Yi Lu temporarily lives in Macau and is in a state of panic all day long.
Bian Du said: "Mr. Director, the dental tablets have been confiscated, so don't worry anymore. The imperial envoys of the Qing Dynasty will not kill them all."
Yilu said: "Mr. Governor, I don't know that the imperial envoy is very clever. If he doesn't pay, people will die, so I can't do it. Even so, I still think that this tooth chip trade that harms others and benefits myself is extremely shameful and extremely shameful." Sinful! I hate them very much and deeply hate them, but I still stubbornly chose to associate with those hateful bandits."
Biandu said: "Robber? Who? Chaton Diandi Madicen?"
Yilu said: "Don't talk about anything else, but this tooth fragment. If this poison is dung, then they in Diandi are maggots, and maggots live on excrement; if the trade in tooth fragments is excrement, then those Qing bureaucrats are maggots . Now, the excrement has disappeared, but the maggots are all showing off. Han Zhaoqing was not beheaded, Deng Tingzhen was showing off his power; the iron-headed rat in the eyes of the Qing people had long since escaped, and Dian Di, Ma Dichen and others also took advantage of it and left. "
"Leave in joy?"
"The cigarette sellers shared one pound per box, and raised a total of 20,000 pounds. They used it as activity funds to lobby Congressman Zhengfu."
"Lobbying for what?"
"Strive for the Zhengfu to compensate for the loss, and fight for our warships to gather here. More than 20,000 boxes of dental films and millions of pounds have all been turned into ashes. Who will make up for this loss? Me? Her Majesty Queen Victoria? Zhengfu of the Qing Dynasty?" I’m afraid we can only find out on the battlefield.”
"War? Mr. Yilu, don't talk nonsense." Biandu glanced around and whispered, "Has Her Majesty the Queen agreed to the war? Are you ready? Mr. Director, don't talk nonsense, Jiang Liang is always ready They are watching us. If possible, Lin Zexu will be able to surround this small place like Macau within an hour, and you and I will become turtles in the urn."
"Mr. Biandu, don't compromise. I'm not just saying this casually. After Mr. Laobei, those Qing officials learned their experience: blockade of businesses and cut off water and food, we have to obey. So we don't make full preparations for war. It was very stupid to challenge the official of the Qing Dynasty. When I arrived at Shisanhang, Diandi and the others had been trapped for six days. Lin Zexu indiscriminately took all of us, including me, as hostages. Life or death was at stake. At this time, I chose to compromise. But Lin Zexu still pressed hard and insisted on signing a life-and-death contract of 'recognition'. Mr. Biandu, do you know what 'recognition' is?"
"You know, if you sign, your head will be on his knife edge."
"In the past days, I could only wait miserably. Now, the Battle of Aroostook has ended successfully, and the army attacking Afghanistan is winning consecutive battles. Soon, my warship will be here. Mr. Governor, you This land is still 'temporarily loaned' by the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. When our guns are fired, the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty will not obediently cut off a piece of it and give it to me, Her Majesty the Queen."
"Yes, we are living under someone else's roof, and we have to pay five hundred taels of rent every year. But, Mr. Yilu, let's just talk about it now. Are you still living in my home under someone else's roof?"
Yilu frowned and smiled breathlessly.
Zexu inspected Macau, and when Biandu heard the news, he hurriedly asked Yilu to hide. He personally extended the hundred-foot-long red carpet to where he must pass, decorated the streets with flowers, and sprinkled water on the road to welcome him. .
Then Xu Xi said: "They are all like the Portuguese, why are they doing such barbaric things today!" Come and give fifty taels of silver as a reward. "
Bian Du said: "Thank you for sending me the reward. I have given you a serious warning. I believe Yilu will give you a reply after careful consideration. Please be patient for a while."
Zexu said: "This can be called an ultimatum. Don't be stubborn about the law. This matter will eventually be resolved."
After Ze Xu left, Bian Du told the truth and threw out the white silver ingot.
Yi Lu smiled bitterly and said: "Qin Envoy Lin is a careful, upright and well-intentioned person. We have not exhausted our last patience."
On July 7, in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, a group of drunken British sailors were having a carnival, and a villager named Lin Weixi hurried past.
The sailors were drunk and hazy, and they were walking coyly. Wei was happy and angry, and led the crowd to argue. The words were not harmonious, and a fight broke out. Wei Xi was seriously injured and died, and his death was delayed for one day.
Yilu wants to take one thousand five hundred silver taels privately.
