Shadow of great britain

On the second floor of the Golden Lion Hotel, a larger bedroom was cleared and used as a temporary meeting room.

A gunshot fired in Lexington sounded the clarion call for independence for the North American colonies.

But today, half a century later, a gunshot fired in Liverpool brought hundreds of Scotland Yard's capable officers to the local area.

Sitting by the window of the conference room, just smoking quietly, I could hear the sound of the police officer's scabbard rubbing against his white breeches from downstairs.

Looking from the street, the not particularly wide street in front of the Golden Lion Hotel is full of Scotland Yard police officers smoking in groups.

Passing Liverpool citizens looked curiously at this group of Londoners who dropped from the sky. Regardless of each person's unique appearance, at least their uniforms with no wrinkles visible from head to toe were definitely much more handsome than the local security team in Liverpool. .

Among the police officers, the highest-ranking one is Inspector Brendan Jones, who is now the head of Tower Hamlets Police District.

Standing next to him were Arthur's right-hand men, Sheriff Tony Eckhart, who was in charge of the Search Section of the Criminal Investigation Department, and Sheriff Tom Flanders, who was in charge of the Archives Section of the Criminal Investigation Department.

Although Jones had a higher rank than Tom and Tony, he did not dare to take advantage of them.

Especially Tom. Jones is still grateful that this honest and loyal police officer said a few kind words for him in front of Arthur. If not, his body might have floated down the Thames River to the English Channel by now. .

Jones took out two exquisite small porcelain bottles from his pocket and threw them at them: "Try this, it's much more comfortable than smoking a pipe."

Tony took the bottle and glanced at it: "Snuff bottle? When did you start playing with this?"

Jones smiled and replied: "I don't have the spare money to buy this. It's all given by others. Anyway, it's a free thing, so don't give it up."

Tony opened the cap of the bottle and took a deep breath, feeling refreshed and refreshed: "Don't tell me, it tastes quite good, much better than a pipe. Why don't you go and get one for Arthur?"

Hearing this, Tom held up the snuff bottle Jones gave him and said, "You might as well give this to him. I don't smoke much, and I don't have any use for the snuff bottle."

After hearing this, Jones just pressed Tom's hand back: "Don't worry, I've already prepared Superintendent Hastings' job. By the way, you guys arrived before me, so you should have seen him in advance. Right? Superintendent Hastings, is he... seriously injured?"

After hearing this, Tom just said helplessly: "Sir, you don't need to be so cautious. It's not like you don't know that Arthur loses his temper only a handful of times. If you have any problems, just go up to him. Having said that, You left Tower Hamlets alone and directly asked Minister Rowan to come to Liverpool to do security work. Can you cope with the work in the police district?"

Jones shook his head when he heard this and said: "Tom, I am different from you. My... is all in his hands. And I am not as important to Tower Hamlets as you think. What we lack is Front-line patrol officers, not supervisors. Director Rowan takes leave every now and then to find someone to take over. Isn’t Scotland Yard still operating? Besides, my assistant Ledley is still there. When orders are given from above, he just carries them out. .”

"Ledley?" Tony put down the snuff bottle and asked, "Ledley King? That boy from Whitechapel?"

"Yes, that's him." Jones smiled: "Although that boy is greedy for money and lust, he is also a good hand at work. Or let's put it another way, if you want to do a good job in Tower Hamlets, you must be A greedy and lustful boy like him.”

When Tony heard this, he clicked his tongue and said in surprise: "He was promoted to sergeant in one year, and became an assistant police inspector in less than half a year. This kid Ledley climbed up so fast! He is almost half as fast as Arthur."

Tom asked, "Tony, how do you know him?"

Tony glanced at him: "You spend all day in the file room, so of course you don't know a few people. People like me who lead people in the field every day know all about the progressive young people in various police districts in London. And Ridley... This kid Jin is the most progressive one among them.

With a smile on his face and a knife hidden behind his back, he used his inexperienced appearance to hide the trap he had planned long ago. This guy is a typical person who says one thing and thinks another.

Seeing that he was still relatively sensible, I prayed to God on his behalf that it would be best not to be caught by the authorities for the bad things he did. And you, Jones, if something comes out in the future, you won't be able to run away. "

The more Tom listened, the more curious he became: "What did that kid do?"

