Shadow of great britain

In the office of the Prime Minister's residence, Duke Wellington and Sir Peel watched Arthur get up and leave after receiving the double approval order from the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Interior.

The Duke of Wellington stood up and went to the wine cabinet, took out a half-drunk bottle of sherry, and poured a glass for Sir Peel and himself.

He took a sip of wine, nodded slightly at Arthur's back and said: "Young man with great promise, isn't he? He's only 20 years old, but he's so insightful. Sure enough, there's nothing wrong with getting more university education. Lack of The University of London, which has both funding and faith, can educate such talents. I wonder when King’s College, an orthodox university founded by His Majesty the King and I, will be able to produce such outstanding young people.”

Sir Peel smiled and picked up the wine glass: "King's College was only founded last year, and it will take two years for its first batch of graduates to graduate. You have to wait."

Wellington suddenly asked: "Seeing young people is always full of memories. When I was 20 years old, I was still a cavalry lieutenant in the 12th Dragoon Brigade. Robert, do you know? In fact, I didn't want to go at first. As a soldier, I like to play the violin and can only play the violin.

But my mother felt that my youngest son was too clumsy and would only be used as cannon fodder when he grew up, so she sent me to the Pinherol Military Academy to study army command. Speaking of which, what were you doing when you were 20? "

"Me? We have to go back to 1809."

Sir Peel's eyes were filled with fragments of the past: "I had just finished high school and university in Oxford. When I graduated, I had pretty good grades, first in mathematics and literature, so my father wanted to reward me for my outstanding performance. Study, spend money to buy me a parliamentary seat.”

When the Duke of Wellington heard this, he seemed to think of something: "Did you go to high school in Oxford? Oh, by the way, I seem to have heard you mention it before. Lord Byron was in the same class as you, right? Can you be in his head?" It’s not easy to get first place in liberal arts.”

Sir Peel said modestly: "I'm just better at taking exams. It's no big deal. And I only beat him in middle school. When I got to university, he went to Cambridge and I went to Oxford. After graduation, I entered People in the House of Commons were attacking each other all day long, but he inherited his father's title and went to the House of Lords. He had more time to study literature. By that time, the gap between him and me had already become apparent.

But it does surprise me that you have such a high opinion of Lord Byron. After all, he wrote about you in the unfinished "Don Juan"..."

The Duke of Wellington shrugged slightly when he heard this: "If I had been competing with him all day long, I would have been mad to death. Compared with the evaluation given to me by The Times today, Byron is more lenient."

Sir Peel asked: "What does The Times say?"

The Duke of Wellington didn't say anything. He just took out the crumpled newspaper from his pocket and threw it on the table: "Read it yourself."

Sir Peel unfolded the crumpled newspaper and looked up to see the huge title - "The Iron Duke: Arthur Wellesley"

"Iron Duke? Not a bad nickname."

The Duke of Wellington rolled his eyes and drank all the sherry in the goblet: "Yes! If it hadn't been for the following paragraph, I would have thought that The Times would still be unswervingly Flatter me."

When Sir Peel heard this, he was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes moved towards the contents of the newspaper.

——According to this newspaper, the Duke of Wellington has replaced the window glass in his home several times this month because he could not bear the protests from the enlightened public. The frequent additional expenditures have made Mr. Duke's finances tight. In order to reduce expenditures, he has picked up the glass again. In order to defeat Napoleon, he used several sets of specially customized iron windows to build an impregnable defense for his 'London No. 1' Asprey House near Knightsbridge.

——The Duke of Wellington, field marshal of the Eight Nations, conqueror of world conquerors, nemesis of the French tyrant Napoleon, his will is like iron, his command is like iron, his determination to oppose parliamentary reform is like iron, and his dead mind is even more Like a piece of rusty iron, even the windows in his house are now iron!

——I hope those Tories who follow the footsteps of the Iron Duke have rags ready to wipe off the public's spit on his iron-knotted body in time. Only in this way will his beautiful Red Army uniform not be stained. Rust.

As soon as the Duke of Wellington glanced at the newspaper, he couldn't help but get very angry: "Robert, look, what did I tell you before? The Times is a newspaper that adapts to the changing circumstances." A third-rate newspaper. When your position is secure, he rushes to court you. But once he discovers that something is wrong, he immediately transforms into a reform fighter and starts cheering for the Whig Party.

At this point, he is not even as good as the Guardian. At least the Guardian's views are consistent and will not suddenly take a big turn. They still have to be shameless. From a military point of view, a guy like "The Times" who switches sides at the last minute is far more annoying than a clear-cut enemy like "The Guardian"! "

Sir Peel threw the newspaper into the trash can with humor: "So, do you now know why the Guardian cannot sell The Times?"

