While the Qing and the British were negotiating peace, the British in Dinghai were in dire straits. Due to the unsuitable climate and soil, epidemics broke out and hundreds of people died; the Qing people built strong walls and cleared the fields, leaving the county empty of food, and the British were forced to go out of the city to find food. The people of Dinghai worked together and captured more than a dozen British people.
Soon, Yilu led his army back to Dinghai and asked Yilibu, the governor of Zhejiang, for the captured personnel. Yilibu ordered Daoguang to appease the barbarians and "rewarded the masters" with chickens, ducks, cattle and sheep. After several negotiations, they reached a consensus with Yilu: the status quo of Dinghai should be maintained, and the release of prisoners and the return of Dinghai would be decided upon completion of the talks between the British and Qishan. Yilu didn't have any worries and took a ship to go south.
On October 20, 1840, Lin Zexu received an official document from the Ministry of Personnel, which said: "I was ordered to hand it over to the Ministry for strict discussion. I came to Beijing to listen to the Ministry's discussion, and to directly supervise Qi to Guangdu. Before he arrived, I was temporarily taking care of him as Governor Yi." .”
The soldiers and civilians of Guangdong refused to give up, and spontaneously paid homage to Zexu. There were 52 plaques praising Zexu. "The people benefited from its benefits, the barbarians feared its power, the smoke was sold out in the miasma sea, the wind calmed Yanzhou, the virtues spread over the five mountains, and the oceans were intimidated." His legacy will remain in East Guangdong and spread throughout the world." Zexu thanked them one by one and was about to go to Beijing to wait for his post. He was told that he was "dismissed from his post and returned to Guangdong to prepare to interrogate the commission committee."
On November 9, the Guangdong Navy ship "Yangyou No. 6" ran aground and the British ships opened fire. Due to the "Fu Yi" order, the officers and soldiers did not dare to fire back and had no choice but to jump into the sea to escape.
Guan Tianpei, Lai Enjue, Chen Liansheng and others were extremely angry and wrote to Yiliang, seeking a fight. Lin Zexu also suggested that Yiliang should quickly report to the emperor to defend Guangdong.
On November 20, Governor Yilu led his fleet to Guangdong and suddenly felt unwell. All matters were handed over to Yilu. Yilu ordered the cruiser "Queen" to fly the white flag and sail to Shajiao Fort to deliver Iribu's official letter and discuss negotiations. There were barbarians attacking the division's ship in front of them. Chen Liansheng, the deputy general of the Sanjiangkou Association, couldn't help but open fire to greet them.
On November 29, Qi Shan arrived in Guangdong, intending to severely punish Chen Liansheng. Yiliang and Guan Tianpei tried to protect them, but Qi Shan gave up and said: "My emperor ordered the people to be pacified. In order to show peace, the officers and soldiers were strictly prohibited from firing cannons. The people recruited brave people and scattered more than a thousand people first. The coastal defense facilities should be dismantled briefly. Guard Bai Hanzhang and others, quickly contact the barbarians, and open up peace talks. This minister, the Juege Department, is not like Governor Lin, who spends his days spying on overseas affairs as a high official of the Celestial Dynasty."
On December 1, Yilu met with Bai Hanzhang and listed fourteen items of compensation owed by the merchants, including cigarette price, 20 million taels of military expenditure, opening of ports, ceding land, building a consulate in Beijing, consular jurisdiction, equal exchanges between China and Britain, and free missionary work.
Bai Hanzhang said: "Your country mobilizes troops and pays for its own military expenses. Our government has spent a lot of money to prevent blockage. Who will pay for it? There is no reason to compensate for the price of cigarettes. Since it is a business debt, you should go to the merchant. The government will not be responsible; but We, the Celestial Empire, are generous and generous and can compensate for 3 million yuan. In the past, it was British businessmen and Guangdong officials, so we used the text. From now on, the style of official dialogue between China and Britain will be flexible."
Yilu reduced the payment to 16 million, and Hanzhang increased it to 4 million, and said: "It is impossible to cut off the land. Trading with you is already a great favor from the emperor."
