In the original historical time and space, the Cossacks could not be called a nation, but could only be regarded as a culture and organizational method. However, in this time and space, the rise of the empire gave the Cossacks the opportunity to become a nation.

At the beginning, Zelenko believed that the Cossacks were not a nation and would not have cohesion, so he chose the Ukrainian nation as his political foundation. However, his father Shahni had built the Cossacks as a nation from the beginning. Before joining the empire, he had dealt with the Manchu tribe who had fled to the north of the desert and found that this nation was originally forcibly integrated by conquering other nations, and this was also the path chosen by Shahni.

During the process of conquering the empire, Shahni discovered that his Cossacks could conquer many ethnic groups, but there was still a lack of conditions before developing into a real nation, which was independence.

This is also the reason why Shahni followed Li Junwei's arrangement and went south to the Caucasus.

The independence that Shahni needed was not just for the empire. For the Slavic ethnic groups in Eastern Europe, especially the already formed nations such as Russia and Ukraine, the Cossacks needed independence and isolation space. The Caucasus area was very good. If it was isolated from the Slavic ethnic group, the Cossacks could be reshaped. This process would not be affected by the Slavic ethnic group. Moreover, there were alien pagan tribes around it, and even the empire could not accept Cossacks. This was conducive to the unity and integration of the Cossacks.

However, in the process of shaping the Cossack nation, Shahni focused too much on military and political and neglected cultural concepts. For example, he once commissioned imperial linguists and Cossack poets to establish Cossack and Cossack characters based on Slavic and Cyrillic letters, but these were not well implemented.

On the contrary, Belinsky had realized the importance of cultural symbols. After becoming the chief Geatman, he immediately promoted this language and writing. At the same time, he integrated the original Cossack clothing and diet with the various Caucasian ethnic groups, distinguishing it from Slavic ethnic groups such as Russia, Ukraine and other Slavic ethnic groups.

This time Pei Yuanqi went to the Cossacks and discovered the changes in it. Some changes were intentional, while others were purely the products of adaptation and fusion.

"Mr. Pei, there is no place for me in the Cossack Republic. Is it really because of whether I belong to the Cossack tribe?" Zelenko asked.

Pei Yuanqi's eyes were solemn, and he shook his head: "For now, this is just a reason to reject you, but it may not necessarily be the consensus and main factor of the Cossacks in the future. I am very clear that the issue of your ethnic affiliation is just an appearance, the key is class. Although you are still as a second-class duke in the Empire, your actions are no longer as good as a noble."

Although the Cossacks were a republic, they were a noble republic. A group of Cossack army leaders and feudal lords formed a parliament and elected Belinsky, the most powerful and empire accepted by the empire, as Geitman. As for Zelenko, since he entered politics, he has been committed to fighting for more rights and interests for Ukrainian workers, but this was only within the empire, and outside the empire, he was committed to establishing a nation-state with Ukraine as the main body, which was unacceptable to the Cossacks.

In the eyes of the Cossack nobles, the group of people under Zelenko should be their own soldiers or serfs.

Zelenko also knew this, which was the most puzzled thing about him. Zelenko said: "Mr. Pei, you should know that I have the control of the Cossack Republic and are even more accepted by the empire. We have common values ​​and common political ideas."

But before Pei Yuanqi finished speaking, Pei Yuanqi immediately interrupted him. Pei Yuanqi said word by word: "Zelenko, the empire will not export political ideas to the outside world and will not engage in political evolution."

Zelenko asked: "Why, because the Celestial Kingdom is coming to the court?"

"This is indeed our culture. Although you grew up in the empire, some things can not be fully mastered by learning. The thousands of years of history of our country is the history of the kingly way. We will not force others to recognize us, nor will we force others to learn from us. If we are right, we will inevitably be accepted by all countries." Pei Yuanqi said this, his expression was erratic. He remembered the teachings of the Supreme Emperor Li Mingxun and added in his heart: "Our system may not be right. If it is really right, we cannot teach you even more."

