In 1808, Emperor Alexander went to Erfurt to meet with Emperor Napoleon again, so the high society in Petersburg talked a lot about the great significance of this grand meeting. In 1809 Napoleon and Alexander declared that the two masters of the world were so closely connected that when Napoleon declared war on Austria that year, the Russian legions went abroad to assist the former enemy Bonaparte against the former Ally the Emperor of Austria, and high society was talking about a possible marriage between Napoleon and a sister of Emperor Alexander.But aside from foreign policy, Russian society at the time was particularly deeply concerned with the internal reforms being carried out in various branches of state administration during this period.

At the same time, life, the real life of men, their attention to such practical interests as health, sickness, labor, rest, their attention to thought, science, poetry, music, love, friendship, hatred, passion,—all with It is the same as usual, regardless of political closeness or hostility to Napoleon Bonaparte, nor is it transferred by various possible reforms. Prince Andrew never went out, and had been living in the country for two years.The land-management enterprises that Pierre had intended to undertake had not yielded any results because of the constant change of occupations, and Prince Andrei did not tell anyone about it.Representatives include Zou Yan and others.It is believed that all things and human beings are equal, and all these tasks have been completed without much labor.

He possessed, to a considerable extent, that indomitable power of action which Pierre lacked, by which he could advance his career without difficulty. One of his estates, with three hundred serfs, was reformed and the serfs became free farmers (one of the first examples in Russia), and in other estates the system of servile rent had replaced that of corvee.In Bogucharovo, he paid for a literate midwife to assist the mother during delivery, and the priest also received a salary to teach the children of peasants and servants to read. Prince Andrew spent half of his time in Bald Hills with his father and his son, who was still being brought up by a nurse, and the other half in the monastery at Bogucharovo (which his father called the countryside).Although he told Pierre that he was indifferent to all kinds of major events happening in the outside world, he still watched everything that happened with all his heart. He often received many books "Logic" and "Subjective Logic". "Ontology", "Essence", he was surprised to find that those who came to visit him or his father recently from Petersburg, that is, from the vortex of life, were familiar with domestic and foreign policy. It is far behind him, a person who stays at home in the countryside.

In addition to territorial business, apart from reading various books, Prince Andrei at this time was also critically analyzing the last two unfavorable campaigns of our army, and drawing up drafts for the revision of our military regulations and resolutions. In the spring of 1809, Prince Andrei went to the Ryazan lands in the name of his son, who was under his guardianship. Sitting in the carriage, he was basking in the early spring sun, and from time to time looked at the first weeds to turn green, the first birch leaves to appear, and the white clouds of early spring floating in the clear blue sky.He didn't think about anything, but looked around with cheerful blank eyes.

They sailed across the ferry where he and Pierre had talked a year ago.They drove through dirty villages, threshing grounds, greenery, downhill roads, snow on bridges, uphill roads where a layer of clay had been washed, stubble fields, and in places greened bushes, into Birch groves sprang up along both sides of the road.It was almost hot in the woods, and there was not a sound of wind.The birches were covered with sticky green leaves that did not quiver in the wind, and the first green grass and lilac flowers emerged from under last year's dead leaves.Dwarf fir-trees, scattered here and there among the birch groves, bore clusters of thick, evergreen leaves, uncomfortably reminiscent of winter.Several horses entered the woods, all snorting, and it was more obvious that they began to sweat.

The servant Peter said something to the coachman, and the coachman answered in the affirmative.It seemed that Peter felt that the coachman's approval was not enough, and he turned to the master in the coachman's seat. "My lord, how delightful it is!" he said with a respectful smile. "what!" "My lord, how enjoyable this is." "What is he talking about?" Prince Andrew thought for a moment. "Yes, he must have meant spring," he thought, looking around, "and everything is turning green... how fast! Birches, prunes, and alders have all begun...but no oaks in sight. , look, this is the oak tree."

There is an oak tree by the road.It was about nine times older and thicker than the birches that grew into the forest, and twice as tall as each birch.It was a large oak tree two arms thick, and many branches seemed to have been broken long ago, and the cracked bark was covered with old scars.With its huge, gnarled, clumsy arms and fingers stretched out asymmetrically, it loomed among the smiling birches, its old-fashioned, contemptuous, misshapen oak.Only it does not want to succumb to the charm of spring, nor does it want to witness spring, nor does it want to witness the rising sun. "Spring, love, and happiness!" seemed to speak the oak tree, "how can you not be disgusted by the same stupid senseless deception! Always the same, always the deceit! There is no spring." , nor sun, nor happiness! See, there still dwell those crushed fir-trees, always alone, and there I stretch out my broken, flayed fingers, no matter where they come from Where—from the back or from the ribs—grow, no matter how it grows, I am still the same, and I don’t believe in your hopes and deceptions.”

Prince Andrew, passing through the forest, turned his head several times to look at the oak tree, as if expecting something from it.There were flowers and weeds growing under the oak too, but it still stood frowning and motionless among them like a monstrosity. "Yes, it is right, the oak tree is a thousand times more right," thought Prince Andrew. "Let other young men be deceived again, but we know life,--our life is over!" Another series of despairing, but half-sorrowful, in connection with the old oak Thoughts arose in Prince Andrew's mind.On this journey, he seemed to consider his own life again, and came to the formerly clear and hopeless conclusion that he had no need to start from scratch, that he did no evil, did not disturb himself, and harbored no Desire should live a good life.