Shadow of great britain

When Arthur heard Palmerston's words, he did not panic as the other party expected.

After joining Scotland Yard and patrolling the East District at night several times, Arthur realized that the differences between people are not as big as imagined, especially in terms of psychological quality, which can be trained.

As a long-trained Scotland Yard police officer, he believed that the threat of treason was obviously less immediate than having a knife put to his neck by an East End gangster.

Arthur just smiled softly and said: "Of course, Your Excellency, I understand your concern about the recent public opinion in London. The citizens, with their simple sense of morality, want to force the government to do something for the Polish people, but under the influence of Due to their cognitive level, they don’t know the real situation in Poland as well as you do. Therefore, as long as someone has ulterior motives to fan the flames in the media, it is easy to arouse confrontational sentiments among London citizens.”

When Palmerston heard this, he smiled with satisfaction. He stood up, opened the wine cabinet and poured some for Arthur: "You're right, Arthur, not all citizens have the ability to distinguish the authenticity of information. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has more specific information than they have, and from what we know so far, the real situation in Poland is obviously not as exaggerated as what newspapers and magazines say.”

Arthur stared at the dark red wine reverberating in the goblet, and continued with a smile: "Of course, because of this, I think it is a good thing that these reports about Poland appear in The British."

"Huh?" Palmerston's action of pouring wine suddenly stopped, and he smiled: "Arthur, how do you say this?"

Arthur replied: "As I just told you, I also serialized novels in "The British", and due to the support of the citizens, my novel is still relatively popular.

Your Excellency, as you know, these times are different from the past. Nowadays, when everyone evaluates a person's status, in addition to looking at his natural lineage and power, whether he can make money is also a very important indicator.

It just so happened that I was able to make money for "British." Because of this, I have a little say in the editorial department of "The British". If those articles about Poland had been published in The Times, I probably wouldn't have been able to do anything about them.

Because you also know that the freedom of the press was a bill that the Whig Party strongly advocated for when the Tories were in power. It is impossible for Scotland Yard to overturn the achievements of today's ruling party, and that is not an issue that the police should be involved in.

Not to mention that with the influence of The Times, one day our police officers step into the editorial office, and the next day they have to use seven or eight pages to angrily denounce us as authoritarian gendarmes. But the situation of "The British" is obviously different. If the article is published in "The British", as one of their pillars and shareholders, I naturally have the right to make certain modifications and suggestions to the content of each issue of the magazine. of.

Since you are dissatisfied with the articles of Prince Czartoryski and Louis Bonaparte in The Anglican, you can find me to communicate the dissatisfaction of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the editorial board of The Anglican.

But if The British directly rejects their manuscript, and they turn to The Times and The Manchester Guardian, how should we respond then? Although you can continue to put pressure on these two newspapers in other aspects, but with all due respect, from my practical experience in the past few years at Scotland Yard, sales are the life of the news media.

As long as they can increase sales, there will always be newspapers to publish their articles. Even if The Times and The Manchester Guardian don't, there will always be a bunch of people in other tabloids who are not afraid of death. Haha, I wonder if you have heard of William Corbett of the Poor People's Political Monthly and Hetherington of the Poor People's Guardian? Both of them are typical examples of people who are not afraid of death.

The most troublesome thing is that I heard that Mr. Corbett is actively running for parliament recently, and according to recent opinion polls, he still has a good chance of being elected. Before Mr. Corbett became a member of Parliament, he dared to sharply criticize corruption in the government and the military, and spent two years in prison for this. After being released from prison, his attitude not only did not soften, but also became more arrogant.

Mr Corbett was already like this when he was not an MP. If he is elected as a member of Parliament, Scotland Yard will... Sir, you must have heard about Bernie Harrison's case some time ago. The police officers are still worried about it. "

When Palmerston heard this, he leaned slightly on the sofa and thought about it while holding the wine glass.

Just like what Arthur said, there have been many newspapers and magazines in London criticizing the Polish issue recently. However, because the identities of several authors of the supplement "The Economist" of "The British" are too sensitive, they only let Palmerston set his sights on them.

But if you think about it from another perspective, even if the "British" doesn't publish these articles, other newspapers will. If they really find stinky rocks like Corbett and Hetherington, then the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will really have nothing to do with them.

First of all, this is not the first time that these two people have been in prison, and they have no public duties, so they have no fear of being arrested.

Secondly, Hetherington's "Poor Guardian" is an illegal tabloid that does not pay stamp duty. It has a low price, high liquidity, and wide spread. It is one of the most difficult to ban.

Cobbett's Poor People's Political Monthly was even worse. Although this magazine was formal, Cobbett himself had a very high reputation in Britain. He was not only a well-known political activist and writer, but also He is a representative of the British petty bourgeoisie radicals.

In other words, William Cobbett was a political ally of the Whigs in their campaign for parliamentary reform. If he were cuffed, it would be equivalent to openly challenging the Prime Minister, Earl Gray.

