Shadow of great britain

Chapter 630 The Tsar's Interest: Who is Arthur Hastings?

As the night deepened, the Imperial Garden in the Winter Palace was still as bright as day.

Due to the cold winter in Petersburg, the Imperial Garden was not built outdoors, but inside the Winter Palace.

The gold-leafed chandelier cast soft light on the lush green plants. The garden was planted with exotic flowers and plants from southern Russia to all over Europe. Occasionally, you could catch a glimpse of a few tropical plants, flowers and shrubs. The marble fountain in the center exuded a slight mist, and the hazy mist was all around, giving people a sense of being in a fairyland.

Nicholas I put his hands behind his back and walked slowly.

The soles of the Tsar's boots stepped on the colorful mosaic path, making a low sound.

Behind him was the sound of almost silent footsteps, and a figure slowly entered the light through the mist.

The dark black military uniform outlines the man's tall figure, his short black hair is neatly combed, and the gold thread embroidery shines faintly under the soft light. The black boots on his feet do not make any extra noise. One of his hands is on the hilt guard engraved with the imperial double-headed eagle. The Order of St. Andrew on his chest not only proves his merits on the battlefield, but also represents his identity as a loyal supporter of the Tsar.

Count Alexander Hristoforovich Benkendorf, General of the Russian Imperial Cavalry, Director of the Third Bureau of the Tsar's Office and Commander-in-Chief of the Military Police.

Benkendorf first approached the Tsar within ten steps, then paused, and then slowly took three steps forward. After standing still, he put his feet together, straightened his body, bowed his head deeply, clenched his right fist and touched his chest lightly, and then put it down steadily.

"Your Majesty." His voice was low and solemn, sounding as if he could not be shaken.

The Tsar did not turn around immediately, but joked with his most trusted minister in an almost inaudible playful tone: "Benkendorf, has time brought you?"

Hearing the Tsar's words, Benkendorf bowed his head again and said softly: "Yes, Your Majesty. I dare not delay your order."

Tsar Nicholas I stood with his hands behind his back, staring at the mist rising from the fountain in the distance, and suddenly tilted his head slightly and said: "How is your sister recently?"

Benkendorf was slightly startled when he heard this sudden question.

He didn't expect Nicholas I to mention Mrs. Lieven.

Last year, when the news that Mrs. Lieven was unwilling to return to Petersburg with her husband to settle down was reported back to the Winter Palace, although Nicholas I did not get angry, as a close minister of the Tsar, he could certainly feel the emperor's dissatisfaction. Mrs. Lieven's choice to stay in Paris has been regarded as an act of "getting out of the direct control of the Tsar".

Therefore, even if the Tsar did not take the initiative to ask, Benkendorf still wrote a letter to his sister privately, asking her not to make trouble.

But this heroine of European diplomacy obviously ignored her brother's warning. Living in London for many years made Mrs. Leven no longer an ordinary Russian aristocrat. Not only did she cheat in love, but her thoughts also showed signs of being off track.

Whether in London or Paris, her salon always attracted a large number of European liberal intellectuals and statesmen, although Mrs. Leven often told her brother in her letters that she invited these people only for cultural entertainment and exchange of diplomatic intelligence.

But in Benkendorf's view, if such salons were held too often, it would be difficult for his sister's thoughts not to be affected.

Because he had seen Mrs. Leven emphasize the value of reform and freedom from the perspective of enlightenment in his letters more than once.

According to the reports sent back by Russian spies from Paris, it was mentioned more than once that Mrs. Leven's activities in the local area might seem too free and not obedient enough.

The reason why the Tsar did not take action against Mrs. Leven was, on the one hand, out of his appreciation of Mrs. Leven's influence in the diplomatic world, and on the other hand, to take into account the emotions of the Benkendorf family and the Leven family, two Russian political aristocrats.

Among them, his elder brother, Count Benkendorf, is the director of the Third Bureau and the commander of the gendarmerie.

Mrs. Lieven's husband, Count Christoph von Lieven, is recognized as the most outstanding ambassador of Russia. After resigning as the ambassador to the UK, he is currently serving as the director of the Imperial Army, specializing in military education and officer training.

As for Mrs. Lieven's elder brother-in-law, it was Count Karl Andreas von Lieven, the Minister of Education, who just resigned last year and was evaluated by the Third Bureau as "shallow-minded", "ignorant" and "uneducated".

In the "Public Opinion Survey Report" evaluating the work of the central ministries, Count Benkendorf devalued his sister's elder brother-in-law to nothing.

Although as a relative, this may be too ruthless.

But, perhaps this is Benkendorf's purpose?

Because at least the report made the Tsar very satisfied, and he highly praised the work of the Third Bureau afterwards.

And the Tsar's satisfaction also brought greater power to the Third Bureau and its leader Benkendorf.

Although all departments secretly cursed the Third Bureau and were always ready to catch their mistakes and fight back, at least on the surface, they had to attach great importance to the issues raised by the Third Bureau and take the initiative to report all the information they needed to the military police.

When the Third Bureau made rectification suggestions to these departments, if you don't want to get into trouble, you'd better listen to the suggestions of these military police seriously.

