I Became A Hidden Powerhouse Of The British Empire [EN]: Chapter 74

The Hour of the Opening (2)

Throughout the long history of the Central Plains, the Son of Heaven’s nation [referring to the Chinese Emperor and his realm] was not always the strongest in the world.

The fear of invasions by northern nomadic tribes was a constant concern for the dynasties of the Central Plains, dating back to ancient times.

If the Central Plains dynasties had always been the strongest, there would have been no need to build extensive fortifications like the Great Wall.

The situation remained similar during the Liao, Jin, and Yuan dynasties, not just in ancient times.

Whether they were Khitans, Jurchens, or Mongols, when these nomadic tribes reached the height of their power, even the dynasties of the Central Plains were often forced to submit to their might.

However, such dominance was only temporary.

The established order of the Central Plains might falter briefly, but it invariably recovered and thrived by assimilating the nomadic tribes.

Ultimately, military strength was merely a supplementary factor; the true strength lay in the superior culture and technology of the Central Plains.

Even the Qing dynasty, which currently ruled the land, willingly integrated itself into the tributary system [a system of trade and diplomacy where other nations acknowledged China’s supremacy], without external coercion.

Consequently, the Qing leadership did not perceive the threat from Western powers as particularly serious.

History, in their view, had repeatedly proven this pattern.

The only difference was that, instead of barbarians descending from the north on horseback, they were now arriving from the west by ship.

Of course, not everyone in the Qing dynasty underestimated England.

The Daoguang Emperor himself recognized that the Western barbarians possessed sufficient military power to pose a significant threat in a direct confrontation.

Therefore, he preferred to avoid armed conflict and resolve the situation through appeasement whenever possible.

However, this approach was only applicable as long as they were simply powerful barbarians.

If there was any suspicion that the Westerners aimed to dismantle the tributary system itself, it could not be ignored.

In particular, a growing concern was that Lin Zexu, the Governor-General of Liangguang [Guangdong and Guangxi provinces], responsible for resolving the issue, was perceived as being unduly lenient with the English.

“Governor-General, is it true that an imperial edict has arrived from the Emperor?”

“…Yes. I just received the decree.”

Seeing the Daoguang Emperor’s edict in Lin Zexu’s hand, Yang Cheng-yuan quickly knelt and paid his respects.

The sudden arrival of an edict at this time was more likely an ominous sign than a favorable one, and his anxiety was evident in his trembling eyes.

Normally, Lin Zexu would have wryly smiled at the reaction of his astute confidant, but he couldn’t afford such levity now.

“His Majesty… seems concerned that I am being too lenient.”

“What? Lenient? Aren’t you confiscating all the opium from the merchants in Guangdong and Guangxi? You’ve even threatened imprisonment for those caught smuggling. How could you be more forceful than this…?”

“That’s what I’m saying. But it seems His Majesty isn’t alone in thinking so. Even acquaintances in Beijing are sending letters expressing their concerns.”

Lin Zexu sighed as he glanced at the pile of letters on his desk.

From close friends to mere acquaintances, it seemed everyone was worried about the current situation.

Even the ministers of the Grand Council were pressuring him, questioning whether he was handling things correctly.

Initially, he suspected these officials of treachery, but upon closer examination, that didn’t seem to be the case.

“His Majesty has ordered me to confiscate all opium, not only inland but also on the islands, and to investigate in detail any conspiracies they might be plotting with Joseon [Korea] or Japan. He seems to believe that opium sales and these potential alliances are closely linked.”

In fact, Lin Zexu himself wondered if that was really the case, so he couldn’t fault the Emperor’s response as excessive.

But no matter how much he investigated Killian, the English minister, he found nothing suspicious, leaving him at a loss.

He was honestly going crazy.

Rumors from outside suggested something was amiss, but no matter how deeply he investigated, he found nothing concrete.

Despite numerous meetings and conversations with Killian, the minister remained extremely cooperative, making Lin Zexu feel foolish for suspecting him.

“If we adopt a more forceful stance in this situation, it could signal that we are not interested in a peaceful resolution…”

“Could it be that His Majesty is willing to go to war with them?”

“It’s not just that it could be; we must assume that’s the case.”

“But… is it really wise to go to war? We don’t know the full extent of the Westerners’ military strength.”

“Nonsense! How could the imperial army of the Great Qing be defeated by those barbarians? Their strange technology may be slightly ahead of ours, but war is not solely about weapons. How many soldiers can they possibly send from a place so far away that it takes half a year to travel by ship?”

Even if war broke out, the Qing dynasty would not be fighting the entirety of England, but only a portion of its expeditionary force.

