## Chapter 335: Washington from America
The rumble of cannon fire tore through the slumbering streets of Liverpool, stirring its citizens from their beds with furrowed brows.
Though they grumbled and cursed under their breath, the constant barrage of cannon fire, almost a daily occurrence, had become a grim part of life.
But those who stayed awake amidst the chaos weren’t just the ordinary citizens of Liverpool. There were others, with their own motives, who spent the night wide-eyed and vigilant.
In the old Liverpool docks, across from the Golden Lion Inn, stood a cluster of hotels. As a port city, it wasn’t unusual to find numerous hotels catering to tourists and sailors. However, due to the recent port quarantine, business had been dismal.
Rooms that were once packed were now filled with empty beds, and keeping afloat without losing money was considered a success.
However, thanks to the arrival of London’s special commissioners staying at the Golden Lion Inn, the surrounding hotels occasionally saw a few bookings. Most of the guests were officials, company representatives, or informants from various departments and organizations in Liverpool, tasked with reporting the daily movements of Arthur and his group to their employers.
Of course, not everyone had the same objective.
At least, the guest in room 304 of the Oak Tree Inn held a different intention.
The curtains in room 304 were drawn shut, but through a narrow gap between the blue drapes, a keen eye would notice a telescopic lens extending from the room.
Through the lens of the telescope, one could see Arthur, who had just gotten up, also holding a telescope in the second-floor room of the Golden Lion Inn, observing the distant azure ocean.
As he watched the plumes of smoke rising from the sea, Arthur mumbled, “Looks like the Royal Navy report will have another entry today.”
Alexandre Dumas, yawning beside him, took a bite of a bagel, sipping his strong black coffee. “They’ve captured over a dozen ships in just a few days. Although they were small ‘Fast Crabs’, the efficiency is impressive. If Liverpool had maintained this level of anti-smuggling efforts, London wouldn’t have sent you here. So, in the end, it’s all a conspiracy, a pack of wolves.”
Putting away his telescope, Arthur returned to the table and picked up his teacup. “Alexandre, that’s unfair. Maybe the high-ranking officers of the Royal Navy are in cahoots with smugglers. But the ordinary sailors and officers on board are genuinely dedicated to fighting smuggling.”
“Why?” Alexandre raised an eyebrow. “Because they get a share of the spoils?”
“You’re oversimplifying things. It’s not just about money.”
Arthur explained, “According to the Navy Board’s ‘War Regulations’, any fleet commander, captain, or officer who receives orders but fails to execute them, encounters an enemy vessel they are obligated to attack but doesn’t engage, or has the opportunity to engage in combat but doesn’t lead their subordinates into a valiant fight, will be sentenced to death or other punishments by a court-martial. Any member of the fleet who doesn’t fight bravely, engages in treachery, or cowardly surrenders will be sentenced to death by a court-martial.”
“Although this is just about cholera prevention, not war, it’s still considered an order from the Navy Board, and they are determined to severely punish smuggling. If the Royal Navy doesn’t encounter any smuggling ships, that’s fine. But if they come across them and don’t attack, the captain of that ship will definitely be held accountable. While they might not face execution, losing their captaincy is inevitable.”
Chewing his bagel, Alexandre pondered, “So, the captain just needs to pay off those below him, right? If he can buy them off, he can issue any orders he wants.”
Arthur asked, “You know about ship logs, right?”
“Of course, I do. Is there a difference between the Royal Navy’s ship logs and those of the French Navy?”
Arthur replied, “To prevent the situation you mentioned, the Navy Board explicitly stipulates that the Royal Navy’s ship logs are divided into three types: the captain’s log, the navigator’s log, and the officer’s log. And the officer’s log isn’t just one, but every lieutenant on board has one.
After each voyage, these logs are sealed and transported to the Navy Board building in London for inspection. If there’s any inconsistency in the descriptions of any of the logs, all the log writers on that ship will be subjected to separate scrutiny. Once any falsification is confirmed, the least severe consequence is dismissal from the navy.
