Chapter 12 Si Lin Zexu's Strategy to Conquer the Enemy

After the destruction of cigarettes in Humen in June 1839, the situation did not gradually ease as Lin Zexu had hoped, but turned into storm and thunder.The confrontation between China and Britain is going on in a more intense form. Among the disputes, there are the following three ends: 1. Recognize.Lin Zexu received the new regulations, requesting Elliott to urge British businessmen to make a statement in the form of "goods are no official, people are legal", otherwise no business will be allowed.Elliot not only obstructed the recognizance, but also ordered the British ships not to sail into Guangzhou Port.

Two, commit crimes. On July 7, 1839, British sailors got drunk and made trouble in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, and beat up villager Lin Weixi, who died the next day.Lin Zexu ordered Yilu to hand over the murderer.Elliot refused, and set up a court on the British ship, and sentenced the five perpetrators to imprisonment for 3 to 6 months and a fine of 15 to 20 pounds. 3. Continuing to pay opium.With the advent of the new monsoon, dozens of British merchant ships arrived outside Humenkou.Lin Zexu ordered the opium to be handed over to the ship.Elliott still refused. Among these three incidents, the confrontation in the case of "intercourse with murder" is the most.

On August 15, 1839, Lin Zexu refused to hand over the murderer with the law of justice, citing the case of the British violating the order in Macau in 1808 (the 13th year of Jiaqing), he banned the English in Macau from food, and retreated the comprador workers. The soldiers were stationed in Xiangshan, and they were distributed at various key points to force the British to leave Macao. On August 24, under the pressure, the Portuguese authorities in Macau announced the expulsion of the British in accordance with Lin Zexu's decree.By August 26, all British people left Australia.Elliot led this group of Englishmen to berth in Hong Kong and Kowloon.

Since the British ship Larne was dispatched by Elliot to deliver the letter in April 1839, except for Elliot's own small ship, the Louisa, there were no British warships in Guangdong waters. On August 30, according to Elliot's request, the warship Volage sent by the Governor of India arrived, giving Elliot the force to confront China.Lin Zexu heard the news, in addition to ordering his subordinates to strengthen precautions, he issued a proclamation on August 31, asking the coastal villagers to gather together for training, not to allow the British to go ashore to cause trouble, to find wells to draw water, and to allow them to refuse by force.

On September 4, 1839, Elliot and H. Smith, the captain of the Wolasian, led three small boats to Kowloon, demanding food from Chinese officials. The confrontation between China and Britain began to resort to force. From then on to the arrival of the British Expeditionary Force in late June 1840, in more than nine months, according to Lin Zexu's memorial, seven wars occurred along the coast of Guangdong: 1. The Battle of Kowloon on September 4, 1839; 2. The Battle of Kowloon in 1839 3. The Battle of Chuanbi on November 3, 1839; 4. The Battle of Kwun Chung from November 4 to 13, 1839; 6. In May 1840, the bandit boat that helped the British ship was burned; 7. On June 8, 1840, the British opium smoke in Modaoyang was burned.In addition, there are two incidents not seen in Lin Zexu's memorial: the attack on the British opium ship Hellas on May 20, 1840; and the burning of the British ship Jinxingmen on June 13, 1840.

In the above nine wars, the second one, which set fire to a British barge, was actually an accidental burning of a Spanish merchant ship; the fifth, sixth, and seventh battles were the same as the two that Lin Zexu did not play. The Qing army’s targets were British opium ships and Chinese criminals Civilian ships such as office boats.In the fourth battle of Guanyong, the situation was slightly twisted.According to Lin Zexu, the British and British ships attacked Guanyong Qing army six times in a row within ten days, but were all repelled.