Yilu negotiated with Hanzhang many times, but to no avail. He was annoyed, so he took note of Qishan and made another agreement at Dagokou.
Qishan was afraid that changes would occur over time, so he raised the compensation to six million taels and did not dare to advocate for the cession of land. He wrote in a memorial: "The British are arrogant and want to blackmail each other with war. Please decree an indemnity of 6 million taels and pay it again outside Guangzhou." Add Xiamen and Fuzhou for trade to offset the harm of the land. If you look up to the Holy Grace, it will be very difficult to choose the land if you look at it in a corner."
In Yilu's wing, Qi Shan rewarded the army with cattle, sheep, rice and noodles, in order to pray for recovery.
Yilu was not satisfied with eating meat and soup, so he sent a spy and said: If there is no satisfactory answer to the ceding of land and other matters before midnight on December 6, the war will start again.
Qi Shan heard this and rushed to Humen to increase his troops.
Bai Hanzhang said: "My emperor's decree is not to be taken lightly."
Qi Shan said: "How can you bend your neck to be killed, or you will not accept your life?"
On December 6, Yilu issued another ultimatum; however, Qishan still kept calm. Yilu couldn't bear it any longer, and more than twenty British ships divided into two teams, heading east and west, and violently bombarded the Taijiao and Shajiao forts. The cargo warehouse of Dajiao Fort was hit by bombs and exploded, causing more than 200 casualties among the defenders. Seeing that the situation was over, Chief Qian Li Zhian reluctantly pushed a dozen cannons into the sea and broke out. The Tai Kok fort was lost, so the British advanced by land and water to attack Sha Kok.
Ten miles away, Admiral Guan Tianpei of the Guangdong Navy and Li Tingyu, the commander-in-chief of Chaozhou Town, stood quietly at the Jingyuan and Weiyuan Second Forts. Due to the disbandment of Qishan, their troops were limited and unable to respond.
Chen Liansheng, the deputy general of the Sanjiangkou Association, commanded more than 600 defenders of Shajiao Fort. They fought fiercely all day long and suffered all casualties. When the British invaded, Liansheng fought hand-to-hand with a knife and was shot and died for his country.
On the 8th, Yilu released the prisoners of war and wrote to Guan Tianpei: Shajiao was under British management, Guangzhou was opened for trade, goods were collected and distributed in Shajiao, and the construction of all forts was stopped. Otherwise, troops will come to Humen.
Guan Tianpei urgently asked Qi Shan for help. Qi Shan sent 200 troops to help Humen. He also said that Bai Hanzhang said: "Dajiao Shajiao was lost in an instant. Even if more than 10,000 troops were added to Humen, it would be in vain."
Bai Hanzhang said: "Yi Lu released our soldiers because we really don't want to fight anymore. The various terms proposed are not without negotiation."
Qi Shan said: "If we can't fight, let's talk about it later."
Starting from the 11th, Qishan and Yilu conferred for six days and initialed five agreements: 1. The British would withdraw their troops from Dajiao, Shajiao and Zhoushan. 2. Qi Shan agreed to petition to give Xiang Hong a place to stay. 3. Compensation of 6 million taels of silver, 1 million taels immediately, and the remaining five years to be paid off. 4. Exchanges between the two countries are equal. 5. Guangzhou opened for trade within ten days after the New Year of the Qing Dynasty.
On the 16th, Yilu asked Qishan to release the two businessmen.
Qi Shan replied: I have received the letter from your minister. Please release the black and French people from Hong Kong. I, the minister, will immediately order them to leave and hand them over to your minister, minister, or minister.
At the end of the month, Qishan received an order from Emperor Daoguang: Looking at this situation, the barbarians are flailing repeatedly, which may be difficult to understand. They must discuss it while preparing various fetters. When they are slightly tired, they can take the opportunity to kill them before they can be subdued.
At both ends of the Holy Will, Qi Shan rides a tiger and finds it difficult to dismount; but for the barbarians, not only are they unable to defend themselves, but they also have no end in sight. Between the two ends of the bellows and the two ends of the rat, Qi Shan could only drag it one time, two times, and then another, trying to get rid of it all.
