The serfs were in fact very miserable, they ate the coarsest food and often did the hardest work without enough food, and even the lord of the manor had the right to the women of the serfs.
Some kind nobles may be a little kind to their serfs, but they still can't let these serfs be able to eat every day, and those cruel nobles don't care about the feelings of the serfs at all, anyway, in their opinion, the serfs are like a commodity, raising serfs because they can create value for themselves, and once they can't create value, then these serfs are driven to the manor is considered good, and more are arbitrarily disposed of by the nobles.
Although the Russian Empire had a decree that serfs could not be executed at will, in the eyes of the nobles this order was actually a piece of waste paper, because the master needed the consent of someone else to dispose of his belongings, even if the person was the emperor!
And every few years, there are indeed nobles who are punished for executing their serfs at will, but the reason for dealing with it is either that there is another hidden situation, or there are too many serfs dealt with at one time, and even if the punishment is not very heavy, at most it is a fine of money, and the most serious thing is to be locked up for a few years, and no nobleman has ever died because of this.
"Kazaviv, I'm telling you for the sake of our old friends for many years, and it's your business whether you listen or not!"
As he spoke, a hint of anger appeared on Penning's face.
Although Paul I didn't trust Penning very much, Penning was his teacher after all, and Penning had been with Paul I for a long time, so some emperors were still good to Penning.
Some thoughts and some documents, the emperor will have some exchanges with Pan Ning.
In such a situation, Penning was able to guess the idea of Paul I through some corners and some of his own associations.
And the emperor's sympathy for the poor and serfs naturally could not be concealed from Pan Ning.
Not long ago, that is, the day after Pan Ning had just bought the serfs, the emperor also told Pan Ning to treat those serfs well after learning the news, and even the emperor revealed to Pan Ning that he was ready to thoroughly investigate the number of serfs owned by the nobles, so as to better improve the living conditions for the serfs.
That's why when Kazaviv mentioned the serfs, Panin's face was so unnatural.
"Hey, hey.
Your Excellency Penning, you just said that we have been friends for many years, and you know that.
My son is courting your niece, and I can't say that we will be able to get closer in the future, so you might as well tell me some things as well?
” Hearing Kazaviv's words, Penning said angrily: "I've made that clear enough to you.
Your Majesty, our Emperor, you don't know it.
Those untouchables don't know what is good and is actually seriously regarded by His Majesty the Emperor, and in the future, I estimate that there will be a few more laws in the empire!
” "Are you talking about the emancipation of serfs?"
Kazaviv's face was shocked, and he thought that Penning was implying that Paul I would abolish serfdom, in which case the nobles would be in bad luck.
Seeing Kazaviv's appearance, Penning reprimanded him with some anger: "Look at your appearance, is this still the Marquis of the Empire!"
"That's what you're saying.
What you're saying is " Although Kazaviv paid lip service, he was disdainful of Panning in his heart.
He Kazaviv was a dignified imperial marquis.
And although Pan Ning is the emperor's teacher, he is only an earl, if it weren't for Pan Ning's trust in the emperor, he Kazaviv would have used the flattery of being inferior in front of Pan Ning!
"It is not enough to abolish serfdom, although His Majesty the Emperor is very sympathetic to those poor people and serfs, but now the empire is still at war, if serfdom is abolished now, will it not push the nobles to the side of the rebels!
However, His Majesty the Emperor has also told me that the laws of the empire are not effective in protecting those serfs, and the punishment for the execution of serfs by the nobles is quite light......."
As he spoke, Penning's head turned back and forth, and after making sure that only the two of them could hear his words, Penning whispered: "I estimate that His Majesty the Emperor will start a thorough investigation of the number of serfs in the homes of the major nobles throughout the country, and at the same time, he may also send people down to inspect the behavior of the nobles!"
Hearing that serfdom would not be abolished, Kazaviv's heart was lightened, but when he heard that the emperor was going to thoroughly investigate the number of serfs and inspect the behavior of the nobility, Kazaviv's heart rose again.
Others don't say it, Kazaviv himself still knows his own situation.
There were more than 1,000 serfs in his family, but in the report of the imperial government, his Kazaviv's family had only more than 300 serfs.
The reason why the number of serfs was concealed was that these serfs were subject to taxes.
Every serf under the name of a nobleman was required to pay taxes, and the taxes were not levied on those serfs but on the nobility.
On the one hand, this was to limit the number of serfs owned by the nobles, and on the other hand, it was also to increase the revenue of the imperial treasury.
And if the number of serfs increased or decreased dramatically, the nobles would have to pay an additional tax.
Under such circumstances, naturally all the nobles were desperately trying their best to conceal the number of serfs they owned, and the more than 200 serfs purchased by Pan Ning some time ago paid a lot of taxes.
But what Penning didn't expect was that the serfs on his side had just been bought, and Paul I over there would have to thoroughly investigate the number of serfs, you must know that Penning had already concealed hundreds of people before, and if it was found out, the number of serfs he owned exceeded the number of serfs that he, the earl, could have, then wouldn't he be ruined again.
Thinking about it, Pan Ning's face became even more bitter.
"Your Excellency Pan Ning, His Majesty the Emperor is simply dizzy for doing this, who doesn't hide a few serfs from his family, if it really comes according to the imperial decree, our nobles' annual income will only have to pay taxes, what do we eat and drink!"
"Kazaviv, you are presumptuous!"
Hearing that Kazaviv's words were a little disrespectful to the emperor, Panin quickly stood up and angrily reprimanded: "Kazaviv.
You're a pig's head!
No, maybe even pigs are smarter than you.
His Majesty the Emperor's actions are beyond your control!
