```
"Hmm, grilled lamb chops, beet truffle thick soup, roasted bread."
Alexei casually ordered a few dishes from the waiter beside him, then turned to Joseph and said, "I'm quite curious, what do you mean by 'business unrelated to politics'?"
"Bring me a cup of black tea, no milk, spices, or sugar."
Having dismissed the waiter, Joseph smiled and said, "For instance, engaging in some business. If you had your own trade in Paris, then the Empress would not recall you back to Russia for fear of your conduct—oh, please excuse my choice of words."
Business? Alexei blinked, sensing some logic in the proposal. No one would associate a busy merchant with a position in the line of succession to Saint Petersburg. It was indeed a good way to stay away from politics and to some extent shed the image of a wastrel.
In fact, that was exactly what Alexei's descendants did. To stay away from politics, they started doing business and eventually established Russia's largest sugar company.