After Count Stroganov had recounted Queen Mary's attitude in detail, Catherine II asked impatiently:
"What does the French political establishment think of this?"
A matter as significant as a marriage alliance between two nations had never been something a King or Queen could decide alone. It represented the political will of the entire country.
"Most ministers have yet to state their positions," the ambassador to France said. "However, as I have mentioned many times in my previous reports, the Crown Prince of France is now the true holder of power at Versailles Palace.
"And according to what I heard from Countess de Berninac, it was precisely because the Crown Prince of France had fallen for Her Highness the Princess that the Queen decided to propose a marriage alliance.
"Therefore, I believe the core ministers of France will not raise any objections."
The Tsar laughed happily. "Heh heh, Sasha is beloved wherever she goes."
France's signal of a marriage alliance at this moment was, to her, like a drowning man suddenly clutching a piece of driftwood.
For centuries, Russia's mode of operation had always been this—squeeze the people within for all they were worth, then release the internal pressure through foreign expansion, thus maintaining a balance.
Therefore, no matter how brutal a Tsar was in Russian history, as long as he won foreign wars, his throne would stand as steady as Mount Tai. The Russians would even sing praises of his tyranny as martial valor.
But once foreign expansion failed, awls would begin to sprout beneath the reigning Tsar's backside.
Catherine II knew very clearly that ever since Russia had suffered a setback in Poland, and Crimea had been thrown into utter chaos by Kościuszko, undercurrents of opposition to her had begun to surge through Saint Petersburg.
She herself had seized