Shadow of great britain

No matter what kind of bad thing it is, if you want to catch the person who did it, you must first find the person who can benefit from that bad thing. If you are gone, who will benefit?

——"The Count of Monte Cristo"

Alexandre Dumas took out a small notebook from his pocket, held one of the pages and waved it gently towards Arthur.

Of course Arthur understood what he meant, but what happened today made it impossible for him to use simple interests to weigh the interested parties gathered in the assassination incident.

In terms of personal grudges, the most likely suspects are former Congressman Bernie Harrison and Justice of the Peace George Norton.

But now he still has a very special identity.

If you think about it from the perspective of Liverpool's special anti-smuggling ombudsman, those who want to kill him include import and export trading companies that are dissatisfied with port controls. These companies do not specifically refer to those in the Liverpool Association, but also include companies that own royal franchises around the world. Giant companies such as the British African Company, the British West India Company, the British Moscow Company, and many more.

Although these trading companies that hold a large amount of monopoly and exclusive power cannot be compared with the large monopoly business associations such as cartels, syndicates, trusts, and consortiums that only appeared in the late 19th century, in terms of legal and practical aspects, even the leader among them, Dong Indian companies still have to bow to parliament.

But anyone who thinks that these companies are benevolent citizens just because they bow their heads in front of Parliament is making a big mistake.

Take the East India Company headquartered in Leadhall Street, London, for example. This company, founded in 1600, obtained exclusive rights to the East India region from Elizabeth I for 21 years, and also received funds to open up the East Indies and Horses for the royal family. Missions to the peninsula, the Ming Dynasty coast and the Japanese archipelago trade routes.

When the East India Company was first established, their task of opening up routes was actually not smooth. The expedition fleet was in danger many times, and the pirates in East Asia were far more difficult to deal with than they imagined. Even the key member of the company, the famous British explorer John Davis, was killed in a firefight with Japanese pirates.

But when the time came to the eighth year, when even the king no longer had hope in opening up the Eastern route, good news suddenly came from the East India Company. After rounds of hard work and unremitting efforts, the company's fleet officially landed in Surat, India, and established its first factory in a small city near the Bay of Bengal.

King James I was overjoyed when he received the news. In order to praise the East India Company, he issued an indefinite charter to the East India Company and announced that the charter would only be expired if the company made no profit for three consecutive years. Cancel.

In order to protect the hard-won success of the East India Company, James I even sent diplomats to visit the Mughal Empire, the Indian overlord, and successfully reached a diplomatic agreement with the Mughal Emperor Jahangir on the condition of regular provision of European treasures. The East India Company's right to settle and establish factories within the Mughal Empire was confirmed.

With the protection of these legal documents, it did not take long for the East India Company, which was rapidly expanding its commercial territory, to defeat the Portuguese merchants who had been operating in India for a long time with the force of a tiger.

While the East India Company was enjoying success, the Glorious Revolution broke out in Britain. Since their main assets were concentrated in India, they survived this dispute that lasted for half a century unscathed.

Not only that, in order to compete for the support of the East India Company, the hen that could only lay golden eggs, both Cromwell, the Lord Protector, and the British royal family who wanted to be restored, threw olive branches to them.

Cromwell improved their standing in Parliament, and the restored Charles II gained even more.

He issued five decrees directed against the East India Company, granting the East India Company the right to autonomously occupy land, mint coins, command forts and armies, form alliances and declare war, conclude peace treaties, and conduct civil and criminal proceedings in occupied areas.

And to confer these powers upon the East India Company was almost tantamount to declaring that the East India Company, the Company, was the State.

Although the East India Company had always claimed that it was not a government, in fact it was a government independent of the British government at this time.

In line with the mentality of having the right not to use bastards, the East India Company quickly formed an independent armed force belonging to the company, and after a few years of hard work, it brazenly launched what was called the British-Mughal War, but in essence it was East India Company vs Mughals war.

However, the newly formed East India Company's armed forces obviously overestimated their combat capabilities and underestimated the strength of the Mughal Empire, as well as the resentment of the French and Portuguese businessmen who had suffered hidden losses in India towards their counterparts. degree.

After four years of fierce fighting, they suffered a lot of French and Portuguese arms, and the British domestic political situation was unable to help them because of the turmoil of the Glorious Revolution. The company's board of directors finally gave up and gave up.

Under the pressure of 125 major shareholders, after convening an emergency board of directors, the company announced that it would stop losses in time and make peace with the Mughal Empire. The price of the peace was to compensate the other party for 150,000 gold rupees.

This battle severely damaged the vitality of the East India Company, and the royal family and Parliament, who had recovered from the Glorious Revolution, finally discovered that we had been too indulgent in this private enterprise?

However, after all, the East India Company's indefinite charter was issued through legal procedures, and they have always maintained profitability. It is morally and legally unreasonable to directly take over their franchise.

