Chancery's Hall, Westminster, London.

As soon as Arthur got out of the car, he saw several rows of Guards patrolling the streets of Whitehall Street in small steps.

He habitually lit the fire, looked at this group of guys riding tall horses, and muttered in his mouth: "So strict? You can't do this in the fight against cholera, right? Has something happened in London lately? ”

Louis, who had accompanied him, said, "It is true that the Guards cavalry was not sent to fight cholera. I had a brief chat with the other police secretaries in the hall this morning. They say that parliamentary reform, the Swain riots, cholera and the Liverpool shootings are all all in one place, so the nerves are high in both parliament and the cabinet.

Although there was no major disturbance in London during this time, there were many small-scale commotions, one or two almost every day. It is said that the Duke of Wellington once suggested that an army be sent to solve the problem, but was later persuaded by Sir Peel. However, in view of the current lack of security forces in London, the Home Office finally decided to send disarmed Guards cavalry to participate in the patrol. ”

"Is that so?"

Arthur glanced at the passing Guards: "No wonder they all have a staff of civilization pinned to their waists." If you don't say it, I thought these guys were stolen from Scotland Yard. ”

Louis said with a strange face when he heard this: "The noble guards cavalry will still steal things? ”

"Noble? They have long been innoble. ”

Arthur spoke: "Although most of the guards cavalry were the children of the nobles in the past, because of the war between Britain and your uncle, the children of the first nobles are almost dead. If we continue to adhere to this selection criterion, then our soldiers will definitely not be able to keep up. So, since then, the standard of the Guards cavalry has been lowered to that of a good citizen. ”

Louis replied: "France is not much better. The average quality of French soldiers was at its highest, and it was also at the beginning of the Revolution. When my uncle led them into Central Europe, many Germans and Swiss were attracted by their tall and handsome faces and neat and beautiful military uniforms, so they joined the French army.

In the later stages of the Napoleonic Wars, not only could the soldiers be tall and handsome, but even the soldiers' uniforms could not be uniform. Worst of all, many of these gangsters are rogue ruffians who have just been released from prison, so you know, it's hard to find out any military discipline from these people, let alone chivalry. ”

Arthur took a puff of his cigarette: "It seems that in this regard, Britain and France are really difficult brothers. He mentioned this to me when I was talking to the Duke of Wellington before. ”

As soon as Louis heard Wellington's name, he was immediately interested. In addition to studying his uncle, his greatest hobby is to study his uncle's lifelong enemy.

"What did the Duke say?"

Arthur thought about it for a moment, and even imitated the old duke's tone of cold and impatient.

"During the Korean War, I led a proud iron army. They were always able to carry out my orders and risk their lives for it. It's always sad to see such good lads sacrifice their lives, and that's why I hate war.

However, by the time of the Battle of Waterloo, it was a different story. At that time, I was leading a bunch of British social garbage. Stealing chickens and dogs, committing adultery, disobeying military discipline, and letting them walk in a queue are all like killing them. That's why I never thought of Waterloo as the greatest moment of my life, and I wasn't interested in standing in the garbage. ”

When Louie heard this, he couldn't help but laugh directly: "It seems that great people always have similarities, whether they hate soldiers or advocate the use of force to suppress riots. However, the Duke of Wellington was a bit more reserved than my uncle. If my uncle were in the position of the Duke of Wellington, he would not have listened to Sir Peel, and would not have agreed to have the Guards dressed as the Staff of Civilization. ”

When Arthur heard this, he suddenly remembered the previous "Napoleonic Biography".

He took a deep breath of the cold air on the streets of London: "His Excellency the Duke is introverted, which is Britain's luck. As far as I know, over the past half century, the barricades of Paris have only been deflated in the face of Napoleon. ”

Louis also knew what Arthur was talking about.

Napoleon started by helping the Thermidorians to suppress the Portuguese revolt, and when the Royalists broke out in a massive uprising in Paris, Napoleon responded to them with forty cannons. The barricades of Paris, where Louis XVI and others could not survive or die, only lasted an hour in front of Napoleon.

Louis also knew that this kind of black history was not easy to put on the table, but he didn't answer directly, but changed his words to hide his embarrassment.

"My uncle did go a little too far. If it were me, I would have done better than him. ”

Arthur raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Really? Are you going to reason with the mob? ”

"No, I don't do that stupid thing, I like to prevent it before it happens."

