I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 73

Became a Hidden Power in the British Empire 73

Time of Opening

As the 19th century approached its midpoint, the leaders of the British Empire were supremely confident that they were the strongest nation in the world.

They had defeated Napoleon, who seemed invincible, and confirmed that even India, the great power of the East, was incomparable to Britain in terms of national power.

Neither in the West nor in the East was there a nation that could be considered stronger.

However, being the strongest did not mean they could fight anyone they pleased.

Even in Europe, there were still powerful nations like France and Russia that could inflict considerable damage on Britain, even if they could not defeat it.

In the East, the Qing Empire, with an estimated population of nearly 400 million, remained a formidable power, even if its technology lagged behind.

Although many argued that the Qing, like India, was behind the times, there were still many in Parliament who advocated caution.

“Do you know how many people live in Qing? 400 million! That’s twenty times our population, including Ireland and Scotland, which barely exceeds 20 million. No matter how advanced our technology is, we can’t take them lightly,” John Russell of the Whig Party exclaimed, frustrated.

For some time, Parliament had been continuously debating the possibility of war with the Qing Dynasty.

The trade deficit continued to grow, and with the opium trade, which had been offsetting it, now banned, this was an inevitable trend.

The East India Company and opium merchants constantly demanded that the government take military action, lobbying extensively, and many members of Parliament agreed with them.

This was not simply because they were being paid, but because they believed that the interests of the nation should be promoted, even through war.

“While Mr. Russell makes a valid point, we cannot simply equate a large population with strong national power. Although Qing’s population is twenty times ours, its territory is about forty times larger. This means that the vast population is scattered throughout the country, and even if we go to war, it will not be easy to mobilize hundreds of thousands, or even millions,” countered Henry John Temple, the 3rd Viscount Palmerston of Ireland, a member of the same Whig party. Surprisingly, it wasn’t a Tory member who said this.

Although Viscount Palmerston was an aristocrat, he held an Irish title, so he was a member of the House of Commons rather than the House of Lords.

In that respect, he was similar to Killian Gore, but Palmerston was born in Westminster and had rarely visited Ireland.

Therefore, he was not very popular in Ireland, overshadowed by Killian and Daniel O’Connell, but he was steadily gaining ground within the party due to his excellent sense of balance and sharp analytical skills.

However, Palmerston’s rebuttal of Russell’s opinion was not solely due to power struggles within the party.

Regarding the war with Qing, opinions within both the Whig and Tory parties were divided, making such clashes commonplace.

It was now easy to see the Whig party refuting the Whig party’s opinions and the Tory party supporting the Whig party’s opinions.

“Viscount Palmerston, of course, I am not saying that we have to fight all 400 million people at once. But such a large population means that the number of soldiers that can be drawn is also large. Moreover, if we actually send troops, it will be no more than 20,000 at most, while they will send at least 100,000 to 200,000. Have you considered how much damage we will suffer?”

“If we weigh the pros and cons, we should wage war even more. Countries like Qing, which practice protectionism for their own benefit, need to be forcibly opened up, even if it means using harsh measures. Doesn’t the Conservative Party think so too? Even Killian Gore’s free trade paper, released by the Foreign Secretary, states that the establishment of an international free trade order will make the whole world more prosperous.”

“So, you mean countries that don’t want to join that order should be forced to do so?”

“Isn’t it an adult’s duty to make someone take good medicine even if they resist?” Palmerston nodded, then turned to the Conservative Party to ask for their opinion.

However, as expected, the Conservative Party’s opinion was not unified, just as the Whig Party’s opinion was divided.

The first person from the Conservative Party to speak was Gladstone, who seemed to have a lot to say from the beginning.

“If I may add a word, I cannot understand why we are considering war based solely on profit and loss. No, I cannot accept the very situation in which war is being discussed. What has Qing done wrong? Do we have any reason to wage war against Qing? Has Qing invaded other countries, seeking to dominate the world like Napoleon, or has it directly threatened us?”

“The inability to open up the vast market of Qing is a threat to our country’s economy and industry. They are restricting trade, causing huge losses to our merchants. This is also a kind of economic threat.”

“I cannot logically understand how the fact that our merchants are restricted from trading because they reside in Qing territory and do not comply with Qing laws can be Qing’s fault. I don’t know how long this war will last or how much damage it will cause. I don’t have much knowledge in that area. However, starting a war because opium was banned will bring about a tremendous loss of honor that can never be recovered with a few coins.”

Even though they were not voting on whether to start a war right away, the members’ debate grew increasingly heated.

Those who believed that a war without justification should not be waged, like Gladstone, those who believed that Qing was a powerful nation and should be approached with caution, and those who believed that war was necessary for the benefit of the British Empire all stood their ground and fiercely opposed each other.

Viscount Palmerston shook his head, frustrated.

“The harm of opium is less than that of whiskey.”

“Viscount Palmerston, then why don’t you take opium instead of whiskey?”

“I personally don’t like opium very much, so I will continue to drink whiskey. But apart from that, our Parliament must prioritize the interests of the British Empire above all else. Allies and enemies are all secondary issues. There are no eternal allies or eternal enemies in this world. There is certainly no such thing as lasting honor or norms. Only the interests of the nation are eternal and permanent, and it is our duty to pursue those interests!”

