Chapter 137: The Many Faces of Politics (Next)
Chapter 137 – The Many Faces of Politics (Next)
The rain was still slowly falling outside the window, the dense drizzle almost coming together to form a water-colored curtain, which looked transparent but hid Arthur and Disraeli in the cafe.
Perhaps the black tea had improved Disraeli’s bad mood, or perhaps he had suppressed his own mood for too long.
In Greenwich District, this constituency that did not belong to Disraeli, this cafe that did not recognize him, he could finally pour out his bitterness with impunity, and step by step, he also walked into the trap that Arthur had carefully woven for him.
In Arthur’s view, the first priority of domestic intelligence work is to protect sensitive national information.
And to accomplish this work, Arthur, as a humble social public weapon, had to reluctantly start with understanding sensitive information first.
The personal information of a young Rothschild congressman, a talented new generation of writers, was obviously included in this category.
Arthur held the teacup in both hands, feeling the warmth transmitted from the white porcelain surface, he asked, “I didn’t realize that you are actually a Jew who converted to the state church, this situation is really somewhat rare.”
Disraeli was clearly haunted by his identity, “If I were an Englishman, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have been subjected to such violent criticism. Even though I was sent by my father to be converted to the state church priest to learn the state church rituals since I was young, but looking back, the conversion helped me only to be able to run for the parliament normally, but those prejudices buried in people’s hearts can’t be changed easily.
Mr. Hastings, if you hadn’t told me you didn’t have the right to vote, I wouldn’t have been so casual about shaking out my lineage. I’m a Jew, but I’m also an Englishman, and on top of that I’m a normal, devout Christian. Two thirds of my component parts are very British, but they always like to stare at the other third.”
Arthur laughed, “It’s no big deal, I’m an Englishman, but I’m also a spiritual Easterner, and on top of that I’m an abnormal, deviant Catholic. But the fact that I’ve gotten to where I am now means that those people don’t actually care what components you have, all that matters is that you can be useful to them.”
“The Orientals?” Disraeli’s eyes lit up, “Are you talking about Jerusalem, the holy land founded by King Solomon?”
The Red Devil, who was originally sitting by the window and dozing off, instantly came to life when he heard this, he snorted coldly and pushed up his glasses as if he thought it was cool, “When it comes to the study of King Solomon, I’m at the level of your grandfather’s grandfather.”
Arthur glanced at Agares and pressed his words in time as he spoke at Disraeli.
“The East includes Jerusalem and, of course, the area further east. You’re a writer, so you should understand that mysteries always hold a different charm.”
“Further east?”
Disraeli thought for a moment, “I’m afraid you’re talking about India and China. That is indeed an ancient and mysterious region. When I followed my father on a trip to Germany a few years ago, I heard that Mr. Goethe of the Duchy of Weimar was also fascinated by China, and that he spent his days rummaging through libraries to see if there were any English or French translations of Chinese books.
Once I even ran into him in the library, he is really a kind person, I am just an inconspicuous young man, but he did not look down on me, but also very enthusiastic for me to read he was reading a Chinese epic saga, the name of the saga seems to be called …… called… . what’s it called the Orphan ……”
Arthur’s mind turned, he blinked twice, “Mr. Disraeli, as far as I know, there are quite a lot of Chinese novels about orphans, and most of them are collected in a big library called Starting Point.”
“Really?” Disraeli was flabbergasted, “I’ve only heard of the Forbidden City as the place where the Chinese emperor lives, and most of the Chinese tea we drink comes out of Guangzhou and Quanzhou, as for the big library called the Beginning, I’ve never really heard of it. Is that a marvelous building like the Parthenon in Greece?”
Arthur responded vaguely, “Something like that, and anyway, it’s really a miracle that so many orphans were gathered.”
Disraeli murmured, “Maybe one day my work will be collected there as well, after all, I kind of like writing about orphans too.”
Arthur almost choked on his tea as he coughed, “What did you say?”
Disraeli quickly waved his hands, “Nothing nothing, just a bit of self-talk.”
Immediately, he fell into a bitter thought, suddenly Disraeli’s eyes lit up, a slap on the table, “I remembered! Mr. Goethe read ‘The Orphan of Zhao’, that word ‘Zhao’ is really hard to pronounce, no wonder I have such a deep memory of it. Mr. Goethe even told me at the time that he intended to use it as a blueprint for a play, and several years have passed, and I don’t know if he’s finished it or not.”
Arthur asked, “It sounds as if you have traveled through many regions of Europe?”
Hearing this, Disraeli immediately opened up, “I won’t hide it from you, I actually just came back from the Two Sicilies, and before that, I even went to Switzerland. After all, as you know, I was so distracted by the matter of Vivian Grey that I had to go out for a break. I had hoped to follow it up with a tour of the Balkans, a trip to Ottoman Turkey, and visits to Palestine and Egypt in the Near East.
But I suddenly remembered that there was going to be a general election in my country, so I simply came back to try my luck. If I don’t get elected this time, then the rest of my journey is at least planned.”
