has done something that humiliated the nation and forfeited its sovereignty by accepting the surrender of two Chinese Governor-Generals. But how does accepting an enemy's surrender become a humiliation of the nation? Aren't Oboi and Yue Le the ones who should be humiliated?"

"Exactly! Why would the side accepting a surrender be the one humiliated?" Tsar Alexei I nodded as well. "You two had better explain clearly — what exactly happened?"

"Your Majesty," Alexander Stroganov said in a low voice, "I — I fought a losing battle with Irkutsk Governor-General Vlasov at Nerchinsk and lost the fortress. Of course, the main responsibility lies with Vlasov."

"Did many die?" Alexei I immediately pressed.

He did not care about losing the fortress, because Nerchinsk had been lost more than once, and the Chinese had no intention of permanently occupying the place anyway — at worst they could just seize it back later. But too many deaths would be trouble!

Not that he cared much about Russian lives, but Russia had hardly any people in Siberia at all and could not afford heavy casualties.

"Not too many died. A few hundred."

"That's not a small number!" the Tsar said angrily. "And what about this surrender? Who exactly surrendered?"

"Of course they surrendered! Because... because we were surrounded at Nerchinsk by Oboi and Yue Le, and our breakout failed, so we had no choice but to accept their surrender, handing over Nerchinsk fortress and most of our weapons."

"Wait, you misspoke!" Princess Sofia cried out again. "It was you who surrendered to the Chinese!"

"No, no, no," Alexander Stroganov hastily shook his head, tears nearly falling. "It really was they who surrendered."

"Nonsense! You treacherous minister!" Princess Sofia shouted angrily. "You handed over the fortress and weapons — how could it be they who surrendered? Where in the world does the side accepting surrender hand over its weapons and fortress to the surrendering side?"

"Th-this, this..." Alexander Stroganov stammered, at a loss for how to explain, and glanced at Count Lev Naryshkin.

The Count sighed, took out the initialed text of the Treaty of Nerchinsk, and presented it to the Tsar with both hands. The Tsar shot his daughter a look, and Sofia very rudely snatched the Treaty of Nerchinsk from the Count's hands, then unfolded it and began reading.

Sofia read very quickly. When she finished, the hard, fleshy face had taken on an expression so shocked that even her double chin seemed about to drop.

The Tsar looked at his daughter: "What is it, Sofia? What foolish thing have they done?"

Sofia said: "Father, they ceded vast lands south and east of Lake Baikal to the Siberian Republic. And they — they even took it upon themselves to accept the Siberian Republic as a vassal of our Russian Empire, and agreed that you should become the Chief Elder and First Citizen of the Siberian Republic!"

Alexei I's eyes bulged wide. "What on earth happened? How — how can there be a Siberian Republic? How did I become the Chief Elder and First Citizen of the Siberian Republic? Aren't those titles from the Roman Empire? Is this Oboi a Roman?"

The Tsar's mind had already conjured up an image of "Julius Oboi" wearing an ancient Roman toga, delivering impassioned speeches in the Senate.

Stroganov said: "No, he is not a Roman. He is a Manchu — one of the barbarians from eastern Siberia and the Heilongjiang and Andong regions of northeastern China."

The Tsar said coldly: "They have founded a republic and a senate — how could they possibly be barbarians?"

Indeed, if they were that "advanced," how could they be barbarians? England was now a republic, Holland was a republic, Venice was a republic... were those countries barbaric?

Princess Sofia added: "They also defeated you! If I remember correctly, Nerchinsk is a bastion fort, is it not? Didn't the Yakutsk Governorate's report say Nerchinsk could hold out for at least six months? How many months did you hold?"

Stroganov said quietly: "We held for only a few days..."

The Tsar cursed: "Useless wretches!"

Count Lev Naryshkin said: "Your Majesty, the Manchus have progressed rapidly since being conquered by the Great Ming Empire. They are indeed no longer barbarians now.

As far as I know, many Manchu nobles who grew up after the Ming-Qing War have received an excellent education, and some have even studied at universities in the Great Ming Empire. That is why they understand republican government and know what a Chief Elder and First Citizen are."

The Tsar frowned: "Then why do they want me to be First Citizen and Chief Elder? Even if it is only nominal, they must have some reason for doing this?"

"Your Majesty," Stroganov took up the question, "the conflict between the Manchus and the Great Ming did not disappear with the end of the Ming-Qing War... Oboi and Yue Le are leaders of the Manchus. Persecuted by the Ming Emperor, they had no choice but to launch a rebellion, but they could not gain a foothold in the Heilongjiang and Andong regions, and were forced to flee to the Lake Baikal and Nerchinsk area to seek the protection of the Russian Empire. The Yakutsk Governorate refused to take them in, which is what triggered the conflict."

Princess Sofia asked Stroganov: "Why not take them in? Haven't we been in a state of war with the Great Ming Empire all along?"

"Your Highness, the key region between us and the Ming court is Central Asia, not eastern Siberia..." the guilty Stroganov struggled to explain. "And in eastern Siberia, the initiative clearly lies with the Chinese, who are numerous and financially powerful. If we took in these Manchus, it would very likely trigger a fierce and prolonged war. And the purpose of Oboi and Yue Le in coming to us was very likely to draw the flames of war into Russian territory. That is why I..."

"Do you think that if you do nothing, the Ming Emperor will simply pretend you don't exist?" Sofia said loudly. "Utterly foolish!"

The Tsar nodded, seemingly agreeing with Princess Sofia. "The Princess is right. Since conflict is unavoidable, we should not have pushed Oboi and Yue Le away!"

Lev Naryshkin interjected: "Your Majesty, we must now seriously prepare for war with the Chinese... Our strength in Siberia is limited. Perhaps the Siberian Republic is an object we can make use of."

The Tsar nodded, seemingly agreeing with Lev Naryshkin, but did not immediately voice an opinion. For an all-out war with the Chinese still required the utmost caution!

(End of Chapter)