Time passes,

Finally, 1902 arrived silently.

In the early morning of New Year's Day, light snow falls on London, covering the sidewalks with white quilts, and then leaving a series of footprints.

In the morning light, several horse-drawn carriages headed straight out of the city drove by, adding a few more ruts to the quilt.

The carriage headed by the head is richly decorated,

In the car, Lu Shi and Margarita sat opposite each other.

Their destination was Windsor Castle.

Lu Shi lifted the curtain,

After leaving the city, the scenery becomes pleasant,

Snowflakes gently fall on the branches of the trees around them, turning them into fluffy branches, like black and white staves.

"Haaa......"

Lu Shi yawned,

Because there is a ceremony today for the award, it is too early to get up.

He looked at the carriage behind him,

I saw that the curtain of the car was also lifted, and my generation leaned out and meowed at the snowy scene.

Natsume Soseki pushed hard in the back, trying to carry the little guy back.

One man and one cat, a fierce battle is in full swing.

"Tsk......"

Lu Shi was staggered.

Margarita asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Lu Shi waved his hand,

"Nothing."

He withdrew his finger and let the curtain hang down naturally, and then said, "Rita, why did Your Majesty set the location at Windsor Castle?" ”

Margarita also didn't wake up a little,

She stretched and said listlessly, "I don't know the exact reason, but isn't the Order of the Garter always in St. George's Hall at Windsor Castle?" And there are some rumors, which seem to be related to the change of dynasty. ”

Many people think from experience that in the British dynasties, the Hanover dynasty was directly followed by the Windsor dynasty.

But that's not the case,

The Hanover dynasty ended in 1901 with the death of Queen Victoria;

The Windsor dynasty began in 1917 with the conversion of George V.

In the short period of more than ten years, it was the Saxe-Coburg-Gotha dynasty that ruled.

Its source was Germany, and later spread in Belgium, Portugal, Bulgaria, and the United Kingdom, and it had strong blood control in continental Europe.

And the reason for George V's conversion is easy to understand -

World War I.

Due to years of complicated marriages, most of the monarchs of European countries are cousins.

In the case of the British royal family with a German surname, the king naturally wanted to stand up to appease the people, so he directly threw away the ancestral tablet.

But what does this have to do with Edward VII?

Lu Shi touched his chin lightly,

"I don't understand."

Margarita chuckled,

"I don't understand either. I just heard Sir Stephenson say that His Majesty has been muttering a strange word lately, as if it were...... Hmmm......"

She tilted her head to remember for a moment,

"Ahh It's the word 'Respect for Heaven and Dharma'! ”

"Poof!"

Lu Shi was caught off guard and sprayed Margarita on the other side.

Her Royal Highness the princess glanced at Lu Shi, took out a handkerchief, and wiped it carefully, trying not to affect the delicate makeup on her face.

She continued: "Actually, it's normal for my uncle to have the idea of converting. ”

Lu Shi is clear,

"In order to get rid of the past~"

"Past" naturally refers to Queen Victoria.

Margarita nodded, not saying anything more.

At this time, the snow is light,

The scenery outside the car window gradually became clearer, and the outline of the trees that had been covered was revealed.

Farther away, a round tower appears in view.

Margarita introduced: "Professor Lu, that's Windsor Castle. ”

Lu Shi spreads his hands,

"I've been here before, have you forgotten?"

Pointing to the magnificent building, he said: "When the Queen was buried, I was at the Albert Memorial Chapel in the West End. You were there at the time. ”

Margarita thought about it,

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

Queen Victoria was buried with her.

Lu Shi said: "However, this time our destination is Waterloo Hall. ”

The Waterloo Room is actually the banquet hall and the venue of the ceremony.

The carriage drove rapidly towards the castle, and soon reached the moat,

The river did not freeze, but it flowed slowly.

Over the river, a quaint stone bridge leads to the castle gates.

