Chapter 402 Wellington's Light Red Array
The rainy season in London arrived as expected, as if it was a deep aria from the sky to the earth. The leaden sky hung low, shrouding the entire city in a hazy and poetic atmosphere.
The dense rain filaments weaved into a delicate net, sliding down the outline of the Gothic building spires, knocking on the stone-paved streets, making a pattering sound, like a dialogue between rain and history. Under the seemingly harmonious melody, there are magnificent splashes of water.
The gas lamps on the streets and alleys are looming in the rain and fog. The weak but firm light penetrates the rain, sprinkles on the wet carriages and hurried pedestrians, reflecting unique silhouettes. Gentlemen and ladies in formal hats and holding umbrellas are in a hurry. Their figures are looming in the rain and fog, as if they have entered a dreamland.
The car door opened, hard boots stepped on the stone road, and the servant who had been waiting at the door hurried forward to open the umbrella to protect the old gentleman in red military uniform from the cold rain.
Then, a huge and fluffy skirt like a blooming lotus floated out of the car, a beige hat with feathers, lace and various delicate laces, and long gloves with smooth texture, all of which were enough to show the noble status of this lady.
Mrs. Harriet Arbuthnot, a well-known socialite in London's social circles, is also a famous political strong woman.
Perhaps in an era when women cannot participate in politics, the title of political strong woman sounds a bit harsh.
But for the British political arena that attaches great importance to socializing, there are actually quite a few such strong women. They may not be able to vote directly in the House of Commons and the House of Lords, but if anyone wants to despise their energy because of this, sooner or later they will be tripped by their pomegranate skirts and fall.
Moreover, Britain not only has strong women in politics, but these strong women, like the members of the House of Commons, are clearly divided into the Tory Party and the Whig Party.
The most famous strong woman on the Whig side is Georgiana Cavendish, the daughter of the first Earl Spencer and the fifth Duchess of Devonshire.
On the Tory side, it is Mrs. Arbuthnot in front of us.
However, unlike the Duchess of Devonshire, who has a distinguished background, Mrs. Arbuthnot's background is much more mediocre. Although her father is the son of the eighth Earl of Westmoreland, he has no right to inherit the title because he is not the eldest son.
Therefore, although Mrs. Arbuthnot can be regarded as a noble family, she can only choose to marry Charles Arbuthnot, a former Irish MP who is 25 years older than her.
However, although this marriage is not suitable in terms of age, her husband's identity as a government official has opened the door to the upper social circle for her. Mrs. Arbuthnot, who was good at dancing with her sleeves, seized this opportunity and entered the core circle of the Tory Party in one fell swoop.
Whether it was the former Foreign Minister Viscount Castlereagh, the former War Minister Viscount Harding, or the royal family member Duke of Kent, they all respected this eloquent and elegant lady. Even some members of the Whig Party gave high praise to the lady's political vision.
However, the reason why Mrs. Arbuthnot could maintain such a high status in the London social circle was not just her vision, but her close friend, the Duke of Wellington.
The Duke of Wellington, who was once known as a "playboy" when he was young, had many lovers and female confidants, but only Mrs. Arbuthnot could maintain a trusting relationship with the old duke for a long time and exert influence on him for a long time.
As we all know, before the Duke of Wellington got married, he had not seen his wife, who had fallen in love at first sight, for a full ten years. And ten years is enough to change a person. Mrs. Wellington knew neither military nor politics, so it was difficult for the couple to have any common topics.
Mrs. Arbuthnot filled this gap very well, and her relatively mediocre background also enabled her to hone many abilities that the noble ladies who were raised in the boudoir did not have, and used these abilities to get information for the Duke of Wellington.
Almost everyone in the upper class circles of London knew that although there was no official title, Mrs. Arbuthnot was actually the old duke's intelligence officer, and you had to be careful when talking to this lady.
Sometimes, the trust between this lady and the old duke would even make other people in the Tory Party angry.
Sir Granville ridiculed the duke for being surrounded by "a group of women and flatterers".
