Returning Home

Above the ship's cabin, Arthur gazed at the not-so-heavy suitcase in his hand, lost in thought for a moment.

To be honest, Arthur had already guessed what was inside the suitcase Queen Victoria had gifted him.

For Princess Beatrice to personally deliver it, and for it to be something he couldn't touch for five years, it must be something very important to both Arthur and Queen Victoria.

Combined with his conversation with Queen Victoria today, the contents of the suitcase were practically revealed.

"Sigh!" Arthur let out a breath, but his heart was filled with gratitude towards Queen Victoria.

By entrusting such an important item to Arthur, Queen Victoria had essentially chosen him over her son and grandson. This was despite the fact that Arthur's future actions would cause a huge impact on the British Empire that Queen Victoria herself had built.

It took two days to travel from Australia to New Zealand, but it took Arthur a full four days to return from New Zealand to Australia.

It wasn't that Arthur had taken a detour. He had been in a hurry on his way there, but he wasn't in such a rush on his way back.

As one of the few large colonies in Oceania besides the Australian continent, New Zealand was different from Australia.

If Australia was a country riding on mining carts, then New Zealand was a kingdom of animal husbandry and sheep.

Moreover, due to its excellent geographical location, New Zealand could serve as a barrier to Australia from the east. Controlling Australia and New Zealand meant controlling all of Oceania.

Besides Australia and New Zealand, the other larger regions in Oceania were New Guinea, which was divided between Britain and Germany from north to south.

The British-ruled part of New Guinea was handed over to Australia for management in 1906. It seemed this timeline could be moved up.

As for the German territories, as long as Germany participated in World War I, Australia could seize them.

This meant that the New Guinea region was essentially a sure bet for Australia, and it could also serve as an excellent northern barrier and springboard for Australia.

With both New Zealand and New Guinea in its grasp, Australia would instantly become the undisputed overlord of Oceania.

The reason Arthur slowed his journey back was to survey the distance and geography between New Zealand and Australia.

Unlike British New Guinea, New Zealand had always remained in the hands of the British Empire. Even after becoming a dominion in 1907, its politics, diplomacy, and economy were still under the control of the British Empire.

New Zealand only gained full independence in 1947, but at the cost of becoming a member of the Commonwealth and still recognizing the British monarch as its head of state.

All of this could be attributed to Britain's long-standing policy of continental balance, which dictated that at least two evenly matched powers should exist on a continent.

However, with the trump card Queen Victoria had given him, Arthur might be able to seize control of New Zealand from Edward, unless Edward was willing to risk losing his throne.

Four days passed in the blink of an eye. By the time Arthur finished his survey, the warship had already sailed into Sydney Harbour.

Because he was maintaining a low profile, there weren't many people to greet him. Only Butler Hunter and Governor Evan were waiting at the port, facing the wind.

"Your Highness!"

Seeing Arthur disembark from the warship under the escort of several guards, the two men quickly stepped forward and said respectfully.

"Butler Hunter, how are my mother and Princess Patricia?" Arthur asked with a smile.

Butler Hunter had been taking care of Arthur's family's affairs since Arthur's time as Duke, and he was a trusted aide of Arthur's.

"They are very well, Your Highness. It's just that the two young ladies have been wanting to go out and play on the streets of Sydney, but according to your orders, they are only allowed to stay within the vicinity of the administration building. So, they had to give up on that," Butler Hunter's face lit up with a smile as he spoke of the two young ladies, Patricia and Marguerite.

"Hmm, if they want to go out and play, let them. Australia is stable now, but they still need their guards. Give the two young ladies a monthly allowance of one thousand pounds sterling. Let them explore Australia properly for these next few days!" Arthur said with a smile.

Previously, due to their recent arrival in Australia, Arthur had ordered his two sisters not to stray too far from the administration building for safety reasons.

Now, the situation in Australia was stabilizing, and the economy was developing prosperously.

It was time to lift that restriction and let them explore their new home properly.

"Yes, Your Highness." Butler Hunter nodded.

"Governor Evan, how is the voting in the Lower House progressing?" Arthur turned his gaze to Governor Evan, who had been waiting for a long time, and asked.

Before Arthur left, he had assigned the Lower House the task of voting for the first cabinet government officials.

To ensure the authority and fairness of the vote, it was divided into two rounds. The first round selected three candidates for each cabinet position, and the second round decided the final cabinet members.

"It's going very smoothly, Your Highness. Two days ago, we successfully finalized the list of candidates. We are now just waiting for your presence to select the final cabinet government list," Governor Evan said with a smile.

The election of the cabinet government was a significant event for the country. Even though Arthur had ordered the election to be expedited, the Lower House dared not finalize the cabinet members without Arthur's presence.

Therefore, the final election date was repeatedly postponed, and only the first round of selection had just concluded.

"Hmm, the progress needs to be accelerated. Notify all members of parliament that the final election will be held in three days. We need to decide on our cabinet government personnel as soon as possible, and the various developments of the government should also proceed quickly," Arthur nodded and ordered.

Australia's development was currently in its golden age, but the country could not develop without a cabinet government.

Therefore, it was imperative to finalize the cabinet government personnel as quickly as possible and then proceed with national development.

After all, Arthur was the ultimate decision-maker for Australia's development, and the cabinet government's primary role was to execute Arthur's orders.

Thus, for all cabinet government officials, loyalty was more important than ability.

"Yes, Your Highness." Governor Evan quickly nodded.

For Governor Evan, this was also the easiest opportunity for him to enter the cabinet.

Firstly, he held the dual positions of Governor and acting Prime Minister. Although his power was not immense, his prestige was the highest among all officials.

Secondly, because Australia's capital was in New South Wales, Governor Evan had the most contact with Arthur among all the governors.

As long as he gained Arthur's favor and trust, his chances of entering the cabinet government would be even greater.

Second update, seeking support and all kinds of votes!