The Shadow of Great Britain Chapter 1064 - 82 Dynasty’s Two Wings3

Arthur couldn’t help but curse, "A good detective must be an asshole."

"My friend," Victor wiped the blood from his nose and chuckled, "That’s a bit too much, don’t you think?"

"I’m not cursing you, I’m cursing myself."

Victor laughed, "That’s precisely the issue. My mistake, curse all you want, but you don’t have to be so fair to yourself."

Arthur took out a cigar box and handed it over again, "Alright, so now, what is true and what is false? You don’t want to tell that Gervais, Clara, those criminal groups, and the idea of scamming the bank, are all fabrications to fool , do you?"

"Oh, that?" Victor began, "Not all of it is false. Gervais, Clara, and even the forger Francois, all of that is real. You need seven parts truth and three parts fiction in a play; if it were all fake, you’d never fool a clever person."

"So Francois really is dead?"

"I don’t know if he’s dead or alive," Victor said as he took the cigar and lit it, "but Barthelemy did indeed ship him out early this morning. The warden of St. Pelagie Prison is an old friend of mine; he told all this. Perhaps just as you suspected, soone from the Great Paris Police Hall got a lead from Director Jusco that Francois was involved in the assassination, so they took him out of the prison overnight. That fool is an idiot; interrogating Francois like that won’t get a single truth from his mouth."

"Haven’t you contacted the Great Paris Police Hall? After all, Jusco gave you a high level of authority in the assassination case. If you went to ask for the man, they couldn’t refuse to let you see him, right?"

Victor rubbed his neck, which was still sore from being punched by Arthur, "Yes, that’s the most frustrating part. That bastard Barthelemy actually refused my request directly. I can’t see Francois, nor can I even see Barthelemy himself."

"That’s unusual," Arthur said, "According to what you say, soone like Barthelemy should wet his pants just at the ntion of ministers, Your Excellency, or such. Where did he get the courage to defy you?"

Victor, with the cigar in his mouth, grabbed the carriage handrail and jumped into the compartnt, motioning for Arthur to join him, "That’s my oversight. I forgot to tell you that in a specific circumstance, this group of cowards can grow a backbone in front of ministerial titles."

Arthur got into the carriage and closed the door as it started wobbling down the narrow alley again.

"What circumstance?"

"That circumstance is when they have a docunt adorned with ministerial titles backing them up."

Arthur frowned, "What do you an by that? The French Governnt is showing rcy and doesn’t plan to pursue the assassination further? Does Louis Philippe regard his life so lightly? If so, I’d have to reevaluate him."

Victor didn’t directly answer Arthur’s question; instead, he began telling him another story.

"Although the King is mild-mannered, that’s in personal matters. Politically, at least the Orleans Party, which reveres him, isn’t so mild. After the July Revolution, the Orleans Party hadn’t been in power long before conducting a large-scale purge of the Orthodox Party in legislation, administration, judiciary, and the military.

In just a few months, the new regi not only revoked the qualifications of 68 Orthodox Party mbers of parliant but also declared the invalidity of 175 Orthodox Party House of Lords mbers’ qualifications. All publicly Orthodox Party mbers were expelled from both houses. The Orthodox Party officials in local places fared worse; 76 governors, 196 district chiefs, and over 400 municipal chiefs were removed, 65 generals had their military ranks revoked, privileges canceled, and a large number of diplomats and judges beca unemployed.

Most Orthodox Party mbers left the capital afterward, with land nobles mostly returning to their estates in the South and West, moving back into their ancient castles which have been passed down through countless generations. Although these Orthodox noblen lost influence in Paris, they remained quite influential in local areas, especially in rural regions.

Though these Orthodox mbers aren’t allowed to reminisce about the old system in Paris, they stubbornly maintain the lifestyles and social etiquette of past tis on their estates, adhering to forr norms for religious events and commorating days of special significance to the Bourbon Family, like January 21st when Louis XVI faced the Guillotine and February 14th when the Duke of Berry was assassinated.

Since the most obstinate Royalists basically followed the Bourbon Royal Family into exile abroad, the governnt didn’t want to provoke the sensibilities of these generally typical Royalists and turned a blind eye to their actions. However, this assassination case seems to have stirred up a storm among them, suspecting the King and Governnt of plotting against them to strip them of their last bit of power and property.

Additionally, given that last year so staunch Royalists had just risen in rebellion led by the Duchess of Berry in Vendee, these Royalist nobles feared that the Governnt might be preparing to settle accounts with them. I haven’t received intelligence about them possibly staging a revolt, but whether the Governnt sensed anything, I’m not sure.

Moreover, concerning the assassination, there seem to be so new developnts. Though it’s unclear from where the news originated, there’s speculation that the assassination might also involve the republican faction. Coincidentally, the republican faction had an uprising in Paris last year too, and so republicans are concerned the Governnt might take the chance to deal with them as well."

Arthur sensed a whiff of unease in these words, "Is there any basis for what you’re saying?"

"Basis? I don’t know what qualifies as a basis, but not long ago both the Royalist newspaper ’Constitutional Newspaper’ and the republican ’Le Globe’ were banned, and furthermore..."

"Furthermore?"

Victor gazed out of the window, "I’ve heard the Governnt is drafting a new piece of legislation. This new law will simplify the procedures for political rebellion charges and convictions. Any act that offends the King or attacks the Governnt’s principles and form will be severely punished. It also includes a list of prohibited words, and unfortunately, Alexander’s pet phrase ’Republicanism’ seems to be on it. If the rumors are true, as long as he declares himself a republican, he’ll be thrown into prison..."