"This urgent official document of the Ministry of War" "Shall be sent by prompt delivery to Bao Xing, General of Shengjing!" "This urgent official document of the Ministry of Civil Service" "Shall be sent by prompt delivery to Qishan, Viceroy of Zhui Province!" "This urgent official document of the Ministry of Defense," "Shall be sent by prompt delivery to Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Hu Guang" "Rampant opium use has become a serious threat to the Celestial Empire" "In my opinion, if we do nothing, within ten years... the Qing Dynasty's treasury will be drained and the country will be defenseless" "Foreigners could conquer our nation... without using force" "How dare you!" "Summon Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Hu Guang, to the capital at once" "Master, here comes His Excellency Lin Zexu" "Lin, what..." "This medicine has grown for a thousand years at the bottom of the Dongling Lake" "It's said that this medicine can free you from the habit of smoking opium for good" "You might try it" "I'm so ashamed of myself." "I've weathered the storms in civil service for 60 years" "But failed to resist the temptation of opium" "Lin, do you know why you are summoned by His Majesty?" "I'm afraid it's about a strict ban on opium" "Opium is the most abominable thing China has ever seen" "It leads people astray and ruins them" "Even I have become addicted, to say nothing of princes and ministers in the capital" "In my opinion, opium smoking is dangerous but to impose a strict ban on opium is even more dangerous" "I'd like to listen to your advice" "It's so difficult because customs officers take bribes and high officials of central government are corrupt" "What's more, His Majesty is indecisive" "It's really difficult to predict the result" "You must think twice before you agree to undertake any mission" "I'll take your advice" "Recently I wrote a poem, and I'd like your comment" "It may do you no good... to be as courageous and determined as you were young" "It could not be a good sign" "Lin Zexu, you're an important official in my government" "Right now, opium use is running rampant Do you have any solution?" "It is my opinion that if Your Majesty issues an order, the cabinet enacts prohibitions and customs rigorously enforces them" "I'm certain that opium can be wiped out" "Are you sure?" "Is it that easy?" "Your majesty's power can destroy any monster" "Since you are so confident," "I hope you will undertake this mission" "Go to Guangdong to root out the evil of opium" "Your Majesty," "I am duly bound to sacrifice myself for the Celestial Empire" "But recently, I've been suffering from various illnesses and though I fear no death" "I am afraid I may fail in this important task" "That would be an unpardonable mistake" "I know a little about medicine" "Let me check your pulse, your right hand" "Your pulse is irregular" "Shall I prescribe a good remedy?" "How do I dare..." "Lin Zexu, the cause of your illness is threefold" "One, you're afraid that I won't delegate to you, the power to carry out this mission" "Two, you're afraid that government officials may create obstacles to make you give up halfway" "Three, you fear that..." "I may be capricious and make unpredictable changes in policy" "Is this the cause of your illness?" "Your Majesty has keen insight" "I do have these fears" "I am not worried about my career but I am truly concerned about the future of the Celestial Empire" "It has been 109 years since Emperor Yongzheng issued an order... to ban opium in the 7th year of his reign" "And yet opium use runs wild!" "If we give up halfway this time, no one would ever dare... advocate an opium ban again" "You still have no trust in me!" "I will show you another remedy" "Do you want to beg for mercy on behalf of your teacher?" "Your Majesty, my teacher is aged and has been always loyal" "Lu Zifang is not only your teacher but also mine" "When I was five, he taught me painting" "When I was six, he taught me the Four Books and Five Classics..." "Now..." "Even princes and ministers have taken up the habit of opium smoking" "The sacred place of our Celestial Empire will soon become a big opium den" "The thousand-year-old medicine can only cure one addict but I want to cure the whole