The Qing Dynasty is about to end

Chapter 497: Meeting on Magical Issues at 10 Downing Street (Request for subscription and ticket)

Victoria's fingers holding the telegram were as delicate as milk in the morning light. The words "Tsar Nicholas will die in March of the Gregorian calendar" on the paper were like bloodstains oozing from the Crimean coastline, spreading indigo ink in the queen's blue eyes. She hurriedly looked down at the date on the telegram copy, and it was indeed March 3, 1855.
The Queen calmed herself down and walked to the window again. The moment she opened the French window, the spring breeze, accompanied by the sound of the organ from Westminster Abbey, rushed in and swept across her fair cheeks.

"This telegram was sent to me on March 3. Our diplomats in Rome must have received the news from the Pope and Archbishop Paul in late February. And Archbishop Paul should have learned from Luo Yaoguo three months ago that the Tsar would die in March 1." Prince Albert analyzed as he picked up the exquisite white milk tea cup on the desk and stirred the brown tea with a silver spoon.

"So," the queen looked back at her husband, "is it now certain that we really live in a magical world?"

Albert took a sip of the tea made from Chinese tea leaves and British milk. "The prophecies in the Book of Prophets have long been verified, but this time it was the Tsar who died." He suddenly paused, a trace of fear flashing across his tired eyes. "I'm not sure whether it's a prophecy or a curse? If it's a prophecy, it's fine. But if it's a curse, then..."

"Convene a cabinet meeting immediately!" Victoria walked quickly to the prince's desk and threw the copy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 3 on the edge of the malachite table. She said in a grim tone, "Call the members of the Royal Academy of Sciences and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as well as the diplomats returning from China - especially those who have met Luo Yaoguo in person. Number 1 Downing Street must come up with a countermeasure immediately!"

On the night of March 3, the whole of London was shrouded in rain and fog. The kerosene lamp in the conference room of No. 3 Downing Street cast a swaying halo on the long mahogany table. Viscount Palmerston took off his glasses and let the water vapor on the lenses evaporate in the cigar smoke. The new prime minister knocked with his knuckles on two telegram copies on the conference table - one was a telegram predicting the death of the Tsar, and the other was a telegram reporting the death of the Tsar.

"Gentlemen, the Prime Minister of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, Prince Luo Yaoguo, accurately predicted the death of Tsar Nicholas a few months ago! Perhaps it is not a prediction, but a curse!" Viscount Palmerston said worriedly, "If it is the former, it means that there is a prophet in our world. A prophet like Muhammad! I think you all know how magnificent Muhammad's cause is! If it is the latter, then... the life of each of us is in danger!"

William Ewart Gladstone suddenly started coughing violently, which immediately attracted everyone's attention. Dozens of shocked eyes shot over, making the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was in his forties and advocated free trade and hoped that China could open its doors to allow British industrial products and Indian opium to flow in like a tide, feel a chill down his spine: "It's okay, I'm fine, I just caught a cold, since the day before yesterday..." His voice stopped abruptly when he saw the old man in black robes sitting next to the Prime Minister. The old man was John Bird Sumner, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was the chief bishop of all England, the head of the Church of England, the head of the Anglican Church in the world, and the spiritual leader of the universal Anglican Communion. The old man in his seventies, now with his gray eyebrows knitted and a solemn look on his face, was frightening to look at.

"Archbishop, will I too..." Gladstone, known as the best orator at Oxford University, looked at Archbishop Sumner with a trembling voice.

The old bishop shook his head, and Gladstone breathed a sigh of relief. Then the old bishop slowly said, "I don't know!" Then he threw the question to Michael Faraday and George Stokes, two members of the Royal Academy of Sciences who were called to the meeting by Viscount Palmerston: "Michael, George, what do you think?"

Is the Royal Academy of Sciences going to study magic? The two great scientists smiled bitterly at the same time.

Michael Faraday shook his head and said, "I'm sorry, Your Excellency the Archbishop, I have no knowledge of magic, and I don't know the Chinese prince. If the cabinet needs me to conduct research in this area, then I need a research fund, and then I need an identity so that I can go to China to meet His Royal Highness the Prince."

Viscount Palmerston nodded: "That makes sense!" He glanced at the Chancellor of the Exchequer who seemed to be cursed, "William, can you arrange it?"

"Of course! No problem, the Treasury will arrange it right away!" Gladstone agreed immediately. When it comes to one's own life, even the British bureaucracy in the 21st century will become extremely efficient, not to mention that it is still the Victorian era.