Pei Yuanqi grew up with the prince, but this does not mean that he was trained as a minister of government since childhood. In fact, Pei Yuanqi's childhood was often regarded as a negative teaching material for the prince. This negative teaching material is that Pei Yuanqi can learn from his mistakes and make the princes wise. He has shortcomings that make the princes alert, but will not lead the princes to badly. So when Pei Yuanqi was old, he described his childhood in his memoirs in this way - I am a controllable little playboy, and I will be the same as the playboy, and I will be the same as the playboy.

It was not until Pei Yuanqi grew up and accidentally participated in the orphan case of Zhu Ming that he showed his keen, careful and loyal side. At that time, he was valued and was able to enter the Security Bureau and serve in front of the imperial court.

Pei Yuanqi was promoted by his young master Li Junhua, but before he was appointed as the Chief Executive of Xijin and came to the border, he was recruited by Li Mingxun. That time, the teaching he received was not to be arrogant.

Don’t look down on the European countries and ethnic groups you come into contact with, nor do you be content with the empire’s system or be complacent.

Instead of exporting politics to the outside world, Li Mingxun told Pei Yuanqi himself. This kind of teaching also means that Pei Yuanqi's status has truly entered the core circle of the empire.

Therefore, the Empire would not support Zelenko to go to the Southern Caucasus and establish a nationalist country or republic. It was not in the interests of the Empire. Moreover, when Li Junwei agreed to Zelenko for hiding political activities on the land of Xijin, it was clear that Zelenko and his organization's future mission was to be on the Southern Russian prairie, not the direction of the Caucasus.

"Zelenko, you forgot the teachings of King Yu. You are arrogant and you have crossed the line." Pei Yuanqi reminded, and then added: "This is a reminder between you and me for many years, and friends. Next time, it will not be so simple. I advise you to put away those ridiculous ambitions or ambitions and do your duty well."

"Where am I arrogant?"

"It's like this from top to bottom. It started after returning from America. Before going to America, you were devoted to the issue of Ukrainian labor. Every time you meet, although it's not very pleasant, what you want from me is fairness and freedom. But since you left America and returned to Xijin, your focus has turned to politics, and you actually publicly asked me for official power." Pei Yuanqi knocked on the table and finally said: "Imagine why your Ukrainian delegation has not been able to return to Xijin for a long time."

Zelenko's arrogance was actually after he went to the Americas with Li Junwei. Before that, his identity was just a new capital aristocrat and a labor representative, and he was a conscientious capitalist. But after he went to the Americas, everything changed. Because he had an army called the Ukrainian regiment, the size of this army is now about 4,000 people.

Because he had served under King Yu, Zelenko thought he had been recognized by the center of the empire.

But in fact he was completely wrong. He returned to Xizin, but the Ukrainian regiment did not. When Fitz James dispatched the main army of the Irish Black Swan to Britain to participate in the war, the situation in the American colonies was deteriorating, so the Ukrainian regiment was expanded, with 4,000 people divided into two regiments, adopting a shift system, and two shifts went to the Americas to serve in two shifts. But the problem is that the New Ukrainian regiment had arrived in Atlantic City, and the old Ukrainian regiment returned to his hometown was left behind when passing through the Port of Ceuta in Gibraltar. Li Su held it in his hands on the grounds that the situation in the Maghreb region was tense, and he served in Northwest Africa to suppress the thieves.

Pei Yuanqi originally thought that was the fact, but now he thought that it should be the arrangement of King Yu or the order from Shen Jing. Without the help of the Ukrainian army, Zelianko would not dare to do anything, or in other words, without the army, he could not do anything, and could only accept the facts in front of him.

After being reminded, Zelenko immediately understood. He immediately became a deflated ball and sat on the chair. After a long time, he asked: "Mr. Pei, then in the future, I will break off the Cossack Republic and will never be able to contact you again?"

"It depends on your own ability. If you want to do something, you can go to Belinsky."

"At least I should have the authority to carry out economic cooperation." Zelenko still didn't give up.

"I said, go find Belinsky." Pei Yuanqi knew that Zelenko would not give up easily. After thinking about it, Pei Yuanqi said again: "Or, you can contact Shen Jing and you may be able to open your mind."

