The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1312: Chapter 176: Arthur Hastings? Artur Hestinogov!_2

Fiona’s voice rang out from the other end of the room: “Awake so early? I thought you might sleep until the afternoon.”

Arthur pushed the small box under the bed, and before he could stand up, he felt dizzy again, and had to sit on the bed: “Perhaps that is indeed a good idea, if there were no academic committee meeting this afternoon…”

Fiona stepped forward and draped a coat over his shoulders, then naturally sat on his lap, magically producing a warm, exquisite letter from her arms.

“What is this?” Arthur wasn’t particularly interested in the letter; he simply guessed: “Is it a farewell letter left for me?”

“Farewell letter? No, my dear, this is a welcome letter.”

Fiona excitedly hugged Arthur’s neck, and the thought of this man appearing in her northern hometown in such a capacity filled her with pride: “This is what you’ve been longing for day and night, issued from White Hall after you’ve asked countless times, a letter of appointment from the Foreign Office. Congratulations, my dear, when you turn over the new year, you will become a real and significant figure!”

“A significant figure…”

Arthur received the appointment letter and carefully examined each letter on it.

His Majesty’s Government

Foreign Office

London, 25th November 1833

To: Sir Arthur Hastings, Kt

His Majesty’s Cultural Counsellor at the Court of the Emperor of the Russian Empire

Dear Sir Arthur Hastings:

According to His Majesty’s instructions and upon recommendation by the Honourable Cabinet, you have been appointed as His Majesty’s Cultural Counsellor at the Court of the Emperor of the Russian Empire. This resolution will be effective as of 1st February 1834.

Your main duty will be to promote cultural and academic exchange between Britain and the Russian Empire, and to advance Britain’s knowledge, arts, and education activities within the Russian court. You will maintain contact with local educational institutions, organize cultural events, and assist in establishing closer cultural ties between the two countries.

Additionally, you are expected to provide His Majesty’s Government with suggestions regarding the cultural situation in Russia and report on progress in art, literature, and scientific innovation. You bear the responsibility of maintaining the highest standards of diplomatic etiquette through cultural exchanges and fostering mutual respect.

Considering your deep background in academia and excellent diplomatic skills, the government is confident you can fulfill your new duties, and will continue to strive to promote good relations between Britain and Russia. You will report directly to the Earl of Dalmo, His Majesty’s Ambassador to the Court of the Emperor of the Russian Empire, and work according to the Ambassador’s instructions.

In view of the nature of your responsibilities, it must be informed that, to fully devote yourself to your new duties, you need to resign from your current position as the Kingdom of Hanover’s National Representative at the University of Gottingen and Supervisor at Göttingen University before you assume your duties in Russia on 1st February 1834.

Here, we entrust you with great expectations for your mission and wish you extraordinary achievements in your new position.

With the highest respect,

Your most loyal supporter,

(Signature)

Henry John Temple, Third Viscount Palmeston

Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

On 1st January 1834, the new Hanover constitution will officially be promulgated, and the farce that played out at Gottingen will come to an end.

And in a month, Arthur will immediately assume his new role as Cultural Counsellor to Russia.

Such a tight schedule is unlikely to have been arranged proactively by Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston, as Arthur is neither related nor obligated to him, and there’s no need for him to offer Arthur a path forward.

The only reasonable explanation is that the Earl of Dalmo specifically wrote to the Foreign Office about the appointment issue.

The Earl of Dalmo, like Lord Brougham the High Chancellor, is a well-known troublemaker within the Whig Party.

Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston can be domineering and rude when dealing with junior civil servants, like Assistant Secretary Auguste Schneider, akin to the sternest supervisor in a mine.

However, he cannot display such an attitude in front of the Earl of Dalmo.

Because just a year ago, the Earl of Dalmo was the most troublesome and radical member of the Cabinet Committee.

Whether it’s his father-in-law Prime Minister Count Grey, Arthur’s former superior Home Secretary Viscount Melbourne, or even Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston, they all consider the Earl of Dalmo a dangerous colleague and fear that his radical views and unrestrained nature could cause big troubles domestically.

Yet, they cannot directly force the Earl of Dalmo out of the Cabinet because such radical political leaders typically have a large following. Plus, with the Earl of Dalmo’s temperament, if the dignitaries in the Cabinet dare to do so, the Earl could indeed lead his followers in a mass exodus, causing division within the Whig Party.

Therefore, when the Earl of Dalmo proposed to resign from the position of Minister of Seal and announced his retirement from the Cabinet, the dignitaries hurried to approve his resignation and immediately found him a good place, placing him high up as the Ambassador to Russia.

Hence, as long as the Earl of Dalmo does not stir trouble domestically, even if he wanted to recommend a Scottish donkey to be the Cultural Counsellor to Russia, Foreign Secretary Viscount Palmeston would have to reluctantly accept it.

What’s more, compared to a donkey, a York hog farmer is not such a bad choice.