Chapter 407: The King’s Name

London, Westminster, St. James's Palace.

Built by Henry VIII in 1532, St. James's Palace has been the main residence of the King of England in London since 1678. Although its magnificence cannot reach the level of Versailles Palace in France, Schönbrunn Palace in Austria and Sanssouci Palace in Prussia, the novelist Daniel Defoe even jokingly called it a short and ordinary little house.

Even more unfortunately, a fire in 1809 burned down its internal buildings, which were not particularly wealthy to begin with, and even the king's private apartments could not escape the disaster. However, the accumulation of history and the honor of the royal family have preserved a considerable amount of historical traces and exquisite artistic decorations in the interior of St. James's Palace.

Passing through the green grass in front of the palace and following the magnificent marble steps, you can lead to a series of carefully decorated rooms. There are many valuable furniture, porcelain and crystal chandeliers in these rooms, most of which have profound historical value, and many are treasures passed down from generation to generation.

Entering the palace hall, the first thing that catches your eye is the dome of the hall decorated with exquisite murals and gilded carvings.

The contents of the murals include royal emblems, mythological stories, and symbols representing national glory.

The walls blackened by the fire are also not idle. Most of them are covered with heavy tapestries, embroidered with portraits of monarchs of past dynasties or important historical events.

In the palace banquet hall, the decorations in gold and crimson tones set off the spectacular scene of the royal banquet. The candlesticks and tableware are shining, reflecting the handed-down paintings hanging on the wall.

The study and reception room are full of cultural heritage, displaying a rich collection of books and precious works of art, such as Renaissance sculptures, paintings by medieval masters, and so on.

If you come here as a tourist, the collection in St. James's Palace is definitely enough for you to see all day.

However, none of the guests who came here today had the heart to stop and enjoy these treasures that can make antique collectors and historians crazy.

The carriage of the Earl of Lyndhurst drove slowly. Before the carriage completely stopped, the two gentlemen in the carriage could not wait to open the door and walked out.

George Elliot, the Royal Navy aide-de-camp who was standing in the front hall chatting, saw someone coming and walked down the steps in two steps. The sword hanging on his waist swayed and made a jingling sound.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Crocker, His Majesty the King has been waiting in the study for a long time."

The face of former Navy Minister Crocker was not good. Even if he did not speak, bystanders could read from his face that the Tory Party's cabinet formation must not be smooth, and even the position of Prime Minister is still difficult to give birth to.

However, Elliot saw through it but did not say it. As a professional Royal Navy officer, although he was quite Whig-inclined, he also knew that he should never get involved in the dispute between the two parties at this time. Because he was neither the Whig Party nor the Tory Party, but the King's own way.

The current King William IV has always been proud of his service experience in the Royal Navy and also values ​​his status as the Royal Navy Marshal. Therefore, after he was crowned as king, he selected a large number of Royal Navy officers he admired from the Royal Navy to serve in the royal court.

And George Elliot was one of the people who benefited from this.

William IV was very satisfied with his experience of following famous Royal Navy generals such as Horatio Nelson, Charles Pole, and Thomas Frey during the Napoleonic Wars. He also admired his heroic performance in famous Royal Navy battles such as the blockade of Cadiz, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent, the Battle of the Nile, the Copenhagen Expedition, and the blockade of Toulon.

What is even more commendable is that Elliot's performance when he led the army alone was also very excellent. While commanding the 36-gun battleship Modeste, this Royal Navy colonel repelled the harassment launched by the French in India alone in the Bay of Bengal. His performance in the invasion of Java and helping the restoration of the Palembang Sultan made great contributions to maintaining Britain's colonial interests in Southeast Asia.

Such a talent naturally suits the temper of William IV, who calls himself the "Sailor King". So when Elliot was ordered by the Admiralty to return to the mainland, he did not stay on the Victory at the Portsmouth base for long before he was transferred to William IV's side.

Although he could not make military achievements in the country, those who are familiar with the promotion route in British politics know that His Majesty is planning to cultivate Elliot to develop in the direction of politics.

If nothing unexpected happens, when Elliot gradually becomes familiar with handling government affairs, he will soon be transferred to the Admiralty to sit in the office.

Or to put it more bluntly, as long as Sir Elliot does not mess around and does his job step by step, he will have a great chance to seize the most powerful position in the Royal Navy in the future-the First Sea Lord.

Political veterans such as the Earl of Lyndhurst and Crocker naturally understand that the colonel has a bright future, so even if they are in a bad mood, they still give him a few smiles as much as possible.

Elliot also reciprocated by comforting the two lords, although he himself had Whig tendencies. But at the same time, he also understood very well that, at least at this moment, his interests were tied to these royalists.