The codification work of the Second Department, the tariff protection system established by Finance Minister Conklin, the education system reform in 1828, the "official theory of nationality" by the Minister of National Education Uvarov, etc., all these formulations of imperial national policies were influenced everywhere. You can see the role of the 'prescription' in the third game.

As a good friend of the Tsar and the only person allowed to ride in the same carriage with the Tsar during his foreign visits, Count Benkendorf, the current deputy tsar of the Russian Empire, naturally refused to give up his status as one person below ten thousand people.

As long as this premise is not compromised, he is willing to cover for his sister, but once Mrs. Levin offends this principle, then...

This is not the first time that Benkendorf has done this kind of thing.

"Your Majesty, thank you for your concern. Dorothea is still the same as before, working as the hostess of her banquet in Paris. Her salon is still active and continues to attract visits from European dignitaries and cultural celebrities."

Nicholas I was silent for a moment and did not look away from the fountain: "Paris...she seems to have a special liking for it, even more so than St. Petersburg. Alas, I sometimes think, if Dorothea were a man, Okay. As for women, there’s nothing wrong with ladies, but they always like to be emotional and can’t be as calm as men.”

Count Benkendorf's eyes twitched slightly when he heard the Tsar's words, but he quickly lowered his head to hide his emotions: "Your Majesty, Dorothea is indeed more inclined to use her way to contact and influence people's hearts. However, "She combines emotion and intelligence very well, and her identity as a woman allows her to handle many difficult situations with ease."

The Tsar nodded slightly, seeming to agree: "I admit this. She has such an ability. It is like an innate talent that cannot be acquired through acquired learning. First she shined in Vienna, and then During another twenty years in London, Dorothea was always able to solve difficult problems. No one knows better than me how much useful information she conveyed to Russia. Even some trivia and gossip that were previously considered useless, looking back now, It’s all valuable.”

The Tsar took off his gloves and sat down on the bench by the fountain, and then waved to Benkendorf to sit next to him: "Do you remember the phonograph that Dorothea brought me back from London earlier?"

Benkendorf asked: "The Wheatstone one?"

"Yes, that's the one, and there are many records." The tsar said: "One of them is "Paganini Etudes: Bells". I remember it was the work of London's emerging pianist Arthur Hastings."

"Is that a beautiful piece of music?" Benkendorf joked: "Maybe I should ask you to lend that record back."

"Beautiful? Maybe, but I don't have as good taste as the Londoners." The Tsar commented: "I still prefer Orthodox sacred music. If you want that record, I can give it to you directly."

Benkendorf nodded slightly, with a hint of compliment in his tone: "Your Majesty's generosity is very grateful, but it is your treasured item, how can I take it away at will? I only need to know your evaluation of it. That’s enough.”

The Tsar crossed his legs and folded his hands on his knees: "That's a coincidence. I also want to know your opinion."

"To that piece?"

"No, it's the performer of the tune." The Tsar clapped his gloves: "In the British mission that came to see you today, there is a new counselor who just took office, also named Arthur Hastings, and "The Bell" The performer has the same name. I remember you said in the report you submitted to me that the British counselor is a well-known pianist in London? "

Benkendorf thought for a moment and immediately remembered the several letters home that Mrs. Levine had written to him in recent years and the background check that had just been completed not long before the third game.

"You are really discerning. They are indeed the same person. And the pianist is just one of the identities of Arthur Hastings. At the same time, he is also Faraday's research assistant and a well-known natural philosophy researcher. However, these are all his side jobs, his main job is police , a senior police officer of the Royal Metropolitan Police, was appointed as a professor at the University of Göttingen last year because of his outstanding contributions to science, and was appointed as the Chancellor and Superintendent of the University of Göttingen by William IV. Special representative of the state and acted as advisor to the Kingdom of Hanover on constitutional reform."

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Nicholas I originally thought that Arthur was just a reckless newbie in diplomacy, but when he heard this long list of luxurious resumes, even the Tsar could not help but comment: "It sounds like this Arthur... Is Sir Hastings an all-round talent?"

Benkendorf nodded and said: "It can be said that Dorothea mentioned this young man to me before. At that time, he was not very eye-catching. He was just a middle-level cadre of the police department. But it didn't take long for him to become a member of the police force. Rapidly promoted, even after going through Wellington's cabinet to Georgia It was a turbulent period for Ray's cabinet, but neither the cabinet reshuffle nor the switching of the ruling party affected his growth. In less than four years, he rose from an unknown street patrolman to the third boss of Scotland Yard. He can be called a talented person.”

Nicholas I asked with great interest: "Why is he the number three person? At such a young age, he can wait until he becomes the number one person before changing his career and joining the diplomatic world."

