Chapter 614: The York Devil in Charge of Domination
Power is not born, but takes root and sprouts from the weakness of human nature. Desire is its soil, fear is its water source, and reason is the fragile root system. When you understand all this, you can easily plant seeds in the hearts of others and let them voluntarily work for you. And when power is thoroughly rooted, there is no need to say more, because it has become a natural existence.
——Arthur Hastings
Power has the eyes of Medusa. Anyone who sees its face cannot look away, will be petrified and fascinated by it. Anyone who has tasted the intoxicating and beautiful taste of ruling and commanding people will never give it up. Please look through the history of the world to find examples of voluntary relinquishment of power: except Sulla and Charles V, among the thousands of historical figures, there is not a dozen people who have ever contentedly and soberly given up this strong desire to play with the fate of millions of people, which can almost be said to be a sin.
Just as it is difficult for gamblers to stop gambling, it is difficult for alcoholics to stop drinking, and it is impossible for poachers to stop hunting, Arthur Hastings cannot do without politics. The mediocre days tortured him. When he happily and pretended to be indifferent to act as a "comedian" in his spare time, his fingers itched and his nerves trembled. Once he found that no one was paying attention to him, he secretly wanted to grab the political card again. Although he had resigned from Scotland Yard, he still voluntarily continued his police work. In order to practice writing and not to be completely forgotten, he sent secret intelligence to London every month.
Intelligence from Paris, Göttingen, and Italy was continuously sent to the conference table of the British Foreign Office and the Privy Council, which entertained this conspiracy-loving man and gave him something to do without being constrained, but this did not really satisfy him. He seemed to be on the sidelines, but in fact he was eagerly waiting for the day when he could hold real power again, control everyone, influence the fate of the world, and hold power! He created the Italian Revolution in Paris, covered the transfer of the Juan party who assassinated the king, convened the European Electromagnetic Conference in Göttingen, and helped Mendelssohn compose an opera that was recorded in history.
Whitehall could see from many signs that Hastings was eager to come out, but deliberately turned a blind eye. What Hastings didn't know was that his old boss at Scotland Yard, Charles Rowan, reported his "outstanding work" during his tenure at the Police Intelligence Bureau. The lords of Whitehall agreed that although this man was extremely smart and capable, at the same time, his private collection of intelligence on parliamentarians and his cross-border work methods were also frightening.
Therefore, as long as he could be sent away, he would be buried. Since people found that this man who specialized in underground work had an unruly force, no one wanted to use Hastings unless it was necessary and extremely necessary. However, with the support of the radical Whig representatives such as Lord Brougham, the chief justice, Whitehall couldn't do things too radically.
On the one hand, they favored Hastings, sent him to do various things, expressed gratitude for the wonderful intelligence he provided, and gave him various honors and titles. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned a blind eye to his "little tricks" to make money and get rich, so that he would be content and use his excess energy in other aspects.
When Earl Daramore, the "radical Jack" who was also unpopular in the Whig Party, proposed to take Hastings to Russia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately threw this hot potato together with Earl Daramore to the snowy land of Russia, hoping that the ice and snow there would cool down the two overheated heads.
But Whitehall's calculations obviously fell through. They obviously underestimated Arthur Hastings' determination to return to London, and they didn't understand that locking two "mental patients" in the same cell would only aggravate their illness. Hastings regarded this "exile journey" to Russia as a valuable tempering in his life, and the close communication with the Third Bureau contributed to his arrogance and work experience.
His character of creating trouble when there is no trouble was fully demonstrated here. He first pretended to be a Russian gendarme, and then planned to bribe the informant in the third round. I don’t know if it was because of the influence of the bullet that hit his heart, this lucky man who wandered around the gate of hell and turned back, could not find many things in the world that could make him afraid. So, he tried all the things he could and couldn’t do.
As he wrote in a letter to his close friend Elder-street lamps and guillotines are not as good as bullets under the Tower of London, and they should not think of taking down hell to scare me, because I just came back from there not long ago. Recently, I saw people calling me the "York Devil with Dominant Authority" in London newspapers. If they insist on thinking so, then let them do as they please. This is the first time I have been slandered like this, but I promise that this will not be the last time I will be slandered like this.
