Buckingham Palace,
Beautiful and majestic.
After Queen Victoria came to the throne, it officially became a royal palace. Since then, it has been the residence of the British royal family and continues into modern times.
The Queen receives and entertains foreign guests and other important activities are held here.
Stephenson led Lu Shi through the square in front of the palace,
The golden statue of the goddess of victory on the lawn stared at them wordlessly.
Stephenson said: "Mr. Lu, it doesn't matter if you don't understand the rules of audience, but you must not use the kneeling etiquette of the Qing government. In addition, please remember not to look at what you shouldn't see and don't say anything you shouldn't say. Two o’clock is enough.”
Lu Shi nodded,
"Sir, I have a question. How did the Queen know about me? Is it because of "None Survived"?"
He has been thinking about this issue, but he feels that something is not right.
Cooper and Scott would certainly have reminded themselves if the Queen ever asked about "None Survived".
Stephenson's lips curved up and he said, "I can't answer this question, but I can promise that the Queen has no ill intentions towards you."
The two of them had arrived at a side door of Buckingham Palace while they were talking.
Stephenson opened the door,
The sun shines into the house.
This seems to be a study room. The four walls of the room are lined with tall bookshelves, and the bookshelves are filled with books.
The crispy fragrance of ink hits your face.
In the center of the room, sitting behind a long and luxurious table, was an old lady. She was none other than Queen Victoria, the last king of the Hanoverian Dynasty and the Empress of India, a living legend.
The queen raised her head and squinted at the visitor,
"Mr. Lu?"
Lu Shi stepped forward slowly, put his right hand on his left chest, bowed his body slightly and nodded, and said, "Your Majesty."
Stephenson was slightly stunned,
He didn't expect Lu Shi's gentlemanly etiquette to be so standard.
The queen smiled softly,
"Freck, don't hang around and move a comfortable armchair for our guest."
Stephenson's name was Frederick and his nickname was Flake.
In the past, the Queen would not address him in such an informal way in front of outsiders, but as the Queen grows older, this happens more and more.
Stephenson's nose gets clogged every time he hears that nickname.
The Queen is old.
Most of all, it is impossible to keep it in the world. The beauty of the mirror is like the flower of the tree.
It is said that the most regrettable thing in the world is that beauties grow old and heroes die, and the queen is the superposition of these two.
She is a beauty and a British hero.
Stephenson helped Lu Shi move the chair, and then stood next to it.
Lu Shi sat upright.
The Queen said: "Mr. Lu, there is no need to be nervous. I summoned you just to have a casual chat, such as your novel and your views on the United States."
Lu Shi was stunned and didn't dare to say anything.
In China, if the emperor personally inquires, it would be a palace examination.
Seeing Lu Shi's restraint, the Queen continued: "Mr. Lu seems to feel that the United States is rising."
In fact, there is no need to "seem",
The United States is rising. This is the consensus of all entrepreneurs, politicians, and scholars.
Lu Shi thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Britain is still the most powerful country in the world."
The Queen couldn't help but grin,
"You just said 'still is'? That word was used very carefully. I want to thank you, an international student from the East. You didn't deliberately say those nice things to please me or deceive me. You are very honest."
Lu Shi even felt a little embarrassed to be praised so much.
I clearly have nothing to do with honesty.
He said: "Your Majesty, the people respect the United Kingdom under your rule, and they respect you even more. When I came to Buckingham Palace in a carriage today, the people of London would consciously make way for me when they saw the iconic red uniforms of the Queen's Guards."
The Queen also likes the feeling of being flattered,
But she still said calmly: "That is not reverence, that is fear, fear of the law."
There is indeed such a law,
As the protectors of Britain's top leaders, the Queen's Guards keep their equipment responsive at all times. It is illegal to stand, go against the flow, or block them on their way. Guards soldiers can deal with emergencies on their own without approval.
In other words, they really have the authority to empty the magazine,
The American kind.
Lu Shi shook his head and said: "Your Majesty, I don't mean any compliments. Your influence is very great. Many landmarks in the world are named after Victoria, including Lake Victoria, the largest lake in Africa, the state of Victoria in Australia, the city of Victoria in Canada, and cities all over the world. The Victoria Parks of the world…”
The queen's eyes were bright and piercing, as if she were fifty years younger.
She looked at Stephenson,
"Freck, is it true? I don't remember Canada...well...isn't it Brazil?"
Stephenson blushed;
"Your Majesty, I too... I will check immediately."
With that said, he left quickly.
Soon, he returned to the room and said breathlessly: "Your Majesty, what Mr. Lu said is absolutely right. And you remember correctly, Brazil has Victoria, and so does Canada."
The Queen said softly "Hmm" and turned to Lu Shi.
"Mr. Lu, you are very knowledgeable and well-informed. It's no wonder you have such a judgment about the United States."
Still coming back to this topic.
The Queen's reign was the period when Britain was the most powerful "empire on which the sun never sets". It was called the "Victorian Era" in history.
During this period, Britain increased its colonial expansion, liberal capitalism developed from the ascendant to the top, and then transitioned to monopoly capitalism. The economy and culture were unprecedentedly prosperous, and the constitutional monarchy was fully developed.
Victoria herself became a symbol of British prosperity.
But this heyday could not last,
After the death of the Queen, the United States completed overtaking in the corner at an incredible speed.
The date of the Queen's death was January 22, 1901, less than three months away.
Lu Shi said: "Your Majesty, I am just an overseas student, and I have only just opened my eyes to see the world. Those compliments you just gave me are really too much. I cannot afford it."
This sentence was not meant to be modest. Lu Shi knew very well how much he weighed.
The queen was not angry because of Lu Shi's rebuttal.
She pondered for a moment and said: "I originally wanted to ask Mr. Lu to work for the royal family and tutor the princess in English writing. Now it seems there is no chance."
Princess……
That foreign girl named Margarita?
A figure flashed through Lu Shi's mind, and he instantly figured out why the queen knew about him.
He quickly said: "Your Majesty, according to the rules, the education of the princess should be handled by nobles with titles. As a foreigner, I am not qualified at all. What's more, I am completely incapable of tutoring English writing. To say the least, even if you don't consider it, For aristocratic education, there are so many universities in London and countless well-educated people, so why bother using the traditional method of hiring private teachers?”
The Queen also heard that the University of Paris was recruiting female students,
She frowned,
"Sending the princess to college? Mr. Lu has gone one step further."
In fact, it’s not that radical.
According to history, the education of the British royal family will soon be reformed, and the princess will also have the same opportunity to enter university as the prince.
The Queen lowered her head and pondered, seemingly considering the feasibility of this matter.
Time passes minute by minute,
The room was extremely quiet, and the steady breathing even gave Lu Shi the illusion that the queen was asleep.
I don’t know how long it’s been,
"Mr. Lu, thank you for your visit today."
The Queen finally saw off her guests.
Lu Shi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Just as he was about to say goodbye, he heard the other party say again: "I heard that Mr. Lu is going to write editorials for the Daily Telegraph and the Manchester Guardian. I'm very much looking forward to it."
Just this sentence made Lu Shi feel relieved again.
How could he be targeted by the Queen?
