Maria Theodora, upon hearing Duke Golitsyn’s speech, did not feel joy for her son being nominated as the New Tsar. Instead, like Empress Feodorovna, her heart was filled with fear.

Is there anyone in St. Petersburg who doesn’t know that what Duke Golitsyn refers to as the New Russian Empire is a replica of the former French Republic, and he is merely donning the garb of the Russian Empire to put on a show for the Kingdom of Britain and the French Empire?

Once Duke Golitsyn completely stabilizes the situation, her son could very likely end up like Louis XVI of the French Republic, perishing at the gallows.

"Duke Golitsyn... no, Governor Golitsyn!" Maria Theodora pleaded in a trembling voice to the elder controlling their lives, "My son is too young, and he lacks the ability to serve as Tsar. Please spare him!"

"Your Highness, I’m sorry!" Duke Golitsyn sighed, spread his hands, and replied to Maria Theodora, "This is the order of the Constitutional Committee, and no one can defy it!"

"Governor Golitsyn, the Constitutional Committee was created by you! Surely you have a way!" Maria Theodora continued to plead with Duke Golitsyn, "My son is only 11 years old. He truly lacks the capability to serve as Tsar! I beg of you, please choose someone else!"

"I’m sorry!" Duke Golitsyn responded coldly to Maria Theodora without mercy: "Even I cannot disobey the order of the Constitutional Committee! Grand Duke Nicholas (Nikolai Alexandrovich) must assume the throne!

And please remember, Grand Duke Nicholas’s position as Tsar is chosen by the Constitutional Committee, not granted by God (the implication being that the New Russian Empire is shifting from divine monarchy to people-endowed monarchy, thereby diminishing the sanctity and certain powers of the monarch)!"

Having said that, Duke Golitsyn also informed Maria Theodora that the time for Grand Duke Nicholas’s coronation would be upon the arrival of the ambassadors from the Sardinian Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweden. He hoped that during this period, Lady Maria Theodora would behave herself; otherwise, any irrational move could bring a catastrophic disaster to both her and her son.

Seeing no way to oppose Duke Golitsyn, Maria Theodora had to forcibly calm herself down to seek some hope of survival for herself and her children.

"Governor Golitsyn!" Maria Theodora’s voice still carried a tremor as she asked, "If my son agrees to follow your orders and be crowned as Tsar, can you assure the safety of my poor child’s life?"

"Your Highness, even the French at that time didn’t wholeheartedly want to establish a Republic!" Duke Golitsyn didn’t directly answer Maria Theodora but responded by quoting historical parallels: "Even Robespierre, despised by you as the Governor of the Republic, was once a Royalist! If it weren’t for Louis XVI repeatedly squandering the trust the Parisians placed in him, he wouldn’t have been sent to the gallows.

In other words, Louis XVI’s own foolishness led to his demise!"

Duke Golitsyn’s words brought a slight sense of comfort to the anxious heart of Maria Theodora, and she quickly responded to Duke Golitsyn: "Governor Golitsyn, rest assured! We will certainly follow your arrangements!"

"That’s most reassuring!" Duke Golitsyn nodded with satisfaction, "I personally am not wholly obsessed with abolishing the Tsar system, as long as His Majesty can obediently follow arrangements!

I can promise your safety on behalf of the Constitutional Committee!"

After a brief pause, Duke Golitsyn continued, "However, part of the Romanov family’s property may suffer losses!"

"Consider it as a gift to you!" Maria Theodora promptly responded to Duke Golitsyn.

"Your Highness, this property does not belong to me, but to the entire Russian Empire!" Duke Golitsyn specifically emphasized, "Although these assets cannot absolve the Romanov family of their sins, they are enough to change the perception of the Russian Empire’s citizens towards the Romanov family!"

"Let’s proceed as you wish!" Maria Theodora quickly responded to Duke Golitsyn. She didn’t care how Russian Empire citizens viewed her. Her primary concern now was to ensure the safety of her family.

"Your Highness, it seems we have reached a consensus!" Duke Golitsyn, having achieved his goal, spoke slowly and calmly to Maria Theodora, no longer aggressive in his tone: "Could you do one more thing for me?"

"What thing?" Maria Theodora inquired of Duke Golitsyn.

