The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1319: Chapter 178: Imperial Envoy (Part 3)

The old squire, his face red with embarrassment, scolded after hearing the judge expose his son-in-law’s shortcomings: ”Nikolai Stepanovich! You say we took bribes. Indeed, we have taken bribes, but who hasn’t sinned before God or erred before the Emperor? Do you mean to say that doing nothing at all, refusing money, is somehow better? In fact, taking money and solving problems for people—that’s the way of the world. Nowadays, people are full of empty talk, always promoting that high-sounding impartiality, but where are the actions? And as for farmers, I haven’t heard that their lives have improved; instead, they sigh and suffer more than before.

In our time, there were no shameful events like today; everything went smoothly and peacefully back then. Never heard of people being dragged to court or interrogated! You young people maybe think you’re doing better than before, that common folk suffer less, justice reigns more, and officials finally fear God...but I’m telling you, that’s all wishful thinking! Behind closed doors, things are just the same; you’ve merely become more cunning, more devious. Every time I hear you new officials talk about selflessness and serving the people, it makes my blood boil!”

With that, the old squire, filled with anger, waved his hands, leaned on his cane, and walked out the door saying, ”I don’t care anymore! I don’t care anymore! Now this Druiysk is the territory of you young folk. If Emperor Alexander, Great Empress Catherine, Peter the Great, or Ivan the Terrible—if the ancestors of Russia knew how you turned Russia into this, I don’t know what they would think! I reckon only when the Imperial Envoy drags you all to St. Petersburg for questioning will you realize your mistakes!”

With a ’bang’, the old squire donned his bear fur hat, draped his fox fur coat, slammed the door, and left furiously.

Mayor Balkagin, seeing him leave, couldn’t help but mutter under his breath: ”Old creatures who should have been dead long ago.”

The inspector, uneasy since the beginning, softly asked: ”How could the Imperial Envoy suddenly come here? Didn’t they always inspect other cities? What do you think Druiysk has that’s worth the Envoy’s interest?”

The postmaster speculated: ”Could it be that war is coming? Have the Poles rebelled again?”

The judge, who had just driven away the old squire, looking knowledgeable, asserted confidently: ”It must be stirred up by the French—they have never harbored good intentions!”

The hospital director mumbled: ”Could be related to the Persians or the Ottomans.”

Hearing their wild guesses, the mayor tapped the table with his knuckles: ”Gentlemen! Stop this nonsense! How could you think that way? In a place like ours, where there are more trees than living people, how could we possibly harbor spies or rebels?”

The judge retorted: ”You can’t think like that; the higher-ups definitely have their considerations. The officials in St. Petersburg surely have information we can’t see, and to reach their position, each one of them must be shrewd, with deep meaning behind every move.”

The inspector nodded: ”Not taking the main road but choosing a detour to come to us, it doesn’t look like a mere pass-through by any means.”

The mayor declared sternly: ”Whether the Imperial Envoy intended or didn’t intend, I’ve informed you all of what needed to be said. I’ve prepared everything for what needs to be done in the City Hall. I hope everyone will prepare thoroughly in their areas as well, to avoid being caught off guard by a surprise visit from the Envoy. For instance, in the hospital, clean up the patients so they don’t look like beggars on the roadside. Also, the wards shouldn’t be overcrowded with patients, and they need to look lively; otherwise, it might give the Envoy the impression that our doctors’ skills are lacking.”

The hospital director assured, pounding his chest: ”Rest assured, thanks to God. With the recent blizzard, the patients with low spirits have frozen to death, and those still alive are all lively!”

Mayor Balkagin nodded slightly and paced over to the judge: ”As for the City Court, in particular, you must be vigilant. The court shouldn’t be flooded with petitioners and complainers, or the Envoy might think we have poor governance here. Your offices should be tidied up, files and documents organized neatly, and not a speck of dust on the desks. It shouldn’t look like there’s been a robbery there. A robbery at the court is not a good reputation.”

The judge replied: ”No worries, we are so desolate that not even a thief is interested in coming. Rows of letters lie like dusty worms, only chickens and ducks would have any interest in them.”

”Oh, right, chickens and ducks!”

The mayor slapped his forehead and shouted: ”Everyone, all departments, remember to deal with the poultry and livestock in your yards! Dmitry Akimovich, last time I accompanied the provincial inspector to the school for inspection, and I stepped in dog poop upon entering. I’m a rough man, stepping in dog poop only means quietly scraping it off my shoes, but if it were the inspector? If it were the Imperial Envoy? In this dreadful weather, we can’t have him slipping with us!”

As the mayor was speaking, suddenly the hospital director hesitantly raised his hand to ask: ”Mayor, did you forget something?”

”Forget what?” The mayor returned to the desk, picked up pen and paper, and urged: ”Ohh! Vasily Ignatievich, I know you’re a slowpoke! But this is not the time to be sulking, speak quickly, what good is it if I make a mistake?”

The hospital director said, shivering: ”It’s just that matter about the church at the Charity Hospital before.”

Charity Hospital expansion!

The mayor suddenly remembered what it was about and hurriedly ordered: ”If the Envoy asks: Five years ago, funds were allocated for the construction of a church at Charity Hospital, why has it not been completed yet? You must say it was already built but was accidentally burned down. I will submit a separate report on this matter. I remind everyone here, otherwise if some idiot among us forgets and foolishly answers that it hasn’t started yet, we’ll be in trouble.

Also, someone go tell Ivan Mikhailovich to stop punching people at every turn these days. I know the police do this to maintain order, but you can’t just beat people black and blue whether there’s fault or not. And tell the garrison, send someone to inform Captain Bokgin to keep his soldiers in line! They shouldn’t roam the streets undressed. These unsophisticated fellows act disgracefully, often wearing just a uniform jacket over a shirt and nothing underneath, wandering around like that. If the Envoy sees it, how can we explain it!”

...

In the small inn, a biting wind found its way through the cracks in the wardrobe and down Arthur’s collar, chilling his back.

The icy touch made Arthur feel as if his soul was about to depart.

Knock, knock, knock!

The inn servant knocked on the door and asked: ”Mr. Hestingov, it’s mealtime!”