The Duke of Wellington muttered: "What's the use of knowing it? Those fools on the parade don't know! They probably don't understand that what they are doing is handing the country into the hands of these guys. Oh, let's If I step down, then I'll do what they want, and I can't be bothered to deal with this mess any more. I, Arthur Wellesley, want to get out of this open space."

…

4 Whitehall Street.

Director Charles Rowan sat on a chair, covering his mouth with his hands folded. He looked at the empty conference room, with no expression on his unchanged face.

The door of the conference room was gently pushed open, and Deputy Minister Sir Richard Mayne walked into the conference room holding documents, and was suddenly stunned.

He glanced at the conference hall, then turned his attention to Director Rowan, and asked with his eyebrows pressed: "Charles, isn't there a police meeting today? Why are you the only one left here?"

Director Rowan's eyes drifted to Sir Mayne. He laughed, leaned back, fell on the seat and said, "Yes! I'm also surprised, why am I the only one left? What's the big deal?" Who is the superior agency between the Metropolitan Police and the Greater Metropolitan Police East London Region? Since the LPS is directly under the Ministry of Home Affairs, why does it need to be paid under the name of Scotland Yard? The highest officer of Scotland Yard is Charles Rowan. , or Arthur Hastings?”

When Sir Mayne heard this, he probably understood what was going on.

He gently put the document in his hand on the desk, walked to Director Luo Wan and asked: "Did he get the Prime Minister's order again like in the murder case?"

"Oh! Not this time."

Director Rowan snorted: "This time he is even more capable. The dual orders from No. 10 Downing Street and the Ministry of the Interior seem to revolve around him. Since the Prime Minister and the Secretary of the Interior feel that the order should be direct The most promising young superintendent of Scotland Yard is ours, so why not just remove me and let him take charge of Scotland Yard directly? Why bother?"

When Sir Mayne heard this, he grinned and comforted in a good voice: "Charles, it's almost done. How can he suppress so many factions in Scotland Yard, both cavalry and infantry, all of whom are soldiers?" Son, only if you, an active-duty army colonel, speak, can they listen."

"Yes! Both the cavalry and the infantry can listen, but we, the top student at the University of London, can't."

Rowan raised his head and stared at Lord Mayne and asked: "Just for a demonstration of a few hundred people, does it need to dispatch so many police forces? With this posture, I thought it was the fucking French landing on the Thames River!"

Sir Mayne said helplessly: "Just wait until this period of time passes. The Tories may only be in these few months. Once the Duke of Wellington's cabinet collapses, you can still punish him however you want. Besides, even if you don’t move him, can the Whigs let such a young superintendent who has a close relationship with Sir Peel sit here safely?”

When Rowan heard this, he couldn't help but nodded: "Yes, Richard, you are absolutely right. A twenty-year-old boy almost turned upside down in Scotland Yard just because he had a close relationship with Sir Peel." To show some sincerity to the Whigs, we old men brought to Scotland Yard by Sir Peel are all in need of a snack!"

Sir Mayne also heard the implication of Director Rowan's words. He smiled, and then lightly pulled out the invitation hidden in the file.

"Charles, even if you don't mention this to me, I plan to take the initiative to mention it to you. Viscount Palmerston sent me a dinner invitation and asked me to ask if you are interested in going together."

"Viscount Palmerston?"

Luo Wan seemed to think of something when he heard this name. He turned sideways and took a sip of tea: "Oh, I didn't intend to have anything to do with him. When he was working in the Army Department, everyone who knew him said that he He goes crazy like an overseer with a whip. It is obviously easier to stay under Sir Peel than to work for him."

Sir Mayne was not angry when he heard this. He bent down and put his arms around his old partner's shoulders, and whispered: "Aren't you going? Charles, my old man, I must remind you. Don't say that the future is long. Those are all lies, and in reality, they are all just for people to leave."

Director Luo Wan's face was covered with a shadow, and he seemed to be struggling. ,

Seeing him like this, Sir Mayne did not continue to persuade him, but calmly picked up the invitation letter and documents again, turned around and was about to go out.

However, before he could walk out, he heard Director Luo Wan's voice suddenly ring out: "Time and place?"

Sir Mayne turned around, and his smiling face met the slightly narrowed eyes of Director Rowan.

"This Sunday, Viscount Palmerston's personal dinner at the Allmark Restaurant, you can bring your wife. But it's best not to bring her, because you know, Charles, the most indispensable person in the Allmark Club They are charming upper-class gentlemen and young and energetic beautiful ladies.”

Director Luo Wan heard this, picked up his tea cup and looked out the window: "The Allmac Club is indeed upper class. I never thought that a person like me, who has both a soldier and a policeman identity, would have the opportunity to come in and out. This kind of upper-class social place. Viscount Palmerston, hey, Cupid from Ireland, such a nickname is really appropriate to describe him."