As Louis Bonaparte and Jerome Bonaparte's conspiracy was in full swing.
A secret meeting was also about to take place at Buckingham Palace, located on Piccadilly Street in East London. (Buckingham Palace is not far from Napoleon III's residence in England, and one fears that even Napoleon himself never imagined that 27 years after his death, the Bonaparte Clan and the Hanover Clan, these "arch-enemies," would become "neighbors.")
A black carriage slowly drove into a side alley off Decar Geography Street. The coachman stopped the carriage and gently tapped the back of the compartment, saying earnestly, "Sir, this is as far as I can take you!"
Upon hearing the coachman's response, the man inside the compartment opened the door, lowered the steps, and got off. It was none other than Dr. James, who had come from Louis Bonaparte's residence.
"How much?" Dr. James asked as he fumbled through his pockets, searching for the few silver coins he had.
"Sir, that'll be 2 shillings in total!" the coachman replied softly.
Dr. James looked up, his eyes widening as he exclaimed, "What? You're charging me two shillings for such a short distance? Is your carriage inlaid with gold?"
"I'm truly sorry, sir! London is still in turmoil, and prices are continuously rising, so we have no choice but to increase prices in response to the crisis. I hope you understand!"
"Understand? I forgave you, but who will forgive us? God! Two shillings for such a short distance? It's almost easier than robbery."
Despite expressing his apologies, the coachman remained steadfast on the price.
After a brief stalemate, unwilling to waste time, Dr. James reluctantly gave in, grumbling as he pulled out a well-worn silver coin with Queen Victoria's portrait on it and handed it to the coachman.
"Thank you, generous sir!" The coachman beamed with joy as he accepted the coin, expressing his gratitude to Dr. James.
"Go to hell! You are truly a bunch of vampires! I swear I will never take your carriage again!" Dr. James cursed as he entered the same little path leading to Buckingham Palace.
The coachman drove off as well, considering the oath to never take a carriage again as nothing more than a joke. How could someone of such stature possibly walk?
Once through the narrow alley, there was an open area.
Beyond the open space was James Park. From the clearing, one could see Buckingham Palace at the center of St. James's Park.
Dr. James walked briskly along the road to Buckingham Palace, indifferent to the scenery along the way. He soon arrived at one of the palace's main gates.
"This is Buckingham Palace! May I ask if you have an invitation?" Two soldiers, clad in bright red uniforms and high-crowned military hats, blocked Dr. James's path. They were responsible for guarding Buckingham Palace.
Amidst these turbulent times, they had to carefully scrutinize everyone heading to Buckingham Palace.
Dr. James quickly adjusted his tie and jacket, hurriedly saying, "Please inform Albert that Dr. James has important information to report to him!"
"Are you Dr. James?" The soldier eyed the plain-looking individual before him.
"I am James, a fellow of the Royal Society of the United Kingdom's Medical School!" Dr. James replied proudly, standing tall, as joining the Royal Society was a source of pride for any scholar. Especially now, with the threshold for entry becoming higher, the Royal Society has nearly become a gathering place for Britain's elite and upper class.
"Then you may go in!" The soldier returned the crossed front-loading gun to its upright position, allowing the narrow passage to open for one person to pass through.
Dr. James finally stepped into the inner courtyard of St. James's Park.
Soon after, a brawny man dressed in a Scottish kilt appeared.
"Mr. Brown!" The arrival of the brawny man took Dr. James by surprise, and he quickly greeted the man before him.
John Brown, born in 1826, was the son of a Scottish tenant farmer and once worked as a groom at Balmoral Castle. When Prince Albert purchased the castle, John, with his outstanding abilities and loyal attitude, became Prince Albert's personal servant.
After Albert and Victoria married, the 14-year-younger John Brown naturally became the head steward of the Hanover Royal Family, a position he held for eight years.
Despite his appearance being in the mid-thirties, John Brown was only 22 years old.
At the age of 22, as the Royal Family's head steward, John Brown spoke with an air of inherent pride, saying, "Follow me! The Prince is currently in discussion with the Prime Minister!"
"Yes! Yes!" Faced with the haughty royal steward, Dr. James's previous pride vanished, leaving him to timidly follow alongside John Brown.
Under Dr. James's guidance, John Brown arrived at the main hall of Buckingham Palace.
The entire hall was carpeted with tawny velvet; every archway was lined with golden trim, with a gilded chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Sunlight pouring through the windows bathed the room in a golden glow.
"I'll first take you to the lounge. Once the Prince finishes his discussion with the Prime Minister, I'll come for you," John Brown instructed Dr. James in his characteristic Scottish brogue.
"Yes!" Dr. James hurriedly replied along the way.
Guided by John Brown, Dr. James passed through the main hall's archway into a side room.
Compared to the lavish main hall, the side room's decor was much more humble.
A portrait of Victoria and Albert inlaid with gold trim, an intricately carved sofa, and wall-to-wall paintings were the room's only furnishings.
Dr. James waited uneasily for Prince Albert's arrival.
After about an hour, the pleasing sound of a door opening reached Dr. James's ears.
Having just sat down, Dr. James quickly rose to greet him.
"I hope I'm not late!" Albert apologized sincerely to Dr. James.
"No...no...it's me who audaciously disturbed you! I'm terribly sorry!" Dr. James said excitedly, looking at the bearded Albert in front of him.
PS: 1. Under the gold standard of the 19th century, one ounce (31.103 grams) of gold with a fineness of 11/12 could be minted into 3 pounds, 17 shillings, and 10.5 pence. One pound equaled 20 shillings, and one shilling equaled 12 pence. 2 shillings were approximately equivalent to 70 yuan now.