The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 655 - 321: Sir of Honors

London, Westminster, the Lord Chancellor’s office.

Just as Arthur got out of the carriage, he saw several rows of Guard Cavalry patrolling side by side down Whitehall, taking small, quick steps.

He struck a match out of habit and, looking at the group of men on tall horses, muttered, "All this pomp and circumstance? Surely cholera prevention doesn’t warrant such measures. Has something else happened in London recently?"

Louis, who had come with him, spoke up, "Deploying the Guard Cavalry isn’t really about combating cholera. I had a brief chat with some of the other police secretaries in the office this morning. They said that with Parliament reform, the Swin riots, the cholera outbreak, and the Liverpool shooting case all coming together, everyone’s nerves, whether in Parliament or the Cabinet, are incredibly strained."

"While there hasn’t been major chaos in London recently, small-scale disturbances are endless, with one or two incidents occurring almost every day. It’s said that the Duke of Wellington once suggested deploying the troops to resolve the issue, but Sir Peel later dissuaded him. However, considering the current shortfall in London’s law enforcement, the Home Office eventually decided to send the disarmed Guard Cavalry to participate in patrols."

"Is that so?"

Arthur glanced at the passing Guard Cavalry, "No wonder they have those ’Civilization Canes’ fastened at their waists. If you hadn’t told me, I would have thought these chaps had stolen them from Scotland Yard."

Louis made a peculiar face and said, "The noble Guard Cavalry would stoop to stealing things?"

"Noble? They are far from noble now."

Arthur said, "Even though the Guard Cavalry used to mostly comprise nobility’s children, the war that Britain fought against your uncle pretty much wiped out that first generation of noble sons. If we had insisted on maintaining that selection standard, we’d never have been able to keep up with the necessary number of troops. So, ever since then, the standards for the Guard Cavalry have been lowered to those of decent citizens’ children."

Louis replied, "France isn’t faring much better. The highest average quality among French soldiers was right at the start of the Great Revolution. When my uncle led them to invade Central Europe, many Deutsch and Swiss were attracted by their impressive stature, dashing looks, and clean, dazzling uniforms, which is why they joined the French army.

But by the late Napoleonic Wars, we couldn’t even ensure soldiers were tall and handsome, let alone guarantee their uniforms were uniform and tidy. On the march, they resembled a rainbow – a real eyesore. The worst part is, many in their ranks were riffraff and hooligans freshly released from prison, so as you know, it’s hard to expect any military discipline from this lot, much less the spirit of chivalry."

Arthur took a drag on his cigarette, "It seems in this respect, Britain and France really are in the same boat. I discussed this with the Duke of Wellington before, and he mentioned it to me."

Louis perked up at the mention of Wellington’s name; aside from studying his uncle, his greatest hobby was researching the lifelong adversary of his uncle.

"What did His Grace say?"

Arthur recalled briefly and then started to mimic the Duke’s cool and slightly impatient tone.

"During the Peninsular War, I commanded an army I could be proud of. They would always execute my orders and bet their lives on it. Seeing such outstanding young men sacrifice their lives always touched me, and that’s why I hate war.

But, at the Battle of Waterloo, it was a different story. I led a rabble, the dregs of British society. Petty thieves, criminals, with no respect for military discipline, and making them march in formation seemed like it would take their lives. This is why I never consider Waterloo the greatest moment of my life; I have no interest in standing on a pile of trash."

Louis couldn’t help but laugh out loud, "It seems great figures do share some similarities, whether it’s their disdain for militarily undisciplined troops or their advocacy for the use of force to suppress riots. Yet, the Duke of Wellington is more reserved than my uncle. If my uncle had been in the Duke’s place, he certainly wouldn’t have listened to Sir Peel, nor would he have agreed to let the Guard Cavalry be equipped with ’Civilization Canes’."

As Arthur heard this, he was suddenly reminded of the "Napoleon Biography" he had read before.

He took a deep breath of the cold London air on the street, "The Duke’s reserved nature is indeed Britain’s good fortune. As far as I know, in the past half-century, the barricades of Paris have only been humbled once when facing Napoleon."

Louis was also aware of the incident Arthur was referring to.

Napoleon began his rise by helping the Thermidorian Faction suppress the royalist uprising in Paris. When the Royalists broke out in a significant revolt, Napoleon’s response was forty cannons. The Parisian barricades, which Louis XVI and others failed to overcome, lasted only an hour against Napoleon.

Louis knew such a dark part of history wasn’t something to flaunt, so he didn’t directly address it but instead chose a different way to cover his embarrassment.

"What my uncle did that time was indeed a bit excessive. If it were up to me, I’m sure I could handle it much more properly."

Arthur raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Oh? Do you plan to reason with the rioters?"

"No, I wouldn’t do something so foolish; I prefer to prevent problems before they arise."

Louis confidently lifted his head and picked up the Liverpool city transformation document, waving it at Arthur, "If one day I’m fortunate enough to serve France, then I will completely transform Paris. I will straighten out those winding narrow alleys in Paris, so no one can ever think about setting up barricades there again."