Plot synopsis: 1744. Russian Empire. Being childless, but at the same time wanting to finally consolidate on the Russian throne of his - "Peter's" line of the Romanov dynasty, Empress Elizabeth Petrovna decides to marry his nephew Karl Peter Ulrich, brought from Prussia, called in Russia "Peter Fyodorovich" to some noble, but preferably not very rich and not very willful European "princess". Elizabeth is intrigued by the brave young guardsman and his intercession for Yaguzhinskaya, and she gives Belov "an assignment of national importance" - to secretly bring his important guests to Russia from Prussia. The ubiquitous vice-chancellor Bestuzhev learns about it. He summons Alexei Korsak, Belov's friend who will keep Alexander company on his trip to Prussia, and instructs him to become a spy on Belov, threatening Korsak with "exile to the galleys" and "Siberia" for his wife and young son if he refuses.