The next day, early in the morning.

Blya Road.

"Meow~"

A cute cat meow woke Lu Shi from his slumber,

He was ready to turn over, but failed,

"It's so heavy......"

I saw my junior lying on his chest, staring at him with wide eyes, occasionally sticking out his tongue and licking his left paw.

Lu Shi picked up my generation,

"It's time for you to lose weight, little one."

My senior: "Meow? ”

It seems that I didn't understand.

Lu Shi said: "Losing weight is to eat less. ”

The little one understood, sticking out his tongue and curling Lushi's cheeks, and then jumped out of bed with his legs on his chest.

Natsume Soseki's voice came,

"I've been so kind to you. If I let it eat less, it will definitely show its claws to me. ”

As he spoke, he pointed to the table,

"Let's have breakfast~"

On the table is a full breakfast with toast, smoked sausages, three kinds of cheese, and scrambled eggs with a lot of water, in a rich European style.

After Lu Shi washed up, he sat down at the table,

"Sent by the landlord?"

Natsume Soseki nodded and said, "Yes." I gave you my share of the scrambled eggs. ”

Lu Shi was speechless,

"Uh...... Thank you...... However, don't you like to eat? ”

Natsume Soseki touched his nose awkwardly,

"It's a nice day."

Lu Shi glanced at the other party, nibbled the bread in three or two bites, and then cut a small piece of sausage and put it on the ground.

My generation immediately rushed out and ate a mouthful full of oil.

Lu Shi doted on the little guy's brain shell and said, "Only when you are full can you have the strength to lose weight~"

My generation: "Meow~"

Just then, there was a knock on the door outside,

Natsume Soseki was surprised,

"Who is so early?"

He walked over and opened the door, and when he saw the girl standing outside, he was surprised, "Miss Phyllis, why are you here?" Aren't you going to Rome? ”

Lu Shi turned around and saw Phyllis walking quickly into the house.

Her face was flushed,

"Professor Lu, you're back!"

As he spoke, he saluted Lu Shi.

Lu Shi waved his hand and looked each other up and down,

The little girl was dressed as a newsboy, the man's cap was crumbling and pressed very low, and the messenger's bag was carried diagonally,

Overall, she's a lot more mature than she used to be.

Lu Shi asked, "Why didn't you go to Rome?" ”

Phyllis explained: "Now that London's major ports are blocked, we said that we would not be able to resume shipping until tomorrow, so our troupe postponed the trip. A telegram also came from the Roman side, indicating that it was understandable. ”

Port blockade?

Lu Shi couldn't help but ponder, and soon figured out the reason:

The Queen died of illness on the Isle of Wight, and her coffin was to be taken by ship to Portsmouth or Southampton, and then by train to London.

In order to ensure that there are no problems with the coffin and insult the national dignity, intercity traffic must be controlled.

Lu Shi asked, "Phyllis, what are you doing on Blya Road?" ”

Phyllis smiled coquettishly,

Then, she blinked mysteriously, put her hand into the messenger's bag, and took out a copy of the "Mirror" as if offering a treasure.

"Look! Look what this is!? ”

Natsume Soseki: "......"

Lu Shi: "......"

Both of them were speechless, looking at each other.

Phyllis babbled like an old woman, "You don't know how hard it is to buy this newspaper right now!" Thanks to my access to Newsboy, I managed to get a few copies! ”

Lu Shi chuckled,

"Is it hard to buy?"

Phyllis nodded,

"There was a curfew again yesterday~ The newsboys were restricted from going out, and the sky was bright before we could buy the goods~"

The curfew is also supposed to be due to the transportation of the Queen's coffin.

Lu Shi chuckled,

"Why do you think you want to bring it to me?"

Phyllis said, "You're a great writer, and you have such a best-selling newspaper...... Not...... Speaking of which, Professor Lu, is your work going to be serialized on this? ”

The little girl also noticed that something was wrong.

Lu Shi laughed,

"My work is going to be serialized in the Mirror, can I get a newspaper? Besides, do you know who runs the newspaper? ”

Natsume Soseki on the side also laughed.