The carriage walked for a few more minutes, and finally the voice of the Lengxi Guard soldiers came from outside: "Mr. Lu, Your Highness Margarita, we have arrived." ”

Jumping out of the car when on land,

Then help Margarita down.

Windsor Castle stands majestically,

Its façade is made of huge gray stone blocks, each stone is carefully polished, smooth and solid,

Between the stone walls is a huge round tower with a spire pointing to the sky, symbolizing majesty and strength.

At this time, Stephenson's figure appeared,

He wiped his sweat and said, "Professor Lu, you've finally arrived." Fast! Come with me! ”

He didn't even say hello to Margarita, and just took Lu Shi's hand.

Lu Shi was surprised,

"Why are you in such a hurry?"

Stephenson said, "Because you're the first one today!" ”

Land Hours: ???

He asked with a confused face: "I was about to turn over the rules and regulations yesterday, and it is very clear that the KBE should not be ranked after the GBE?" ”

Stephenson also had an expression that wanted to cry,

"How do I know which one Your Majesty is singing? Just this morning, he issued an internal decree in the Privy Council, requiring that no matter what, you must be awarded a medal first, and no one can persuade you to do it. We can only let him go. ”

"Ah......h

Lu Shi scratched his head,

"Call me?"

Stephenson smiled bitterly: "That's right, I want you by name." ”

When he pulls the landing, he rushes in,

"Come on! I'll have to have someone help you with your clothes, prepare a bouquet, bow tie...... There's a lot going on! ”

Margarita covered her lips and chuckled,

"Professor Lu, come on!"

……

Windsor Castle,

Preparation room.

Queen Alexandra, the wife of Edward VII, dressed up.

In front of her was a vanity mirror, reflecting her countenance,

The maids behind him are busy,

Some combed her hair and fastened the crown of jewels,

Others were prostrate and taped to the inside of their long skirts to prevent the queen from slipping off when she knelt on one knee.

Today, Alexandra will be honored by her husband -

Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Knighthood.

At this moment, the door of the preparation room was pushed open,

A middle-aged man in his thirties walked in and waved his hand at the maids.

"You go outside and wait first."

The maids saluted,

"Yes."

Then he left the room with small steps.

The middle-aged man said respectfully: "Mother." ”

He was the future King of Great Britain and Emperor of India.

George V.

Of course, now he is only awarded the title of Duke of Cornwall and Prince of Wales, which is about the same as "Crown Prince".

Alexandra was surprised,

"Why didn't you go with your father outside...... Let's not talk about that. ”

She glanced at the wall clock and said in an anxious tone: "I am the first to accept the medal, time is pressing, you can ask them to help me fix my hair first." ”

But George V did not act,

“……”

“……”

“……”

There was an eerie silence in the room.

Alexandra frowned,

"What's wrong?"

George V coughed slightly, and said, "Father has ordered that your award ceremony be postponed for a while. ”

"Ah......h

Alexandra was a little worried,

"His Majesty has appendicitis again?"

Edward VII suddenly fell ill with appendicitis a few days before his coronation,

The queen can only drive ducks to the shelves and represent the king in the parade,

But in order not to worry too much about the public, the coronation ceremony had to be postponed, and it has not been settled until now.

George V almost burst out laughing,

"Nope. Not appendicitis. ”

He tried to keep his face and said, "Today's award, Professor Lu is the first. ”

Like a thunderbolt from the blue, Alexandra was scorched by thunder.

She's crazy,

What's going on with this inexplicable feeling of being hated, hey!

"Isn't he a KBE?"

George V shrugged his shoulders and didn't answer.

At this time, silence is better than sound,

Even if he didn't speak, he could be considered to have answered his mother's questions.

Alexandra held her forehead,

"How can this be ......"

The aura of resentment between gestures can't be covered.

She frowned and pondered for a while, and said, "No, I have to make it clear to Your Majesty!" This thing is absolutely ......"

