The Shadow of Great Britain

Capítulo 1413: Chapter 213: I Have Connections in the Caucasus!

“And you? What events do you have planned for the next few days? The Maslenitsa festival has just begun, and there are events in St. Petersburg almost every day this coming week.”

“Events?”

Arthur counted on his fingers, mumbling: “First day, Meeting Day; second day, Frolic Day; third day, Sweet Day; fourth day, Square Day; fifth day, Mother-in-law Day; sixth day, Sisters-in-law Day; seventh day, Forgiveness Day. Apart from Meeting Day on the first day and Square Day on the fourth, I’ll probably be at home by the fire.”

Pushkin asked, “Don’t you have any plans for tomorrow? Frolic Day is an excellent day for young singles to find a partner.”

Amused by Pushkin’s words, Arthur lowered his teacup and said with a smile, “Mr. Pushkin, do I look like a young single? Besides, being unmarried is true, but I am not here in St. Petersburg to find a partner. My mission is ‘cultural exchange,’ not ‘social matchmaking.’

Pushkin raised an eyebrow: “Then you really should go out, after all, Frolic Day is part of Russian traditional folklore. By the way, did you receive an invitation to the concert in April?”

“I almost forgot about it until you mentioned it.” Arthur inquired, “The Duchess Dolgorukaya and Countess Shuvalov visited the embassy two days ago. They said it’s a charity concert to raise funds for the poor and hoped I could contribute to the charitable cause.”

“How much do they want you to donate?”

Arthur leaned back on the sofa: “It’s not about money; they want me to play a piece and mentioned that His Majesty the Tsar and Count Benkendorf would also be attending.”

“Did you agree?”

“Not yet.” Arthur picked up his teacup, reminiscing about the scene: “I saw some complaints in the newspapers saying it should not be organized by these two ladies, so I haven’t officially responded yet. Did they do something wrong in the past?”

Pushkin didn’t know how to answer Arthur’s question. He pondered for a while without finding a good way, so he could only lower his voice and confess: “Well, regarding these two ladies. Duchess Dolgorukaya is Potemkin’s mistress and the lover of all Italian castrati. As for Countess Shuvalov, she is a flirtatious Polish woman, meaning she has a notorious reputation. I must admit, our high society doesn’t put much emphasis on the moral standards it should uphold.”

Hearing this, Arthur widened his eyes. He had seen his share of fickle women, which wasn’t too surprising.

However, ‘lover of Italian castrati’ in Pushkin’s words, made him want to get to the bottom of it.

“Lover of Italian castrati? Are you joking, or is this a factual statement?”

“Half joke, half fact,” Pushkin replied. “You know that Italian castrato singers are quite famous in the music world, don’t you?”

Arthur nodded: “Of course. Due to being castrated in childhood, they can maintain the high pitch and clarity of a child’s voice in adulthood while also possessing the volume and control of a male voice. However, with great composers like Rossini and Bellini increasingly favoring bel canto operas, which almost wholly rely on tenors, castrato singers are becoming scarce.”

Pushkin shook his head with a smile: “Perhaps in France, castrato singers are gradually disappearing, but for Russia, there are still many hymns to sing, and castrato singers are quite marketable. Besides, these castrato singers have delicate skin and fair looks, which naturally attract women. Of course, Dolgorukaya doesn’t always need a castrato; as long as someone has the fair complexion like a castrato, she’ll do.”

Arthur regretfully shook his head: “Judging from what you’ve just told me, do you think I should refuse their invitation to perform?”

“Why?” Pushkin teased. “Are you worried that they have ulterior motives? I remember you telling me stories about fighting with thugs in London’s East District. Could they be more frightening than armed bandits?”

“Of course not.” Arthur shook his head: “These ladies are beautiful; I’m certainly not afraid of them. But judging by the information you’ve just shared, if I get too close to them, I might end up encountering a group of armed Italian castrati on my way home some night.”

“Not only that.” Pushkin laughed heartily: “There might even be a few among them who weren’t quite properly castrated, and they might hold the rank of general.”

Hearing this, Arthur teased: “Is Paskevich among them?”

Pushkin paused at the mention of this name.

In Russia, there are many nobles with the surname Paskevich, but Pushkin was sure that Arthur was referring to none other than the Governor of Poland, Prince of Warsaw, and Count of Yerevan, Ivan Fyodorovich Paskevich.

If to rank the most famous living Russian generals, Paskevich would be a strong contender.

He not only participated with Count Benkendorf in the trial of the Decembrists but also made considerable military achievements in nearly every war initiated after Tsar Nicholas I’s ascension.

During the 1827 Russo-Persian War, while serving as Governor of the Caucasus, Paskevich, as Commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Army, defeated the Persian New Army led by Persian Prince Abbas Mirza and captured the stronghold fortress of Yerevan.

The following year, during the Eighth Russo-Turkish War, Paskevich was sent to the Caucasus Region under the Ottoman Turkish Empire’s control. He thoroughly eliminated Ottoman military influence in the Caucasus, forcing the Ottoman Empire to relinquish its suzerainty over the Caucasus.