Phyllis lowered his head embarrassedly and muttered, "I didn't expect that I would give the wrong treasure." ”

Natsume Soseki said, "That's right. We haven't read today's newspaper yet~"

He picked up the newspaper.

Front page: "The 20 Greatest Britons",

Queen Victoria came out on top with overwhelming votes.

Lu Shi asked, "What about other newspapers?" ”

Phyllis raised his hand,

"I've got a lot of them here!"

She flipped her bag over and poured the various newspapers over the table.

Lu Shi roughly swept the front pages of other newspapers, all of them were the life of Queen Victoria, and then the coronation of the Prince of Wales, the content was similar, and there was no difference in the structure of the article.

In other words, they are "eating exhaust", repeating what the Mirror said yesterday.

The corners of Lu Shi's mouth are hooked,

"One step at a time, one step at a time."

I know with my knees that the sales of "The Mirror" today will definitely exceed 100,000,

That's why differentiation matters.

On the other side, Natsume Soseki finished reading the article about "The 20 Greatest Britons" and said, "The ranking is about the same as I imagined. Only one surprise was that Emmeline Pankhurst was in third. ”

Lu Shi wasn't much surprised,

From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, everything competed, and countless movements and trends of thought emerged.

Women's suffrage is one of them.

And "The 20 Greatest Britons" is a public vote, there is no gender limit, and the willingness of female citizens of London to participate is naturally unprecedented, and it is no wonder that Emmeline Pankhurst will be voted on.

Natsume Soseki asked, "Can this be done?" ”

Lu Shi spreads his hands,

"When I said before that Marie Curie would win the Nobel Prize, I said that if one thing can liberate the productive forces, it will be difficult to be stopped."

For people who don't know much about social science, this is a bit difficult to understand.

Phyllis muttered to himself, "Productivity? ”

Lu Shi said: "Phyllis, do you know how many female typists there are in London now? ”

He paused for a moment and reported the number: "166,000." ”

It's not fabricated data.

By 1909, Remington's most mature typewriter, the Remington No. 10, had even changed its slogan:

"Let more women be liberated from the family!"

It can be seen.

Phyllis listened to the example given by Lu Shi, and somewhat understood how to understand the word "productivity".

"Then there will be more and more women's rights?" she asked. ”

Lu Shi smiled and didn't speak,

It was difficult for him to explain to the girl in front of him that in 100 years, something would develop into an extremely frightening trend.

Fortunately, although the beginning of the 20th century was a chaotic era, everything flourished, and there was no need to worry about it from afar.

At this moment, there was a sudden knock on the door outside,

"Professor Lu?"

The voice is deep and deep.

Lu Shi immediately recognized the other party, pushed open the door, and said, "Sir Stephenson, how are you ...... Not...... What kind of dress are you? Aren't the Queen's Guards all red? ”

I saw Stephenson in front of me wearing a white cloak,

It looks like the Kingsguard described in A Song of Ice and Fire.

Stephenson bowed his head to Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, please."

Lu Shi was stunned, reacted, and said respectfully: "The queen is back?" ”

Stephenson didn't say much,

"Please."

Lu Shi turned around, gestured to Natsume Soseki and Phyllis, and then went out.

Stephenson helped him into the carriage,

The wheels turned, rolling over the uneven brick road, making a "squeak" sound that echoed in the silence.

When Lu Shi lifted the curtains,

Unexpectedly, the silence on the street is not because there is no one,

The citizens of London spontaneously took to the streets, eagerly awaiting, waiting for the procession to escort the Queen's coffin.

Almost every citizen of these citizens has a copy of the Mirror.

Because it is a tabloid, the Mirror can easily curl up into a paper tube, revealing a front-page article, "The 20 Greatest Britons," and a portrait of the Queen's majesty.

Occasionally, sobs are heard,

Follow the reputation, you can see the little girl covering her face and suppressing her crying,

Her parents leaned over to comfort her in her ear.

