1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 317 They're fighting like dogs.

In the Yangtze River waters near Hukou, a small fleet of six massive Western steamships towing three unpowered barges fully loaded with coal sailed upstream, accompanied by the roar of steam engines and the incessant billowing of black smoke.

These steamships had a deep draft, and these heavy ships were not carrying ordinary goods, but rather weapons, ammunition and related samples wrapped tightly in tarpaulins, boxes of gifts, draft trade contracts, and the first Western gamblers betting on this civil war in the Eastern Empire.

These steamships are heading towards Wuchang, a city in the heart of the Yangtze River that they have never set foot in before.

The officers' lounge on the lead British warship HMS Lily was luxuriously decorated, with red velvet carpets on the floor and mahogany wainscoting on the walls.

Representatives from England, France, and the United States, dressed in suits and with high noses and deep-set eyes, gathered in one room.

The stale air inside was a mixture of the spiciness of expensive Havana cigars, the sweetness of French perfumes, and the body odor of the delegates.

The indescribable, complex smell kept challenging Tang Zhengcai's sense of smell. Unable to bear it any longer, Tang Zhengcai finally left the officers' lounge and went to the deck for some fresh air.

"Comfortable!"

Tang Zhengcai, who had walked onto the deck, greedily inhaled the fresh outdoor air and exclaimed how comfortable it felt.

After Tang Zhengcai left the officers' rest area, the British Consul in Shanghai, Alcock, maintained an almost rigid calm.

He did not sit down, but instead strove like a lion surveying its territory.

Aleksandr stood by the porthole, seemingly out of professional habit, raising his monocular telescope to carefully scan the river defense fortifications along the Yangtze River, which he considered extremely rudimentary and vulnerable.

"Everyone."

Shortly after, Alcock put away his binoculars and turned his attention back indoors. He turned around, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone present, and spoke to the French and American representatives in the officers' lounge in a condescending and unquestionable arrogant tone.

"Please always remember the true purpose of our trip. This is not a social visit, but a strategic investigation and risk assessment."

Of the more than four million pounds worth of goods that the British Empire traded with China each year, the opium trade was the absolute core of our trade with China.

Although the court in the capital is incompetent, at least in the past decade, they have learned, or rather, been forced to learn, to respect our commercial privileges through the Treaty of Jiangning. And the Prince of Tianjing, the Eastern Prince, and this Northern Prince we are about to meet…”

At this point, Aleksandr paused deliberately, a sneer appearing on his lips, and continued, "They claim to be establishing a 'Heavenly Kingdom,' but will the laws of the Heavenly Kingdom tolerate our opium? Will their officials be as 'reasonable' as Wu Jianzhang, the Shanghai Daotai of the Qing government? All of this is unknown."

Our bottom line in England is this: any cooperation must be predicated on securing and even expanding British trading privileges. If they show the slightest xenophobia or attempt to encroach on opium profits, then the gunboats of the British Empire will make them understand who the absolute master of East Asian trade is. Cooperation is contingent on obedience—obedience to our existing trade order, ensuring that we all benefit from the open markets of the inland regions.”

The remarks by British Consul in Shanghai, Alcock, prompted a cold laugh from Acting Vice Consul of the United States in Shanghai, Kim Nung-hyung, who scoffed at Alcock's words.

The existing trade order with China does indeed benefit Britain, France, the United States, and even other European countries.

The key issue is not whether one can benefit from trade with China, but how that benefit is distributed.

The current distribution method is not a true equitable distribution for the United States of America, but rather the kind of equitable distribution that the British believe in and want to maintain.

In other words, the British eat the meat, while other countries eat the leftovers that the British "generously" give them.

Kim Neng-hyung, and even the American Minister to China, Massali, who came all the way from Guangzhou, were deeply dissatisfied with the British people's attitude, tone, and even the intentions they expressed.

The four treaty ports of Shanghai, Ningbo, Fuzhou, and Xiamen were opened to trade by the Qing government through war, which forced the government to sign the Treaty of Nanjing.

The British have made great contributions, and it's no big deal to give them some face at these four ports.

However, it was the Americans who first made contact with the Wuchang authorities when they were about to arrive!

What gives the British the right to act superior and give orders to them?
The United States of America is a sovereign and independent country, not a vassal state of England, much less a colony of England!

Before Alfred had finished speaking, the French consul in Shanghai, Mintini, let out a light laugh and elegantly swirled the Bordeaux wine in his glass.

“Your Excellency Alighieri, it seems that your world, and the world of the English, is filled with nothing but profit and gunboats, reeking of money.” As he spoke, Mintiny waved his hand, as if trying to shake off the stench of money emanating from Alighieri.

