Chapter 72
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: The Great Fissure
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“I've been hearing various rumors lately. Do you happen to know anything about them?”
When I met again with Lin Zexu, who had been postponing our meetings with all sorts of excuses, his eyes were already filled with suspicion.
“If you're referring to the rumors, I've heard them as well. Our merchants are getting quite anxious. To be honest, I was also a bit perplexed. I thought the negotiations were proceeding rather well, but your attitude seems to have changed suddenly.”
“Proceeding well... Was your country ever sincere about negotiating with us?”
“Of course. In fact, were you not the one who kept postponing the negotiations despite our repeated requests, Viceroy?”
“No, that's...”
He couldn't very well say to my face that he'd been digging into my background because he found me incredibly suspicious.
As long as he believed I had ulterior motives, he naturally couldn't sit at the negotiating table.
But since he didn't know that Elliot was connected to me, he would want to hide the fact that he'd caught on to something for as long as possible.
Still, the fact that he's returned to the negotiations must mean things have been sorted out to some extent. I was curious myself.
What kind of orders could have come from Beijing?
“Did His Majesty perhaps order a change in policy?”
When I asked as if I genuinely had no idea, Lin Zexu stared at me intently before sighing and asking back.
“Do you truly not know? No, whether you know or not, it's best I confirm. Minister, did you not state that you were born and raised in Joseon?”
“Yes, I did.”
“I say this in advance, lest you take offense, but we conducted our own investigation after hearing your claim. It wasn't so much digging into your past as it was a necessary confirmation, given that Joseon is a tributary state of the Qing. I trust that since you were born and raised in Joseon, you understand what that implies.”
“Of course. I'm not bothered at all.”
As I nodded with perfect composure, Lin Zexu's eyes flickered subtly.
Seeing his reaction, I had a good idea of what kind of response came back from Joseon.
And just as I expected, Lin Zexu laid out a story that was not at all different from what I had anticipated.
“However, the messenger who returned from Joseon brought a completely different answer. They say that inquiries were made not only to Joseon's Ministry of Rites but also the Ministry of Personnel, yet they could find no trace of you being born and raised there. Doesn't that contradict your story?”
“Oh, is that the answer Joseon sent back?”
“If they had asked about just anyone, a mistake could have been made, but your background is rather unique, is it not? Your characteristics are so distinct that it would be impossible to forget, even by accident. For Joseon to claim they have no knowledge of you... it simply doesn't make sense.”
“So that's why you were ignoring my requests—to investigate further.”
Beijing probably intended to use Joseon to exert influence over me if I truly had close ties with them.
But since I claimed to be close while they claimed to know nothing, it must have short-circuited their brains.
It was a situation where one of the two was clearly lying.
“His Majesty is not pleased with this situation. Whether it's Joseon or Britain, we can only conclude that one of you is currently holding us in contempt.”
“That is rather strange. Why would Joseon send such a reply?”
“...I don't mean to doubt you, but do you have any proof that you were born and raised in Joseon, Minister?”
“Isn't the fact that I'm fluent not only in the Qing language but also in Joseon's language proof enough? If you bring an interpreter who speaks the Joseon tongue, I can show you just how fluently I speak it.”
If I'm telling the truth, it means Joseon is intentionally hiding the truth from the Qing.
For the Qing, this was the most troublesome scenario, so they must have secretly hoped the conclusion would be that I was bluffing.
But in this matter, at least, I was completely innocent, so I had nothing to fear.
Of course, seeing how things were playing out, Joseon hadn't intentionally lied to the Qing either, but that's how it ended up. What could be done?
They were the fools for not remembering correctly.
Even if they had told the truth, it's doubtful the Qing would have believed that a noble who became a minister at eighteen and was fluent in three languages was the son of a slave.
“Hmm... The possibility is infinitesimally small, but you could have learned the Joseon language in Britain...”
“Ah, so you're suggesting I learned the languages of Joseon, the Qing, and Jipangu in my home country.”
“It seems unlikely, but I cannot definitively say it's impossible.”
“Then I can prove it in other ways. Since you have never been to Hanseong, the capital of Joseon, you wouldn't be able to judge, Viceroy. But have my words recorded exactly as I speak them now and send them to Beijing. Those who have served as diplomatic envoys to Joseon will know at once whether I am lying. Allow me to describe what Hanseong was like when I lived there...”
I proceeded to describe, step by step and in vivid detail, the lives of the people I had actually seen in Joseon, the scenery of the capital, and how the yangban lived.
Having lived as a slave in a prestigious family, I could assert that there was almost no one who could describe the lives of Joseon's upper-class yangban as well as I could.
Even the Qing envoys who had visited Joseon probably couldn't provide such detail.
Of course, those listening would never dream that I knew the affairs of a noble family so well because I was a slave.