Sir Peel was also furious about this matter: "Except for women, no one can influence the duke, that is, a group of idiots!"
However, such a lady who could influence the duke's views gradually faded out of the public's view when the Wellington cabinet fell two years ago.
Some people said that she returned to her hometown to live a peaceful life, while others said that she was preparing to write a political diary about the Tory Party. But no matter what everyone said, the long-lost lady appeared at the door of No. 1 Apsley House in London at this moment.
And this usually indicates something.
Mrs. Arbuthnot took the old duke's arm and asked softly: "Catherine..."
The Duke of Wellington sounded a little nasal when he spoke, and he seemed to have caught a cold: "Harriet, we can talk about Catherine later. People cannot be resurrected, and it is useless to talk more now. We have to face some things now. The more important thing, you should know what I'm talking about, is the thing that brought down the cabinet."
Mrs. Arbuthnot asked: "Of course I understand what you think. Parliamentary reform is really not good for this country. However, it has now passed the third reading of the House of Commons, and everything seems to have become a general trend." Promoting Catholic emancipation has put you in a position of ruin. If you plan to stand on the opposite side of reform at this time, your reputation... To be honest, I am even worried about your life. "
The two walked into the reception room, and as soon as they sat down on the chairs, the servant handed the Duke a towel to dry his water-stained clothes.
The Duke of Wellington said while wiping: "As you said, if reforms must be carried out, it will bring overall changes to the social system of Great Britain. I do not intend to be a party to participate in such changes, against my will." I wholeheartedly agree with those opinions. It is my nature to engage in clear dealings between men, not in private and secretive tricks.
I cannot pretend that I sincerely welcome those measures, and I am unwilling to be a party to them, still less to be their main promoter. I would be deeply saddened if I had been misunderstood, and if Parliament were to adopt the proposed new approach. I can foresee that these will cause a series of disasters to national interests and even affect its security.
Out of my undying loyalty to this country, I cannot be one of those responsible for these disasters. Moreover, now that I have taken action, I am determined to go to the end, just like I am on the battlefield, I will charge out in my own way, and I will definitely achieve final success! "
Mrs. Arbuthnot raised the teapot and poured the Duke a cup of warm black tea, her eyes filled with worry. Because judging from all the news she got, her old friend might really have to fight Waterloo again if she wants to turn defeat into victory this time.
"Your Excellency, don't you really consider supporting the passage of the Reform Bill? In the "Catholic Reform Bill", you chose to stand on the side of the reformists, even at the cost of being splashed with dirty water. Throughout Britain, No one will thank you except the Catholic Irish. If you're willing to do the dirty work, why can't there be a slight change in the Reform Bill?"
When the old Duke heard this, he stared into Mrs. Arbuthnot's eyes for a long time, and then slowly shook his head: "Harriet, I thought you would understand me very well."
Mrs. Arbuthnot smiled and replied: "Your Excellency, no one can fully understand you. Your story is too wonderful and your experience is too rich. Sometimes you are complicated, sometimes you are very simple, but this is You, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington."
The old Duke smiled: "Maybe you are right, but when it comes to Catholic reform and parliamentary reform, in fact, from the bottom of my heart, I am not a reformist. The reason why I support Catholic emancipation is because I found that the only way to establish a stable government in Ireland was to liberate their faith.
As for parliamentary reform, once it is passed, France is Britain's future. That is a replica of the French Revolution born through parliamentary voting. The implementation of parliamentary reform determines that peace will leave us forever.
In terms of policy, I have always insisted on correctness over continuity. I only support correct issues, issues that are conducive to maintaining national peace and stability, rather than issues that support reform or non-reform. If my mind was really that rigid, I would not have agreed to Peel's appointment of a young York man of Catholic faith as a senior police officer. "
Speaking of this, the Duke's eyes seemed to be burning with a ball of fire, as if he was not sitting in a comfortable mansion at this time, but standing on the high hill of Waterloo: "I have long said that let the Whigs It would be a disaster to run the government, and now that they have Cannings like Dudley, Palmerston, and Godrich mixed in, it's a disaster!"