"Our French vision is broader and... more sacred. We are concerned with saving souls."

On this vast land, hundreds of millions of souls desperately await God's salvation. The restrictions imposed on us missionaries by the imperial court in the capital are outrageous! According to our missionaries Lang Huai-ren and others, the Taiping Heavenly King and the Eastern King in Tianjing are an incorrigible heretic group.

As for His Highness the Northern King of Wuchang, it is rumored that he does not believe in the so-called Heavenly Father and Heavenly Brother of the Catholic Church, and is not averse to Western objects, even quite interested in them. This is a historic opportunity!

As he spoke, Mintin's eyes gleamed with fanaticism: "If we could gain the right to freely preach, purchase land, and build churches and schools within this so-called 'heavenly kingdom,' it would be a greater achievement than any trade treaty."

Of course, if devout Protestants need weapons to defend their churches, and we happen to be able to provide high-quality, advanced firearms, and if they are willing to settle the matter with local premium raw silk and tea, then it would undoubtedly be a win-win situation.

"Mr. Jules, is your camera ready? We must document all of this with the most advanced photography, especially the humility and open-mindedness shown by their leader, the King of Vietnam, when he received our French delegation. These images will cause a sensation in Paris and make those stingy parliamentarians willingly allocate more funds!"

By the porthole, French business representative and photographer Jules was sweating profusely as he tended to his complex and delicate wet plate photography equipment: a huge wooden large format camera, a pile of glass plates, and bottles of chemicals emitting a pungent odor.

As Jules Egil carefully wiped the lens with a velvet cloth, he muttered under his breath in French, cursing the damp weather and the rocking boat.

"The light, damn the light! The water vapor on the river is too heavy... I hope that the palace of that Northern King is bright enough. These negatives and silver nitrate are more expensive than gold in the Far East. God, I hope these expensive negatives can be exchanged for something tangible, such as a permit to open a trading company in Wuchang, or a French trading license in Wuchang, instead of just taking a few broken photos symbolizing enlightenment for propaganda purposes."

At this moment, the American Minister to China, Marshal, took a big gulp of Kentucky bourbon whiskey, interrupting the Frenchman's lyricism: "Missionary work? Soul? And His Excellency Alcock's so-called 'order'?"
Gentlemen, you are still viewing nineteenth-century opportunities with eighteenth-century thinking! Look out the window! An empire is crumbling beneath our feet!

Mashaly waved his thick arms, as if he wanted to embrace the entire Yangtze River basin: "We, the United States of America, don't need your European hypocrisy! What we want is comprehensive and unconditional trade openness! Freedom of navigation on the Yangtze River and all its tributaries! The Qing government can't give you these things; they're even about to lose Suzhou and Shanghai! And the Northern King of Wuchang desperately needs everything! This is the best time to do business!"

With that, an agitated Masali pointed to his two subordinates: "Kim Neng-heng, Smith, tell the gentlemen what we Americans have brought!"

The Acting Vice Consul of the United States in Shanghai, Kim Neng-hyung, stepped forward: “Your Excellency, in the cargo hold of the Acacia, there are five boxes of the latest .44 caliber Colt revolvers, more than 1,800 Springfield M1842 rifles, as well as smoothbore guns and twelve six-pounder field guns procured from various parts of the Far East! All of them are hard currency! Enough to arm a brigade! Of course, if they need it, our Russell & Co. can dismantle all the naval guns on our ship and sell them to them!”

The American Minister to the Interior, Mr. Massali, and the Consul, Mr. Kim Neng-hyung, attached greater importance to this trip to open up the inland market than the British and French, and made more thorough preparations.

Of course, it also shows more sincerity.

This can be seen from the rank of the visiting personnel; the United States of America is the only country to send a delegation led by a minister-level diplomat.

In addition, Russell & Co. brought a large quantity of ready-made munitions and other items that the Northern King wanted, while Britain and France only brought a small number of samples.

Masali and Kim Neng-hyung didn't mind showing off the weapons and preparations they had brought to the proud English and French.

Kim Neng-hyung's assistant, Smith, eagerly added: "We understand that His Highness the Northern King is extremely knowledgeable about Western firearms. His men can even distinguish the models of firearms. They are not those bumpkins from Jiangning City; they are discerning big buyers!"
As long as our prices are competitive and our delivery is fast enough, we can secure this epic order—the franchise rights we traded for arms. As for the secondhand Brownbeaks and Charwell rifles you brought, take them back exactly as you brought them!

