"Your Highness."
The heavy door opened, and Bodelinov, wearing a gray military uniform, walked into Peter the Great's former bedroom. It had lost its former splendor. The pure cashmere carpet was full of mud, except for the chandelier, bed and desk. Good luck, everything valuable was taken away.
Before retreating, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Windsor ransacked the Winter Palace under the orders of their commanders. They took off famous paintings on the walls, moved away porcelain inlaid with gold and silver, and took away everything they could.
Bright light came from the balcony. Katerina stood in the middle of the messy room, staring at the bed where Peter the Great lay when he died of illness. Many memories came to mind.
She had not been back here for a long time. From the moment Paul I came to the throne, she went to live in Mosk. For three years, she had not been to Petersburg.
Suddenly, Katerina seemed to see the skinny, suffering Peter the Great lying on the bed. Half a month before his death, Peter the Great lost the ability to speak due to his severe illness, but Katerina Na clearly remembered the moment her father held her hand.
Cold...yet full of warmth.
"Your Highness? Your Highness!"
Bodelinov's voice dragged Katerina out of her memories. She wiped the moist corners of her eyes and her expression became indifferent again: "What's the matter?"
"Onufri and the others have already gathered in the hall, waiting for your Highness to convene a meeting!" Bodelinov looked at the bed and sighed, not knowing what to say.
"Have you contacted Father Mavey?"
"The monks accompanying the army are using the oracle to communicate, and they should be contacted soon."
"Walk."
Katerina put on her military cap, her slender black hair falling from her shoulders, and "convened a military meeting."
As he walked towards the conference hall, Bodelinov asked worriedly: "Your Highness, are you okay?"
“There’s never been a better moment than now.”
Katerina didn't look back. The soldiers opened the door of the conference hall and she strode in with Bodelinov.
In the messy conference hall, only the large table was still intact. This thing was extremely difficult to transport, and its value was not as good as moving a few more vases. The soldiers of the Kingdom of Windsor were not even willing to look at the table.
But at this moment, both sides of the large conference table, ignored by the soldiers, were filled with senior generals with flowers on their epaulettes. After entering the royal capital of Petersburg, they took a shower, put on clean military uniforms, and put on these The medals he had earned with his life over the years...weared them one by one on his chest.
Katerina was not surprised to see them dressed like this. She sat down on the high-backed chair at the main seat, pressed her hands to signal the generals to take their seats, and said in a deep voice: "Everyone, yesterday, we recaptured the royal capital of Petersburg. This is a big thing to celebrate.”
"According to the information from the sentry, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Windsor have escaped. Now is a good time to pursue them. I think you all know this, but..."
Deep blue eyes swept across the faces of Onufri and others, her voice was as flat as a piece of ice, Katerina leaned back and continued: "If you have anything to say, just say it."
"Your Highness!"
General Makarov, Colonel of the Infantry Regiment, stood up, and a loud voice like a bell echoed in the empty conference hall: "Duke Yinvanovich's army is stationed outside the city and has set up a formation. He regards us as As enemies, we must fight back!"
In addition to the veterans who followed Peter the Great in the war, there were also children of noble military families sitting in the conference hall. Any ruler who heard Makarov's speech would be furious and considered it to be rebellious.
Generals such as Brooking and Goffman, who were loyal to King Paul I, should have reprimanded him righteously, but in fact they remained silent.
Not only was he silent, young Goffman Vladimir even stood up with fiery eyes and said with great excitement: "Your Highness, General Makarov is right, His Majesty Paul I will return to Petersburg in the near future. If If we can take this opportunity to stop him, you will get the chance to sit on that chair!"
Brooking, who has a short beard and cheeks as long as shoehorns, nodded and agreed with the suggestions of Goffman, Makarov and others.
A number of officers, including Onufri and Raffl, also agreed.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Katerina did not comment immediately, but looked at Edward standing in the corner and asked: "Edward, what do you think?"
"I don't have any opinion." Edward was not interested in Katerina's plan: "Just tell me what you need me to do."
"Don't you have any idea at all?"
"No... Oh, you can ask Father Mawei for his opinion. After all, this armed coup requires his support to succeed. If he doesn't agree, I don't think I can take action." Edward said.
Edward is very clear about his position. It is on the side of the Church of Truth. Strictly speaking, it is not an ally with Katerina. It is just that Ma Wei asked it to protect Katerina and it performed the task.
What Katerina does or what decision she makes has nothing to do with it.
"Yeah...you have to ask Father Mavey for his opinion."
Katerina nodded, asked Bodlinov to bring a monk who accompanied the army, and said: "What is Father Mavey's answer? Does he support me in launching this coup?"
The monk accompanying the army touched his hair and shook his head slowly: "The priest said that the time is not yet ripe and it is not appropriate to act."
"Immature? What's so immature?!" Makarov said in shock: "As long as he can get rid of Archbishop Henry, he doesn't need to worry about the rest! We will naturally defeat Duke Ivanovich's leadership army! Your Highness also has the right to inherit the throne!"
"This is the priest's final decision." The monk accompanying the army pressed his hands on his chest and said sincerely: "If you want to take action, the Church of Truth will not participate."
There was silence in the conference hall. Everyone knew that this coup must be supported by the Church of Truth, otherwise it would not be successful.
If Father Mawei doesn't nod, who dares to act rashly?
"It seems that Father has his own considerations..." Katerina smiled: "Since he said the time is not ripe, let's put this matter aside for the time being. Brooking, Goffman, don't cause Paul I No doubt, everything was carried out according to the original plan."
".....as you command."
Seeing the different expressions of the generals, who seemed not to be satisfied with Ma Wei's decision, Katerina clapped her hands, asked the soldiers to bring champagne, raised her glass and said: "Everyone, I am the one who can work with you, Katerina. Romanov's honor, although we have not yet ushered in the final victory, but I think that day is not far away, my father's last wish will be fulfilled, the light will shine on Romanov, Ulla."
After drinking the champagne, Katerina put down the glass and gave the order: "Pack up your things, withdraw the entire army from the royal capital Petersburg and return to Mosk."
"yes!"
After the meeting, Katerina came to the highest terrace of the Winter Palace and stood here, overlooking the city below her that was in complete ruins.
Suddenly there were footsteps behind her. Katerina turned around and saw Bodelinov standing at the stairs to the terrace, looking straight at her. She couldn't help but asked curiously: "What's wrong?"
Bodelinov smiled and said: "Your Highness, the way you looked just now reminds me of His Majesty Peter. He often goes to the balcony to watch the scenery alone."
Katerina withdrew her gaze and looked at the distant sky: "Only when you go to the terrace can you know what a prosperous city Petersburg is, but now it is ruined... Even the family I loved to sneak away to when I was a child The candy shop was in ruins. If the owner of that shop was still alive, he would be 80 years old..."
"Your Highness, what are your plans?" Bodlinov suddenly asked: "Your ideal world is not the same as Father Mavey's ideal. Sooner or later, you and him will have conflicts. You have to ask him Compromise?"
"Who knows?"
Katerina herself is not sure: "No one can predict the future. Maybe I will change him, maybe he will change me. 10 years ago, I was a little kid who wanted to escape from the palace and go out to play all day long. Girl, 10 years later...I'm already standing on top of the Winter Palace, planning a coup to pull my brother off the throne..."
"The innocent and childish me was already dead, and died with my father."
"Now I am Katerina Romanov, a woman who wants to be the emperor of the entire Romanov Kingdom."
Katerina stretched out her hand and pointed to the distant mountains shrouded in clouds and mist:
"One day, I will conquer these vast mountains and rivers and let the name Katerina ring throughout the world!"
