Twenty minutes later, Kishchenko left the cabin with a heavy heart.
He had just seen the original of "Paul's Curse."
It was said that, on his deathbed, Tsar Paul had written it in his own blood on the corner of his garment, then stuffed it into a chair cushion. Later, when a servant from Gatchina Palace had been ordered to burn the furniture, he discovered it and secretly handed it over to an officer loyal to Paul.
Of course, all of that had been fabricated by the Security Bureau.
After Alexander I ascended the throne, he dismissed a large number of former Gatchina Palace servants. Several of them had died in various accidents over the past few years.
The Security Bureau had selected one of them and pinned the story of "taking Paul's blood-written letter out" on his head.
If anyone became suspicious and investigated that man's history, they would definitely find no flaws. And since he had drowned in an accident, people would instead suspect that the Tsar had ordered his silence—when in truth, he had merely drunk too much and stumbled into a river.
Paul's death had already been shrouded in doubt. Many who saw the blood-written letter immediately believed it, even giving it the name "Paul's Curse."
With the blessing of that thing, Chaddov's "Revenge Faction" rapidly expanded. Now, even attendees for the weekly secret gatherings had to be chosen by drawing lots, lest there be too many people and the Secret Police discover them.
That continued until Kishchenko, the leader of the "Liberal Reformist Faction," heard of the matter and eventually tracked him down.
Chaddov originally had not wanted to pay any attention to these noble lords, but that gentleman believed they could cooperate with them. Thus came today's scene.
Yes, according to Joseph's plan, prisoners