Arthur nodded slightly and said, “I can see that you are a person who does things with a strong sense of purpose and planning. I wouldn’t be surprised if you became Prime Minister one day.”
The Red Devil on the side couldn’t help but cover his mouth with a bad smile when he heard this, “Wow! Arthur, you’re a tenuous little bastard. It is the nature of young people to clamor, especially when they are insignificant and have nothing to do. You’re blowing him off like that, but you’re going to make him willingly give you his heart and soul.”
However, Arthur acted as if he hadn’t heard Agareth’s words, while Disraeli, who was sitting across from him, was already half red with excitement.
Being the Prime Minister and all that, he had actually imagined it in his mind, but even though he had fantasized about it countless times, it still gave him immense pleasure when it came out of someone else’s mouth.
Disraeli tried his best to restrain his emotions, but the gradually rising corners of his mouth and his gradually twitching facial expression still betrayed him.
“As much as I hate to criticize others, Mr. Hastings, you may be looking at the wrong person this time. Compared to the truly exceptional great men and statesmen like Plato, Aristotle, Julius Caesar, William Shakespeare, or Napoleon Bonaparte, I still have a lot to learn.”
When Agares heard this, the Red Devil couldn’t help but freeze for a moment, then he pushed up his glasses and nodded seriously. “Unexpectedly, I still underestimated this young man’s wild ambition. Obviously, he suffered a heavy blow only a short while ago, but he still compares himself to these stars of human history in his mind.”
Arthur nodded slightly as he leaned back in his chair and spoke with interest, “Although I don’t have the right to vote, would you be willing to tell me about your political views? I’m really interested in you as a person.”
Disraeli, who had clearly been overwhelmed with enthusiasm, readily agreed.
“Of course! I’m glad you’re willing to make time to listen to me talk about these things. In fact, I never care to explain to people in general. But, Mr. Hastings, you are different.
For I feel that you are a man like me, and I am a proud man, and my endeavors stem from my pride. Yes! It is pride that inspires me, not ideals! That I should become good stems not from my pursuit of a goal, but that I was born to become good.
Though I am still a lowly little man, I should not be mediocre all my life. Mr. Hastings, you must think so too?”
Arthur came to terms with the identification that Disraeli threw at him.
He smiled and nodded slightly, “Of course, we will both be great men of Great Britain someday, even though you are a Jew and I am a spiritual Oriental, but what’s the big deal? No one likes to spend their life wrestling in a mud pit.”
Disraeli nodded excitedly, “If I were to become Prime Minister, the first thing I would do is to remove the public’s hostility towards people of different ethnicities and faiths; English, Scots, Welsh, Irish, Jews, everyone is British in the end. Christians, Catholics, Jews, they are all God’s chosen people.
I know it may be difficult, but it’s like Bacon said: good fortune is to be envied, but it’s triumph over evil that is truly marvelous. I want everyone to marvel at me, and I want to be like Lord Byron, who, even with bad luck, even against the fiercest of enemies, must triumph in the end.
Are you a fan of Lord Byron? Although I don’t agree with some of his views, I really draw a lot of strength from his life and books.
He spread his family’s wealth to support the Greek independence movement and ultimately died for Greece like one of those ‘Byronic heroes’ he writes about so tragically.
Geez! Who would have thought that this man, who had been expelled from Great Britain in life, would be able to get Greece to hold the noblest of state funeral ceremonies in his honor after his death. This name, which a dozen years ago was a taboo in England, has now become one of the brightest stars in the history of Britain!”
Disraeli talked at length about his ideals and ambitions, yet the rain outside the window did not half turn down.
The curtain of rain was dense, and the evening sun was misty.
In the silence, Arthur looked at Disraeli’s impassioned expression and just smiled, not responding.
After an unknown amount of time, Disraeli finally finished pouring out his feelings.
He let out a long, satisfied breath and picked up the coat on the back of his chair and stood up.
He smiled and opened his mouth at Arthur, and the terms of endearment between the two had long since become familiar.
He opened his mouth intimately and asked, “Arthur, let’s go back together, your house is not far from mine anyway. The environment of this cafe is quite good, if there is a chance in the future, let’s come back here again.”
Arthur also stretched his back, “No problem, you go call a car, I’ll go find the store owner to settle the bill.”
Disraeli blinked at Arthur and pointed a finger at him, “Okay, then I’ll wait for you outside.”
Arthur looked at him as he walked out the door of the café, before licking his lips and slowly pulling a kraft bag from the bag at his side.
The cover of the paper bag simply had a few lines written on it.
《The Provisional Survey and Investigation Statistics Bureau of the London Region: File 001》.
“Entry: Code A
Subject: Benjamin Disraeli.
Arthur looked at the kraft paper bag and thought for a while, before he finally took out a pen from his chest and lightly drew two strokes on it casually.
–Character importance level: concern level
–The degree of thought danger: very safe
–Follow-up investigation arrangement: continue to follow up
(End of this chapter)