They would assume I had been treated with great hospitality in Joseon and had maintained a close relationship with a prestigious noble family.
The proof was right there: Lin Zexu, now completely unable to refute my story, clutched his forehead and let out a deep, agonized sigh as if the ground would swallow him whole.
“Then Joseon... why on earth...?”
“That, I do not know.”
“...Have you had any recent exchanges with Joseon or Japan?”
“I have not, personally. But, well... if you include other merchants or officials, then I cannot say for sure.”
I don't lie, but I don't give a straight answer about anything, leaving room for interpretation until the very end.
It's a basic tenet of diplomacy, but for the already confused Lin Zexu, his questions were not resolved but only grew more complicated.
Before he could open his mouth to say anything else, I seized the opportunity, my tongue beginning to stir once more.
“Well? If you haven't sorted things out yet, shall I wait a little longer?”
“Would that be alright?”
“Of course. As I've said repeatedly, I wish to resolve this situation amicably. However, the merchants' dissatisfaction continues to build. No matter how much I try to stop them, they may attempt to sell opium through back channels. I must state in advance that I cannot fully control them until a conclusion of some sort is reached.”
“...If they are caught committing such illegal acts, all opium will be confiscated, and they too will have to bear the corresponding responsibility.”
“If they're caught selling illegally, it's only natural for the goods to be confiscated. I have no intention of unconditionally siding with my countrymen just because they are my countrymen, in defiance of another nation's laws and systems.”
Glancing over, I saw that the scribe they had brought along was recording my conversation with Lin Zexu without missing a single word.
Good, good.
This was an official meeting between a minister and a viceroy, so of course, an objective record must be kept.
This would make it crystal clear how considerate I have been of the Qing's position, and that I have not uttered a single lie in the process.
Lin Zexu's head must be about to explode from confusion, but his suffering will soon come to an end.
No matter how much authority he had as an Imperial Commissioner and Viceroy, in the end, he was just a man who had to do as the emperor commanded.
***
After thoroughly overloading Lin Zexu's mind, I immediately moved on to the final stage of this operation.
Everything had gone according to plan so far, but that didn't mean I could afford to relax.
A delicate stratagem like this could be ruined by a single minor mistake, so it was essential to continuously monitor its progress.
“Have all the employees who set sail returned?”
“Yes. It seems the Qing side has confirmed the ships' heading this time. Lin Zexu will probably find out soon.”
“We've also bribed the lower officials, so the news should reach Beijing quickly.”
Although I denied it to Lin Zexu's face, news that British merchant ships seemed to be making contact with Joseon or Japan would soon reach his ears.
This was because the disguised merchants I brought from London were periodically setting sail in the direction of Joseon or Japan, ensuring they were spotted by Qing fishermen or patrol boats.
They weren't actually going there, of course; they would sail out a certain distance before turning back. But seeing it would inevitably arouse suspicion, whether one wanted to be suspicious or not.
Of course, since no actual trade was taking place, no amount of questioning would yield a satisfactory answer.
And even now, these factors were continuing to pile up, being relayed to Beijing through the mouths of the officials I had bribed.
Lin Zexu, seeing my outwardly cooperative demeanor here on the ground, would continue to agonize over it, but what would the reaction in Beijing be?
Unlike Lin Zexu, they had never met me and had only received a flood of warnings about the threat Britain could pose to the Qing Dynasty.
And the ministers in Beijing would surely not even suspect that this information was my own doing.
Common sense dictated that if one were to bribe officials to submit false information, it would be fabrications like "opium isn't harmful" or "Britain is a benevolent nation." Who would submit reports claiming that those scoundrels were hatching a massive conspiracy?
That was why bribing the local officials hadn't been very difficult.
They weren't being asked to allow opium sales; all they had to do was make a fuss about Britain being a dangerous nation, and a hefty sum of money would come their way. What reason was there to refuse?
“Since this meeting also ended without a clear conclusion, the opium merchants will continue to smuggle opium as they have been. Should we let them be?”
“Just pretend to stop them. As long as we properly warn them that it could be dangerous if they get caught, we've done our duty.”
“I almost feel a little sorry for Lin Zexu. The information coming from all sides is contradictory, and none of it will match what he's seen and confirmed with his own eyes... If it were me, I think I would've thrown in the towel and quit.”
The trap was designed from the start to make him worry his head off about local matters, paying no mind to anything else.
If he didn't get confused, my desperate acting would have been for nothing.
“Right, it's about time to write the report to send back home. Could you organize the materials for me?”
If I sent it now, it would arrive in Westminster in three to four months. Considering the round-trip time, this was the perfect moment.
As this would be the first report submitted to Parliament by Killian Gore, Foreign Secretary of the British Empire, I might as well put some thought into making the biggest splash possible.
