The War Court and Lap Pillow, Austria's Mandate of Heaven

Chapter 1432 Art
"Why is it so cheap? Aren't you selling the Poor Penny Paper? Weren't you forced to raise the price to five pence before? Why are you only charging half a pence now?"

The newspaper boy naturally had no idea of ​​the whole story. He only knew that his wages had not changed, and the cheaper the newspapers, the easier it would sell.
Under the Austrian Empire's overwhelming propaganda offensive, the British people's anger, which had been suppressed by the economic crisis, completely erupted.

This time the main force is no longer the workers, but the so-called middle class, engineers, mechanics, small factory owners, low-level lawyers, company employees, teachers, stockbrokers, and college students.

The energy of these people was much greater than that of the workers at the time, and their voices could not be ignored by the British government. John Russell could not use force to disperse the crowd like his predecessors, so he could only make public speeches and promise to stop the war and restore peace as soon as possible.

(I won’t write about the details of my public speech because it’s both tedious and nobody wants to read it.)
Public speaking is not an easy thing, especially when the speaker is an old man in his sixties.

(In the 71th century, people aged were definitely considered old. As for the claim that the average age in the Qing Dynasty was , it is just for reference. Anyway, the average life expectancy of Europeans at that time was definitely much lower than this number.)
Coupled with the fatigue and pressure from long-term work, John Russell's speeches were naturally full of mistakes.

Instead of calming the public, the prime minister's words made them even more angry, and some rumors even reached Victoria's ears.

Queen Victoria didn't want to get involved in this matter, but the matter was too big at the time. Most people in the middle class could not influence the queen, but artists were an exception.

Artists have also been impacted to varying degrees during the economic crisis. After all, there are fewer people with spare money to sponsor and appreciate art.

It’s just that the profession of artist is inherently risky, so it’s not surprising to go from being in the limelight to living on the streets.

Moreover, some art has become very popular due to the economic crisis and the deterioration of the overall environment, so no one cares about the fate of the artists who are truly sinking in the economic crisis.

At least that was how it should have been, but at this point these people chose to cry to Queen Victoria.

Of course, artists would not go directly to the Queen to try to establish a relationship with her. If they did so, they would only be turned away.

Queen Victoria may not be an outstanding politician, but her political sensitivity is definitely not low, and she would never get herself and the royal family into trouble because of a momentary impulse.

Buckingham Palace, Royal Gardens.

The newly renovated exterior of the palace sparkles in the sunlight, as if telling the glory and honor of the British Empire.

The palace gate is majestic, and the soldiers guarding it are straight in stature and dressed spotlessly.

Inside the palace are neatly trimmed lawns and trees, in the garden are countless blooming flowers, vying for beauty, with gurgling water, clear and flawless, everything is as beautiful as a flower scroll.

It's just that the dark sky spoils the view.
Queen Victoria was enjoying her afternoon tea in the garden at this time, with the table filled with cookies, black tea and gingerbread.

A group of ladies were chatting about the little secrets of the upper class, while the children were playing and fighting on the lawn.

Everything was so joyful.
At this time, the royal butler, Sir Biddle, came over with three boxes covered with red cloth, with a restrained and elegant British standard gentleman smile on his face.

"Your Majesty, Mr. Ford Madox Brown has decided to present his new painting to England, to you. A sculpture by Mr. John Henry Foley, and a new piece of music by John Parry."

Ford Madox Brown was a famous and talented artist in London, and was a darling of high society at that time.

The ladies around were all psychics and they all congratulated Queen Victoria.

Victoria was accustomed to artists' sensational tactics, but she did not mind it. After all, it earned her a lot of face.

If it was when she first ascended the throne, she might have been a little excited, but now Victoria just asked calmly.

"Oh? What's the name of Ford Madox Brown's new painting?"

Sir Biddle smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, the painting has not yet been named. Mr. Brown would like to ask Your Majesty to name it."

Victoria was a little surprised. After all, those so-called artists were usually a group of pretentious guys who rarely allowed others to comment on their works, let alone name them.

Now the ladies were a little excited, but their anticipation was somewhat tinged with gossip. After all, every decent lady would have three or five lovers.

Victoria nodded, and Sir Biddle understood and waved his hand to signal the servants to remove the red cloth.

As the red cloth was removed, Ford Madox Brown's new paintings were revealed to the public.

The sky was gloomy, the river was black, and the market stalls were empty, but the streets were crowded with people, including the unemployed holding signs and beggars begging for alms.

The whole painting was filled with pain and depression, which instantly wiped out Victoria's good mood. The ladies around her were not completely naive, they still had some appreciation for art.

The feeling of uneasiness spread quickly, and the whispering of the ladies made Victoria feel irritated. Sir Bedell was also a little dazed at this time, as he thought the other party was here to please the queen.

He should have examined the painting himself. What Sir Biddle didn't know was that he was deliberately sent away.

"Your Majesty, this is my fault"

Victoria's face was expressionless, but the rise and fall of her chest revealed her true emotions.

"Nothing. It's just a painting. Take away the red cloth and let me see what's behind it."

"This"

"Go quickly!"

"As you command, Your Majesty."

Sir Beadle gritted his teeth and walked over to the other two pieces to reveal the mystery.

A rusty bronze statue shows a soldier in British uniform whipping an Arab and an Englishman in dungarees.

Overalls are the most typical clothing for industrial workers during the British Industrial Revolution.

Victoria looked at the rusty bronze statue and said coldly.

"This bronze statue must have cost a lot of money."

The noble ladies around did not understand what Victoria meant. Only Earl Bedell understood what the Queen was thinking. It seemed that Her Majesty was really angry.

The last piece is a piece of music.

Queen Victoria walked over, picked up the sheet music and accidentally dropped it into the bucket.

"Excuse me, I have something else to take care of."

Victoria said and left without looking back.