Dirty dirty——
Facing the English Channel, the small ship slowly left Southampton Harbor and headed towards the Isle of Wight.
Lu Shi narrowed his eyes,
Because the weather was clear enough, even though it was already dusk, the rock walls and gravel of White Island could be seen with the naked eye.
The waves hit the rocks one after another, breaking into white foam.
At this time, a smart voice sounded from behind: "Professor Lu, you have been tired from traveling all the way back from Paris, why don't you go back to the cabin to stay? It will take more than an hour to go to the Isle of Wight, so why not take the opportunity to rest. "
Lu Shi turned around,
In front of me is the beautiful princess——
Margarita.
Her eyes were slightly red, either from crying or from a long period of lack of sleep.
Lu Shi couldn't help but sigh,
When she left for Paris for exchanges, some newspapers reported the news of the Queen's trip to the Isle of Wight.
At that time, he felt that he had some impression of this news. He seemed to have read it in some information or biographies before traveling.
Now, he recalled that according to established history, Queen Victoria was in poor health in December 1900, but she still insisted on going to the Isle of Wight, and finally died of illness on January 22.
But Lu Shi’s time travel changed history.
The Queen's death was postponed.
Looking at it now, this delay is only more than three months, because Margarita clearly said when they met: "Grandma is awake most of the time, but she keeps her eyes closed, for fear of failure." ”
Lu Shi pondered for a moment, but couldn't think of how to comfort him, so he honestly chose to remain silent.
Margarita forced a smile,
"You didn't expect me to send you a telegram?"
Lu Shi nodded.
For most of history, when a British emperor died, it was normal to keep the mourning secret.
The reason lies in what Bernard Shaw mentioned before:
"The British Empire was a feudal free state."
Even if there is a constitutional monarchy, the emperor's power is immense.
Victoria is the best example. The Queen's civil and military skills can often even suppress the Senate and the House of Representatives, launch wars and plunders externally, and ban the Prime Minister internally.
This state of "feudal freedom" lasted for a long time. It was not until the end of World War II that the royal family was completely reduced to a mascot.
Margarita said: "Actually, His Majesty asked me to send you a telegram."
Lu Shi was surprised,
"What?"
Margarita spread her hands,
"I don't know the reason either."
Lu Shi felt even more incredible,
"strangeness……"
Margarita did not dwell too much on this issue. She glanced at the Isle of Wight in the distance and said, "The reefs on the north coast of the Isle of Wight are rugged and not suitable for landing on the island. The ship will first go around to the west and enter the port on the northwest side, so It will take longer than you think.”
Lu Shi nodded,
"Let's go back to the cabin."
The two returned to the cabin together.
Margarita looked at Lu's profile and felt slightly relieved, her sadness somewhat diluted.
She asked curiously: "Professor Lu, I went to the Collège de France for exchanges. Did you encounter anything interesting?"
Lu Shi knew that chatting more could divert attention and make Margarita feel better.
He recounted his experiences during this period.
Unexpectedly, Margarita looked uninterested and asked: "Professor Lu, you are writing a book and winning a literary award, are they all serious business?"
Only then did Lu Shi see it,
Although Her Royal Highness is curious about work, she is not very curious.
Lu Shi scratched his head,
You wouldn’t talk about fighting a landlord with a French guy or going to a nightclub below Montmartre to watch a lap dance, right?
He thought for a while and said: "The most famous attraction in Paris is undoubtedly the Eiffel Tower."
Margarita responded: "I know. The Eiffel Tower is the tallest building in the world. In 1889, in order to hold the World's Fair to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the victory of the French Revolution, the French government held a tender to build it."
I didn't expect this girl to be so familiar.
Lu Shi said: "Then you must not know the story of the Eiffel Tower and the great writer Victor Hugo."
Margarita was curious,
"what story?"
Lu Shi said with a smile: "Hugo thought a steel tower was extremely ugly, but the Eiffel Tower was too high and could be seen from anywhere in Paris, so Hugo ran to the tower every day so that he could not see it. "
Margarita was silent,
"..."
She almost had the word "boring" written on her face.
Lu Shi was slightly embarrassed, and then said: "Then... let me think about it... that's right! Have you heard of the Pont des Arts?"
Margarita shook her head and said she had never heard of it.
Lu Shi continued: "Pont des Arts. The reason why I mentioned it after the Eiffel Tower is because it was built in the early 19th century and was the first iron bridge in Paris."
Upon hearing that it was steel again, Her Royal Highness lost interest.
"well……"
She sighed slightly, secretly thinking that Professor Lu was not interested.
Don’t they all say that French men are romantic?
Professor Lu went there like this, but he didn’t learn the essence of it. Instead, he lost the spirit he had when he wrote "Roman Holiday".
Unexpectedly, Lu Shi said: "Artists who paint and play musical instruments can often be seen on the Art Bridge. Many couples come here to hang 'love locks' engraved with their lovers' names, hoping that they will never be separated from each other. It becomes a very special landscape.”
Margarita was wilted just now, but now she is in high spirits.
"Really?"
Lu Shi didn't know whether it was true or not.
