I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 69

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire Chapter 69

Messenger of Peace (3)

One year prior to the present, in the 17th year of the Daoguang Emperor’s reign.

Lin Zexu, having received the important position of Governor-General of Huguang, concluded that if the cursed substance called opium was left unchecked, it would erode the Qing Dynasty.

Although Huguang Province, which he governed, did not trade directly with England as much as the Liangguang region, opium had already deeply infiltrated Huguang.

Lin Zexu’s policy of strictly enforcing opium prohibition, advocating for its complete eradication, proved quite effective, and even the Emperor in Beijing acknowledged his achievements.

Lin Zexu was different from other central government officials who were born into wealthy families and enjoyed rapid success.

His father, who had failed the imperial examination, did not have a prosperous life.

Nevertheless, he did his best to create an environment where his son could study, and Lin Zexu strived not to betray his father’s expectations.

Thanks to this, he passed the Jinshi examination [the highest level of the Chinese civil service exam] on his third attempt and began his career in the Hanlin Academy in Beijing.

Even after passing the examination, he did not stop studying, and he traveled to numerous regions, making remarkable contributions as a local official, advancing step by step.

He did not achieve sudden success, nor did he rise rapidly with innate genius.

In that respect, Lin Zexu was by no means a genius who could shake the world.

However, this solid foundation made him even more special as a Governor-General.

He was more interested in the lives of the common people than anyone else, and he was able to respond to issues like opium more quickly than any other Governor-General.

The proof of his recognized achievements was the imperial edict he now held in his hand.

-Appoint Huguang Governor-General Lin Zexu as Imperial Commissioner and assign him as Governor-General of Liangguang to completely eradicate the harm of opium, which erodes the nation.

The Governor-General of Liangguang oversees the Guangdong and Guangxi regions centered around Guangzhou, which was permitted to trade with foreign countries.

In addition to that, the position of Imperial Commissioner, granted full authority by the Emperor on specific matters.

In fact, from this point on, the person who would control the Qing Dynasty’s policy towards Great Britain was none other than Lin Zexu.

However, despite receiving such tremendous authority, Lin Zexu’s mind was not at ease.

Originally, he had planned to prepare for more than half a year before taking office, but the situation suddenly changed rapidly.

Lin Zexu’s predecessor, Deng Tingzhen, had stepped down from the position of Governor-General for personal reasons, and as a result, he was heading to Guangzhou without any preparation.

The reason for this situation was obvious.

‘He must have been burdened by this rapidly changing situation.’

Although they were despicable people who sold opium, the English (Britain) were a nation with formidable power.

According to the merchants who had traded so far and the information he had heard, they were by far the leading power among the Western barbarians.

But they were still far away, requiring at least half a year to reach by sailing ship.

The previous Governor-General, Deng Tingzhen, had diligently cracked down on opium as ordered by the Emperor, and he did not care what the English officials or merchants said.

After all, whether they traded or not, whether they banned opium or not, it was their right, so there was nothing particularly wrong with their actions.

However, the problem was that if those barbarians protested vehemently, troublesome things could happen.

What if those barbarians really came to start a war?

It was unlikely that the Great Qing Empire would be defeated by Western barbarians, but the current Qing was not in a situation where it could afford to sustain a war.

Just waging a war was a burden, and if they suffered more damage than expected, the Governor-General would likely bear the responsibility for diplomatic failure.

No, he would definitely be held responsible.

And the fact that the English had sent a representative of the highest rank was a clear signal that they would be serious.

From the previous Governor-General’s perspective, since he was going to step down from his position anyway, he did not want to take on any more burdens.

Since it had already been decided that a successor would come, and the diplomatic relations were not good, there was no need for him to take the blame.

The problem was that Lin Zexu was about to take the blame.

“Hoo… My head hurts. First of all, is it certain that the English envoy wants to meet with me?”

“Yes. They have requested a meeting with the Governor-General to discuss future trade and diplomatic policies. The former Governor-General told them that a new Governor-General was coming, so they should talk to him…”

“His skill in passing the buck is truly artistic. But is that envoy really a high-ranking official in England? I heard he’s very young?”

