Chapter 168, The Queen in the Wind (Part 2) (Double updates will continue today, please vote and subscribe for encouragement)
Three years later, Windsor Castle is still standing majestically, and at first glance it seems not much different from the past. But if you look carefully, you will find that the outer walls of some houses have been quietly covered with nettles and vines, and other buildings have obvious signs of being burned by the fire. Some buildings have collapsed, with rusted iron Doors and metal lamp posts fell into the grass, and no one knew who had done it. Those once carefully manicured lawns and gardens have turned into overgrown wild jungles, gorgeous fountains have become stinking pools, and exquisite statues have been smashed to pieces.
Also, the originally bustling town of Windsor next to the castle is now deserted, and at least half of the town is in ruins. A considerable number of houses have been burned by fire, and the remaining houses are also in dilapidated condition, with almost no glass windows. The fan is complete. The roads in the town were clogged with cars, debris and all kinds of garbage, and barricades appeared to be built in some places. But no one alive can be found to tell what happened here.
Relatively speaking, Windsor Castle, where Mr. Toynbee and more than a hundred people have already moved in, is still somewhat popular.
For Queen Elizabeth, everything she sees seems to prove that England has returned to the Dark Ages when civilization collapsed...
In short, seeing that the exiles had been escorted to their destination, the group of Soviet soldiers who accompanied the two queens from the seaside turned around and evacuated on the outskirts of Windsor. Before leaving, the Soviets gave the exiles some rifles, pistols and other light weapons for self-defense. They also left Windsor Castle with enough flour, wheat and cans for all the exiles to eat for a year, plus some clothes, quilts, Soap, farm tools and crop seeds, as well as two radios for communications. At the same time, they also finally announced to the two queens and Prime Minister Churchill the discipline during the exile: all exiles will be free to live and move in Windsor Castle, without any interference from the Soviet Union. But as the primary exiles, the two former Queens Elizabeth and Margaret, and the former Prime Minister Churchill, these three people need to visit the Soviet border guard post on the Isle of Wight, 60 kilometers away, three times a year every four months. Sign and you can receive a relief food at the same time... Of course, this food is definitely not enough to feed the number of people in Windsor Castle. The remaining rations need to be solved by the exiles in Windsor Castle themselves, just like when they were captured by Tsarist Russia The same as the prisoners exiled to Siberia.
After the Soviets left, Queen Elizabeth took her sister Margaret's hand and walked into Windsor Castle, where everything had changed.
Today, Mr. Toynbee and more than a hundred people have been sorting out the Windsor Castle for more than a month, and they have managed to sort it out a little bit. At least it looks like a self-sufficient survival base. Although due to the season - it is already late autumn and snow will fall soon, it is not suitable for cultivating any crops. They have not yet had time to cultivate cultivated land and vegetable gardens, but they have also cleared several flat areas in the courtyard of Windsor Castle. There were more than a dozen horses obtained from unknown sources in the stables, as well as some donkeys, goats and two working oxen. In addition, a large amount of dead branches and wood were collected and piled neatly outside the castle door, waiting to be chopped into firewood. At first glance, it looked like a small European village in the Middle Ages.
However, these pitiful breaths of life still cannot cover up the desolation, dilapidation and incompleteness of the entire Windsor Castle. The collapsed towers, broken spires, and damaged walls all illustrate the ruined nature of this castle. Especially after walking into the interior of Windsor Castle, the dignity shown by the magnificent appearance of the castle has disappeared - in the three years since Queen Elizabeth left, there have been countless waves of poverty. Many refugees and gangsters visited this magnificent royal garden and looted everything they thought was useful: the famous wines and food stored in the cellar were naturally divided up first, and the metal utensils and porcelain were also taken away one after another. The furniture made of precious wood was chopped up and used as firewood, while the books and oil paintings were ignited to ignite the fire. All kinds of curtains, flags, carpets and tapestries were torn away to make clothes or to keep out the cold when sleeping. Even the oak and teak floors were pried open and a lot of them were dug out. Some people also removed the wooden stairs in order to keep the fire in the winter. They were all demolished...
As a result, when Elizabeth returned to Windsor Castle with her sister Margaret, she found that everything was empty and everything had been looted - the battle axes, Western swords and armor in the corridors, the models in the dollhouse Everything was gone, and a large piece of the roof and wall of the large front hall was missing. Wind and rain poured in, and moss, mushrooms, and weeds had grown inside the house. An unknown object blasted a large crater in the center of the Queen's Conference Hall. There were cracks on the floor, walls and even the ceiling. The private chapel dedicated to the royal family was completely burned down, leaving only a piece of blackened masonry and foundation. Even those buildings that appear to be intact on the surface are generally in a mess when you actually go inside. Those bare walls were covered with all kinds of stains and obscene graffiti. In many places, even the entire windows were missing or smashed into pieces. The cold wind penetrated directly into the room through the large holes in the walls, making There wasn't even a bit of heat left in the cold room... Just like this, it was still a place that had been cleaned. And those places that haven't had time to be cleaned are covered with thick dust. How thick is it exactly? It's a pit when you step on it!
