Chapter 2360 - 299: "Old Friends" (Part 2)

Shubinsky couldn’t help but sigh: "If I hadn’t been fortunate enough to come to Britain with the delegation as an attendant to witness the ceremony and take a little vacation, I would have been driven mad by those little bastards."

Although Arthur was not particularly fond of Hegel’s dialectic, he thought Shubinsky’s crazy behavior of arresting Hegel’s followers was too extreme.

But he also knew that if Shubinsky refused to do so, he wouldn’t have become a general, as there were plenty of people in Moscow eyeing his position.

Whether in Russia or Britain, if you’re involved in politics, you can’t retain even a shred of conscience.

However, in different countries, the ways bureaucrats show their lack of conscience exhibit subtle differences.

Shubinsky took another sip: "Brother, let me be honest with you, sometimes, I really envy you."

Arthur laughed and poured some wine: "Envy me? You wouldn’t think negotiating with the gentlemen of the Home Office is an easy task, would you?"

"But at least British university students are more obedient than those at Moscow University, right?"

"That depends on how you define obedience." Arthur handed Shubinsky his glass and picked up another one himself: "If obedience is defined by the number of students arrested, then British university students aren’t just obedient, they’re downright submissive. But if we infer by the radical theories they’ve published, many of our students would be sentenced to hanging if they were in Russia."

Shubinsky laughed heartily: "Are you saying we’re too strict?"

"I never said that," Arthur sipped his wine, saying what Shubinsky actually thought: "His Majesty the Tsar has his reasons for doing so, how could we judge presumptuously?"

Shubinsky held back his laughter: "Damn! Brother, you should have stayed in Russia back then; you understand Russian rules well. If you had stayed, maybe you would have taken over Von Walker’s position after his death. If you had taken his position instead of Dubert, my work would certainly be much easier."

Arthur certainly knew who Von Walker was, head of the First Section of the Third Hall. In some ways, Count Benkendorf’s most capable assistant had many affinity points with Arthur. For example, they both emphasized the development of informants and the role of public opinion, advocating a moderate loosening of book and press censorship.

Arthur didn’t openly accept Shubinsky’s praise, nor did he overly humble himself, instead shifting the subject to Dubert.

"So? Compared to Von Walker, is Dubert awful?"

Shubinsky mimicked Arthur’s earlier tone: "Can’t say awful, Dubert’s policies naturally have their reasoning. But when Von Walker was around, he often said: ’Public opinion isn’t absolute evil but relative good. When the government handles public opinion policies with enlightenment, it’s good. But if the government makes a mistake in its public opinion policy, it becomes evil and turns into a force opposing the government.’ As for Dubert, his motto is ’Fear is omnipotent.’"

"If that were the case..." Arthur chuckled, "then I’m truly glad I didn’t stay in Russia back then. After all, with my conservative British views, if I were in Russia, I might be grabbed as a liberal by you guys for interrogation."

Shubinsky laughed heartily: "Brother, you’re one of us; how could we catch our own?"

"Whether to catch me is another matter." Arthur leisurely added: "But judging by my recent observations, the trend in Russia... might change soon."

Shubinsky’s laughter ceased, his expression remained relaxed, but his shoulders tensed slightly: "Change? What kind of change? Brother, that sounds intriguing."

Arthur gently put down his wine glass: "Sergei, I’m not joking."

Seeing him so confident, Shubinsky suddenly felt uneasy: "You guys... did you discover something? Could there be another underground organization emerging in Russia? Or are the French preparing to incite in Russia?"

"Although I don’t know what the French are pondering, but..." Arthur asked: "If there’s an underground organization in Russia, shouldn’t you be more aware than me?"

Shubinsky was stunned for a moment, then laughed heartily: "Those involved are confused, observers see clearly! Brother, stop teasing. Tell me, what news have you heard?"

Arthur refilled a glass of wine: "It’s actually nothing much, but if you insist on hearing a clue from me..."

Before Arthur could finish, Shubinsky swore to God: "God bless! Today’s matter I will never divulge."

Arthur lifted his glass lightly: "Suppose, just suppose."

He intentionally emphasized his tone: "Suppose the Russian Crown Prince were to marry a wife with liberal ideas, do you think Russia’s situation might change to some extent?"

Upon hearing this, Shubinsky’s worried mind finally relaxed: "Brother, what are you thinking? This isn’t a knight’s novel, there’s no elopement plot. Brother, you don’t understand the court marriage in Russia. Who the Crown Prince marries is never his own decision. His fiancée must be Eastern Orthodox, suitable to marry into the Romanov Dynasty, strictly chosen according to the court lineage. Do you think the Emperor would let a foreign lady with liberal ideas into the palace? Isn’t that asking for trouble?"

Arthur nodded lightly: "So you think it’s utterly impossible?"

"Of course it’s impossible." Shubinsky adamantly said: "I dare bet you 50 pounds."

Upon hearing this, Arthur laughed: "Then I won’t shy away from accepting these 50 pounds."

"What do you mean?" Shubinsky frowned: "You... the Crown Prince wouldn’t..."

"Not yet, but I can sense this budding." Arthur replied with a smile: "I think Her Majesty the Queen holds him in high regard, and Prince Alexander might harbor the same expectation."

Shubinsky’s hair stood on end.

He swore, this was absolutely the most shocking story he had heard in years.

The Crown Prince marrying a foreign woman with free-thinking was absolutely impossible in execution.

But... if the free-thinking foreign woman were the Queen of England, Shubinsky really wasn’t confident.

Perhaps many thought the Russian Crown Prince marrying the British Queen was a match made in heaven, especially since the dowry was the mighty British Empire.

But from Russia’s perspective, it wasn’t a good thing.

Firstly, judging by the Act of Settlement of both Britain and Russia, both countries require heirs and their spouses to adhere to the National Church; otherwise, they might be deprived of their right to inherit the throne. From this point of view, the union of Alexander and Victoria will lose an empire no matter how it’s cut.

Second, the domestic liberals were already troublesome enough. If Alexander were further influenced by his wife and decided to introduce liberalism to Russia, the consequences were unimaginable. Most importantly, it was also what Tsar Nicholas I feared.

Shubinsky never expected that attending a coronation ceremony could also involve Russia’s Crown Prince.

Shubinsky’s expression turned subtle: "Brother... don’t joke like this with me."

"Joke? When have I ever played such a joke with you?"

"What you just said... you must give me evidence. If this is reliable intelligence, I must inform the Envoy and the British envoy."

"Does it need to be that serious?" Arthur was surprised: "Honestly, I’ve never seen Her Majesty the Queen so happy. Just sitting in the same theater with Prince Alexander was enough to satisfy her."

"Brother..." Shubinsky leaned closer to Arthur and said in a low voice: "Do you know the significance of this matter in Russia? You British might consider meeting in a theater normal, but in Russia... Brother, do you really think the Crown Prince is... interested in your Queen?"

"Sergei, it’s not about what I think, it’s what’s actually happening. Same time, same theater, next-door box. In fact, in the eyes of the British, such behavior isn’t normal either." Arthur raised a hand to interrupt: "But considering their age, such impulse is human nature; I don’t find it worth blaming."

Shubinsky, his back soaking with sweat, as the intelligence officer of the Russian delegation, had he not timely discovered this matter, when Tsar Nicholas I realized the situation was already set, his political life would be practically over.