Before the words fell, George V spoke:

"Please don't be willful! Mother! ”

Alexandra looked over and asked with disbelief in her eyes, "George, do you think this is willful?" It's a reasonable request. ”

George V was expressionless,

"Mother, I share the same view as my father about the praise of Professor Lu. He has made meritorious service for Great Britain and he has shed blood for Great Britain, so he deserves the first award, and you should not have any complaints about it. ”

Alexandra:???

"Bloodshed? Are you talking about nosebleeds? ”

George V's head is full of black lines,

￣□￣｜｜

"That's what I'll say. If only my mother could understand what it meant. ”

Alexandra couldn't help but sigh,

"Oh, man."

She's got it,

His own son must have decided that Lu Shi was useful to Daying, so he had to give face and woo him.

As for what the husband thinks......

Knowing the husband and the wife,

Alexandra felt that Edward VII was purely cerebral and could think of whatever he wanted.

She said helplessly: "Okay, I accept it." ”

The son is deep in the city, and the husband is not in tune,

If you don't accept it, you can't.

George V nodded, ready to give his mother a hug,

As a result, Alexandra stopped: "You are as careless as your father, don't come, be careful of stepping on my skirt." ”

George V: "......"

"Okay ~ okay ~ don't go over."

He digressed the topic: "In a few minutes, Professor Lu will come over and share a preparation room with you." ”

Alexandra was surprised,

"Share a prep room with me? Is this appropriate? ”

George V sighed,

"Mother, I know it's not in accordance with the etiquette. But there was really no way, Professor Lu also received a temporary notice, only to hear that he would be the first to be awarded, and he didn't prepare anything, so he had to make this decision. Don't run into him. ”

Alexandra was completely speechless,

Isn't it because I'm worried about being hit by civilians?

The father and son are about to become licking dogs when they are on the land......

She said helplessly: "I know~"

George V nodded in satisfaction and left.

The maids also returned to the house and continued to help the queen with her grooming.

Not long after, there was a knock on the door,

"I'm in."

Stephenson pushed the door in a hurry,

He was followed by a young Asian, naturally Lu Shi.

Alexandra squinted and observed,

The young man is very handsome, and although he is young, he already exudes an irresistible charm,

Especially the pair of eyes,

The queen even thought of Lake Aare in her native Denmark, which was deep, sharp and full of wisdom.

She nodded to Stephenson,

"Sir, go out, it's not for a man to stay for a long time."

Stephenson: "Huh? ”

He glanced at Lu Shi, hesitated for a moment, and finally did not refute, but leaned into Lu Shi's ear and whispered: "You only have fifteen minutes, be sure to hurry." ”

He then exited the preparation room.

Alexandra beckoned to the maids,

"You go and help Professor Lu first."

So, the maids surrounded Lu Shi and put their hands up and down,

Hairstyles for hairstyles and clothes for clothes.

It was the first time Lu Shi was treated like this, and he was a little uncomfortable.

Alexandra saw that he was in a dilemma, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but hook an arc, and said with a smile: "Professor Lu, I heard that you are going to be awarded the KBE title?" Your Majesty even went out of his way to advance your award ceremony so that you would be the first to wear the Order of the British Empire. ”

"Goo......

Lu Shi swallowed his saliva, feeling that the queen's tone was full of resentment,

The cold hairs on his back stood up,

"I'm sorry, I ......"

Before the words fell, he simply interrupted: "What is there to be sorry for?" ”

Lu Shi felt even more resentful.

He's not good at dealing with women, and the only thing he can do now is to shut up honestly.

Less to say and less to be wrong,

Not to mention good.

Alexandra smiled: "Your Majesty has always been like that~"

Indeed, Edward VII was never in tune,

This is reflected in private life.

When he was still the crown prince, he was out and about, and fornicated with various styles of women, including Winston Churchill's mother.

There is even a very outrageous anecdote:

In 1876, the wife of Lord Ellie Foster, a member of Edward VII's retinue, filed for divorce and threatened to elope with the Marquess of Brantford.

