house of cards 1

Chapter 3

Foresight is the great fortune of politicians.Of course, great vision can only be regarded as a stepping stone.However, its effect is very large and its use is very wide.Don't you think so?If the weather is clear, many politicians can see as far as - well, some people I know can even see Battersea [North West London]. 】Go!
Francis Ewan Urquhart can be said to hold several positions. His status as a member of Parliament and a member of the Privy Council has earned him the honorary title of "Your Excellency". A knightly medal in the British honors and awards system, founded by King George V on June 1917, 6. 】The winner.He is such a leader full of honor and glory, and this is his night.However, he did not have the slightest leisurely indulgence.At this moment, he was forced to squeeze into the corner of this stuffy hut, leaning on an ugly 4s-style floor lamp that seemed about to crash to the ground.A group of chattering women surrounded him, and then a group of workers from his constituency also surrounded him, completely blocking the way he was trying to escape.The group spoke proudly of their last-minute turnaround vote and how crucial it was to his victory.What he thought in his heart was, why did these people go to such trouble.This is Surrey in the suburbs. In the terminology used in the poll, the main social classes here are A and B [In the poll, the respondents are divided into different classes by income level, and A and B are the highest income of the two classes. ], if you want to go abroad, you can go on the road with your passport at any time, and there are Land Rover Range Rovers parked in the driveway.But why buy such an off-road vehicle?The only time they're likely to hit dirt is when the owners accidentally run over their front lawn while driving on a Friday night after dinner or drink, or when they're sending their little Johnnies or Emmas to private school.The canvassing activities held in these areas can be said to have not been well-prepared at all, and can even be described as vulgar.The ballots here are not for counting, just weigh them directly.

"Another mince pie, Mr. Urquhart?" A plate of floppy pastries sprang up in front of him. The plate was carried by a fleshy woman with a large exaggerated print on the breast, which looked like it was hidden inside. Two irritable cats.

"No, thank you, Mrs. Malcolm. I'm afraid I'm going to explode!"

He was about to lose his patience.What a mistake, one that was made generations ago and continues to this day.The Urquhart family was originally a family of proud warriors from the Scottish Highlands. The family's castle was built on both sides of Loch Ness.However, the MacDonald family attacked, and the castle is still a pile of ruins to this day.Urquhart's childhood memories belonged to the cool, fresh air of the country moors, with his old squire, lying for hours among the moist, fertile soil and a field of sweet-smelling bracken, waiting for the target to appear.In his imagination, his brother Alastair did something similar, in Dunkirk Famous for the Battle of Kerke and the retreat of the Anglo-French forces. 】 Waiting for the arrival of the Germans in the bushes outside.My brother nicknamed him "FU" [FU, the abbreviation of FUCK in English, refers to sexual intercourse.The original English name of the protagonist Francis Urquhart in this book is Francis Urquhart, and the initials of his first and last names are F and U respectively. ], every time his father heard him calling him that, the two brothers would have a chestnut on their heads.But it wasn't until years later that Francis understood why.As a young boy, he didn't mind this nickname at all, and he always acted as his brother's follower.But Alastair died on the front line after joining the war.The mother broke down and never recovered, living only in mourning and remembrance of the dead son, completely ignoring Francis.So "FU" ended up going south, to London, into Westminster, to Surrey, leaving the family responsibilities behind.His mother never paid any attention to him again. It would be unforgivable to sell off the inheritance she had accepted for the sake of the whole of Scotland, let alone choose such a poor place as Surrey.

He still had a smile on his face, but sighed involuntarily.Today he has been running on 10 committees, and with his enthusiasm early in the morning, he can still make witty remarks and humor.Now such a spirit has long been disintegrated and dissipated.Unfortunately, there are still a long four and ten minutes before the polling stations close and the last batch of voters cast their ballots.Urquhart's shirt was soaked with sweat.He was exhausted, unwell, and surrounded by mother-in-laws who, like stubborn spaniels, chased him wherever he went.

Yet he kept a polite smile on his face, because regardless of the outcome of the vote, his life was about to take a major turn.Urquhart has climbed the political ladder for years, from ordinary backbencher, to junior ministerial posts, and now as chief whip. Represents the party leader, the chief of party discipline, whose function is to ensure that MPs are present and act in accordance with the party's position. The "party whip" is usually one person, but it can also be multiple people.The head of the party whip is the highest position of the party whip. 】He is in charge of the cabinet and secured one of the 24 most powerful seats in the government.One of the advantages of this position is that it has many luxurious and luxurious offices at 12 Downing Street, which is only a stone's throw away from the prime minister's own office.Just after gate 12, the two most famous heroes in British history, Wellington [referring to the first Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley, the British general during the Napoleonic Wars, the 21st British prime minister.He first made his fortune in the Indian Army, established military exploits during the Spanish Peninsula War (1808-1814), and made military exploits in the Battle of Waterloo (1815) that defeated Napoleon, and finally became a British field marshal. ] and Nelson [referring to Horatio Nelson, the first Viscount Nelson, a famous British admiral and military strategist in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Nelson is still regarded by the British as a great military figure. ], the first and only great meeting between the two was held.Every brick and tile of this building echoes the history, and every door and window has indescribable authority and solemnity.But now, he is the master of this spirit.

