Chapter 2 Chapter 1 He Wants Revenge

Ever since Yilu received the order to be dismissed, he has been in a state of unbearable grief. Especially when I saw the newly appointed Pudingcha, saw his polite and thoughtful response, saw his calm and unassuming expression, heard the 17-gun salute to welcome him at the handover ceremony, and those people who flattered him These words made him feel uneasy.Originally, the authority of the plenipotentiary belonged to him, and the ruler of Hong Kong in the future would also fall on his shoulders. However, after years of hard work, everything came to naught, and the British Empire expanded its territory and conquered the south. During the Northern War, in the end, he made a wedding dress for others.He was fired.

After Yilu was forced to hand over the opium, he left Guangzhou with resentment.Behind him was a shattered procession—a procession of opium merchants.This team was once beaten dizzily by Lin Zexu's smoking ban. Now, Elliot has become the soul of this team, and he has to take responsibility for this team.He wants revenge. From Guangzhou to Macau, it takes half a day by boat.He will settle the merchants there, and then make plans. In the past, this half-day was boring and tedious, but this time it was different. He was burned by the flames of revenge, and the pleasure of revenge crawled around his body like a small snake, and penetrated into his heart. Climb to the most secret place in the depths.This process and experience made him unforgettable all his life.In the illusion of revenge, he became a supreme monarch, a giant floating in the gap between China and Britain. He could call the wind and rain, change ever-changingly, and be omnipotent.

Elliott was tall and muscular, with thick curly yellow hair and a reddish complexion—probably the result of the subtropical sun and harsh sea winds.His belly was high, and his long legs seemed unable to support the excess weight, and they kept shaking when he spoke. He is calculating.Revenge has a plan. On the way to Macau, almost all the time, he was thinking and planning the actual steps of revenge. He slowly figured it out. The boat landed.The mountain shadow of Macau appeared before the eyes, and the staff of the business mansion who arrived earlier stood on the pier and waited there.ho -

Oh-- Behind Elliot came the cheers of the merchants.The foreign merchants were finally free. After being besieged for many days, they could finally breathe such fresh and cool air, and they no longer had to worry about water and food. Elliot was the last group to leave Guangzhou.Before leaving, Lin Zexu announced the list of 16 opium dealers with serious misdemeanors.Counting their evil deeds, and asking them to issue a guarantee that they will never carry opium, this is a kind of text called Gan Jie in the Qing Dynasty.Lin Zexu's announcement of Gan Jie is as follows: All foreigners doing business in the commercial hall must sign their signatures on the sweet knot, and there must be no omission.

Those 16 opium dealers with bad records were declared persona non grata by the Qing government. After they issued a happy ending, they would be expelled by the Chinese government and never set foot on Chinese soil. Elliot refused Lin Zexu's decree to issue Ganjie, saying that he had been traveling abroad for many years and had never heard of Ganjie. This is the Chinese code, we are English, and our laws do not have this clause. Therefore, my Merchants cannot perform... Lin Zexu sternly refuted Yilu and said, "You keep saying that you are civilized people, a country that attaches equal importance to etiquette and the rule of law. Is it true that the king of England let you go out to spread barbarism? You have to abide by the law when you even enter other countries. If you don't understand basic common sense, where is the civilization and the rule of law you speak of?How would you feel if other people, like you, went their own way when you arrived in England, using excuses to act only in accordance with the laws of their own country and not to obey the laws of the United Kingdom?

Elliott was speechless. He had no choice but to agree to the willingness to settle in principle, but asked for a grace period, and waited until he arrived in Macau before handling it according to the regulations. Lin Zexu agreed to be flexible in terms of time, but the matter of willingness to settle must be done. Hong Kong businessmen are allowed four months, and British businessmen are limited to eight months. If they do not comply, they will be expelled without mercy. Before evacuating to Macau, Elliott said to his businessmen that they could temporarily agree to a bond, but they could not actually implement it. They would make plans after returning to Macau and asking His Majesty the King for instructions.After returning to Macau, Elliott began to implement his revenge plan.He wrote to Palmerston to report on China's ban on smoking, saying that the move was completely aimed at the British; he asked the British Governor in India for support and asked his warships to come to help quickly; he planned the return of the opium giant Chadton to lobby the government and people , to accuse the Chinese of anti-British atrocities, etc...

In early August 1839, the news of China's ban on smoking reached Britain.The news was embellished by Elliot, Charlton and others. In the eyes of the British people, China seemed to be a barren land, and the Chinese were both stupid and barbaric.And China hated Britain for no reason, as if it was against the British. This kind of disrespect to Britain made Britain feel the same hatred, and the whole country stopped to crusade against China. On September 30, 39 companies and manufacturers in Manchester, the British textile center, jointly sent a letter to the British Foreign Secretary Palmerston, slandering China's smoking ban as an act of aggression, and asking the British government to stand up and truly treat it like the empire on which the sun never sets. China has adopted strong countermeasures, and once hoped that the government can take advantage of this opportunity to put trade with China on a safe, stable and permanent basis... Then, businesses in London, Liverpool, Leeds, London and other big cities also Shouting loudly, unanimously advocating action against China, using war against China... No one has given up on China because of China's remoteness, no one has stayed away from China because of China's ban on smoking, and no one has made peace because of the barbarism of the Chinese. China cut off ties.Because everyone knows that China is the country of tea and silk, of spices and precious stones, of porcelain and cultural relics... this is a country full of gold and treasures, and it is too important to the British Empire.We can only hold it firmly in our hands and turn it into a colony of the British Empire like India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. This is the best choice that the sober and rational Britain has considered for a long time.