It is true that "love locks" are hung on the Pont des Arts by various couples, but when exactly this custom started, Lu Shi has no memory.
He is not a French folklorist.
But seeing as Margarita could temporarily forget about the Queen, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and talk about it.
Just like that, more than an hour passed.
There was a whistle outside,
Dirty dirty——
The ship slowly docked.
Lu Shi and Margarita got off the boat and were immediately picked up by Frederick von Stephenson, the leader of the Coldstream Guards, into two carriages and drove towards Osborne Palace.
Osborne House is a royal palace,
The palace was built between 1845 and 1851 for the summer vacation of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
The carriage went all the way east,
Soon, Lu Shi could see the magnificent building through the car window.
The palace is in the style of the Italian Renaissance, reflecting the luxurious royal style. The exquisitely carved statues on the facade give people a glimpse of the extravagant life of the British royal family.
After getting off the carriage, Stephenson whispered: "Don't look at what you shouldn't see, and don't say anything you shouldn't say."
Lu Shi scratched his head,
"Why do I feel that these words are familiar?"
Stephenson glared at him.
"I told you before, that is the rule of audience. But this time is different. Osborne Palace is the Queen's favorite residence in her life, but the partitions inside are not very strict. There are the Queen's bedroom, even the baby room, and the royal bathroom along the road. , are you curious?"
Lu Shi shook his head, indicating that he was not curious.
"I understand. Don't look at what you shouldn't see, and don't say anything you shouldn't say."
Stephenson was then satisfied,
"Walk."
The three of them stepped through the gate and entered the main house, then walked through it and finally stopped in front of a room.
Beside the door, stood many nobles,
The one Lu Shi could recognize was the Prince of Wales, the Queen's heir and the future Edward VII.
And Kaiser Wilhelm II, this is the queen’s grandson,
Of course, there are also various princesses, princes, and grand dukes...
Not fully recognized at all.
They all looked at the landing with a curious look, like they were looking at aliens.
There is no way, Chinese students are really out of tune with the atmosphere here.
At this time, Margarita stepped forward and pulled Lu Shi's arm.
"Grandma is waiting for you."
Lu Shi was surprised,
"I'm going in alone? Hiss..."
He took a breath,
There is something in my heart that I don’t know whether to say or not.
If Her Majesty the Queen suddenly quakes while she is inside, even if she jumps into the Yellow River, she won’t be able to wash it off!
Margarita seemed to sense what Lu Shi was worried about.
She glared at Lu Shi,
"Professor Lu!"
After saying that, he gently pushed Lu Shi's back from behind.
Lu Shi pushed the door open and entered.
The room was eerily quiet,
There was a rich sweet smell in the air, as if the essential oil refined from hundreds of tons of flowers was slowly evaporating.
But this sweetness cannot cover up the slightest bit of rancidity.
It is the unique smell of dying people, the smell of death.
On the big bed in the middle of the room, Queen Victoria lay there,
Her eyes were closed, as if she had fallen asleep permanently.
On the bedside table on the right side stands a scepter, decorated with mother-of-pearl, rubies, and gold.
The queen is covered in a red and gold coat. The queen's right hand stretches out from the sleeve, holding the scepter feebly. The green veins are coiled and crouching like a chicken's claw.
Lu Shi stepped forward slowly,
"His Majesty?"
The Queen's eyelids moved, then slowly opened them, revealing a sliver of the whites of her eyes.
After half a second, black pupils appeared.
Looking at that look, it seemed like the Queen had exhausted all her strength just to open her eyes.
"Huh~"
Lu Shi exhaled a breath,
Fortunately, he is still alive.
The queen turned her head with difficulty, found Lu Shi, and said, "You are here? Why did you bring lemons?"
Lu Shi:? ? ?
"lemon?"
He looked confused.
The Queen pursed her lips into the air and said, "It's still a lemon tree."
Lu Shi was momentarily speechless.
The lemon tree should be an illusion seen by the Queen.
After a while, he said: "Your Majesty, can you recognize me?"
The Queen looked over again,
After a long while, she said: "You are the author of "Yes! Prime Minister", Lu Shi. Right?"
As she spoke, she showed a "please praise me" smile, like a naughty child waiting for a reward.
Lu Shi half-crouched down,
"Yes, I am Lu Shi."
The Queen's face became serious for a moment, and then turned back to her original look of an old child.
She asked: "Why are you here?"
Lu Shi was helpless,
"Your Majesty, you asked Her Royal Highness the Princess to send a telegram to summon me back."
The queen's head moved slightly,
It looked like he wanted to nod, but the amplitude was too small, like he was dozing off.
The queen said: "Professor Lu, what do you think of me as the queen?"
Lu Shi looked confused,
"Your Majesty is asking me? Am I worthy of answering?"
The implication is that there are the Queen's descendants and grandchildren out there, and there are so many politicians and scholars in the UK. The Queen didn't ask, but she asked a Chinese student.
How outrageous is it?
But the Queen said: "Yes, I'm just asking you."
Lu Shi was speechless,
It seems that the Queen is indeed confused.
But when things got to this point, I couldn't even think about not answering. I had to say something about the car.