"This is mainly due to the unrest that occurred during the British parliamentary reform." Benkendorf explained: "The day before the parliamentary reform vote, a large-scale riot occurred in London, and Arthur Hastings, a young man, calmly directed the police The troops suppressed the riot. Although this move won him the trust of the royal family and the government, it also attracted criticism from the newspapers. Therefore, in order not to anger the British people, the king, who admired him very much, transferred him to Hanover to recuperate. ”

When Nicholas I heard this, his dissatisfaction with Arthur suddenly became much lighter. He praised: "A loyal and reliable royalist, a pillar of the country who can be relied on. Although the time difference is seven years, he is still This young man solved the same problem as you did in 1825. He killed the Decembrists in England. If this young man were in my hands, I would never be as weak as William IV. Newspaper reporter surrendering? This is absolutely impossible. ! Not only will I not send him to Poland or the border areas, but I will insist that he stay in Russia, stay in Petersburg, stay in Moscow. I will reuse him. Even if his qualifications are too young to be the police chief, I must at least let him. He went to do Semyonovsky Commander of the Guards. I have been complaining to God that one Benkendorf is too few for Russia. It would be great if he could give me a few more. However, William IV happened to have a younger version. , but he doesn’t know how to use it!”

Nicholas I still felt a little unfinished when he said this: "Then why did he come to Russia?"

Benkendorf said: "I wrote to Dorothea to ask about this, and she revealed an immature guess to me."

"What guess?"

"Arthur Hastings was the first graduate of the University of London and was a disciple personally certified by Jeremy Bentham. Therefore, Dorothea speculated: Arthur Hastings was the British Lord Chancellor Brewer Although she did not deny that he was an outstanding young man, with his civilian background, if it were not for this group of British dignitaries who founded the University of London, Support him, there is no way he can go so smoothly."

"Civilian?" Upon hearing this identity, Nicholas I pinched his beard and seemed to be thinking about something: "Alexey Samuilovich Gregg..."

Benkendorf knew what was in the Tsar's mind as soon as he heard the name.

Leaving aside the first name and patronymic, just looking at the surname 'Greg', you know that it is an authentic British surname.

In fact, this man's father, Samuel Gregg, was a commoner born in Scotland in 1735.

Like many British sailors in their early years, Samuel Gregg worked on his father's ship from an early age, joined the Royal Navy as an adult, and grew into a junior officer.

After retiring from the Royal Navy, in 1764, the 39-year-old Greg took the initiative to join the poor and weak Russian Navy and was awarded the title of First Class Captain.

In the subsequent Battle of Chesme and the Battle of Hoogland, Gregg stood out in the Imperial Navy with excellent results. In 1782, he was promoted to admiral and served as commander-in-chief of the Kronstadt port. During his tenure, he promoted the modernization of Russian ship design and naval training.

Because of his outstanding contributions, Samuel Gregg was not only awarded the title of earl, but even enjoyed the title of "Father of the Russian Navy".

As for Alexei Samuilovich Greg, as the son of the father of the Navy, he is also an indispensable and important general in the Imperial Navy.

During the early anti-French alliance war, Alexei Gregg had already distinguished himself, and his performance in the two wars between Russia and the Ottoman Empire in 1806 and 1812 can be described as outstanding.

In 1813, after successfully completing the blockade of Danzig, Alexey Gregg was promoted to vice-admiral and soon became commander of the Black Sea Fleet and governor of Nikolayev and Sevastopol.

In the Seventh Russo-Turkish War that broke out in 1828, he successively captured the important towns of Anapa and Varna in the Ottoman Empire. As a result, he was promoted to admiral and deeply trusted by the Tsar.

Last year, he resigned from the position of commander of the Black Sea Fleet due to age factors and was appointed to the Council of State as a representative of the Imperial Navy.

When the Tsar mentioned Greg at this time, it was nothing more than a love for talent. Just like what he said, for Russia, talents like Benkendorf will always hate the few but not the many.

The Gregg family is not the only example of British success in Russia.

If you go back further, Robert Bruce, a close associate of Peter the Great, who rose to the rank of lieutenant general of infantry and served as the first governor of St. Petersburg, and his brother founded the first mathematics and navigation school in Russia and were the main rebuilders of the Russian artillery. And the reformer, Artillery Major General James Bruce, who was rumored by the Russian people at that time to be capable of 'black magic', was also a typical representative.

The Tsar looked a little troubled. He suddenly stood up from the bench and asked: "Our British friends seem a little unhappy today, so I prepared shiny medals for them, Daramo." An outstanding figure like the count is naturally worthy of a St. Alexander Nev The Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd Class, is also worthy of recognition. However, a young man like Sir Arthur Hastings deserves the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd Class. The weight seems too light. My dear Alexander, do you have any more suitable suggestions?"

Benkendorf thought for a while and quickly gave his answer: "The Order of Santa Anna, Second Class is more appropriate. In the military field, this medal mainly rewards officers who have performed bravely in battle, especially those at the regiment level or Brigade Commander. This is the same as the police commanded by Sir Arthur Hastings at Scotland Yard. The size of the team matches his performance in the London riots. In the civilian field, this medal mainly rewards those who have outstanding performance in diplomacy, law, education, etc., such as judges, scholars or diplomatic envoys, which is also very consistent with him. identity and contributions in the field of culture and science.”

Nicholas I nodded with satisfaction: "Remember, when dealing with such a young man, you must be cautious in the third game and flexibly use the methods and means used to deal with Pushkin."

Benkendorf lowered his head slightly, put his fist on his chest and said, "As ordered, Your Majesty."