Catherine and the Black Emperor

001. Saving Sophia

"If I live to be 200, all of Europe will be groveling at my feet!"

"This is the person we're going to talk about today—Catherine the Great!"

"Catherine ascended the throne in 1762, advocating enlightened despotism, which made Russia a powerful nation in Europe and made her a great ruler on par with Peter the Great—"

Zhou Mingrui felt dizzy and disoriented.

When he regained consciousness, everything around him had changed.

The roaring fireplace, the swaying clock, the scathing screen, the dressing table, and the long cabinet all exude a strong, classic European atmosphere.

"Where is this place?"

Zhou Mingrui was stunned.

Wasn't he giving a public lecture on 18th-century Russian history?

"It seems like... low blood sugar."

Numerous memories and images, like weeds growing in the cracks of a wall, burst forth wildly.

"My name is Sergei Saltykov..."

"My father was Queen Elizabeth's lieutenant, and my mother enjoyed the Queen's deep trust..."

"I am a duke, a nobleman, a courtier of the Queen, and a friend of Peter..."

"Wait... wait a minute... Peter III?"

Zhou Mingrui knew what was wrong with him.

He crossed!

A hypoglycemic episode led to a time-travel experience, transporting the protagonist to 18th-century Russia!

"It is now January 16, 1744. The current ruler is Elizabeth I, Peter the Great's youngest daughter, who seized the throne in a coup three years ago..."

"Following the course of history, Queen Elizabeth I is now choosing a fiancée for her nephew Peter."

"Sophia, also known as Catherine II, the famous Russian queen who, like Peter the Great, was called 'the Great,' is on her way from Germany..."

It only took Zhou Mingrui a short time to calm down.

Every history student has fantasized about traveling to ancient times. As a top student in the Department of Foreign History, Zhou Mingrui had thought about it more than once. And now, he really did travel through time, and even traveled to Russia, which he knew best!

"Since time travel has happened to me, then I will change history!"

This is a realization that every history student should have!

With his thorough knowledge of Russian history, he is destined for great things!

"Rewriting the original owner's fate of being used and exiled by Empress Elizabeth... Supporting Catherine the Great to ascend the throne... He was Catherine's first and only man..."

In just a moment, many goals popped into Zhou Mingrui's mind, and he felt that he had too many things to do.

But before that, he had to bring Sofia over; this was a task assigned to him by Prime Minister Bestudev.

"From this moment forward, there is no Zhou Mingrui here, only Sergei Saltykov!"

Just as Sergei stood up, his hand suddenly pressed against something gentle and soft.

He turned his head and saw a patch of snow-white, which made him freeze in place as if his computer had stopped working.

"Um--"

A soft, soothing voice came from behind him, and the sleeping woman seemed to be waking up because he had used too much force.

Sergei quickly withdrew his hand and realized that he was sitting on a large velvet bed with men's and women's clothes scattered on the floor.

"Just as history records, I am a complete playboy, and..."

"He actually slept with the Prime Minister's illegitimate daughter!"

Sergei looked at his crotch with a disgraceful expression: "What a guy who's so easily dominated by his brothers."

"What are you muttering about?"

Agafia woke up, rubbing her sleepy eyes, her snow-white, soft body half-hidden under the quilt.

Looking at those long, fair, and bright legs, and her well-endowed figure, Sergei subconsciously muttered, "It seems being ruled isn't so bad after all."

He got out of bed and picked up his clothes from the floor.

"I have to go now; I need to pick up the German princess tomorrow."

"Why bother welcoming a princess? They're all going to freeze to death anyway."

Agafia muttered something, her tone revealing undisguised jealousy.

She was an illegitimate child, while the impoverished princess from Germany, according to her father, was the Empress's favorite crown princess.

Sergei suddenly stopped moving.

Agafia's father was the Prime Minister, who was hostile to Prussia and opposed to the German princess. Considering what Agafia had said, his intuition told him that there must be some conspiracy involved.

"Agafia".

Sergei turned around, threw away the clothes in his hand, and looked down at the other person with a cold smile.

Do you enjoy role-playing?

Looking at that young and handsome face, and that strong and powerful body, Agafia couldn't help but stick out her tender, moist little tongue and lick her lips.

The alluring woman simply lifted the covers and got out of bed.

She has a curvaceous figure, fair skin, and long, round, white legs.

Agafia walked up to Sergei, squatted down, looked up at him with alluring eyes and a soft, seductive voice.

"His Majesty!"

Amid Agafia's gasp, Sergei scooped her up and tossed her onto the soft bed.

Before long, the room was filled with the most beautiful and pure sounds of impact.

After a long while, the two, thoroughly satisfied, lay naked on the soft, comfortable bed, and Sergei asked the question he was concerned about.

"How does your father plan to freeze the German princess to death?"

Agafia closed her eyes, tilted her swan-like neck back, savoring the wonderful afterglow, and said in a languid voice: "The coachman, he bribed the coachman arranged by Frederick (King of Prussia)."

Sergei immediately got up, put on his clothes, and went outside into the biting cold wind.

"Hey! What are you doing!" came Agafia's shout from behind.

"Help!"

"Sergei, you are a heartless and ungrateful man!"

Sergei ignored them, walked toward his waiting private carriage, and instead of returning to his residence, went to the Winter Palace (the Third Winter Palace: the main residence of Empress Elizabeth before the new Winter Palace was built) with his guards and headed straight for the Russian border.

"History cannot be changed starting with Catherine the Great freezing to death!"

Braving the heavy snow and traveling through the night, Sergei and his guards arrived at the border. They produced a secret imperial edict, and the troops stationed there, led by a lieutenant colonel, quickly began a search with the guards.

Finally, behind a slope, the guards discovered the carriages, which were mostly covered by snow.

An accident had clearly occurred; the carriage had overturned, the driver and horses were nowhere to be found, one door was underneath and the other was upside down, trapping the people inside.

Sergei climbed onto the carriage, swept away the snow, and opened the door. Inside, two figures, one large and one small, huddled together, shivering.

"Thank God!" Sergei breathed a sigh of relief.

The girl, who had been frozen for half a day, looked at the handsome young man who appeared like a savior. Her jewel-like blue eyes sparkled, and her soft voice could not hide her joy.

"Mother! It's His Highness the Crown Prince!"