Louis raised his head confidently, picked up the Liverpool city renovation document and waved it at Arthur: "If one day I am lucky enough to serve France, then I will completely transform Paris." I'm going to have to straighten all the crooked alleys of Paris, and no one can try to build barricades in Paris. ”

"Sounds good, at least much better than a cannon."

Arthur snorted his pipe and said, "It seems that it is indeed a wise move to involve you in the drafting of the Liverpool urban renewal plan this time. Regardless of what the Treasury and Parliament think of this stuff, at least you've learned from it. ”

Arthur and Louis were chatting when he caught a glimpse of a young man in his twenties walking down the steps of the Chancellor's Hall.

It was none other than Lord Broughham's private secretary, Edwin Chadwick.

Chadwick was about to board the carriage when he suddenly noticed that someone was there, and he turned his head to meet Arthur's gaze.

"Superintendent Hastings?"

Arthur smiled and raised his hand to greet him: "See you again." ”

Chadwick noticed the needlework in the corner of Arthur's eye, and suddenly felt a little uncomfortable in his heart, he turned around and apologized: "Your business in Liverpool has spread all over Whitehall Street. We really don't think about putting your life on the line to oversee smuggling and cholera control there, and not giving you enough extra manpower. ”

"No need to apologize."

Arthur smiled and waved his hand: "There are not a few officers in the Royal Navy and the Army who lack arms and legs, the Duke of Wellington is deaf in one ear, and General Nelson also lost an arm early back then. Although I am not a soldier, as a police officer, I have long been mentally prepared for injury. ”

Although Arthur said this, as one of the main people who proposed to send Arthur to Liverpool, Chadwick finally felt a little embarrassed.

He patted his chest and promised: "The assassination has happened, and it is useless to regret the past." However, I assure you that we will punish those behind the scenes. The scar on your face belongs not only to you personally, but also to the Chancellor's Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the General Customs Administration and the Central Health Commission that appointed you. ”

Arthur didn't feel particularly moved when he saw Chadwick say so eloquently.

After all, he knew that the people who really spoke were not here.

But although Chadwick could not represent the Chancellor's Hall, he naturally had value as a close associate of Lord Bruham.

Arthur spoke, "Edwin, I can't thank you enough for your help. But at a time like this, I think the focus should be on cholera control. Did Lord Broughham receive the document I sent back from Liverpool a while ago? ”

"The report?" Chadwick smiled and nodded, "The report was very well written, and the inferences about the cause of cholera and the recommendations for new treatments were well founded. When Lord Broughham saw this, he organized a discussion with the authoritative medical authorities of the Central Health Committee on the same day. Just ......"

Arthur had a hunch about this, and he asked, "Do you medical authorities approve of salt therapy?" ”

"You guessed it." Chadwick was embarrassed, "but although they did not approve of it, under the persuasion of Lord Broughham, the doctors finally reluctantly agreed to include salt therapy in the new edition of the Cholera Prevention Manual." But before they can do it, they need the pioneers of this therapy to come to London and answer a few small questions in front of them. ”

"What's the problem?"

Chadwick flipped through the meeting memo in his hand and enumerated them one by one: "First, why is the concentration of saline injected at 0.9%? Second, why should I apply alcohol to the skin at the injection site before the injection? Third, needles and syringes must be boiled for 10 minutes before use. Fourth......

Arthur thought that he would be able to help explain the doubts of the health commissioners with the help of the paper that had been withheld by Hardcastle, but when he heard this, he realized that although the councillors did not question Hardcastle's theory, the common-sense questions of the 21st century that he added were questioned one by one.

If the health commissioners insisted on asking Arthur why, he could only tell them that the first was taught in junior high school biology class. As for the second and third ones, it was because he had seen doctors do this when he was giving injections in the hospital before.

Although this knowledge is common knowledge in the 21st century, in this era when the concept of disinfection is not even clear, how to explain this reason to doctors is indeed a big problem.

From Arthur's observations of hospitals, if it weren't for the onset of cholera, and the miasmaists and contagionists arguing over the source of the disease, most hospitals would not even be able to change a clean sheet every day.

In normal times, whether it is a high-end royal hospital or a low-cost street clinic, the operating rooms everywhere are like Darwin, who abandoned medicine and followed God, and everywhere is bloody and dirty.

