Shadow of great britain

The vice president's thin fingers were still holding the file, his eyes sweeping back and forth between the gendarmerie captain opposite and the sword on the table.

The air was filled with the smell of tension, and the gray-coated gendarmes stood straight, like marble pillars in front of the Parthenon, without any expression.

The vice president narrowed his eyes slightly, and slowly took off his glasses and pushed the file covered with fire.

"All the documents of Nikola Ogalov are here, take them."

The military police captain stretched out his hand and was about to take the document, but in a flash, the vice president took the document back, as if he was deliberately teasing the military police: "However, if the military police command wants to call the documents, it must first be in the Moscow Court. Signing the handover record is a standard process. You should have no questions, right?”

"Sign?" The captain frowned, obviously not very happy. The dull office smelled gunpowder everywhere. Just a spark fell to turn this place into a sea of ​​fire.

As a bystander, Arthur, based on the principle of not being too serious about watching the fun, was happy to witness a fierce collision between the Russian judicial system and the Third Bureau.

This is not the first time he has seen this scene, but he used to be a party. When he was in London, he was often sent by Director Rowan to the Ministry of Finance or the Ministry of Internal Affairs to fight for budgets for Scotland Yard or request to expand temporary law enforcement. and therefore held a colorful and lively talk with the gentlemen on Whitehall Street.

How to describe those talks?

In short, these talks are basically expressed in specific form by smiling but not smiling, showing the main theme with sarcastic spirit, and often ending in disagreement.

As long as Arthur dares to propose an additional budget of even one-pence to Scotland Yard, the Ministry of Finance will immediately throw out a lot of high-sounding data - as if every copper plate can cause the Bank of England to "collapse" and prompt the four oceans across five continents. The empire has fallen into a state of glory.

The most educated gentleman in the Ministry of Finance will point to the "treasury deficit" behind the table with a frown, warning Arthur not to let future people use "financial disaster" to describe this accident, and hint that he should not let future generations have reason to speak out loud. Huh—The British Empire was actually destroyed by Arthur Hastings.

However, the drama is that they all want to slander each other, but they must maintain the most perfect etiquette, and a smile that "I sincerely hope everyone will be fine" hangs on the corner of their mouths.

You can see them sipping on the tiny tea cup, but their eyes are secretly searching for any handles to pick.

As long as you catch a little loophole, you will ruthlessly shake it out at the next public meeting.

If the person who was exposed was speechless on the spot, others would sloppyly write down the ugly behavior of this "unlucky guy" in their notebooks in order to make it happen to spread to more people's ears.

They can give each other an irrelevant report for three hours, but they can give each other exaggerated farewell gifts according to the process before the meeting, and even call each other "I respect my colleagues" when shaking hands.

Sometimes, you can't even tell whether they really want to implement a strict review system, or simply to write an extra sentence in the minutes of the Ministry of Finance meeting - we have fully discussed related issues.

After all, gentlemen's faces must be put in front, and the small-minded eyes in the backstage will appear more layered.

If you turn against each other in public and look like a Yorkshire swineherd, you will be too aristocratic.

The expression of the military captain seemed to be covered with an ice shell. He frowned and glanced at the stack of files on the table: "Signature? Nikola Sergeevich, do you have to do these forms?"

"form?"

The vice president showed a polite and slightly sarcastic smile: "The judicial system values ​​form and procedure. The report submitted to the emperor in the first two years of the Third Bureau did not say that the Russian judicial system was backward and lacked basic fairness. Justice, is the level of case handling still at the end of the 18th century? As you can see, we have rectified according to the report of the Third Bureau. We are now entering the 19th century, and the biggest progress of the Russian judicial system in the 19th century is the strict implementation of procedural justice. .”

The vice president held the documents in one hand and pointed at the military police with the other hand and said, "If you don't sign, you don't think of taking anything out today."