"I hope you will write a letter to your husband, Citizen Alexander (since Duke Golitsyn firmly refused to acknowledge Alexander II’s claim to the throne, he referred to Alexander II as Citizen Alexander)," Duke Golitsyn sincerely responded to Maria Theodora: "Tell him that I personally do not wish to reach the point of armed conflict with Citizen Alexander!

After all, whether I defeat him or he defeats me, the entire Russian Empire would suffer irreparable harm.

So, for the sake of the entire Russian Empire, could you implore Alexander to go abroad?

If he is willing to go abroad, the Constitutional Committee is willing to provide Citizen Alexander with a lump sum of ten million Rubles to cover his expenses for overseas journeys!

This money is enough to ensure his peaceful retirement!"

Despite understanding that the conflict with Alexander II was inevitable, Duke Golitsyn held onto a sliver of hope for Alexander II.

If by any chance, Alexander II agreed to leave Russia, wouldn’t an internal war be effectively avoided?

Moreover, the one about to become the Tsar is his son.

Does Crown Prince Alexander really want to shamelessly seize the throne from his own son?

Maria Theodora hesitated for a moment, then responded to Duke Golitsyn: "Governor Golitsyn, you should know that the throne of the Russian Empire symbolizes the supreme authority of the entire Russian Empire!

No one is willing to abandon it, even if I write to him, he will certainly not agree!"

"Your Highness! Please rest assured!" Duke Golitsyn naturally understood the subtext of Maria Theodora, and he quickly reassured her: "Even if Citizen Alexander is unwilling to leave the Russian Empire, I will not hold it against you because of this incident!

Your son is still the Tsar of the Russian Empire, and you are still the esteemed Empress Dowager!

As for Citizen Alexander..."

Duke Golitsyn let out a gentle sigh, and the meaning was self-evident.

[PS: The fine tradition of a coup in the Russian Empire is firstly to kill the father and spare the son, and secondly, the new Tsar does not engage in retaliation, therefore, even if Duke Golitsyn really killed the father of the new Tsar, the new Tsar would not later implicate Duke Golitsyn’s nine clans after assuming power.

This peculiar coup system naturally originated from the Roman Empire back in the day.]

"Very well!" Maria Theodora nodded and responded to Duke Golitsyn, "I will write to my husband and ask him to lay down his arms!"

"Your Highness, you are working to prevent a civil war in the Russian Empire!" Duke Golitsyn bowed once again to Maria Theodora, "On behalf of the Russian Empire, I thank you for your efforts!" 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

A wry smile appeared at the corner of Maria Theodora’s mouth; if possible, she would naturally not want to write such a letter, but now she had no choice.

After Duke Golitsyn left, Maria Theodora collapsed to the ground with a "thump" and began to sob uncontrollably.

The eleven-year-old Nikolai Alexandrovich, upon hearing Maria Theodora’s cries, quickly gathered his ten-year-old brother (the future Alexander III) and came to Maria Theodora’s side. He patted Maria Theodora’s shoulder with his pale hand and said with a tender voice, "Mother, don’t cry, don’t cry!"

"Niki, I’m sorry!" Maria Theodora hugged Nikolai Alexandrovich and, crying, said to him, "I haven’t protected you well!"

"It’s alright!" Nikolai Alexandrovich, not knowing the fate he would soon face, shook his head to comfort Maria Theodora, concerned about her health.

...

On the other hand, Duke Golitsyn, after returning from the residence of Crown Prince Alexander to the Ministry of War, once again issued orders to Andrew Nikolaevich Golitsyn, requesting him to immediately post the order appointing Nikolai Alexandrovich as Tsar on every street in St. Petersburg.

Because doing so could help stabilize people’s hearts.

"Yes!" Andrew Nikolaevich Golitsyn promptly responded.

In the following day, Andrew sent people to post everywhere and spread the news of the new Tsar’s accession.

Residents of St. Petersburg, upon hearing that a new Tsar had ascended, finally felt some relief; after all, over two hundred years of Tsarist autocracy in Russia could not be abolished with a single order.

A significant portion of the residents living in the Peterburg Region detested Nicholas I but did not loathe the Tsarist system.

Then, rumors circulated that the temporary government formed by Duke Golitsyn had reached an agreement with the Romanov Clan.

Public sentiment in St. Petersburg stabilized considerably, and some nobles who were considering rebellion halted their actions and began to observe.

If the new Tsar’s accession could restore the privileges abolished by the temporary government, then they would not rebel.

Unfortunately, they did not realize that their observation marked the beginning of their downfall.