The Shadow of Great Britain

Chapter 1496: Chapter 245: The Similarity Between Cossack Cavalry Trousers and Autocratic Rule_3

Arthur did not answer Blackwell’s question; at the moment, he didn’t have the time or mind to teach students.

His pipe wandered over the military map, finally resting at the Kerch Strait: “How often does the Tsar’s naval patrol search merchant ships now?”

“Since Russia discovered two years ago that the Polish rebels were transporting military supplies through the Black Sea, all foreign-flagged cargo ships passing through the Black Sea must open their holds for inspection.” Blackwell circled three ports with a red pen.

Arthur’s pipe traced a silver line on the map: “Looks like we need to prepare some special surprises for the gentlemen in St. Petersburg. Do you remember the Polish exile government’s bills of exchange that the Banque de France refused to pay last year?”

Blackwell instantly understood: “Turn those scraps of paper into ironclad evidence of French intervention? But how to explain the Orleans Dynasty funding Caucasus rebellion?”

“Let the Banque de France take the blame first, then let the Russians find surprises on the back of the bills themselves.” Arthur took out a musty file bag from the cabinet; it was an important piece of luggage he had sent to the Embassy in Russia before departing Hanover: “Here are twenty blank standard templates of Paris Bank bills of exchange.”

Blackwell was stunned seeing these things and said: “You… How do you have these things?”

Just as these words came out, Blackwell felt guilty, his secretary’s pen tip blotting ink on the parchment, so he asked: “How many fake bills do you need?”

“Three bill denominations totaling three hundred thousand Francs, with the payor as the Orleans Royal Family’s special fund.” Arthur said while examining the watermarks on the bills with a magnifying glass, and he had to admit that the quality of the fake bills handled by Victor was indeed outstanding, as they looked even more realistic than the genuine ones: “Use lemon juice or milk to mark ‘Caucasus Region Stabilization Fee’ in the remarks section; for the Third Bureau, this rudimentary handwriting concealment technique shouldn’t pose much of a cracking challenge.”

The sparks from the fireplace danced in their pupils, and in the distance, the bell from St. Basil’s Cathedral pierced through the dusk.

“But this will only deceive the novices of the Third Bureau.” Blackwell worriedly polished his pocket watch: “If they bring in French handwriting experts…”

“So real Frenchmen need to participate in this game.” Arthur suddenly switched to fluent French: “Tomorrow, you go to the newly opened French restaurant on Tver Alley and invite the chef who always pours brandy into his soup for a couple of drinks. Earlier, when dining there with the deputy chief justice of the Moscow Court, I overheard him boast that his cousin is an attaché in the French Embassy’s confidential room, and he used to be the private chef for the French Envoy.”

The secretary’s gray eyes lit up: “You want Russian spies to ‘accidentally’ discover Frenchmen destroying evidence?”

“To be precise, discover scraps of paper stained with Bordeaux red wine.” Arthur unfolded a sheet of letter paper decorated with fleur-de-lis: “Write a thank you letter on Louis Philippe’s official stationery, dated two weeks before Eckett ascended the mountain. Important to mention ‘July Monarchy’s highest admiration to the freedom fighters,’ remember to ensure the grammatical errors fit the Paris bureaucrats’ colloquial habits.”

Blackwell suddenly gasped: “But how to send the forged letter into the French Embassy?”

Upon hearing this, Arthur shook his head even more: “Henry, have you really been in Russia for seven years?”

Blackwell’s face turned solemn: “Sir, I…”

Arthur paced to the frost-covered bay window: “If you’ve really been in Russia for seven years, you should have noticed that the French Embassy in St. Petersburg opens its back door every night at seven to dump kitchen waste, and due to recent Moscow fires and a series of disturbances, the rats in St. Petersburg have taken a particular interest in French foie gras lately!”