Although Palmerston didn't like Corbett, it was still too exciting for the Prime Minister to reshuffle his cabinet and take off his official hat as Foreign Secretary for such a trivial matter.

And, as Arthur said, it's almost impossible to get Scotland Yard to ban a candidate who is extremely likely to be elected. Director Rowan is not as mindless as Superintendent Clemens. If it does not affect both parties, Rowan and Scotland Yard will not mind selling the Ministry of Foreign Affairs a favor.

But this kind of thing that might slap Scotland Yard on the butt with a stick, even if Palmerston said it to the extreme, it would be impossible for them to implement it. Of course, if Palmerston can directly persuade the Minister of the Interior, Viscount Melbourne, to give Scotland Yard a written order, then they can do it by pinching their noses.

However, although Viscount Melbourne is a bit lazy and often sleeps during parliamentary meetings, this does not mean that he does not know anything.

Viscount Melbourne is a rational politician, a man whose wife has been having an extramarital affair with Lord Byron for more than ten years but is still as stable as a rock. He is not willing to take the initiative to cause trouble for his sister's lover.

This is why Palmerston bypassed Melbourne today and called Arthur in private. He just wanted to get a taste of him first.

Palmerston saw that Arthur was not fooled, so he changed his explanation: "Well... I have to say, Arthur, there is indeed a reason why you are appreciated by so many big people. Although what you said makes sense. , but even if their articles are not published in the supplement of "The Englishman", they won't find many good places, right? Are you sure Corbett or Hetherington would be willing to accept them?"

Arthur heard that Palmerston Ken's attitude had softened, so he took advantage of this momentum to continue to increase his position. He asked: "Your Excellency, do you know about the Westminster Union?"

Palmerston sipped his red wine and said: "Of course I know, they are all gentlemen there. But it would be better if they could be more friendly to me. But... you suddenly asked what these gentlemen were doing. Woolen cloth?"

The Westminster Union that Arthur and Palmerston spoke of was familiar to everyone in London's political circles, and even Elder knew something about the organization.

There is no other reason, because one of the founders of the Westminster Union was Mr. Jeremy Bentham, the spiritual father of the University of London.

Mr. Hunter, the member of Parliament who attacked Palmerston's position on the Polish issue in the House of Commons, and William Corbett, the founder of the Poor People's Political Monthly, who made Palmerston jealous, also came from this organization.

But of course what Arthur is talking about now is not the two of them.

Arthur said: "The reason why "British" publishes articles about Poland contains many hidden secrets. After all, "British" was originally just a fashion novel magazine, and we don't really want to have anything to do with politics. . But the situation is stronger than the people. Just like Britain’s foreign policy, we always have to choose to adapt to changes in the situation, right?”

Hearing this, Palmerston put down his wine glass and smiled: "Arthur, do you have any difficulties? If so, just say it. Wherever I can help, just ask."

When the red devil on the side heard this, he couldn't help but pat his thigh and said with a smile: "Arthur, what this minotaur said is quite interesting. He obviously wanted to find out the news, but when it came to his mouth, he actually shared your worries. He’s done all the good things to say, no wonder he became the Foreign Secretary!”

Arthur just smiled and replied: "Thank you for your concern, but since this pressure has been borne by "The British Man", it is best not to disturb his balance. Let me tell you the truth, you may also find A large number of articles by Polish exiles appeared in The Anglican.

The reason for these articles is that we were approached by Mr. Thomas Campbell, a member of the Westminster Union. Oh, by the way, you may not know that Mr. Campbell founded the Friends of Poland Literary Society because of his sympathy for the Polish people, and almost all of our Polish authors are from there.

Mr. Campbell told us that many of these Polish exiles were struggling because they had lost their source of livelihood. So he wanted to use the friendship he had at the University of London to get in touch with me, hoping that based on the teacher-student relationship with him, I would agree to let these exiles use their talents to write novels to subsidize their families and help their compatriots.

The editorial board of "The British" discussed it and felt that from a literary point of view, as long as the quality of the work meets the standards, no matter where the author's nationality is, it will not prevent them from earning royalties from us.

My thinking was that if I rejected Mr. Campbell on behalf of The British, they would eventually go to Mr. Corbett, also a member of the Westminster Union, and ask for permission to publish in the Poor People's Political Monthly. These articles were published on.

And once the articles fell into Corbett's hands, I no longer even had the power to suggest changes to them. Your Excellency, you can certainly understand this, and the impact on Cabinet policy will be disastrous.

Rather than handing the enemy's weapons into the hands of an emotionally unstable lunatic, it would be better to keep them safe in your own hands. Therefore, even if we have to sacrifice part of the objectivity and impartiality of "The Englishman" and part of our newly established reputation in the literary world, the editorial department finally reluctantly launched the supplement called "The Economist". "

At this point, Arthur paused for a moment, and then continued: "Sir, you may think that the things published in "The British" are too radical. But I bet you that if you read their original manuscripts, If you don’t do it right, you’ll faint from anger.”

