The Russian civil official bloc had long been prepared for Duke Uvarov's opposition. After all, their differences over serfdom had not arisen overnight.
Duke Uvarov was a man of many talents—he could lead armies into battle and govern the state alike. But when it came to arguing, he was far from a match for these civil officials.
Prime Minister Alexander Ivanovich Chernyshev did not debate Duke Uvarov over serfdom itself. Instead, he countered with a question.
"Duke Uvarov, can you solve the financial crisis our country is currently facing? Or do you have a way to raise the land rent paid by state serfs to the same level as free citizens?"
The land rent paid by state serfs was something Duke Uvarov absolutely dared not touch. The population of state serfs was simply too vast, numbering in the tens of millions.
Any tax increase would affect every aspect of the entire nation. Russia was too enormous, and its accumulated problems ran too deep. Even the Tsars throughout the ages had been exceedingly cautious whenever considering higher taxes on state serfs. That was why the land rent of state serfs was far lower than that of privately owned serfs.
The slightest misstep in such a matter could trigger a great rebellion across the entire country. The most recent example was the Potato Riots of 1840.
One day in 1839, Nicholas I suddenly realized that potatoes were a high-yield crop. With a group of botanists assuring him as much, he came to believe they were the best crop for guarding against famine.
Thus, Nicholas I forcibly ordered the cultivation of potatoes and introduced a potato tax: state serfs were required to hand over a fixed amount of potatoes as payment in kind.
In truth, the potato tax levied by Nicholas I was