The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1488: Chapter 242: What Was Most Important in the 19th Century? Talent! (2)

When the attendant served oatmeal drenched in honey, Arthur finally found a dish he liked.

However, just as he took a spoonful of oatmeal into his mouth, he noticed the Tsar at the other end of the table frowning.

Tsar Nicholas I saw Arthur looking at him, and his tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed: ”I thought Englishmen didn’t drink oatmeal. My childhood nanny was a Scottish girl, and I remember she once complained to me that Englishmen often made fun of Scots for eating oats.”

Arthur wiped his mouth with a napkin: ”She didn’t deceive you. In England, oats are generally used as horse feed. I still remember during the cholera outbreak in London, once I went to a poorhouse to inspect epidemic prevention work. Due to a lack of resources, the breakfast prepared for the poor there was oatmeal. At the time, a few girls and children, upon seeing the oats in their bowls, immediately burst into tears. Not long after, the poorhouse was left with only the low, sobbing sounds. Mr. Richards, a member of the Poor Law Commission who accompanied me, turned livid with anger, called over the deacon of the poorhouse and gave him a thorough scolding, even saying, even if there is truly a lack of resources, we shouldn’t use such things to subject the poor to an insult to their dignity.”

The Tsar heard this amusing tale and chuckled softly: ”It seems England’s oats and Russia’s potatoes have the same function. Civilized people know their benefits, but the uncivilized treat them like poison. Unfortunately, I originally thought the people of Britain would be more civilized than those of Russia. After all, everyone talks about Britain’s advancements, its looms, steam engines, and railways, and these things are rarely seen in Russia; even when seen occasionally, most are imported from Britain.”

Whether Russia or England is more civilized, even if this question is placed in Russia, ninety percent of Russians would answer it’s Britain.

After all, most people measure civilization by one standard alone — urban wealth.

In this regard, no country can match Britain.

But if we change the perspective, from a rural viewpoint, Arthur indeed discovered many novel places when entering Russia by land.

Because, if comparing rural living standards, a rather strange and paradoxical conclusion emerges.

Living standards of farmers across Britain are typically similar, but Russian farmers’ living standards vary significantly.

The more remote, inaccessible locations’ farmers, due to local grain prices not aligning with urban areas, can do some home crafts during the farm’s idle season to supplement household income, so their living standards are often quite acceptable.

But agriculture areas near cities are severely impacted; not only are local grain prices pushed up sharply, but even family handicrafts cannot proceed smoothly. To make money, they have to go to other places during the idle farm season to earn extra as temporary workers.

From this viewpoint, Pushkin’s previous article, which argues ”Russian farmers have better living standards than British,” actually isn’t much of a problem, but he must add a qualifying phrase at the front — Russian remote area’s farmers.

Of course, saying so might not be fair to Russia’s liberals who admire Britain and France.

Because just as they say — although Russian farmers are in some ways living more comfortably than certain British farmers, in actuality, the gap between the two is immeasurable. In simple terms: British farmers have rights, while Russian farmers have none!

In plainer words: Russian farmers are prohibited from suing landlords and are not allowed to stand as witnesses. If the landlord pleases, he can exile his farmers to Siberia or send them to serve 20 years of active military duty.

Moreover, Russian farmers seem desensitized to the status quo; compared to British farmers’ ’Swin Rebellion’ and a series of violent incidents, Russian farmers’ resistance appears far more serene. Many events in Russia defined as peasant uprisings, in Britain at most can only be called disobedience and strikes.

Even during the widespread impact of the Pugachev Rebellion in Russia, the participating farmers never opposed the Tsar’s authority because their leader Pugachev’s banner is — he is the true Tsar, the purpose of the rebellion is to reclaim the throne from the usurper.

As for Britain’s ’Swin Rebellion,’ well, British farmers primarily targeted not the King, perhaps some of it aimed at a government uncooperative with them, but mostly their actions were to smash all machines and hang factory owners robbing their jobs, along with workers willing to act as factory owners’ henchmen, on streetlamps.

Which of these behaviors is more civilized?

The Duke standing in the police’s shoes finds it hard to comment.

But as a genuine countryman, Arthur born from farmers can clearly realize, the tough living environment makes most farmers inherently realists, realistic to near coldness, and this is especially evident in Russia’s frigid climate.

Mind yourself, disregard others.

Others’ tears are just water.

As long as you can get enough to eat, what’s wrong with lying?

These few maxims are what he often hears from Russian farmers.

If you take a farmer appearing simple-minded as brainless, you’re the one truly to suffer a loss.

And Arthur’s understanding of farmers also makes him realize how ridiculous Uvarov’s official theory of nationality is, leaving aside the Tsar and the state, the Eastern Orthodox itself doesn’t explain.

This crowd filled with realism indeed is very superstitious; for small ailments and disasters, they can pray in church for several days.

But once their illness is cured, then you watch, he can during mass, while calling God’s name, scratch some spot on himself.

Russia’s Minister of Education Uvarov either mixed up superstition with religious belief, or he’s consciously pretending to be confused.

In Arthur’s view, the foundation of religion is sincere devotion and reverence to God, but this is rarely seen in Russian farmers, even the genuinely faithful devotees from revolutionary France are more numerous than Russia.

Arthur delicately discussed his views on civilization with the Tsar, then eloquently talked about the issues he observed in rural areas.

Initially, the Tsar merely treated this as a casual chatting topic, but the more he listened, the more solemn his expression became.

Nicholas I’s brows gradually tightened, and Arthur’s remarks inadvertently reminded him of the ”Slave Reform Report” submitted previously by Count Benkendorf, director of the Third Bureau, and Kiselyov, Minister of State Lands.

”Rather than saying Eastern Orthodoxy is Russia’s belief, it’s more accurate to say fatalism is Russia’s true religion. Because I find most people rarely attribute anything, especially misfortune, to their own will and lack of ability. Even if the problem clearly lies with them, they’ll consider this as God’s will.”

The Tsar couldn’t help but put down the knife and fork upon hearing this, even though he wanted to criticize Arthur’s words, thinking again, Arthur’s words seemed to be currently verifying in Moscow.

Gazing out the window towards the Red Wall beyond the Kremlin, he could still see a heap of Moscow’s Fifth Rank officials pressed darkly outside.

Casually flipping through the various reports about the Moscow fire they submitted overnight, picking any piece, no matter which language it used for description, applying how grandiose the rhetoric is, but the article’s main idea is only that one — the fault isn’t mine, it’s due to my bad luck, this is why disaster broke out.

Thinking of this, Nicholas I’s heart faintly stirs with anger.

He picked up the napkin and gently wiped the corner of his mouth, calmly instructed the attendant nearby: ”Breakfast’s finished, bring them in.”

”Understood, Your Majesty.” The attendant slightly bowed, then turned to Arthur: ”Sir, we’ll arrange to send...”

The Tsar suddenly raised his hand at these words: ”Sir Arthur stays.”