On October 1, the British cabinet held a meeting to discuss the issue of declaring war on China.Foreign Secretary Palmerston gave an impassioned speech. At the meeting, he talked about the experience of the Elliots in China and how they lived there like years.He said that the Elliots have endured humiliation for the interests of the British Empire in China, and have been sticking to the South China Sea. They are always looking forward to the fleet flying the Mi-shaped flag of the British Empire sailing into the Pearl River Estuary, entering Xiamen and Tianjin, and smashing the Qing Dynasty with grand artillery. The back of the dynasty made it obediently sign on the negotiating table, agreeing to all the conditions of the British Empire.

His speech at the meeting moved the cabinet ministers.The Secretary of War, Macaulay, also advocated declaring war on China.After discussion at the meeting, a decision was made to send a fleet to the China Sea. In February 1840, the British government officially appointed Yilu and Elliot as the principal and deputy plenipotentiaries in China, and Yilu was the commander-in-chief of the British army fighting against China. In April, the parliament formally passed a resolution to launch a war against China, sending troops to China. The plan of the two icebergs colliding directed by Elliott finally started to be implemented according to his expectation...

In the days when the directors in Macau were in conflict, Elliot was constantly disturbed by businessmen. Some foreign businessmen are truly business-oriented, and they don't want to get involved in the disputes between countries.They just want to make money and have no interest in anything else. When Lin Zexu insisted that foreign businessmen sign letters of guarantee, some foreign businessmen planned to break through Elliot's obstruction and get in touch with Guangzhou in private in order to carry out normal trade.Elliot was furious after hearing the news, saying that they disregarded the interests of the country and only cared about their own opinions and individual interests. This was an extremely shameful betrayal.He said:

I trust that I shall never be in such an embarrassment until the queen's sure and powerful intervention has touched the shores of China, and shattered the Chinese government's illusion that what it has done will be forever tolerated. to issue a special injunction to any of Her Majesty's subjects, to cease that practice which is detrimental to the state and endangers the innocents whose lives would be sacrificed to their greed... Elliot estimated that the support at the western end of the sea should be reliable and sure.Therefore, he has nothing to fear.With his instigation and support, some opium dealers once again took the risk. The east is not bright and the west is bright, and the opium is transferred to the coast of Fujian for smuggling and selling. Chadton foreign company vigorously smuggled opium to the coast of China by setting up a branch in Manila. A box of opium bought for 200 yuan sold for 800 yuan or even 1,000 yuan... The surface of the South China Sea, which was cleared by the anti-smoking campaign, became cloudy again. On July 7, 1839, a group of British sailors who were idle at sea went ashore to the nearby village of Tsim Sha Tsui to buy wine and drink.The villagers usually hated these foreigners who often came to harass them, and some people stepped forward to stop their evil deeds.As a result, a small fight broke out. Lin Weixi, a villager from Tsim Sha Tsui, also participated in the fight.This is a strong middle-aged man.During his excellent counterattack, he was surrounded and beaten by several foreigners. One of the Englishmen stabbed him in the heart with a wooden stick, and he was smashed and sat on the ground.But he still stood up and used his body to defend the women and children behind him and the dignity of Tsim Sha Tsui people.After the fighting was over, Lin Weixi was carried back. He didn't make it through.Before dawn the next day, Lin Weixi spat out a mouthful of blood, tilted his head, and swallowed his breath. A few days later, after hearing the news, Elliot came here under the guise of investigating, but actually came to bribe the family members of the parties involved. He offered 1,500 yuan in compensation to the victim's family, plus another 400 yuan to prevent being extorted.A reward of 200 yuan was given to witnesses, and 100 yuan was given to each of the beaten and injured villagers. The purpose of giving a lot of money is to make them unanimously admit that the fighting was purely a misunderstanding. Lin Fuchao, the son of Lin Weixi, even wrote false certificates to foreigners: Li Zunyi's family members Lin Fuchao, mother Zhang, Ma, younger brother Fuhua, Shu Yixi and relatives of Uncle Fang's family, etc., were born on May 28 (7) because their father Weixi was in Kowloon trading business. Going out to collect debts and returning, he passed by Guanyong, was beaten by a barbarian, fell to the ground, hit a rock and died.This is in accordance with the destiny, and it has nothing to do with the barbarians.Lin Fuchao's mother and son were willing to plead with the barbarian people, but fortunately the barbarian people showed compassion, and they helped return with a small amount of money for the funeral, together with Fuchao's mother and son and relatives, moved their father Weixi home, and the funeral was settled.This is the willingness of the two