Shadow of great britain

There are reasons for everything, but there is no solid evidence.

——Artur Agaresovich Hestingov

"Imperial envoy?"

"The Imperial Envoy!"

"The Imperial Envoy will come to inspect in person!"

The mayor paused for a moment, and then continued to add: "Not only is he an imperial envoy, but he is also from Petersburg. He has concealed his name, and he also carries the emperor's secret decree with him!"

This news was like a thunder, quickly spreading in the warm reception room of the city hall, even the biting blizzard was broken, and the muddy alleys and dilapidated wooden houses on the street were also shaken.

The officials were like a swarm of scattered bees, scurrying around, their eyes filled with indescribable shock and panic.

The postmaster is a fat middle-aged man. He sits next to the mayor. He presses one hand on the red waistcoat that is almost bursting due to his big belly. He breathes heavily, and the other hand holds a painted coat. A shiny copper pipe.

The postmaster's eyes widened, as if he had seen a ghost. He raised his hand and patted the table in a bluffing manner. Unexpectedly, he shook the cigarette ashes on the back of his hand. He stood up with a grin on his face and bared his teeth. He couldn't help shouting: "Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy! Your Majesty the Imperial Envoy! That's not an ordinary person! Even the place where his butt rests must be a sofa made of fine British velvet cloth!"

The inspector next to him, a middle-aged man who always wore a strange high hat, hurriedly stuffed a few pages of official documents into the pocket on his waist, and then took out a piece of cloth to wipe his glasses. He was shaking all over and kept muttering: "The imperial envoy is coming, the imperial envoy is coming... I am a nobody, what should I do? I have to prepare something for him, at least a better reception. - Tea, perhaps, or the best in Russia... Oh, nothing!"

The officials were all panicked, including the two policemen guarding the gate.

These two usually unknown little people in Druisk were at a loss when they saw even the big shots who usually showed off their power and arrogance, and were in panic all day long. The imperial envoy who came from St. Petersburg was frightened by the imperial edict of God.

They murmured privately.

"How about we take out that old patrol car that three donkeys can't pull and redecorate it?"

"There are also those rusty spears. We need to take them out and give them a good scrubbing. Not only do they make any sound, but at least they have to look as good as new."

One of the policemen frowned and complained in a low voice: "The imperial envoy is not joking. If he sees the tools we have installed, he will definitely fine us thirty rubles."

The older policeman beside him was so frightened that his face turned pale and he was trembling all over: "If it's just a fine, it's already considered lenient. Didn't you see what the mayor and the others looked like? I'm afraid he will confiscate us all and send us to the army." Siberia will never come back! I...we have to give him some face, otherwise...I'm really afraid that this town will be destroyed overnight."

The mayor heard the conversation between the two policemen, glared at them fiercely, and asked: "Why are you two the ones representing the police department at the meeting today! Where is your chief? Our Druisk City Police Chief Ivan Where is Mr. Mikhailovich Skolnikov?"

The little policeman quickly stood at attention and reported in a panic: "Report! The director is on duty today, so he sent us two!"

"On duty? Ha, the sun hasn't risen from the north yet, why does he suddenly have such a great sense of responsibility? Did last night's vodka remind him that there is such a thing as work in the world? It would be quite good if he didn't come to the meeting Just pretending to be on duty!"

The mayor banged the table angrily and cursed: "Call Ivan Mikhailovich to me right away! Tell him for me that if he is so good at making up stories, he won't need to be anything in the future. The police chief. He can go back to Petersburg with the imperial commissioner and find a job in the theater and the circus! "

When an old country squire heard the mayor getting angry, he banged his cane on the floor twice and said slowly: "Mr. Mayor, I don't think this is the time to show off your temper. We have to take care of the overall situation now."

The old country squire was wearing a slightly outdated high-end dress coat, made of dark blue or black woolen material. The style was out of date, and the fabric on his shoulders was worn and shiny. Although the metal buttons on this jacket have lost a lot of luster due to its age, if you look carefully, you can still see the exquisite carvings on it. Although several of the buttons were missing, he still insisted on mending them with needle and thread.

