shadow of britain

Chapter 803 Victoria's Free Love? This is a Question of Belgium's Demise!

Upon hearing this, Baron Stockmay, a stern-faced Belgian baron, finally revealed a genuine smile: "Then you must have witnessed the character of those students in Jena. They may know Latin better than the school motto, but once they sit at the dinner table, they'll dare to curse anyone, whether it's the king or the principal. The radicals in Germany are mainly concentrated in universities, just like in London."

Arthur didn't understand why Stockma had added that last sentence.

However, considering that Stockma just emphasized the University of London and Jeremy Bentham, it seems that this guy thinks he is also a radical, right?

In some respects, Arthur's ideology was quite compatible with that of the Kingdom of Belgium under Leopold's rule.

In terms of ideology, although Leopold came from a small German state, his views were far more enlightened than any other German, and he endorsed the British-style constitutional monarchy. However, at the same time, he also retained a strong German tradition; he wanted to be a monarch with great power and a king who was stubborn to the point of being meticulous.

These two ideologies are typically contradictory, but Leopold managed to combine them effectively in Belgium, where the 1831 Constitution is one of the most liberal in Europe. Leopold was responsible for providing order and prestige to Belgium, while the Belgian Parliament provided him with public support and legitimacy. The relationship wasn't one of checks and balances, but rather one of mutual dependence.

Belgium has five neighboring countries, three religious sects, two languages, liberals and conservatives, Catholics and secularists, Flemish and Walloons, old nobles and new bourgeoisie. Yet, Leopold managed to manage this jack-of-all-trades country very well.

During his fifteen years in England, Leopold did not waste a single day. He absorbed all the advantages of British compromise politics, and he did not abandon the fine traditions of German strongman politics.

If we had to rank the current European monarchs, this founding monarch of Belgium would definitely be in the top three, and might even have a chance to be number one.

Arthur did not immediately respond to Stockmay's remark, "Just like London."

He simply smiled slightly, slowly twirling the cane carved with a silver eagle's head between his fingers, as if deep in thought, or perhaps trying to conceal some slight displeasure.

He then spoke slowly and deliberately: "Your Excellency is right. The University of London does indeed harbor quite a few fanatics. Some young men would love to tear down the House of Commons and burn it for firewood, while others believe that as long as Westminster Abbey is demolished, society can be rebuilt as perfectly as a Greek temple. However, not everyone in this world who talks about freedom in a tavern is going to set fire to the streets."

Stockma raised an eyebrow slightly as he re-examined Arthur.

He left London with Leopold in 1831, by which time Arthur was already somewhat famous in England. However, back then, everyone praised him as the best police officer in Great Britain.

But four years later, this once almost flawless positive figure is now embroiled in controversy.

Logically, given his radical education at the University of London and his subsequent work for the conservative vanguard Scotland Yard, his political leanings should have been somewhere in between.

But who would have thought?

The Whig party, situated between radicals and conservatives, did not actually like the young lord.

In the few days since Stockma arrived in London, he has already attended several Whig party banquets.

However, both Viscount Palmerston and Viscount Duncannon gave negative assessments of Arthur Hastings.

Palmerston even subtly questioned his character, while Viscount Duncannon emphasized that the man was difficult to work with, much like his mentor, Lord Brougham.

Prime Minister Viscount Melbourne's assessment of Arthur was relatively fair; he even bluntly stated that Arthur was "one of the smartest people I have ever met, with excellent judgment and action, but he lacks a certain degree of prudence."

Lord John Russell of the Whig Party had a good impression of Arthur, but considering that he had now succeeded Lord Brougham as the leader of the Whig radicals and was also the newly appointed Home Secretary, it was neither reasonable nor logical for Russell to hold a very negative opinion of Arthur.

Although Arthur usually presents a gentle, kind, and modest demeanor in public, it is clear to everyone that his positions as the Provost of the University of London and the legend of Scotland Yard are enough to demonstrate his influence in London's political landscape.

If Lord John Russell wants to successfully take over Lord Brougham's radical supporters within the Whig Party and win Scotland Yard's respect in his work at the Home Office, he must know how to treat Sir Arthur Hastings with care.