The captain sneered and retorted: "Is that so lucky? I happened to meet the Moscow Court invented the archive signature system and the signature pen."

The vice president calmly picked up the teacup: "I'm very sorry, you only met us inventing the archive signature system, but we have not invented the signature pen, and there is even no ink here. As you can see, the Russian judicial system has just been Entering the early 19th century, it was far from reaching the level of the 1930s.”

The military captain heard the sarcastic meaning of the vice president's words and his face sanctified.

He took two steps indoors with his hands gloomy face, as if thinking about whether to continue to press the airs of the third game, or to settle for the second best, and not to really make the situation stiff.

Finally, he stopped, paused a little, and turned his gaze back to the file: "There is no signing pen, no ink. Then I can only write a handprint?"

The vice president sat in the chair without even saying that he could get up: "Handprints are fine, anyway, this is Moscow, not Petersburg. Of course, the premise of everything is that you don't mind letting the people of all Russia know - the third game It is so novel that a handprint is printed on the voucher for calling judicial documents."

"Hmph!" The captain squinted his eyes, pressed his hand on the desk, stretched his head and stared at the vice president with his eyes: "Don't think that the so-called 'procedural justice' can set up obstacles for us. We What these gendarmes are most afraid of is the cumbersomeness.”

Speaking of this, he turned to the accompanying military police behind him and said, "Who brought a quill or an ink bottle? Get it for me!"

The following military police looked at each other, and finally a small military policeman with a briefcase searched for a moment in panic and found half of the old-looking quill and a brown ink bottle. The ink bottle seemed to have been thrown in the snow, and there was a crack at the mouth of the bottle.

The captain glanced at the bottle mouth and said, "Just let it go."

The vice dean looked at the quill that was almost broken into two pieces, raised his eyebrows half-true and half-false: "I can't tell, even if I carry my pen with me when I attend, I look like an educated college student."

The captain put the ink bottle on the table: "This is called preparing for the future!"

The vice president smiled without saying a word, with a look of "I don't deny it either."

He pushed the handover record to the captain: "Please please. First fill in the name and position, add time and place, and finally sign or press the fingerprint."

The captain almost hummed out the sparks, but he finally took a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote a series of tough handwriting on the paper with military style.

At the end of the writing, he deliberately increased the tip of his pen, and he wanted to fold the half of the quill pen.

When the writing was finished, the gendarmerie captain slapped the quill on the table: "Are you satisfied now?"

The vice president took the record sheet, carefully reviewed it, and carefully compared the captain's signature position, then nodded and said, "It's business, what are you angry about? I'm not targeting you specifically, it's just everything. All must comply with the regulations.”

The military police captain mocked: "At this point, will these documents be legally transferred to the military police headquarters? Do you want to stamp another seal or something?"

It would be fine if he didn't mention it. When he mentioned it, the vice president immediately slapped his head and said, "It's really thanks to your reminder. I almost forgot that the new law stipulates that any major case must be transferred with a specific date mark. This is also one of the reforms that the Third Bureau has vigorously promoted back then.”

Seeing that he was going back to the "third game reform", the captain was angry but still had to suppress it, so he had to spat: "Save it! Give me a seal, I'll stamp it!"

The vice president kept his calm expression and took out a small wooden box from the drawer. After opening it, he took out a double-headed eagle seal platform with a blue and dim luster and handed it to the captain.

The captain pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and pressed the seal hard on the record.

A bang sound was heard, like a hammer sound, which finally brought an end to the intrigue between the judicial department and the military police system.

The two subordinates around the gendarmerie captain immediately stepped forward, first receiving the documents and then hurriedly covering it, as if they were treating the Bible.

It can be seen that they are bound to win the Ogalov case and will never want anyone to intervene.

"Okay, Vice President, I've taken away the documents, and all the procedures are legal and compliant. Next, if you want to set any obstacles, I'm not polite."

