Chapter 110

What issues Nicholas I will discuss at the imperial meeting must be homework for the imperial ministers who are obsessed with flattering the emperor. Naturally, the cable telegraph project must be one of the compulsory questions.

So just after Nicholas I's words fell, except for the Duke of Ordorf who was in charge of the project, he replied: "Your Majesty, the progress is very smooth. The first line to Kronstadt will be opened within a month!"

There were also a bunch of miscellaneous voices rushing to answer:

"The route from St. Petersburg to Moscow is also under planning, and we strive to complete it within a year!"

"The route to Kiev is also under discussion. I believe you will be able to get information about Kiev in two years!"

These enthusiastic voices satisfied Nicholas I very much. He liked to see his courtiers march forward bravely according to the route he had planned, the sooner the better.

The only thing that makes him a little regretful is that no one told him in advance that the route to Moldavia and Wallachia is also available. Although he really wanted to know the situation of Grand Duke Constantine as soon as possible, but that direction Next is the focus of the empire is also a very important factor.

But Nicholas I also knew not to be too impatient, because compared with Kiev and Moscow, the importance of Moldavia and Wallachia must be in the back row, and besides, they are all connected to Kiev, Dao Moldavi Asia and Wallachia are not far away. If Grand Duke Constantine and Alexei are smart enough, they should know how to catch this ride.

Of course, at this time, Nicholas I was still a little worried about the precarious financial problems of the country. Although he seemed to dismiss this when he beat the chancellor of the exchequer before, he actually knew very well that the country's finances had actually been problematic in recent years.

The pits of suppressing the Hungarian rebels have not been filled before, and then Moldavia has been in a mess and must be garrisoned to suppress it. Then, in recent years, he has built a few more palaces and conducted military parades a few more times. All in all, there are too many places to spend money, but the places where the money comes from have not increased, making the treasury unable to make ends meet.

Now we have to prepare to use troops against Turkey, and we need to build a cable telegraph project, especially the latter is not in the previous plan at all. Once this project spreads too much, and the money is like running water, it will be over. .

But Nicholas I couldn't say at the imperial meeting not to make a big deal of cable telegrams, because he just suppressed the troubles of the conservatives just now. Once he seems to pay little attention to it or wants to save a little, those guys will think He lost interest in the cable, and then...

Then what happened to Nicholas I was very clear, for these conservatives,

As long as he, the tsar, is not active, they will be even more slack.

Nicholas I didn't want the cable telegraph project to have twists and turns just after a good start, so he could only temporarily suppress his desire to save money, and didn't say much, just said lightly: "That's very Well, I hope to hear good news soon!"

For these former imperial ministers, observing Nicholas I's mood changes is the most basic homework. They can feel that Nicholas I's mood does not seem to be particularly high. It seems that the progress of the cable telegraph project did not make him particularly happy ?

This discovery made a group of old foxes keep muttering in their hearts, because they couldn't guess why Nicholas I was in a low mood, whether his enthusiasm for the cable telegraph project gradually disappeared, or was he dissatisfied with the progress that was not fast enough?

No matter which possibility it is, it is not a good thing for these old fritters. If it is the former, it means that their initial investment will be in vain, and if it is the latter, it means that they have to increase their investment. But now that the national treasury has no money, it can't stand such a toss!

It’s not that these old foxes are sympathetic to the country, but they know very well what Nicholas I will do once the treasury runs out of money. According to the general routine, they try to collect more taxes to make up for the hole, but once they have to collect more taxes, they Can people escape?

At that time, it became wool on the sheep. These old foxes are not interested in spending their own money to help Nicholas I build a cable telegraph, so they actually hope that Nicholas I will toss within the scope allowed by the treasury, and don’t get involved. !

It's just that they didn't dare to express these emotions clearly, let alone test Nicholas I's true intentions at this moment. Otherwise, let Nicholas I mistakenly think that they don't want to contribute to the cable telegraph project, wouldn't that be a fool!

So the situation at the scene was a bit weird. Nicholas I was afraid that his courtiers would not do their best so he dared not speak clearly, while his good courtiers were afraid of making him unhappy and dared not speak clearly. The two groups of people pretended to be confused with understanding and were extremely funny.

But these have nothing to do with Count Uvarov, because he doesn't want to care about the cable telegraph at all. He can't violate the will of Nicholas I. He can't sum up this project. The only thing he can do is not to participate. But today, since the word came to the cable telegraph, he just used it to beat Bariatinsky and his gang.

"Your Majesty, if the cable telegraph project is rolled out on a large scale, it may consume too much money. Now that the treasury is tight, I think we still need to be cautious!"

As soon as Uvarov's voice came out, everyone's faces changed. Nicholas I looked at him very displeased. As for the others, they either looked at him in horror, or waited gloatingly. Look at the joke.

Yes, everyone, including Tsar Nicholas, thought Uvarov was going to repeat the same old tune and try to end the cable telegraph project again.

It's just that, Uvarov didn't actually mean that, or he really wanted to do it, but he knew that it couldn't be done at all. The purpose of his saying these words was actually very simple, that is, he didn't mean to drink!

Sure enough, before Nicholas I and others responded, Uvarov said again: "I think that if the cable telegraph project must be carried out, it might as well absorb private capital first, for example, let the person in charge of each line bear the burden first. For construction costs, when the national finances are relieved, the funds will be allocated in a unified way!"

Well, this suggestion made many people look very ugly, because if this suggestion is passed, it means that they need to spend their own money to buy the happiness of Nicholas I. This is completely contrary to their original intention.

After all, their original plan was to spend the country's money to get a vote for themselves and then make Nicholas I happy. This is almost a costless business, and fools don't do it!

But if Uvarov's suggestion is passed, they will have to pay for it themselves. Although it can still make Nicholas I happy, isn't the price too high!