SGB Chapter 276

## Chapter 276: Conversation with the Foreign Secretary (5K)

**London, Westminster, Whitehall Street, Foreign Secretary’s Residence.**

The moment Arthur stepped through the grand doors of the Foreign Office, he was immediately enveloped by a palpable sense of urgency. Officials scurried about, some even jogging in a hurried pace. As Arthur prepared to ascend the stairs, he overheard a hushed conversation between two clerks, one older, the other younger.

“Is the Minister mad? Why are we still helping the Russians shoulder that loan to the Hope Company? We stipulated in the Treaty of Vienna after the Napoleonic Wars that this economic aid to Russia would cease immediately if they violated the treaty. Now they’re attacking Poland, which is clearly a breach of the Vienna Treaty. And now, the Minister wants to sign a supplementary agreement with the Russians, continuing our economic assistance? If Parliament finds out about this, how are we going to answer?”

“That’s the cunning of Lord Palmerston in wielding his power. Have you forgotten? Parliament is about to be dissolved. While the MPs are busy campaigning, and the new Parliament hasn’t convened yet, he’s pushing us to draft the plan as quickly as possible. Otherwise, once Parliament gets wind of it… well, it’s…”

The Red Devil propped himself on his tail, leaning back slightly, transferring his weight onto it.

He chuckled, clipping his nails with a mischievous grin. “Oh, my dear Arthur, have you brought me to the labyrinth on Crete? Why is this place teeming with mysterious, clandestine vibes? So, next, are you going to meet the terrifying Minotaur?”

Arthur shot him a glance, then surveyed the bustling, almost oppressive atmosphere of the grand hall. “Whether Lord Palmerston is a Minotaur, I don’t know. But I’ve heard from some Scotland Yard inspectors that when Lord Palmerston was Secretary at War, he had a nickname. They called him the Cruel Overseer. It seems he’s brought this habit to the Foreign Office.”

Arthur pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it, shaking his head. “It’s already afternoon tea time, yet I haven’t seen a single smile on these people’s faces. What’s even more unbelievable is that these are all senior officials in the Foreign Office. It seems Lord Palmerston has been in charge of the Foreign Office for only six months, and he’s already given them a taste of the ‘dipping whip’ that even the Army couldn’t handle.”

Agareus took out a file and sharpened his little finger, then raised his hand towards the oil lamplight hanging in the hall, admiring his handiwork with satisfaction. “Isn’t it? My dear Arthur, if you had such a vigorous, hardworking boss, who also manages to find time to indulge in eighteen different skills with Lady Cowper, enjoying life to the fullest, you wouldn’t be able to handle it either.”

“Eighteen different skills, huh…” Arthur stroked his chin and looked at the Red Devil. “Agareus, you seem to know quite a lot!”

Agareus grinned, putting away the file and putting on a doctorate hat. He asked, “Arthur, I can teach you the first nine for free, but the last nine will require payment. Just one soul, but your whole life will be much more exciting.”

Arthur adjusted his white gloves. “Hmm… sounds like a good deal.”

“You’re tempted?” Agareus exclaimed. “Oh, Arthur, for your willingness to learn, I can even allow you to publish this part in ‘The Englishman’. No need for the author’s name, or if you like, you can choose to pin it on Eld’s head.”

Arthur simply smiled and shook his head. “Sorry, Agareus, although I’m quite interested, considering there are no practical subjects for now, I don’t intend to buy something useless to collect at home.”

Just as Arthur finished speaking, he heard a hurried footstep behind him.

Arthur turned and saw a gentleman in a neat and tidy suit, with a hint of fatigue in his eyes, quickly descending the stairs, striding towards him. “Inspector Hastings, apologies for the wait. Lord Palmerston just finished receiving representatives from several civic groups, and he’s now free to see you.”

Arthur politely removed his hat and replied, “Then please lead the way. This is my first time at the Foreign Office, so I’m not familiar with the layout.”

“Of course, follow me.”

As the clerk led Arthur towards the second floor, he couldn’t help but banter with Arthur. “So, how do you feel? Is Scotland Yard usually as busy as the Foreign Office?”

Arthur just smiled, “In terms of workload, they might be similar, but our job content is still different.”

The clerk shook his head with a smile, “No, in my opinion, the nature of Scotland Yard’s work is exactly the same as the Foreign Office’s, even our scope of business is wider.”

“How so?”

The clerk said, “As we all know, the officers deal with thieves, swindlers, robbers, prostitutes, and drunks all day long. The Foreign Office’s work, on the other hand, deals with Holland, Belgium, Austria, Russia, Spain, even Bavaria.”

Arthur joked, “Have you forgotten France? And you put the Kingdom of Bavaria on an equal footing with major powers like Austria and Russia, isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?”