Palmerston frowned slightly: "You mean, the article in The Englishman has been revised?"

"Of course." Arthur nodded seriously: "That is already the third edition, and we have done our best to hide a lot of controversial words."

"Hmm..." Palmerston took a deep breath: "So Thomas Campbell was also involved in this matter?"

Thomas Campbell is not a particularly difficult role for Palmerston, but his identity as the co-founder of the University of London made Palmerston have to think carefully, because the other founder of the University of London was... I was sitting in the Chancery Hall at that time.

Or……

Palmerston raised his head and took a look at Arthur's clear eyes. From those shining eyes with a little red light, he finally felt something was wrong.

Palmerston was suspicious: "Does this itself represent part of Brougham's meaning?"

It was okay to intimidate an ordinary Scotland Yard police officer, but Palmerston had not yet made up his mind to intimidate the powerful Lord Chancellor of Britain, nor did he intend to lead the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into a war with the Chancery.

He thought about it again and again, and finally stood up to say goodbye to Arthur and said: "Arthur, your opinion is very insightful. I also think that it is better to keep these Poles in your own hands than to push them to Corbett. In The British published these things, and there is no doubt that you made the right choice this time."

Arthur also smiled and stood up and said: "I heard that you have been attacked recently for not agreeing to grant funds to Polish exiles. Regarding this, I have a small proposal here. Of course, if you are willing to listen, .”

Palmerston denied it flatly: "Oh, Arthur, don't listen to those people's unfounded words. I am also full of sympathy for the Polish people. It is not because I hate them that I don't allocate funds, but our finances are also very poor." It's tight. You may not know that I invited many Poles to have dinner with me last week. It was all paid for by me. Of course, if you have any suggestions that can help improve the lives of Polish exiles, of course I will I’d love to hear it.”

Arthur smiled and said: "I knew you must have some difficulties. Financial constraints are indeed a very important reason, and our Scotland Yard's funds are also tight all year round. So as you said, I think if you can't If you want to directly provide subsidies to the exiles, why don't you help them get paid by doing things like writing manuscripts?

As the saying goes, those who do not work do not eat. This has been true since ancient times. Although our "British" page is limited, we can still squeeze out some space for them. Your Excellency, I find it extremely unfair to see you so attacked by Parliament. If you can recommend three or two more Polish authors to us, it will not only reduce their danger, but also improve your current public opinion environment, why not do it? "

Palmerston didn't pay much attention to Arthur's suggestion at first. He thought the other party was just talking casually, but after hearing this, his mind became more active.

Anyway, he had no intention of allocating funds to Poland from the beginning. If he could draw two or three lucky Polish people in exchange for a news headline of "The Righteous Foreign Minister Personally Resettlement Polish Refugees," it seemed to be an economical and practical deal.

Palmerston laughed and walked forward, patted Arthur's shoulder affectionately and said: "Arthur, Britain is really lucky to have a police officer with a sense of justice like you. If "The British" is willing to accept a few Poles As a human being, I must thank you on behalf of the suffering Polish people. However, I think that all Poles who are capable of writing poetry and painting have probably been absorbed by the Friends of Poland Literary Association. Are there any relatively low-end ones over there now? A job? Like a cleaner or a tea lady or something?"

Arthur smiled and agreed: "Actually, our literary editors were responsible for the cleaning work in the editorial department. However, if you think the Polish people have this need, then I will go back and discuss it with them. In principle, I I think there can also be cleaners and tea ladies. By the way, I am currently recruiting domestic maids. If you are so eager to help Poland, I am also willing to contribute these two positions."

"Look! Look! Arthur, this is you, always able to share the country's worries! Belgium's problem is you, and now Poland's problem is also you. I said, you were born to do diplomacy."

Arthur said humbly: "Your Excellency, you are really over the top."

"This is not a compliment, these words of mine come from the bottom of my heart."

Palmerston said with a smile: "Of course, although you and the editorial board of "The British" are willing to share the country's worries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will definitely consider your needs. We will try our best to screen and do our best to provide you with and the Polish people to provide a satisfactory answer. After all, there is no use in having so many cleaners and housemaids, and from the perspective of helping the Polish people, one more cleaner is definitely not as helpful as one more novelist .”

Arthur smiled and nodded: "Yes, from a publicity point of view, this is also the case."

Palmerston coughed when he heard this. He took out his pocket watch and took a look at it and said, "If there is still room in my schedule, it seems that I can start doing this in the near future. By the way, Arthur, Do you have the address of Prince Czartoryski? I plan to visit him soon to express my condolences, and by the way, I will ask him if he has any young Polish talents worth recommending to me."

Upon hearing this, Arthur just reached out and took out a palm-sized address book from the inner pocket of his tuxedo. He then opened a page, tore it off along the edge, and pressed it on the coffee table with a smile.

"Your Excellency, then, I wish you a safe journey."