“They say his position can be translated as Minister of Foreign Affairs, which is a very high position. We don’t have a government office that oversees all diplomacy, so it’s hard to make a one-to-one comparison, but wouldn’t it correspond to at least a Vice Minister or Minister of the Ministry of Rites or the Court of Colonial Affairs?”

The Qing Dynasty was such a large country and had so many countries bordering it that there was no department that handled diplomacy in a unified manner.

For countries in a tributary relationship like Joseon [ancient Korean kingdom], the Ministry of Rites usually took charge, but relations with Mongolia, Qinghai, Xinjiang, or Arasa (Russia) were handled by the Court of Colonial Affairs.

Also, diplomacy with Western countries that traded through Guangzhou was handled individually by the local Governor-General.

This was because the Qing Dynasty assumed that diplomacy with neighboring countries was based on the premise of investiture and tribute, not equal relations.

However, this did not mean that the Qing Dynasty, as the center of the Sinocentric order [a hierarchical system where China is the center of the world], could treat other countries however they wanted.

Rather, as the nation of the Son of Heaven, the center of the world, they had to give special treatment to guests who visited with courtesy.

Unless they had severed diplomatic ties or were completely turning them away, if they decided to accept them, they had to treat the high-ranking officials of the other country with due respect as their duty as a Celestial Empire.

The same was true for this English minister.

Whether he was a Minister of the Ministry of Rites, a Minister of the Court of Colonial Affairs, or the Governor-General, he was a high-ranking official of at least the first rank who had come to negotiate.

Moreover, he had come from that far away place that took half a year to reach by ship, so they could not refuse to meet him.

However, he was concerned that he did not know what purpose they had.

Still, if you want to catch a tiger, you have to go into the tiger’s den, so meeting him might not be a bad choice.

After all, this was Qing territory, and they held the initiative.

Even if the English envoy was young, he was coming here for the first time, so he would not have proper knowledge.

If he did well, he might be able to coax them into giving up opium.

It was too optimistic, but Lin Zexu had some confidence.

In any case, unlike them, who had no understanding of this side, he had researched the English legal codes and culture to some extent.

In negotiations, the difference in information was the same as the difference in power.

With that, Lin Zexu, who had regained his composure, had well-founded confidence.

“Nice to meet you. I am Killian Gore, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the British Empire. I have heard of the name of Governor-General Lin Zexu, who has been famous as the Governor-General of Huguang since long ago.”

The moment he heard the young Western official speaking fluent Beijing Mandarin, his foundation began to shake.

“Oh… Oh… Ahem, nice to meet you. You speak our language very well…”

“Yes. So, there will be no need for an interpreter in our future conversations. In fact, no matter how good an interpreter is, there will inevitably be slight distortions as the language is conveyed through another person. I think we can have a much more sincere negotiation if we talk directly like this.”

“Well, if we can communicate so well, there’s no need to use an interpreter. But if it were a country with active exchanges from the past, I wouldn’t be surprised… How is Minister Killian so fluent in our language?”

“I lived in Asia when I was young. Thanks to that, I am fluent not only in Qing but also in the languages of Joseon and Wa [ancient name for Japan]. That’s why a young person like me was able to take on such an important role and come here. This side believes that the conflict between our country and your country was partly due to not knowing each other’s cultures too well.”

Originally, it is a natural reaction for people to feel basic goodwill when a foreigner speaks their language fluently.

Learning a foreign language other than one’s native language requires a lot of effort, and it is not easy for someone who is not an interpreter to put in that much effort.

Lin Zexu felt that this young man in front of him was different from the English barbarians he had met so far, not even fifteen minutes after they first exchanged words.

“If you lived here when you were young, is the Minister perhaps a nobleman engaged in commerce?”

“No. To be exact, I didn’t live in Qing. I was born in Joseon next to you.”

“…Joseon?”

What kind of unexpected case is this?

This Westerner, who is clearly a high-ranking nobleman in England, was born in Joseon?

‘Just looking at his appearance, he is no different from other Western barbarians… No, if you look closely, he seems a little different somewhere.’

He wondered if he was making fun of him, but there was no reason for him to do that.