——Stephen Zweig, "Arthur Hastings: The Ambition of a Prisoner of Reason"
"Visa?"
Huett did not take Arthur's words to heart.
Although he was the first Englishman to join the Russian gendarmerie, he was not the first Englishman to serve the Russian government.
Although there were far fewer British people making a living in Russia than Germans, the history of British serving Russia was quite long.
In 1554, the English seafaring adventurer Chancellor was appointed by the royal family to sail to Arkhangelsk from the northeast, and went to Moscow by land to meet Tsar Ivan IV, and was allowed to trade with Russia.
The following year, the Moscow Company, founded by Chancellor and other adventurers, received the royal charter from Queen Elizabeth and officially obtained the monopoly of British trade with Russia.
The establishment of the Moscow Company also marked the British's official entry into this wild land that was considered to be in urgent need of development.
In order to please the Tsar and maintain the company's trading privileges in Russia, the Moscow Company brought many British craftsmen, doctors, pharmacists and architects to Russia at the Tsar's request. Although this group of people did not eventually settle in Russia permanently and would leave the country once their service period expired, it became almost a practice to send skilled workers to Russia through the Moscow Company starting in the 16th century.
Although Russia's thirst for British skilled workers has now been satisfied by the continuous influx of Germans, there are still nearly a hundred British experts active in fields that the Germans are not good at, such as shipbuilding. Even Tsar Nicholas When Ra I was a child, his tutor was a Scottish girl.
The reason why the British embassy was indifferent to Huet's joining the military police regiment was naturally because they regarded Huet's choice as the same labor export as skilled workers. In addition, the current ruling party in the UK is the Whig Party, which advocates freedom. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will even 'encourage' retired Royal Navy general Charles Napier to become the commander of the Portuguese Navy and thus intervene in the Portuguese Civil War. Therefore, they have even less reason. Ignore little shrimps like Hute.
As for Hueter, he doesn’t think there is anything wrong with his behavior. The British government has always been very lax in this regard, and there are countless British people serving overseas. He really doesn’t understand why he should be punished for such a trivial matter. Ask for his passport and visa.
"Colonel, you are overthinking this aspect." Hutte shook his head slightly and said: "Britain is not as strict as Russia in this regard. You will not be dismissed from public office just because you live abroad or have studied in a foreign university. , not to mention not issuing a passport or anything just because I am a Russian military policeman. Moreover, the relationship between the two countries is now good. Unless something unexpected happens suddenly, such as His Majesty the Tsar suddenly orders the confiscation of the property of British businessmen, I will not see it. What reason does the British government have for ordering expatriates to return home?”
Arthur chuckled upon hearing this and said, "That's hard to say. After all, similar things have never happened before."
Hute was startled at first, and then immediately realized what Arthur was talking about.
He was probably referring to the sudden order of the Tsar to take back the trading privileges of the Moscow Company in 1570, and in the 1690s, under the pretext of Britain helping Sweden to resist Russia, the Moscow Company's goods and land in Novgorod and Vologda were openly confiscated. The old story of waiting for property and refusing to return it.
As the earliest overseas joint-stock company in the UK, the Moscow Company developed sluggishly, lagging behind trading charter companies such as the East India Company, the African Company, the Hudson's Bay Company, and the Levant Company, and suffered many heavy trade losses in its early years. There is an inseparable connection.
Almost all of these heavy losses were caused by the tsar's policy changes.
For example, in 1642, the Moscow Company was expelled by the Tsar.
Soon after, although the company was allowed to do business in Russia, the Tsar revoked the Moscow Company's trading privileges because Britain sent its king to the guillotine in 1649.
The Trade Charter promulgated by Peter the Great in 1667 strictly restricted the scope of foreign merchants' activities, confiscated their goods and fixed assets, and prohibited them from getting involved in the retail industry.
These actions, without exception, have led to the deterioration of British-Russian diplomatic relations.
Because Britain has been a mercantilist country for centuries, this means that British diplomacy is an extension of commercial trade.