Why does this old gentleman love this coat so much?

If you catch a glimpse of the slightly oxidized eighth-grade civil servant badge on his chest, everything will become clear.

Yes, this is a retired Russian eighth-grade civil servant, the most respected figure in Druisk.

You know, even Mayor Bakalkin is just a ninth-grade civil servant.

Although judging from the title, the mayor of Druisk, the mayor of St. Petersburg, and the mayor of Moscow are all mayors, but the mayors of those two places are often served by senior civil servants of third rank or above, and sometimes they even appear. The situation where a first- and second-grade official concurrently serves as the mayor.

As for this old country squire, he had been serving in the Caucasus since his youth. When he was about to retire, he finally achieved the rank of eighth-grade civil servant. Then he got lucky again and was transferred to Petersburg for a few months a year before his retirement.

However, even such a short experience has been talked about by the old man all year round - I am the person who wrote the memorial in the office near the Winter Palace!

However, even though everyone knew in their hearts that this old guy was trying to flatter themselves, they still had to agree with it with a smile on their faces.

There is no other reason, just because this old guy has connections in the provincial capital!

I heard that the secretary of the provincial police chief worked with him in the Caucasus back then. The two were old friends who passed away.

When the secretary was out hunting, he was almost captured by the Caucasian mountain people. If the old country squire hadn't carried the old man with an injured thigh on his back and braved the heavy snow to run for more than ten miles along the mountain road, the secretary would not have the good future he has now.

Mayor Bakalkin heard the old squire's words and had to swallow his anger. He only dared to complain in his heart: "What a bullshit situation! To put it bluntly, don't you just want to protect your police chief?" Son-in-law! How dare you not come to a meeting for such a big matter like a private visit by an imperial envoy? I think you are really shaking things up!"

However, despite the scolding in his heart, the mayor still had to explain to the old squire with a smile on his face.

To show respect, he deliberately called the other person by his full name, "Grigory Nikiforovich Zakharov, forgive my impatience. You know, I'm not usually such a rough person." , but the matter is serious, everyone is working for His Majesty the Tsar, and the imperial envoy carries If you ignore the emperor's decree, it would be a crime to deceive the emperor! Everyone knows that you wrote the decree for Emperor Alexander, but this is the era of Emperor Nicholas, and he is not his brother. For such a gentle person, the Emperor cannot tolerate anyone who violates his will."

The mayor's words carry a gun and a stick, and he is ready to label the old squire as a bully and a delinquent at any time.

But the old country squire was also a figure who had been in Russian officialdom for decades. How could he be intimidated by the mayor's big hat like an ordinary peasant?

Instead of mentioning his son-in-law's faults, he began to talk about his achievements: "The Emperor's eyes cannot be rubbed with sand, of course I know this. But Ivan Mikhailovich could not come in time to attend the meeting today. , This is just to do things for His Majesty the Emperor! Wasn't he going to the countryside in the snow yesterday just to collect taxes for His Majesty the Emperor? In such bad weather, the snow on the road was one foot high, but he still walked through the wind and rain without a single complaint. He also said that he was working for the country and that he should suffer a little hardship and suffer a little fatigue. Yes. My son-in-law is a bit stupid, but when it comes to loyalty to His Majesty the Tsar, even a hunting dog may not be able to match him."

The city judge on the side did not buy the old squire's account. He started to make trouble and said: "Yes! If it were a normal day when the weather was good, our master Ivan Mikhailovich would not be so diligent! I usually ask him to go to the countryside to collect taxes. He would only shout: 'You bunch of poor civil servants, you don't know how to save money, you only know how to drink and gamble!' But when he lost money while drinking, he would just shout: 'Come on, there's nothing you can do. Let's go to the countryside to collect the poll tax. '

Once you get to the countryside, you will probably not be able to collect the poll tax, but you will be able to pay your gambling bills and chew grain for the whole family. Put on that majestic police uniform, stop at the entrance of the village, and gather the fellow villagers together. Then he announced in a false tone: 'Fellow fellows, the emperor is in a hurry for money. Let's all join together and pay the poll tax quickly. ’

After saying that, he turned around and hid in the small wooden house at the entrance of the village. He glanced out the window from time to time and saw all the farmers standing there scratching the back of their heads. After waiting for a while, you can see that they are in a noisy mess. Everyone suddenly started talking in all directions, waving their arms while talking, and they continued to be noisy for an hour. And what about our master Ivan Mikhailovich?