Bian Du said: "At this time, I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to keep it private. Why don't we let Lin Qin investigate him and gather a crowd to fight. He won't be beheaded."
Yi Lu said: "I obey Her Majesty the Queen's order, and in accordance with our country's laws, we will thoroughly investigate the circumstances and handle the matter impartially. Please forward the relevant official documents to Imperial Envoy Lin."
People's lives were at stake, and Liang Xingyuan, the magistrate of Xin'an County, did not dare to make any independent claims and reported urgently. Zexu thought there must be something fishy and ordered Liang Xingyuan to investigate closely.
Liang Xingyuan did not dare to neglect, and went to Tsim Sha Tsui in person to inquire about the person involved, and soon found out the truth.
Then Xu was angry and took note of Yilu: I read your poem and refer to it as the country's laws and regulations, thinking that not handing over criminals is an edict from the country's leader. This is especially absurd. Check the country's rules and regulations. If you go to any country to trade, you will follow the laws of that country. The rules are very clear. In other countries, we should abide by the laws and regulations of that place, how about China? The laws of your country should also punish death. It can be seen that killing for life is the same in China and foreign countries. Moreover, in the past, murder cases involving barbarians in the Mainland were well-documented and all countries followed them. How could you be the only one to resist this rule? If killing someone is not worth your life, who wouldn't follow suit? If the British barbarians beat the British barbarians to death in the future, or other countries beat the British barbarians to death, or the Chinese people beat the British barbarians to death, will you kill the murderer?
Yilu knows that if there is a murderer, the "misfortune" will be more harmful than bad; what's more, no one admits that he is the real murderer. It is not in line with the spirit of the law to hand over anyone at will to pay for the crime. So he rejected Zexu's request and held a court hearing on his own grounds, citing consular jurisdiction. It was found that five sailors were involved in the brawl, and they negotiated with the jury and sentenced them to imprisonment and fines, and were sent back to England for execution.
Zexu checked the "Public Law of All Nations" and found out that Yilu had no power to govern outside the country. He also heard that the murderer might return to England, so he blocked Macau, stopped all trade, and urged Yilu to be acquainted with evil spirits. Yiluman refused, so Xu Sui cut off the British people's food, water, meat, and vegetables, and ordered Biandu to expel all British people from the country; if the time limit was exceeded, all British barbarians in Australia would be punished on the spot.
Biandu said to Yilu: "The imperial envoy may have exhausted his patience and his life will be in danger if he doesn't retreat. I am outnumbered and the enemy is outnumbered, so don't hit the stone with an egg."
Yilu said: "Please wait a few more days, the Governor of India has replied, and my warship is coming soon."
"I can't afford to be perfunctory for a moment. Lin Zexu has already made arrangements. Qing soldiers have surrounded us. If you continue to seize the opportunity, I will follow in your footsteps and my life will be at stake. How can we talk about the future of the Ming Dynasty? We can still make a difference by taking a step back. Things are unpredictable here."
Elu had no choice but to order all British troops to board the ship before 0:00 on August 16 and retreat to the sea near Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. He also sent a speedboat to inform the Governor of India: This is extremely critical, come to rescue quickly before it is too late!
More than a thousand British people carrying suitcases and dragging things swarmed the shore; they were vying to get on the boat first, fearing that it would cause harm to others. They fought to squeeze in, some sighed and others scolded, and the old cried and the young cried. It was so miserable.
On August 30, two British warships, the HMS Wolashi and the HMS Haiasin, which set out from India, arrived. When the British saw him, they burst into tears. Yilu was even more arrogant. He looked up at the 28 four-thousand-jin cannons on the Wola signal, and shouted with his teeth and claws: Imperial Commissioner Lin, do you still dare to be rampant?
When the barbarian ships arrived, the Qing generals were divided: the British and barbarian ships had strong guns and powerful guns, so they should not be taken lightly. As he spoke, he was filled with fear and trembling, and he could not live in fear all day long.
Admiral Guan Tianpei of the Navy was supervising the construction of the fort in Humen. Zexu was not familiar with naval affairs and could not speak first. He was worried about himself. A man appeared from the crowd and said loudly: "Your Majesty, Commander-in-Chief of the Haimen Camp, Lai Enjue, is willing to lead the ship." Resist the enemy.”
Xu Yue, one of the five generals of the three generations of the Lai family, is indeed worthy of his reputation. Then he ordered Lai Enjue to lead the warships and station them in Kowloon Walled City to monitor the waters of Kowloon Bay and ensure that the British were supplied with water and food. If there was any provocation from the British and barbarians, all the ships on Kowloon Island could be sent to resist them.
