The Shadow of Great Britain

Capítulo 1483: Chapter 240: My Money! (Part 2)

“I suppose so,” Baron Dantes began, “but calling me a baron now isn’t entirely accurate because, technically, I haven’t inherited the title yet.”

“Who cares? Everyone calls you that, so I might as well, too.”

Arthur looked at the handsome and dignified Dantes, jokingly commenting, “No wonder the old Baron Enkheisen chose you as his successor—noble blood, impressive appearance, well-read and articulate, exactly what one would expect of an old aristocrat’s expectations for the next generation.”

While they were chatting and joking, Arthur suddenly caught a glimpse through the foggy car window. Outside the Kremlin’s Red Wall, there were over a hundred officials wrapped in fur cloaks, trembling like a flock of frozen crows in the minus-twenty-degree cold.

“These poor souls have been standing since dawn.” The coachman flicked the reins as he turned the corner, and Dantes raised his silver-tipped cane, pointing at the kneeling official amidst the dark crowd, saying, “The Tsar’s carriage broke three paving stones when entering the city last night. Look, our public works director is scared out of his wits.”

Under the double-headed eagle statue in front of the palace gates, an official with a Tatar-style mustache suddenly collapsed to the ground, either from exhaustion or the cold weather.

Two Guards wearing bearskin hats immediately emerged from the shadows and dragged the fainted official into a makeshift shelter by the palace wall.

“They should be thankful there’s no wind today,” Baron Dantes lowered his voice, his words dripping with schadenfreude. “You know, to clean up the ashes from the Arbat street fire, Zienski’s men nearly scraped the wall plaster off the entire street with metal brushes.”

“Well, doesn’t he deserve it?” Arthur suddenly remembered a humorous anecdote he heard from Herzen during his ‘interrogation’ a few days ago. “I don’t know what rules they use for detaining suspects in St. Petersburg, but in Moscow, they collect food fees from suspects every day, two paper rubles a day. If you can’t pay, you end up in jail.”

Baron Dantes was unsurprised, “You’re talking about political prisoners, right? That’s perfectly normal. After all, they’re the wealthiest of all the suspects. It’s pretty much the same rule in St. Petersburg; many rely on that money for income.”

Originally, Arthur didn’t pay much attention to such routine corruption, but who could blame him for noticing this shivering group of ‘quails’ in front of the Kremlin?

The Tsar was in a bad mood, so it’s no surprise that Britain’s mischief-makers were keen to exploit this situation.

Arthur said sternly, “But this time it’s different, isn’t it? This case is personally overseen by the Tsar himself.”

“Indeed, His Majesty is in charge, but the two-ruble-a-day food fee is being implemented according to regulations.”

Arthur gestured lightly, “That might not be the case. Colonel Semyonov supplies the food for the political prisoners, but I heard that the City Defense Command’s logistical department allocates only one and a half rubles per person per day. The command’s adjutants embezzled the money but booked boxes at the theater, inviting the Constitutional Guard officers to a few premieres, and that’s how it was settled.”

Baron Dantes, upon hearing this, paused his smoking.

He scratched the back of his head, then frowned and pondered for a moment.

From his calculating look, it seemed he was weighing which was more important: the Tsar’s trust or the goodwill of the Constitutional Guard and the Moscow City Defense Command.

However, the correct answer to this choice wasn’t difficult.

Baron Dantes, an officer of the Preobrazhensky Guards, never considered taking a civil position, and it was unlikely the Tsar would allow a foreigner to manage a civic post. Even if he stayed in Russia his whole life, his promotion would only be confined to the military system.

So, what harm in offending the Third Bureau’s guards and the Moscow City Defense Command?

Baron Dantes queried, “Are you serious about what you just said?”

“Absolutely true,” Arthur affirmed emphatically, “You can privately ask others, and you won’t hear a different version.”

Feigning disbelief, Baron Dantes joked, “Come on, mate, His Majesty the Tsar might not believe such gossip. For them to do such things at such a critical moment, they must have a death wish!”

“Are you doubting me?” Arthur feigned anger.

Baron Dantes deliberately changed the subject, “Not at all. But what you said just reminded me of General Borhovskoi.”

“What about him?”

“Nothing much, last banquet, not sure if he drank too much or something, he was shouting everywhere about writing a book.”

Baron Dantes mimicked the conversation vividly, “Kiselyov said to him, ‘Come off it! What would you write about? What have you seen?’ ‘What have I seen?’ Borhovskoi retorted defiantly, ‘I’ve seen things no one else has. I’ve seen the Empress naked! Though it was on the day she died. I’ll start from there!’”

Arthur couldn’t help but slap his face, “He really said that?”

“Are you doubting me?” Baron Dantes imitated Arthur’s earlier tone, then burst into laughter, “Now you see, mate? It’s not that I don’t believe you. It’s just that sometimes things are so bizarre, they sound fake at first. Truth be told, that day General Borhovskoi not only claimed he saw the Empress naked, but he also wanted to hire a painter to capture the scene!”

Arthur shrugged, “Once he sobers up, he’ll probably be shocked by what he said.”

“Perhaps, but I doubt His Majesty the Tsar will care about what he said,” Baron Dantes gave an example, “Someone once insulted the Tsar after drinking too much. You know what His Majesty said in front of everyone? ‘If vodka can make you forget St. Petersburg’s winter, I’d like to try your wine cellar.’”

Arthur raised an eyebrow, “Sounds like His Majesty the Tsar can be quite humorous at times. I always thought he was stern.”

Baron Dantes smirked, “That’s because you don’t know him well. I’ve heard the old attendants joke privately that the current Tsar has lots of traits like a lieutenant and also a shadow of Peter the Great.”

Curious, Arthur asked, “I’ve heard a lot about the Tsar being like a lieutenant, but what about the shadow of Peter the Great? Are you referring to…”

Arthur suddenly slapped his forehead, “Ah! I got it. You mean the Decemberist revolt and Peter the Great’s streltsy uprising?”

“Exactly, and many other similarities,” Baron Dantes listed on his fingers, “Both the Decemberists and the streltsy were defeated. Peter the Great personally beheaded five streltsy officers afterward, while our Tsar hanged eight Decemberist leaders. Once the incidents ended, Peter the Great disbanded the streltsy, and the Tsar disbanded the Semyonov Guards…”

As the carriage entered the Kremlin, Arthur subtly gestured to lower his voice, “We can continue discussing these matters at the later ball.”

Baron Dantes glanced outside the window, still somewhat reluctant to stop, “Have you met any delightful ladies in Moscow worth befriending?”

“Why do you ask?”

Perhaps due to his innate French nature, Dantes cheekily grinned as he opened the carriage door, whispering, “A word of advice: stay away from the Duchess Dolgorukova if you don’t want trouble.”