“Are you saying that the Minister is from Joseon?”

“That’s not it. I was just born in Joseon and was in Joseon for a short time when I was young. Still, thanks to that experience, I learned a lot about the languages and cultures of the East.”

“Is it possible to be able to speak not only Joseon but also our language and the language of the Wa people with what you learned when you were young?”

“It may sound like bragging, but I think I was born with a talent for languages.”

Certainly, the Beijing Mandarin that Killian spoke was clearly different from that of ordinary English interpreters.

Even the fact that words that were difficult to understand sometimes popped out and the way he spoke showed that he had definitely not learned it through ordinary channels.

“…This is truly a series of surprises. Anyway, it’s really good that someone who is familiar with our language and culture has come as a representative. If the Minister really grew up in Joseon, I believe you know for sure about the order that moves this world.”

Joseon and Qing had a complicated relationship from the old days, but now quite a long time has passed since the relationship was established.

Joseon recognized Qing as the Celestial Empire and paid tribute, and Qing recognized and treated Joseon as a semi-independent country.

Among Confucian scholars, there were not a few who viewed Joseon favorably in that Joseon kept traditions better than some Confucian scholars in Qing.

Lin Zexu, like most officials, was one of those who recognized Joseon as not equal, but as a very important vassal state to Qing.

“Yes. I know very well. The reason why our country has had diplomatic friction with your country so far is mostly because we were not familiar with Asian culture. But I am determined to respect your country’s culture and customs. If the Emperor would meet us, I would be happy to show my respects.”

“Hoo… The representative of your country who came before insisted that Westerners never kneel on both knees in front of anyone?”

“That’s right. We show respect by kneeling on one knee even in front of His Majesty the King. That is our culture and custom. But at the same time, there is also a saying that when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Ah, you can understand Rome as a country like the Tang Dynasty of the West. It is an adage that when you go to a place, you should respect the customs of the place.”

Considering that he naturally mentions the Tang Dynasty, it seems that he is not lying.

As expected, since he was born in Joseon, it is fortunate that he knows the etiquette even if he is a barbarian.

“So, you are saying that you will follow the etiquette here, even belatedly?”

“Of course. I hope that the British Empire and the Qing Dynasty can establish a mutually beneficial relationship. That’s why I came all the way to this distant place.”

“Then the story will be fast. We have no intention of allowing the opium you bring in, so please respect our decision. Then we can resume normal trade as before.”

“I would like to do that, but the merchants here have suffered enormous losses due to the opium confiscated by the former Governor-General. The home country wants to resolve this part first before normalizing relations. I hope you will take that into consideration, as I cannot completely ignore the wishes of the home country.”

Is it right to express being caught selling drugs as a deficit?

He wanted to shout at him, but Lin Zexu decided to end the conversation as well as possible since it was their first meeting.

Unlike the English guys he had met so far, this young man named Killian seemed to be relatively easy to talk to.

“…Well, let’s take more time and talk since we know what each other wants.”

“I understand. Then I will organize the data a little more and visit you next time.”

Killian bowed politely and stepped back from his seat, just like when he first came.

Is it because he is young, or is it because he knows the etiquette here well?

As soon as Lin Zexu made the decision to find out more about Killian, he summoned his confidant, whom he always trusted and entrusted with work.

“Seongwon, send a messenger to Beijing as quickly as possible right now. The English Minister Killian Gore said that he was born and raised in Joseon, so ask them to get information from Joseon as quickly as possible.”

“Yes. I will request that information about a person named Killian Gore be sent as quickly as possible.”

“He is a nobleman who rose to the position of Minister at such a young age. He must be a prestigious nobleman, so he must have caught the eye of a daughter of a prominent noble family or a wealthy merchant in Joseon. If you look into that, you will be able to easily obtain information.”

Come to think of it, I heard that Joseon does not trade with the barbarians, but were they secretly plotting something else behind the scenes?

Whatever it was, it was impossible to judge now, so it was necessary to obtain more detailed data.

It is far from here to Joseon, but if we make the most of the Qing Dynasty’s excellent postal system, we can minimize the time from Guangzhou to Beijing and from Beijing to the border with Joseon.

