The Shadow of Great Britain

Everyone feels invigorated when good things come their way, and York gentlemen are no exception.

Arthur hummed a little tune as he worked on translating "The Calculation of Electric Currents." Though the task was tedious, he put in extra effort with great enthusiasm.

Suddenly, Arthur heard the creaking sound of the office door opening, followed by a series of leisurely footsteps.

Without looking up, Arthur reached for his pipe, lighting it as he spoke, "My dear Mr. Bismarck, don't you know it's quite impolite to enter a room without knocking?"

Unexpectedly, the person who entered offered no reply, instead walking to the desk, taking the cigar box Arthur had on the table, and casually taking one out, "Where's the match?"

"Hmm?"

Arthur found the flamboyant voice somewhat familiar, and when he looked up, he paused for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh, "Benjamin, why are you wearing a green hat?"

"Dashing, right? I bought it in Paris." The Jewish lad, Disraeli, took off his hat, shook his hair, and replied with a cigar in his mouth, "I'm telling you, the fashion there is way ahead of us in London."

Arthur tossed a box of matches from his drawer towards him, "What brings the esteemed parliamentarian all the way to Gottingen? Unless you think Madame Sykes is no match for the German ladies here?"

"Certainly not, Madame Sykes is an untainted goddess in my heart."

Disraeli lit his cigar, perching on the edge of the desk, squinting as he took a pleasurable drag, "But I can't always be glued to her side, right? During Parliament's recess, it's good to see the wider world while also paying a visit to our great scholar, Sir Arthur Hastings."

Disraeli pointed at the tall bookshelves lining the office, "Look at this, full of scholarly works. Professor Arthur Hastings, that title is way cooler than Lower House Member Benjamin Disraeli."

Arthur burst into hearty laughter at his words, stood up and retrieved a glass from the cabinet behind him, "Sorry, Benjamin, this place can't compare to the bustling London and Paris. There aren't many varieties of drinks here. If you're seeking fashion and indulgence, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place."

Disraeli nodded in agreement, raising his glass, "Usually, places like Gottingen are indeed quite dull. But now it's different; ever since you came, we've even got Scotland Yard here, hence it's enough to be called a big city."

Arthur sipped his wine, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "How did you know about that?"

"Of course I know, after all, as a member of the Tory Party, there isn't much for me to focus on nowadays."

Disraeli downed his glass of wine, then let out a long sigh, "Arthur, you have no idea how terrible the atmosphere is within the Tory Party right now. At the Parliament opening in February, when I looked around the Lower House, our seats had been reduced by two-thirds! Do you know what that means? It means there are only just over a hundred Tory Members left in the Lower House! We can't stand up to the Whig Party on any issue. They do whatever they please. What use is it for me to pay attention to those issues?"

Arthur nodded slightly while listening to Disraeli's complaints, "Although I'm not in Britain, the news I've seen seems to confirm that. If it weren't for the Whig Party's dominance, that 'Slavery Abolition Act' would never have passed."

"'Slavery Abolition Act!' " Disraeli was fired up upon hearing the name, "Exactly! The 'Slavery Abolition Act!' Do you know how absurd that act is? I'm not saying I'm against abolition, but to spend £20 million on it, which is 40% of the annual revenue, is really nonsensical!"

"And the 'Factory Act'?" Arthur asked, "Isn't that the bill you always supported? According to the bill, children under 9 cannot work in textile factories, children aged 9 to 13 can work a maximum of 8 hours a day, and young workers aged 13 to 18 a maximum of 12 hours a day. Moreover, the act requires factories to provide all child workers with a stipulated number of hours of basic education."

Upon hearing this, Disraeli's face turned dark, "Of course, the 'Factory Act' is indeed good. But Arthur, you need to understand, it all comes with a premise. Do you know that after the 'Factory Act' passed, they are now pushing the 'Poor Law Amendment Act'?"