As for him, of course, he just sat quietly in the room, smoking his pipe and drinking a sip of wine, laughing secretly in his heart. Then he sent a rural policeman to tell them: You have said enough, the master is angry! Now, the farmers were quarreling again, even more fiercely than before. Then, I saw them starting to draw lots, and the matter of tax collection began to take shape. Finally, everyone decided to plead with the jury, asking him if, for God's sake, he could be lenient until he could earn money from odd jobs.

Our Ivan Mikhailovich now had to say with false mercy: 'Of course there is no problem with grace, but, alas...fellows, how do you want me to reply to the Emperor? You know, his old man is in a hurry for money. You can be considerate of me and your own superiors. ’

The peasants were soft-hearted. After hearing this, they begged him for only three weeks of grace, and even bowed to him several times. Seeing that there was something going on, Ivan Mikhailovich began to talk about his difficulties again, saying something like: "It's just about extending a few days. Why can't we extend it?" It's all up to us to make our own decisions, but you can think about how much responsibility I have to bear in front of the superior, what kind of punishment I will receive, and what kind of punishment I will suffer. ’

So the farmers gathered together to discuss again, and after a long discussion, they finally went home. After waiting for an hour or two, Ivan Mikhailovich finally received the reward he had earned through hard work. Ten kopecks per person. There are four thousand people in our village, which is equivalent to four hundred rubles. If he was lucky, he might be able to earn more, and the reward for this trip to the countryside was more than his annual salary. I remember that his police chief only got 300 rubles a year, right? "

When the old squire heard the judge expose his son-in-law's shortcomings, he blushed and rebuked: "Nikolai Stepanovich! You said that we have been corrupt and bribed. It is true that we have been bribed, but who is not guilty before God? Is there nothing wrong before the emperor? Could it be that if you don’t take money, you don’t do anything? Is it better? In fact, it seems to me that people nowadays are just talking empty words and singing the high-pitched tune of being impartial and selfless, but they don’t see any action. I didn't hear that their lives had improved, but instead they sighed and suffered worse than before.

In our time, nothing embarrassing happened, nor was it like now, when everything went smoothly and peacefully. I have never heard of anyone being forced into a courtroom or being interrogated in any way! You young people may be thinking in your heart that you are doing better than before, the common people suffer less, there is more justice, and the officials start to fear God... But I tell you, this is all wishful thinking! You are still the same in private, you have just become more well-behaved and cunning. As soon as I hear you new officials talking about self-denial and serving the public, and benefiting the public, I feel very angry! "

After saying this, the old country squire waved his hands angrily, stood up with his cane and walked out the door: "I don't care! I don't care! Now this Druisk is the territory of you young people. If Emperor Alexander and Ye Catherine the Great, Peter the Great also As for Ivan the Terrible, if the ancestors of Russia knew what you had done to Russia, I don’t know what they would think! I think you can only wait until the imperial envoys capture you all and bring them to Petersburg for interrogation. Know your fault!"

With a bang, the old squire put on his bearskin hat and fox fur coat, slammed the door and left angrily.

Seeing him walking away, Mayor Barkakin couldn't help but cursed in a low voice: "You old and immortal thing."

The inspector, who had been in panic all day long, asked softly: "Why did the imperial envoy suddenly come to us? Didn't he always go to inspect other cities in the past? Do you think there is anything in Druisk that the imperial envoy should be concerned about? ?”

The postmaster asked suspiciously: "Is there going to be a war? Are the Poles rebelling again?"

The judge who dismissed the old squire seemed to be a wise man. He said with certainty: "It must have been instigated by the French. The French have no good intentions!"

The director of the hospital muttered: "Maybe it has something to do with the Persians or the Ottomans."

