ism olog ion ▁(" Book ▁of ▁Prop he cy ", ▁ 1 6 7 2 ) ▁he ▁analyz ed ▁comment ary ▁on ▁the ▁four ▁kingdom s ▁of ▁Daniel ▁prop he cy , ▁con cluding ▁that , ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁connection ▁with ▁Constantin ople , ▁Russia ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁true ▁successor ▁to ▁the ▁fourth ▁kingdom , ▁Rome . ▁Go ing ▁further , ▁he ▁assert ed ▁that ▁the ▁right ▁of ▁Roman ▁succession ▁belonged ▁only ▁to ▁Russia , ▁and ▁not ▁to ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire . ▁In ▁setting ▁forth ▁his ▁claim , ▁he ▁made ▁reference ▁to ▁Anna ▁P orph y ro gen ita , ▁the ▁sister ▁of ▁By z antine ▁em peror ▁Bas il ▁II , ▁who ▁married ▁Vladimir ▁the ▁Great . ▁In ▁his ▁view , ▁this ▁union ▁not ▁only ▁rein for ced ▁the ▁strong ▁connection ▁between ▁By z ant ium ▁and ▁Russia , ▁but ▁also ▁drew ▁a ▁d yn astic ▁line ▁between ▁Vladimir ▁and ▁Ale k sey . ▁ ▁In ▁China ▁In ▁ 1 6 7 5 , ▁he ▁was ▁named ▁amb assador ▁of ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire ▁to ▁Be ij ing , ▁the ▁capital ▁of ▁Q ing ▁China , ▁returning ▁in ▁ 1 6 7 8 . ▁At ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁a ▁ 1 5 0 - strong ▁expedition ▁that ▁had ▁a ▁military ▁component ▁( me ant ▁to ▁f end ▁off ▁possible ▁attacks ▁by ▁a ▁host ile ▁ind igen ous ▁population ), ▁Mil es cu ▁had ▁as ▁his ▁main ▁tasks ▁the ▁settlement ▁of ▁several ▁border ▁inc idents ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁China , ▁the ▁establishment ▁of