Shadow of great britain

Although he was in London, Arthur knew much more about the situation in Paris than Stendhal, who had just arrived in England from Paris.

The head of police intelligence in charge of Scotland Yard has long maintained correspondence with Vidocq, the head of the Paris Police Department. Moreover, after Heine and Chopin went to Paris, they often wrote to Arthur to share some of their experiences in Paris.

Of course, even if these people are willing to exchange information with Arthur, it will be of little use if the information cannot be transferred quickly enough.

But fortunately, Arthur has a friend named Rothschild, so he deserves to enjoy the most timely postman and messenger service in Europe - Rothschild Express.

On the European continent, massive letters are sent every day from London, Paris, Vienna, Frankfurt and Naples, where the five major branches of the Rothschild family are located, and the most important part of them can affect the rise and fall of the European bond and stock markets. We will use expedited delivery to try to deliver it to the heads of the Rothschild family in various places within 3 days.

Due to the long-term good reputation of the Rothschild family's messenger business, not only businessmen who are extremely sensitive to news will choose to use Rothschild's messengers, but even royal family members and political figures in various European countries also like to use Rothschild. Ed sent a letter.

Even taking Britain as an example, long-term customers of Rothschild's courier business include King William IV, Duke of Wellington, Lord Peel and others.

After the cholera broke out in the UK, Arthur told Vidocq early on about a series of bizarre phenomena that occurred during the cholera period in the UK, and also gave many kind reminders to his colleague.

But it turns out that, reminders are reminders, Paris will be the same in the end.

Most of the phenomena that appeared in Britain were reproduced in France.

However, due to the different national conditions of the two countries, there are still some differences in subtleties.

The citizens of Paris also denied the existence of cholera, and because most of them lacked trust in the government, many citizens even believed that the so-called cholera was actually a government investment, fueled by the Republicans and Bonapartists. Caused by poison.

And the reason why they think so is ultimately due to a small suggestion that Arthur gave to Victor.

In the letter, Arthur told Vidocq about the news that he had reversed the epidemic in Liverpool after sealing the dirty wells in Liverpool, and suggested that he could imitate his behavior if necessary.

After receiving the news, Vidocq immediately reported the suggestion to Henri Zhisouquet, Director of the Paris Police Department.

And Zhisoke went to meet with the new Prime Minister Casimir Perrier that evening.

After Perrier convened members of the French Central Health Commission for a whole night of discussions, the French showed their usual high efficiency, applying Liverpool's experience that had not been fully implemented in the UK to the prevention and control of cholera in Paris.

If such a control plan is implemented smoothly, it should be a good thing.

But as soon as the order from the Grand Paris Police Department to close the wells came out, rumors began to spread in the streets of Paris that the police were closing the wells to facilitate poisoning.

Paris's "Le Constitution" even said bluntly: "At this moment, there is not a neighborhood that is not frightened by the poisoning narrative."

As the rumors of poisoning spread, the subsequent developments in Paris gradually converged with the situation in the United Kingdom in the past few months. Even from a certain perspective, the reaction of Paris citizens was more enthusiastic.

Some people began to point the finger at the government and express their anger at doctors, believing that cholera was just an invention created by the government and doctors to eliminate the poor.

A few days later, voices calling for popular uprising appeared on the streets of Paris.

In the face of intensifying rumors and turmoil, even the Grand Paris Police Department, which is many times tougher than Scotland Yard, cannot withstand the pressure.

Director Rissouquet had to come forward many times to refute the rumors and issued internal orders to the chiefs of Paris police districts:

The eternal enemy of social order seeks to find a shameful excuse for the scourge that is afflicting our people at this moment in order to realize his long-gestating plot. They are trying to take advantage of our misfortune and the pain of our families to deceive the people.

They spread the word that the patient's unfortunate injuries were the result of poisoning. They endeavored to persuade the most unenlightened classes of the people that cholera did not exist. They are trying to disrupt the assistance provided by the government and doctors to patients. But thankfully, these dastardly plots haven't had much success so far.

The current sporadic acts of violence and brutality on the streets are the result of them seducing some people and leading them astray. I order you to monitor this situation closely, and you have an obligation to explain the situation to citizens who may have been misled and to provide them with sensible advice.

All police officers should remind citizens, not only for their own benefit but also for the public interest, not to blindly believe in the slander and shameless rumors of bad actors. Because bad actors only want to scare people, we are unable to quickly escape the disaster that is ravaging our capital.

However, although Risokat tried his best to refute the rumors, in the eyes of Paris citizens, it would be better if Risokat did not refute the rumors. Once he refutes the rumors, it means that it is most likely true.

But distrusting the government and the police cannot be blamed on the ignorance of these citizens, but should be attributed to the "good reputation" that the Paris police has accumulated little by little over the past half century.

After all, from a normal person's point of view, it is really difficult for you to believe a group of people who have fired guns, fired cannons, and brandished knives at you, and they still come to you every once in a while.

In this way, the Paris police refuted the rumors more and more, and the suspicious Parisian people became more and more convinced that there was a poisoning incident.