families. In the future, Fu Chao's mother, son, brother, uncle, housekeeper, etc. will not be born to Tulaiyi people.Each expresses his conscience, fearing that his words will have no basis, so he makes a paper of compliance and receives a license with the barbarians. On May 29th, the 19th year of Daoguang, Lin Fuchao, a man of honor, was established. Lin Zexu immediately assigned Liang Xingyuan, the county magistrate of Xin'an County, to rush to Tsim Sha Tsui to investigate and deal with it after he received the emergency documents from the local officials about the death case of a British sailor beating a villager in Tsim Sha Tsui.After Liang Xingyuan's autopsy, it was confirmed that Lin Weixi's death was caused by stick wounds, not because he was hit by a barbarian, fell to the ground and hit a rock. With the help of the villagers, Liang captured Liu Yasan, who helped foreigners buy dead relatives, and Lin Fuchao also handed over the English written evidence that the murderer agreed to pay. According to the results of the investigation, Lin Zexu immediately sent personnel to Macau to negotiate with Elliott, ordering Elliott to find out the murderer and hand it over to the government for trial according to Chinese law. Elliot refused to enforce the Chinese code. Elliot replied to Lin Zexu, saying that the fight in Tsim Sha Tsui was not only committed by the British, but also by Americans and Spaniards. The truth is not yet clear, so how can it be identified as British?Besides, England has never had a law to hand over its own people to other countries for trial.We'll handle the case ourselves. In order to refute Elliot's sophistry, Lin Zexu carefully studied international law and organized the translation of relevant passages such as the "Laws of Nations" written by the Swiss Wadar in 1758. There is no law that people do not pay for life. At this time, the American consul and the Spaniards also provided proof that the perpetrators of the fight in Tsim Sha Tsui were indeed committed by British people and had nothing to do with sailors from other countries. Lin Zexu once again issued an order to Elliot, ordering him to cooperate with the Chinese government in handing over the murderer, and announced that the British ships moored in Tsim Sha Tsui were not allowed to go in and out to buy food without authorization, and all necessary supplies must be handled by licensed compradors. To prevent collusion with drug trafficking.However, Elliot turned a deaf ear to the above decree. He made a show of making a temporary court on the Fort William to try the British sailors who participated in the fight in Tsim Sha Tsui.The jury consisted of 23 people.Elliot pretends to be a judge. After the trial, Elliot announced that the protest against a British sailor who committed homicide would not be accepted, and then sentenced the five sailors involved in the beating to six months' imprisonment, a fine of twenty pounds, and three months' imprisonment , to a fine of fifteen pounds, and to order the imprisonment to be served in a prison in mainland England...   Lin Zexu learned that Yilu was so bad, he personally went to Xiangshan with Deng Tingzhen to investigate the death of a British sailor, and sent troops to enforce martial law on all major traffic routes in Xiangshan County, and declared that Yilu's trial result was illegal.Lin Zexu said: Check that there are still regulations in this country. If you go to any country for trade, you will follow the laws of that country. The regulations are very clear.In other countries, the law should be followed, how about the heavenly dynasty?If the crime is in the country of Yi, let the country handle it on its own, but in the place of the Celestial Dynasty, how can it not be handed over to the government for constitutional trial? However, Yilu is stubborn and will never hand over the murderer.Even though China declared martial law and announced the serious consequences if the murderer was not handed over, Elliot also ignored it. On August 24, a British sampan was attacked by Chinese pirates on its way from Macau to Hong Kong. Except for one sailor whose ear was cut off and a businessman who was seriously injured and rescued, the remaining seven sailors were all killed.Yilu sent someone to report to Lin Zexu to ask the government to investigate and deal with it. Because of Yilu's bad attitude on the sailor issue, Lin Zexu thought it was Yilu's deliberate fabrication and refused to accept it. The conflict between Yilu and Lin Zexu became more acute.Yilu simply stopped contacting the official documents of the imperial envoy Xingyuan.In order to express his renunciation with the Chinese government, Elliot simply left Macau and lived on a cargo ship.When Lin Zexu heard the news, he immediately ordered the Portuguese officials in Macau to expel all the British who stayed in Macau, limiting them to leave the country within three days. All the British businessmen and their families living in Macau were expelled. This team became exiled refugees at sea. They faced the threat of lack of water and food due to lack of preparation, and they might also be attacked by pirates.They brought a lot of silver and collected treasures but disappeared... Just when they were facing a desperate situation, the two warships that Elliot asked the governor in India to rush to help appeared in their field of vision.They were rescued. Of these two warships, one is called Wolayi, and the other is called Hai'a Xin.With the courage of these two warships, Elliot's back became stiff immediately. After the news of the British ship sailing to the Pearl River Estuary reached the imperial envoy, Lin Zexu ordered all places in the inland river of Haikou to take strict precautions in order to prevent accidents.Guan Tianpei personally sits in Shajiao, drills the navy every day, actively prepares for battle, and is always ready to wipe out the invading enemy. Not only that, a mighty live drama of the people's war was also opened by director Lin Zexu.Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen issued a notice calling on the people along the coast to act immediately, purchase self-defense weapons and equipment, and form a self-defense force. If they found British people going ashore to cause trouble, they could shoot to stop them and order them to return, or capture them and hand them over to the government.The British are not allowed to go ashore to look for water, and anyone who dares to divert water for the British will be punished by law. For a time, social organizations in Nanhai, Panyu, Shunde, Dongguan, Xin'an and other places near Guangzhou immediately mobilized. The patriotic gentry called up volunteers, organized regiment training, and devoted themselves to the struggle against the British and self-defense.The people along the coast usually hated the opium spread by foreign merchants to poison the common people. Now they saw the government's call to block the barbarian boats and responded one after another. People planted slogans all over the bank of Tangtou beside the well, saying that the water is poisonous.Some villages also form patrol teams to patrol day and night, and report to the officials immediately if there is any suspicious situation.The coastal area has become a vast ocean where the enemy is in danger of being wiped out... On September 2, 1839, Lin Zexu, accompanied by Deng Tingzhen and others, went to Macau to inspect the smoking ban, detoxification and elimination of drug sources. Macau was a place where foreign businessmen gathered. After the smoking ban in Guangzhou, some foreign businessmen fled here one after another. Lin Zexu worried that this place would become a new source and distribution center for opium.In addition, it is reported that all the British here have been expelled, so we can also check the implementation situation. The inspection team set off from Xiangshan County, walked for a day, and arrived at the former cottage ten miles away from Macau.Departing early the next morning, when we arrived at the border gate, the Portuguese governor of Macau, Do Jamadisha, led a hundred soldiers to line up on the left side of the road and wait there.Seeing the red roof of the official sedan chair of the imperial envoy flickering in the morning mist, the commander raised his handle, and the sound of western music started, attracting many common people and foreign residents to watch the excitement. The council officer led Lin Zexu and his party to Lianfeng Temple, where Xingyuan resides.Founded in 1592, Lianfeng Temple was originally named Tianfei Temple, also known as Cihu Palace.Now it has become a temporary residence for officials of the Qing Dynasty when they inspected. The "China Congbao" run by foreigners at that time reported the scene when Lin Zexu came to Lianfeng Temple.The team started from the gate and entered the vast courtyard in front of the temple. The scene is very interesting.It was a clear morning sky, and the courtyard was very cool under the slope of the hill.Crowds of people watching the excitement had already gathered outside the courtyard.And in the courtyard, representatives of the Macau Council Officer, Tongzhi, County Magistrate, and imperial envoys were already waiting there.Various gifts - silver, silk, tea leaves, pigs and calves with red ribbons on their horns - have also been displayed at the main entrance of the temple.The team consisted of about 200 soldiers, formed into two columns, about 400 yards long.Whether it is in progress or when performing, it is extremely irregular.An officer on horseback arrived first, followed by the gong-bearers, and then a group of Chinese soldiers carrying flags, leading the imperial envoy's eight-person palanquin.Walking beside the sedan chair was a group of Portuguese guards of honor.Then came a small party of local soldiers to open the way for Governor Deng.Behind him, followed other officers and troops.When the dignitaries arrived, they were greeted by the waiting officials, and then led into the temple, where they had a short rest and held talks with the council officers. This report provides us with a vivid and strange picture of the combination of East and West.There are foreign soldiers carrying foreign guns, Portuguese officers with epaulets and ribbons, high-ranking officials with flower feathers on their necks, unkempt men in plain clothes and rough shirts, Western musical instruments, and Chinese sacrifices. Cantonese voices, and Western languages, but the laughter is common, but the friendship does not use language. What a moving picture, what a friendly scene.If the British respected China's sovereignty like the Portuguese, obeyed China's laws, and refrained from engaging in crooked ways, they would never be expelled, and they would never become refugees at sea.In their residential areas, there will also be such a lively scene like a genre painting, which will become a wonderful flower in