On January 20, 1841, Qi Shan received another edict: He who rebelled against the barbarians and lived in Hong Kong, and his demands were excessive and his behavior was unreasonable and unreasonable, should be punished immediately. If the barbarian submits a copybook again, he is not allowed to accept it, and he is not allowed to argue with the barbarian again. Now troops from Hunan, Sichuan and Guizhou have been flown in to assist, and Qi Shan, together with Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen, are properly handling the attack and suppression matters. I have made up my mind and will not hesitate. Qishan is responsible for the country's favor, so he must not be presumptuous or fearful. He must plan a comprehensive strategy and make proper arrangements.
Qi Shan looked at it, his eyes were blurred, and he was speechless for a moment.
Yilu wants to grow rice quickly and unilaterally announces the nose piercing agreement without Qishan's consent. Qi Shan was angry and refused to protect the imperial envoys.
Yilu withdrew his troops from Dinghai, Dajiao and Shajiao in accordance with the agreement; he occupied Xianggang and notified Lai Enjue to withdraw the troops. Qi Shan met with Yi Lu and insisted that the issue of Hong Kong still needs to be resolved. Yilu insists on the agreement of piercing the nose, not to mention that Dinghai, Dajiao and Shajiao have been returned first. The two were at loggerheads and the negotiations reached a deadlock.
Lin Zexu was surprised when he saw the appointment of nose piercing. He met Yiliang anxiously and said that Qishan's cession of land was closely related and should not be taken lightly. Yiliang suddenly realized it and went to court all night to impeach Qishan for ceding territory and betraying the country.
Zexu and Yiliang were anxious, Qishan was even more anxious and sparse: there were no key points in geography, no weapons to rely on, no solid military strength, and no strong sentiments among the people. If a war breaks out, it seems impossible to win. The barbarians have returned Dajiao, Shajiao, and Dinghai, and have sincerely requested that British merchants still come to Guangzhou to trade at the beginning of the new year. In order to prevent the Portuguese from sojourning in Macao, they are allowed to stay in Hong Kong, a place in the east of Guangdong.
Qi is good at sparseness, and the left branch is weak and the right is weak, and the revised draft of the nose-piercing treaty is modified: 1. The British are allowed to come to Guangdong for trade and live in Hong Kong. You must comply with it forever and shall not go to other provinces again or cause any further nuisance. 2. British merchants and ships coming to Guangdong still negotiate with the Thirteenth Bank, and there is no need to communicate official documents with Chinese officials. 3. In the future, if British merchant ships coming to Guangdong carry opium, the cargo will be without officers and the person will be punished. 4. The areas where Britain was wronged last time have now been settled and there will never be any objections in the future.
If the righteous law does not allow it, the nose-piercing treaty will still prevail, otherwise we will fight with each other. Qi Shan asked Yi Lu again for reconsideration, and said: The two are not far apart.
Yilu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so he planned for a day and decided on six more items: 1. The British went to Guangzhou for trade, but they still got licenses. If there are no prohibited items found at the entrance of the ship, it will be put in immediately and there is no need to take it out. 2. Officials from the two countries have parallel exchanges and exchanges. 3. The Commodore gave the island of Hong Kong to the United Kingdom. 4. Subsequent crimes committed by Chinese and British residents living in Hong Kong will be handled jointly by officials from the two countries. 5. Later, British merchants who brought in prohibited goods, such as opium and tobacco, and smuggled official goods and evaded taxes, were subject to arrest by the official. 6. As for the text of the terms, it is proposed that the Imperial Envoy should stamp it for customs defense, and the Minister should sign and print it as evidence, and then the British Lord and the Qing Emperor should stamp it with the official seal.
Qi Shan refused and begged for ten days. The law is limited to five days, otherwise Humen will be bombarded.
On February 16th, Emperor Daoguang issued an edict: The barbarians occupied our Dajiao and Shajiao, which were obviously counterintuitive. They could only be punished and wiped out to show their national prestige. With Yishan as General Jingni, Longwen and Yang Fang as counselors, they went to Guangzhou to fight against the thieves. Qi Shan and Guan Tianpei were dismissed from their posts and remained in office. They immediately supervised and led General Ben Fenfeng to eliminate them and apply for special honors. This encyclical is known both at home and abroad.