Zelenko shook his head gently, so he would not do this. He contacted Shen Jing, whether it was reporting to the emperor or contacting King Yu in private, in fact, it was to make the conflict public. Once he provoked the center, he might not even be able to save everything that existed.

"Well, I'll contact Belinsky."

When Zelenko was about to leave, Pei Yuanqi couldn't help but say, "I'll give you a private advice, don't go to Tbilisi in person, I'm afraid you won't come back."

"Thank you for your concern."

"This is for the sake of His Highness Yu, he has always had expectations for you." Pei Yuanqi told the truth.

Zelenko bowed and turned away. Pei Yuanqi shook his head helplessly. Although on the surface, the one who could not accept Zelenko was the serf feudal lords who had taken root in the Southern Caucasus region, in fact, Belinsky had a murderous intention toward Zelenko. When he was in Tbilisi, Belinsky repeatedly hinted that the empire should get rid of Zelenko's unstable factor. When he left, Belinsky even put this suggestion on the surface.

Belinsky and Zelenko actually have a deep friendship. The reason why they are so ruthless is not because they are worried that Zelenko will challenge his status as General Getterman. More importantly, Belinsky is really afraid of Zelenko.

You should know that Belinsky's Cossacks were the old subordinate of the Empire's Cossacks, while Zelenko's Ukrainian regiment was composed of free Cossacks as the backbone and was supplemented by escaped slaves. On the battlefield, the Ukrainian regiment performed even more bravely than the Cossacks and had brilliant achievements.

This is not the main thing. What Belinsky really can't accept is that when he was in the Americas, the two armies would jointly station a stronghold and protect a city. It is inevitable that the two sides would communicate or even conflict, but Belinsky found that the more exchanges he had with the Ukrainian regiment, the more unstable his Cossacks would be, especially those lower-level Cossacks, who obviously received more military pay than the Ukrainian regiment (the Ukrainian regiment only paid the military pay from the empire and Belinsky would also give his subordinates another expedition subsidy), but he yearned for the Ukrainian regiment, and some even secretly went to join him.

This phenomenon was only relieved until Belinsky obtained permission from Zhao Longcheng and stationed separately.

"Zelenko and his followers always spread some heresy, which is even more intriguing than those priests." This is what Belinsky said about Zelenko when he was in front of Pei Yuanqi.

"Call Webmaster Wan." Pei Yuanqi ordered the secretary.

Not long after, a middle-aged man with a bad appearance came to Pei Yuanqi's office. This man was the webmaster of Xijin Station of the Security Bureau and was also Pei Yuanqi's subordinate when he was in the Security Bureau.

"When I went to the Cossacks, what was wrong with Zelenko?"

Webmaster Wan said: "Yes, the Russian Embassy in Xijin has had secret contact with Zelenko. It is said that the Tsar expressed his gratitude to Zelenko and thanked him for his past care."

After Peter became the Tsar, he traveled to Xijin and changed his name to Liwula and joined Zelenko. Later, Peter fled, and Zelenko went to America. Speaking of which, the two did have some friendship.

“Are there any further contact?”

"Yes, there are, but the two sides keep a distance. One thing can be confirmed. The Tsar asked Zelenko to provide information about Xijin for him, but Zelenko refused. However, there was a substantial cooperation between the two sides. Peter's people hired a group of craftsmen in the Ukrainian Brotherhood, mainly shipbuilding and ironworks, and Zelenko agreed. Tsar Peter recited and helped Zelenko redeem a group of Ukrainian laborers and relatives from Mazepa."

Pei Yuanqi nodded: "It's still within the allowable range."

"If you want to hit Peter and Zelenko, there is some time now," said Webmaster Wan.

"What?"

"The news came from the spies in Moscow that Peter was tired of the war with the Ottomans for a long time, and the people were injured and the money was severely injured, so he wanted to stop the war."

Pei Yuanqi nodded. Whether it was Tsarist Russia or Ottoman, he actually did not want the Empire to interfere in their efforts to end the war. But the problem was that without the empire's permission, sometimes there would be no truce. Therefore, the peace talks between the two countries must still require the Empire to coordinate.
Chapter completed!