“The French have been much more peaceful than during the Napoleonic era. As for Bavaria, I admit I have a bit of a family tradition bias towards them. You may not know, my father was an immigrant from Hesse in Germany, so…”

Arthur asked with a smile, “So, how do the Hessians view Bavaria?”

The diplomat smiled and said, “My father always said: Bavarians are a transitional species between Austrians and humans.”

Arthur couldn’t help but crack a joke when he heard this, “Well, maybe I have a genuine Bavarian among my friends.”

The diplomat stopped, feigning mourning. “Oh, Inspector Hastings, that’s unfortunate news to hear.”

Arthur shook his head with a smile, “Nothing much, I’m used to it. It’s no big deal to be friends with a Bavarian. On the bright side, it’s better than dealing with Austrians.”

The diplomat burst into laughter, pointing at Arthur, “Maybe you shouldn’t be a policeman. We’re also lacking people like you in the Foreign Office. If you were sent to Bavaria as an ambassador, I’m sure you’d do well.”

Arthur replied humorously, “That’s a good job, at least better than managing the London Zoo.”

The diplomat said seriously, “Mr. Hastings, I have to politely remind you, the House of Commons election is not managed by the Foreign Office.”

Arthur also responded seriously, “I understand. I’ve already taken a tour of the Foreign Office hall before you came. I didn’t see the little hammer that could silence the baboons.”

With that, they looked at each other and couldn’t help but laugh.

The clerk led Arthur to the Minister’s office door, his smile fading slightly. “Alright, Mr. Hastings, I’ll take you here. It’s been a pleasure chatting with you. In appreciation for rescuing me from the boring work environment of the Foreign Office, I’ll give you a little warning.

Although Lord Palmerston doesn’t directly oversee the Home Office, you should know about his relationship with Home Secretary Lord Melbourne. Lord Melbourne’s sister, Lady Cowper, hmm… if I say more, it might be impolite. So, when you talk to Lord Palmerston, try to be as sincere as possible.

He despises those who are not as clever as him, and at the same time, he fears those who are more clever than him. Be careful with your flattery, and pay close attention to his scolding. In short, he’s not easy to deal with. You’re so humorous and witty, I don’t want to lose your jokes when I visit Scotland Yard in the future.”

Arthur tipped his hat with his finger, nodding slightly. “Thank you for your reminder.”

The clerk knocked on the office door and announced, “Your Lordship, Inspector Hastings has arrived.”

“He’s here so soon? The afternoon tea I planned to offer him isn’t ready yet. Go to the restaurant on the corner and hurry them up with the food. I’ll chat with Inspector Hastings for a while.”

Arthur was invited into the room. As he entered, he saw a mountain of files piled on Palmerston’s desk, a sight that was truly impressive.

Palmerston removed his glasses and stood up with a smile, holding a teacup. “How have you been? Work at Scotland Yard must be busy, but once the London District Prosecutor’s Office is established, the burden on you will be even heavier. But I believe a young man who can be recognized by Lord Brougham won’t be bad. Come, have a seat.”

Arthur followed Palmerston to the sofa and sat down. He took off his damp hat and placed it on the table. Before he could speak, he heard Palmerston rambling on.

Palmerston put down his porcelain cup and said, “This damn weather in London is just like that. It’s a pity that I’m a Minister now, otherwise, according to my habit when I was a backbencher, during this parliamentary recess, I would have gone to Cornwall for a holiday. If I go further, maybe I’ll go back to France or the Apennine Peninsula, where the sunshine is incomparable to England. Speaking of which, Arthur, where did you go on your grand tour after graduating from university?”

The Red Devil leaned against the sofa and chuckled maliciously, “Oh, Arthur, look! The Minotaur is starting to pry into your secrets. Is he trying to swallow you whole? Let me see, how are you going to escape this maze? Are you going to equip yourself with Icarus’ wings? But frankly, the sun is too close to you right now. If you do that, you’ll definitely have your wings melted and fall into the sea like Eld.”

Arthur just chuckled softly in response, “Your Lordship, the cost of a grand tour of the continent is still too high for me. Although this is a tradition in British education, a two-year trip costing over 500 pounds a year is not a small amount for me.”

Palmerston shook his head with a smile when he heard this. “No, Arthur, that’s just because you’re not willing. You might think I’m a nobleman, so I must be very wealthy. If you’re saying that about me now, then you’re right. But if you knew my situation right after graduating from Cambridge, you would definitely laugh at me for being a poor boy.”

Arthur asked, “Did you encounter some misfortune back then?”