On September 4, the British ran out of water and food. Yilu led five speedboats to look for food and went to the ocean at Kowloon Fortress, where they encountered the navy ship of Lai Enjue.
Yilu sent people to negotiate, demanding that the ban be lifted, food and water supplies restored, and normal trade reopened. Enjue will follow the order, and he must first make friends with others, otherwise there will be no need to talk.
Yi Lu was hungry and thirsty, so he issued an ultimatum: If there was no supply of water and food within half an hour, all Chinese warships on the Kowloon ocean would be destroyed.
Lord Ryan knew that a battle was inevitable, so he ordered the warships to retreat to the vicinity of the Kowloon Fort. The soldiers were ordered to reload their ammunition and prepare for battle quickly.
Half an hour later, Yilu gave an order and all the cannons fired. For a while, the cannons roared.
In a place filled with gunpowder smoke, a Qing soldier was hit by shrapnel and died instantly. Enjue was filled with righteous indignation and ordered ship guns and shore guns to aim at Yilu's boat and fire back violently.
The "Louisa" on which Elliot was riding was hit by multiple cannonballs. The cannonballs are all solid and do not explode, but only penetrate a few holes;
Yilu was frightened and hated himself for not taking advantage of the situation, so he ordered to retreat.
Enjue did not pursue him and said: "The British barbarians will not give up and will definitely come back. Although the barbarians have huge ships and powerful cannons, they only have two ships. Our ships are small, can turn around quickly, and can make detours. And there are many of them, ten to one, There is still more left; if you attack them at close range, you can win."
When Yilu returned, he said to the commander of the fleet, "The Qing people's ships are small and convenient, and we can't afford to waste them in vain."
Shimi said: "Don't be afraid. Our artillery is powerful and has a long range. If we hit it from a long distance, we can win. We can use one ship to block the Lei Yue Gate of Xianggang Fortress to prevent reinforcements from other ships of the Qing Dynasty. The remaining ships can shoot with all their strength and they will be defeated." Let the Qing warships be lost at the bottom of the ocean. Don’t miss this opportunity, set off immediately.”
When the warship "Wo La Sui" arrived, Lord Ryan ordered the ships to disperse on their own to avoid the artillery fire, and then looked for an opportunity to attack together. At the critical moment, mist rises from the ocean in Kowloon. Enjue was so happy that he quickly made a big show of force, detoured and feigned an attack, then attacked head-on, all at once.
The fog was so thick that it was difficult to tell at a close distance. Shimi was in a dilemma, as cannons were rumbling all around. Shimi did not dare to neglect and ordered to fight back.
More than a hundred artillery pieces from both sides started firing at each other until dusk at 2 p.m. Seeing that it was getting dark, Shimi retreated first.
Yilu said sadly: "A small boat was sunk, a captain's hand was broken, and many soldiers were injured. If this continues, how dare we fight again? I, the Great Yingzhengfu, have not declared war on the Qing Dynasty. We can't fight alone, so we must find a safe and sound strategy." "
Shimi said: "Food and water are out, ammunition cannot be replenished, and the sick and wounded cannot be treated. These are all problems."
Yi Lu thought about it for a long time, and then he took a note and said to Zexu: "Trade is reopened, merchant ships can be settled if they are willing to agree to it. If they are not willing, they can choose a place for strict inspection. There are many people involved in Lin Wei's case, but it turns out that the culprit can't be found; you can pay more Capital."
Zexu inspected the battlefield and found that all the forts had been blown up, more than half of the warships were torn apart, and more than a hundred people were killed or wounded. Then Xu secretly sighed that the barbarians were capable of artillery fire.
If Yilu showed weakness, Xu Yi wanted to change the situation and went to Emperor Daoguang to explain the mood of the Yi people. He also praised the command of Lord Ryan for his bravery in battle and rare generals. Returning to Liang Xingyuan, the magistrate of Xin'an County, he reported: "The barbarians have picked up seventeen corpses and buried them on the spot. There are also corpses found in fishing boats, drifting with the tide, and several corpses have been caught. The owner of the disguised warship was also found. His wrist was broken by a cannon. In addition, the number of injuries among the barbarians was extremely high. After this confrontation, the patrol boat divisions all hated the traitors who came to provoke them first, and the patrols became stricter..."
