The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1450: Chapter 226: Let Me Emphasize Once More: I Am Not Some Science Celebrity! (2)

The Cossack replied, ”Just doing silly things like gathering grass, looking at sand. Once, in a salt marsh, he said to me through a translator, ’Dive into the water and bring me some soil from the bottom.’ I brought it, and it was nothing but regular dirt. But he asked, ’Is the water cold down there?’ I thought to myself, no, my friend, you can’t fool me. So I gave a formal salute and replied, ’Your Excellency, that’s what I ought to do, as long as it’s something I should do, I’m happy to serve you.’

Truly, although I love my motherland deeply, sometimes I can’t help but feel that there are reasons for Europeans to look down on Russia. But ultimately, it’s not because Russians are stupid, quite the opposite, it’s because Russians are too clever, so much so that we have too many unnecessary tricks up our sleeves!

— Alexander Herzen, ’My Past and Thoughts’

The cold wind of Moscow blew through the high walls of the Kremlin, into Herzen’s study on the outskirts of the city. The fireplace in the study was blazing, as Herzen sat across from Sir Arthur Hastings, with a pot of hot tea and a plate of Russian pastries between them.

”Mr. Herzen,”

Arthur opened with a slightly helpless smile, ”I must admit, in our previous debate, I lost. Although inside the Royal Society there are many who can’t truly be called natural philosophers, at least you can chat with them about natural philosophy. After all, natural philosophy is something fashionable in London, and the Royal Navy and Army generals have always been very interested in the latest developments in science. But the Moscow Natural Philosophers Association... now I really believe, the ones who truly understand natural philosophy there probably can’t even fill a corner of the hall.”

Herzen stifled a laugh; if he hadn’t already graduated, he would have gone to the school’s auditorium today just to see how awkward Arthur looked on stage.

This British Knight once stood alongside Gauss, Humboldt, Faraday, Ampere, and Ohm.

But today, standing with him are Devegubsky, Panin, Chumaikov, and Miakhkov.

Just thinking about this scene made Herzen want to laugh: ”This is a spectacle of Russia, Sir, we always turn profound matters into a grand performance in our own way.”

”It’s impressively grand indeed.”

Even Secretary Blackwell couldn’t help but criticize: ”From the moment we stepped into Moscow University, Sir was like an offering placed on an altar. The principal, the professors, and those officials who couldn’t even pronounce scientific terms, all greeted him in different languages. You know, it quickly turned into a competition—who could congratulate him in the most obscure Latin, German, or French.”

Arthur really didn’t want to dwell on this issue, if not for wanting to get closer to Herzen, he wouldn’t even want to bring up today’s experience at Moscow University.

The main reason he came to meet Herzen today was another matter: ”Did you know ’Moscow Telecommunications’ has been shut down? Their chief editor Polevoy was arrested and is currently detained at the mansion of Governor Duke Dmitry Golitsyn.”

”Polevoy was arrested?” First, a look of shock appeared in Herzen’s eyes, but then he quickly masked it: ”This is unfortunate news, but... but what does it have to do with me?”

Arthur spoke up: ”I chatted casually with Governor’s Secretary Zubkov yesterday, and the topics of liberalism and the French Revolution came up. I asked him about the attitude of young people at Moscow University towards liberalism. He gave me a few examples and suggested that despite various flaws, in the end, Russia’s hope is pinned on Moscow University. Then he talked about a few graduates from Moscow University, including you.”

”Zubkov talked about me with you?”

It’s no surprise that Herzen and Zubkov knew each other, because ultimately, Moscow’s liberal circles are so small.

To enter this circle, you at least have to have attended university, received higher education, or come from a wealthy or notable family background with high-quality tutoring; otherwise, you can’t even begin to understand what liberalism is.

And these two preconditions often overlap in most cases, resulting in nearly every liberal in Moscow knowing each other.

Herzen cautiously asked, ”Have you visited his home?”

”I have,”

Arthur responded with a smile, ”I have to say, that place surprised me. Of course, I’m not talking about his exquisite villa, but rather the study in the villa filled with portraits of revolutionary figures. I initially just wanted to see some bird specimens, but what I really saw were walls full of John Hampton, Count Mirabeau, Sieyes, Jean-Sylvain Bailly...”

Herzen joked, ”But ultimately, he didn’t dare hang portraits of Cromwell and Robespierre.”

Arthur waved a finger and said, ”Perhaps that’s why Mr. Zubkov is the first secretary of Moscow, while Polevoy from ’Moscow Telecommunications’ has been ordered to be arrested.”

Herzen nodded in agreement and said, ”His understanding of worldly affairs indeed makes me envious, especially the way he subtly rebuts with a hint of sarcasm. I generally seldom praise officials, but Zubkov is someone I greatly admire. He is a liberal, but what’s more surprising is that, knowing this, I still believe that this capable and shrewd gentleman will become Russia’s State Minister in the future.”

Arthur replied, ”I heard from him that you and Polevoy are very close. Are you two friends?”

Herzen appeared conflicted, ”We can be considered friends, I guess... I truly hope he considers me a friend, but we had an argument over our positions some time ago...”

”What happened between you and him?”

”I...” Herzen sighed, looking distressed, ”His comments on Saint-Simonism angered me, and his rebuttal was indeed quite ridiculous, so I accused him of becoming the kind of backward conservative he’s been opposing all his life, calling him a coward...”

”However, this backward conservative you speak of, this coward, has now been ordered by the government to be arrested.”

Arthur touched on Herzen’s sore spot, ”As far as I know, cowards aren’t qualified to be in such places.”

Herzen stood up, agitated, ”I should go apologize to him, I... I should have gone earlier.”

”No, you should be thankful you didn’t go.” Arthur advised, ”Alexander, you are fortunate, as a young person’s vanity usually doesn’t help resolve matters, but this time, a rare event occurred, and you narrowly escaped.”

”This kind of luck... is it really luck?”

Herzen felt a sense of narrowly escaping disaster, yet also felt deeply ashamed.

The ’coward’ was thrown into prison, while he, the self-proclaimed ’warrior’, was celebrating having dodged a bullet.

Herzen paced restlessly in the room, suddenly stopping to ask, ”Do you know why they arrested Polevoy?”

”Why? Simply to make him admit to his crimes—deliberately attacking Russia’s political system and conspiring to overthrow Russia’s national system.”

Herzen’s face turned pale at this, muttering, ”If he confesses, it’s likely he won’t escape exile.”

Secretary Blackwell reminded from the side, ”No, you’re being naive, even if he doesn’t confess, it’s the same. You probably haven’t dealt with the Constitutional Soldiers before. I know a Constitutional Soldier Colonel in St. Petersburg who once boasted that even a spotless white paper could be interrogated to yield ink stains.”

Herzen swallowed hard, knowing that Blackwell wasn’t exaggerating; the Constitutional Soldiers indeed had such methods.

Polevoy previously thought that as the editor-in-chief of ’Moscow Telecommunications’, he could enjoy certain privileges in terms of speech due to the newspaper’s influence.

But now, it seems Tsar Nicholas I did not think the same.

Involuntarily, Herzen asked Arthur, ”Do you... do you think there’s still a turnaround?”

”A turnaround? Perhaps.” Arthur said, ”To my understanding, your Governor, Duke Dmitry Golitsyn, has a gentle temperament, is upright and knowledgeable, and a decent person. Moreover, he could also be considered a noble with liberal tendencies. So, he might give Polevoy a chance.”

”A chance? What kind of chance?” Herzen eagerly asked.

Arthur gently tapped the table with his fingertips, ”A chance to turn the other cheek.”