“I cannot agree. War should be the last resort. Discussing war in the first place is a serious detriment to our prestige and dignity! We must seek peaceful negotiations through diplomacy.”

“Diplomacy? Well said. Didn’t the Conservative Party send a young minister to Asia, even making a radical appointment, to try to resolve the situation through diplomacy? When can we see the results of that diplomacy?”

Palmerston’s remark was a well-aimed jab, but the Prime Minister, who had been silent until now, immediately opened his mouth as if he had been waiting for it.

“As a matter of fact, I was going to inform you today of the contents of the report sent by the Foreign Secretary. I apologize for not informing you sooner, as I had to listen to the opinions of various stakeholders and review the contents, as there was so much information.”

“You mean a report has come up from Guangzhou [a major port city in southern China]?”

“Yes. First of all, the content is so long that I will summarize it briefly here. The report is open to members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, so if any member wants to see the full text, they can check it after the meeting.”

Prime Minister Robert Peel took out several sheets of paper and placed them on the table.

Everyone’s attention was focused on the documents, even the summarized version of which was nearly ten pages long.

“According to the report, the situation in Guangzhou can be seen as a state of imminent tension. Judging from the attached minutes, the atmosphere between the Governor-General of Guangzhou and Minister Killian is very cordial. If you only look at this, it seems that we can go in a direction where we can resolve the situation peacefully, but the problem is that the central government over there has no intention of doing so.”

“The Qing government is trying to fight us? There’s no reason for that, is there?”

“They have determined that we are a threat to their system. The report also explains in detail the basic concept of the Sinocentric order [a hierarchical system where China was the center of the world] in East Asia and the relationship between Qing and its neighboring countries.”

As the Prime Minister paused, a copy of a portion of Killian’s report was distributed to each member.

[The Order of the Central Plains Dynasty Centered on the Emperor]

◆ To understand the way of thinking of East Asian countries, it is necessary to fully understand the tributary and investiture system, which is the basis of their thinking. This is completely different from the concept of a simple colony or dependency.

◆ It is presumed that Qing has determined that the British Empire is a country that could threaten this Sinocentric order. It is predicted that a much stronger response and pressure will be applied, and in the worst case, there is a possibility that the lives of merchants will be directly threatened.

“Mr. Gladstone, if Qing threatens our merchant ships or causes casualties in the process of pressuring our merchants, would you still say that you are absolutely opposed to raising troops?”

“If they use violence first, of course, we need to retaliate. But unless Qing has lost its mind, there is no reason to do that.”

“We sent Minister Killian, who is familiar with their ways, to try to resolve the situation amicably, but they seem to have taken this as a threat. It’s hard to understand, but after reading these reports, it seems that the way we think is so different that we shouldn’t try to understand it in our own way.”

If they clearly strike first, there is no way to oppose it.

However, there were still some members who believed that if the damage that we had to bear was too great, such a thing should not happen.

John Russell, who had been saying from the beginning that we should be careful about Qing’s power, was a prime example.

“I acknowledge the hard work of the Minister who is suffering in a distant land. But isn’t it a clear diplomatic failure that they are attacking first? If we go to war with Qing and suffer irreparable damage, how are you going to take responsibility?”

“That’s why there is more information at the back of the report. It includes very detailed predictions and analyses of how we should respond if Qing uses force. Please read it.”

“No, what kind of analysis did you do to make such a fuss.”

Russell narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked at the contents written on the paper that the Prime Minister had handed out separately.

“The state of armament of the Qing army and an objective comparison of military power?”

“That’s right. Most of the members here will know roughly how big the technological gap is between Asia and us. But here, all the specific figures are written down.”

“Where. The latest technology of our warships allows us to freely rotate the cannons and strike from various angles, while most of Qing’s warships are wooden ships called junks [traditional Chinese sailing ships], and the level of the cannons used by both sides is significantly different.

The main cannons of Qing have less than half the range of our cannons, the accuracy is even lower, and the reload speed is twice as slow. Decisively, the level of Qing’s cannons cannot easily penetrate the armor of our warships unless they strike at close range. Is this true? No, of course, I know that Qing’s military technology is inferior to ours, but the difference is so great?”

Until now, many military experts had testified in Parliament, and most of them had stated that we had superior military power to Qing.

However, few had revealed the specific level and detailed information of Qing’s military technology.

Therefore, Killian’s report. In particular, the prediction written in the last paragraph caused considerable shock to the members.

-Based on the Nemesis [a British iron steamship], which is currently being designed and ordered, one Nemesis ship can easily defeat 30 Qing warships. It has been verified that even two ships equipped with equipment comparable to the Royal Saxon, which is currently in Guangzhou, can easily destroy more than 25 Qing ships.

Hey, surely the main navy of Qing, a great power with a population of 400 million, is not that bad.

Surely Qing is not still operating such poor-quality cannons.

Surely Qing’s firearms are not really that shoddy.