The next day, Liang Tingnan and Liang Fa came to see Zexu and said, "Sir Lin, Tingnan lied before. "Yapian Quickly Changes the Article" and "Good Words to Encourage the World" were actually written by Mr. Liang Fa."
Zexu had heard about this Liang Fa for a long time. He had followed the British and foreign missionaries and set up foreign schools to spread foreign religions. He had been detained twice. Wouldn't he be trapped now?
Liang Fa said: "My lord, I am familiar with the British, and I would like to say that righteousness and law are harmful to friendship."
Zexu hated Liang Fa for colluding with the barbarians, and wanted to hate him deeply, but because of Liang Tingnan, he reluctantly said "yes".
After the two left, Zexu threw the book "Good Words to Encourage the World" left by Liang Fa far away and said: "What the hell, do you, God, have any control over the people under God's rule doing such evil things?" Liang Fa, Liang Fa, Zexu said to himself, fortunately it is me, otherwise your head would have fallen to the ground.
As everyone knows, three years ago, at a certain imperial examination venue, a man named Hong Renkun accidentally got a copy of "Good Words to Encourage the World" distributed by Liang Fa...
Yilu and Liang Fa are both Christians. After they made the sign of the cross, Liang Fa said: "Mr. Yilu, if you still protect harmful things like dental chips, our Lord's kindness is no longer with you. "
Yilu said: "Pastor Liang, I am the most devout Christian, and I have tried my best. Without my efforts, 20,000 boxes of dental plaques could have been destroyed? Look at this recognizance document. If even a trace of dental fragments is found, then what's included in it?" To commit a crime is to obey the official constitution of the Celestial Empire and implement the righteous law. This is the result of delusion and doing something out of nothing, especially when an adult is doing the righteous law. It is absolutely impossible. I have made the biggest concession; now, I only wait for Lin Zexu Sir’s reply.”
Liang Fa saw that the contradiction was irreconcilable and left angrily.
Half a month later, Emperor Daoguang replied to Zexu: Given this behavior, if he shows weakness again, it will be a big mistake. I don't care about Meng Lang, but I warn you not to be afraid of Gui. Power comes first and virtue comes later. This is a good way to control. The camera is carefully planned and encouraged! Be careful! It is better for you and others to observe the situation and make preparations accordingly, so as to scare the traitors into submission and avoid sudden provocation. The day before yesterday, it was your fifth birthday. Did I receive the "Fu" and "Longevity" plaques? arrive? General Lai Enjue has accomplished extraordinary feats. I call him "Hurcha Tubatulu" and I will reward you with a flower feather.
Zexu did not dare to disobey Emperor Daoguang's order, so he immediately rejected the law of justice and warned him that it would be unlucky to make friends with him. According to the emperor's intention of "preeminent power", Xu purchased fifty barbarian cannons and several boats, recruited fishermen, added more troops, and built two wooden rafts and iron chains between the upper and lower rungs of the Humen Fortress and Weishan. . He also recruited translation talents and translated many books of the Yi people. Liang Jinde, the son of Liang Fa, had been familiar with the Yi people since childhood and was good at Yi language. Xu Xi strongly supported his translation of the "Encyclopedia of World Geography" by the Yi people Mu Rui.
Zexu refused to negotiate, and Yilu was helpless; but he did not dare to fight anymore; he only ordered his own warships to avoid Qing warships if they could, and even if they could not avoid them, they would not provoke them. Water, food, medicine, etc., could only be purchased from the common people of the Qing Dynasty at extremely high prices, or with occasional support.
We are both barbarians, and we are living together in Macau, and the current situation is not good either. After the Kowloon Battle, under pressure from the Qing Dynasty, he had no choice but to maintain the "strictest neutrality" on the surface. Regarding the British warships anchored in Macau port in the dark night, he could only use "international law" to deal with them.
Of course, Yilu knows that "International Law" stipulates that "the number of foreign warships parked in other countries' ports shall not exceed two, and the time limit shall not exceed seventy-two hours, otherwise it will be a declaration of war."
I am disdainful of justice, is Macau yours to live in? Are you the only one who understands International Law? But when the Qing Dynasty and the British were at war with each other, they could no longer offend the Portuguese; as long as they could pack enough fresh water, medicine and food, there was no harm in leaving immediately. But one day, on this piece of land in the Far East, I will find my own port for the British.
