The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1439: Chapter 222: Connections to the Top

The sky over Moscow just began to lighten, and Sir Arthur Hastings was already awake in his residence.

With the help of a servant, he dressed in formal attire: a black tailcoat, a white bow tie, a carefully selected cravat, and a pair of polished shoes.

After tidying up his attire, Sir enjoyed a simple breakfast, including tea, bread, and butter, which was somewhat different from his hometown’s habits, but he gradually adapted to the local lifestyle.

When the clock struck ten, the butler announced that the secretary of Duke Golitsyn, the Governor of Moscow, had arrived.

”Please bring him in,” Arthur said to the butler.

Sir Arthur walked to the reception room, where everything was prepared for this meeting. The fire in the fireplace was warm and comfortable, several candles illuminated the room, and on the table were exquisite porcelain and silverware. The walls were adorned with several oil paintings depicting the British countryside, harmoniously coexisting with the Russian-style decorations.

Arthur first expressed his welcome to Zubkov in French and invited him to sit in a comfortable chair near the fireplace.

The servants quickly stepped forward, placing hot tea and some simple snacks on the low table between them.

The duke’s secretary placed his briefcase down, his neatly slicked hair and tidy black tailcoat making him look very capable.

Vasily Zubkov, an official greatly appreciated by Duke Dmitry Golitsyn, the Governor of Moscow, Arthur had already seen this name on the ”official titles list” provided by Hutter last night, especially marked in red with a string of notes by the Constitutional Soldier Captain.

This secretary is considered a celebrity in Moscow, having studied in Paris, he is affluent, smart, knowledgeable, quick-witted, open-minded, and once imprisoned due to the Decembrist revolt, confined in the Peter and Paul Fortress in St. Petersburg for several years before being released. Although being imprisoned was certainly uncomfortable, being there was better than exile, and this imprisonment experience earned him a reputation for freedom and progress without having suffered much.

After being released, Zubkov came to work under Duke Golitsyn.

Duke Dmitry Golitsyn favored people who were free and open-minded, and since the duke wasn’t skilled in speaking Russian, anyone capable of fluent French was more likely to earn his regard.

Having studied in Paris, Zubkov fit these two criteria perfectly, so he soon became the most popular figure in Moscow’s political scene, holding prominent positions in the judiciary besides serving as the governor’s secretary. Recently, rumors were circulating that the currently vacant position of Chief Prosecutor in Moscow might very well be filled by Zubkov.

To understand a person’s character requires long-term interaction. But to understand a person’s knowledge level, a few simple conversations are enough.

After only chatting for a short while, Zubkov’s engaging, unhurried conversation, his ability to swiftly respond to all issues, offer advice or solutions, immediately made Arthur understand why he was Moscow’s number one secretary.

Even when not discussing official matters, Zubkov’s insights into novels, essays, magazines, and poetry were very engaging. He could even intersperse a few sentences about his diligent study of zoology when talking about hunting.

Although Arthur’s understanding of natural history was far less than his understanding of history, he fortunately had a somewhat well-known naturalist friend—Charles Darwin.

Under Darwin’s influence, Arthur might not claim to be well-versed in the world’s flora and fauna, but when discussing those intriguing exotic species, he wouldn’t be entirely ignorant.

And upon learning of Arthur’s close friendship with Darwin, this zoology enthusiast couldn’t help but show excitement.

Although Darwin was still adrift at sea, this prematurely bald fellow was long past being the unknown young man in the field of natural history three years ago.

If one were to ask London readers which book was the most popular in the ”British” serial column, each reader might give a different answer based on their tastes.

However, if readers were to choose their top three favorite serials, Darwin’s ”Beagle Voyage Diary,” compiled from his letters, would certainly appear on every reader’s recommended list.

This journal-style natural history book wasn’t just of great research and educational value; its style was also humorous and witty, giving it a broad readership that was suitable for all ages and genders.

And Darwin’s scientific reputation throughout Europe rose alongside the widespread circulation of this work. Inside the Royal Society, there was ongoing discussion and research about awarding him the prestigious honor of becoming a fellow on the very day he completed his global voyage and returned to London.

And speaking of the spread of Darwin’s name in Russia, it links back to Alexander Humboldt’s tour of lectures in Russian universities a few years ago.

This Deutsch University scholar, set as a learning model for all Russian scientific researchers by the Tsar, listed Darwin’s ”Beagle Voyage Diary” as the top recommendation for Russian university students.

Of course, as ”British” has yet to collaborate with Russian publishers, aside from a few authentic books purchased from Britain, most Russian readers are seeing the pirated editions reprinted by Belgian pirate publishers.