Don't Even Think About Stealing My Throne

That evening, major and minor evening newspapers in Petersburg and across the Tsarist Russian Empire had already begun reporting the assassination of Tsar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra.

Moreover, their reports spoke with certainty, claiming that the Bolshevik Party had assassinated the great tsar.

The early editions, morning papers, and other newspapers published in the morning were also rushing to replace the next day's front-page headlines.

Some newspapers even rushed out special editions devoted to the incident to capitalize on the attention.

Without exception, almost every newspaper followed the Ministry of Internal Affairs' investigation results and pinned the murder on the Bolshevik Party.

In an instant, countless people were furious.

They cursed the despicable murderers and vented their anger on the Bolshevik Party as well.

The Bolshevik Party became a rat scurrying across the street, with everyone shouting for it to be beaten.

Minister of Internal Affairs Vyacheslav Plehve also ordered a nationwide manhunt for members of the Bolshevik Party.

As a result, many Bolshevik Party members were arrested.

The vast majority of them would be sent to Siberia to dig potatoes.

Some had fled abroad in advance. But whether they would ever have a chance to return was hard to say.

At the same time, the empire's people began discussing the new tsar. Who could inherit the throne and become the new tsar had become the focus of everyone's attention.

It was not only the people of the Tsarist Russian Empire who were watching; countries around the world were paying attention as well.

The Tsarist Russian Empire's neighbors, especially those with a grudge against it, were already rubbing their fists and palms, looking for a chance to gain some advantage.

Most people believed that Grand Duke Mikhail, first in line to the throne, should inherit it and become the new tsar.

But the Tsarist Russian Empire's leaders had yet to reach an agreement on the issue.

Some ministers supported following the "Law of Succession to the Throne" and declaring Grand Duke Mikhail the heir. But there were also quite a few who opposed it.

Besides Grand Duke Nicholas, Finance Minister Sergei Witte was strongly opposed.

There were also several other ministers.

Among them were acting minister of war Kuropatkin, minister of the navy Admiral Nikolai Chikhachyov, and chief of the general staff General Nikolai Obruchev.

They were all Nicholas II's trusted confidants, and they feared they would be purged once Grand Duke Mikhail came to power. Naturally, they did not want him to become the new tsar.

Besides, Grand Duke Nicholas and Sergei Witte had proposed a new plan: let Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna inherit the throne.

If the plan succeeded, these men would have no worries behind them.

Moreover, everyone had also realized something.

Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna was young. Even if she became tsarina, she would be nothing more than a puppet.

They could easily strip the tsarina of real authority and hold power themselves.

That was far better than letting Grand Duke Mikhail become tsar.

For all these reasons, most of the Tsarist Russian Empire's leaders were inclined to support Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna as the new tsarina.

To counter the prevailing momentum behind Grand Duke Mikhail's succession, they began instructing certain newspapers to smear him, claiming that someone else had been behind Tsar Nicholas II's assassination, or outright declaring that the assassins were Grand Duke Mikhail's men and that he had framed the Bolshevik Party.

The Bolshevik Party was unwilling to sit and await its doom. Seeing such an opportunity, it also began defending itself with all its might, claiming it had been framed.

For a time, the winds of public opinion across the Tsarist Russian Empire kept shifting.

Grand Duke Mikhail had the initial advantage: most newspapers supported him, and most of the people likewise supported him becoming the new tsar.

But conspiracy theories were also rampant.

More and more people seized on the conflict between Grand Duke Mikhail and Nicholas II, refusing to let it go and trying to dump the pot of shit on his head.

In other words, they wanted to establish his guilt for sending men to assassinate Nicholas II.

An order forged by Sergei Witte and the others, in which Nicholas II named Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna the empire's crown princess, was also brought out.

However, it had not passed review by the State Duma and could not serve as evidence for amending the "Law of Succession to the Throne."

But amid the campaign to sway public opinion, quite a few people also considered it reasonable for Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna to inherit the throne.

This made the entire situation even more chaotic.

Far away in Volgograd, Grand Duke Mikhail knew the latest developments like the back of his hand through his intelligence agencies.

"Gentlemen, it seems the whole situation is still moving in a direction we did not wish to see.

"My dear cousin and those imperial leaders like Sergei Witte do not want me to inherit the throne.

"Once I inherit it, I will not be as easy to fool as His Majesty Nicholas II.

"It will be absolutely impossible for them to keep lining their own pockets!

"So, even if it plunges the entire country into chaos, they will stop me from inheriting the throne.

"They have even pushed out my niece, who is only two and a half years old, hoping to put her on the tsar's throne and make her the fifth tsarina in the empire's history!"

Grand Duke Mikhail's face was filled with anger.

There had been four tsarinas in the Tsarist Russian Empire's history: Catherine I, Anna I, Elizabeth I, and Catherine II.

And now, quite a few people wanted Grand Duchess Olga Nikolaevna to become the fifth.

For Grand Duke Mikhail, this was undoubtedly absolutely unacceptable.

Although he had indeed sent men to kill Nicholas II.

But he and Nicholas II had already become as incompatible as fire and water.

If he had not killed Nicholas II, he would have been the one to die.

So he felt no guilt over it.

The victor became king, the loser an outlaw. There was nothing to be said about it!

On the contrary, Grand Duke Mikhail also believed that rather than let the entire empire decline step by step under Nicholas II's rule until it finally collapsed, it would be better to change tsars. Perhaps that could reverse the Tsarist Russian Empire's fate.

Now, someone wanted to steal the throne that belonged to him. That was absolutely out of the question.

"Your Highness, it seems everything is just as you predicted. Those fellows really do intend to violate the 'Law of Succession to the Throne.' They are willing to do so even if it puts the entire empire in danger." Lieutenant General Brusilov, chief of staff of the Caucasus Military District, wore a grave expression.

He had originally thought that after Nicholas II's death, Grand Duke Mikhail's succession would follow as a matter of course.

He had not expected matters to come to the point of resorting to force after all.

"Those fellows are determined to follow this road into the dark! And now we have no other choice either. If we let them steal the throne, what awaits us will be endless suppression.

"Your Highness, I suggest we act immediately and use force to take the throne that is yours by right!"

Major General Vasily, director of the Intelligence Bureau, offered his suggestion.

Grand Duke Mikhail nodded. "Order the army to prepare. Tomorrow morning, I will formally announce our march on Petersburg!

"No one can steal my throne!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" the generals answered in unison.