pappabearbooks 007. Of course I know.
007. Of course I know.
February 10th is the birthday celebration of Grand Duke Peter.
The scale of the celebrations exceeded all expectations, providing Empress Elizabeth with a golden opportunity to announce to Europe that Russia had an heir to the throne.
However, the other party only made an appearance at the morning ceremony.
The afternoon was a time for guests to enjoy themselves and relax. The banquet held on the snow was luxurious and grand, with the sound of gongs and drums. Guests gathered together, dancing gracefully. There was a sumptuous feast and a lucky draw. Behind the curtains, glittering porcelain, ribbons, sword tassels and other exquisite objects were revealed.
Sergei left Elizabeth's bedroom yesterday and rode away in Besdov's carriage.
So, upon seeing Sergei, Peter loudly mocked him for leaving without saying goodbye the previous day: "Sergei was frightened by his aunt!"
Sergei did not refute this, as arguing with Peter about such matters was pointless.
"Sergei is a woman!" Naryshkin laughed heartily.
Sergei raised an eyebrow, thinking that it was necessary to make a fuss about it, and then he reached for the other man's crotch.
After a while, Peter and Naryshkin went to see the hounds, while Sergei casually drank his wine. A servant came over and handed him a note.
Out of caution, he didn't take it immediately. Instead, he looked around and, after confirming that no one was paying attention, put the note in his pocket.
The note was sent by Sofia.
It must be said that what the other party did was extremely risky.
But after reading the contents of the letter, he knew it wasn't written by Sophia; it was clearly in Johanna's tone.
The gist of the conversation was that Elizabeth had mentioned Sophia, but Johanna would not only refuse to pretend to be her daughter, but also would not show him the same enthusiasm that Sophia should have shown.
Sergei put the note away, not intending to reply.
At this moment, his departure from the banquet would easily attract attention. Elizabeth's absence does not mean she is indifferent; she may be watching from a window.
"Given Sophia's temperament, she won't be upset about something like this."
Just as Sergei had guessed, Johanna hadn't slept well for several days, while she slept soundly, holding Sofia, who had accepted her fate.
On the other hand, Sergei's guess came true.
Elizabeth was standing at a window in front of the palace when she noticed Peter running wildly with his dog, then getting into a standoff with the dog in front of a black pipe.
"Good heavens, what is he doing with the dog?"
Peter, who was small in stature, struggled to hold his own against the hound. The hound broke free, and Peter was thrown to the ground.
"I don't see a single trace of his father in him!"
At that moment, Queen Elizabeth suddenly noticed Sergei walking toward Peter. His tall and strong figure contrasted sharply with his short and thin nephew.
Thinking of Sergei's handsome, cold face, elegant manners, and erudition, as well as his numerous romantic affairs, Queen Elizabeth couldn't help but sigh.
"If Sergei were my father's grandson, I can't imagine how happy I would be!"
Unaware of all this, Peter grabbed the fox carcass, its breath suffocated by the hounds, and raised it towards the magnificent palace, shouting loudly in front of countless guests.
"I can bite through bones in one bite! Auntie, be proud of me!"
Queen Elizabeth could no longer stand it. She turned and went back to her bedroom, her tone so annoyed that Besdov, who was standing next to her, dared not utter a word.
"Anyone who didn't know better would think he killed the fox!"
At the banquet, Peter threw the fox carcass out, startling several noblewomen who hurriedly dodged, while Peter laughed heartily.
Razumovsky came over.
"Your Highness, we have arranged for actresses to play the bride, and your aunt has asked you to choose one."
"Why are you here again? Go to hell, I'll choose my own princess in the future!" Peter said impatiently.
Razumovsky declared in an unquestionable tone, "Your Highness, Her Majesty the Empress commands you to choose one! Right here in the theater!"
Peter gave Count Razumovsky a cold look, then waved to Sergei and Naryshkin.
"Whoever wants to go can go! Let's go!"
Razumovsky watched Peter's retreating figure, his face filled with helplessness.
Sergei realized that if he wanted to gain Elizabeth's favor, Razumovsky was definitely a good choice. He was Elizabeth's favorite male lover and held a very important place in her heart.
Moreover, he knew that Razumovsky was a gentle man who loved the Empress wholeheartedly, which was why he had warned Peter so sternly. With that in mind, he walked over.
"Count, please forgive the Grand Duke; that's just his temperament."
"I hope the Grand Duke can understand His Majesty's good intentions," Razumovsky sighed.
Sergei gestured to the servants to lead the hunting dogs away: "Count, I will persuade the Grand Duke to go to the theater."
"That would be wonderful." Razumovsky nodded sincerely, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes.
Having achieved his goal, Sergei left without saying anything more.
Razumovsky was born a Ukrainian serf and was chosen by Elizabeth to join the court choir, so he was not very cunning. His direct help was simple and effective.
As for Peter, Sergei didn't need to put in any effort. He simply told Peter, "Your Highness, the Empress will be unhappy if you don't go," and then Peter went to the Royal Theatre instead.
The so-called actresses playing the brides were actually just maids holding up portraits of princesses from various countries.
At first, Peter disliked the idea of choosing a wife, but when he saw many portraits of princesses, he became interested, and when his attention fell on the figures of the maids, his interest grew even stronger.
"Sergei, which one looks more like a German princess?"
Sergei glanced at them briefly and shook his head, saying, "The princess has a better figure than them."
"I don't believe it! I know Frederica; she's my cousin. We met in Prussia five years ago when she was very young. I don't like Frederica! I won't marry her!"
With that, Peter vented his anger on the maid holding the portrait of Sophia, shouting at her like he was training soldiers.
"Lift your leg higher, kick forward! One two one, one two one..."
Sergei said slowly, "Her father was a general in Frederick's army."
Peter turned and interrupted him: "I know who he is! I should be a general in King Frederick's army, not freezing half to death in this barbaric land!"
Immediately, he angrily went to ask for more wine.
Naryshkin took this opportunity to come to Sergei's side and remind him.
"You actually expect to curry favor with the Grand Duke through this? Don't you know how fanatical and ardent his admiration is for the King of Prussia? Saying that Frederica's father was a general under Frederick will only make the Grand Duke jealous!"
Sergei thought to himself, "Of course I know."
But he still feigned surprise, shaking his head and saying, "Heaven knows that in the Grand Duke's eyes, the position of general under Frederick is actually more valuable than the heir to the Russian throne."