In mid-October, British Foreign Minister Palmerston wrote to Justice: Mr. Justice, Your Majesty is deeply angry at the atrocities imposed on the British people by the Qing Dynasty. In the future, the relationship between the two countries must be placed on a secure basis. To this end, His Majesty will send the navy and army to the Qing Dynasty. The time may be March next year, because by then the season's trade has ended and the wind has begun to favor sailing to the north. The specific actions have yet to be fully considered, but they will leave a high degree of decision-making power to the Governor-General of India, the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy, and you. His Majesty’s current idea is to blockade Guangzhou and Baihe, occupy an island in the Zhoushan Islands, and use it as a It is the supply center and operational base of the expeditionary force, and can also be used as a base for British commercial security in the future, and it is intended to permanently occupy such a place. The navy should enter the mouth of the Baihe River and tell the Qing Emperor why we have taken such action, and emphasize that this action will continue until all the demands of the Prime Minister of Great Britain are complied with. This is His Majesty's current intention. I hope you will carefully study the difficulties and convenient conditions for realizing such a plan. You should strictly abide by the content of this post and do not take any action that interrupts legitimate trade this season. As March approaches, you can well advise the British to retreat from the Qing's power, because when the expeditionary force arrives in the Qing, it will be very inconvenient if they are still under the control of the Qing authorities.
Yilu looked worried. Wei Shimi said: Although Her Majesty the Queen has decided to send troops, she still has to wait for five months. Five months, more than 150 days, how can you survive?
Captain Smith of the "Wolaqi" said: "Mr. Director, there is no need to worry. In the Kowloon naval battle, thick fog covered the sky, and they took advantage. If we meet again in broad daylight, I will let them all be buried at the bottom of the sea!"
Yilu hurriedly said: "Mr. Captain, if reinforcements are not available, we cannot continue fighting. If we encounter an unexpected encounter, we should avoid it if we can."
"You are not the Royal Navy of the Empire on which the sun never sets if you just evade!"
"If there is a serious provocation, we can resolutely eliminate it. In addition, starting from today, we will resolutely put an end to the merchant ships. One side is facing each other with guns and cannons, and the other side is just pursuing profit. How can it be decent?" Yilu is afraid that merchant ships will be in trouble and the prosperity of the past will return. The situation is unfavorable for finding the beginning of war in the future.
Since the smoking ban was implemented in March, Guangzhou Customs has had the most profound impact. Yu Kun did a rough calculation and found that his monthly income had dropped by at least 80%. Suddenly, Yu Kun missed the "good" days before the smoking ban.
Yu Kun visited Zexu, explained his purpose, and said: "The people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs are crazy about money, and they insist on me explaining the reason."
Zexu said: "It is undeniable that the smoking ban has blocked normal trade. Hou'an, don't be anxious at this moment; as long as Yilu signs this, everything will be fine."
Yu Kun said: "Master Lin, our emperor warned us to 'prestige first and then virtue'. Now that 'prestige' has been exerted, why don't you work hard on 'virtue'. Yi people are also human beings, and they also have wives and children, and they also have to make a living and support their families. No." People are willing to leave good silver without earning anything and wander on the lonely ocean waiting to die. Therefore, for serious barbarian merchants who are willing to agree to a promise, you can give them a lot of praise. If you act vigorously and resolutely immediately, those who agree to the promise may become the crucian carp that crosses the river. By then, righteousness and law have become a bare pole, what kind of trouble can it still make?"
Zexu said: "Maybe we can give it a try. Send my order quickly, and the navy will patrol the Lingding Ocean. If we encounter any serious barbarian merchant ships, we must lead them inland and effectively protect them."
The serious barbarian merchants were also impatient. Due to the ban on smoking, their utensils accumulated rice, became moldy, and cotton cloth rotted, causing huge losses. The cargo on the "Royal Saxon" cargo ship has been backlogged for four months. If it is not dealt with, it will be dumped. The owner of the ship simply settled the matter.
On November 3, before dawn, the "Royal Saxony" escaped the cordon set by Yilu and galloped towards Chuanbiyang.
Yiluzhi ordered the warships "Wo La Sui" and "Hai A Xin" to pursue and intercept them.
The "Royal Saxony" was traveling very fast and was about to approach the Dajiao and Shajiao Forts of Humen Fortress. On the ocean surface of the fortress, twenty or thirty Qing warships were watching eagerly.
Yilu secretly complained that it was not good, and hurriedly ordered "Wola Sui" to fire a cannon to stop it. Smith gave an order, and two shells poured out of the barrel, roaring and exploding on the water in front of the "Royal Saxony".
The "Saxony" knew that this was a warning bomb and would be blocked if it moved forward, so it had no choice but to turn around and return.