Russell's respectful attitude towards Arthur naturally elevated his status, and even the hostility of Viscount Palmerston and Viscount Duncannon made Stockmall look at Arthur with new respect; an unknown nobody was not worth their attention.

Stockmall was pondering how to express his closeness to Arthur, but he didn't expect Arthur to take the initiative before he could even speak.

“Your Excellency,” Arthur suddenly spoke, “you didn’t come to London just to help the Duchess of Kent manage the accounts, did you? I suspect you’re here for Her Highness Victoria’s marriage?”

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

On the rose trellis, a butterfly fluttered up, circled between the two of them, and then stumbled and flew toward the end of the garden.

Stockma didn't answer immediately; he simply sighed softly. "I thought you'd ask that question later."

Arthur smiled. "But you haven't denied it yet, have you?"

Stockma turned to look at the garden: "Her Highness is getting older. As her uncle, His Majesty Leopold is naturally concerned about her future."

Arthur asked casually, "Afraid she'll choose the wrong person?"

“To be more precise, it’s the fear that she might be wrongly assigned.” Stockma smiled slightly. “The most dangerous thing in this world is not a wrong decision, but a decision that seems appropriate on the surface. His Majesty Leopold would prefer to consider Her Highness’s future from a long-term perspective. What do you think?”

Although Stockmaa phrased it delicately, the truth he implied was not difficult to understand.

Leopold was simply getting anxious after seeing William IV trying to bring Victoria and the two grandsons of the Dutch crown prince together.

Everyone knows that the Netherlands is Belgium's number one rival. If Victoria were to marry into the Dutch royal family, Leopold would not be able to guarantee that his niece would stand firmly on Belgium's side should the political situation in Europe change in the future.

Arthur had no interest in getting involved in the messy affairs of Leopold I and William IV; all he cared about was that Victoria could successfully ascend the throne.

As for who she will choose as her husband?

He could barely accept any other candidate, as long as they weren't the son of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia or the son of the Duke of Cumberland.

However, judging from Stockmaar's words, he seemed to hope to persuade Arthur, the governess who was quite favored by Victoria, to side with Belgium, or at least not to help the Dutch.

This request was actually irrelevant to Arthur.

However, he didn't want to deal with the problem right now because he also had something he wanted to tell Stockma.

Arthur casually steered the conversation back on track: “That is indeed a problem. Young girls are easily misled about freedom and prone to illusions about love, especially after years of confinement. You know, the atmosphere in the palace is too stifling, and the outside world is too noisy. A bright young woman like Her Highness, if confined for too long within Kensington Palace and royal etiquette, is prone to developing unrealistic ambitions and going astray.” Stockmay remained silent, merely twirling her glove, waiting for Arthur to continue.

“Therefore, I understand His Majesty Leopold’s concerns.” Arthur’s words sounded very sincere: “At this age, if she meets a young man who is good-looking, has a sweet tongue, and happens to have a handsome appearance and an upright character… then Your Highness would probably find it hard not to be moved.”

Stockmall stared at Arthur for a long time after hearing this before finally speaking, "Excuse me, I thought you were talking about yourself?"

In any other context, Arthur would have taken it as a compliment, but Stockma's words now were a bit malicious.

Fortunately, he didn't make any overly confident statements this time, unlike in front of Leopold, so he didn't embarrass himself too much. Arthur waved his hand gently: "Your Excellency, I'm not joking with you. However, if His Majesty Leopold really doesn't want Princess to go astray, I think it's better to correct it sooner rather than later, even if there are only some slightly bad signs now."

After saying this, Arthur did not explain further or show any more emotion. He simply reached out and patted the end of his cane on his knee.

"It's almost time." He stood up, put on his gloves, and said goodbye, "I have classes to teach, so I won't stay any longer."

Having said that, Arthur, now free of his burden, slowly turned around and walked along the gravel path in the center of the garden toward the main building.

Stockmay did not get up, but remained seated, with one hand on the back of the bench and the other supporting his chin.

He didn't think someone like Arthur Hastings would make such a statement out of nowhere, especially considering that Arthur currently controlled the plainclothes police force surrounding Kensington Palace; perhaps he really did know something...

The thought sent a chill down Stockmay's spine.

Victoria's uncles and aunts were busy competing with each other, desperately introducing the princess to the most outstanding young men from European royalty. However, no one expected that Victoria might have her own ideas...

