"That's how it is, nobles, military, church, Tsar—the traditional vested interest groups are not willing to sacrifice personal and group interests for the sake of national development and social stability. Perhaps among them there are some farsighted and wise individuals, like Count Witt, Stolepin, and Grand Duke Nikolayevich, but no matter how outstanding an individual is, how could they possibly reverse the entrenchment of an entire group?"
Browsing through the copy of the petition from Grand Duke Nikolayevich to Tsar Nicholas II, a knife-sharp smile emerged at the corner of Li Lin's mouth.