Guan Tianpei shouted angrily: "This is our clear water area, how can we allow the barbarians to wreak havoc! Come, raise my flag to fight the barbarian enemies."
Tianpei gave an order, and a bright red flag slowly rose and floated impressively.
Shimi said: "Mr. Yilu, look, the red flag of the Qing warship has been raised. This is clearly an announcement of war."
Yilu said: "Withdraw, withdraw immediately."
"Withdraw? Why?"
"Behind them is the city of Guangzhou, and behind Guangzhou is the Qing Dynasty. They have endless backup. What about us? We only have these two battleships, and behind us is the vast Pacific Ocean! They will exhaust us."
"Mr. Yilu, please look at it," Shimi said, handing Yilu a telescope. "In front of us is the flagship of the Qing Dynasty. Mr. Yilu, look at this flagship. It has two thin masts and four small guns. It is not as good as our ship." A quarter high; what do Guan Tianpei and the soldiers have in their hands? Spears, broadswords, matchlock guns! Mr. Yilu, when did our empire have such unequal wars as the sun never sets? As soon as I bombard the flagship, it will surely Died at the bottom of the ocean!"
"They have many ships. If they surround me and attack me, it will be a repeat of last time! Mr. Captain, withdraw!"
"Withdraw? Where do we want to withdraw to? Where can we withdraw to? In the Lingding Ocean, form a group of trapped beasts with our merchant ships, and let them surround and bombard them? It's refreshing today, my three-masted battleship, with forty-eight cannons, isn't it? Vegetarians; they are just a piece of loose sand, I will not give them any chance. If Mr. Director is afraid, you can evacuate first."
After saying that, he ordered the two battleships to gallop forward, and when they were within the effective range of the naval guns, he ordered the two ships to line up in a row. At the command, twenty broadside cannons roared out.
Seeing this, Tianpei quickly evaded, but it was too late. A bullet whizzed in and hit the mast. Shrapnel flew everywhere and scratched Tianpei's face. The fire compartment of a nearby ship was hit, exploded and caught fire, and six soldiers died on the spot. A warship not far away was ravaged by two cannons and sank instantly. Everyone was frightened and turned around one after another, intending to flee.
Tianpei drew his sword angrily and shouted: "Anyone who dares to retreat will be killed immediately! The warships of the front team will meet immediately; the warships of the rear team will outflank them from left to right. When they get close, they will bombard them." After Tianpei finished speaking, one ship took the lead and rushed towards " Wo La Suspicious".
Although he was surrounded, Shimi did not panic. He only had to direct the gunners to destroy the Qing warships that entered the range like target shooting.
Tianpei understands that if this continues, there is no possibility of victory; the only hope is to get closer, get closer, and get closer again, so that we can bombard or engage in hand-to-hand combat. So he ordered: "All warships must not fire at will before entering the range; they must move forward at the fastest speed in a zigzag manner, and bombard them when they are close."
Captain Smith of "Hai'axin" saw Tianpei's intention and focused his artillery fire on Tianpei's boat.
In the rain of bullets, Tianpei sailed the boat, moving quickly in "Zi", dodging left and right, and finally arrived at "Wolasu". Tianpei didn't have time to take a closer look at the huge thing in front of him. He said "release" and three bullets roared towards "Wo La Sui".
Although "Wolasu" made an emergency avoidance, it was still hit by a bullet. Shimi raised his head and looked at the big hole punctured by the cannonball on the mast, and smiled bitterly: Thanks to the solid bullets, how could he have been so lucky if it had been shotgun shells or explosive shells? He quickly ordered to retreat and be sure to keep a safe distance from the Qing warships.
Tianpei secretly complained: the ship's speed is not good, the artillery fire is not strong, there are few who can fight to the death, and the barbarian ship's artillery fire is extremely fierce; if this continues, the whole army is destined to be annihilated!
Tian Ping was panicking when he suddenly saw two fleets of warships speeding from the northeast. He looked closely and saw that it was Lieutenant Commander Ryan Duke of the Navy arriving in a hurry.
When Qing reinforcements arrived, Smith no longer wanted to fight and ordered a retreat.
After another victory in World War II, the city of Guangzhou was filled with joy, and Xu Tingzhen, Yiliang, and others were already drinking wine.
Tianpei asked Enjue: "Can we really win?"
Enjue said: "All difficulties!"
Tianpei said: "Two ships have just invaded, and I am already in pieces. If there are more... I will discuss the details with the imperial envoy in detail!"
