The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 580 - 295: Corrupted

"Haha, Mr. Hasting, before meeting you, I assumed you were a difficult, traditional gentleman. But after having a chat with you today, I realized you are truly witty and humorous,"

"Whether they are young or old, anyone can converse with you. Even an old fellow like me, who can’t keep up with the times, can find common topics with you. Anyone who says you are difficult to get along with is clearly slandering your reputation."

In the smoking room, old Gladstone and Hearst were having a spirited conversation with Arthur. Their discussion ranged from the Far East to the Near East, and from the Near East to America.

Thanks to their expert knowledge of international trade, Arthur also greatly broadened his understanding.

"If you are doing business in the Levant, a promise from the Egyptian Pasha Muhammad Ali Pasha is more reliable than one from Ottoman Sultan Mahmud II."

"I heard that Ali has been at odds with the Sultan over the control of Crete and Syria for the last two years, haven’t I?"

"Indeed, on this matter, it was Mahmud II who tricked him. Initially, he promised Ali that, if Ali would quell the rebellion in Greece, he would grant him rule over Crete, Damascus, Tripoli, and Syria after the success.

Ali was very tempted by this offer, so he took up the deal. In 1825, he dispatched his son Ibrahim with over eighteen thousand men from the Egyptian Army to land in Peloponnese. Although the first year’s fighting was tough, by April of the next year, they had conquered the significant town of Myson Gin, where Lord Byron died. By August, Athens too had fallen to the fierce assault of the Egyptians, and the Greek Rebels were utterly outmatched, driven back in defeat, with all the Greek lands north of the Gulf of Corinth falling back into Ottoman hands."

Upon hearing this, Arthur casually asked, "So did Britain, France, and Russia step in to intervene in the Greek War of Independence afterwards?"

Old Gladstone, with a smile, said, "Exactly. As Athens was besieged, negotiations had already begun. The three powers demanded that the Ottomans immediately ceasefire with Greece, and Ali was the first to express willingness to comply, but Sultan Mahmud II was firmly opposed to signing any peace treaty, insisting that Ali continue the fight."

Hearst, grinning, said, "The Sultan wouldn’t cease fire, but Britain’s willingness to send troops wasn’t strong either, since we didn’t really want to demolish the Ottomans. Thus, the Foreign Office resorted to the old stratagems, proposing at the London Conference to send a joint fleet of the three nations to cut off the Egyptian Army’s supply lines with the Ottoman Empire."

Old Gladstone nodded and continued, "That led to the Ottoman’s blunder that enraged General Cordington, resulting in his marvelous destruction of the Ottoman navy in the Battle of Navarino."

Young Gladstone, hearing this, also seemed peculiar, "Some of the old parliamentarians in the party mentioned that when news of General Cordington’s victory over the Ottoman navy reached London, the Foreign Office was as quiet as the Ottoman court.

Immediately after, they saw the Foreign Secretary Earl Dudley fiercely slam his fist on the desk exclaiming, ’Cordington is a half-witted imbecile! Who authorized him to fire upon the Ottoman navy? I swear to God! If circumstances allowed, I would have him transferred to guard the royal tombs at Westminster!’"

Arthur couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows as he swirled his glass and said, "Oh, it’s truly a pity that General Cordington never studied at a Theological Seminary; he missed a great opportunity to become a Bishop of Westminster."

Hearst laughed heartily, "It’s not bad now, though. Isn’t he placed at the Portsmouth Base as the commander after retiring as the Fleet Commander of the Channel Fleet this year? From the Mediterranean Fleet to the Channel Fleet, and from the Channel Fleet to the Portsmouth Base, he’s getting closer to Westminster."

At this point, old Gladstone suddenly patted the briefcase he carried.

Upon seeing this, Hearst quickly stood up gracefully saying, "Mr. Hasting, Mr. Gladstone, you two carry on, my dance partner is probably anxious waiting outside. I cannot afford to keep a lady waiting, which would not be in keeping with the basic social etiquette of a gentleman."

Old Gladstone smiled in response, "Of course, have a pleasant evening."

Hearst pushed the door and exited, while old Gladstone then turned his attention back to his son, "William, you go out too."

Young Gladstone hesitated for a moment, then bent down and pleaded softly in his father’s ear, "Father, I don’t think there’s any need to do this in private, just following the normal process would be fine."

Upon hearing this, old Gladstone merely indulged by patting his son’s cheek, "William, that won’t do, it’s the rule. If everything is done openly and above board, it wouldn’t be called politics anymore. Aren’t you fond of Catherine from the old pocket watch family? Go out and have a good dance with her, talk about your experiences in Oxford, or if you prefer, discuss the issue of the Bank of England’s interest rate hike that interests you. As long as you are not planning to marry her, I’m quite liberal as a father in matters of my children’s romances."

Young Gladstone felt the weight in his father’s palm, he remained silent for a while, eventually just looking up at Arthur before silently leaving the smoking room.

Old Gladstone watched his son’s back with a helpless scoff and then raised an eyebrow at Arthur, indicating whether or not he should have Great Dumas and others also exit.