Urquhart's power, however, was not apparent from what he did in this public office.The role of chief whip does not fully represent his rank in the cabinet, so Urquhart cannot command or control the huge State Department or the huge administrative machinery.He can't show his face, he can only quietly hide behind the flowers and applause, and work endlessly.No public speaking, no TV interviews, he's a shadow under the lights.

He is also the embodiment of discipline and rigor. As the enforcer of various policies, he must adhere to principles and be unselfish.This means that people have not only simple respect for him, but also a little awe.Among senior officials in the entire government, he has the most accurate and keen political sense.In order to win as many votes as possible, he needs to know where his MPs are at all hours of the day and night.That is, these people have no secrets and privacy from him.He was in control of everything: who the councilors were close to, who they might sleep with, whether they were sober enough to vote, whether they were stealing other people's money or not knowing about other people's wives.All these secrets, including the frivolous corners and corners, were carefully collected and recorded in a black leather book, which was safely locked in a safe that even the Prime Minister did not have a key to.

In Westminster, such messages carry enormous power.The reason why many MPs in Urquhart's party can secure their seats is because the whip office can help them solve all problems, smooth out all troubles, and help them cover them up as much as possible.They owed Urquhart a great favor.Sometimes the backbench members become "disobedient", and the frontbench members are ambitious and want to remove obstacles, and they will be reminded immediately that they have been favored before, and the political party has forgiven their indiscretions, but this will never happen. Get left behind.As a result, the potential "rebellious officials and thieves" suddenly changed their minds and became law-abiding.Politicians are amazingly tactful when public and private life can collide.What's so difficult about it?For example, the Minister of Transport once wanted to deliver an impassioned conference speech, the content of which was far beyond the scope of his jurisdiction, and even violated the authority of the Prime Minister.And this old stubborn Staffordshire man known for his "hard spirit" finally recognized the situation and calmed down.To fix him, you only need to make an understatement call to his hidden golden house, and you don't have to bother to call the "principal house" to threaten and intimidate.

"Francis, damn it! How did you find me here?"

"Oh, Case, did I make a big mistake? I'm so sorry, just wanted to take a moment of your time and talk to you about the speech. But I seem to have the wrong phone book."

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Oh, don't you know? We have two phone books here, one is the official one, and the other is... well, but don't worry, our little black book is very well preserved. You won't make mistakes again Lah." At this point, he deliberately paused and asked again, "Are you still making mistakes?"

The Minister of Transportation sighed, filled with infinite melancholy and guilt, "No more, Francis, no more fucking." Another "sinner" quickly repented and "subdued the law".

The whole party was indebted to Francis Urquhart, and everyone knew it.And after this election, the debt of favor will have to be repaid.

Suddenly, a brooding Urquhart is brought back to reality by an enthusiastic "female fan".The eyes of the woman in front of me were excited, her cheeks were flushed, and her heavy breath mingled with the smell of years old egg and watercress sandwiches.It was a frantic and fidgety day, and she had long since forgotten her reserve and prudence.

"Mr. Urquhart, tell us about your plans? Will you be in office at the next election?" she asked nonchalantly.

"What do you mean?" He asked a little surprised, looking clearly offended.

"Have you considered retiring? You are already 61, right? You will be 65 in the next election." She asked recklessly.

He bent his tall, thin body so that he could look directly into her eyes.

"Mrs. Bailey, my body and mind are quite functional. In many places, I have just entered the peak of my political life." Those good intentions are gone, "I still have a lot of work to do, a lot of things I want to accomplish."

He turned to leave without hiding his impatience.But deep down, he knew that Mrs. Bailey had a point.The flying spirit of his youth has long since disappeared, as he used to joke, "gold has turned to silver".He consciously grows his hair longer, as if this can make up for the regrets of the passage of time.His figure was shrinking day by day, and he could no longer just fit into a traditional standard-cut suit like before.A pair of blue eyes have also become more and more severe during the countless winters they have spent.Because of his tall stature and straight body, he always stands out in the bustling crowd.But walking past an official once, the man told him his smile was as cold as the handle of an urn. "I really hope your ashes are put in as soon as possible, you old bastard." The man threw out such a cruel sentence.Urquhart was beyond the prime of his life, and he couldn't hide it, not even himself.What's the use of rich experience, time is not forgiving.

Over the years, he has witnessed with his own eyes that those abilities and talents are far inferior to his, but the younger people are more aggrieved and unwilling than him.How many times he had to comfort them after they screwed up, wipe their asses, hide their secrets and clear the way for them to move forward.Yes, they owed him a huge debt!He still has time to write his own thick strokes, but both he and Mrs. Bailey know that time is running out.

Although he had turned away, Mrs Bailey was still on his heels, babbling at him about the proposal for a one-way system for high street shopping centres.He raised his eyes imploringly to search the crowd, and finally met the eyes of Mortima, who was also busy nodding and bowing with a group of people on the other side of the room.With just one glance, she knew that her husband was in need of rescue long ago, so she hurried to him.

"Ladies, please forgive us. We have to go back to the hotel and pack up before the counting is over. Thank you so much for your help. Francis can't live without you."

(End of this chapter)