Shaking William IV's rule was shaking his bright future.

Elliot pushed open the door to the study room, nodded slightly and said, "Your Excellencies, His Majesty is inside. You can talk slowly. Although the current situation is not good, I believe that the matter will definitely be resolved."

The Earl of Lyndhurst and Crocker were about to say a few polite words to Elliot, but before they could speak, they heard the king's urgent call: "What's going on?"

The red-nosed sailor king with a drunken face wore a cloak and his desk was filled with various new warship design drawings submitted by the Admiralty, but he was obviously interested in these designs in the past. A day's worth of gadgets doesn't arouse my interest.

Crocker walked into the study, took a deep breath and said: "According to your wishes, I visited the Duke of Wellington again on Saturday. He is very serious and difficult to communicate with. But the good thing is, His Excellency did not care about the question of stature. He sent me to send a message to Peel in a very serious tone. The Duke said that he was very willing to serve under Peel if he needed it. He is also willing to remain in the opposition and use all his abilities to help Peel's government run."

When William IV heard this, he paced anxiously: "What about Pierre's attitude?"

The Earl of Lyndhurst said: "Peel refused again. He said that he did not want to be a martyr who betrayed his promise again like the Catholic Emancipation Act. Many people at Oxford University and the party were because of his role in the Emancipation Act. "I still haven't forgiven him for his sudden change of stance."

Crocker couldn't help but cursed when he heard this: "Pierre is just pretending to be innocent. He makes himself seem noble by doing this!"

The Earl of Lyndhurst had a good personal relationship with Peel, and he could not help but defend him after hearing this: "Peel also has his own considerations, and I have had an in-depth exchange with him. He said that although he also opposed reforms, he could not go against the British The will of the majority of the people. Not long ago, a riot of 100,000 people broke out in Bristol over parliamentary reform. The city hall and prison were stormed. We spent a lot of effort to restore order there. It was just the bill. The rejection in the House of Lords had caused such a massive backlash that Peel feared that if he came out to support Wellington at this time, it might further escalate the situation and push the country towards civil war."

Crocker cursed: "It's all the fault of the French! They themselves have made a mess of the country, and now they have brought trouble to Britain! Didn't you hear Superintendent Hastings of Scotland Yard speaking in Parliament? Report? A large number of red, white and blue cap badges were seized at Scotland Yard last week!

Upon hearing this, Earl Lyndhurst pursed his lips and said: "Perhaps there are really French people here, but as far as I know, the situation of the French July Dynasty is not much better. The Republicans and the Poles The Napartists are using cholera to cause trouble in Paris. Thinking of the uprising that broke out in Lyon last year, I think we cannot rule out the possibility of these guys starting a revolution in Paris. Because of this, we must form a strong force as soon as possible. and a strong government, and be prepared for possible changes in Paris in the future.”

When William IV heard this, he stopped. He stared at Earl Lyndhurst and asked, "Are you saying that Britain might be preparing to plunge into the wave of the anti-French war again?"

The Earl of Lyndhurst pressed his chest and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, I think we must prepare for the worst at this stage. The rule of the French July Dynasty is not stable. You must not be fooled by Talleyrand's composure. His appearance deceived him. He is the best at this kind of trick. I can guarantee that he has no confidence in his heart. "

William IV's hand was pressed on the desk, and the rhythm of his knuckles tapping on the table was very chaotic, just like his chaotic heart at this time.

The king suddenly said: "Do you think that if I and Wellington go together to persuade Peel, it is possible for him to accept our persuasion and become prime minister?"

Crocker shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, although I don't want to spoil your interest, I must say that Peel is unlikely to accept it. He is a Tory, but he is not like Wellington and I. The Duke is a pure Royalist, but a Whig leader of the Tories. According to his own words, he is a moderate Tory."

When William IV heard this, he couldn't help laughing at himself: "When the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, I remember my brother was furious at Windsor Castle. He said: 'Now everyone says that the king of England forced the Catholic Emancipation Act to pass. Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, the king of Ireland, is Daniel O'Connell, the great rebel who declared independence without emancipating the Catholic Church. So what am I? Am I the Bishop of Windsor Castle?

At that time, I just thought it was funny when I saw him getting angry, but looking back now, I seem to be worse than the king who looks like the Bishop of Windsor Castle. Gray and Brougham wanted parliamentary reform. They did not hold a majority in the House of Commons. They wanted me to dissolve parliament and hold a general election so that they could take over the mainstream. Although I was not very happy, for the sake of the overall situation, I finally agreed.

