Catherine and the Black Emperor

005.3 A multi-pronged approach

Sergei sat at his desk.

The quill pen wrote three names on the paper: Sophia, Elizabeth, and Peter.

"Win Sofia's favor and become her closest and most indispensable person."

According to historical development, he was Sofia's first man, but not her last. To help Sofia ascend the throne and become the most powerful minister in Russia, he had to be Sofia's only man!

"To gain Elizabeth's favor and avoid being 'exiled' from Russia."

Historically, the original owner's role was to help Sophia become pregnant and give birth to a new heir to the throne. After completing this task, Elizabeth sent him to Sweden.

Staying in St. Petersburg was of paramount importance to him in building his power base and supporting Sofia's ascension to the throne!

"Win Peter's trust and find more opportunities to spend time with Sofia."

Sergei wasn't worried about Peter and Sofia developing feelings for each other. He figured that if history just went along with it, their relationship would continue to deteriorate, so he didn't need to create any conflict to break them up.

After all, he hadn't touched Sophia even once in all the years of their marriage, which shows the extent of Peter's disgust for her.

As Peter's "friends," gaining Peter's trust would be entirely beneficial to him, and it would also give him more opportunities to meet Sophia.

As for the ultimate purpose of doing all this, there is only one—to support Sofia to ascend the throne and become the most powerful minister in Russia and even the whole of Europe!

"That's it, a three-pronged approach!"

Looking at the sky, he realized it was about time, so Sergei left the mansion and headed to the Winter Palace to attend Peter's party.

"You've finally arrived!"

Even from a distance, Lev Naryshkin saw Sergei, put down his wine glass, rushed over to embrace him, and then faced the crowd at the party, raising his hands and shouting loudly.

"Let us welcome Prince Saltykov!"

All the guests raised their glasses and cheered.

Sergei picked up the wine from the waiter's tray, raised his glass to everyone with a smile, and after taking a sip, the guests continued their conversation and the band continued playing. Only then did he say to Naryshkin, "You're always so high-profile."

"Come on, the Grand Duke has been waiting for you for a long time. He's not happy that you didn't come this afternoon." Naryshkin patted him on the shoulder.

A short, thin young man was reprimanding a servant.

"What's wrong with you! Who told you to put my violin here! I want wine! Wine!"

Naryshkin said helplessly to Sergei in a low voice, "The Grand Duke is probably drunk. He just had someone bring his violin over."

The young man saw them, and the two walked up to them, but the young man pushed his way through them.

"Sergei, you've finally arrived! Wait for me, I want some wine!"

Sergei watched the other man's retreating figure and shrugged at Naryshkin: "It seems the Grand Duke's displeasure doesn't affect me."

"His temper flares up quickly but subsides just as fast, you know that."

When Peter returned, he was carrying a bottle of wine, and he had left the wine glasses on the single sofa next to him.

This heir to the Russian throne was not only short in stature, but also pale, with a wide mouth and an unusually sharp jaw. Given his current appearance, it was hard to imagine that he was Peter the Great's grandson; he looked more like a drunkard living on the streets, numbing himself with alcohol.

"Did you bring the German princess here? Who gave the order?" Peter asked, half-asleep.

"I want to know too." Because the original owner was only interested in women, Sergei didn't know who gave the order, which was exactly what he wanted to find out.

Logically speaking, given his notorious womanizing ways, Elizabeth wouldn't have sent him, let alone someone from St. Petersburg to pick him up; notifying the border troops would have sufficed.

Using the Grand Duke's name, the matter was quickly clarified.

When Naryshkin returned, he said, "It was an order from the Prime Minister."

Sergei narrowed his eyes.

Besdutev, it's him again.

However, this makes sense: the other side bribed the coachman to freeze Sofia to death on the Russian border, and sending him was undoubtedly a backup plan.

If Sophia hadn't frozen to death, given the original owner's personality, Besdov could have easily used some means to spread a scandal in the palace about a German princess seducing the Empress's courtier.

Sophia can forget about becoming the Grand Duke's fiancée.

"It's that old bastard Besdov again!" Peter cursed, then grabbed the bottle and took a big gulp.

One second he was furious, the next he was smug after taking a sip of wine.

"My aunt arranged a welcoming ceremony for them, but I threw a huge banquet and ruined the whole thing!"

Peter's mother was Queen Elizabeth's sister.

Naryshkin, standing nearby, winked at Sergei: "It was my idea for the Grand Duke."

Sergei gave the other man a dismissive look: "You'd better pray this doesn't reach the Empress."

Naryshkin's smile froze.

Peter wasn't truly unafraid of Elizabeth; considering everything he had done recently, he suddenly became worried.

Will my aunt be furious?

"Your birthday celebration is in a few days, the Empress certainly won't be angry," Sergei reassured him.

Hearing this, Peter immediately regained his smugness, took a swig of wine, grabbed his most beloved violin from the table, and walked out: "Where is that German princess? I'm going to play a tune for her!"

Sergei frowned slightly, but then relaxed, got up and led the way. Naryshkin followed and secretly asked Sergei a question.

"Didn't the Grand Duke dislike that German princess? Why is he going to play music for her?"

This was exactly what Sergei had just realized: Peter was definitely not there to curry favor with Sophia.

Meanwhile, in one of the rooms, Johanna, who was forbidden from leaving, was complaining to her daughter.

"They won't let us attend the party, they won't even let us leave our rooms, and look at this room, it's frighteningly small..."

Sofia, however, paid no attention, as if she hadn't heard her mother's words, and lay on the bedside, looking at the Russian book in her hands.

"Nobody likes us. Maybe the Queen has changed her mind. My own brother died before he could marry her!" Johanna continued to grumble.

Recalling her journey, Sofia put down her book: "We were welcomed by someone, Prince Saltykov."

Just as Johanna rushed over to yell again, Sophia suddenly stood up and went to the window.

"Mother, calm down! Can you hear the violin?" She excitedly pointed to the figures standing outside. "That's His Highness the Crown Prince! He's playing for me!"

Johanna walked over, her cold face shattering her daughter's good mood.

"That's a funeral piece!"

After playing the funeral music, Peter was in high spirits and took Naryshkin back for drinks.

"Look, Saltykov is trying to curry favor with you again! I bet he's here to slander His Highness the Crown Prince!" Johanna said through gritted teeth as she watched Sergei walk toward the palace.

Sofia ignored her mother and waited for Sergei to approach before eagerly asking, "Was that the Grand Duke just now?"

"The Grand Duke had too much to drink; the music he played just now was a lament for his dog that died during the day," Sergei explained.

"I won't mind, Duke," Sophia shook her head.

Sergei nodded in acknowledgment, then turned and left.

Sophia then turned to look at her mother: "Mother, the Duke is so considerate, completely unlike you. If you didn't judge people by their appearance, I think God would have fulfilled all your childhood dreams."

Johanna pulled the blanket over her head.

"Good heavens, Fig actually humiliated me!"