The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 660 - 322 Playing Good Cop, Bad Cop_3

Lord Brougham blinked with a smile, "It’s a pity that the others in the House of Lords might not think so. At a recent meeting of the House, I heard that bunch of old-fashioned men complaining that His Majesty doesn’t have the style and taste of his brother, lacks timing in speech, and likes to deliver lengthy pre-war mobilizations on the ship when drunk; even the most elegant French took on the scent of Caribbean tobacco when he spoke."

Out of courtesy, Viscount Melbourne merely turned up the corners of his mouth slightly without laughing aloud.

He began, "The group you’re talking about didn’t think highly of him even before His Majesty ascended the throne. He probably never expected to inherit the crown. For a long time, he was the invisible presence within the royal family. Whether it was his choice to follow General Nelson when he was young or later threatening his father about joining the House of Lords, it all showed His Majesty was a man craving attention. Though in some areas, his actions were somewhat inappropriate, he truly wanted to become an outstanding King."

Brougham picked up his handkerchief and wiped his mouth, "So, you gave him this opportunity to show his mercy in front of the public of Britain, to pardon those rioters?"

Viscount Melbourne chuckled softly, "It’s merely a coincidence."

Viscount Melbourne had no intention of being explicit, and neither did Lord Brougham want to continue probing.

His professional side as a lawyer didn’t quite enjoy interpersonal matters; his idiosyncratic nature made him more concerned about practical execution.

He just asked, "Now that the person to demonstrate mercy has been decided, who do you plan to assign the task of slinging mud upon themselves? Manipulating the judges’ decisions exists only in theory, and only a madman would volunteer to ruin themselves like that."

Brougham hit the nail on the head concerning another purpose of Viscount Melbourne’s visit.

Viscount Melbourne reorganized his words, speaking methodically, "We all understand the sensitivity of this trial, so we cannot choose someone with an already tarnished reputation, as that would only excite the journalists on Fleet Street and enrage the citizens of Britain..."

"Makes sense,"

Lord Brougham seemed to remark casually, "If you could persuade the Archbishop of Canterbury to take charge of the prosecution, that would be perfect."

"There’s no need for that; the prosecutor doesn’t have to be spotlessly noble like that."

Viscount Melbourne quickly interrupted his outlandish idea, realizing Lord Brougham had probably guessed his thoughts.

Since that was the case, he decided not to beat around the bush and asked directly, "I plan to assign this task to the Office of the Prosecutor for the London area, or more precisely, to your prized pupil, Arthur Hastings."

"Oh..." Lord Brougham leaned one hand on the back of the sofa, looking out the window, "I must say, your thoughts leap dramatically from Britain’s religious leader to the atheist stronghold of the University of London."

A single sentence had snapped Viscount Melbourne from his relaxed demeanor back to the stark reality.

The difficulty of dealing with Brougham was evident at that moment.

His agreeability earlier was not due to his good temper but because Viscount Melbourne’s ideas aligned with his own.

Once their ideas diverged, it was as if facing hail in the face and storms.

However, Viscount Melbourne could understand his point.

The University of London, being a newly established school and having just obtained its teaching charter not long ago, naturally didn’t have many notable alumni.

Just the other day, "The Times" had just published an enrollment advertisement featuring Arthur Hastings.

All of a sudden, letting Brougham’s most proud disciple take on a risky job was totally unreasonable.

What’s more troublesome, Arthur had just been shot in Liverpool. Given Brougham’s temper, it was already polite he hadn’t erupted yet. freewebnøvel.com

And now, to smear his student, was practically disregarding him.

Nevertheless, Viscount Melbourne had anticipated this concern early on and brought out his prepared argument to persuade.

"Actually, if there were other suitable candidates, I wouldn’t want to bother him with this task. Even just on a personal level, Mr. Hastings has been quite helpful to me. Recently, I had a misunderstanding with Mr. Faraday, and it was he who helped resolve it. Hence, when the Liverpool incident happened, I was the first to call people from Scotland Yard to enhance his security."

"But, in my opinion, having Mr. Hastings handle this task would be greatly beneficial for his future growth. Frankly, the Home Office is also considering revising the Metropolitan Police Act of 1829. Arthur’s capabilities and achievements are well recognized by everyone."

"Although promotions by exception are generally not allowed, I always support talented young people. If Arthur handles this prosecution well, once Scotland Yard is reorganized, he should rightfully be promoted to Assistant Commissioner, and those voices questioning his concurrent role as Deputy Chief Prosecutor for the London area can be silenced."

"Moreover, at the last Privy Council meeting, didn’t we discuss the list of junior knighthoods for next year? The specific candidates have not yet been officially decided. If Arthur can wrap up this case before the list is submitted, I believe with this merit, he truly deserves this honor."

Upon hearing this, Lord Brougham’s dissatisfaction remained evident on his face.

He was just about to argue a few points with Viscount Melbourne, but before he could begin, a knock on the door interrupted.

"Your Excellency, Mr. Hastings has returned from Liverpool. Are you available to see him now?"