shadow of britain

Chapter 598: Nightingale Mansion's Business Assessment
Women should be admired, not loved.

—Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord
For a military police officer who has lived in a high-pressure environment for many years, nothing can be more comfortable than being treated to a feast of feasting and partying in a foreign country.

In Leipzig, he did not have to worry about suddenly receiving urgent tasks from his superiors, nor did he have to worry about unexpected disasters that might come out of nowhere, nor did he have to guard against the hidden arrows that might be shot from the mouths of his colleagues at any time.

In Leipzig, out of the Tsar's sight, he could enjoy himself without fear of political scrutiny from the authorities for indulging in the pleasures of the common people and the sugar-coated bullets of the British.

The crystallization of human civilization's wisdom, "Turandot", is being performed in the front stage, while the most primitive and old-fashioned drama of human civilization - wine, sex, money and anger - is also being performed in the backyard.

Darwin might not have thought that Arthur had always agreed with the conclusion he had vaguely reached after traveling thousands of miles - the human species is ultimately nothing more than an animal, and no one is more advanced than a monkey.

Arthur patted Colonel Shubinsky's shoulder gently, motioning him to sit down in the box of the Leipzig Theater that had just been prepared for him.

The maids came forward with exquisite wine glasses, wearing silk dresses, smiling and looking at the Russian colonel with a slightly seductive look.

Colonel Shubinsky seemed to be a little drunk, shaking the red wine glass in his hand slightly, with a satisfied and relaxed look on his face. His eyes lingered among the beauties accompanying him, and he seemed to enjoy the warm reception.

Arthur smiled and nodded, confirming that everything was properly arranged, and then whispered to the maids to take good care of this distinguished guest and try his best to let him enjoy the evening.

Making friends with European cultural celebrities such as Mendelssohn, Heine, and Dumas, and receiving the same treatment as those real aristocrats, Shubinsky felt for the first time that going abroad to monitor a few restless students did not seem to be a hard job.

It is a good thing to be lenient when you receive favors, and it is a good thing to be grateful when you receive favors. Shubinsky couldn't help feeling a little guilty when he recalled that he had been involved in the Liverpool bombing.

Shubinsky's face was slightly flushed with a hint of tipsiness, and his eyes were filled with sincere gratitude: "Brother, I am honored by your hospitality today. Such arrangements and considerations really make me, a Russian soldier, respect you. But if you come to Russia one day and need my help in any way, just tell me directly, and I will do my best and will never refuse. When you come to Moscow, I will definitely hold a banquet for you, and we will have a good drink. I will personally pour wine for you so that you can also taste our good Russian wine!"

At this point, Shubinsky also talked to Arthur affectionately about his family.

He seemed to want to prove to Arthur that he was not just an ordinary rough officer, but an all-round player who could understand culture and art.

"If you go to Petersburg, you can write to me. Although I don't have a house in Petersburg, my father-in-law lives there. Do you know what a father-in-law is? It's your sister-in-law, my wife's father. Your sister-in-law, Ekaterina Ivanovna, is different from a rough man like me. She comes from the Varlamov family, a family of scholars. This person! She is like a pickle in a pickle jar. As long as it is soaked for a long time, it will be tasty.

Of course, if you soak for too long, you will be soaked, just like some students at Moscow University. But my beautiful Katya (Ekaterina's nickname) is different. She soaks for just the right amount of time. Her father, a professor of literature at St. Petersburg University, taught her Latin and Greek since she was a child. As for my mother-in-law, that old lady is even more amazing.

The old lady's family was from the old Petersburg nobility. They lived in the palace before Peter the Great's reforms and were quite prestigious in society. Although their family was not as prominent as before, the old lady still required her daughter to follow the court's rules. French, German, music, painting, dance, and the whole set of court etiquette that made people dizzy at first glance. Those subjects were simply impossible to study in a lifetime. "

Shubinsky laughed loudly when he said this, and slapped Arthur on the back without any strength, almost causing Arthur to fall face first and break his nose.

Arthur rose from the carpet, barely able to hold back a glare at the Russian colonel.

But when he thought about the possibility that he might need his help when he went to Russia, the lawless police chief in London could only smile helplessly and said, "Is this how the old lady usually educates your wife?"

"Of course," Shubinsky joked.

He rolled up his sleeves to show Arthur his muscles and said, "The Russians have always been very strong, otherwise how could we defeat the French? Of course, this is an advantage for men, but a disadvantage for women. But don't worry, before marriage, they usually won't show you their strength. But after marriage, if her family is still very powerful, then you'll see!"

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly understood.

