The Shadow of Great Britain-Chapter 776 - 367: Wellington’s Pale Red Array_2

The Duke of Wellington spoke with a nasal tone, as if he had a cold. "Harriet, regarding the matter with Catherine, we can discuss it slowly later. The dead cannot be brought back to life, and now it is pointless to say more. We have to face some more important matters now, which you should understand what I’m referring to—the matter that brought down the Cabinet."

Lady Abbasnot asked, "I certainly understand your thoughts. Parliamentary reform indeed does no good for this country. However, it has already passed its third reading in the House of Commons, and everything seems to have become inevitable. Promoting Catholic emancipation has already driven you to disgrace; if you now plan to stand against reform, your reputation...honestly, I’m even worried about your life."

The two walked into the sitting room, and just as they sat down on the chairs, a servant handed a towel to the Duke to dry his water-drenched clothes.

The Duke of Wellington spoke as he wiped himself dry, "Just as you said, if reform must occur, it will bring comprehensive changes to the social system of Great Britain. I do not intend to be a part of those changes, reluctantly agreeing with those opinions. My nature compels me to engage in clear deals between men, not secretive tricks behind the scenes."

"I cannot pretend to say that I truly welcome those measures. I’m not willing to be part of it, even less so to be a major proponent. If I am misunderstood, if Parliament adopts the new methods proposed, I would be deeply saddened. I foresee disasters that will affect the country’s interests, and even its security."

"Out of my unwavering loyalty to this country, I cannot be one of those causing these disasters. And since I have acted, I am determined to see it through to the end, just as I did on the battlefield. I shall break through in my own way, and I will certainly succeed!"

Lady Abbasnot picked up the teapot and poured a cup of warm black tea for the Duke, her eyes filled with concern. From the various pieces of information she had gathered, she feared that this time her old friend could only turn defeat into victory by fighting another Waterloo.

"Your Grace, are you truly not considering supporting the passage of the reform bill? In the ’Catholic Reform Act’, you chose to stand with the reformers, even at the cost of getting splattered with mud. In all of Britain, besides those Irish Catholics, no one would thank you. If you are willing to get your hands dirty with that, why not slightly adjust on the reform bill?"

The old Duke stared into Lady Abbasnot’s eyes for a long time before slowly shaking his head. "Harriet, I thought you understood me well."

Lady Abbasnot replied with a smile, "Your Grace, no one can completely understand you. Your story is fascinating, your experiences vast. Sometimes you’re complex, and sometimes you’re simple. But that is you, Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington."

The old Duke laughed, "Perhaps you’re right. But when it comes to Catholic reform and parliamentary reform, deep down, I am not a reformer. The only reason I supported Catholic emancipation was that I found to establish a stable government in Ireland, we had to liberate their faith."

"As for parliamentary reform, once it has passed, France will be Britain’s future. It will be a repeat of the French Revolution, birthed by parliamentary votes, and the implementation of parliamentary reform would mean peace will perpetually elude us."

"In policy, I have always insisted on the correctness of continuity. I only support the right issues, those that help maintain national peace and stability, not merely supporting or opposing reform. If I were really so rigid in my thinking, I would never have agreed to Peel appointing a Catholic youth from York as a high-ranking officer."

With these words, the Duke’s eyes seemed to blaze as if he were not sitting in a comfortable mansion but standing atop a hill at Waterloo, "I have long said, letting the Whig Party control the government would be a disaster. And now, they have among them Canning follower-types like Dudley, Palmerston, and Godric—this is simply the final disaster!"

Lady Abbasnot instantly realized why the Duke of Wellington had harbored resentments towards the former Prime Minister Sir Canning for years.

Their disagreements were mainly about Britain’s foreign policy. Sir Canning advocated recognizing those newly independent South American countries and also supported Britain’s assistance to Greece in breaking free from Ottoman control and establishing an independent nation.

However, such stances displeased the Duke, who expressed his sentiments to Sir Canning directly.

"Consider everything happening in Ireland and what is about to happen. The outlook there is not promising. If we acknowledge these South American separatists, it may even frighten Irish patriots. We must be extraordinarily careful, not to encourage any uprisings in any country or region."

"We cannot allow unrest, selfishness, securities trading, religious strife to force us to acknowledge those new governments formed by rebellious provinces. If you think Columbia’s Rebels have committed no crime, Bolívar is a hero and not a traitor, then you likewise cannot punish O’Connell for advocating Irish independence."