St James's Palace, Westminster, London.

St. James's Palace, built by Henry VIII in 1532, has been the main residence of the King of England in London since 1678. Although it is not as ornate as the Palace of Versailles in France, the Schönbrunn Palace in Austria and the Sanssouci Palace in Prussia, so much so that Daniel Defoe joked about it as a small and ordinary house.

Unfortunately, a fire in 1809 destroyed its not particularly wealthy interior, and even the king's private apartment did not escape. However, the accumulation of history and the honor of the royal family still make the interior of St. James's Palace retain quite rich historical traces and exquisite artistic decorations.

Walk through the green meadows in front of the palace and follow the palatial marble steps that lead to a series of well-furnished rooms. These rooms are filled with precious furniture, porcelain and crystal chandeliers, most of which have a deep historical value, many of which have been passed down from generation to generation.

The first thing that catches your eye when you enter the palace hall is the hall dome, which is decorated with elaborate frescoes and gilded carvings.

The mural includes royal coats of arms, mythological tales and symbols of national glory.

And the walls blackened by the fire were not idle, and most of them were covered with heavy tapestry tapestries embroidered with portraits of successive monarchs or important historical events.

In the palace banquet hall, the golden and crimson tones of the décor set off the royal feast, and the candlesticks and cutlery glittered against the heirloom paintings hanging on the walls.

The study and reception rooms are rich in culture, with a rich collection of books and precious works of art, such as Renaissance sculptures and paintings by medieval masters.

If you're visiting as a tourist, the treasures in St. James's Palace will be enough to see for a whole day.

None of today's visitors, however, have the heart to stop and enjoy these treasures that will drive antique collectors and historians crazy.

The Earl of Lindhurst's carriage came slowly, and before it had come to a complete stop, the two lords in the carriage could not wait to push the door and walk out.

Standing in the antechamber chatting, Royal Navy Attendant Attache George Elliott saw someone coming, and walked down the steps in two steps of three, the sword hanging from his waist swaying and clanging.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Crocker, His Majesty has been waiting in the study for a long time."

Former Admiral Crocker's face was not good-looking, and even if he did not speak, onlookers could read from his face that things must not be going well with the Tory party, and even the premiership is still difficult to give birth.

However, Elliott saw through it, and as a career Royal Navy officer, although he had a Whig leaning, he also knew that he should never get involved in bipartisan disputes at this time. For he was not following the path of the Whigs, nor of the Tories, but of His Majesty himself.

The current King William IV has always been proud of his service in the Royal Navy and values his status as a Marshal of the Royal Navy, so after he was crowned queen, he selected a large number of Royal Navy officers from the Royal Navy that he admired to serve in the Royal Court.

And George Elliott is one of those who has benefited from this.

William IV was very pleased with his experience in the Napoleonic Wars with Horatio Nelson, Charles Pohl, Thomas Frey and other famous Royal Navy generals, and also admired his heroic performance in the blockade of Cádiz, the Battle of Cape San Vicente, the Battle of the Nile, the Copenhagen Expedition, the blockade of the port of Toulon and other famous battles of the Royal Navy.

What is even more remarkable is that Elliott also performed very well when he was in charge of the army alone, the Royal Navy Colonel repelled the French attack in India in the Bay of Bengal during the 36-gun battleship Modeste, and his performance in the invasion of Java and the restoration of the Sultan of Palembang made great contributions to the British colonial interests in Southeast Asia.

Such a talent naturally had a temper towards William IV, who called himself the 'King of Sailors'. So when Elliott was ordered by the Admiralty to be transferred back to the mainland, he didn't have to squat long on the Victory at the Portsmouth base before being transferred to William IV's side.

Although he was unable to make military achievements in the country, those who were familiar with the promotion route in British politics knew that His Majesty the King was planning to cultivate Elliott in the direction of politics.

If nothing else, once Elliott has become familiar with handling government affairs, he will soon be sent out to the Admiralty to sit in an office.

Or to put it more explicitly, as long as Sir Elliott doesn't mess around and does his part step by step, then he has a very good chance of grabbing the most powerful position in the Royal Navy - First Sea Lord.

Political veterans like Earl Lindhurst and Crocker naturally knew that the colonel had a bright future, so even if he was in a bad mood, they still gave him as many smiles as possible.

Elliot reciprocated a few words of relief to the two Excellencies, despite his own Whig tendencies. But at the same time, he also understood very well that, at least for the moment, his own interests were tied to these royalists.

To shake the reign of William IV is to shake his bright future.