Qi Shan smiled miserably and reported to Emperor Daoguang: The six paragraphs of "Shan Determining Matters" were drafted unilaterally in private. The matter was of great importance and he did not dare to accept it lightly.
After Qi Shanshu had finished, he took note of Yilu again: If he continues to cause nuisance without waiting for a reply like last time, then all the previous discussions will be in vain, and it will be extremely difficult for me, the minister, the palace, and the ministry to deal with things again.
On February 19, the five-day deadline expired, and the British ships assembled at Humen. Qi Shan urgently wrote two letters, one saying that everything can still be negotiated, and the other saying that he would like to take care of the whole island of Hong Kong and must make a clear decision. I specifically instruct the messenger to be respectful and submit the two letters together; otherwise, only the first letter should be delivered.
Yilu lost his patience early and shouted angrily at the Qing messenger. Boehme reminded that the fifth day had arrived.
Yilu said: Humen has long been in the pocket, and the best choice is not to fight and conquer the enemy; we do not want the people of the Qing Dynasty, the wealth of the Qing Dynasty, and the land of the Qing Dynasty. What we want is trade, free and equal trade. So what if we wait another five days?
Boehmer said: Isn’t our war with the Qing just for wealth?
Yi Lv Dao: People in the Qing Dynasty said: People and things are divided into two parts. A gentleman loves money and gets it in a proper way.
Yilu did not attack, but Qi Shan was also afraid and rushed to Humen to increase his troops. As of the 22nd, a total of 3,150 troops had been sent and 5,800 brave men had been hired.
Qi Shan sighed: "In the small Humen, the soldiers are gathered bravely, the cannons are overflowing, and there is no place to place them. The barbarian ships are firing with hundreds of cannons. How many are left?"
On February 24, when the ten-day time limit expired and Qishan was gone, Yilu ordered an attack. Boehmer took a ship to visit and was delighted to see that there was no soldier on Xiahengdang Island. He immediately occupied it and built a field fort overnight. On the second day, the British troops launched artillery attacks from battleships and lower rails to attack Shanghenggan and Yong'an Second Fort. In less than two hours, all the guns on Shanghenggan Island were destroyed, and the Qing army retreated across the board. With the worries on the side relieved, Bommer ordered eighteen warships to concentrate more than 300 artillery pieces and blast the three forts of Jingyuan, Weiyuan and Zhenyuan in the east.
Guan Tianpei and Mai Tingzhang fought to the death. From the morning battle to noon, all the fort's cannons were destroyed, and most of the defenders were killed or injured.
Bo Mei persuaded him to surrender, but Tianpei ignored him. In the evening, the British army invaded, and the Tianpei governor fought to the death. He was wounded and bleeding profusely, but he still refused to retreat. Suddenly a cannonball struck and Tianpei died on the ground.
Tianpei's servant Sun Changqing searched for the general's body, and the British promised to send it off with a cannon. When Changqing saw the general, "his braided hair had been cut off, his left wrist was stabbed, his body was damaged by artillery fire, and his skin was completely charred.", he howled.
Then Xu Wenzhi cried out: After six years of solid gold soup, who suddenly destroyed the Great Wall? He devoted his whole life to teaching in vain. The two loyalties share the same setbacks, and they admire the great integrity when they hear the difference. They return to the soul and see each other as if they were alive.
Humen was broken, and the British army moved up the river with overwhelming force.
On February 27, 1841, the Wuyong Fort was captured. On March 1, the Pazhou Fort was captured, and the vanguard reached the city of Guangzhou.
Qi Shan panicked and sent Yu Chun, the prefect of Guangzhou, to guarantee peace.
Yilu said: Within three days, the "Good Determination Matters" agreement must be signed by the imperial envoy, governor, general, Lin Zexu, and Guan Tianpei.
Qi Shan hesitated for two days and refused to sign. On the third day, while he was hesitating, Yang Fang, the counselor and admiral of Hunan, arrived with his troops. Qishan spread his hands and lifted a heavy burden from his shoulders.
