The noise outside the car window came from time to time, but Alan Wilson had already developed the ability to turn a deaf ear, isolating himself from the curry-smelling English of the outside world, his young face seemed to have been ironed, his eyes did not take the slightest shift from the newspaper in his hand, and the headline on the front page read, "The British Empire has the certainty of recovering all of Burma in a few months." ”

"Hey!" With a faint sigh, so small that even the parties themselves could not hear it, Alan Wilson put away the newspaper and looked out the window flatly, and there was no longer a thick accent of English hawking in his ears.

Now the bus has passed through the Delhi Gate and into the area of New Delhi, which later became the capital of India. It was now 1945, and the biggest difference between New Delhi and Delhi was that New Delhi was completely British because Calcutta was too remote, and the capital of British India was moved to the newly built city of Delhi, and New Delhi was inhabited only by British people for a long time.

In 1945, this was the biggest problem that Alan Wilson faced, the British Empire, which had been rampant in the world for 300 years, was already in decline, although it still had 30 million square kilometers of colonies and 5 million troops fighting on battlefields around the world, but the end of this world war was the beginning of the decline of the British Empire.

Compared with the United States and the Soviet Union, two countries with more than 10 million troops, one dominating the land and the other dominating the sea, it seems that the post-war world no longer has the position of the former hegemon of the British Empire, which makes Alan Wilson, a civil servant who is ready to copy the journey of countless classic protagonists, feel at a loss.

And with the blessing of the memory of his past life, Alan Wilson certainly understands that the clarion call for the disintegration of the British Empire is under his current feet, and the most important colony of the British Empire in the world, British India, with an area of more than four million square kilometers, was the first to sound.

And this is simply unstoppable, not to mention that Alan Wilson is just a not a senior civil servant, even if he is now the Viceroy of India, there is no way to ignore the independent voice that has become the consensus of British India, all he can think about is whether it is a day earlier or a day later, and what benefits can be reaped from it.

After getting off the bus and passing through the guards, Alan Wilson stood in front of the Indian Governor's Palace, which looked like the White House, his eyes swept over the British Indian flag on the dome of the Governor's Palace, and he knew that the road ahead was ahead.

"What's wrong with you, sir?" The guard who had just finished the inspection looked at Alan Wilson and said with some amusement, "But it's rare to see someone as young as you." ”

"I'll just take you as a compliment, thank you." Alan Wilson bowed his head slightly, replied with a smile, and by the way, he hid his embarrassment just now, and walked towards the building that was somewhat similar to the White House.

In the Governor's Palace, which was full of hurried office workers, in a well-lit room, the current Governor of India, Archibald Percival Wavell, was reaching out in front of the fireplace to suck the heat, and asked without looking back, "Barron, have the members of the Muslim League and the Congress Party left?" ”

"Yes, Governor, they have left." The man named Barron, who looked to be in his forties, and whose face was clearly well groomed, replied in a serious manner, "Every time we meet, there seems to be more differences than the last time, not less, not only for both sides, but also for us." ”

"Damn, the Prime Minister doesn't want to hear that." Governor Wavell scolded in a small voice, but it was more of a helpless sigh than a scolding. Compared with the public news that the Anglo-Indian regiments on the front line had already invaded Burma and were about to be disgraced by the Japanese, the internal strife that gave him a headache from time to time always diluted his good mood as the Indian governor-general.

"They and their representatives, Ali Jinnah and Jawaharlal Nehru, really give us a big headache. Mr. Governor! Although Barron still has a breezy look, he has to admit that compared to the world war that has seen the dawn of victory, whether the pearl of the British Empire is still as shining as it is now, is the biggest question.

There was a suffocating embarrassment in the room, and there was no sound except for the charcoal fire burning in the fireplace.

Although there are some liberal imperialists in the Conservative Party, they claim that India and even the entire colonies have put in more than they produce, and hope that the British Empire will give up the entire colonies and stop the current money-losing trade.

Just as Adams, the author of the Wealth of Nations theory, called for the independence of the thirteen North American states one hundred and fifty years ago, he believed that British India, like the original thirteen North American states, had become a black hole that consumed the wealth of the British Empire.