The only opponents that the dynasties of the Central Plains had lost to in war were those who bordered them and could continuously send troops from their bases.

If the Mongols or Khitans had been located in such a distant land, more than six months away on horseback, would they have dared to plot against the Central Plains?

“So, you’re saying that even if there is a war, it will be a small-scale, localized conflict.”

“Yes. I had officials make a rough calculation recently. Even if those fellows go to war with us, they can only send a few warships at most, and perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 soldiers.”

“In that case, we have little to fear.”

“Yes. Therefore, you shouldn’t question His Majesty’s judgment.”

No matter how strong and brave one hand is, it’s hard to beat ten hands. This is an undeniable truth, as valid now as it was in the past.

Their ironclad ships that spew smoke are certainly intimidating, but what can they do against twenty of our battleships attacking each of theirs?

“Hearing the Governor-General’s words has lifted a weight from my heart. I’ll summon the English minister immediately. We need to give them prior notice before confiscating the opium, to avoid any future complications.”

As Yang Cheng-yuan departed with a relieved expression, Lin Zexu, now alone, wordlessly retrieved a wine glass he hadn’t touched in some time.

‘This is insane. What am I supposed to do now?’

This has to be a dream, right? It must be a dream.

If it’s a dream, please let me wake up.

Launch ships all the way to the waters off the English merchants’ island and confiscate opium?

How?

If we launch ships, will they welcome us and clear the way?

And if we actually push all the way to the island and seize all the opium, will they simply stand by and watch?

This is nothing short of a declaration of war. Does Beijing truly desire that?

If the treacherous officials of the Grand Council have misled the Emperor, and the Emperor wants this situation, then I have no choice.

Lin Zexu put on a brave face in front of his subordinate, but in reality, he deeply agreed with his subordinate’s concerns.

He knew that they were superior to us in military technology, but he didn’t know the exact extent of the difference.

That was only natural.

We’ve never fought them properly, so how can we accurately assess who is stronger?

Just by observation, their cannons appear larger, their ships seem faster and sturdier, and their guns appear to have a longer range and faster reloading.

Even this was a significant disparity, but he couldn’t dismiss the possibility that we might overwhelm them with sheer numbers.

But…

‘What if we fight and the difference is so vast that numbers become irrelevant?’

Should I purchase some cannons from the American merchants now?

But in Beijing, they’re lumping all Westerners together as our enemies. What if I’m caught buying cannons from the American merchants?

Okay. Let’s start with negotiations.

If Killian truly has no ulterior motives, he will want to avoid war and consider our situation.

Lin Zexu drained the wine in his glass and began to rack his brains for a solution.

* * *

Around the time the reply to the report sent to the home country arrived, the atmosphere surrounding Guangzhou was becoming increasingly chaotic.

With the Guangdong area blockaded, opium merchants attempted to smuggle opium by ship to any accessible port, whether in Fujian or Zhejiang Province.

However, as the Qing dynasty gradually intensified its crackdown, the merchants found the situation increasingly difficult to manage. I instructed the fake merchants under my control to simulate voyages towards Joseon and Japan more frequently.

Simultaneously, I continued to deliver bribes through local channels to reinforce the Emperor’s perception of England as an escalating threat.

The seeds we had diligently planted over several months finally bore fruit, and Lin Zexu urgently summoned me.

Having anticipated this development, I promptly went to meet him, finding him caught in a difficult position and visibly sweating.

“Governor-General, how are you… I was about to ask, but you don’t look well.”

“Minister, you are well aware that my mind has been far from at peace lately. But today, I must deliver even more unfortunate news.”

Observing Lin Zexu’s troubled expression, I inquired as if unaware of the situation.

“Unfortunate news?”

“Yes… His Majesty in Beijing doesn’t seem to believe that the negotiations with your country are progressing satisfactorily. Despite your assurances of taking measures, opium smuggling continues.”

“That’s a bit unfair to us. We are faithfully engaging in negotiations, and while opium smuggling hasn’t been completely eradicated, I believe the volume has certainly decreased.”

“But you consistently refuse to provide details of your trade with Joseon or Japan.”

“That’s because, despite our investigations, we can find no records of actual trade. Didn’t Joseon provide you with the same response?”

They only pretended to sail there and back, so naturally, there’s no evidence of contact.

No matter how much you search, you’ll find nothing, because we didn’t actually do it.

“But there are persistent rumors about your country circulating in Beijing. Regardless of my position as Governor-General, I cannot ignore His Majesty’s orders. More forceful measures will be implemented from now on.”