Lu Shi said: "Your Majesty is the 'Mother of Europe'."
Hearing this compliment, the queen couldn't help laughing: "Hehehehe...cough cough cough..."
The laughter turned into a fit of coughing.
After a while, the queen calmed down her heaving chest and said, "It's not quite true, you slippery head."
Lu Shi touched his nose awkwardly,
"You are not a slippery man. Your Majesty, your rule lasted for more than half a century, and you continued to expand new territories overseas, forming the British Empire on which 'the sun never sets', and even allowed you to be crowned the Queen of India. Under your rule, the country's Stability and dignity make the monarchy popular again. The British people can not know the Senate and the Houses of Parliament, but they must know Victoria."
This is not a compliment,
From a historical perspective, Victoria was definitely a great monarch.
Of course, this greatness is only for the Commonwealth.
The queen was silent.
After a while, she asked Lu Shi: "Professor Lu, why do you think I asked you this question?"
How could Lu Shi know?
He shook his head in confusion,
"I am not sure."
The Queen did not reveal the answer directly, but asked: "Professor Lu, what do you think the UK will do in the future? Will it lose to France? Germany? Or Russia or the United States?"
This question is almost like a policy discussion,
Lu Shi was even more confused and answered cautiously: "I'm not a prophet, how can I know the answer to this question?"
The Queen said: "But you wrote 'Yes! Prime Minister'."
Lu Shi waved his hands repeatedly,
"It's just a game, not worth mentioning."
As soon as these words came out, the room fell into silence.
"..."
"..."
"..."
A wordless silence filled the air.
After a minute, the Queen spoke: "There are some things, although I don't say them, but it doesn't mean that I'm not aware of them."
Cold sweat broke out on Lu Shi's forehead.
"Your Majesty, you..."
The Queen interrupted: "Faintly, I feel that Professor Lu is a little too keen. In fact, you have some foresight and always seem to be able to grasp the essence of things."
Lu Shi:! ! !
Looking at each other in shock.
The queen seemed tired, and slowly closed her eyes and said, "Logically speaking, I should think you are a spy. But I have a very clear feeling that you are not a spy. Don't ask me why I know, I just know. "
Lu Shi smiled awkwardly,
"Your Majesty is joking."
The Queen said lightly "Yes",
"Well, I was indeed joking. Just think of those words just now as a prank by a dying person."
Lu Shi looked at the queen,
Although he was not a supporter of the heroic view of history, after coming into contact with the Queen, he had to admit a fact in his heart.
Some great people do have abilities that ordinary people do not have:
Maybe it’s the nuanced insight;
Maybe it’s the mysterious sixth sense;
Perhaps some kind of apocalypse;
…
They are indeed different.
Lu Shi said, "Your Majesty, what are your requirements for summoning me?"
The queen's eyelids twitched.
Lu Shi knew that under the cover of her eyelids, the queen's eyes were facing him.
Therefore, he repeated the question again without any changes: "Your Majesty, what are your requirements for summoning me?"
The queen's lips curled up, as if she was smiling.
She said: "I want to be willful for a while."
Lu Shi was puzzled.
"capricious?"
The Queen did not explain, but asked: "I heard that your London University Union is running a newspaper recently? I wonder how you will report and evaluate me after my death?"
Lu Shi was a man who knew everything, and said: "Your Majesty, as I said just now, you are the 'Mother of Europe'. Your rule lasted for more than half a century, and you continued to expand new territories overseas, forming the 'Japanese The British Empire has never fallen into decline, and even allowed you to be crowned the Queen of India. Under your rule, the stability and dignity of the country have made the monarchy popular again. The British people can not know the Senate and the House of Representatives, but they must know Victoria."
Watertight repetition.
The queen chuckled,
"I don't think this is moving or nice enough."
Lu Shi: "..."
I vaguely feel that the Queen wants her to sing praises and even write a biography.
But the problem is that although Lu Shi has read "The Biography of Victoria", he has almost forgotten the content in it.
He was silent for a while and then said: "I understand. Your Majesty, I will make it work, and you will become the greatest British man in the 19th century."
The queen seemed satisfied,
She asked: "Thank you Professor Lu for your evaluation. What do you want to gain for this?"
Lu Shi shook his head,
"Having such front-page headlines is enough for the Mirror."
Other newspapers probably haven’t heard the news that the Queen is seriously ill and about to die, but the Mirror can sneak away in advance to make preparations.
With such a major exclusive news, it is basically certain that "Mirror" will be invincible.
The queen was not satisfied,
"I think you should still be rewarded. How about a title?"
Lu Shi didn't reply.
At this time, nothing is appropriate.
The queen seemed to be contemplating with her eyes closed.
After a moment, she said: "Professor Lu, you go down first. Don't worry, my promise will definitely be fulfilled."
Lu Shi bowed,
"Yes, thank you Your Majesty."
He slowly exited the room.
When he closed the door, he couldn't help but glance at the queen on the couch again.
The light of the setting sun shines into the house through the window, exposing half of the Queen's face to the light and half to the shadow.
This picture seems to be announcing something.
Lu Shi felt like a mirror in his heart,
The Victorian era is over.
(End of chapter)