People took action one after another to monitor and interrogate anyone suspected of poisoning in pubs, pools, markets and crossroads. This behavior also led to bloody scenes on the streets of Paris where many innocent people were suspected, beaten and even killed.

This phenomenon is described in the letters sent by Heine to Arthur.

On the street corner where the red-painted tavern stood, people gathered voluntarily. People are always looking for suspects in these places, and if they have something suspicious hidden in their pockets, they are out of luck. The people will fall upon them like a wild beast, an angry army.

Many people escaped because of their own resourcefulness, and many people survived because of the help they received from patrol officers that day. Six people were mercilessly slaughtered. There are few scenes more terrifying than the rage of a people, especially when it becomes bloodthirsty and strangles its defenseless victims.

In the streets, crowds of people surged, and workers in shirtsleeves were like damned beings, like devils, like white waves colliding with each other. They were roaring and shouting mercilessly. I heard someone shouting in the rue Saint-Denis: "Let's hang him from a lamppost!"

From the window I saw one of the unfortunates dying; the old woman took off her shoes and beat him on the head with her heels until he died. He was naked, covered in blood and bruised. Not only were his clothes stripped off, but his eyebrows, hair and nose were also plucked.

Then a vicious man came, tied the feet of the corpse with a rope, dragged it through the street, and kept shouting: "This is the cholera virus!"

And there was a noble and beautiful woman on the side of the road, her body and hands were covered in blood, and she even gave a corpse that passed by a heavy blow.

In order to clarify the facts, Vidocq, under the order of the minister, had to go to various shops and wells in Paris to collect suspicious items such as wine, soju, juice, water, bread, meat, candies, and water samples obtained from there. Sent to the French Academy of Sciences for testing.

The test results were announced in major newspapers in Paris the next day. The results showed that the items sent for inspection did not contain any poisons. Physicians and surgeons at the Palais-Dieu Hospital also collectively issued a statement, announcing that they would A comprehensive examination of the patient at the hospital found no signs of poisoning.

However, these scientific evidences are not the main reason to dispel the rumors.

What really convinced the citizens of Paris that cholera was not poisonous was the rising number of infections following riots one after another.

When cholera cases were first discovered in Paris on March 26, only 16 people became sick and 7 died in 4 days.

After riots by scavengers, riots in San Perage prison, and violence caused by rumors of poisoning, on April 6, there were 1,851 new cases of cholera on that day alone, and 670 of them died that day.

Recently, according to Vidocq, even conservative estimates suggest that the daily death toll in Paris is around 800.

If we include those patients who did not have time to be sent to the hospital for treatment, at least 1,200 people in Paris may die from cholera every day.

Although it is rude to say this, compared with Paris, even London, which was rife with cholera, could be considered in order.

According to statistics from the British Central Health Commission, last month, the whole of the UK just ushered in a new peak in the number of cholera deaths. A total of 1,519 people died from cholera in 431 towns and villages in the UK that could be counted.

Under the raging offensive of cholera, the British Cabinet and the Central Health Commission finally had the courage to seek medical treatment in a hurry and treat a dead horse as a living horse.

At this time, they can no longer control whether it is authoritarian or not.

Fourteen newly appointed health inspectors were posted to major industrial cities across the country, requiring parishes to enforce controls on unclean drinking water.

The Lord Chancellor, Lord Brougham, issued an almost threatening open letter directly to priests in various dioceses.

In that open letter, Lord Brougham stated:

At this critical moment, pastors should stand firm in their faith and put the health of their congregants above all else. If the clergy insist on refusing to invest their poor tax on public health, as the Diocese of Crested has done, then he will have to consider using the statutory power in the hands of the chancellor to suspend the payment of stipends to the clergy.

After the pension is suspended, if their behavior still does not improve, Brougham will not rule out submitting this list to the chief bishop of the UK, the Archbishop of Canterbury and the deputy bishop of the UK who are responsible for managing the church in southern England. In the hands of the Archbishop of York, who was responsible for the church in northern England.

Compared to Lord Brougham's rhetoric, the attitude of Viscount Goderich, the Minister in Charge of the Department of War and Colonial Affairs, was much more direct.

In view of the riots caused by parliamentary reform and the cholera epidemic in many places in Britain, Viscount Goderich ordered the army troops stationed in the mainland to assist local governments in temporary control work within reasonable limits.

The Minister of the Interior, Viscount Melbourne, is taking the opportunity to advance his "Municipal Police Bill". Compared with the resistance he encountered last year, this year's "Municipal Police Bill" has been promoted much more smoothly.

If Arthur had to guess why, it would be that municipalities across Britain have finally discovered that having police forces to manage law and order is significantly more reassuring than using the army.

What's more, the Viscount of Melbourne no longer insists that the Ministry of Home Affairs must have complete leadership of the national police force, but is willing to jointly manage it with municipal authorities.

As for another reason why the municipal authorities are willing to make concessions, it is the recently passed British Town Redevelopment Plan. If obeying the central government's control of cholera can bring about such a good thing, then they wouldn't mind considering it.

