Catherine and the Black Emperor

Chapter 102. Parting Ways

Chapter 102. Parting Ways

Ultimately, Ivan was taken away by Sergei.

Shuvalov watched the other man leave, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"Stay close to him. You must see him escort Ivan into the Shlisel Fortress with your own eyes!" he ordered his men.

"Yes."

Shuvalov finally understood why Sergei was there.

This is an important piece left behind by Sergei!

Because after Elizabeth's death, the only one who could shake Peter's throne was Ivan VI!

Instigated by him, the relationship between Peter and Sergei deteriorated, especially after Sergei got Peter drunk and performed a circumcision on him in an attempt to win the Empress's favor, which made Peter resentful.

Therefore, if Peter were to ascend the throne, Sergei's life might not necessarily be any better than it is now.

And this court president may hold an even higher position, potentially ousting Besdudev from power!

Because Peter also disliked the Besdov-Denmark-Russia principality exchange.

Following the orders of Elizabeth relayed by Razumovsky, Sergei took Ivan VI from Shuvalov and was ordered to escort him to the Shliselburg fortress.

Clearly, Razumovsky had succeeded in persuading Elizabeth.

"Being alive is better than being dead," Sergei murmured to himself.

This was an idea he changed on his way here.

From the very beginning, he thought it would be best if Elizabeth could kill Ivan, so that Catherine wouldn't have to do it herself, and it would also save a lot of trouble.

But then he suddenly had a plan.

"Without him, for a long time after Peter ascended the throne, I would have been under Shuvalov's watchful eye."

Ivan could be a powerful tool for attracting Shuvalov's attention.

Spring has arrived in St. Petersburg.

At the Winter Palace, the women changed into thinner skirts, which accentuated their slender and beautiful figures far better than the heavy winter clothes they wore.

Catherine walked in the garden.

She wore a pink dress, with delicate features, a high nose bridge, and blue eyes full of intelligence and charm. The dress covered her long, shapely legs, but it couldn't hide her height. She was like a white swan, attracting the attention of everyone in the garden.

"Your Highness."

A voice called out to Ekaterina from behind. She turned around and saw an old man.

"Secretary Stepan, what are you going to do?"

The visitor was Stepan, the third-ranking member of the secret committee.

"I'm going to see Her Majesty; I want to show her an interesting invention."

He smiled and opened the briefcase in front of him, inside which was a flintlock pistol.

Catherine couldn't help but laugh and said, "You're three centuries too late. Pistols were invented in the 15th century."

Stepan exclaimed in surprise, "Your knowledge of military matters is astounding! But Your Highness, the unique feature of this invention is its lighter grip, which prevents soldiers from getting too tired, and the gun is also cheaper to manufacture."

Ekaterina asked the crucial question: "Will this affect the accuracy of the shooting?"

"Won't."

Ekaterina noticed Stepan's hesitation.

"Secretary-General, please feel free to speak your mind."

"Your Highness, if I fail to achieve good results with His Majesty, could you show this gun to the academicians of the Academy of Sciences? I know they are not only good at writing poetry."

Ekaterina realized the key point: "Did you research this gun?"

Stepan did not hide anything: "Yes, but Chairman Saltykov helped me a lot in the process."

Ekaterina turned her head: "Chairman?"

Stepan smiled: "The Duke said there are no secrets he needs to hide from you."

Ekaterina smiled and said, "Don't worry, Secretary General, this gun won't be forgotten."

"Thank you, Your Highness," Stepan said, deeply moved.

This is precisely why he sought out Catherine.

He knew all too well that the people at the Academy of Sciences were arrogant and looked down on him, the secretary-general of the secret committee. In the eyes of those poets and painters, all those who did secret work were inferior demons.

But he didn't want his creation to be buried.

"I didn't expect the Duke to have so much insight into military matters, but he is indeed friends with many of the Guards officers and often puts himself through rigorous military training," Catherine muttered to herself.

Stepan's eyes flickered.

Catherine's words not only demonstrate Sergei's wide circle of friends and extensive knowledge, but also indirectly reveal the close relationship between Sergei and Catherine, otherwise Catherine would not have known these things.

This made Stepan curious about what Sergei was trying to do.

"Secretary-General, I have something I'd like to ask you."

"Your Highness, please speak."

"Has the Duke's wife really disappeared?"

After a brief silence, Stepan said, "That's right, the Duchess has run away from home, and their relationship has broken down."

"I see." Ekaterina lowered her head, seemingly lost in thought.

Stepan pleaded, "Your Highness, please do not tell the Chairman that I told you about this."

"I will," Ekaterina nodded.

After Stepan left, Ekaterina's expression was complicated.

From a woman's perspective, she really liked Anastasia. Anastasia was kind-hearted, skillful, and a beautiful and happy woman, and she envied her.

But from a selfish perspective, the huge weight that had been hanging over her heart was finally lifted, and her long-standing unease disappeared.

Although nothing actually happened between her and Sergei, not even a kiss.

But she knew that her relationship with Sergei was ambiguous, and that they both had feelings for each other.

Sergei's marriage was not as painful as hers, so when she was with Sergei, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty towards Anastasia.

But now Anastasia is gone, and she doesn't want to investigate why, whether it was a breakdown in their relationship or some other problem.

"If she can come back, the Duke will be happy, and I will be happy for the Duke as well."

"If she doesn't come back, and the Duke is alone again, I will never give up love for the sake of the Grand Duchess's position!"

Ekaterina admonished herself in this way, revealing her determination.

Just then, she was interrupted by a sudden burst of laughter and cheerful chatter.

She looked up and saw her husband, Peter, chasing after a maid. Although it was the first time she had seen the maid, she was as short as Peter, which seemed to her like-minded. The woman was laughing too wildly.

"I need to find Stepan and borrow his gun!"

On the other side of the garden.

"Don't run away, you little rascal!"

Peter chased the maid to a small bridge, picked her up, but then felt she was too heavy, so he pressed her against the railing, kissing her as he undressed her.

"Your Majesty—Your Highness!"

The maid's voice was initially provocative, but the next second her body stiffened and a look of terror appeared on her face.

Peter, who was practically lying on the maid's chest, turned around and saw Ekaterina standing in front of him, holding a pistol, the sinister muzzle pointed directly at him.

Peter released the maid, who ran away in fright, falling several times in her panic.

Peter looked at Ekaterina, raised his head, his eyes filled with contempt, and even pretended to catch his breath.

"Oh, I'm so scared, I'm shaking with fear."

"Bang!" Ekaterina suddenly cried out.

Peter looked at her coldly.

Ekaterina blew on the muzzle of her gun, smiled, turned and walked away. As she walked, she started running, filled with joy and determination.

Peter looked at her and suddenly shouted, "We're going our separate ways!"

Ekaterina shouted back, "We've gone our separate ways!"