Chapter 687 Meet the Father-in-Law (First update, please subscribe)
From Chang'an to Tehran, and from Tehran to London, thanks to the long range of the C95 passenger plane, it only takes two landings to reach London. .
After the plane landed at London Airport, the future Heathrow International Airport, there was no guard of honor outside the airport to welcome him.
This time, Li Yian came to London in a private capacity, in other words, his son-in-law came to visit. Since he is not visiting as a head of state, there is no need to arrange an honor guard.
In addition to the landline, there were also two planes traveling with them, one of which contained six tons of gifts for George VI, Elizabeth and others.
Not surprisingly, Truman gave Marshal Mai’s wife two tons of gifts.
After the plane landed, Li Yian immediately rushed to Windsor Castle by car. The car was brought by a transport plane in advance. Windsor Castle is located on a hill on the south bank of the Thames River, about 40 kilometers away from the suburbs of London. It is a group of flower gardens. The majestic granite building complex, covering an area of 7 hectares, Windsor Castle is not just a royal fortress or camp, but the name of a dynasty. During World War I, the British royal family changed the name of the royal family to express its break with Germany. The House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha became the House of Windsor, taking the name of this castle.
During World War II, Windsor Castle played the role of a royal fortress, and George VI and his wife, Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret, lived safely in the castle. George VI and his wife drove to London every day and returned to Windsor to rest in the evening. However, in order to promote publicity and boost morale, George VI was reported to still live in Buckingham Palace full time. After the war, the royal family left Windsor Castle.
This is not Li Yi'an's first visit to Windsor Castle. After arriving at the castle, he unexpectedly saw King George VI waiting outside the door.
“Let’s keep going around.”
George VI said, and when he saw Li Yian's eyes falling on the castle, he said again.
“This place is no different from an ordinary apartment, it’s just a little bigger.”
Li Yian absolutely agrees with this. In fact, he also has his own palace, located on the Yunhai Plateau, saying The room is no smaller than here.
When talking about the apartment, George VI said again.
“I heard that there are several small houses in your official residence. In fact, I don’t like living in a palace. If I have a choice, I would rather go back to the apartment I lived in before.”
In this regard, Li Yi'an pretended not to hear. The whole world knew that George VI did not want to be the king at all. If his brother, the famous Duke of Windsor, did not love the country and the beauty, it would not be his turn to be the king. , but in this position, he did a good job!
"All the palaces are empty, without the feeling of home."
Following George VI, Li Yi'an responded, and then George VI asked,< br>
“Do you know why Attlee is looking for you?”
“I know a little bit from Mary, but...it shouldn’t be that simple.”
Li Yi'an said as he walked,
"Actually, Britain in Malaya will eventually give up. Attlee has promised the locals that no matter who comes to power next year, Britain will eventually keep its promise and grant them independence... It is no longer a century ago. Unless the British are willing to defend the British Empire, the collapse of the empire is only a matter of time."
"Well!"
Li Yi'an can feel George VI. He may be suffocating in his heart. After all, as the emperor of the British Empire, his crown, the Emperor of India, is no longer there, and the British Empire is being cut off in his hands like flesh. How can he not be heartbroken? Well!
“After experiencing World War II, Britain does not seem to have a strong desire to defend its colonies.”
Speaking of this, Li Yi'an thought of a famous meme in another world: "When the poorest workers in London, England, in the 19th century thought of the industry and wealth of the British Empire, should they puff up their chests with confidence?" The answer is that there are different opinions. .
But one thing that is certain is that the British in the 1950s would not sacrifice for the wealth of the empire, because in their view...the empire was too far away, and bread was the most important thing. Nodding silently, King George VI said.
"It is true. The British now are no longer the British a century ago. The glory and responsibility of the empire...all this is too far away."
No matter who it is, who has fought two world wars in just thirty years, paid millions of casualties, and turned millions of people into old maids, they will definitely not be willing to fight for the so-called to fight for glory.
Just like France, Pétain's surrender...it was based on public opinion, right?
The French said they opposed surrender, but deep down, they never thought about fighting World War II. Otherwise, Pétain would have made the whole French proud.
"So, India and Burma are just the beginning. Malaya will also be independent in the next few years. Now, Attlee wants your army to enter Malaya. Have you ever thought about the reason?"< br>
After thinking about it, Li Yian said.
"The British Commonwealth has tens of thousands of troops in Malaya. This expenditure is quite heavy for the British. Perhaps, he wants to get rid of the burden."
Stopping, George VI looked at the man next to him. He couldn't say he liked the guy who coaxed his daughter to Asia, but he didn't dislike him either. However, this guy did achieve something that many people could not achieve in their lifetime. , appreciation is inevitable.
"So, do you think Malaya will become a burden to you?"
"Well...how should I put it? Compared to the British, the locals are closer to us."
Li Yi'an actually already has the answer in his heart, which is what he will choose after entering Malaya. It's just that I'm not ready to accept it all.
"Indeed, the Tang people are closer to you. This is your natural advantage in mastering Na Hao. So, you are ready to enter there?"
asked King George VI.
“How should I put it? For now, the way the British rule in the colonies, including Malaya, is wrong, and it may even be said to be extremely short-sighted.”
“ Oh? Really?"
George VI asked.
“Can you tell me and listen?”
"Just like in India, during the process of India's independence, there were only the United Kingdom and the Congress Party, and the United Kingdom's favoritism for the Congress Party also caused it to directly become the winner. If there were no competitors, then the United Kingdom would be its competitor. The dominance of the Congress party has also put the UK in an embarrassing situation - there is no choice. No matter whether the Congress party opposes the UK or supports the UK in the future, the UK has no choice at all. Although Pakistan seems to contain India, But abroad, in India, the dominance of the Congress Party is the fundamental reason why India is out of control, and this is only in India..."
Mentioning the stupid things the British did during the colonial independence process , Li Yian even suspected, is this still something done by the British, which has been playing an offshore balancing strategy on the European continent for hundreds of years? Everyone in continental Europe is known to be a troublemaker, but when the colonies became independent, they directly played the role of Xiaochunchun - they didn't even know what it meant to be a dominant family, and what it meant to be controllable or out of control.
"The same is true in other places, but in Malaya, it is even more stupid!"
(End of this chapter)