Chapter 18 of 100

Chapter 18

16 min read3,906 words

"Please collect, please recommend."

Manchester, in the first half of the 19th century, held a far more significant position than in later times, serving as the center of the textile industry in Britain and the world. The so-called First Industrial Revolution began with the large-scale industrial production of cotton textiles here. The city was lined with factories and businesses, benefiting from both maritime and railway transportation, making it the world's factory of the era. In terms of economic status, it even surpassed London, the capital of the British Empire.

This was the first time Zhu Jishi had set foot in a major city outside of London since he arrived in this era.

With a long whistle, the train, belching smoke and panting, finally slowly pulled into Manchester's railway station. The station was built in the Neoclassical style, with a waiting hall as tall as three or four ordinary floors, supported by a dozen tall pillars, each adorned with exquisite carvings. The station was crowded with people, most of whom were dressed in rough, worn-out clothes and looked malnourished, clearly belonging to the working class. However, there were also middle-class and upper-class individuals like Zhu Jishi and Mrs. Durand, some of whom were accompanied by Indian servants—this was the first time Zhu Jishi had seen other Asians in the three months since he arrived in this era, unfortunately not Chinese.

"Jason, outside the station is a square where you can hire a horse-drawn carriage. Let's go to the hotel to settle in first, and then find Mr. Heming at the Northern Star newspaper office tomorrow."

Mrs. Durand, holding Zhu Jishi's arm, whispered softly in his ear. This French woman was now aggressively pursuing Zhu Jishi, so she accompanied him to Manchester, claiming that she was very familiar with the city and often came to purchase fabrics, making her an excellent guide.

However, the unexpected happened. As soon as they stepped out of the station, they saw a sea of people on the square, with no sign of any horse-drawn carriages. A wave of slogans immediately swept over them.

"Long live democracy! Long live universal suffrage! Votes equal bread! Release the workers' leaders! Down with the bourgeois dictatorship! Down with the Peel Cabinet! Robert Peel (the British Prime Minister) is a murderer..."

Zhu Jishi stood on the steps outside the station, taking off his hat and observing the scene. The term "color revolution" immediately came to mind! Had these British people also been incited by American imperialism to cause trouble? Most of the people on the square were middle-aged and young men, with some women as well, all dressed in almost identical blue work clothes, holding banners and gathering on the square, shouting slogans loudly. There must have been tens of thousands of people! Among them, there seemed to be some leaders—were they opinion leaders bought by Americans? These leaders stood on trailers or carriages, some leading the slogans, others giving passionate speeches. As they spoke, the crowd alternated between cheers and curses, as if they were mad, making the entire square incredibly noisy.

The temperature in Manchester in November was already very cold. The tens of thousands of people gathered together, their breath forming white mist that hovered above the crowd like smoke, making the entire area seem to be boiling. Barriers had been set up in front of the station, with British soldiers in red uniforms standing in a row behind them, their black muskets with bayonets fixed, reflecting a cold, sharp light in the winter sun. There were also cavalrymen on tall horses, lined up in neat formation, their sabers already drawn!

"Sir, Madam, please go this way."

The station staff seemed to be accustomed to such scenes, showing no signs of panic, and orderly directed the passengers out of the station through several corridors guarded by British soldiers, leading to the exit of the station square.

"Jason, let's leave here too." Mrs. Durand, without any panic, gently pulled Zhu Jishi, who was somewhat dazed. "We'll find a horse-drawn carriage outside. I know of several very nice hotels in Manchester, though they are quite expensive. We could share a room if you like."

Is this woman's nerve so thick? A "color revolution" is happening, and she's still thinking about these things?

Perhaps noticing the fear on Zhu Jishi's face—any 21st-century Chinese person would be frightened by such a scene, and Zhu Jishi was no exception.

"Don't worry, the British won't get too violent; they won't fight seriously." Mrs. Durand, like a big sister comforting a frightened little brother, patted Zhu Jishi's back and smiled. "If this happened in Paris, you'd have to stay far away. The common people there hold a riot every few years, and the army sometimes brings out cannons to bombard them, often hurting innocent people!"

"Cannons!?" Zhu Jishi gasped, thinking that the French Revolution had been over for decades, so why was it still so chaotic?

"Jason, don't you have such scenes in Russia?" Mrs. Durand, pulling Zhu Jishi towards the corridor, laughed and said, "I remember in 1825, the Decembrists revolted, and there was a bloody battle in the Senate Square in the center of St. Petersburg against the troops loyal to the Tsar. Over a thousand rebels were killed, and thousands were arrested. Many Decembrists were exiled to Western Europe, with many in London, Paris, and Germany. By the way, Jason, did you not contact them when you were in Germany?"

"Decembrists?" Zhu Jishi had heard of them, but didn't know what they did. However, opposing the Tsar was right, as long as they didn't promote democracy and universal suffrage after overthrowing the Tsar. That thing was said to be very bad, causing social disorder, as seen in Manchester. He wondered who was supporting them.

"Roman, do such... riots often happen in Britain?" Once in a horse-drawn carriage, Zhu Jishi couldn't help but ask about the British "color revolution."

"Riots? Well, this doesn't count as a riot." Mrs. Durand smiled and shook her head. "I saw the 1834 Paris uprising when I was in France, that was a real riot. The people here in Manchester are not armed, so it doesn't count as a riot. By the way, the situation was even worse before September. The government used the army to suppress it, arresting hundreds of people and closing many newspapers. The Northern Star, where Will Heming works, was also closed for a while and only resumed publication at the end of last month."

"Why are they causing trouble? Is it supported by the Americans?" Zhu Jishi asked uncertainly. He knew that the United States of this era was not yet the later American Empire, but who else could support a democratic movement?

France? Mrs. Durand, being French, often talked about France, and Zhu Jishi knew that the Orleans Dynasty was very weak, unable to stabilize its own regime, let alone support foreign democratic movements.

Germany? Well, it wasn't unified yet! And the current British Queen and Prince Consort were from Germany, and they were mostly relatives of the German royal families...

As for Russia, the Tsar was a dictator, and there were still serfs in Russia. How could they support a democratic movement?

"America?" Mrs. Durand chuckled, "How could that be? They are still arguing about abolishing slavery!"

Slavery! Right, the American Civil War hadn't started yet! They still had slaves, and their American-style democracy probably hadn't been established yet.

"These workers are incited by the Chartists, who demand the abolition of property qualifications for voting, ensuring that every mentally sound and non-criminal adult male has equal voting and candidacy rights."

"But what does this have to do with the workers?" Zhu Jishi was puzzled. "No matter how they vote, ordinary workers won't be elected, right? These workers are being used as cannon fodder!"

"It doesn't seem to be as you say," Mrs. Durand thought for a moment and then shook her head. "I'm not quite clear on the specifics. We'll ask Mr. Heming at the Northern Star newspaper office tomorrow."

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