As for whether Russia can continue to maintain good diplomatic relations with Britain, Hueter really can't guarantee this. After all, no one knows what is in the Tsar's head.
Many times, even if the tsar himself insisted on unswerving policies, after his death, the new tsar who succeeded him would adopt a completely opposite trade policy.
For example, during the time of Peter the Great, Russia abolished the royal family's commercial monopoly on grain, liquor, salt and tobacco, resulting in a near-free trade scene in Russia.
However, after Peter's death, the new tsar immediately restored his monopoly on business, causing everything to return to its original state.
Such past experience has not only made Russian businessmen timid, but also more inclined to short-term speculation than long-term investment.
Even the British businessmen of the Moscow Company became unwilling to increase investment in Russia after suffering several painful losses.
Huter worked as a cashier in a Moscow company, and now he has been training in the military police system for several years. Therefore, after careful consideration, he couldn't help but have a question in his heart.
Although in his opinion, the British-Russian relationship is in the honeymoon period, but if the one in 10,000 possibility really happens, what should we do then?
Did he give up the glory and wealth of Russia and return to the life of a clerk in England with peace of mind?
Or should he be willing to cut himself off, risk being exiled to Siberia, and simply become a Russian citizen?
Hute stared at Arthur hesitantly: "Do you have any suggestions?"
"Good opinion? Not to mention high opinion." Arthur smiled: "I just happen to know Sir Arthur Hastings, the new British Cultural Counselor in Russia. I thought that if something bad really happened, he might Help you."
"Sir Arthur Hastings?"
When Hueter heard the name, he pondered for a while: "I heard Colonel Shubinski mention him before. He served as the Assistant Commissioner of Police of Scotland Yard. Do you know Scotland Yard? That is probably equivalent to the St. Petersburg Police Department. I remember Sir Arthur Hastings was Su The third person in Scotland Yard, if he were in Russia, would have had the rank of brigadier general. Unfortunately, the British police had a lower rank, and even Scotland Yard's top officer was just a retired army colonel. Being transferred to the position of Cultural Counselor in Russia is a great promotion.”
Seeing Hute take the bait, Arthur nodded slightly and said, "It doesn't matter whether you are promoted or not. What's important is that you want to get to know him?"
"Getting acquainted with Sir?" Hute said with a dumb smile: "Colonel, why do you think that such a big shot would be interested in a military police captain? It is certainly good for me to get to know him, but what use is it to him to get to know me?"
Arthur crossed his legs and lit his pipe: "Under normal circumstances, he really shouldn't be interested. But you are lucky. He is currently encountering a difficult problem, and he must help you, the military police captain. If you can solve the problem If it's done well, I think he will not only have to find opportunities to put in a good word for you in the court, but even if you no longer want to stay in Russia, he will also have to find a good job for you in Scotland Yard."
"This..." Hueter stared at this weird-looking colonel, feeling quite like he was trying to be a thief or a traitor by being courteous for nothing: "This... if he wants to find someone to help, wouldn't it be more appropriate to find someone with your status and respect? Why? Do you have to come to me?"
"Of course there is a hidden secret in it."
Arthur said: "Let's use an analogy. Sir Arthur Hastings entered Russia two weeks ago. He had a great time traveling around the mountains and rivers. However, as the saying goes, there is a truth in this world that extreme joy can lead to sorrow. Sir. While enjoying the scenery of Russia, I couldn’t imagine the evidence on my body. Fortunately, he still had a travel document provided by a friend and was able to enter the city. However, by chance, he encountered heavy snow that blocked the mountain. The heavy snow has been sieging me for several days and nights, and my money is about to be wiped out.”
The more Hute listened, the more something was wrong. At first, he was still pondering the potential meaning of the words, but the further he listened, the bigger his eyes widened, until his bell-like eyes were completely locked on Arthur: "You mean... you..."
Arthur did not dare to make his words too clear to make people tell the truth. He just coughed and said: "Captain Hueter, whether my friendship with Sir Arthur Hastings is true or not, you have to go back to Moscow and tell Shu Just ask Colonel Binski. There is only one thing I want to tell you today. Sir, he still lacks a second secretary. If you are interested, you can try your best to get it. "