“Hmm… We’ve genuinely done everything your country has requested, yet you continue to escalate your demands, leaving me perplexed and disappointed. What are the specifics of these forceful measures?”

“That is…”

If this is an order from an Emperor acting out of anger, it must be more extreme than I imagined. Is something truly significant about to happen?

“Opium is an illegal substance that cannot be distributed in Qing. Therefore, we will confiscate all opium possessed by your country’s merchants.”

“Aren’t you already doing that? I understand that all goods in the Guangdong factory have been handed over to you.”

“This includes not only the mainland but also the islands. We will seize all opium belonging to your country’s merchants stored on Lintin Island. We will dispatch ships soon, and if you cooperate, we can all navigate this situation smoothly.”

Wow, our Emperor is truly something.

I honestly didn’t expect him to come out this strongly from the start.

I stared at Lin Zexu with a bewildered expression, masking my inner elation.

“You’re demanding the surrender of all opium stored on Lintin Island? Do you realize the quantity involved?”

“Yes… Originally, that island is undeniably Qing territory that your side is illegally occupying, so it is only right to confiscate all opium in accordance with our laws…”

His voice is fading, indicating that he recognizes the absurdity of the situation even as he articulates it.

He may not fully grasp the implications, but he’s proceeding nonetheless.

Lintin Island served as a massive warehouse where English merchants stored goods and opium.

Unable to keep large quantities of opium in Guangzhou, where Qing influence was strong, they had been using a nearby island beyond Qing’s immediate reach as a storage facility.

Strictly speaking, this place was also Qing territory, but at the time, Europe was invoking an absurd international customary law known as the Canon shot rule [a principle asserting territorial waters extended as far as a cannon could fire from the shore], and they were using this island.

That international customary law was an amazing claim that the distance that a cannon could reach when fired within their territory should be claimed as their territorial waters.

Of course, from the perspective of modern people, it was a novel nonsense, and surprisingly, people at the time tended to interpret and apply the rule quite flexibly.

In that respect, most Western countries did not consider Lintin Island to be Qing’s territorial waters, and Qing, which could not do anything about the island with its miserable naval power, was simply ignoring Europe’s claims.

But now, if they suddenly declare Lintin Island as Qing territory and confiscate all the opium, it can only be interpreted as a challenge, a prelude to war.

“What will happen if I refuse the Governor-General’s request?”

“Forced execution will take place.”

“That’s absolutely impossible with the Qing navy.”

“A level of troops that is not impossible will be mobilized.”

I hate to say it, but attempting to invade an island defended by the East India Company’s warships with your naval power seems impossible, even if you deploy the entire Guangdong fleet.

If someone else were in my position, they would have laughed and dared them to try.

Lin Zexu seemed prepared for that response.

But what can I do? I want to escalate the situation significantly.

“Then, let’s discuss it on Lintin Island after hearing the opinions of the merchant representatives. I will try to arrange a meeting, considering the Governor-General’s position as much as possible.”

“…Yes? Do you truly mean that you will consider it?”

“First of all, the Governor-General doesn’t know how much opium is there, does he? Let’s assess the extent of the losses we would incur and attempt to reach a mutually agreeable compromise.”

It would be problematic if Qing realized how weak they were compared to the British army at this time.

If our merchant ships were to plunder Qing’s junk ships, they would have no choice but to be wary.

Here, it would be necessary to give the impression that we were intimidated and yielded because they were coming out strong.

“Thank you for the Minister’s cooperation.”

Lin Zexu’s complexion visibly brightened, believing that we might obediently comply despite the Emperor’s coercive demands.

But I’m sorry, what can I do?

I can’t miss this golden opportunity to have the Qing army enter the warehouse where most of the opium merchants’ opium is stored.

The time has come for the Prime Minister’s and Parliament’s orders to arrive from the home country, so if we ruin the opium cartel and blame all the responsibility on the Daoguang Emperor, all the preparations for putting the play on stage will be complete.

The opposition party may criticize us for starting a war when we were sent to find a diplomatic solution, but I sent a long report in advance to prevent that.

As a result, the British Empire will not be recorded as the worst country that started a war just because it was banned from selling drugs, but of course, this was not free.

I worked hard for the benefit of my country, so shouldn’t I get that much in return?

Of course, as someone in public office, I have no intention of asking the government for favors.

So, it’s okay if I take it myself, right?

Anyway, the opium cartel will be completely destroyed by this war, so if I use the money they’ve accumulated before some strange guy takes it, it’s good for me and good for the country, isn’t it?

I’m truly a patriot to the bone.