Palrston's vague response left his wife in silence. In the nine years of their "love" (more like mutual interests), she (referring to Madam Palrston) had long understood the "domineering" and "stubbornness" of the man in front of her in politics. Never discussing politics with this man beca a "creed" in Madam Palrston's heart.
Facing the silent carriage and the occasional light tremble of the vehicle, Palrston leaned his body tightly against the back seat of the carriage, his eyes slowly closing in a gesture of a short rest.
For a man over sixty, staying up late is indeed harmful to his health, but the complex diplomatic work and the summons from Prince Albert (initiated by Queen Victoria) were matters he had no choice but to face.
Palrston had reason to believe that if his work faced mistakes, Queen Victoria would unhesitatingly remove him from his position.
At that ti, Pri Minister Russell would probably be the first to attack him.
Thinking of the various strategies of Pri Minister Russell, Palrston's tightly closed eyes showed a subtle trace of disdain.
The Pri Minister simply didn't understand the root of the dilemma occurring in Britain. The proposal of a ten-hour workday to deal with unemploynt and the hasty establishnt of the Public Health Committee to deal with cholera were re temporary fixes.
Although Palrston had long been brewing a backstab against Pri Minister Russell, the current situation required the Pri Minister to bear the brunt of unemploynt and strikes, barely maintaining the political operation of the Cabinet, which was the best solution.
Palrston pondered the questions Prince Albert might ask and how to cope with the possible difficulties Queen Victoria might bring.
The accident in 1839 made the Queen detest him [Note 1], and unless absolutely necessary, Palrston interacted more with Prince Albert. The Queen was always led by her emotions, losing the deanor a statesman should have, while the King's Consort was a qualified statesman.
...
The carriage slowly traveled through Jas Park for nearly five minutes, reaching the destination.
The carriage gently stopped at the open-air "parking lot" in front of Buckingham Palace, and the coachman respectfully called to Palrston inside the carriage, "Viscount (Note 2), we have arrived!"
Palrston opened his eyes, assisting his wife as he opened the carriage door.
At this ti, a servant dressed in a Scottish kilt hurriedly ran out of Buckingham Palace; he was John Brown.
"Mr. Brown!" Palrston slightly nodded his head, like a dragonfly skimming the water, and spoke in traditional Scottish Gaelic.
As Foreign Secretary, he knew the man in front of him was a loyal servant to Prince Albert. Showing so goodwill to the servants around Albert Royal Mansion was beneficial to him.
As Palrston anticipated, John Brown's body slightly trembled upon hearing Palrston warmly greet him in his native tongue.
Since becoming Prince Albert's butler, he hadn't heard his "hotown language" for a long ti.
His fondness for Palrston shot up rapidly after Palrston spoke his "hotown language."
"Viscount Palrston, the Queen and the King's Consort are waiting for you in the dining hall!" Unlike his arrogance towards Dr. Jas, John Brown showed due respect to the political figure, Palrston.
"How are the moods of the Queen and the King's Consort?" Palrston tried to gauge what kind of "fate" he would face today through the moods of the King's Consort and the Queen.
"The Queen and the King's Consort are in quite a good mood!" John Brown's words were like a reassurance, dispelling half of Palrston's worries.
Led by John Brown, Palrston arrived at the main hall of the dining room in Buckingham Palace.
The chandelier on the ceiling of the main hall illuminated the entire hall. Under the chandelier was a long dining table made of mahogany, covered with a pale yellow tablecloth. Placed on the tablecloth was a porcelain plate from the East engraved with exquisite patterns, and a set of silver-plated cutlery reflecting a silvery light under the chandelier. Below the silver-plated cutlery was a white silk napkin, which guests could use to wipe away crumbs after enjoying their dinner, and beside the cutlery was a gilded candelabra lit with three candles.
The entire banquet exuded an aura of elegance and grandeur. The cost of the arrangents alone could feed over a dozen British families for a year, and those were four-mber families.
And these arrangents were but trivial embellishnts.
As the ruler of a vast Empire, these decorations were also indispensable.
As usual, Queen Victoria dressed in luxurious court attire sat at the center of the long dining table, while Prince Albert, also in a bright red military uniform with a dal on his chest, sat facing Queen Victoria.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness!" Upon entering the dining hall, Palrston and his wife saluted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
"Lord Palrston, you've co!" In a good mood, Prince Albert smilingly addressed Palrston.
Queen Victoria said nothing, rely nodding, which seed to show she was still upset over Palrston's previous rudeness.
"Don't be reserved, please sit!" Prince Albert invited the Palrston couple to take their seats.
Though in na the main character of this banquet was Queen Victoria, Palrston understood that the real protagonist was Prince Albert.
Palrston did not sit beside Queen Victoria but chose the left side of the King's Consort, while his wife sat beside Queen Victoria.
With everything prepared, Prince Albert nodded to John Brown standing at the entrance. Understanding the Prince's aning, John Brown carried a tray with a bell on it and gently rang the bell.
Two dining carts were pushed towards Buckingham Palace's dining room.
Caviar from the Russian Empire, foie gras and snails from France, and chunks of beef tenderloin... were placed in front of them.
PS:1. In 1839, Palrston married his wife. In the sa year, failing to control his desires, he had an affair with a maid of Windsor Castle. The already pregnant Queen was very angry upon learning this, and swore to teach Palrston a lesson.
2. Palrston was bestowed with a viscount title. Before the implentation of the Reform Act, the power to participate in elections in Britain, based on the amount of tax paid, was still in the hands of the Upper House nobles. Without the majority support of the Upper House, the Cabinet would collapse.
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