” "Your Excellency Pan Ning, although I am only a marquis, I am also a member of the Duma, and His Majesty the Emperor's actions are completely shaking the foundation of the empire, what can I not say!"
Free novels bring you joy and joy ---> storyskyline.net
Unexpectedly, Kazaviv, who had always behaved in front of Penin, actually went toe-to-toe with Penning, such a Kazaviv made Panning feel a little tricky, he sat down angrily and said: "I'll Kill You" Panning was seen to regain his composure.
Kazaviv said with a look of hideousness on his face: "Your Excellency Penning, I won't tell you, a few days ago.
Those people are coming to me again!
” Hearing Kazaviv mention those people, Penin's face was shocked "What are those people doing here?"
"It's not just for that matter, but recently I heard that many people in St.
Petersburg were involved in those people, and even heard that His Highness Alexander was pushed out by them!"
Penning's face was no longer describable with shock.
Those whom Kazaviv said.
The old fox-like Penning naturally knew who they were.
It was the aforementioned people who were dissatisfied with Paul I, and out of sympathy for the nobles, and because the network of relationships between the nobles could not be described in terms of mere intertwining, Penning did not report to Paul I.
Of course, the deeper reason is that Penning doesn't know what kind of attitude he should use to treat Paul I now, and the two seem to be in harmony, but the fact that Penning followed Catherine II's order to spy on Paul still left a deep grudge in Paul I's heart.
And with the coming to power of Paul I, some of the emperor's actions also frightened Penning, so Penning finally decided to save his life.
But what he didn't expect was.
The news revealed by Kazaviv was so shocking that those people actually pushed His Royal Highness Alexander out.
In the time of Catherine II.
The empress wanted to pass the throne directly to her grandson, but it was eventually annulled due to the opposition of the Romanov royal family, and now those who were dissatisfied with Paul I pushed Alexander out, their intentions were obvious.
And one of these people is the representative of these people, and that is Nikolai.
Zubov.
Nikolai.
Zubov was the son-in-law of Marshal Suvorov, but at the same time this Nikolai was also the younger brother of Zupov, the lover of Catherine II.
After Paul I came to power, he planned to counterattack all of Catherine II's lovers, and as Catherine II's two favorite lovers, Potemkin and Zubov ended up being killed, and Nikolai was the son-in-law of Marshal Suvorov, and at the same time, Paul I had to rely on Marshal Suvorov to stabilize his rule in the military at the beginning of his reign, so Nikolai survived.
But the rest of the Zubov family was not so lucky, and the forty or so members of the family, except for a dozen adult males who were executed for treason, children and women were all exiled to the ice fields of the far north to fend for themselves.
After Suvorov's death, in order to show his respect for Suvorov, the Suvorov family was reused, and Nikolai also entered the Praetorian Guard as a middle-ranking officer.
This not only gave Nicholas the opportunity to get close to Paul I, but also made Nicholas even more eager to take revenge on Paul I.
Knowing that he was not the only one who had this idea, Nikolai immediately became the vanguard of "these people", and in the name of the Suvorov family, Nikolai encircled and sheltered many nobles in St.
Petersburg, and these nobles later joined "these people".
It was Nikolai's idea to push Alexander out, he knew that there was no suitable person, even if he and others overthrew Paul I and rushed to the end, they were just a traitor, they did not have the strength to lead the empire, and Alexander was not at all.
After the accession of Paul I, Alexander was the crown prince of the empire, and in the time of Catherine II, many courtiers who were valued by Catherine II had already sworn allegiance to Alexander, and it can be said that in the eyes of the old ministers of Catherine II's time, Alexander was more suitable to become the emperor of the empire than Paul I.
Pushing Alexander out not only shows that he and others are not plotting to usurp the throne, but also can entrap the old ministers of Catherine II, who are struggling to survive under the suppression of Paul I.
"How can they be like this, His Royal Highness Alexander is only fifteen years old, and he is pushed to the fore by them like this, and one day he will be discovered by His Majesty the Emperor" Penning's face looked a little anxious, and like many people, Penning was also optimistic about Alexander.
As a child, Alexander was brought up by his grandmother Catherine II, and when Alexander was three years old, Catherine II even asked Alexander to read the edicts.
When Alexander was seven years old, Catherine II even tried to hand over some documents that were not too important to Alexander to deal with, not only that, but the teacher that Catherine II chose for Alexander could be said to be the best in the whole of Europe, and even as a compulsory imperial mind subject for the empire, Catherine II acted as Alexander's teacher.
Under the careful training of Catherine II, Alexander's brilliant brain was brought into play, and he understood politics thoroughly at a young age.
"Your Excellency Pan Ning, originally I was not optimistic about those people, but if His Majesty the Emperor really implements this draft, then I will have to join those people, not only me, Your Excellency Pan Ning, you think about those estates and serfs in your own family, the interests of all of us will be threatened by His Majesty the Emperor, if it really goes that far, I can't say that the empire will be completely chaotic!"
What exactly is in chaos in the empire, Kazaviv did not elaborate, but both Penin and Kazaviv knew what it meant.
After Kazaviv left, Penning, who was still sitting in the garden, was silent for a long time, and then he still felt that he was a teacher and student after all, and Paul I was okay with Penning, so Penning still decided to persuade Paul I.
But what Penning did not expect was that Paul I was not prepared to listen to his persuasion at all, and even Paul I told Penning that he was ready to send the bill to the Duma tomorrow to thoroughly investigate the number of serfs.
Even if the Duma did not agree, Paul I was ready to force his way through it with the authority of his own emperor.
This news made Penning feel like a thunderbolt, and he knew what kind of waves this bill would set off once it was sent to the Duma.
It is no exaggeration to say that that would drown the entire empire!