Retreating to Tsim Sha Tsui, Shimi was unhappy and said: "We were about to completely annihilate Guan Tianpei, but unexpectedly Lord Lai En arrived. It's a pity."
Yilu said: "This battle is acceptable. Apart from consuming some ammunition, I only suffered minor injuries to a few people. The Qing people suffered one or twenty casualties. Twenty-eight warships were all hit, and three of them were returned to the bottom of the ocean. "
"The most detestable thing is those small cannons on Guanyong Mountain. They were almost hit when retreating. Sooner or later they will be destroyed." Shimi gestured to a hill not far to the north and said through gritted teeth.
"Guanyong Mountain is a strategic location. I must pass through it on my way north. I will destroy the fort tomorrow."
On November 4, "Wo La Sui" and "Hai Ah Xin" lined up again, aiming at Guanyong Fort and Guanyong Camp and bombing fiercely. In an instant, many guns were destroyed and many people were killed or injured. General Chen Liansheng of the Guanyong Battalion commanded a counterattack, but the range of the shore artillery was insufficient and could not damage the ship at all.
On the 8th and 9th, Wo Laqi and Hai Axin bombarded them twice.
When the official crowd was in danger, Xu urgently ordered Lai Enjue, Yu Chunbao, and Liang Xingyuan to provide reinforcements.
Enjue said: "The enemy deceives our cannons to be blunt. We can use the terrain of Guanyong Mountain to build a hidden fort ahead and completely block the waterway."
On the evening of November 11, the two ships "Wolasu" and "Hai'axin" tried to do the same thing again, but before they even got close, they were bombarded by hidden shore artillery. Seeing that the situation was not good, Shimi retreated to protect himself.
Yilu said: "The Qing attacked in secret. We might as well stop here and wait for reinforcements."
Shimi said: "In two days, the Qing people will not be able to build a fortress, and they will destroy it all."
On the afternoon of the 13th, four armed small boats were in the front, and the two warships Wo and Hai were behind, slowly approaching the ocean surface of Guanyong Mountain.
Lord Lai Laien saw through the barbarians' tactics and urgently ordered them not to fire at will.
Shimi lingered for a long time, firing intimidation shots, but finally saw no return fire from the shore artillery, so he had to retreat again.
Lai Enjue reported to Zexu the method of controlling the enemy, and Lin Zexu praised it, so he added fifty cannons to Guanyong Mountain.
In this way, the barbarian ships on the ocean in Tsim Sha Tsui were completely exposed to Qing artillery fire. Yilu had no choice but to order to retreat again, and said again, "If you want to continue to conduct serious trade, you must abide by the laws of the Qing Dynasty in everything without violating the country's system."
The battle was going smoothly, but Zexu paid no attention to it and reported: "Long live my emperor, Guan Tianpei, Lai Enjue and others bravely supervised the battle, and the soldiers resisted bravely. They engaged the barbarian ships six times and won a complete victory. After closing the army, they were fished by nearby fishing boats. Twenty-one barbarian hats were obtained, two of which were believed by the general officer to be worn by barbarian officials, and many pieces of barbarian shoes were also obtained, and it is impossible to count the number of them floating with the tide."
Emperor Daoguang knew that Zexu was cautious and would not speak nonsense. He was very pleased and said: "It is a great favor for me to trade with you as a foreign barbarian. You are selling tooth chips and poisons, but you are still so disrespectful, so I will simply do it." The communication was cut off. So he waved his pen: After the British barbarians proposed a ban on smoking, they were erratic. Last time, they dared to fire cannons first, followed the instructions, and pretended to be obedient. Instead, they colluded with the warships and secretly planned to retaliate. Although they were punished and injured at that time. , if the trade is not cut off, it is no longer enough to demonstrate. Even if there is a happy settlement this time, it is difficult to guarantee that there will be no recurrence. If you resist repeatedly, you are still allowed to trade, which is a non-event. If you only tax money, it is of no use! Lin Zexu and other ministers took appropriate measures, which is commendable. The barbarians are unruly and unruly, which is extremely abominable. Lin Zexu was appointed governor of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Deng Tingjie was appointed governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. Things in the world are interdependent. Don't take one to get rid of the other; don't kill all the heroes and barbarians. Expel them and cut off their trade."
On January 5, 1840, Lin Zexu accepted the decree of Emperor Daoguang and officially announced the blockade of Guangzhou port and permanently cut off trade with Britain.