Even though Killian seems to be quite communicative, he does not let his guard down because he still does not know what is in his heart.

The idea that if you know the enemy and know yourself, you will not lose in battle has not changed even now.

Lin Zexu decided to re-examine all the information about Killian and the country of England from the beginning.

* * *

“Minister, how was it!”

“What did the new Governor-General say? I heard he’s a tough guy who is more strict than the previous Governor-General, if not less.”

As soon as he finished the first meeting, which was not even a negotiation, William Jardine and his colleague James Matheson ran up to him.

“It’s as everyone expects. He seems to be a much stricter and more resolute person than the former Governor-General, Deng Tingzhen. I could feel his firm will not to allow even a fingernail of opium.”

“Th, then what should we do?”

“Isn’t this the worst situation for us?”

Of course, what did you expect?

Did you expect them to laugh and say that you can sell opium again as soon as you meet them?

“You don’t have to worry because I have already thought of everything. However, the Governor-General of Liangguang is too stubborn and inflexible, so it will be difficult to dig into that side. Let’s aim for the other side.”

“If it’s the other side…?”

Although it was only the first meeting, Lin Zexu was the same person as in the history I knew.

He is a talented person with decisiveness, objectivity, and the will and ability to solve the situation.

Perhaps if the Daoguang Emperor had accepted all his demands, the direction of the original history might have changed a little.

However, due to the conditions of the times, Lin Zexu also seemed unable to escape the limitations of being a Qing person.

For him, the world’s best empire was Qing, and the center of the world was also Qing, where he lived.

He had the perception that Western powers were threatening, but he could easily see that he firmly believed that Qing could never lose, no matter what.

The evidence is that he showed a reaction that he should naturally do so when I said that I would respect the customs of that side, like a pushover who is easy to use appropriately.

Well, anyway, I have no intention of meeting the Emperor at this stage, and there is no reason for them to see me, so what is so difficult about saying some lip service?

Anyway, I’m just going to talk, so I can promise not only the Three Kneelings and Nine Kowtows [the highest form of reverence to the Emperor] but also to do a windmill spin in front of the Emperor and freeze with a Grand Jeté [a ballet jump].

No matter how reformative and broad-minded a Qing person is, as long as they have Sinocentrism as their basic base, they will have no choice but to look down on this side.

So, I like it very much.

If Lin Zexu was unnecessarily trying to compromise with this side or was weak to bribes and flattery.

Or if he was a coward who was trembling and saying that he should never fight because England seemed too strong, the plan would have gone wrong, so how fortunate.

Please, at least for now, I hope you see this side as a barbarian pushover who is easy to talk to and easy to use.

But that’s only for a few months at most.

“According to what I’ve found out, there is an official named Won Seongyeon under Lin Zexu. I will try to work through him because Lin Zexu trusts him deeply.”

“If he is an official trusted by Lin Zexu, he must also be a stubborn and inflexible person… Is it possible? In fact, we also tried to win over the people around the former Governor-General, but we didn’t have much fun.”

“Don’t worry. I’m going to use a slightly different method. First of all, I ask you two to mobilize all your connections and somehow build a bridge so that my subordinate can contact Lin Zexu’s subordinate.”

“Yes. I will use bribes or whatever to create a position somehow.”

The reason why they haven’t seen results so far is obvious.

If the Governor-General is trying to crack down on opium, then the officials in a position to advise him would naturally have similar tendencies.

And if he is someone who can be bribed, he would not be able to exert such a great influence on the Governor-General in the first place.

Of course, even if I meet Lin Zexu’s confidant, I couldn’t make him feel favorable to opium.

No matter how much I say that the things the British Empire sells are harmless to Qing, it is obvious that it will not work.

But that is only a limited assumption in the case of persuading that this side is not dangerous.

-The British Empire and opium are the worst natural enemies that can not only endanger Qing but also collapse the Sinocentric order itself.

It is not difficult to instill a sense of crisis.

In the first place, I have no intention of selling opium to Qing or resolving this situation smoothly.

So, shall we take a leisurely look?

How fiercely the enraged old dragon can spew fire at this side.