Elliott pushed open the door of the study, nodded slightly, and said, "Your Excellency, Your Majesty is inside, you talk slowly." Although the current situation is not good, I am sure that things will definitely be resolved. ”

The Earl of Lindhurst and Crocker were about to say a few words to Elliott, but before they could speak, they heard the King's urgent call: "How's the matter?" ”

The red-nosed sailor king with a drunken face wore a cloak and his desk was littered with drawings of new warship designs submitted by the Admiralty, but he was clearly not interested in the gadgets that he would have looked at for a day.

Crocker walked into the study, took a deep breath and said, "According to your will, I went to visit the Duke of Wellington again on Saturday. He is serious and difficult to communicate with. But the good thing is that His Excellency doesn't care about his stature. He sent me to speak to Peel in a very serious tone, and the Duke said that he was very keen to work with Peel. He was willing to serve under Peel if he needed it. If Peel doesn't need it, then he's willing to remain in the opposition and do everything in his power to help Peel's government run along. ”

When William IV heard this, he paced anxiously: "What about Peel's attitude? ”

The Earl of Lindhurst spoke, "Peel refuses again. He said he didn't want to be a martyr who rebelled again, as he did with the Catholic Liberation Act. Oxford University and many people in the party have not forgiven him for his abrupt change of stance on the Liberation Act. ”

Hearing this, Crocker couldn't help but scold: "Peel, this guy is pretending to be pure, he seems to be very tall by doing this!" ”

The Earl of Lindhurst had a good personal relationship with Peel, and when he heard this, he inevitably replied: "Peel also has his considerations, and I have had in-depth exchanges with him. He said that although he was also opposed to reform, he could not go against the will of the majority of the British people. It took a lot of effort to restore order to order in Bristol, where a 100,000-strong riot broke out over parliamentary reform, and the town hall and prison were stormed. The mere rejection of the bill in the House of Lords caused such a massive backlash that Peel feared that if he stood up for the Duke of Wellington at this time, it could further escalate the situation and send the country to civil war. ”

Crocker scolded, "It's all the work of those Frenchmen!" They themselves have made a mess of the country, and now they are coming to Britain! Didn't you hear the report from Inspector Hastings of Scotland Yard at Parliament? Scotland Yard seized a large number of red, white and blue cockades at the Reform rally venue just last week! ”

Hearing this, Earl Lindhurst pursed his lips and said, "Maybe there are really French people in tandem, but as far as I know, the situation of the July Dynasty in France is not much better." Both the republicans and the Bonapartist faction are using cholera to make a fuss in Paris, and I think the possibility of a revolution in Paris cannot be ruled out by these guys at this time. That is why it is imperative that we form a strong government as soon as possible and prepare for the uncertainties that may arise in Paris in the future. ”

When William IV heard this, his footsteps stopped, he stared at the Earl of Lindhurst and asked, "You mean, is Britain ready to plunge into the wave of war against France again?" ”

The Earl of Lindhurst pressed his chest and bowed slightly: "Your Majesty, I think we must prepare for the worst at this stage, the rule of the French July Dynasty is not stable. Don't let Talleyrand's composure fool you, he's the best at this kind of trick, and I'm sure he doesn't know the bottom of his heart. ”

William IV's hand pressed against the desk, and the rhythm of his knuckles tapping on the table was very chaotic, like his chaotic heart at this time.

The king suddenly spoke, "Do you think that if I go with Wellington to persuade Peel, it is possible for him to accept our persuasion to become Prime Minister?" ”

Crocker shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, although I don't want to spoil your interest, I must say that it is not very likely that Peel will accept it. He's a Tories, yes, but he's not a pure royalist like me and the Duke of Wellington, but a Whig leader in the Tories. In his own words, he was a moderate Toryist. ”

When William IV heard this, he couldn't help laughing at himself: "When the Catholic Emancipation Act was passed, I remember my brother going into a rage at Windsor Castle. He said: 'Now everyone says that the king of England is Arthur Wellesley, Duke of Wellington, who forced the Catholic Liberation Act, and that the king of Ireland is Daniel O'Connell, the great thief who proclaims independence without the liberation of Catholicism. So what am I? Am I the Bishop of Windsor Castle? ’

At the time, I saw him in a rage and I thought it was just funny, but now that I think about it, it seems that I am not as good as the king who looks like the bishop of Windsor Castle. Gray and Bruham wanted parliamentary reform, they didn't have a majority in the lower house, and wanted me to dissolve parliament and re-elect them so they could take the majority, and I was not very happy, but for the sake of the bigger picture, I finally agreed.

The reform bill passed in the House of Commons, but was rejected in the House of Lords, and they came to ask me to urgently canonize fifty Whig nobles into the House of Lords. But I was so considerate of them, they didn't understand my difficulties at all, but instead launched the resignation of the cabinet without saying a word.