the history of international diplomacy, a past event that will be praised by future generations... It was the first time for Lin Zexu to enter the Yi people's residential area, which opened his eyes.He is a person who is good at learning, but despite this, he is still puzzled by foreign clothing culture, marriage customs and so on. He said that Xiyi's service was too strange.The man's body is tightly wrapped, short and long-legged, as if acting in the form of a fox, a rabbit and other beasts. This costume is exactly the opposite of the costumes of the Qing Dynasty. The mandarin jacket is loose and loose.Compared with Yi people's clothing, it can only be said that there are advantages and disadvantages to each other, and they cannot be excluded. It can be seen that even a visionary like Lin Zexu still has prejudice and narrowness. He is also quite displeased with foreigners: It has many volumes, and it can be shocking at a glance. Cantonese call it a devil, which is good but not ugly.There is also a kind of ghost slave, the so-called black ghost, who is from the Molu country, and they are all used by the Yi people.Women's hair is either combed in two or three, and there is no high bun.The top of the clothes is bare-chested, and the bottom is heavy skirt.Marriages are all chosen by men and women, and the same surname is not avoided, which is really unconventional. ("Lin Zexu Collection Diary", page 351.) Being closed to the outside world makes people's thinking short and short. From Lin Zexu's words, it can be seen that he is a meticulous person, a person with deep observation ability, and at the same time, a person who abides by the old rules and hardly accepts other cultures, and is a person with a strong sense of old master . During his inspection of Macau for several hours, Lin Zexu inspected the original British residence in detail to see if there was any storage of tobacco and earth, and reached an agreement with the Portuguese: to keep it in the confrontation between China and Britain. The strictest neutrality.After everything was over, he went back home. In the early morning of September 6, Lin Zexu, who had just arrived in the water division village of Humen Town, received an urgent battle report: a naval battle occurred in the Jiulongshan area... September 4, 1839, at 9:00 am. Elliot and Captain Shimi set off from Hong Kong on the Louisa with several armed speedboats, sailed to the sea near the Jiulongshan Fort, pretended to ask for food, and provoked the three division ships of the Chinese Navy's Dapeng Battalion. Dapeng Battalion Counselor Lai Enjue stood at the bow of the boat and ordered Yilu to implement the imperial envoy's order as soon as possible, and after the foreign merchants were reassured, they would come to this area to buy food, otherwise they would not be allowed to dock! Elliot said, we already paid, why not let us ask for food?Mr. Lin can't be humane too?If we are not allowed to go ashore again, we will take action! Jue Ryan said coquettishly: Take action?As for the broken boats of you barbarians, what is my heavenly dynasty?Go back... You say it, I say it.Chirping, whirring, wow.After arguing for a long time, Elliot sent a letter of protest.Half an hour later, before waiting for a reply, the British ship began to shell the division ship.The shelling was very sudden. I didn't expect the artillery fire to be so intense and accurate.The soldier Ou Shigan on the division ship was killed on the spot.But Lord Ryan immediately ordered the soldiers to fight back. The cannons of the division ship and the cannons of Jiulongshan Fort fired at the Luisa together, hitting its mainsail with a bang bang burst of fire. like falling into the water... After two and a half hours of fierce fighting, the British ships were out of support and retreated in defeat.The division ship refused to give up, and surrounded it like a pack of wolves. At this moment, the British ship Wolaxin and the armed opium smuggling ship Fort William came to the rescue and intercepted the division ship.The Louisa was hit hard again, and the sailors on board were beaten speechless by naval artillery fire.At this time, a small leader on the British ship led 16 sailors to row and attack a division ship. When it was approaching the stern, the division ship found it. The battle lasted for four hours. At 6:30, the British ship fled towards Tsim Sha Tsui.The navy officers and soldiers killed 2 people, seriously injured 2 people, and slightly injured 4 people, but the enemy ships suffered heavy losses.Lin Zexu wrote in the battle report sent to Beijing: Seventeen of those who knocked down one of his two-masted airships and buried their bodies nearby were buried nearby...the number of wounded is too numerous to count. On November 2, Shimi led the British warships Wolaxin and Hai'axin to the surface of Chuanbiyang. At noon, the British merchant ship Royal Saxon completed the recognizance in accordance with the requirements of Guangzhou. Under the navigation of the Chinese Navy, it sailed to the Chuanbi Ocean, ready to declare the entrance. At this time, Wo Lasu crossed the ocean to stop the merchant ships from entering the customs.It turned out that because Elliott, Shimi and others advocated resisting recognizance, refusing to hand over the murderer, and continuing to engage in opium smuggling activities, some merchant ships that actually came to China for business and trade caused a large backlog of goods, and the goods