The captain seemed to be regaining the last little deterrence and dignity of being a military policeman. He pulled the buttons of the gray coat and turned around and left, as if he did not give the vice president a chance to fight back.

Maybe he felt that he had won the judicial system spiritually, but to the old British bureaucrats like Arthur, he was simply a complete defeat.

From the beginning to the end, everyone was led by the vice president. Not only did they not take any advantage in their mouths, they even left their signatures according to the other party's wishes.

The captain did not say a word and walked out of the office with his subordinates.

The door was knocked up again with a bang, and the surrounding area returned to silence, leaving only the faint flames in the fireplace leaping.

"Hu..." The deputy director breathed a sigh of relief, put down his teacup, turned to look at Arthur: "See? With the support of the emperor, the Russian military police are in this way."

Arthur looked at him secretly and was serious, but said: "It's understandable. They are busy with case investigations and they can't help but waste time on the signing process."

"A waste of time?" The vice president saw that Arthur was a master who pretended to be confused, but he didn't point it out: "I think they thought they had more procedures, so they would bear more responsibility. If this case happened one day, one day. If they are inappropriate, they can also blame the court for the reason that the procedure is not compliant."

The vice president shrugged and complained: "In Russia, the so-called reform is so high-sounding. In fact, it is not enough to make up any crime at will forge a crime. The innate shortcomings are made up for the day after tomorrow. People always think that Russian justice is always felt It still stayed at the end of the 18th century."

Arthur tapped the table twice with his finger: "At least you are quite decent here, so you can stick them to the provisions so that the military police dare not do anything randomly."

No mistakes, one song, one content, one in 6, one book, one bar, one reading!

Although Arthur had long heard that the military police and other departments were not in dealing with each other, he had never imagined that the confrontation of several systems was so strong.

His previous experience in Druidske gave Arthur a preconceived concept, which made him think that even if everyone couldn't stand the third game, they would at least have to hold the military police a little openly. But what he saw in the Moscow Court today really opened his eyes.

But if you think about it carefully, it doesn't seem difficult to understand.

Druidske's mayor Bakalkin is just a ninth-rank official, so it is naturally difficult for such small places to stand up in front of the military police.

But a metropolis like Moscow is different, and officials of higher rank than military police can be seen everywhere.

Although the military police had the Tsar and Earl Benkendorf as the background to support them. But in Moscow and Petersburg, many of the officials they had to deal with had their own backgrounds, such as ministers of the central department and second- and third-rank officials such as Moscow Governor Duke Dmitry Golitzen.

Although this group of people can't compete with the Tsar alone, if they offend three or five at the same time, the possibility of His Majesty the Tsar's sudden "stroke" will soar sharply.

This sentence is not alarmist, because some people who are in the Russian court have indeed participated in the court coup that killed Paul I, the father of the current Tsar Nicholas I, more than thirty years ago.

Not only Nicholas I knew about this, but also his elder brother Alexander I, but neither of the two tsars had liquidated these people.

Whether it was a noble or an emperor, everyone tacitly avoided talking about this matter.

However, when the nobles gathered in private, they would occasionally talk to the guests about the specific details of the killing of the Tsar when they were drunk.

While complaining, the vice president hinted to Arthur: "The military police are used to being domineering. Not only I don't like it, but our Governor, Duke Golichen, also doesn't like it. To be honest, you actually have Goli a few days ago. Duke Cen's committee has already characterized the case. It is said that Volkov has tried for a long time but failed to find one, two, and three, and he cannot produce evidence of the young man's crime of rebellion. According to regulations, the person should be released, and the case is also That's it."

"So far?" Arthur didn't expect that there was an episode in the middle of the case: "What did the gendarmes come to the court today?"