Jones took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his chin: "Actually, it's nothing. I just want to make progress too much. Putting aside some small things about personal style, it's just stuffing contraband on the territory of some gang members who are difficult to convict, or the law enforcement style It's more rough and so on.

All in all, as long as you dare to give Ledley a target, he will dare to do 200% of your excess business. It was with this in mind that I transferred him from Whitechapel to my side. If you rashly send him out to perform a mission, you really may not be able to cause any trouble for you.

Last time, the department issued an order saying that there had been too many car accidents in London recently and that the congested traffic conditions in various police districts needed to be rectified. I didn't take this matter to heart, so I just left it to the boy Ledley.

It turned out later that this bastard had actually blocked half of the road in the police district. When cars came, he would lie to them and tell them that there was construction ahead and ask them to take a detour. Nowadays, Tower Hamlets is indeed free of traffic jams, but the rate of car accidents in surrounding areas has steadily increased compared to before.

The office didn't know the specific situation and thought we had done a good job, so instead of criticizing, they even praised our work. All I can say is that Ledley is lucky to be under my control. If he were to be placed elsewhere, he would be in trouble. "

At this point, the three of them couldn't help but sigh.

Tony joked: "Jones, you are delaying Ledley's progress."

Jones took a breath of snuff: "If I don't delay him, he will start to delay me. We all need to make progress, and we should prioritize it. Speaking of which, there seems to be some clues about Superintendent Hastings. Do you understand?"

Tony asked: "Are you talking about the London District Attorney's Office? Wasn't that decided a long time ago?"

"More than these."

Jones raised his white gloves to cover his mouth and whispered: "I heard that the London District Attorney's Office should establish a District Attorney General and four Deputy District Attorneys. The Attorney General is led by Lord Brougham, the Royal Justice. Nominated by the Judiciary Committee of the House of Lords and appointed by His Majesty the King.

According to gossip, the person most likely to get the position is Professor John Austin QC, Dean of the Law School at the University of London. Like Superintendent Hastings, he was a figure highly favored by Lord Brougham.

As for the four Deputy Attorney Generals, one is nominated by the Chancery Chamber, one is nominated by the Home Office, and one is nominated by the British Bar Association. The last one is reserved exclusively for the police, that is, Scotland Yard. Director Rowan is not a fool, so the deputy prosecutor of the police will definitely be Superintendent Hastings. "

Tom asked: "Isn't this something everyone knows?"

Jones waved his hand and said: "The focus is on the back. If Superintendent Hastings becomes the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, then Scotland Yard will... Although the Superintendent's rank is not low, as Scotland Yard's representative in the London District Attorney's Office, Why should I have the title of Assistant Superintendent?"

After hearing this, Tom took a deep breath, held his chin and thought: "But... didn't the office just promulgate the 'Anti-Hastings Ordinance' a few months ago? Now if you want to be promoted to Assistant Superintendent, at least... You have to serve for eight years. It’s written in black and white, so you can’t get away with it, right? Unless the department plans to amend the management regulations recently? "

Jones took a puff of his cigarette and said, "Originally, this matter was indeed difficult to handle. After all, the new regulations were just released and then changed. This is unjustifiable. But now, hasn't Superintendent Hastings been shot? Look at the newspapers. Is that right? The Ministry of Home Affairs is now planning to establish police organizations across the country. Maybe they will also conduct a comprehensive revision of the 1829 "Greater London Police Act". Scotland Yard's jurisdiction, responsibilities and powers should also be re-divided. . If the department plans to take the opportunity to upgrade the criminal investigation department as a whole, then it is logical for Superintendent Hastings to be promoted to assistant superintendent. Not to mention, he has just blocked a bullet for the Internal Affairs Department."

Having said this, Jones smiled and congratulated Tom and Tony: "Maybe in a few months, you will be like me, carrying three Bass stars on your shoulders. After all, once the Criminal Investigation Department is upgraded, it will definitely It’s a whole, and you have to follow it.”

When Tom and Tony heard this, they couldn't help feeling dizzy.

"my Lord!"

"You've obviously done nothing, so you're getting promoted again?"