The Northern King is not as easily fooled as those two foolish Tatar generals in Jiangning City. I don't think he'd be stupid enough to buy your countless pairs of broken guns and cannons at a price far exceeding that of first-hand goods.

The British and French, without the knowledge of Russell & Co., sold secondhand Brownbes and Chalville rifles to Jiangnan Governor-General Hong Zhufu'a and Jiangning General Xianghou for over forty taels of silver each.

He even boasted about it to Russell & Co. afterward, causing Russell & Co. to urgently purchase a batch of weapons at a high price, which ended up being stuck with them.

Smith only recently learned that a large portion of the guns and cannons purchased by Russell & Co. were actually weapons that British and French trading companies had managed to sell to them through a scheme.

Smith had long been deeply dissatisfied with the unethical practices of British and French trading companies that made money from the Tatars and then turned around and made money from the American Russell & Co.

Smith, seizing the perfect opportunity to vent his emotions and unleash his verbal prowess, was naturally not going to let it slip by.

The British ambassador to Shanghai, Alcock, finally turned around, his face revealing undisguised anger and contempt: "Price? Competitiveness? Mr. Smith, you seem to have forgotten who opened the Chinese market for you?"

At this point, Alcock sneered, his tone threatening, reminding Smith and all the American diplomatic representatives present: "Doing arms business with the rebels in Wuchang is one thing, but attempting to challenge and undermine the existing trade system with China dominated by the British Empire is quite another."

Assistant Smith, Acting Vice Consul Kim Neng-hyung, Minister Masali, I think Washington wouldn't like the latter risk. After all, your diplomatic strategy towards China has always been conservative; the Americas are your diplomatic focus, aren't they?

The British Empire had not only trade networks but also espionage networks spanning the globe.

The British Empire planted a variety of political and commercial spies in the United States and kept many cultural lackeys.

Bills discussed in Congress in the United States of America are sent to the Prime Minister's official residence in Westminster, London, within two or three months, for the Prime Minister's secretaries, assistants, and advisors to read at will.

Aleksandr was well aware of Washington's diplomatic policy toward China and the strength of Washington, and he did not take the words of the few American diplomats in the officers' lounge seriously.

To put it bluntly, apart from Minister Massali, who had a semi-official background, the other so-called American diplomats present were at best just business representatives.

The officers' lounge was suddenly filled with a tense atmosphere, and the French consul in Shanghai, Mintini, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

Although Mintin had a smile on his face, his words were barbed: "Oh, my old friends, why get angry? The Yangtze River is long enough, and the market in mainland China is big enough."

Perhaps we can reach a temporary... understanding? For example, our British friends can continue to focus on their opium trade, while our American friends can concentrate on their arms trade and other cooperative matters that we won't reveal to them for the time being?

Of course, ultimately we all need a formal treaty that guarantees the interests of everyone. After all, when facing an unknown regime, unity is always better than sabotage, isn't it, my old buddies?

American Minister Marshal snorted and grabbed the bottle to refill his glass: "Treaties? Protection? That's for later! The first American merchants who dared to do business with the Chinese didn't rely on your British treaties for protection, nor did they expect the protection of the Royal Navy, did they?"

A brief silence fell over the officers' lounge, with only the rumble of the steam engine and the faint sounds of the sailors' chatter penetrating through the thick bulkheads.

"Uncle Alin, what are those foreigners inside talking about?" Tang Zhengcai, who was on the deck, asked Chen Alin after hearing the arguing coming from inside the cabin.

"They're fighting like dogs." Chen Alin's translation was concise and to the point.

"It's good that these foreigners are fighting amongst themselves. The more fiercely they tear each other apart, the easier it will be for Your Highness to negotiate cooperation with them," Tang Zhengcai said with a clapping hand.

“The English value opium and their trade privileges, while the French value their missionary privileges. I’ve heard you say that the Northern King is resolute in his stance on opium prohibition and doesn’t believe in the Father or the Brother. I’m afraid the Northern King will find it difficult to reach an agreement with the English and the French,” Chen Alin said.

Judging from the conversation among the foreigners in the cabin, their demands were quite high, especially those of the English and French, which were so high that only Wu Jianzhang, the Shanghai Daotai and an old friend of the foreigners, could accept them.

“I don’t understand these things about foreigners. Write down what you know about them on paper. After we get to Wuchang, I will take you to meet the Northern King.”

You are fluent in the Western language, a capable person, and have brought fellow countrymen and relatives from the Small Knife Society to join us. The Northern King needs talent like you. Perform well, and finding a job with him will certainly not be a problem.

(End of this chapter)