When Yilu heard this, he did not show weakness and ordered two warships to immediately block the Pearl River Estuary. All Qing ships that crossed the border were bombarded.
On January 15, Queen Victoria summoned Prime Minister William Ram, Viscount Melbourne, and Foreign Minister Palmerston.
Queen Victoria said: "Thousands of miles away in the Qing Dynasty, our citizens are huddled in narrow cabins. They have no water, no food, no guarantee of survival, and they must always be on guard against those who will kill without mercy. To ensure their personal safety, The royal fleet must sail to the Qing ocean."
Melbourne Prime Minister William Ram said: "We cannot activate the war machine unless it is absolutely necessary. But now, it is time to prepare. For such a huge fleet to travel thousands of miles away, we have to prepare for three months or even longer."
Foreign Minister Palmerston said: "For more than a hundred years, we have sent so many peace envoys to the Qing Dynasty. What have we gained? We cannot let the Qing people slaughter us. We should strike with thunder."
Queen Victoria said: "We founded our country on trade, and free trade is related to the foundation of the empire. If other countries follow the example of the Qing Dynasty and refuse trade, the British Empire will cease to exist in one year. Sending troops has nothing to do with the destruction of teeth and property. The loss has nothing to do with the dignity of the empire. We must severely stop the Qing Dynasty’s barbaric destruction of free trade.”
Foreign Minister Palmerston said: "They destroyed all the goods that could bring unlimited benefits to our British Empire. This is a shame for our British Empire. I ask the official to immediately send troops to punish that extremely barbaric country. , we must teach it a severe lesson and force it to open more ports.”
Melbourne Prime Minister William Ram said: "It is only natural to send troops to protect our normal trade. Our parliament will also make a decision on this matter."
Queen Victoria asked the Prime Minister: "Excuse me, does the Qing Dynasty have a parliament?"
Prime Minister William Ram Melbourne said: "No, the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty can do whatever he wants. But dear Her Majesty, many incidents have proved that it is not a good thing for one person to have the final say. Furthermore, we can also raise troops without going through parliament. . Not a total war, just a little beating until the Qing emperor gave in."
Queen Victoria said: "Tomorrow I will go to Parliament and tell those members that my relations with the Qing Dynasty have been severed and the safety of my subjects is greatly threatened. I have paid serious attention to it and ask them to pay close attention to this impact on the interests of our subjects and the royal family." A dignified event.”
On February 20, Prime Minister William Ram Melbourne appointed Yilu as the commander of the expedition fleet and plenipotentiary for Qing affairs to prepare for the expedition.
On April 4, British MPs held a debate.
Someone said: "The Qing Dynasty was barbaric, cruel, and autocratic. The people there lived an inhuman life. They were severely punished for the slightest mistake. When they were killed and beaten, they had to kneel down to thank them. There was no human rights at all. .”
Someone said: "We must send troops. The emperor of the Qing Dynasty allowed his subjects to smoke. It was popular in every household there, but we didn't ban it. We didn't see many people smoking on the streets of London."
Someone said: "For a few bites, we cut off our food and water and chopped off our heads. The people there have no human rights at all. The way to deal with them is to fight first and convince them before they give in."
Opposition Whig James. Graham objected. He said that it was extremely immoral for the British Prime Minister to fight for teeth. The Prime Minister was responsible for the interruption of Qing-British relations. He put forward a proposal of no confidence in the current Prime Minister. Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by a loud shout of "vote, vote, vote", and the baron had to terminate his speech. A quarter of an hour later, the results showed that there were 271 votes against and 262 votes in favor, and the no-confidence motion was rejected.
At this moment, the British Expeditionary Fleet has set sail. Looking at the messy parliament hall, Foreign Minister Palmerston smiled slyly and said to Prime Minister William Rammel: I, the interests of the British Empire, cannot be won by empty words.
Lin Zexu learned from the barbarian merchants that the British fleet was coming, and he quickly consulted the coastal provinces. The barbarian artillery boats were approaching. There was no question of good or bad, so he must prepare his weapons and prepare for them. And he rushed to Emperor Daoguang for eight hundred miles.
Emperor Daoguang accepted the performance, but did not take it seriously. He criticized: No matter whether it is true or false, we should always be careful not to be arrogant, take strict precautions, wait for work at ease, and judge ourselves for the host and guest. What can we do?
Taiwan's military commander Yao Ying and the commander-in-chief Da Hong'a received Lin Zexu's message and did not dare to neglect, so they could train the navy division, select generals, and repair the warships and attack equipment.