When Jones saw this, he just sighed with envy and jealousy: "That's how life is, especially when working in a place like Scotland Yard, the right person is more important than anything else. Unfortunately, I was working with Superintendent Clemens. If I had discovered early on that there was such a "blue-blooded aristocrat" from York hiding in the nooks and crannies of the Greenwich Police Station, I might have been promoted to superintendent next year.

Alas, Inspector, with three Bath stars and the same badge on his shoulder as an Army Captain, whose official price starts at a thousand pounds. As for the Superintendent, a St. Edward's badge is equivalent to a Major in the Army, which is more than two thousand pounds. As for the assistant superintendent, in addition to the St. Edward's badge, there is also a Bath star, and an army lieutenant colonel. This kind of position not only depends on money, but also good luck to find a job..."

Jones was sighing when suddenly there was a messy sound of footsteps in his ears.

He turned around and saw that several police officers were leading two well-dressed gentlemen towards the front of the hotel.

The leading middle-aged gentleman held a pipe in his mouth, raised his cane and touched his hat gently: "Young man, do you like shiny epaulettes? I have to admit that you are indeed very discerning. I also talked to you when I was young. The same. But in my opinion, although everyone’s epaulettes are equally shiny, the Royal Navy’s officer uniform is still much more handsome than the Army’s. Of course, if we only judge it from the perspective of police uniforms, your Scotland Yard uniform is also not bad."

Jones frowned slightly when he heard this and asked several young police officers: "Who is this?"

The secretary who was following the middle-aged gentleman heard this and took out a document from his arms, pointed to the red stamp on it and said, "We are from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. We have urgent matters that need to be discussed with Mr. Hastings."

"Foreign Office?"

Jones got angry when he heard the name, and Tom and Tony also softened their expressions.

"We haven't heard that anyone from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will come today. And I don't have the right to open this special letter. Do you have any other documents that can prove your identity?"

Seeing that Jones didn't believe it, the secretary didn't say much nonsense. He just took out a Ministry of Foreign Affairs badge engraved with a unicorn, a lion and a crown from his inner pocket.

Jones already knew the logos of various departments in Whitehall by heart. He just took it over and glanced at it and knew it was genuine.

However, for safety reasons, he still requested euphemistically: "It seems that you two are indeed from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the current situation in Liverpool is relatively sensitive. In order to prevent accidents and ensure your safety, can you two take off your coats?" Do you want to be inspected? We have to make sure you don’t have any guns or ammunition on you.”

When the middle-aged gentleman heard this, he couldn't help frowning and snorted softly: "I just asked Mr. Hastings to do a small thing, and it was a small thing specially authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. As for such trouble ?"

Seeing that the situation was not good, Jones quickly explained: "Sorry, sir, but this is a rule. I have no right to violate the resolutions of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other superior management departments."

"Heh...are you trying to scare me by moving out of the Ministry of Internal Affairs? Okay!"

The middle-aged gentleman's gray brows raised, and he directly hugged the back of Jones's head and stuffed his head into his coat.

The middle-aged gentleman took a puff of cigarette and asked: "Do you see clearly? What is hanging on my shoulder under my coat?"

Jones pretended to be calm and reported loudly: "Report! It's a gold-edged epaulette! It is also inlaid with a St. Edward's emblem, a crossed command baton and saber, and two sun stars."

The middle-aged gentleman asked: "What does this epaulette mean?"

"Report! This shoulder patch means that you are an active Royal Navy rear admiral!"

The middle-aged gentleman laughed loudly when he heard this. He let go of Jones' head and said, "Young man, it seems that your knowledge level still needs to be improved."

Jones was sweating: "Please give me some advice!"

The middle-aged gentleman patted him on the shoulder: "You missed one point. I am not only a rear admiral of the Royal Navy, but also a red flag admiral of the Royal Navy. This also means that I am only one step away from being promoted to lieutenant general. In other words, if If I'm lucky, when I come back from Portugal, in the Grand Fleet, I can stay away from the damn rearguard fleet and instead command the vanguard fleet."

Jones smiled apologetically and said: "I have a different opinion than you. In my opinion, you may still have the opportunity to serve as the Adjutant of the Admiralty, or the Second, Third, Fourth Sea Lord or something."