Elivoster then asked Edward VII to do justice.

Who would have thought that the big one is coming!

Edward VII had no choice but to refuse to intervene in the matter because of his affair with Lord Elliefort's wife.

Thanks to Queen Victoria wiping Edward VII's ass and putting pressure on Lord Ellie Foster, the matter was closed.

Of course, even without considering the issue of women, His Majesty the King has done many outrageous things,

Let's just say that he is a king to post game strategies, I'm afraid there is no one before and no one after him.

But if there are more lice, I am not afraid of biting,

Edward VII is now ready to carry out the outrageous to the end!

Lu Shi looked at Alexandra,

"Thank you, Queen, for your understanding."

Alexandra waved her hand generously, and was about to say something, when there was another knock on the door of the room,

Stephenson said outside the door: "There's already a rush in Waterloo Hall." ”

The queen chuckled,

"It looks like we can't continue talking."

Lu Shi stood up, saluted the other party gently, and then went out.

Stephenson led him to Waterloo Hall.

The hall is extremely spacious,

The dome is hung with a huge flower-shaped mercury chandelier, graceful and luxurious,

Beneath the dome is a row of high windows with flowing curtains that let in sunlight, making the space appear bright and spacious.

Oil paintings hang on the walls all around,

One of the most striking is the portrait of the Duke of Wellington, the British general who defeated Napoleon.

At this time, Edward VII stood under the portrait,

He was wearing a red military uniform,

The bright colors make him look refreshed and energized.

Around his waist was a wide leather belt made of metal, on which hung a delicate long sword with a solid gold accent on its scabbard.

For a while, Lu Shi thought of a word-

The treasure is solemn.

He bowed and saluted,

"Your Majesty."

Edward VII drew his sword, the tip of which gently struck the ground,

Buzz –

A beep sounded.

His voice was like a flood bell and said, "Mr. Lu Shi, please step forward." ”

Apparently, his voice was amplified.

Lu Shi looked up at the dome.

Admittedly, the designers of Waterloo Hall are smart.

He made good use of the principles of light and shadow, perspective, and dome sound focusing, so that anyone standing in front of the portrait of the Duke of Wellington could look extraordinarily majestic.

Even if this person is a joke like some Dehua VII.

Lu Shi stepped forward and saluted again,

"Your Majesty."

He then rested his right knee on a red-cushioned stool in front of him.

This is considered kneeling on one leg.

In fact, the Order of the British Empire was not set up with a stool at the beginning.

But as more and more people were awarded, the number of old men and sick seedlings was also increasing, and there were also foreigners with different cultures, such a small stool was added, whether it was real or fake.

Lu Shi made this setting appear earlier.

He hung his head and waited quietly.

Edward VII placed the sword on his left shoulder,

then

“……”

“……”

“……”

There was a long silence.

Lu Shi was a little confused.

According to the process, it shouldn't be like this!

Just as I was surprised, I suddenly heard another buzz,

Buzz –

Edward VII actually put his sword back into its scabbard.

Then, he held Lu Shi's arms and used a slight force to make Lu Shi stand up.

Land Hours: ???

He was even more confused,

"Your Majesty, you're not going to take it back...... Hiss...... Don't fool me, do you? ”

As soon as these words came out, all the people who participated in the ceremony turned their heads to each other.

"I knew it was so. How could the king have given the original medal to foreigners first? ”

"No, I think Mr. Lu is worth it."

"Of course he deserves it, but it's a matter of the order of the awards......"

"You're right, it's really inappropriate."

……

The people have forgotten the etiquette,

They went from whispering to talking out loud.

Edward VII frowned,

"Ann! Quiet! ”

The sound focusing effect of the dome building is very strong, and his voice is deafening,

In an instant, the hall fell silent.