The reform bill was passed in the House of Commons, but was rejected in the House of Lords. They then came to ask me to urgently confer fifty Whig nobles into the House of Lords. Such a childish suggestion, I knew it was impossible for me to agree to it. But I was so considerate of them, but they didn't understand my difficulties at all. Instead, they launched a cabinet speech at the slightest disagreement.

When I took a walk outside the palace these days, I could hear boos and boos from everywhere. The banking industry threatened a strike, and every house in Birmingham had signs plastered on its windows saying 'I will not pay taxes unless the bill is passed'. I heard that newspapers and magazines across the country have stopped publishing these days because those scheming printers have no time to take their orders. All printing houses are busy printing various protest slogans and stickers to use in the chaotic current situation. Make a fortune.

I saw this and thought that the Whigs could not be trusted after all. That's why I summoned you to my side, but I held the Prime Minister's throne and searched everywhere, but when I looked around, I couldn't see even one person who dared to accept this position. If you firmly believe that reform is not conducive to the development of Britain, isn't this a good opportunity to prove your point?

From the standpoint of a marshal of the Royal Navy, if my crew detects an enemy situation ahead, the most straightforward solution is to fire a cannon instead of just roaring twice. The French are not going to hold their hands up high and let us take them prisoner without any effort.

The first principle of Royal Navy operations is to seize the upper hand before the war begins. Among the navies in the world, we are the only ones who like to seize the upper hand. Most others like to be downwind, because being downwind allows them to quickly get out of the battle when the battle situation is unfavorable.

The Royal Navy gaining the upper hand means that we have never thought about the possibility of retreat. Once we meet the enemy, we have only two tactical options. First, beat them head-on, and second, beat them and then pursue them in the wind. "

Having said this, William IV said half-excited and half-accusing: "I don't understand why you ignore the excellent tactics of the Royal Navy and insist on learning from second-rate navies like France and Spain."

When William IV said this, suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a straight figure standing in front of the study door, a figure covered in bright red. It was Wellington wearing a field marshal's uniform.

Elliot stood behind the old Duke and said with a smile: "Your Majesty, I originally wanted to inform you, but... you just gave a speech too happily, so..."

The Duke of Wellington's riding boots fell on the red carpet in the study. He was half-kneeling in the tunnel, holding the Order of the Garter on his chest: "Your Majesty, I'm sorry that the chaos during this period has made you unhappy. As your most loyal My dear servant, this is my dereliction of duty.”

William IV quickly helped him stand up: "Wellington, I am not talking about you. Everyone can see what you have done during this period, and no one can doubt your loyalty to this country and the royal family. I do I’m annoyed, but my anger is directed at the reeds swaying from side to side.”

The king wanted to pull up the Duke of Wellington, but the Duke refused to get up. He reflected on himself: "If the soldiers don't carry out the orders, even if you blame me as the commander, I don't dare to shirk any responsibility. I don't know what will happen next. What's the matter, but..."

Wellington paused and then replied seriously: "The only thing I can be sure of is that no matter what happens in the future or what kind of difficulties we encounter, I will always stand by your side and do my best to solve the problem." You're out of trouble. I understand that neither Harrowsby nor Peel want to come forward at this time, but if they don't come forward to organize a government, I will be in trouble for the rest of my life. in the whirlpool, so I don’t mind running into one more.”

"Your Mightiness……"

"you……"

The Earl of Lyndhurst and Crocker looked at each other. They wanted to tell the Duke that it was too sensitive for him to form a cabinet at this time. But before their words left their mouths, they were swallowed back in their stomachs. Because they also discovered that in the current situation, the only person with prestige and willingness to come forward seems to be the Duke of Wellington.

If he doesn't do this job, who can do it?

Thinking of this, they both couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"well……"

William IV held Wellington's hand, his eyes filled with hope and some unbearability: "Wellington, are you sure? I respect you very much. You are a person who has truly lived and died for the country. You have used Things that have been worked hard for half a lifetime...those medals, honors...If you are not careful, you will be wrong...If we think about it again, maybe there are other candidates, um...New Castle? ?or……"

"Your Majesty, you don't need to worry." Wellington replied: "I have considered all possibilities. I think that forming a cabinet by me is the only solution at this time. As for those medals and honors, I have not I don’t care, I only care about whether you and this country can get through this crisis safely.”

William IV was silent for a long time after hearing this. He turned his back to the Duke. After hesitating for a long time, he picked up the sword on the table in the study and said, "Alas!"

He turned around, stared at the calm face of Duke Wellington, and suddenly raised the sword blade and put it on the Duke's shoulder.

"Wellington, I, William IV, in the name of God and in the name of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, order you to be the new Prime Minister and grant you full power to select the members of the new cabinet."

The Duke of Wellington put one hand on his chest, knelt on the ground and bowed his head slightly: "As you command, Your Majesty!"