The middle-aged gentleman was even happier when he heard this: "Then I'll lend you a favor, but according to the historical employment habits of the Admiralty, generals like me and Thomas Cochran who are good at conquering and fighting have never been able to The status of an office marshal like Gambhir, who can establish relations with the king, is so secure. Therefore, young man, I took your auspicious words as a joke."

The secretary who was following the middle-aged gentleman pursed his lips slightly when he heard this. He just urged: "Since Mr. Napier is unwilling to undergo an examination, please ask Superintendent Hastings if he can be a little more accommodating. . We do carry the secret order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and we cannot afford to delay this matter."

When Jones heard this, he didn't dare to play casually with the other party. He hurriedly saluted: "Okay, I will truthfully convey your words to Superintendent Hastings."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, the sound of riding boots coming down the stairs was heard behind him, followed closely by Arthur's slightly dry and hoarse voice.

Arthur's white glove held one hand on the railing and the other on the king's sword: "General Charlie Napier? I have long admired your name."

Napier also showed a smile when he heard this. He raised his hat and said hello: "Mr. Hastings, you are a young talent. I have also heard Codrington and Cochrane mention you. There are many people in the Royal Navy. Everyone has a good impression of you, and I hope you can continue to maintain this impression..."

At this point, Napier's words suddenly paused, and he saw the needle in the corner of Arthur's eye.

However, unlike most people who responded with sympathy, Napier felt quite friendly when he saw the wound. He pulled down the ruffles on his collar and pointed at a hideous scar on his neck that was as thin as a finger.

"I also have a medal like this. Young man, don't feel sad because you are injured. Many ladies and ladies find this very attractive. This shows that we have really fought for Britain through life and death, and it is proof of honor."

Arthur walked down the stairs: "You are right, but it is best not to display your honor here, because I am afraid it will cause a diplomatic incident."

Napier hummed, rolled his eyes slightly and then asked with a smile: "Are there traitors from North America here?"

"You guessed it right." Arthur nodded slightly: "Secretary of the American Legation, Mr. Washington Irving."

When Napier heard this, he couldn't help laughing and said: "I don't know Owen, but I am familiar with Washington. I have been there before. Have you ever seen Washington at four o'clock in the morning? Under the clear night sky, the shells looked like The shooting stars, the fireworks over the Capitol and federal buildings were beautiful.”

When Arthur heard this, he just sighed: "I knew it was right to stop you here. Although Mr. Irving also dislikes the United States, he is not willing to burn everything down like you."

Napier said: "Don't say that, I have made contributions to the Americans. Do you know the American military song "The Star-Spangled Banner"? That song was actually composed on my ship."

"Um?"

The trivia that Napier blurted out stunned Arthur for a moment: "Can you also compose music?"

Napier shook his stick and shook his head: "No, no, no. I don't know music as well as a pianist like you. That piece was composed by an American lawyer who happened to be on my ship. At that time, I was ordered to surround Baltimore. American lawyers were sent to negotiate for the release of an American prisoner on board.

We were attacking so hard that the lawyer thought Baltimore would fall tomorrow. But at dawn the next day, he found that the Yankees' Star-Spangled Banner was still flying over the city of Baltimore, so he knelt on the deck and wrote this song in tears.

To be honest, although I don't think much of those country bumpkins, I was also deeply moved by this simple emotion. Therefore, I took the initiative to ask him to write lyrics for this song. If it was not possible, I would accept it if he could help polish it up. "

When Tom, Tony and others heard this, their expressions became strange.

Arthur recalled the lyrics of the song and asked, "Which part of the lyrics did you polish?"

Napier carelessly hummed the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner": "That's the part - the rockets are shining and the cannonballs are roaring. They are all witnesses that the flag is safe and sound. Those rockets and cannonballs were all shot by me. . Without my words, would this song rhyme like this?"

After Napier finished speaking, everyone present laughed.

Perhaps the laughter was so loud that it attracted Louis, Alexandre Dumas and others who were sorting documents on the second floor.

They looked puzzled and said, "Why are you laughing?"

Arthur turned his head and looked at them. After careful consideration, he finally said, "Hurry up and arrange for someone to take Mr. Owen for a walk around Liverpool."