could not be sold. In addition, the weather in Guangdong was hot However, the goods in the ship, such as foreign rice, foreign cloth, cotton, etc., were damp and moldy.At this time, American businessmen seized the opportunity of Sino-British hostility and Elliot banned the import of British ships to monopolize trade interests, which made British businessmen extremely jealous.The long backlog of goods on the British ships forced the British merchants to sell them to American merchants. The American merchants usually did not refuse, because for the short-distance transportation from Macau to Guangzhou, they would ask for almost the same amount as that from London to Guangzhou. Freight, black-handed and mercenary exploits by American merchants made British merchants really feel distressed. They kept putting pressure on Elliott. Some merchant ships finally couldn't help but surrendered to the Chinese authorities and demanded to bond the import trade. And blockade Guangzhou Haikou. The Royal Saxon merchant ship is an example of an application for import recognizance.However, it was intercepted by the British warships Wola Doubt and Hai Axin. When the Chinese navy ship was about to go to investigate, unexpectedly, the British ship suddenly shelled the division ship and immediately blew up one of the fire ships.The other division's ship was hit by artillery fire in the gunpowder compartment, and it burst into flames, killing 6 soldiers. Admiral Guan Tianpei personally commanded the division ship to fire at the British ships, and the British ships besieged Guan Tianpei's command ship. The shells cut off his palm, but he still fought bloody. The division ship's gunfire hit the bow of the Voracious, breaking the nose of the ship, and the British soldiers fell into the sea. The Admiral Zuoying guerrilla Mai Tingzhang was played, and the commander's ship continued to bombard the back tower of the Wolayi, and the mast of the Hai'axin was also hit by shells. After more than an hour of fierce fighting between the two sides, the Wo La doubt fled, followed by the Hai A Xin, and the Chinese navy won another victory. On November 4th, the British warships Wolaxin and Haiaxin, which had fled from Chuanbiyang, sailed back to Tsim Sha Tsui to repair the damaged ships.On the nearby Guanyong Mountain, the Chinese defenders are rushing to repair the fortifications.The British army was afraid that the Chinese army would attack the British ships, so they wanted to send troops to occupy the commanding heights of Guanyong Mountain.But it was repulsed by the defenders stationed there several times in a row. At night, the British ships lined up and shelled the Guanpushan camp fiercely.The defenders counterattacked and drove the British ships back. On November 8, the British ships launched an attack again. More than a hundred British soldiers rushed to the bank on the tide, and more than a hundred of them rushed to the hill.Zengcheng Battalion General Liu Minghui led his troops down the mountain to intercept. The two sides fought hand-to-hand on the mountain. The defenders wounded dozens of enemies with swords and wooden sticks, and finally drove them into the sea. On November 9, the defenders in Kwun Chung discovered that the British ship was trying to gain a foothold at Pepper Point, which was not far from Kwun Chung. retreat. On November 11, after hearing the news, the reinforcements officers and soldiers gathered in Guanyong. Guan Tianpei dispatched six new cannons. At dusk, the British ship found people shaking and shouting in the Guanchong camp area. Looking through the binoculars, it was determined that the defenders were installing cannons, so they wanted to act first. At the beginning of the night, the enemy artillery fired first, which immediately attracted the Chinese defenders. The counterattack of the five-way cannon.Two hours after the night battle, the British ship was lost and slipped away. In the early morning, I saw a mess where the British ships were stranded. Some damaged brigs were half-floating and half-sinking on the water, and the rest of the ships had already fled. On the 13th, more than a dozen armed merchant ships, including the British Cambridge and the Dolly, approached Guanchong again at dusk, waiting for an opportunity to sneak attack. The ship was shot several times and fled in a hurry. A rowboat was hit by artillery fire. Seeing that the situation was not good, the British ships retreated one after another. British ships have failed to attack Guan Chung six times... Good news spread frequently in Beijing. The three naval battles all won great victories, which made the ruling and opposition parties rejoice.Lin Zexu approved the facts before the performance.He is a serious and honest person, especially when reporting to the emperor, the facts are more accurate, so he dare not make mistakes.However, he still gets technical with the text.For example, in the Naval Battle of Kowloon, two Chinese died and six were injured, while only four British were injured, and the mast of a two-masted cargo ship was interrupted.In the battle report submitted, Lin Zexu wrote that one of his giant two-masted ships was overturned, and the barbarians picked up the corpses and buried them nearby, and there were already seventeen... In the naval battle through the nose, the British ship's mast and sail were hit by shells, the hull was not damaged, and no personnel were killed. However, three division ships of the