Just a few days ago, Mr. Disraeli, a rookie member of the Tory Party, won more than two-thirds of the votes in the House of Commons with a stunning speech, successfully persuading Parliament to pass a long-planned urban renewal project.

Disraeli was able to succeed mainly for two reasons.

The first is the current raging cholera epidemic, which has made lawmakers feel that they cannot ignore urban sanitation.

Because even the Palace of Westminster, where MPs gather, can smell the stench coming from the Thames River next door every summer, so much so that the upper and lower houses have to close the windows when they are in session.

But in the past, because this kind of plan was too expensive, councilors were still hesitant about urban renewal. But the arrival of various epidemics, such as cholera, gave urban renewal a good reason. On this point, both Whigs and Tories could easily agree.

The second was some secret instrument furnished to Mr. Disraeli by one of his zealous friends.

In other words, it was the propaganda document called the "Message to the People" by the Paris Republicans and Bonapartists during the cholera period calling for a people's uprising.

Poor people don't die from cholera, they die from hunger! Rich people rarely face threats because they run away. The unfortunates had less labor and less bread, and relatives and friends of the deceased were prohibited from entering hospitals.

Why are cowards and egoists allowed to flee the border with their survival materials, while people are allowed to live in Paris? Disease ravages densely populated neighborhoods because they are dirty and overcrowded.

Clean and spacious houses where disease cannot invade have been abandoned, leaving them empty while hospitals are overcrowded. The misery and cramped quarters of the poor devour the dying.

ah! Let these useless mansions receive the unfortunates who have nowhere to live except in the fetid streets. ah! Since the wealthy owners have abandoned them, let the people live in them!

When Disraeli read this document in the House of Commons, the House fell into a dead silence for half a minute. Everyone can smell the breath of the French Revolution in their nostrils, and everyone can see a bit of solemnity and doubt in their eyes.

And when Mr. Disraeli raised his arms and uttered the famous saying that he thought would be immortalized, the House of Commons burst into applause.

"A divided kingdom cannot last long. When the bottom of society is in turmoil, the superstructure cannot be immune. The marble columns of St. James's Palace will tremble after the thatch collapses. The external environment is often beyond our control. , but our own actions are always under our control. And we will use our actions to prove the superiority of the British political system!"

I have to say, this sentence sounds very impressive.

But why Arthur was so aware of Disraeli's highlight moments in the House of Commons was naturally because this was the eighth time today that he had heard Disraeli mention his glorious deeds.

Disraeli put one hand on the back of the sofa in the editorial office and held a wine glass in the other as he talked.

"Really, I really wished that you were all there. And not only did I wish that you were all there, I also wished that my father and my sister were all there. Tell my father to see if his son is who he thinks he is. So grandiose, I can also be a dignified big man, but I don’t like to do that. I was like Caesar, Augustus, or Suleiman in the House of Commons that day. I am a natural leader, everyone They will all listen to me involuntarily."

Alexandre Dumas glanced at Arthur strangely, and then turned his gaze back to Disraeli: "But I remember when you first appeared in the House of Commons, didn't you say that your ancestor was a rabbi in the Jewish Temple? Your role has changed so quickly?"

"No, Alexander, you don't understand. Of course it is an honor to be a rabbi, but it is an even greater honor to be a Caesar or an Augustus."

Disraeli smiled from ear to ear: "As you can see, I have evolved again."

He stood up, grabbed the hem of his tuxedo and paced as if dancing: "Look, what I have done for the poor people, as long as things go well, they will soon have a spacious and clean new house. The world Is there any country in the world that considers the poor like this? Only Britain does this. And the reason why Britain does this is all because of me, Benjamin Disraeli, the conscience of Britain. I am the only country in this country that considers the people wholeheartedly. .”

Dumas crossed his legs and sighed. He turned to Arthur and asked, "Where did you pick up this drama queen from today?"

"I didn't pick it up, he came to the door himself." Arthur took a sip of tea: "Louis and I were walking to the editorial office in the car, when Benjamin suddenly jumped out of the crowd on the street and blocked him in the middle of the road. At that time, I thought someone was trying to kill me again, so I was so frightened that I almost pulled out my gun and shot him to death."

Louis smiled and said: "Mr. Disraeli should be proud of being able to accomplish such a big thing. If France could have a member of Parliament like Mr. Disraeli, the situation in Paris would not be so bad."

Having said this, Louis turned his head and asked Alexandre Dumas: "Speaking of which, Alexander, haven't you introduced us to these new guests yet?"

Hearing this, Alexandre Dumas suddenly smiled evilly and said, "No, Your Excellency, I am not introducing you to new guests, but I am introducing these guests to you."

After saying this, he put his hand on Stendhal's shoulder and asked: "I remember that you are a Bonapartist, right?"

Stendhal nodded slightly and said, "Why, is that the gentleman next to you too?"

Alexandre Dumas laughed loudly and said: "Well... you are not wrong to say that, but it is only half right."

"What's the meaning?"

Alexandre Dumas put his arm around Louis' shoulders and said to Stendhal: "Come, let's get to know each other. This is my friend, Mr. Charles-Louis Napoleon Bonaparte."