When Mrs. Arbuthnot heard this, she immediately understood why the Duke of Wellington had a long-standing grudge with former Prime Minister Sir Canning.
The differences between the two men at that time mainly centered on Britain's foreign policy. Sir Canning advocated recognition of the newly independent South American countries, and also advocated that Britain should help Greece break away from the control of the Ottoman Empire and establish an independent country.
However, this stance made the Duke feel unhappy, and he expressed it to Sir Canning face to face many times.
"Think about what has happened in Ireland, and what is about to happen in Ireland. The prospects there are not good, and if we recognize these South American separatists, it may even frighten the patriots in Ireland. We must be extremely careful. , and cannot encourage any uprising in any country or region.
We cannot allow unrest, selfishness, stock exchanges, and religious friction to compel us to recognize new governments composed of rebellious provinces. If you believe that the Colombian rebels did not commit crimes and that Bolivar was a hero rather than a rebel, then you cannot punish O'Connell for advocating Irish independence.
As for Greece, I admit that the Ottoman Turks brutally oppressed the local people. They are hated by all mankind, and we should not have any cooperation with the government of Constantinople. At the same time, if we want to create a new state in Europe that is our own for the Greeks, we must have it based on modern democratic principles.
But one thing worth noting is that I found that the Russians are using their methods to continuously spread their ideas and influence to Greece, trying to build Greece into their bridgehead into the Mediterranean. Therefore, if we continue to adhere to the current policy, it will definitely do no harm to the establishment of a new Greece based on the British political system. "
The friction between the Duke of Wellington and Lord Canning further led to his increasingly alienated relationship with the Canning MPs.
The old Duke's stubborn temper further aggravated the deterioration of this relationship. On the eve of the Canning faction's decision to resign from the party collectively, the Duke of Wellington not only failed to retain him, but also said: "Tell Dudley and Palmer." Stone, if they were to leave with Huskisson, I would not object, and I would never beg him like the third grandson."
Although this statement is not elegant, it is true. The Duke of Wellington cannot treat others with two faces like the Cannings. His experience as a field commander for many years has made him always adhere to one point of view, that is: for a general, you must keep your word.
The Duke of Wellington said: "All these documents, the Parliamentary Reform Bill, have nothing to do with principles. I have heard a lot of Whig principles, Royalist principles, Liberal principles, Canning principles. , but I have to confess that I have never seen their precise definitions, nor have I been able to figure out what they mean.
I don't have so many principles. Here, I only have one set of principles, and that is the British principle! This principle, I can risk my life to protect it. For it I defeated Napoleon at Waterloo. For it I 'surrounded' His Majesty in Catholic Emancipation. What I couldn't destroy in the hail of bullets in the war, I can't just watch it be ruined by the Whigs in peacetime! "
Mrs. Arbuthnot was quite shocked when she heard this.
She looked at the Duke of Wellington standing there as if the Eight-Power Field Marshal was delivering his mobilization speech before the decisive battle.
"Sir, I understand how you feel. You also understand that I have always stood by your side in the past twenty years. In the political arena in London, there is no one else who can make me So interested. Britain has been in chaos for a long time, and there is no peace on the other side of the English Channel. This is the time when you need to step up."
Wellington took a deep breath. He sat next to Mrs. Arbuthnot and held her hand: "Harriet, at this moment, if we want to solve some things, we can only rely on your help." Social skills. I won't hide it from you, the Tory Party is now on the verge of collapse, everyone is fighting on their own, and no one except some of my most trusted old subordinates wants to see me at this time.
And you have the ability to change their minds. I beg you, for the sake of our friendship and for the sake of this country, to bring them here to see me. I appoint you as my Quartermaster, where I will re-levy my light cavalry and carry the artillery to the front to reorganize my defensive positions. You will harass their flanks, while I will attack the Whigs with my crimson array. The party launches a surprise attack, catching them off guard! "