The fourth book of the cycle "Mikhailovich." Russia has just embarked on the path of accelerated progress. But the historical paths are too diverse. Too many problems need to be solved, and the most difficult of them is peasant. And here all reforms are hampered by a very strong opponent - the hydra of the bureaucracy. Mikhail II has a terrible deficit of two main components - time and a team of like-minded people. What path to go - Peter the Great? Ivan the Terrible? Or the recently born Stalin? Or will Michael be able to find his own way?