The mayor heard their random guesses and knocked on the table with his knuckles: "Everyone! Stop being ridiculous! How could you think that way? Living people like us don't have a small place with many trees, so how can we hide anything? Spy or rebel?"

The judge retorted: "You can't think like that. The above must have considered it. The big officials in Petersburg must have information that we can't see. Everyone who can sit in their position is a talented person. Every move is It’s all meaningful.”

The inspector also nodded and said: "Instead of taking the main road, you have to turn up the small road and come to our place. No matter how you look at it, you don't look like you are passing by."

The mayor said solemnly: "Whether the Imperial Envoy did it intentionally or unintentionally, I have already told you what should be notified to everyone. I have prepared the city hall that I am responsible for, the decorations that should be made, and the things that should be arranged. That’s very thorough. I hope you all will also make careful arrangements in your respective areas of responsibility to prevent the emperor from doing so. I will make a sudden unannounced visit to catch you off guard. For example, all the patients in the hospital should be cleaned so that they don’t look like dirty beggars on the roadside. And there shouldn’t be too many patients in the ward, so they should look like one. Very energetic, otherwise the imperial envoy will think that the doctors here are not very skilled."

The director of the hospital patted his chest and assured: "Don't worry, thank God, under this blizzard, all the mentally ill patients have frozen to death, and the patients who are still alive are full of vitality!"

Mayor Bakalkin nodded slightly and walked up to the judge: "There is also the municipal court. You must pay special attention to it. The court cannot be crowded with petitioners and complaints. It will easily make the imperial envoy think that we are here." Local governance is not good. Your office must be tidied up. The files and documents must be arranged neatly, and not a speck of dust can be seen on the table. It must not look like a thief has entered the court. It’s not a good reputation.”

The judge replied: "Don't worry, thieves are too lazy to come to our place. Rows of letters are arranged on it, just like earthworms that have fallen into dust. Only chickens and ducks will be interested in it."

"That's right, chicken and duck!"

The mayor slapped his head and shouted: "Everyone, all departments, remember to get rid of all the poultry and animals kept in the yard! Dmitry Akimovich, I went to the school last time to accompany the provincial inspector for an inspection, come in Just stepped on a piece of shit. I'm a rough guy. , stepping on a piece of dog shit is just a matter of enduring the smell and quietly wiping your feet on the ground, but what if the inspector steps on it? What if the imperial envoy steps on it? In this damn weather, he can't let it happen. Come skate with us, old man!”

As soon as the mayor said this, the hospital director suddenly raised his hand and asked, "Mr. Mayor, did you forget something?"

"Forgot something?" The mayor returned to the table, picked up a pen and paper and urged: "Oh! Vasily Ignatyevich, I know you are a slow man! But now is not the time for you to lose your temper. If you have anything to say, please tell me quickly. If I make a mistake, what can you get?"

The director of the hospital trembled and said, "That's it, what happened at the charity hospital church before."

Charity Hospital Church!

The mayor suddenly remembered what was going on, and he hurriedly ordered: "If the imperial envoy asks: Why has the church in the charity hospital not been built five years ago? Why has it not been completed? You must say It was built a long time ago, but it was accidentally burned down. I will send a special report about this matter. I will remind everyone here, otherwise, if one of us forgets, he will be stupid. The ground replied that construction hadn’t started yet, so things would be bad.

In addition, any of you should tell Ivan Mikhailovich and ask him not to punch people easily during this period. Of course, I know that the police station does this to maintain order, but we can't beat others to a black face regardless of whether they are wrong or not. In addition, the garrison sent someone to notify Captain Potemkin and ask him to take care of the big soldiers under his command! Those soldiers were not allowed to go out into the streets without clothes. This group of unqualified people is so shameless. They often just wear a uniform over their shirts and wear nothing underneath, slipping out. If the imperial envoy sees it, how can we explain it clearly! "

…

In the small hotel, the pervasive cold wind penetrated through the gaps in the wardrobe and flowed along Arthur's collar into the back of his heart.

The cold touch made Arthur feel like his whole body was about to return home.

Boom, boom, boom!

The hotel clerk knocked on the door and asked: "Mr. Hestingoff, it's time to eat!"