I'm playing whack-a-mole in Siberia

Chapter 65 Competitors
  Ya San knows very well what kind of virtues the members of the aristocratic group have.

Let them eat, drink and have fun, and everyone is an expert.

Let them fight and it won't be a disservice.

Therefore, Ya San's requirements for Nicholas are not high. As long as Nicholas can pass through the stage of the Guards safely, Ya San can accept it even though there are no surprises.

I am just afraid that my abilities are mediocre and I have no self-awareness. I monopolize power and do not give opportunities to those who are truly capable. All such people should be sent to Siberia.

Therefore, Yasan did not interfere in the competition between George and Constantine and allowed them to play freely.

Whether you have ability or not can only be proven through results.

The Rivne exercise in September is the best litmus test.

Half a year is enough for a person to prove himself.

Nicholas and George moved quickly. There was no movement on Constantine's side, but the general regiment had already started vigorous training.

This was not requested by Nicholas and George, but was carried out spontaneously by the officers and soldiers of the general regiment.

The General League will compete in four events including shooting, ten-kilometer cross-country running, boxing, and stabbing at the end of April and the beginning of May.

The winner of each event can receive a bonus of 500 rubles, and the tenth to second place can receive bonuses of 50 to 200 rubles respectively.

In addition to individual events, those who finish in the top ten in total can receive rewards ranging from 100 to 1000 rubles.

When the news was announced, the Guards boys, who had been doing nothing all winter, immediately went crazy.

Each event is worth 500, and the total score is 1000. Theoretically, if a contestant gets all the first places, he can get a maximum bonus of 3000 rubles.

This competition has no identity restrictions, and both officers and soldiers can participate. Nicholas Jr., the commander of the regiment, serves as the referee. The crown prince, four grand dukes, and a super duke form the referee panel. The competition is only held within the general regiment.

Now in 1881, the annual income of a Guards soldier, including salary and all subsidies, was only a pitiful 120 rubles.

(This data has not been found. I made it up with reference to the income of Russian teachers at the same time.)
  (Also: In 1901, the average income of Russian workers was only 100 rubles.)
  Just by participating in one competition, you can earn nearly 30 years of income. For soldiers with meager incomes, this is simply pie in the sky.

When Nikolai learned that a soldier's annual income was only 120 rubles, Nikolai was shocked. He could not imagine living with only 120 rubles per year.

It’s okay to say that veterans’ pensions are low because they can still work and have other incomes.

How can we motivate soldiers when their salaries for active duty soldiers are so low?

"That's quite a lot. The Guards are the most elite troops in the empire and deserve the highest salary in the empire -" the legion commander disagreed. The situation of troops other than the Guards was even worse.

That's right. Cossacks save money because they have to earn their own military pay.

"Andre, what's your salary?" Nicholas was curious about the officer's income.

"Mine is pretty good. The Duke gives me a private subsidy." Warrant Officer Andre said he was very satisfied with his income.

The empire treats soldiers harshly, but officers are treated well. In addition to salary, there are also meal and room allowances.

This is mainly because most of the officers are members of the nobility, and it is outrageous to receive less.

The general's income is even higher. The meal subsidy and room subsidy combined are almost the same as salary.

"George, how much do we earn?" Nicholas' curiosity was overflowing.

"You don't want to know." George refused to answer the question. Nicholas and George both hold the rank of captain, and the income at this level is not worth mentioning compared to the Grand Duke.

Let's put it this way, without the salary from Super Duke, George would have wanted to compete.

"George, you have to be careful, your opponent is not that idiot Constantine." The legion commander had a changed view of George.

When George first arrived in the general regiment, the regiment commander's attitude towards George was indifferent.

Although the method of using rewards to increase the enthusiasm of soldiers seems a bit stupid to the regiment commander, because of the good effect, the regiment commander's expectations for George are increasing.

From the perspective of a legion commander, if you want to win, you don't have to go to such trouble at all. If you don't get first place, you can go straight to the military parade without spending a single kopeck.

Although George spent money lavishly, he did not spend the legion commander's money. The legion commander would not feel sorry for George.

"Yes, Uncle Nikki, can you think of a way to get Vasily to our general group and let him be my adjutant." Nicholas was worried for George.

This Vasily has a good background. He is the great-grandson of Suvorov. His father, Alexander, is a Russian army general and the current infantry director.

The "Science of Winning" that George is reading is Suvorov's book.

"Don't worry, if Vasily completely copies Marshal Suvorov's ideas, then we will definitely win." George was confident that Suvorov was indeed very powerful, but his descendants may not necessarily be so.

Suvorov's military thinking has obvious limitations of the times. In the era of muzzleloaders, Suvorov was invincible. In this era, if Vasily does not know how to keep pace with the times, he will definitely lose.

According to George's observation, the heirs of the Russian aristocratic group are the most stubborn and conservative.

It’s impossible not to be conservative. The reason why Ya Er’s reforms encountered so much resistance was mainly from the opposition of the aristocratic group.

Ya Er wanted to transform the empire into a constitutional monarchy, which would greatly weaken the rights of the aristocratic group. Therefore, the reasons behind Ya Er's assassination were very complicated.

It was so complicated that Ya San didn't dare to investigate in depth, so he could only vent his anger on the People's Democratic Party.

"Vasily is the great-grandson of Marshal Suvorov, so confident?" The regiment commander was surprised by George's confidence.

"If it were Marshal Suvorov himself, I might be a little nervous." George's arrogance reached the sky.

This is right. You should be frivolous when you are young and live like an ascetic all day long. It is so unnoble.

"George, I will always believe in you!" Nicky's words made George's importance rise again.

It doesn't matter whether the Tsar likes George, nor does the Queen hate George. Nicholas is the crown prince and will become the Tsar in the future, so George is the future.

In the Tenth Russo-Turkish War, Yaer made his two younger brothers serve as front army commanders respectively.

If a war breaks out in the Asian San era, then the opportunity will come for Nikolay and Sergey.

Although George is one generation older than Niki and four years younger, when Niki becomes czar, George's status in Nicholas's era will be higher than that of Nikolay the Younger and Sergei.

This is normal.

If George can really defeat Vasily in the exercise as he said, then George will become the most dazzling star of Russia's next generation.

If you calculate it this way, George and Nicholas Jr. have risen to the level of competitors.

(End of this chapter)