But this little difficulty obviously won't trouble all the 'heroes' who want to go to India to make a fortune.

In the spirit of 'as long as the thinking is not slippery, there are always more solutions than difficulties', everyone quickly came up with a new and dirty trick.

Although there is no way to revoke the East India Company's charter, Parliament can liberalize other companies' rights to enter Indian trade. Doesn't this also essentially abolish the East India Company's exclusive rights to the Indian region?

Not only that, in order to prevent companies entering India from being overwhelmed by the size of the East India Company, Parliament personally passed legislation to establish a new company called the 'British East India Company' to compete with the old East India Company.

The shareholders of the East India Company, who felt the crisis, hurriedly pooled hundreds of thousands of pounds to buy shares in this empty new company. Not only that, in order to show their loyalty to the government, the board of directors brainstormed overnight, and finally finally Introduced the first company motto in history - Auspico Regis et Senatus Angliae (By order of the King and Parliament of England/Anglia)

However, although the East India Company repeatedly required its employees to conscientiously understand the meaning of the motto and conscientiously implement the spirit of the motto, and repeatedly emphasized that 'the King and Parliament command the Company' as the fundamental principle of the establishment of the East India Company, this could not restore the hearts of the King and Parliament after all. .

When the king and parliament found that the development of the new company in India was not as expected, and it was unable to affect the monopoly position of the old company, their little thoughts came to life again.

The East India Company, aware that something was not going well, took the lead this time and proposed a plan to merge the new company with the old company, and invited the Colonial Affairs Department, the Treasury and the Board of Trade to deeply participate in the company's reorganization, with Parliament responsible for supervision.

In the end, after the East India Company reluctantly accepted a 3.2 million pound loan forced from the government, the merger plan of the new and old companies successfully passed parliamentary review.

In return, Parliament generously returned India's monopoly franchise to it.

Although according to the provisions of the old license, this right should originally belong to it.

However, complaints are complaints. After solving the problem of uneven distribution of spoils, the British government soon gave the East India Company its full support diplomatically and militarily.

On the diplomatic front, the East India Company obtained tariff-free power in Bengal from the Mughal Empire.

In the military, a large number of regular Royal Navy and Army officers were sent to serve in the East India Company troops, and these reserve officers who fought hard on the Indian battlefield included some famous figures.

For example, Robert Clive defeated 70,000 Mughal troops with 3,000 troops and conquered Bengal. Or maybe it was the Duke of Wellington who attacked the 40,000 Mysore Kingdom's magical army with 7,000 troops and won.

It is precisely because of this help from the government that the East India Company has been able to grow to the size it is today.

However, the balance between the East India Company and the government has always been very delicate. Whenever conflicts broke out between Britain and other European countries, the government would loosen the reins around its neck in order to obtain stable income.

Once peacetime arrived, the Parliament and the Cabinet were wondering almost every day how to pull back the reins.

After the passage of three bills in 1784, 1786, and 1813, although the organizational structure of this former commercial giant became larger and more bloated than before, looking back, it sadly discovered that its head was Not only was there an additional Indian Governing Council, there was even a Governor-General of India.

Not only that, his commercial functions are being continuously stripped away and compressed by the parliament. Although the trade volume of this golden-egg hen has been rising steadily, the rise in profits has far failed to keep up with the increase in expenses.

The biggest reason for the substantial increase in expenses is that in response to the call of higher-level management, they have added many local management agencies in India that have no benefit to the company itself.

Arthur once talked about the East India Company when he was chatting with Lionel, the young master of the Rothschild family.

From the Jewish young master's mouth, Arthur learned that the current East India Company was burdened with a total debt of nearly 10 million pounds. Although their trade volume is still large, their profits have been reduced to an extremely slim level by the calculating parliament.

Occasionally in years when trade conditions were bad, the East India Company's annual financial statements showed negative growth in profits or even losses not once or twice.

It can be said that after completely losing its monopoly and exclusive power in India in 1813, the East India Company today is like a frightened bird, and the slightest movement can scare them.

In order to defend their business interests, they don't mind playing tricks, such as starting a war.

In other words, after more than two centuries of various turmoils, the East India Company has now been conditioned by Parliament.

Their code of conduct is: I am obedient to parliament. I'll hit the Indians hard! If the French and Portuguese businessmen dare to interfere, I will beat them up too!

The East India Company dared to start a war in India, but not without assassinating a Scotland Yard superintendent and commissioner in London. To be honest, they may not have the courage.

After all, the 20-year charter issued to them in 1813 was about to be renewed.

Parliament usually has no excuse to beat them. If they hit the muzzle of their guns, it would be like taking a pillow when they are sleepy. Whether it is the Whig party or the Tory party, both sides want it.

The big brother, the East India Company, was like this, let alone the younger brothers such as the African Company and the West India Company. The consensus of these companies is not to mess around, otherwise no one will be able to handle it if there is a management committee in the parliament and a governor's hat to cover it up.