However, this voice is not the mainstream in the Conservative Party, and now Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the British Empire, has always claimed to defend the glory of the British Empire, but now several leading figures in British India know in their hearts that things are far from being so simple.

"Inform London, Barron of the news of the Anglo-Indian Legion's penetration into Burma." Governor Wavell withdrew his hands from the fireplace and sighed, "London still wants more good news, leaving the Congress and the Muslim League on the back burner." ”

"Yes, Governor!" With a stylized smile in agreement, Barron took a few steps back and walked out of the room.

In the entire Indian Viceroyalty, it was like the norm in wartime, and everyone was in a hurry, dealing with information about British India and the entire Southeast Asian battlefield, and it seemed very busy.

Barron, who had left Governor Wavell, waited for his guest today with a gentle face, and at this time he was not idle, but devoted himself to playing chess with himself.

After a while, the assistant pushed the door open, and Alan Wilson, who was following behind, walked in, and Barron took the last step without looking up, finishing the game of chess before looking up at the young man in front of him.

Got up and pointed to a place for Alan Wilson to sit down, then returned to his place and took out a stack of file bags, looked at himself, and looked at the person who came, as if verifying his identity.

"You are the son of Grote Wilson, and I am deeply saddened by the loss of your father. He has a good relationship with me! "Born in London in 1924, he went to live in Xiangjiang with his father's work, and before Pearl Harbor, he received extremely important information about the Allies, and then fell to Calcutta in the colony of Xiangjiang. Before the war, you had been admitted to the Oriental College of Oxford. ”

Barron closed his bag and said, "Your father could have had a bigger job, but unfortunately, there are still more diseases here in South Asia. Alan, you're a little younger than I thought. ”

"Maybe that's not an advantage! Entering the Oriental Department is mainly due to his father's work experience. Alan Wilson replied softly, sighing in his heart, he had taken advantage of the special circumstances of the colony to persuade his father to change his age by three years, because the curriculum of primary and secondary schools was really not difficult for him. This makes the upbringing look a little more normal.

As for providing information about Pearl Harbor, the original intention was that he wanted to be a rich second generation who could handle it, and while gilding his father, who was a civil servant, he made his father soar, but the sky did not fulfill people's wishes, and the responsibility of starting a business fell on his shoulders.

"Very good, but don't be overly modest, your studies are very beautiful, and if it weren't for the outbreak of the world war, you would have become the youngest graduate of Oxford University in recent years." Barron sat in his chair and nodded in satisfaction, then changed the conversation and asked, "Although you haven't finished your studies, you have accumulated some concepts about Orientalism, what do you think of this place in India?" ”

Barron knew the purpose of the man his age, and Alan Wilson knew the purpose of the question asked by the head of the civil service, and the two sides knew each other's thoughts, tacitly.

"Huh?" Alan Wilson pondered for a moment, and quickly gave the answer, "There is no doubt that during the time period of the agricultural age, the countries of the East could accumulate far greater wealth than Europe because of their size and geographical factors. South Asia is one of them, and British India has always been the cornerstone of the British Empire's prosperity and the crown jewel. ”

Barron nodded approvingly, and heard Alan Wilson continue, "It is thanks to the wealth created by the extensive colonies that the British Empire has been able to face the attacks of one challenger after another, whether it is Napoleon or Wilhelm II. India is a land of wealth, and the University of Oxford has initiated a systematic study of Oriental studies, producing a large number of talents with a broad vision, a greater understanding of the nature of the world than other European countries. ”

In the end, Alan Wilson also praised Oxford University, knowing that Barron was also born in Oxford University, so he brought the two sides closer in this way.

Obviously, Barron was very satisfied with this young man who came here, thinking that the other party's father had a good relationship with him, and he also had a little meaning in his heart, and in this place of British India, Barron's authority was no worse than that of a few leading figures.

Barron, the head of the civil service, was quick to inquire about his views of British India, the Congress party, the Muslim League, and the local Indian politicians such as Gandhi, Nehru and Ali Jinnah.

Alan Wilson gave his own answer to this question and gave some ideas for the future.