Perhaps a navigator who’s reached the top might be willing to risk it all for money, but most lieutenants wouldn’t agree to end their naval careers so abruptly. Not to mention, truthfully recording the captain’s black accounts actually benefits their promotions. Captaincy in the Royal Navy is highly sought after, and without anyone leaving, how can anyone else move up?”
Alexandre couldn’t help but marvel. “It seems the Royal Navy is not only well-trained, but these dog-eat-dog regulations are one more cunning than the last. Now I understand what ‘England fights every enemy’ means. It’s not about fighting every enemy, but having to fight!
The sailors want a share of the spoils, the officers below keep an eye on your captaincy, and they need battle achievements to build merit. You might spend months at sea without encountering an enemy ship. If you finally do, and you want to run, you’ll likely be tied to a canvas and flown as a kite.
Thinking about it, it explains the Royal Navy’s unusual habit of always taking the upwind position in battle. Other countries prefer the downwind position because if the situation becomes unfavorable, they can escape using the wind. Also, the maneuverability of a ship in the downwind position is better, preventing the hull from tilting at a certain angle due to the wind.
But the Royal Navy takes the upwind position because they never intend to run. Taking the upwind position might make it harder to escape, but it’s advantageous for pursuit. Although the waves might tilt the hull, it also gives the cannons a longer range. It has to be said, those self-serving guys are too confident.”
While eating his breakfast, Arthur recited, “They do have reason to be confident. The Royal Navy once held a record of nine consecutive years without a single ship sinking. And the end of that record, when you think about it, is still quite comical.”
Alexandre asked, “Speaking of which, who ended that record? The French?”
Arthur glanced at him, “Alexandre, why are you humiliating yourself?”
“If not the French, who else could it be?”
Chewing his bagel, Arthur took a sip of tea. “Those coffee-drinking guys from the North American colonies.”
“Isn’t that even more embarrassing?”
Arthur shook his head. “To be precise, it’s not just embarrassing anymore. It makes one question the sanity of the Royal Navy. The navy should be a technical branch of the military, but in the Royal Navy, they are even more focused on courage than the British Army.
Maybe the nine-year undefeated record went to their heads. So, when the Royal Navy’s Warrior encountered the American Constitution, which was twice its size, in 1812, their first thought wasn’t to run but to fire several cannons at the Constitution. The even more ridiculous part is that the Warrior had suffered damage during a previous combat voyage and was supposed to return to base for repairs.
But the moment they saw the Americans, they completely forgot about their reduced speed. They even tried to board the American ship, but they were sunk before they could even get close. I have to say, the French are truly incompetent!”
Alexandre, who had been listening intently, couldn’t help but frown. “You British guys fight your own son, what does France have to do with it? No matter what happened, the blame lies with the French?”
Arthur took a sip of tea, “I have a reason for saying that. The Royal Navy’s Warrior was captured from the French. Eld always told me that if it were a genuine British ship, it wouldn’t have fallen to the Americans. So, ultimately, the French are incompetent.”
Alexandre, feeling like a bagel was stuck in his throat, stared at him. “No matter what, the Royal Navy lost face this time. Nelson’s ten victories at Trafalgar weren’t as shameful as the Warrior losing once to the Royal Navy.”
Arthur nodded. “Alexandre, maybe you should join our Navy Board.”
“Why?”
“Because you two have the exact same mindset. After the Navy Board received news of the Warrior’s sinking, everyone, from the First Lord of the Admiralty to the naval cadets at Greenwich and the gatekeepers of the Navy Board, saw it as the greatest humiliation in the Royal Navy’s history. So, to retaliate against the Americans, the Navy Board, while dealing with Napoleon, also took the time to teach the Americans a lesson.”
“What did they do?”