This burly Russian military police colonel...

It turns out he is a son-in-law!
No wonder this guy climbs so fast!

Arthur remembered that Shubinsky had mentioned to him before: although his father had fought in the Patriotic War of the Tsarist Russia, he was only a captain of the dragoons at the end of the war. According to the Russian military rank table, this was only a ninth-rank officer, a low-ranking officer.

And what about Shubinsky?

Three years ago, when this guy was an assistant military attaché at the Russian Embassy, ​​he held the rank of captain of the ninth-rank army cavalry.

Three years later, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel of the Seventh-Rank Cavalry Guards.

This is a Russian Thiers!
It's Mr. Disraeli of Russia!

When Arthur thought of this, he found it ironic.

Whether in freedom or autocracy, there is always a smooth road to promotion and wealth. Although everyone's external performance is different, there is actually not much difference in their inner qualities.

And the progressive young man at the University of Göttingen, dear Mr. Bismarck, still eagerly hopes to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and secure a good future for himself through the influence of his wife's family.

Arthur exchanged a few words with Shubinsky, and then, while the Russian officer turned around, he winked at the two French girls who were serving tea and water by the bookshelf. Although their looks might not be comparable to the "professionals" in the Leipzig Theater, for a guy like Shubinsky who was on the fringes of the upper class, girls who could speak French had an advantage over ordinary girls.

In Russia, in the exclusive clubs of St. Petersburg and Moscow, an important criterion for becoming a socialite is the knowledge of German and French.

Being able to speak German means that your family background should be no lower than the middle class.

And being able to speak French was a sign that you definitely came from upper class society.

The two girls nodded slightly at Arthur.

Even if Arthur hadn't winked at them, the girls would have been determined to get to the bottom of Shubinsky's secrets.

These ladies who were associated with the Royalists were, without exception, provincial girls.

Years of struggling in Paris have made them realize how difficult it is to make a living these days.

The glamorous world of Paris is indeed fascinating, but not everyone is lucky enough to become one of those glamorous and slutty girls who frequent the Paris red-light district all year round.

Clara, who was the closest to success among them, invested a lot of effort in Thiers for many years, but the French Minister of the Interior's ability to pull up his pants without recognizing anyone was simply eye-opening. Clara, who was determined to turn things around, became a laughing stock for everyone.

Men are unreliable, and only the money you earn is the truth.

Sir Arthur Hastings, is he more loyal than Thiers? Not necessarily!

However, this British knight has always been generous and never uses emotions to talk to girls.

In fact, some girls had already figured out what this knight was doing in private.

These girls are not a group of honest royalist peasants. Although they have not done any high-end business in Paris, they have seen more of the world in one year in Paris than they would have seen in half a lifetime in their hometowns in the provinces.

In addition, they seldom consider the so-called ideals, country or other messy abstract concepts, so they end up being a bystander and have a clearer view.

While the peasants were still grateful to Arthur, the girls were certain that the knight would not be so kind.

But what if it's not well-intentioned?

At least he did not harm their fellow villagers, and he also gave each of the royalist peasants who accompanied them enough living expenses for their resettlement.

Not long ago, the arrival of Miss Fiona made the French girls realize another side of this British knight - he is an absolute big shot.

He once became the third-ranking official in Scotland Yard, a monstrous figure who could dominate the London underworld.

If the Parisian mafia boss Gwawi, whom they once relied on, went to London, there would be no need to even alert the Sir to a bug of this level.

Whether it's Inspector Tony Eckhart, who is in charge of Greenwich, or Inspector Tom Flanders of the Crime Investigation Center, they can crush Gwawi with just a few words.

Moreover, although these girls are young, they are very smart.

Everyone can see that Miss Fiona, who is dressed in gold and silver and behaves like a noble lady, must have gotten to this point by boarding the big ship of the knight.

Maybe she can pretend to be pure and innocent in front of others, but she can't hide her true feelings from these French girls.

This is not because they have good eyesight, but because they happen to have a reference person around them - Clara.

Fiona's attentiveness to the lord, her seemingly natural but actually cautious attitude around him, is almost exactly the same as Clara's attitude around Thiers. If the two were really in an ordinary relationship, most girls would be as arrogant as a swan under normal circumstances.

And if the swan behaves like a duck, then there is no doubt that the relationship between the two is definitely unequal, and it is not just ordinary inequality. She must be relying on him for survival.

How on earth does a woman who owns her own business survive among the underground kings of London?
The answer is already out!
They couldn't stay in France any longer, and they were unfamiliar with Germany, so the girls all agreed that it was time for them to move to another place to develop!
In order to win the opportunity to make a name for themselves in London, they must deal with Shubinsky today and show the knight their proper professional level.