Chinese navy were sunk and 15 soldiers died. What victory, but still called a great victory... In any case, in the three naval battles, when the comparison of weapons between the two sides was at a disadvantage, the Chinese navy fought against the enemy bravely, repelled the enemy's attacks again and again, and did not let the enemy's plot succeed. It should be regarded as a small victory. From this In a sense, Lin Zexu's report stated that within ten days, he had won six battles, big and small, all of which were complete victories, which is reasonable.Lin Zexu kept in mind the mission of banning smoking. He was ordered by Emperor Daoguang. His main task was to ban smoking, and he didn't want to make the situation worse.As far as Sino-British trade is concerned, this is a normal exchange. Both sides benefit from each other, and it is also good for China. He is a shrewd person and will not turn a blind eye.He has always had an illusion about the British, thinking that China stands on its own in the world, does not ask for help in everything, and may live better if it leaves the barbarians.The Yi people are different. Chinese tea and other things are as important as food in the West. If they are not used for a day, it will be difficult to survive.It's not that I can't live without you, but that you can't live without me. It's you foreigners who want me.Even if I give you shame and be harsh to you, you will still come to me shamelessly, and you will not take drastic actions to kill yourself... Regarding the issue of smoking ban, Lin Zexu had a relatively simple idea at the beginning. As long as he had Shangfang's sword and Emperor Daoguang as his backer, he would keep himself clean and self-sufficient, so why not worry about smoking ban?Although there were different opinions on the smoking ban among officials, and some even raised objections, Lin Zexu didn't feel worried. Lin Zexu had a deep understanding of the cunning of foreign businessmen when he first came here, but he found it easy to deal with the cunning of foreign businessmen by means of repression, good words, consolation, and arguments.It's just that an Elliot came out later, his actions and thinking were different from others, it was difficult to grasp, which caused him quite a headache. Based on the observation of Yilu, he should be a serious and serious person.He is a soldier, capable of doing things, and he does what he says, different from the businessmen who are slavish and petty.Because he represents the interests of the country and businessmen, this role itself is not easy to play.Lin Zexu fully understood his difficulties.He thought that some things did not come from his sincerity, such as resisting the recognizance, such as refusing to hand over the murderer, as long as he put some pressure on him, he would cooperate as he obediently handed over the cigarette before.People like Yilu who are stubborn, quick-tempered, and often rough, like wind and fire, fight him a protracted war, a war of attrition, soft and hard, and over time, if you don't believe him, you will not submit. However, his estimate was wrong. After Elliot resisted the recognizance, his performance became worse and worse.He is the commercial representative of the UK in China, but it seems that he is not here to do business, but to fight against someone.He didn't pay much attention to trade matters, only to create friction. However, thinking about Yilu, there is always no way out. I don't know why you haven't turned back? (Lin Zexu's "Letter to Yiliang") He couldn't figure it out. I think businessmen are business-oriented, and you are here to do business, and you do business on your own initiative by going to heaven. We don’t eat your foreign rice, don’t wear your foreign cloth, and don’t order your foreign oil. We can still live well, but You can't do without our tea, you can't do without us! However, these days you don't talk about trade at all, but you have repeatedly disturbed troubles in the South China Sea. You have come to China from thousands of miles just to make a fuss?Are you full? With Lin Zexu's insight and thinking, it is difficult for him to see through the backside of Yilu, who is not high in IQ.Elliott himself is not complicated, but behind him is complicated. Behind him, the huge iceberg of the British Empire is slowly moving here... For Elliot, he couldn't see through Lin Zexu, and he was also impressed by his character and talent from the bottom of his heart, but he could see through The Qing Empire behind him... He is an old colonialist with some experience.He has invaded India, Afghanistan, and North Africa following the pace of the empire. He knows the whole process of colonial rule and understands the operating procedures.At this moment, he felt as if a hound was chasing and playing with its prey. Although the empire was so huge, Elliot had already seen through its weak nature.As long as the fleet of the British Empire arrives, it will be full of anger. Lin Zexu was completely unaware of the complex international background.Although he has also heard others talk about the national conditions of the empire on which the sun never sets, he knows that their queen is only twenty years old, and she is still a shy girl with a blushing face. And guns are very powerful, etc., and it is only limited to superficial understanding.How can the British Empire be stronger than the Chinese Empire? Kowloon, Chuanbiyang, and Guanpu were all victorious in the three battles, which shows that it is nothing more than that, so what is there to be afraid of?Evidence of Lin Zexu's poor knowledge of the world can be found in the January 1840 issue of China Cong Bao.A British doctor named Xier described the scene after he saw Lin Zexu. He said: He (referring to Lin Zexu? asked when we left England, and whether there had been news of the chaos in China before we left England, when and where did we first hear such news, sailing from Angel to China How many days will it take, is it customary for the ship to stop there on the way to China, the nature and value of our cargo, whether our ship has been to China before... 