Lu Shi sighed, closed the curtains of the car, and asked, "Sir, don't the Cold Creek Guards need to escort the queen's coffin?" ”

Stephenson shook his head,

"In accordance with His Majesty's will, the escort of the coffin was entrusted to the Royal Navy Guard of Honour."

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Navy?"

Stephenson explained: "What the Queen means is that under her rule, the Royal Navy has expanded its territory, conquered and won battles, and elevated Great Britain to its current international status, and deserves this honor." ”

This statement makes sense, but it is too official.

Lu Shi couldn't help but think of the dispute between Sir Renato Erwin, First Sea Lord and Chief of Staff of the Navy, and Prime Minister Cecil, and always felt that things were far from simple.

However, this matter is not Lu Shi's turn to worry about,

As soon as he changed the subject,

"Where are we going?"

Stephenson replied, "Albert Memorial Chapel." ”

The Albert Memorial Chapel was completed in 1863 and is the resting place of Prince Albert.

Queen Victoria will be buried with him.

The royal coffin will be moved from the church, lifted to an opening in the floor, and then entered by mechanical lift into the corridor below, through which it will be taken into the catacombs to complete the funeral.

Of course, an outsider like Lu Shi would definitely not be able to witness the whole process.

Without saying a word all the way, the carriage came to the memorial church,

A solemn atmosphere came to the face.

On the lawn, a group of members of the House of Lords were already waiting to watch the ceremony, and they could see Wardhouse and Churchill.

Lu Shi stepped forward and wanted to say hello to them,

As a result, Stephenson stopped him,

"Professor Lu, go up again. Go up the steps. ”

Land Hours: ???

Looking up in bewilderment, he found that the steps leading to the church were headed by the Prince of Wales, and almost all of them were members of the royal family.

There are only a few high-ranking outsiders such as Prime Minister Cecil.

Lu Shi asked, "I want to go up?" ”

Stephenson replied solemnly, "Yes." That's what the queen meant. ”

Helplessly, Lu Shi slowly walked up the steps under the attention of the old men in the Palace of Westminster.

Soon, the following remembered the sound of discussion,

"Who's that Asian? From India? ”

"India doesn't look like that! He is Professor Luk, "Yes! Author of "Prime Minister". By the way, he is also the founder of the Mirror, have you read the Mirror today? The 20 Greatest Britons is his masterpiece. ”

"I see. The queen was there to express her gratitude to him. ”

……

The chatter gradually faded away.

"Whew~"

Lu Chang let out a sigh of relief.

At this moment, Margarita leaned over and whispered, "Professor Lu, thank you!" After reading today's "Mirror", my grandmother must be very happy. ”

Lu Shi waved his hand and did not pick up the stubble.

Margarita continued: "His Majesty has also asked me to express my gratitude. He was unable to thank him personally because his grandmother's coffin was covered with red clay, which His Majesty had to sprinkle with a silver bowl himself. His Majesty is preparing. ”

The term "His Majesty" here naturally refers to the Prince of Wales, or Edward VII.

Lu Shi nodded,

"Condolences."

Margarita shook her head and said, "It's fine. I've said goodbye to my grandmother. ”

Regardless of culture, the matter of life and death is very important.

When Europeans of this era died, their bodies were washed by family members and prepared for burial, and black veils were hung on furniture and doorways.

But Queen Victoria has always been flamboyant and doesn't care about other people's eyes, and even the funeral is separated from others.

She wanted her funeral to be a pure white world,

This required that the funeral attendees at the time had white elements, and it is no wonder that Stephenson was dressed like a royal guard, and even the carriage was draped in white cloth.

Lu Shi looked around and rubbed his eyes.

Margarita noticed it and whispered, "Professor Lu is surprised? ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"With so much white, I don't know, I thought it was an oriental funeral."

Margarita said: "Is it true that Chinese funerals are white? But one thing I can confirm is that my grandmother is the most different. Her last wish required that she wear a white dress at the coffin, and that she wear a white veil over her head from the time of her marriage. ”

Land Hours: ???

Understand can't.