Arthur took a sip of tea, “They sent people to the Caribbean Sea and waited for months until they finally found an opportunity to ambush the Americans. They even captured the American ‘President’. Following the Royal Navy tradition, the President was incorporated into the West Indies fleet as the flagship.
Moreover, to humiliate the Americans, they didn’t even bother renaming the ship. Not only that, the West Indies fleet would take the President on strategic cruises off the east coast of America. This behavior continued for almost half a year before the Navy Board finally calmed down.”
Alexandre, hearing this, burst into laughter, slapping his thigh. “So, your Navy Board really knows how to play. This vindictive personality, refusing to rename the President, is a perfect reflection of the British people’s dark and petty minds. But, I have to say, I like it.”
Arthur calmly sipped his tea. “This is just a joke between us. You better not spread it around, especially if you still want to order a Colt pistol from Mr. Colt. I’m afraid he might lose his temper and shoot you.”
Alexandre said, “Isn’t Colt planning to build a factory in London? Is he not going to come back to his ancestral homeland?”
Arthur replied, “He’s still hesitant about his nationality. After all, he was born and raised in America. While he is British by blood, there are still many people in Britain who are German by blood. But I haven’t seen many people crying and begging to go to Prussia to serve Frederick III.”
As Arthur finished his sentence, a sinister voice came from outside the door, “I seem to have heard someone talking about serving Frederick III? To be frank, there are too many people in Prussia wanting to serve him. You wouldn’t even make the cut if you went there now.”
Heinrich strode into the room, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
Alexandre raised his hand in greeting. “Good morning, Heinrich! You seem in good spirits, already cursing Prussia this early in the morning. So, you’ve scheduled Austria for the afternoon? But listen, brother, even if you hate Germany, you can’t always pick on them, can you? Look at me, I also curse France, but I only curse Louis-Philippe. I still love the people of France.”
Heinrich just shook his head. “No, Alexandre, you’re a Frenchman, so you don’t understand that feeling. I love my homeland just like you guys. I hate it because I love it. It’s because of that love that I left. If one day the people of Germany could be like the people of France, even if we had a Louis-Philippe sitting on our heads, I would sing praises for Germany.”
Alexandre just scoffed. “Heinrich, to be frank, your expectations are too low.”
Seeing that the two keyboard warriors were about to start again, Arthur was about to go out for some fresh air. But before he could leave, Louis pushed the door open and walked in.
He said, “Just now, the Liverpool Health Committee sent someone over to say that the pump handles near the areas with concentrated cholera outbreaks have been removed. To compensate for the losses of these citizens, the Liverpool City Council will be distributing a fixed amount of clean alcohol to them for the next period.
Due to the city’s tight budget, the City Hall informed us that this temporary relief is expected to last only half a month, coinciding with your plan. However, the Liverpool Association seems willing to donate generously to the beer relief after half a month. Under the leadership of Old Gladstone, the merchants have already started holding charity fundraisers.
In addition, Mr. Rosenberg, the chairman of the committee, agreed to your request not to deal with Dr. Hudscarl for now, but on the condition that he must immediately stop dissecting the patients. He also hopes to discuss the specific details of the local treatment plan with you at the Health Committee meeting later this afternoon.
Edward, the director of the Liverpool Post Office, also sent someone to say that the letter you sent was transported by train at midnight yesterday, coordinated by the railway company. It’s probably on the desk in the Lord Chancellor’s office right now, waiting for Lord Brougham’s review.”
Hearing this string of good news, Arthur’s mood lifted.
He looked out the window at the sky. The sun was gradually rising from the sea.
Arthur asked, “Since it’s still early, let’s go for a walk in the epidemic area.”
Louis, putting away his documents, smiled and said, “Of course, we can go for a walk in the epidemic area. But before that, would you consider meeting someone?”
“Meeting someone? Who?”
Louis replied, “Washington Irving, the secretary of the United States Embassy to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. God knows why he came to Liverpool, but he seems to want to ask you for help with something. If you’re not interested, I can turn him down for you.”
(End of Chapter)