This……

Stockmay immediately became restless. Regardless of whether Arthur's words were true or false, even if there was only a slight possibility, Belgium dared not take it lightly.

After all, this future Queen of England could be considered Belgium's strongest diplomatic guarantee for maintaining its independence. Without this guarantee, relying solely on France's promises to Belgium would have been insufficient...

That's not very safe!

Although Leopold had just married the daughter of King Louis Philippe of France two years prior, this did not prevent the French ambassador to Britain, Talleyrand, from favoring the Dutch on issues of territorial division and national debt.

Furthermore, both Leopold and Stockmaar had fought against France for many years in their youth, which instilled in them a deep-seated distrust of France. This is precisely why they placed such importance on diplomatic relations with Britain.

For Arthur, Victoria's inability to succeed him meant a bleak future.

For Belgium, the inability of Victoria to succeed to the throne meant the potential demise of the country.

This is not a problem of equal magnitude.

Compared to the heavy-hearted Stockmare, Arthur, who came to the Rose Hall for class today, was in a particularly relaxed mood.

He finally managed to confide in the right person after holding back his worries for so long. He was confident that Stockmay would be able to handle the matter properly, after all, this Belgian baron was a man who had been praised by Sir Robert Peel and Viscount Melbourne.

Even Palmerston praised him as "the only truly selfless person I have ever met in my life."

How can we make the best use of someone with such a strong sense of responsibility if we don't give them more responsibilities?
The Rose Room was warm and inviting, with flowers swaying gently outside the window, mirroring Victoria's thoughts. She sat at her desk, pen hovering over the paper, yet hesitated to write.

She got up a little early today and seemed unusually quiet compared to usual.

Lady Lezen stood to the side, quietly tidying up her books, but her eyes kept glancing at the princess's slightly furrowed brow.

Familiar footsteps were heard outside the door.

Victoria subconsciously looked up, trying to hide her thoughts behind her eyelashes.

Before she could even adjust her posture, the door was gently pushed open.

It was exactly nine o'clock in the morning, not a second more, not a second less.

Arthur arrived on time as usual, gave a polite bow to Madame Lezen, placed the leather-bound copy of "Heroes of Greece and Rome" on the podium, and bowed slightly, saying, "Good morning, Your Highness."

Good morning, Sir Arthur.

Arthur seemed to notice her distraction, so he decided to find an interesting angle: "No political essays today, no Bentham or Locke. I'd like to change the subject. Let's talk about Rousseau."

Victoria, who had been absent-minded, suddenly brightened up and sat up straighter.

She was looking forward to reading some Rousseau, since Lord Elphinstone had spoken at length about him during her last secret meeting with him. However, Victoria was somewhat troubled by her limited knowledge of Rousseau, as she couldn't even have a proper conversation with the young Scotsman.

“Mr. Rousseau’s Emile.” Arthur placed a book in front of her and chuckled softly. “A book about education, a book that has been vehemently criticized by some people for twenty years.”

Victoria smiled slightly, a hint of mischief in her expression. She remembered what Elphinstone had said to her before: "Is it because Rousseau wrote in his book that 'children do not belong to their parents, but to nature'?"

“It’s not just that, Your Highness. It’s also because he wrote, ‘Love should not obey the orders of the family, but should obey the calling of the heart.’” Arthur said, slowly sitting down and turning to a page in the book: “Rousseau believed that true education is teaching people to think freely and choose their own path freely.”

Victoria looked down at the French notes but didn't read them aloud. Instead, she asked, "And what about you? Do you agree with what Rousseau said?"

Arthur gave her a half-smile: "It would be a lie to say I agree with all of Rousseau's books. But I also refuse to admit that I oppose them all. The most dangerous thing in the world is not that a particular statement is right or a particular thinker is wrong, but that we are too quick to divide people into right and wrong, loyal and rebellious, bright and dark. So I don't entirely agree with Rousseau, but I'm not in a hurry to oppose him either. Because a person's value does not lie in how many correct principles he speaks, but in the fire he ignites in you. Whether something is right or wrong must be judged by yourself, not by being a philosopher's follower."

(One more chapter, coming later)

(End of this chapter)