Just you wait.
***
The center of the Celestial Order and the symbol of the Central Kingdom.
The Daoguang Emperor, master of Beijing's Forbidden City, could not hide his displeasure at the recent flood of contradictory reports.
“Are you daring to jest with Us?”
“Your- Your Majesty! We are deeply sorry!”
The ministers of the Grand Council—who held concurrent posts as Grand Secretaries, heads of the Six Boards, or Censor-in-Chief—had the privilege of an audience with the Son of Heaven, but even they could not raise their heads before his wrath.
“More than a decade has passed since We declared We would eradicate the Westerners' opium. Recently, it seemed We were finally seeing some results, and We were inwardly pleased. To have such cold water thrown on Us now... We cannot hide Our displeasure.”
“Th-that is, the report from the Imperial Commissioner and the report from Joseon are completely at odds, which has thrown the Grand Secretariat and the Six Boards into confusion...”
“That is precisely what makes no sense. What is the conclusion? Is Joseon lying? Or is this so-called minister from Britain spouting nonsense?”
“The Imperial Commissioner has reported that he is certain the British minister is of Joseon origin. His opinion was that Joseon appears to be hiding something, and that we must interrogate them again more thoroughly.”
“Why would Joseon have any reason to lie to us?”
There are things one can hide and things one cannot. What fool would hide something that can be easily uncovered with a little effort?
Or did Joseon truly believe the Great Qing was so inept as to be unable to discover such a thing?
“Your Majesty. In truth, the Imperial Commissioner's reports are currently lacking in many respects. Memorials arriving from the Huguang region, not just Liangguang, are flooding in with pleas about the severity of British opium smuggling. Furthermore, there are frequent eyewitness accounts of British merchant ships continuously sailing toward Joseon and Japan.”
“...What? We were told that the British minister, unlike his predecessors, has been exceedingly cooperative with us.”
“Yes, the Imperial Commissioner claims so, but the reports from other regions suggest otherwise, no matter how one looks at it.”
“Then are you suggesting that the Imperial Commissioner is colluding with the British?”
The Daoguang Emperor, who was well aware of Lin Zexu's upright character, did not doubt his loyalty in the slightest.
The Grand Councilors seemed to think similarly, shaking their heads, but they did not forget to add another possibility.
“The Imperial Commissioner's integrity is well-established; it is unlikely he harbors any duplicity. However, being a man of such an upright and straightforward character, it is possible he is being played by the wicked stratagems of the British.”
“So you're saying they're feigning cooperation on the surface while plotting behind our backs.”
“Yes, based on the circumstances, that is the only logical interpretation. Because the British are acting cooperatively, the Imperial Commissioner is unable to respond as forcefully as he might. Meanwhile, they are smuggling opium behind his back and freely scheming while making contact with Joseon and Japan.”
It was a plausible inference.
No, it was more than plausible; it was a sharp deduction that seemed to be the only possible answer.
“If the British are making contact with Joseon and Japan, what is their reason?”
“It may be that they find it difficult to sell opium here, so they intend to sell it there instead to secure silver. However, according to what we've heard... that... how should I put it...”
“Hm? What is it? Why do you trail off?”
“The content is so disrespectful and absurd that to speak it aloud...”
“It is fine. Speak.”
Even with the Son of Heaven's permission, the ministers exchanged glances before seeming to make up their minds, shutting their eyes tightly and revealing what they had heard.
“The information is not certain, Your Majesty, but it is said that Britain is hatching a plot to completely neutralize our resistance to the opium ban. Their contact with Joseon and Japan is rumored to be part of a plan to destroy the Celestial Order...”
“...What?”
We have treated them civilly thus far, wishing to avoid direct conflict, and now they truly overstep their bounds?
This is why one should not treat the Western beasts as fellow humans.
“Are you saying those insolent Westerners dare to go beyond merely selling opium and now seek to devour us whole?”
“The information is not certain, but as the source is none other than the British camp itself, we believe it has a high degree of credibility.”
“Hmph... What in the world has the Imperial Commissioner been doing while such talk reaches Our ears? This will not do. Send an imperial edict to the Commissioner. Tell him to enforce the prohibition thoroughly, without any regard for Britain's circumstances. And if those scoundrels are truly plotting to shake our very foundations...”
After a moment's hesitation, the Daoguang Emperor clenched his jaw and continued.
“Depending on the circumstances, We will also authorize the use of military force.”
If this was the result of trying to resolve things amicably through dialogue, then the current policy could no longer be maintained.
The emperor clenched his fist so tightly it made a cracking sound, regretting that he had not made this decision sooner.
Whether it was Britain or Joseon, if they dared to forget their place and challenge him, he would show them exactly where they belonged.