Margarita showed a yearning expression and continued: "Grandmother also asked for a plaster statue of Prince Albert to be used as a funeral gift, and she wanted to be buried with her husband's statue. ”

Lu Shi was even more confused,

"Can that fit? Besides, it should be heavy......"

Margarita explained: "Well, so then I used a compromise approach. His Majesty prepared a plaster hand of Prince Albert for his grandmother, who was carried into the sarcophagus holding her husband in her right hand. ”

Lu Shi: "......"

I didn't know what to say for a while.

As far as he knew, the queen had a fixed lover in her later years, and even married in secret,

I can only say that your circle is really messy.

Of course, Margarita, as an innocent little girl, didn't know about those things.

She sighed and said, "Professor Lu, I read the article you wrote, "13 Years of a Princess: A Cane and a Crown to Seal the Door of the Heart", which is really well written. I even feel like that's how my grandmother's journey ......."

Lu Shi hurriedly waved his hand,

"Don't get me wrong! That's not what I wrote! It was Mr. Scott's magnum opus. To be honest, I didn't expect Mr. Scott to be so suitable...... Forehead...... Then it is suitable to write this kind of article. ”

When Margarita looked at Lu seriously,

She thought it was an article that could only be written by Lu Shi, and Scott was just a name.

But looking at Lu Shi's serious appearance now, it doesn't seem to be the case.

Margarita shook her head,

"In any case, I would like to thank that article for giving people an idea of how sincere my grandmother was with her feelings and how brave she was with her royal responsibilities."

She looked up, her eyes flickering,

"Pure Love ......"

Scare!

Lu Shi took a step back and stepped on the foot of the person behind him.

Margarita hurriedly apologized to the man on Lu Shi's behalf, saying, "Sir Reed, I'm so sorry. ”

James Reed,

The Queen's personal physician and confidant in her later years.

Reed looked at them awkwardly, as if he wanted to say something, but after all, he stopped talking, waved his hand and said, "You go on." ”

When the land is one head and two large,

Don't continue!

If she continued, Margarita confessed to herself.

He hurriedly said: "Your Royal Highness Princess, the funeral is about to begin, and there is still business~"

Unexpectedly, Margarita shook her head firmly,

"I'm going to get down to business!"

She approached Lu Shi.

Lu Shi stepped back again, and it was almost on Reed.

As a result, Margarita said: "Professor Lu, does the gender edition of the Mirror still need that kind of pure love article? Can I contribute? ”

Lu Shi was stunned for two seconds before he realized that he was thinking too much,

He coughed lightly,

"This ...... Of course you can......"

Margarita smiled and left with a smile.

Lu Shi looked embarrassed, turned back to Reed and said, "Sir Reed, I'm sorry. ”

Reed let out an "um" and looked away.

He listened to the conversation between Lu Shi and Margarita, and when the two talked about the queen's "pure love", they almost spit out a mouthful of old blood.

It's not a secret that the queen has a lover,

King Edward VII was so angry that after Queen Victoria was buried, he demolished and destroyed the name of the Queen's lover whenever the name of the Queen's lover was mentioned in all royal property.

It follows that this is an open secret.

But what everyone doesn't know is that the queen asked her left ring finger to wear her wedding ring with her lover in her last wish.

This matter was left to Reed.

Reed racked his brains and came up with a way-

Cover with flowers.

This trick can really confuse the audition.

So, holding her husband's hand (plaster hand) in her right hand and wearing her lover's ring in her left hand, the queen entered the coffin.

Reed's lips trembled,

"Pure Love ......"

Lu Shi looked over,

"I'm sorry, Sir Reed. Let you see the joke. ”

Reed shook his head, patted Lu Shi on the shoulder, and said, "I sincerely wish the Mirror better and better." ”

Lu Shi scratched his head when he heard it,

He always felt as if the other person wanted to say something.

Reed smiled at Lu Shi and said, "Don't worry, this is not yin and yang. By the way, I'll have to carry the coffin in a while, so I'll go first. ”

(End of chapter)