Chapter 61: The Essence of Comedy

The attendant departed.

Once more, silence enveloped Box One.

The Queen regarded the earlier incident as a mere diversion and took a sip of tea from a tray beside her.

Then, she looked at Lu Shi,

"Professor Lu, I... um... I was about to ask you something..."

The Queen bowed her head in contemplation.

At that moment, the stage curtain rose, and Lawton, playing Jim, appeared.

The second act had officially begun.

This act depicted the Prime Minister delivering his first speech after taking office. Jim believed that as Prime Minister, he should give a speech that would inspire the public.

Jim: "My speech should be as passionate as the Party Manifesto."

Bernard: "You once said the Party Manifesto was dull."

Jim: "I didn't say it would be dull when I deliver it."

Another round of laughter erupted.

Marguerite couldn't help but laugh, saying, "They've made the Prime Minister look so pretentious."

The Queen set down her teacup,

"Rita, you must remember, pretentiousness is part of their job. On stage, it may seem ridiculous, but as the leader of a nation, the Prime Minister needs... um... I remember what I wanted to ask Professor Lu."

Lu Shi leaned forward slightly, awaiting the Queen's question.

The Queen said, "Professor Lu, while watching 'Yes, Prime Minister,' I had a hard-to-express feeling."

She pointed to the stage,

"Look, everyone mocks Prime Minister Hacker and wants to be Sir Humphrey. However, in your play, it is Jim who is ambitious, while Humphrey is constantly trying to maintain the status quo."

Beside her, Bernard nodded,

"That's exactly how it is at LSE. The students practically worship Sir Humphrey."

Just then, Jim provided more humor,

The first floor burst into laughter.

Lu Shi waited for the laughter to subside before speaking, "It's not entirely Sir Humphrey's fault. As the dialogue says, over the past 30 years, he's served seven Prime Ministers and ten governments. If he believed in every Prime Minister's policy, he'd be for and against the Common Market, passionately support nationalization and privatization, and then renationalization..."

The Queen couldn't help but laugh,

"So, there's more to the dialogue. Indeed, if Sir Humphrey earnestly implemented every Prime Minister's policy, he'd be incoherent and appear schizophrenic."

Lu Shi nodded without saying more.

Some believe that "Yes, Prime Minister" will make the British Empire "awaken" and stop being so unreasonable,

But in reality, Britain doesn't need to "awaken."

The elites from Oxford and Cambridge understand Britain's problems well but are helpless to change them, or even if they have ways, they lack the motivation to do so.

Britain may be unreasonable, but it is still the most powerful nation on earth, isn't it?

The Queen said to Marguerite, "Rita, Professor Lu is extremely clever. 'Yes, Prime Minister' reveals many truths."

Marguerite glanced at Lu Shi, blushing slightly,

She asked the Queen, "What truths?"

The Queen did not answer directly but instead asked, "As a politician, what does Prime Minister Hacker need?"

The answer required no thought,

"Votes," Marguerite replied.

The Queen nodded and asked, "And Sir Humphrey?"

Representing the civil service, Sir Humphrey needs...

"Stability."

The Queen smiled without further comment.

Lu Shi said, "The essence of comedy is tragedy. The politicians and civil servants of the British Empire are locked in this Sisyphean cycle of pushing the boulder up the hill, only for it to roll back down."

Beside him, Bernard clapped his hands and praised, "What a profound statement, 'The essence of comedy is tragedy!' Professor Lu, your words are truly historic."

Lu Shi was puzzled,

"Aren't these Shakespeare's words?"

Bernard said, "They are, indeed. But your summary is more profound than Shakespeare's. In 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' Shakespeare believes that in a comedy, 'the joy is for the audience, the sorrow is for the characters.'"

These words sounded romantic,

But as Bernard said, they were not as deep and concise as "the essence of comedy is tragedy."

The Queen laughed softly,

"Perhaps, Professor Lu should write a romantic comedy. I am curious to see what tragic essence you would reveal in such a comedy."

Box Two.

The attendant knocked and entered,

By now, he knew the identities of Cecil and the others, and said cautiously, "Gentlemen, Mr. Lu and Mr. Shaw are currently accompanying Miss Marguerite, the lady-in-waiting."

Instantly, the room fell silent,

"..."

"..."

"..."

The contrast between this silence and the cheerful laughter on the first floor was stark.

Erwin frowned,

"Is it that Miss Marguerite?"

Though phrased as a question, it was actually a statement,

No one answered.

Churchill and Wodehouse exchanged glances, frowning in puzzlement,

Marguerite watching the play with Lu Shi and Bernard!?

How could this happen!?

Both the Queen and Wodehouse had repeatedly instructed Marguerite to keep a low profile after entering LSE, to avoid giving the Conservatives ammunition or causing international issues,

Given the current strained relations between Britain and Germany.

Churchill pondered,

Though Marguerite was lively and spirited, she was not an unruly princess and would not act recklessly.

Could it be...

Churchill's lips curled into a smile as he signaled to Wodehouse,

The latter immediately understood and wanted to interject but held back his words.

On the other side,

Cecil asked the attendant, "You mean, that young lady and Mr. Lu and Mr. Shaw are in the same box, watching the play?"

The attendant quickly nodded,

"Yes, but..."

Cecil immediately cut him off: "Hold your tongue and let me think."

The attendant managed to hold back his words.

After a while,

"Alright,"

Cecil beckoned the attendant over and said, "Go back to Box One and convey the same request: invite Mr. Lu over for a drink. Also, make sure to mention that the gentlemen in Box Two are aware..."

Before he could finish, Erwin cleared his throat.

Cecil, annoyed by the interruption, glared at him,

"Sir Erwin?"

Erwin gave a kind smile, saying, "Prime Minister, perhaps it would be better if you... I mean, wouldn't it be appropriate for you to personally... don't you think?"

Cecil thought for a moment and nodded,

"You are right."

He turned to the attendant,

"Just say that Lord Salisbury is aware of the young lady's identity."

The attendant nodded, bowed, and quickly left.

Throughout this process, Churchill watched coldly,

He thought, some people are just unsympathetic. Being angered by a small play is one thing, but now losing all sense of discretion and propriety,

With such people steering the Conservative Party, no matter how sturdy the ship, it is bound to hit the rocks eventually.