When George Stokes heard that he could arrange research funds, he immediately became interested. He was a mathematician and theoretical physicist with superb logical thinking ability. He immediately began to analyze: "Prime Minister, let me say a few words. First of all, it is certain that magic really exists in our world! Because predicting the future can be regarded as a kind of magic. Is there no objection to this point now?"

"No objection." "That's for sure!"

After hearing that everyone agreed that magic existed in the world they lived in, the great mathematician Stokes continued to use his superb logical reasoning ability to analyze: "So what we need to study now is whether there is any other magic in this world besides prophecy? For example, curses! And before we officially start the research, we still need to think about a question. What is the probability that prophecy is the only magic in this world? As a mathematician, I think the probability that there is only one kind of magic in this world is extremely low, almost negligible!"

The great mathematician paused, picked up the whiskey on the table and drank it all, then continued his reasoning: "Let's go back and analyze the principle of prophecy. Now it is certain that prophecy is a magic that exists in reality! So how is it realized? Now I make an assumption, that is, this magic can allow people to glimpse the future, and through glimpsing, the prophecy can be realized. Then, now another question can be raised, that is, can the future be changed? There are two answers, yes or no. If the future cannot be changed, then prophecy is meaningless, and we can adjourn now. If the future can be changed, then there are two directions for the future to change, good or bad. Let's not talk about good changes, just talk about bad changes. Is it a curse to make the future of a person, a group, or a country worse?"

"Yes! That's the curse!" Home Secretary George Grey stood up suddenly and slammed his palm heavily on the long mahogany table. "This is a serious threat to the interests of the British Empire! Britain must explore and master magic, especially curse magic. Only in this way can the interests and security of the empire be adequately guaranteed!"

"Gentlemen, we must not only uncover the secrets of magic as quickly as possible, but we must also do everything possible to prevent the Russians from mastering magic! Otherwise, we may lose the war!" Army Minister Sydney Herbert said in a serious tone. The battle on the Crimean Peninsula was not going smoothly. The previous Aberdeen Cabinet was forced to disband because the war faced the prospect of protracted war.

If the Russians acquire magic earlier than Britain in the future, Britain will most likely suffer a devastating defeat on the Crimean Peninsula!

The atmosphere in the room suddenly became extremely solemn.

Foreign Secretary Lord Clarendon turned his gaze to former British Minister to China Bonham, who was sitting in the corner: "Salyor, what do you know? Tell me everything."

Bonham's mind is now on the tin mining business in the Straits Settlements. If he had not encountered the "Curse of the Tsar" incident, he should have been able to complete all the procedures for financing from the Bank of England in London in half a month, and go to the Straits Settlements with a large sum of money to expand the tin mining business.

He adjusted his tortoise-shell glasses and began to recall how he and the prime minister of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom began to interact. "That was in 1853. I set out from Hong Kong and headed for Tianjing, the capital of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom." His voice was hoarse and deep. "I heard with my own ears that the prince used an unknown magic tool to amplify his voice tenfold. I also saw with my own eyes that he used a lens that flashed with magic light to contact the gods in the sky. I wrote a report on these things and submitted it to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs."

Viscount Palmerston tapped the edge of the table lightly, interrupting Bonham's words. He coughed and said, "It is obvious that the issue of magic has become a major threat to Britain's national security and interests, and it is related to the future of the empire. We must take it seriously. For this reason, we need to set up a new department, called the Ministry of Magic or the Magic Committee. The Treasury will immediately formulate a funding plan with an initial allocation of 200,000 pounds. Lord Gladstone, use your eloquence. I want you to get through all the links in the House of Commons within 72 hours."

The Chancellor of the Exchequer pulled at his stiff bow tie and shouted, "Yes, Mr. Prime Minister, I will convince everyone this time - including the Liberals!"

The Archbishop of Canterbury made the sign of the cross and said, "The Anglican Church fully supports the establishment of the Magic Committee. This should be a special committee that is above party struggles." He turned his head and stared at the two members of the Royal Society. "Professor Faraday, Sir Stokes, I think the Magic Committee should also be above religion and science!"

"Of course!" Mathematician Stokes silently calculated how to allocate the two hundred thousand pounds in his mind, while doing two things at the same time, and responded: "Magic is the bond that combines religion and science. I propose to establish positions such as Chief Psychic Director, Director of Mathematical Divination, Director of Eastern Mystery Affairs, and Director of Church Exorcism under the Magic Committee, who will be responsible for exploring magic from the aspects of energy, mathematics, history, and spells."

(End of this chapter)