The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1817: Chapter 109: All Rivers and Lakes, All Grievances (2)

After passing through the two doors belonging to the Crime Intelligence Center, Arthur arrived at the office with a black sign inscribed in gold letters — the office of the Chief of the Royal Greater London Police Department.

A faint light shone from beneath the door, and Arthur gently turned the doorknob. It was unlocked, making a slight clicking sound.

Minister Rowan was standing by the window, his back facing the door, holding a file with a note clipped to it in his hand.

Upon hearing the door, Rowan did not turn around but continued reading the file in his hand: ”You arrived earlier than I expected.”

”You sent someone to fetch me, so naturally, I had to hurry.” Arthur placed his cane in the umbrella stand by the door: ”Has Thomas Gath sobered up?”

”He has.” Rowan finally put down the file: ”He’s still in the holding cell, stable emotionally, no longer causing any fuss or speaking nonsense. Do you want to see him now?”

”No.” Arthur shook his head, taking off his cloak and hanging it on the coat rack by the door: ”Since he’s sobered up, just let him go. Kensington Palace has already spoken.”

”Let him go?” Rowan’s brows twitched slightly. He slammed the file onto the table with a thud, the paper rustling: ”Just like that? He openly insulted a patrolling officer at Covent Garden and injured two policemen, including one young officer who had just been transferred into the main patrol lineup. Have you seen the injury report?”

Arthur’s gaze fell on the stack of wrinkled files: ”I know this infuriates you, Rowan. To be honest, I’m very displeased myself.”

He stepped forward, picked up the file from the table, and smoothed out the bent page corners: ”If it were someone else, even the illegitimate child of a Cabinet Minister, I wouldn’t let this go. But this time, Princess Sophia personally delivered a letter, and she didn’t come just to plead.”

He then pulled out a receipt from his jacket pocket: ”Princess Sophia deeply regrets this and is willing to take out compensation from her personal account, two hundred pounds for each injured officer. Of course, this money cannot be in the name of the Royal Family. In addition, Her Highness the Princess plans to personally write letters of condolence to express her gratitude for their dedication to maintaining order in the London Metropolitan Area. She will arrange to have the letters delivered to the two officers as soon as tomorrow.”

Hearing this, Rowan finally calmed down: ”That sounds considerate enough. But according to you, that wastrel really is Princess Sophia’s illegitimate son?”

Arthur smiled at this, neither admitting nor denying: ”Who knows? Matters of the Royal Family are always messy.”

Seeing Arthur unwilling to elaborate, Rowan did not press further. He took out a cigarette box from his desk drawer and lit his pipe: ”Although I’m not sure of the specifics, you’ve been spending so much time in the Police Intelligence Department over the past few days, and all this fuss is over an unruly illegitimate child? Arthur, this seems a bit much.”

”Perhaps.” Arthur took the cigarette box thrown to him by Rowan: ”But the smaller the matter, the bigger the fuss should be. If we encounter a big issue, ironically, it’s the smaller fuss.”

Rowan glanced at him and again looked out the window: ”I’m working overtime until 9 PM in the office today, not to listen to you talk nonsense.”

Facing his old superior’s inquiry, Arthur had to grudgingly reveal a bit: ”What are your thoughts on the succession issue?”

Rowan exhaled a smoke ring: ”Princess Victoria inheriting the throne would be fine, but if the Duke of Cumberland ascends, I wouldn’t mind either.”

Arthur fully understood what Rowan meant.

After Robert Cali’s commemoration ceremony, Scotland Yard had already made a good impression in Victoria’s eyes.

As for the Duke of Cumberland, this Prince from the Army naturally also fit Scotland Yard’s nature, given that Scotland Yard is composed of retired Army officers.

In short, no matter who inherits the throne, Scotland Yard stands to benefit either way.

Arthur slowly closed the cigarette box: ”If you think that a person who can utter in the House of Lords, ’The state’s order should not be maintained by police but by soldiers,’ inheriting the throne would benefit Scotland Yard’s development, then I think your overtime till 9 PM today was wasted. Pardon my rudeness, Sir, but while it’s true the Duke of Cumberland loathes the Whig Party, it doesn’t mean he’s very tolerant of the Peel Party.”

Rowan squinted and asked, ”What do you mean by that? Are you saying we chose the wrong side?”

”I’m merely politely reminding you that the Duke of Cumberland has always been indifferent to the police system. In terms of maintaining order, he trusts the Guard Cavalry Regiment more.”

Arthur hadn’t mentioned the Guard Cavalry, but once he did, Rowan’s expression immediately stiffened, his previously relaxed demeanor turning cold.

Arthur certainly knew why the Minister bore such animosity towards the Guard Cavalry, or rather, every officer who had served at Scotland Yard had more or less heard of how Rowan, who was enlisted in the 52nd Regiment during the Battle of Waterloo, had become adversaries with the Guard Cavalry.

Speaking of the 52nd Regiment, it’s a unit with quite a legendary status.

During the Battle of Waterloo, the 52nd Regiment, along with the 71st Highland Light Infantry and the 95th Rifle Regiment (Green Jackets), were part of the Light Infantry Brigade commanded by Sir Henry Adam.

When the Battle of Waterloo erupted, the Light Infantry Brigade, as a reserve, was deployed in a concealed area behind the slopes north of La Haye Sainte, positioned on the right wing of the British Army.

As the First Corps of France was shattered, the battle situation became increasingly unfavorable to Napoleon. The Emperor of the French Empire could only hope to breach Wellington’s lines before Prussian reinforcements arrived, for which he had to make a desperate gamble.