Thinking of this, Arthur suddenly frowned.

The Liverpool association, which he had originally excluded from suspicion, was again included in his doubt list.

The Liverpool Association assassinated him because of dissatisfaction with the port segregation, which was the first level.

The East India Company's assassination of the commissioner, in order to frame the Liverpool Association, was the second level.

Or maybe the Liverpool Association deliberately made the assassination so crude in order to arouse suspicion in London and I, and ultimately mistakenly believed that the case was an attempt by the East India Company to frame the Liverpool Association, thereby stumbling upon the renewal of the East India Company's charter. , this is the third layer.

Is this the end of it?

How many floors are there behind?

Seeing Arthur's frown getting tighter, Alexandre Dumas couldn't help but ask: "Arthur, what are you thinking about? Your face is as wrinkled as a layer cake."

After hearing this, Arthur leaned back and sighed: "Alexander, I'm trapped. To be honest, I think everyone looks like the murderer behind the scenes now. Tell me the truth, are these Poles stupid?" Hired?"

"Do I need to hire someone if I want to kill you?" Alexandre Dumas pulled out his pistol and acted like a gunman: "If I take action, you won't even be able to reach Liverpool."

Heine also pinched his chin and said suspiciously: "Come to think of it, what happened today is also strange. Among our group today, there are members of the Napoleon family, a famous American writer and secretary of the embassy, ​​and I, who can't A great wise man tolerated by Prussia. Why would the killer come after you? Are you worth more than the three of us tied together?"

When Louis heard this, he just patted Heinrich's jingling pocket: "For now, yes for the time being. Heinrich, you'd better spend this pocket of gold coins first before criticizing. Get it with someone else." Qian, I’m not tough to say this.”

Arthur didn't pay attention to what they said. They still wanted to argue, which at least showed that everyone's emotional state was quite stable.

But having said that, those standing here basically have relatively strong psychological qualities.

Alexandre Dumas launched a 'terrorist attack' in Paris.

Louis participated in the Carbonari uprising in Italy, and he himself narrowly escaped death from the fire of the Austrian suppressive army.

Even the most humble Heine had to be followed by several Prussian secret policemen when he went out for a walk in his hometown of Dusseldorf.

With this kind of experience, an assassination does not seem to be a big deal to them.

He turned his eyes and suddenly met Chief Field, who had just completed the investigation of the crime scene.

The capable man in the criminal investigation department who was promoted by Arthur looked like he was hesitant to speak.

Seeing this, Arthur asked: "Charles, did you find anything?"

Seeing Arthur taking the initiative to ask, Field hesitated, and finally said: "I don't know if it's right, but...Sir, judging from our experience in handling criminal cases, this assassination does not conform to the logic of a normal homicide. .”

Hearing this, Arthur hummed softly: "What do you think?"

Field said: "Generally speaking, if the prisoner really deliberately wants to kill someone, then he will definitely choose a killing method that is as secretive and undetectable as possible. Only a spur-of-the-moment street quarrel can give birth to something like this. Appalling way of killing with passion.

According to the case investigation method you taught me, a murder case is usually caused by personal grudges or financial interests. In terms of personal grudges, you and the killers have never met, and this is not a murder but an assassination. This method of killing people on the street is usually used by people who are not in an advantageous position to make a desperate move. Like Bellingham, the bankrupt businessman who assassinated Prime Minister Percival. So they must have been entrusted by someone to assassinate them, and I don't object to this.

But what kind of employer would ask them to stab someone in the street in public? And they didn't provide any help to their killers, so that they would just risk everything and choose this stupid assassination method? The most important thing is that these Poles shouted your name before taking action, as if they were afraid that others would not know that it was you they wanted to kill.

If you were to put yourself in your shoes, and I was the employer who wanted to kill you, I would definitely ask these killers to at least do it when it's dark. For example, setting a fire downstairs in the hotel at night, or planting explosives or something.

If I were to be more precise, I might also consider investigating which restaurants are responsible for serving meals at the Golden Lion Hotel, and then look for opportunities to poison your meals. There is a cholera outbreak in Liverpool right now. If the killer uses some poison that is not easy to test, everyone will definitely think that you died of cholera. If the assassination plan is designed in this way, it will not only be efficient and safe, but also less likely to be exposed. But the current situation is that these killers are doing exactly the opposite.

This shows that the employer behind the killer may not care at all about taking your life. What he wanted was for someone to come to Liverpool with a gun, fire a few random shots, and yell, 'I'm going to kill Hastings.' Although I am not sure that my inference is correct, all the information presented to us so far tells me that this is really what they want. "

When Arthur heard this, his eyes slowly opened wide, and his thoughts gradually became clearer.

"This... you have provided me with a new idea. This really corresponds to the saying that bystanders are confused by the authorities. If what those people want is this news effect, then maybe we should wait a little longer, and they should figure it out themselves Delivered to your door…”