“That’s right.” Palmerston sipped his tea, “When I just graduated from Cambridge, my father passed away. He did leave me a considerable inheritance, 50,000 pounds, but he also left me with 90,000 pounds in debt. I took that money and invested it. I made nearly 20,000 pounds in no time, but when I increased my investment, my partner absconded with the money.

At that time, I embarked on my European grand tour. Haha, although I said it was a grand tour, you understand, I was actually running away from debt. As you can see, even if you don’t have much money, or even if you’re in debt, you can still go on a grand tour. It’s just that you bring fewer servants, eat simpler food, and manage your hands well, don’t get involved in those art auctions. After all, even among the nobility, not everyone is as extravagant as the Earl of Oxford.

You must have heard about his outrageous grand tour expenses? He spent 4,500 pounds in 4 months, mind you, that was the late 16th century! Back then, the national revenue was only 350,000 pounds. Spending 3% of the national revenue in four months, Britain probably hasn’t found a nobleman more extravagant than him until today.”

Arthur asked, “So, when you started your grand tour, you chose a path completely different from the Earl of Oxford?”

Palmerston nodded, “That’s right. But according to our British tradition, France is a must-go. But you know, when I graduated, France was in the midst of a revolution, and it wasn’t peaceful in Western Europe, Central Europe, or Southern Europe. So I went east, you know, I went to Poland. The people there were very hospitable. Everyone lived happily under the protection of Russia, until that man-eating devil from Corsica disrupted the peace and tranquility. Arthur, do you know Poland?”

Arthur saw that Palmerston finally got to the point and smiled, “I don’t know much about Poland. I’ve never even stepped outside of Britain in my life, how could I know about a land so far away? But I like to read newspapers. Recently, there have been a lot of articles about Poland in the newspapers. The Russians occupied Warsaw and committed many war atrocities there, and so on.”

Palmerston just waved his hand when he heard this. “What the newspapers say has its own logic, but those journalists who are cooped up in their little houses don’t know anything, they don’t understand anything. They just speculate in secret, imagining what happened in the distant East. Like war atrocities, there are no casualties in any war. They never use their shrunken little brains to think about this problem.”

Arthur asked, “So you’re saying that the things mentioned in the newspapers are fabricated by journalists?”

“If it’s fabricated or not, just see if they’ve been to Poland.”

Palmerston said confidently, “Arthur, I bet you, none of these newspaper reporters have been there in person. And the person who has actually been to Poland is sitting in front of you right now. While I support Britain’s freedom of the press, I also strongly oppose these people disregarding the truth and spreading false information. The formulation of the policy of freedom of publication is correct, but suddenly loosening it to this extent, is it too much freedom for the news media?”

Arthur nodded, “Of course, Scotland Yard is also committed to upholding freedom of the press, but we occasionally also review and prohibit some illegal publications, such as those that don’t strictly enforce the stamp tax, or those that encourage depravity, like erotic literature.”

Palmerston nodded, “That’s right, Scotland Yard has been doing a good job in this regard. But I think articles that contain factual errors and are detrimental to social harmony should also be included in Scotland Yard’s enforcement scope. Speaking of which, Arthur, do you know the magazine ‘The Englishman’? It’s been quite popular in London lately. The popular stories in it are very interesting, indeed a great tool for the civilian population to pass the time.”

Arthur heard Palmerston mention ‘The Englishman’ and immediately had a sense of direction. But before giving a positive response, he decided to play a couple more rounds with Palmerston.

Arthur replied, “Of course, I know ‘The Englishman’. Your Lordship, you may not know, I’m actually serializing a novel in ‘The Englishman’. Have you read ‘The Hastings Detective Stories’?”

“Of course! I don’t miss a single issue!”

Palmerston pointed at Arthur with a smile, “I knew that novel must be related to you. Both Hastings, both legendary detectives of Scotland Yard. Even if you didn’t write it, it should be based on you. In other words, you must know the author.”

Agareus pushed his glasses up and said, “That’s right, he does know him, we’re quite familiar.”

Arthur glanced at Agareus and continued to smile, “So, are you dissatisfied with ‘The Englishman’?”

“Dissatisfied wouldn’t be the word.” Palmerston smiled and advised, “But since you’re the author of ‘The Englishman’, I hope you can talk to their editorial department. For example, remind them to correct the factual errors in their magazine. ‘The Englishman’ is indeed a good magazine, but their recent launch of the supplement ‘The Economist’ is…

Arthur, have you seen ‘The Economist’? Some of the Polish opinions in it are far too imaginative. And how can they put Polish articles together with Napoleonic propaganda? Although I don’t want to speculate, I think they might have received sponsorship from the French? Haha, Arthur, please forgive me for using such a shocking word. But you may not know, if someone has suspicious contact with the French, in the eyes of the Foreign Office, this will be preliminarily identified as treason.”

(End of Chapter)