Surprisingly, Killian’s report explained in detail, with specific figures, that all of this was true.

“If this is true. Does that mean Qing is just a paper tiger [something that seems threatening but is actually harmless]?”

“Who is it? Who said that we would have to bear a lot of damage if we went to war with Qing?”

“At this point, shouldn’t we bow 90 degrees and say ‘Thank you’ if they slap us on the cheek?”

Russell initially thought that it couldn’t be true, but every time Robert Peel showed him a summary of the report, he could not refute it and had no choice but to quietly shrink into a corner.

And after the meeting.

“Prime Minister! Where can I check the Minister’s report?”

“I’ll check it too!”

“I am a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee! Let me check it first!”

The members of the Conservative and Whig parties rushed to the Prime Minister as if they had made a promise, clamoring for Killian’s report.

The members who had been arguing about whether or not to go to war until just now began to have similar thoughts at this moment, without exception.

‘Ah, I really wish Qing would strike first.’

The great empire that once dominated Asia and even the West was now nothing more than a firefly in front of the full moon in front of the British Empire.

“Now that this has happened, shouldn’t we encourage our Minister even more to induce Qing to be more hostile to us? With the Minister’s ability, he will be able to handle this important task!”

John Russell’s excited voice, which had been constantly calling for diplomatic failure until just now, echoed loudly in the conference room.

Instead of criticizing why they were changing their attitude, the members who had been fiercely debating each other gave him hearty laughter and applause.

Along with Gladstone’s dumbfounded chuckle as he watched the scene.

The parliament ended peacefully that day.

* * *

At the same time as the sudden commotion turned the parliament upside down.

As peaceful as ever, Kensington Palace.

“Your Majesty! A letter has arrived!”

Victoria received Killian’s letter while enjoying afternoon tea, which had recently become popular among the British upper class.

“Hmm. A letter? I told him that he didn’t have to bother writing letters because he would be busy with official duties. No matter how many times I tell him not to send them, he keeps sending them regularly.”

Victoria glanced at Baroness Lehzen, who was drinking tea with her, pretending to be slightly dissatisfied.

“What do you think? Minister Killian keeps writing and sending letters like this.”

“Oh my, it seems that the Minister has a very special place in his heart for Your Majesty?”

“Right? Haa, it’s so troublesome.”

This time, Victoria asked Cecily, her chief lady-in-waiting and Killian’s mother, who was sitting on the opposite side.

“Does the Minister often write letters to the Duchess?”

“He does write them, but he has received two so far, so you can say that he sends them once every few months.”

“Is that so? I should write a word in my reply.”

She didn’t bother to say that she was receiving letters about once a month.

Of course, she had no intention of saying that she was the one who encouraged him to do so, even if her mouth was torn.

“I have to see what kind of flowery sentences he has written this time.”

“The Minister’s loyalty seems to be really great.”

“That’s right. To be honest, there are times when I think he doesn’t have to go this far. Once a month is a lot, but now it seems like he’s trying to send them almost once every two weeks.”

Victoria barely suppressed the corners of her mouth from widening and tore open the envelope.

She had asked him to write letters regularly once a month, but she didn’t expect him to write another one like this, even though it had only been two weeks since the last letter.

Is he starting to get impatient now that he’s been away for so long?

If so, it can be said to be a very pleasing sign.

Victoria pretended to be quite annoyed but carefully unfolded the letter and brought it to her eyes.

[Since it has only been two weeks since I sent you a letter last time, I will omit the story of my recent situation. Rumors that we may go to war with Qing will spread widely in the future, but please, Your Majesty, always put the safety of your citizens and the dignity of the British Empire first. Then everyone will praise Your Majesty’s decision.]

That was the end of the first page.

He only wrote a few lines on one page; isn’t that too much of a waste of paper?

Victoria naturally put her hand into the envelope to unfold the second page.

“?”

There was nothing there.

Just in case, she shook the envelope, but there was only one piece of paper that she had just read.

“Hmm.”

Just in case, she turned the paper over to see if he had written on the back, but there was nothing written on it.

“Hmph.”

The contents of the letter written by Killian were engraved in her eyes like an imprint.

– I will omit the story of my recent situation.

I will omit the story of my recent situation.

I will omit the story of my recent situation. –

She seemed to hear the sound of tendons snapping near her temples.

In what world is it a technique to say that you will omit the story of your recent situation because you wrote a letter of greeting two weeks ago?

As she stared at the letter without saying a word, Cecilia tilted her head and asked.

“Your Majesty, is there anything wrong with Killian? Your complexion.”

“Ah~ no. I guess it’s hard for him to live in a distant foreign land. He said that his body and mind seem to be getting more and more tired, so I was just a little worried. Ah, of course, he said that he’s not sick, so the Duchess doesn’t have to worry at all.”

Victoria hastily folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, as she couldn’t say that she had received a letter with only three sentences after making such a fuss.

If a war is really going to break out, he should at least write a word of concern.

It’s a good thing I didn’t show the letter to the two of them, boasting about it.

I should just go back to bed and sleep.

Victoria threw away the cake with jam and cream that she liked so much and kept drinking cool water.