Catherine and the Black Emperor

77. Sergei's trump card

Arseni's answer caused Vadim, Vitaly, and others to unconsciously frown.

Such a response makes it difficult to guarantee that the other party is of one mind with Sergei and with them.

Sergei stared at the other man and said indifferently, "We are all loyal to Russia. If anyone here is not loyal to Russia, I will be the first to make him disappear."

Arseni nodded: "Then I have no problem. You are more capable than Shuvalov. The committee will be more powerful and valued by the Empress in your hands. I agree to pledge my loyalty to you."

Sergei then asked, "What if someone more suitable than me comes along?"

Arseni answered without hesitation: "I will support him."

"You!" Vitaly roared.

Sergei raised his hand to stop the old man's scolding and smiled slightly: "This answer is enough."

Arseni turned and left the meeting room.

"Chairman, we can't keep this kind of person around; he'll betray us!" Vitaly stared coldly toward the door.

Vadim's voice was also low: "Arseni is indeed a great potential threat."

Stepan didn't speak, but just looked at Sergei.

Sergei remained silent.

This further confirmed Vitaly's inner thoughts: "Chairman, we need to support a new battalion commander. I have a suitable candidate, and I can guarantee that Count Shuvalov will agree."

Yulia spoke decisively: "I can kill him."

Sergei smiled, stood up and looked at the group: "Gentlemen, if I didn't have the confidence to surpass all those who came after me, I doubt you would stand so firmly on my side."

Everyone fell silent.

Sergei's smile remained unchanged: "Therefore, there's no need to do anything. As long as I'm alive, no one on the committee will be able to overpower me, and Arseni will not betray me!"

Sergei left the meeting room.

Julia then left.

Vadim and Vitaly both looked at Stepan, who finally spoke at this moment.

"Vitali, what you said is dangerous. You should be more careful in the future."

After saying that, the other person left.

The two left to look at each other. Vadim left without saying a word. After a brief silence, Vitaly broke out in a cold sweat.

He just now foolishly showed his arrogant side in front of death!

Yulia quietly arrived at Sergei's office.

"grown ups."

"Keep a close eye on Vitaly. If there's even the slightest sign of betrayal, take care of him. When the time comes, you can tell Stepan what's going on, and he'll make a wise choice," Sergei instructed.

Yulia was undoubtedly someone he trusted deeply. After all, he had personally built the secret female police team, and it was his life's work, so the choice of its captain was naturally crucial.

"Yes." Yulia hesitated.

Sergei observed this and slowly said, "You don't need to concern yourself with Arseni's affairs."

"Understood." Julia nodded.

Since the adults had said so much, she naturally understood that everything was under their control, and she felt relieved.

After all, having the chairman sidelined is something that has never happened before in the history of the Secret Committee, especially since the other party is the chairman of the Special Court.

"Go down and tell Stepan that the purge plan can begin." Sergei waved his hand.

Julia stepped down.

Shortly after the other person left, a figure quietly appeared in the office; it was none other than Arseni, who had left first!

"grown ups."

Sergei smiled and said, "You did a good job."

Indeed, Arseni was his deepest-rooted pawn. This police captain in St. Petersburg may not be as high-ranking as the other four, but in terms of real power...

Who could compare to Arseni, who commanded the secret police force in St. Petersburg?

Having this largest secret police force gives them a certain ability to launch a rebellion!

Arseni smiled in return: "What should I do next?"

"You don't need to do anything. The purge plan doesn't need you, and you don't need to show any dissatisfaction because of the disappearance of some people," Sergei said after careful consideration.

Arseni was his last pawn, his last trump card in the secret council.

Therefore, he cannot allow the other party to be exposed.

He trusted Yulia's loyalty, but if he wanted Arseni to fool the three old men Stepan, Vadim, and Vitaly, he couldn't overact.

As for the other old guys, since he wasn't absolutely certain he could win them over, he might as well let them go.

How could Shuvalov, who has been in charge of the secret committee for so many years, not have a few people who are willing to die for him?

3 month.

A senior member of the secret committee was arrested for colluding with a foreign ambassador, who was actually one of Shuvalov's men, acting as an intermediary between Shuvalov and the foreign ambassador to make money.

Under Elizabeth's furious outburst, Shuvalov dared not protect her, nor could he allow her to face trial in a special court, lest he sell himself out.

Thus, this elder statesman died in the secret committee.

4 month.

A senior member of the committee in charge of secret work in Moscow colluded with a group of nobles and landowners to seize church land and serfs. After the matter was exposed, several archbishops of the church went to Elizabeth to express their dissatisfaction.

That elder eventually died in the secret committee.

"Vadim, did you do this?!" Shuvalov summoned the man to his office.

"Yes and no, Chairman. Without your orders, even if I didn't get along with Dima, I wouldn't have exposed his secret. But wasn't it a good thing he died? He was always loyal to the Vice Chairman!" Vadim replied.

Shuvalov had a headache.

Vadim was his man, and in fact Dima was also his man. Because Dima had a grudge against Vadim, he took the opportunity to send Dima to Sergei's side, which was equivalent to placing a pawn next to Sergei.

But at this moment, he was unable to express it.

In the end, he could only wave his hand and let Vadim go.

Shuvalov had no idea that Sergei had known all along that Dima was a pawn planted by his side, and Shuvalov was even less aware that Vadim was a pawn planted by Sergei by his side.

Therefore, in this internal power struggle within the committee, everyone thought that the committee and the vice chairman had lost a capable subordinate, but in reality, it was Shuvalov who suffered a heavy loss.

5 month.

Shortly after Sergei got up, a team of secret police stormed into his mansion and arrested him in front of his wife, Anastasia.

"Vice Chairman, the Committee suspects you of colluding with the Ottoman Ambassador (the Turkish Ambassador), and on your behalf, we have arrested you!"

Without a word, the secret police arrested Sergei.

When Anastasia heard that her husband might have committed treason, she was terrified and burst into tears.

She dared not delay and quickly found Sergei's parents and brother. The four of them then rushed to the Winter Palace, but when they arrived, they were stopped by Count Razumovsky.

"Do you not know how serious the crime of treason is, that Her Majesty will not see you? The fact that Her Majesty has not arrested you all is already the greatest mercy she can show!"

Peter felt like the sky had fallen.

Anastasia fainted.

Anastasia rushed over to take care of her mother.

Ivan's face hardened with determination: "No matter what, I will not abandon my son!"