The vice president waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it, it's probably Volkov who reported to the emperor. Yesterday, the emperor sent a special envoy to Moscow, saying that the investigation results of the interrogation committee were not in line with the emperor's wishes, but Duke Golizen's committee chairman The post was instead appointed Duke Sergei Golizen, the Superintendent of Moscow University, as chairman, and the other members of the committee were also removed. If I remember correctly, the current committee member is General Staal, the commander of the city defense, and the emperor is from Moscow The sent envoy, Duke Alexander Golitzen, was responsible for the military police Colonel Schubinsky of Moscow University, and the secretary of the committee, Oransky."

Arthur said regretfully, "No wonder, I thought that with Duke Dmitry Golitzen's gentle temper and his usual fair spirit, he should not be punished for false charges. . It turned out that a new person came to Petersburg, which brought a new turn to the case."

The vice president spread his hands and said, "The duke's temper is indeed gentle and fair, but in front of the emperor, he will not take it for a young man. Count Benkendov is staring at this case. Who in Moscow is willing to be here. Do you commit crimes against the wind when you are in the world?”

Arthur nodded. He knew that the vice president could explain these things to him today, which was enough to show that he was an open-minded person.

If you continue to ask questions, it will not only be impolite, but also have the meaning of revenge.

Arthur took the initiative to stand up and resigned, "It's a great time to chat with you. I thought I'd like to have a meal with you, but I have some arrangements for the follow-up today. Do you have time this Saturday? Newly opened on Tver Avenue I've tried it once in a French restaurant, and it tastes quite authentic. I'll send someone to order a table tomorrow. After making an appointment, I'll send someone to the court to hand you a post."

The vice president smiled and said to Arthur: "I feel very honored to be able to meet you. Since that's the case, let's see you again on Saturday."

The vice president did not try to keep him anymore, but just signaled the clerk to send Arthur out.

Arthur walked out of the court, stood on the stone steps at the door, sucked a pipe and sucked a sip of cigarettes, and the corridor was still foggy. The two spider plants standing on the windowsill have dried yellow, and the marble floor is as cold as solidified ice.

Arthur was thinking about how to solve the problem, but he raised his head but suddenly ran into a familiar face - Herzen.

Herzen, who was forcibly taken away by his father, appeared again at this moment. There was still a small wooden suitcase under his feet, as if he had just sneaked out of the house.

"Why are you back?" Arthur was a little surprised. "Isn't your father going to take you to Ryazan to verify the serf tax book?"

Herzen looked stubborn: "He just asked me to take the transfer order, but he didn't personally supervise where I went. Of course, I have to find a way to save Ogalov first."

Arthur sighed and said, "Don't do stupid things, you are challenging your father's authority. And Ogalov's case is not as easy to solve as you think."

As soon as Arthur finished speaking, he heard the sound of the wheels turning. A four-wheeled carriage slowly stopped under the gray steps. The window pulled down, revealing half of his old face - it was Herzen's father , Ivan Yakovlev.

The old man didn't say anything, but the face that was not angry and powerful immediately scared Herzen's calves trembled as soon as it appeared.

"What are you doing here? Didn't I ask you to wait at home for the carriage that sent you to Ryazan!"

"Sir?" Arthur hurried up to smooth things over. He rarely greeted him so proactively.

This old nobleman looked cold-faced, but Arthur still couldn't figure out what his true temper was.

"Sir Arthur, come up and I'll give you a ride." Yakovlev's voice was unquestionable: "As for you, Alexander, you have been confined! Praton, take the young master home for me, from Now, until he comes back from Ryazan, you have to stare at him for a moment!”

Arthur hesitated a little, and he looked back at the pitiful Hercen and then got on the carriage.

The car door closed gently, and the vehicle immediately drove away from the court door, rolling up some gray snow.

"I don't like to beat around the bush, especially when I'm afraid that someone will push my son to the storm."

Just a few seconds after the carriage moved, the old man said directly: "You are a British diplomat. I don't believe that you don't know the political atmosphere in Russia, nor do you believe that you don't know the people clearly. What I believe more is that you deliberately Instigate him in it.”