In the past few days, when I went out for a walk in the palace, I could hear the sound of cheers everywhere. The banking sector has threatened to go on strike, and slogans are plastered on the windows of every home in Birmingham with slogans that say 'I will not pay taxes unless the bill passes'. I've heard that newspapers and magazines all over the country have stopped changing their schedules these days, because the scheming printers don't have time to take their orders, and all the printers are busy printing protest slogans and stickers to make a fortune in the chaos of the times.

When I saw this, I thought that the Whigs could not be trusted. So, I summoned you to my side, but I searched everywhere with the throne of the Prime Minister in my hand, but when I looked around, I could not see anyone who dared to accept this position. If you firmly believe that reform is not good for Britain, is this not a good opportunity to prove your point?

From the Royal Marshal's point of view, if my crew found an enemy in front of them, the most straightforward solution would be to open fire, rather than shouting and it would be over. The French are not going to throw their hands up in the air and let us take them prisoner without much effort.

The first rule of the Royal Navy is to gain the upper hand before the start of the war, and among the navies in the world, only we like to have the upper hand, and most of the others prefer the lower position, because being at the bottom allows them to get out of the battle quickly when the situation is unfavorable.

The Royal Navy's gain of the upper hand meant that we never thought about the possibility of retreat, and once we were engaged, we had only two tactical options, first, to destroy them head-on, and second, to defeat them and then pursue them. ”

Speaking of this, William IV said half-excitedly and half-accusatorily: "I don't understand, why don't you let the excellent tactics of the Royal Navy learn, but prefer to learn from second-rate navies like France and Spain. ”

When William IV said this, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a straight figure standing in front of the door of his study, a figure covered in bright red, it was Wellington in the field marshal's gown.

Standing behind the old duke, Elliot sneered, "Your Majesty, I would have liked to inform you, but ...... You've just had too much fun talking, so ......"

The Duke of Wellington's riding boots fell on the red carpet in the study, and he was seen kneeling on the ground with the Order of the Garter on his chest and said, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry that this time of chaos has made you feel unpleasant. As your most loyal courtier, this is my rereliction of duty. ”

William IV hurriedly helped him up: "Wellington, I'm not talking about you. What you have done during this time can be seen by all, and no one can doubt your loyalty to this country and to the royal family. I was really annoyed, but my annoyance was directed at the reeds swaying from side to side. ”

The king tried to pull up the Duke of Wellington, but the Duke was reluctant to get up, and he examined himself: "If the soldiers do not carry out the order, even if you accuse me as a commander, I will not dare to shirk the slightest responsibility." I don't know what's going to happen next, but ......"

Wellington paused for a moment, and then replied seriously: "The only thing I can be sure of is that no matter what happens in the future and what kind of predicament you encounter, I will always stand by your side and do my best to save you from the predicament." I understand that neither Harrosby nor Peel are willing to come forward at this time, but if they don't come out to form a government, then I will solve this problem. I've been in trouble all my life, so I don't mind running into one more. ”

"Your Excellency......"

"You ......"

The Earl of Lindhurst and Crocker looked at each other, and they wanted to tell the Duke that it was too sensitive for him to come forward to form a cabinet at this time. But before they could say anything, they swallowed it back into their stomachs. Because they also found that in the current situation, the Duke of Wellington seems to be the only person who has the prestige and willingness to come forward.

If he doesn't do this job, who can he give it to?

Thinking of this, they couldn't help but feel a little sad.

"Alas......"

William IV held Wellington's hand, his eyes were both hopeful and a little unbearable: "Wellington, are you sure?" I have a lot of respect for you, you are a person who has truly been born and died for the country. What you've spent half your life working on...... Those medals, honors...... If one is not careful, it will not be good...... If we think about it, maybe there are other candidates, eh...... Elden? Newcastle? Or ......"

"Your Majesty, you don't need to bother." Wellington replied: "I have considered all the possibilities, and I think that forming a cabinet at this point is the only solution. As for those medals and honors, I don't care, I only care about whether you and this country can survive this crisis unharmed. ”

William IV was silent for a long time when he heard this, he turned his back to the duke, hesitated for a long time, and then closed his eyes and picked up the sword on the table in the study: "Alas! ”

He turned to stare at the Duke of Wellington's unfazed face, and suddenly raised his sword and placed it on the Duke's shoulder.

"Wellington, I, William IV, in the name of God and in the name of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have commanded you to be the new Prime Minister, and to grant you full authority to choose the new members of the Cabinet."

The Duke of Wellington pressed one hand on his chest, half-knelt on the ground and bowed his head slightly: "Obey, Your Majesty!" ”

(End of chapter)