Even the bedroom arranged for the two queens only had two dark green camp beds and a few simple cabinets made of wooden crates that doubled as stools and tables. Although the glass of the bedroom window is relatively intact in the dilapidated Windsor Castle, it is still missing a few pieces and can only be covered with old newspapers. There are still a few bullet holes and blood stains vaguely visible on the walls and ceiling, as well as ugly traces of smoke and fire... Queen Elizabeth feels that it is better not to dwell on where these things came from.
Queen Margaret couldn't help but turn pale when she thought that she would have to live in such a poor place with nothing in the future, maybe even for the rest of her life. Elizabeth was naturally in a bad mood, but she still managed to cheer up her sister...
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After walking around for a while, the two queens came to a balcony in Windsor Castle, overlooking the people in the courtyard who were busy carrying luggage and settling their belongings from a height - even counting the second group who followed them. Exiles, there are only more than 300 people living in Windsor Castle today, which is still more than enough for this castle with a total construction area of 45,000 square meters. Compared with the past, it seems even more empty and lonely.
Queen Elizabeth couldn't help but feel a little sad about this. However, next time, when she raised her head and looked into the distance, she was stunned by the magnificent scenery in front of her - before she knew it, it was already dusk. The setting sun gradually sets in the west, like a burning orange-red flame, so dazzling under the sunset glow. The pitch-black night, in which no stars can be distinguished for the time being, is gradually sweeping in from another direction, but it cannot defeat the brilliance of the setting sun. Therefore, it can only approach slowly from behind, patiently waiting for the final sunset of the gorgeous sunset.
Bathed in such contrasting light and darkness, whether it is the sparkling Thames River, the shadowy ruins of Windsor Town, or the mountains, forests and fields further away, they all look even more bizarre under the dusk. Although the windows and tiles of Windsor Castle are still trying to reflect the brilliance of the sunset, trying to show their presence, they still look insignificant compared with the dazzling red sunset. As for the humans, cows and horses moving in the courtyard of Windsor Castle, only blurry shadows of gray color remained in the field of vision.
Such a sunset view of Windsor Castle is truly beautiful. It does not need any words to modify it, and it can be breathtakingly beautiful.
Looking at the magnificent scenery in front of her and the specious hometown and homes around her, Queen Elizabeth couldn't help but be intoxicated for a while, and was reminded of many distant memories that were originally buried deep in her heart... No matter what, after experiencing so much After all the hardships and twists and turns, she finally survived and finally stood here again, on this land that has been passed down by her family for generations.
Although the British Empire no longer exists and the crown that once wore her head has fallen to the ground, so what? All this was not a mistake made by a weak woman like her. Faced with the cruel fate, she could only learn to accept it and live as optimistically as possible. As described in her favorite novel "Gone with the Wind" by American female writer Margaret Mitchell, "...nothing in this world can do anything to us, but if we always think about If we keep thinking about the past in order to recover what we have lost, we will destroy ourselves.”
"...The past is past, the dead is dead, and the living will continue to live."
"...Everything that passes away in the wind belongs to yesterday, and everything that remains after the wind and rain is for the future."
"...No matter what, tomorrow is a new day!"
Bathed in the majestic afterglow of the sunset, facing the warm wind blowing through the fields at dusk, and looking at the land of England under the twilight, she murmured the famous lines from the novel "Gone with the Wind", and couldn't help but feel that her chest seemed to become softer. I feel much more open-minded, and I seem to have strength and confidence in my heart again.
Just when she was slowly brewing her mood and wanted to sing a song to the twilight scenery in front of her, her thoughts were interrupted by several car horns... Looking down with a slight displeasure, Queen Elizabeth suddenly I saw with confusion that the chubby former Prime Minister Churchill, his valet, and two bodyguards were riding in a jeep, running over the late autumn grass that had turned yellow, and driving bumpily into the distance.
Eh? What's going on? Churchill, the fat man... what on earth is he trying to do?
So, Queen Elizabeth, who was curious, looked around, called out from the balcony to Mr. Toynbee who was directing everyone to repair the door and walls, asked him about Churchill's whereabouts, and then asked him about Churchill's whereabouts. I got this reply:
"...Your Majesty! Prime Minister Churchill insists on going home immediately despite the fatigue of the journey. No matter how hard we try to persuade him, we can't stop him!" "...Go home?! Is he going to...Blenheim Palace?" ! ” Queen Elizabeth muttered with a frown.