为了向我们表明鸦片生意的可耻及最近几年来它的增长，他交给我们一份地尔洼先生作的小册子和另一本撕去封面的关于中的小册子。他要求我们阅读从两书中摘出的几段。两书中有几部分已经译成中文，贴在原文所在的书页上。他还有五六张东印度公司的卡片，上面载着一季中售出的鸦片数量。在他递给我们的一张卡片上记着：八达拿鸦片…… 他交付一封给英女王的函件。文词仍旧是一贯的浮夸口气，使我不禁失声而笑。他一看见这种情况，便问是不是不合适。我说我所笑的，只是文词上的儿处讹误。于是他便吩咐我们将信带入里屋，在那里修改我们所发现的一切错误，并在那里进茶点。原函很长，是用毛笔写的，笔迹很清楚，内容主要是说鸦片贸易及其恶果的一篇长文，并且希望女王陛下能够加以干涉，协助遏止烟祸。林公又问起各种鸦片所来自的地点。他让我把这些地名给他写下来，我当即照办。提到土耳其的名字时，他问是否属于美国，或是美国的一部分。我们告诉他土耳其距离中国几乎需要一个月的航程、他似乎很惊奇…… 那几个失声发笑的原因是林则徐的偏狭和浮夸自大的口气，他在给英国女王的信函上仍这样写道茶叶大黄，外国所不可一日无也，中国若靳其利，而不恤其害，则夷人何以为生这样的旧调子。以这种偏见和浅陋的世界知识，很难世事洞明，也难以处理好复杂的国际事务。但林则徐在清朝官吏中，仍然是难能可贵的，他的可贵之处是他总愿意探求学习新的知识，并不断改正和修正自己的不正确看法，不讳疾忌医，不是不懂装懂。他的知错就改的精神仍然值得人们敬佩。 然而，林则徐的疏漏和浮夸，还是深刻影响了紫禁城里的道光皇帝。 道光皇帝是个谨慎小心而又刚愎自用的人。他只知天朝，对外一无所知。九龙海战报捷，紧接又是穿鼻、官涌报捷，水师所战皆胜，这使他飘飘然起来。 林则徐下广东之前，他曾经多次叮嘱他，只要让夷人闻风慑服就罢了，千万不要把事情弄大，不要弄到骤开边衅，不可收拾。可是，看过九龙战报之后，他转眼又把先前叮嘱林则徐的话语给忘得一干二净。他反而觉得林则徐的胆子不够大，仗打得还太小了。他在林则徐的奏报上批道： 既有此番举动，若再示以柔弱，则大不可。不思卿等柔浪，但诫卿等不可畏葸，先威后德，控制之良法也。相机悉心筹度，勉之，慎之…… 在另一道谕旨里，道光皇帝又写道： ……我兵先后奋勇，大挫其锋，该夷等自必畏慑投诚，吁求免死。惟当此得势后，断不可稍形畏葸，示以柔弱…… 林则徐在广东禁烟时审时度势，给义律打打谈谈，反复谈判，这也使道光皇帝极不耐烦。他说，日后再有反复，即当示以兵威，断绝大黄茶叶，永远不准贸易。 道光皇帝这种非此即彼的决断，使林则徐非常为难。永远不准贸易的决断之荒唐是显而易见的，但是，这是皇帝谕旨，君子一言，驷马难追，必须遵照执行，且要诚惶诚恐。 在道光皇帝御旨下达之前，林则徐也做出过暂时和英国人断绝贸易的决定，那是有前提的。一是为禁烟，二是为甘结，三是为惩凶。如果义律在这几个方面都能很好的配合，贸易会随时继续进行。 但是，道光一声令下，便切断了与英人谈判的条件。这是永远断绝与英国的关系，这就把林则徐和义律的后路都切断了。 这时，陆续到达南中海的英商船货船已达六十艘以上，这些满载货物的船舶已经在海面上停泊了数月之久，那些商人因为卖不出货物，买不进茶叶而忧虑重重。 半年之中，各国与中国具结进口的商船有62只，其中美国商船达45只，超过往年全年的外国商船数目。林则徐采取遵法者纳之、抗法者拒之，对美国及其它表示顺从的外国商船给予惠顾。美国人历来精明而敏捷，中英矛盾给它们带来了机会，它们不失时机扩大了贸易来往，并且成倍地膨胀开来。即使对英国商船，林则徐也不是一概而论，有的商船愿意具结，林就给以优待。英国船主吉里布，不顾中方法令，借着夜暗偷偷航行在铜鼓湾，企图蒙混入关，结果被中国水师发现，截获后，吉里布表示愿意具结，林则徐便让其在黄浦行商以给出路。 义律对抗中方法令，使英商无法正常贸易，因而引起他们的不满。 《广州周报》曾刊登英商们的怨言：现今封港之事，害英国人之利，比害中国人之利更多…… 这时，形势的发展变得对中国越来越有利了。中国的对外贸易不但没有受到损害，贸易额且有上升趋势。白银由外流转成内溢。据说，以上商船为中国带来了二百万元的银币进项。1839年，当年外船输入的洋银，已查验有二百七十三万二千七百余元，而未验者还不在此数之内。英国国内的纺织业巨头和鸦片走私集团对义律的不满与日俱增，如果再坚持一段时间，就会有更多的商人自动来广州要求具结，只要有半数商船跟中国建立贸易关系，义律就不可能牵着洋商的鼻子走，义律就会对自己失去信心，也许就没有查顿等商人在英国国内的遥相呼应，就不会有商团的支持。而这时是1839年11月，离英国内阁决定出兵中国还有3个月的时间。事情或许可以向另外方向转化…… 然而，左右摇摆的道光却因为浮夸战报的鼓舞，下了与英彻底决裂的决心一一林则徐上奏穿鼻、官涌之战后，道光在下达的谕旨上说：英吉利国夷人自议禁烟以后，反复无常，前次胆敢先放火炮，旋经剀谕，伪作恭顺，仍勾结兵船，潜图报复，彼时虽加惩则，未即绝其贸易，已不足以示威……即使此次具出甘结，亦难保无反复情事，若屡次抗拒，仍准通商，殊属不成事体，至区区税银，何足计论！ 在道光的眼里，异国番邦来华，不过像花朵围绕太阳一样。我华夏神州就是太阳，诸夷各国就是花朵，花朵从来谨记太阳的恩泽，而太阳谁能记住区区一朵小花？你们英国不过是来攀扶我们的一个小不点国家，你们送的些许银钱，对我们来说只是九牛一毛，何足挂齿？ 林则徐在广东禁烟时谨言慎行，与义律等人每次交手，总要三思而行，为的是日后两国有个长远的未来，好走上正常而健康的轨道。对他来讲，他个人的心智和谋略都几乎用尽了。但他这一切都白费了。 他的身后是道光皇帝。他和义律不一样。义律的身后有英国女王，但更有掌管国事的内阁和议会。他们有投票表决，有集体决议。而中国没有。中国只有至高至尊的道光皇帝。 偏偏这个道光皇帝基本上不知道外国的情事，至今仍旧不知西边，对于国际事务的决断，道光如盲人骑瞎马，夜半临深池，错误的概率几乎是百分之百。 道光皇帝在谕旨上下了最后的决断一著林则徐等酌量情形，即将英吉利国贸易停止。所有该国船只，尽行驱逐出口，不必取具甘结。其殴毙华民凶犯，亦不值令其交出。当啷（即皇家萨克逊号？一船，无庸查明下落。并著出示晓谕各国，列其罪状，宣布各夷。 皇家萨克逊号在穿鼻洋被士密的舰队拦截后不知所终，林则徐的意思是根据它的表现应该受到通商的照顾，寻找之后准备引至广州进关。但道光皇帝却说，恭顺抗拒，情节虽属不同，但毕竟都是英国人，干脆，一道驱逐了罢。这样，便把那些愿意具结的洋商和正在持观望态度的洋商一古脑推在了义律一边，使它们没了后路，断了念想，最后作困兽犹斗，坚决与中国对抗到底。这就是道光皇帝错误决断的直接恶果。 林则徐躬领圣旨后，展阅再三，思之再三，陷入无奈的境地。他不可能说服圣上，也无法左右义律。他觉得九龙海战之前，禁烟之事虽说艰难，但殚精竭虑全力以赴还能推进下去，然而，当九龙海战之后，捷报频仍，英商队伍眼看就要分化，事情可能有一个圆满的结局时，情势不意却发生了根本的变化。他像一下子堕入深渊一般，强大的引力和失重使他手足无措。 他在瞬间变成了一枚秋叶，缓缓飘落……1839年11月26日，林则徐会同邓廷桢等发出告示，宣布从12月6日起，停止英国的一切贸易。 1840年春天，关于大不列颠帝国的英国舰队要来进犯中国的消息风一般传遍了广东沿海地区。传言最早来自那些在华洋商们。连一贯和英有隙的葡萄牙人也讨好起英国人来。广州封港后，义律趁广东人众过春节之际，秘密潜入澳门，暗中收买葡萄牙官员，企图将澳门当作对华作战的基地。这一消息被中方获悉，林则徐准备出兵缉拿义律。当林则徐把这一消息通报给葡萄牙人时，葡人却以中立为名，不予配合。而义律悍然将海阿新号驶入澳门内港，公然对抗中国政府的法令。 林则徐传谕澳门葡萄牙总督，让他即刻将义律等人驱逐出境，澳门葡萄牙总督却一反常态，从中偏袒义律。这是从没有过的事情。 因此有人判断，可能是英国人的舰队就要开过来了。还有人说，舰队是要开过来，不过不是英人一家，而是集中好多国家的兵船一块来的，那些兵船聚集到一起，像几个村庄连在一起，可以跑马呢…… 有人说，来的所谓兵舰，实际上只有一两只船有大炮，其余的船都是货船假扮的，有人看见那些大炮都是木头做的，涂上油彩，这是夷人的疑兵之计…… 林则徐得到的情报比较具体，说来的英国舰队兵船共24只，其中英船12只，孟买兵船12只，不久就要开过来…… 林则徐尽管不信传言，但总觉英国人是不会善罢甘休的，他还是和邓廷桢、关天培等积极进行战守准备。 林则徐提出了以守为战的方针。 他说，英军船坚炮利，擅长海战，中国水师和夷人相比，船则不坚，炮亦不利，在军事力量上有明显的劣势。但是，英军万里而来，奔波劳累，且粮饷军火很难持久长继，而中国军队在本土作战，地形地物熟悉，物资补给方便，可以以逸待劳，因此，采用以守为战，则为完全之策。 以守为战的立足点是守。即不主动与英军在海上交锋，避其所长，让敌人来攻，把敌人的火力兵力都吸引到岸上来。 因此，林则徐在敌人入侵时必经之海口河道山峰等处令下属构筑坚固的防御工事，并购买来当时较先进的西洋火炮若干，密配于虎门九龙炮台。在虎门海口，除铸就拦海粗大铁链外，还在横档、巩固两炮台之间江底打下暗桩，防止英舰闯入。 林则徐认为，以守为战还要以战助守。为了提高水师的海上作战能力，他还从美国罗素洋行购买了吉赛皮克号，作为水师演习攻击英舰的训练模拟船只，后来，又把它改装为战舰，配备英制大炮34门。这是中国从国外引进的第一艘现代化军舰。同时，他还积极筹造战船，这些船较过去都增加了防御能力，船身长大而且坚固，大都是按欧洲船式修建的。除此之外，林则徐还搜集了中外多种战船的资料，仅绘有图式的就有以下八种： 一、《广东水师营快蟹艇图》； 二、《知沙碧船图》； 三、《花旗船图》； 四、《安南国渔船图》； 五、《安南国大师船图》； 六、《安南布梭船图》； 七、《安南大头三板图》； 八、《车轮船图》。 考虑到筹措资金造船缓不济急，林则徐又募集民船，改制成多艘火舟，加强水上攻击力量。对原来的海河巡缉战船也进行了维修和改造，84艘战船全部检修一遍，使这些战船时刻处于闻警而动的状态。 除此之外，林则徐又在广东沿海一带招募乡勇水勇，扩大兵力。对军队则开始紧张练兵，经常亲到校场检阅官兵操练。 水师更是练兵的重点。关天培每日到海上督促官兵训练，特别是新招来的兵丁，他们大都是附近村庄的渔民，从小在海上长大，深谙水性，且对夷人播毒滋扰恨之入骨，经过训练，授以夜袭火攻之法和海上作战技能，很快便成了水上作战的中坚力量。 Everything is ready. 林则徐们严阵以待。 1840年6月21日，英国侵华远征军海军司令官伯麦和他的庞大舰队出现在澳门海面。 舰队有以下战舰组成： 旗舰威里士厘号，载炮74门；麦尔威厘号，载炮74门；布朗底号，载炮44门；鳄鱼号，载炮28门；卑拉底士号，载炮18门；巡洋号，载炮16门，哥伦拜恩号，载炮16门；阿勒琴号，载炮10门；另外还有武装汽轮船阿打兰打号，皇后号，马打牙士加号，青春女神号及早在广州珠江口待命的窝拉疑号、海阿新号、都鲁壹号、伯兰汉号、进取号等舰…… 还有两个英国步兵联队、一个孟加拉联队，一个孟加拉工兵团、一个马德拉斯工兵团等约四千多名士兵。 义律终于盼到了这一天。 这个巨大的帝国冰山正在按着他的阴谋计划实施，现在，它已经浮出水面，以比以往快许多倍的加速度向中国冰山撞击过来…… 1840年6月22日，伯麦在英舰上发出公告：现奉英女王陛下政府命令，本司令特此公告：从本月二十八日起，对广州入口所有河道港口一律进行封锁……至此，闻名于世的鸦片战争，终于爆发了……