Edward VII beckoned to the Purple Staff Herald next to him and said, "Take the medal!" For Mr. Lu Shi, there is no need for those red tapes! ”

Everyone was stunned,

Half a second later, the Purple Scepter Herald hurried to the Dean, fetched a small box, and handed it to Edward VII.

His Majesty the King opened the box,

The KBE medal lies quietly inside,

In the center of it is a ring, and inside the ring is a portrait of Britannia.

Outside the ring, there is an uncrossed page at the top, bottom, left and right, giving the medal a cross.

The upper page has a crown on top.

Edward VII wore it on his chest when he was on land.

Then, he said, "Professor Lu, have you ever heard that there is a St. George Hall in Windsor Palace? ”

Lu Shi nodded,

"St. George's Hall has always been associated with the Knight of the Garter."

Edward VII smiled,

"Yes, throughout the ages, the names of all the Knights of the Garter, as well as the date of their ordination and the corresponding coat of arms, have been engraved on the mosaics around the hall. But the ceiling is a little different, there are some blank shield patterns there. ”

Lu Shi is puzzled,

"Isn't the coat of arms of the Knight of the Garter?"

Edward VII shook his head,

"Yes, it's not right. The blank coat of arms on the ceiling was left behind by the revocation of the Order of the Garter of the Knights who had made mistakes and 'lost their status' and subsequently erased their coats of arms here. ”

Lu Shi didn't understand why the other party said this.

He remained silent, waiting for an explanation.

Edward VII said: "But I don't think this 'insurance' is for everyone......"

As he spoke, he turned to the people who were present,

"I hereby promise that I will never take back the title conferred on Mr. Lu Shi!"

For a while, the scene fell silent.

After a few seconds,

"Good!"

A tsunami of applause resounded through Waterloo Hall, as if it could lift the dome off.

Edward VII turned to the Registrar and the Dean of Heraldry next to him and asked, "Did you all hear that?" If you hear it, take note of it. ”

The Order of the British Empire has 6 staff members:

High clergy, priests, secretaries, registrars, abbots of heraldry, heraldics, heralds,

Responsibilities vary.

The Registrar and the Dean of Heraldry nodded like pounded garlic and took notes.

Lu Shi was shocked,

What's going on with this special meow!?

Great Britain even has a Danshu iron coupon?!

Edward VII stretched out his hand to help Lu Shi straighten the KBE medal on his chest, and then said, "Professor Lu, thank you." ”

Lu Shi shuddered,

"Your Majesty, what are you thanking me for?"

As long as the other party thanks himself, eighty percent will arrange some errands.

Unexpectedly, Edward VII just smiled,

"Thank you for accepting the British honour."

"Ah......h

Lu Shi felt that his brain couldn't turn around, and he was in a daze for more than ten seconds before he remembered that according to the process, he should now give a thank you salute and then retreat.

He walked up to Natsume Soseki and Margarita and complained:

"It's completely different from the rules of the ceremony, I'm almost ...... Forehead ......"

Halfway through his words, he noticed that Natsume Soseki actually had a big belly,

"Natsume, are you pregnant?"

"Poof!"

Margarita laughed.

The corners of Natsume Soseki's mouth twitched, and he unbuttoned a button on his suit,

My generation immediately poked his head out,

"Meow~"

Curiously rambling.

When Lu Shi saw the chubby generation, he had a sense of reality about the world,

He muttered, "It felt like a dream just now." ”

Natsume Soseki spreads his hands,

"It's normal. Whoever it is, it feels like it's a dream. I don't dare to write like that. ”

Lu Shi stretched out his hand and touched my generation's head,

My generation stretched out his claws and wanted to touch Lu Shi's chest, as if he was using the KBE medal as a toy.

At this moment, Stephenson squeezed through the crowd and leaned over,

He stuffed a piece of paper into Lu Shi's hand,

"Paris photographed a telegram from London Political and Economic, and Mr. Xiao forwarded it again."

Lu Shi looked over,

I saw that it read:

Zola's death shook the literary world.

(End of chapter)