Combine that with terrifying instruments like a chainsaw on the operating table, and if you walk in at once, you won't be able to tell whether you're in a hospital or a meat processing workshop.

And to make matters worse, Hadeskar must not be pushed to the table because of his medical ethics problems. Otherwise, several bigwigs of the Liverpool committee will surely poke out the problem of his unauthorized autopsy.

If it turns out like that, let alone the promotion of salt supplementation therapy, the "Lancet" and "London Internal Medicine" will have to give him a separate issue of medical ethics for trial.

Arthur pondered for a moment, and suddenly remembered the little Yorkie he knew in Liverpool. At this time, he can only hope that this professional young man will come up with some justification for him.

If he can't do it, then Arthur will have to go to the teaching hospital of the University of London and knock Professor Marsden on the side to see if he can get something out of his mouth.

"It's normal for the committee members to have concerns, which shows their responsible attitude towards public health. Since I have advocated the necessity of salt therapy to the Chancery's Court, it is naturally my duty to answer their questions. When I go back today, I'll write to Liverpool and they'll send an expert soon. ”

Chadwick also breathed a sigh of relief when he heard this: "This is the best. Honestly, Arthur, if the salt therapy is as miraculous as you say, then the frighteningly high mortality rate of cholera will soon be reduced. In this way, the clergyman's mouth will be closed. ”

"Priest?" Louis frowned and said, "Are those guys making a big fuss again?" ”

When Chadwick thought of this, he spoke with some anger in his tone: "Not really. And not only the clergy, but also some of the brainless guys who talked with them joined them. The clergy said that cholera was God's punishment for a morally degraded society, but the men who lived in the West End, who had nothing to do, went even further, preaching everywhere that cholera only infected the poor, and that noble and clean gentlemen and ladies like them would not get cholera. ”

"Is that really the case?"

"Of course not."

Chadwick scoffed, "There's a brainless guy who went out of his way to the East End to prove that he wouldn't get cholera." As a result, the man went in the morning, the symptoms appeared at noon, the body was transported away at night, and his family was infected with it. If we hadn't found out in time and rushed to send that family to quarantine, it would definitely have triggered a large-scale epidemic in the Western District. In my opinion, cholera does not only infect the poor, but also targets those with low IQs. ”

Arthur asked, "Fortunately, after at least this time, these people can finally stop, right?" ”

"Stop?" Chadwick laughed angrily and said, "Arthur, you really overestimate them. Their current argument is that the guy got sick because he wasn't religious enough for true believers to get cholera. ”

Arthur shook his head helplessly when he heard this: "Why is this always the case?" As soon as something happens, the gods are to blame, and it is clear that human beings themselves are enough to commit all crimes. ”

"Or else?" Chadwick sighed, "Could it be that you still want them to blame themselves?" ”

Speaking of this, Chadwick suddenly looked up at the sky: "It's not too early, I still have to go to the Central Health Commission for a meeting." You're here for Lord Broughham, right? Others are inside. Oh, by the way, the Home Secretary, the Viscount of Melbourne, is also there, and if you haven't asked him for a briefing, you can save yourself another trip to the Home Office. ”

"What is the Viscount of Melbourne doing here?"

Chadwick smiled and patted Arthur on the shoulder: "Of course it's a good thing." Regarding the preparatory meeting for the establishment of the London District Prosecutor's Office, Arthur, congratulations, the position of Deputy Prosecutor General has basically been decided. But I don't know if it's good or bad for you......"

"What do you mean by that?"

Chadwick replied: "Because your work after taking office is not easy, the Ministry of the Interior and the Chancery's Office intend to give you full responsibility for the prosecution of the prisoners of the Swain riot. But, for the sake of our friendship, I'll give you another breath......

Because Lord Broughham and the Viscount of Melbourne also knew that this was not easy to do, and it was easy to lose their reputation if they did it. Plus you've just been shot at Liverpool, so they're thinking about compensating you in other ways as well. ”

Arthur sensed something was wrong with Chadwick's words: "You mean ......"

Chadwick nodded slowly, a meaningful smile on his face: "That's right, they plan to apply to the Prime Minister for you to be awarded, a knight of the lower ranks." Maybe it won't be long before your business card is reprinted with a prefix – Sir Arthur Hastings. ”

When Arthur heard this, not only did he not have the slightest joy, but he held his forehead and said, "It seems that you are right, this job should indeed be not easy." ”

(End of chapter)