Catherine and the Black Emperor

047. Recruiting Yuri

Hay Market, Sivagin Hotel.

Yuri was awakened from his sleep by a series of urgent and loud knocks on the door.

"Who?" he asked warily.

He was well aware of what he had been doing during this period, especially in the last two days, with the number of petitioners increasing, which he believed was enough to alarm the Russian court.

"Yuri, the secret police will be here soon! Head to Sitney Market..." A deep voice came from outside.

"Who are you!"

Yuri called out, but there was no response from outside; clearly, the person who had come had already left.

Without hesitation, he quickly got up and dressed.

The fact that the other party knew his name meant that things were not simple. Regardless of whether what the other party said was true or false, he could not stay here.

Yuri grabbed his coat, didn't go through the door, but opened the window and climbed out.

Yuri had barely hidden in the alley opposite the hotel when he saw a group of secret police storm into the hotel.

He felt a wave of fear wash over him, but thankfully he ran fast.

"Any slower and it'll fall into the hands of those bastards!"

As a retired soldier, and a major at that, he knew all too well that those taken to the secret committee almost never had a good ending; it was a place where one could not even die.

"Sitney Market," Yuri murmured to himself.

When the mysterious person reminded him, they also gave him an address, clearly indicating that he should go there after escaping.

Yuri hesitated briefly, then left the Hay Market and headed towards the Citta Market.

The other party was acting out of goodwill, and he wanted to see who they were and why they were helping him.

Yuri arrived at the Sitney market and, after asking around, entered a secluded blacksmith shop.

"Bang!"

Yuri had barely stepped inside when he was knocked unconscious from behind with a stick. When he woke up, he was lying on a bed, rubbing the back of his head. The house was decorated like an old one, and the lively sounds coming from outside seemed to be from the Sitney Market.

"Let's get straight to the point." A gentle voice came from somewhere.

Yuri saw the young man standing in front of the table pouring hot chocolate.

"Who are you?"

Sergei ignored the other man's question and disregarded his wariness, handing him a cup of hot chocolate. Yuri glanced at him, took the cup, but didn't drink it.

"Yuri, a musketeer, excelled in marksmanship during his military service, but his combat record was not outstanding. He later served in the Imperial Guard for three years before retiring and working as a horse groom for the landowner Valentin..."

Yuri was not surprised that Sergei revealed his personal information.

"What do you want to do?"

Sergei looked at him, put down his cup, and said, "Because your wife and daughter died tragically, you became psychologically twisted, molested a girl and were driven away by Valentin, becoming a rat that everyone hates. What makes you think you can call for demonstrations?"

"Who are you?!" Yuri stood up angrily.

Sergei remained unmoved by his reaction: "Some of those who approached you were bribed by the French, and some had just been released from the fortress and hate Russia. Do you still think you initiated this petition? Think again, how did you know that the former legitimate emperor was imprisoned in the fortress?"

Hearing what the other person said, Yuri calmed down.

His eyes flickered, and after a moment he sat back down.

Just as the other party said, he carefully recalled the incident and discovered the oddity.

Just as he began to persuade the people, they approached him one after another, providing not only manpower but also considerable financial support, which allowed the petition at the hay market to grow in scale.

But each of those people revealed something was amiss. Even he, a retired major, didn't have much money. Those people were just ordinary citizens. Where did they get that money?

Is someone willing to give away all the money they've saved up their whole life?

"What do they want to do?" Yuri couldn't help but ask.

Sergei countered, "What do you want to do?"

Yuri answered without hesitation: "Let the Russian imperial family release the former legitimate emperor and stabilize Russian rule! With Empress Elizabeth critically ill and the Grand Duke deceased, the court will be ruled by treacherous ministers like Lestoker and Shuvalov, and the whole of Russia will be in chaos! Powerful European countries like Prussia, Austria, and France will seize the opportunity to partition Russia!"

Sergei heard what he wanted to hear.

Just as he had guessed, Yuri was a patriotic man. He had been misled; the news of Elizabeth's critical illness did not come from him. Rather, he was made to believe the news first. Worried about Russia's future, he launched this petition.

"This is the answer I am most satisfied with. However, I can tell you that Empress Elizabeth is not critically ill. She is in good health, and Russia will not be partitioned by Prussia or France under her rule."

Upon hearing Sergei's words, Yuri was immediately taken aback.

"What? Queen Elizabeth isn't critically ill?"

He suddenly fell silent, as if he had thought of something.

Sergei said bluntly, "It seems you've figured it out. That's right, this source of information was also prepared for you by a conspirator. It was the French who were behind it, and the person has already been arrested."

"And what about the Grand Duke?"

"The Grand Duke has indeed contracted smallpox and is in critical condition, but regardless of whether he is seriously ill or not, at least Empress Elizabeth is currently capable of stabilizing the situation in Russia, and the successor to the throne is not something you need to worry about." Sergei stared at him.

Yuri nodded: "I will go to court and stand trial."

"If that's the case, then you've really disappointed me. I never expected to go to such lengths to save a spineless coward," Sergei said sarcastically.

"Who are you calling a spineless coward?" Yuri questioned.

If he were a spineless coward, would he have turned himself in?

"So what if you're tried in court? You'll just be paying the price for your actions. But the real culprits behind these conspiracies are others. They're the ones who should be punished. You shouldn't suffer for them; you should be the sword that punishes them! Deliver a fatal blow from the darkness, piercing the heart of each of them!" Sergei's voice was firm and powerful.

Yuri was shocked by his impassioned voice: "You...who exactly are you?"

"Going back to what you just said, one Lestoker, one Shuvalov. I have good news and bad news. The good news is that Lestoker is dead, and the bad news is... I'm working for Shuvalov."

"You're a member of the secret committee! You're a secret police officer!"

Despite saying this, Yuri wasn't on high alert, because if the other side wanted to capture him, they wouldn't have given him advance notice to help him escape.

"Now you have two choices: turn yourself in and, incidentally, expose me. I believe that with the methods of the secret committee, it will be difficult for you not to tell me. The other choice is to work for me, hide in the shadows, and do what you think is worthwhile for your country and your compatriots."

Sergei sat down in front of the chair.

Without the slightest hesitation, Yuri came to him and knelt on one knee.

"I, Yuri, swear to God with my life that I will follow you, my lord, to burn my life for Russia and its people, to dedicate my glory, and to never betray you!"

Sergei grabbed his arm with one hand and helped him up.

"This is your new place. You can get familiar with it, but don't reveal anything. I'll let you know if anything happens. The money is in the drawer; it's enough for three months' expenses."

"Furthermore, I know that the one who molested the girl was the landowner Valentin, and he will pay the price for it. And when the opportunity arises, you will personally take action."

Upon hearing this, Yuri was overcome with excitement.

This is something he's always dreamed of doing!

The one who killed his wife and daughter was Valentin. He had molested a girl, and when his wife discovered it, he framed Valentin for it. Valentin also attempted to molest his daughter, but his wife saw it and stopped him, resulting in both of them being killed by him.

This is his deepest hatred!

Sergei stopped when he reached the door.

"My name is Sergei Saltykov."

Yuri nodded solemnly. The other party's willingness to tell him his real name made him feel the other party's sincerity once again. As if remembering something, he couldn't help but ask.

"Sir, you said Lestor is dead?"

"He died in the secret committee."

"Who killed him?"

Sergei recalled the final slit in the other man's neck and left the room.

"Me."