Arthur saw how motivated the girls were and tilted his head and gestured to them, meaning: Just watch and see, there's no need to push yourself too hard.

After all, he had asked all the questions that needed to be asked. Even if Shubinsky was twisted into a hemp rope, it would probably not yield any benefit.

But none of the girls paid any attention to him. All they had in mind now was going to London to live a good life.

Seeing this, Arthur didn't say much, just curled his lips and walked out of the room.

As soon as he went out, he took out his pipe and lit it. Unexpectedly, when he looked up, he saw Fiona standing not far away with an ivory fan, staring at him.

Arthur took a puff of his cigarette and asked in a deep voice, "Is it necessary to take them to London? Working in Nightingale Mansion, wouldn't it be enough to have enough strength to swing a whip?"

Fiona covered the lower half of her face with a fan, squinted her eyes, and walked to Arthur's side. She leaned close to his ear and asked, "Are you feeling distressed? Then go in and protect him. Why are you coming out?"

Arthur, smoking his pipe, glanced at her but said nothing.

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Fiona stepped forward, took his arm and said, "My dear, you don't understand. No girl in this line of work is a good person. They are not like you and me, who have never lived and died together. Until now, they have only enjoyed the benefits you gave them, but have never done anything for you. Such a relationship is not solid and cannot be trusted. Nightingale Mansion has never lacked girls. What we lack are reliable girls. After tonight, they will have pledged their allegiance. It's like you were shot under the Tower of London. Starting tomorrow, I can safely give them the titles of 'Proctor of the University of Göttingen' and 'Special Representative of the State'. This is for your own good, for my own, and for our own good."

Arthur patted her head when he heard this. "No wonder everyone calls you Miss Ivan. Your behavior really proves that you have Russian ancestry, Fiona. You look exactly like Ivan the Terrible."

Fiona scolded, "How am I like that tyrant? You are the master, and I am just a weak woman serving under you."

"Weak woman?"

Arthur smiled and shook his head. "That's what Queen Maria Theresa of Austria said. But right after she said that, she joined forces with France and Russia to launch the Seven Years' War, saying, 'I'd rather sell my last skirt than give up Silesia.' Frederick II of Prussia was so angry about this that he called it a 'conspiracy of three skirts.' This shows that women are not weak, but you like to take advantage of your weakness. But you can't be blamed, because there are many fools in this world who would believe you and give up Silesia, which Prussia had risked 20 soldiers to guard."

Fiona took Arthur's arm and walked down the stairs with him. "You can't blame me for everything. You've obviously changed a lot. You didn't have such great ambitions before, so I could just go with the flow and do my own small business. But ever since you asked someone to shoot you under the Tower of London, it seems that the world in front of you has changed. You say that going abroad is a vacation, a pastime, and a rare relaxation in your tiring life.

But since you left Britain, you have been asking about the news in London every moment. Your letters have been sent from Europe one after another, but there are very few greetings to me, and there are unusually many inquiries to His Majesty the King, Earl Grey and Viscount Palmerston. Were you drugged by them, or poisoned by a witch in the Black Forest? A bullet has not taught you enough lessons, and now you want to get in front of the barrel of a gun?"

Fiona's words seemed to have touched upon something sad in Arthur's heart. He rested his arm on the armrest, stopped walking, and after a long silence, he said, "Before leaving England, I went to see Mr. Talleyrand."

"He's looking for you to do business again?" Fiona leaned her head on Arthur's chest. "Stay away from him. He's an old fox, more cunning than a snake and more sly than a wolf. You can't beat him."

Arthur shook his head slightly and said, "He just asked me to do a small favor, but that's not important. There wasn't much financial exchange between us. My reward was just a few simple words."

Fiona asked curiously, "A few words? Are his words valuable?"

"It's worth more than you think. I gave up a hundred thousand francs for those few words."

"One hundred thousand francs?" Fiona subconsciously avoided the question: "You'd better not tell me, otherwise I will be unable to resist selling these few words for a high price."

"That depends on you finding a smart buyer." Arthur said calmly, "Before I left, Mr. Talleyrand asked me two questions. I think these two questions are not only suitable for me, but also for you, Fiona."

"what is the problem?"

Arthur smiled and turned his head to stare at Fiona's face. His eyes were like the stars shining in the hazy night sky tonight. "If you are capable, why are you absent-minded? If you are not capable, why are you ambitious? Fiona, I have to admit that you did a better job than me in answering these two questions."

(End of this chapter)