empire" "Act on my edict:" "Remove Lu Zifang from office and have him prosecuted for his own crimes" "Go!" "Lin, His Majesty put me to death... to show his determination... to ban opium on the one hand, and to cut off your retreat on the other" "Lin, go ahead" "I'll offer my head as a sacrifice to bring you a success" "Go ahead, Lin!" "Lin Zexu obeys Your Majesty's edict" "I give my oath that I won't return to the capital until opium is expunged" "Daddy, you killed a seagull!" "Yes, it's only a game" "China..." "Daddy, are we really going ashore?" "Yes, go on, you'd better get changed" "Qing Government doesn't welcome young girls" "God will be with you always, my son" "Thank you" "I like the story about Jesus" "Unfortunately, books of this kind are forbidden in the Celesial Empire" "I can't take it ashore with me" "Perhaps one day that will change, son" "You look like a girl!" "Give it back to me, come on!" "Mary, give it back!" "He'll be beheaded if he's not wearing it" "Beheaded?" "Why is that?" "Yes!" "Even if we're going abroad without permission we'll get the same punishment" "Oh yeah!" "I'm sorry" "Denton" "How are you." "Your Excellency?" "This is Captain White" "How are you?" "Your Excellency, the ship is ready... for your inspection" "Inspection" "This suitcase will be sent to your residence tonight" "The Imperial Commissioner Lin, the Imperial Commissioner will go to Guangzhou pretty soon" "You must observe all the regulations and be careful" ""Allowed to enter the port"" "Shanzhi?" "Father" "Shanzhi" "Father" "It's all my fault..." "Today, Father..." "I..." "My son!" "Glad to see you again!" "People said that you had drowned in the sea, but master refused to believe it" "Our Yihe Company has been prospering and we wouldn't let you die at sea" "After the shipwreck," "I was rescued by a foreign merchant ship, the Tuna" "I had to work as a seaman to gain my trip back home" "The Tuna?" "It is the British merchant Denton's ship" "I helped him make a big fortune" "How dare he treat you like a seaman!" "Urgent message from 400 miles away" "Urgent message from 400 miles away" "Fine!" ""If one is full of tolerance, he will be generous" "If one is free of greed, he will be fearless"" "Viceroy Deng's blindfolded calligraphy is definitely a masterpiece of art" "Viceroy Deng has great vision and a magic hand" "It is said that, that is Lin Zexu's favourite couplet" "In my opinion, practising calligraphy is like, handling matters of the state" "And any slight wavering must be avoided" "Just now I heard the voice of a courier" "I think it must be an urgent message sent by Lin" "You're right" "Where is Commissioner Lin now?" "It is reported that he travels day and night and has just passed Nanchang" "He's still hundreds of miles away, but his orders have reached us" "Lin's men have already been in Guangzhou" "I'm afraid we are all on his list" "Lin is really putting a lot of effort into his mission" "Denton, Denton" "My son was shipwrecked in Southeast Asia and I thank you for making him as a seaman" "Please..." "This Chinese is unbelievable" "It is Mary!" "Rong'er" "Yes" "This is my treat, cheers" "Master" "I'm told Lin Zexu wants to ban opium and he was granted an audience with..." "His Majesty once every day during, his eight-day stay in the Capital" "Well, I just have to send him 8 times as many gifts of silver" "Father, he will send him a gift of silver eight times as much" "I'm afraid Lin Zexu won't accept it" "My father is old," "I'll marry you as soon as he dies" "You are lying to me" "Madam, here comes a customer" "It's you who told me to try opium, saying that opium can cure all diseases" "I..." "I live on singing only and I won't get further..." "Now that you need six opium balls a day" "How can I afford you?" "Do you think I can shit gold and piss silver?" "Fine," "I will give you no more" "No..." "Go this way" "Seal this place." "Catch opium deals" "Hurry up!" "Sir..." "No!" "Not enough?" "This is the best opium" "No..." "I just want you to stay for one night" "No, I don't sleep with foreigners" "Why not?" "I am a man too" "I came first, whoever has to wait outside" "Rong'er" "Oh, it's Mr. He, and a foreign lady!" "There're soldiers outside, let us in" "It's dangerous outside" "You are a slut!" "Out of my way!" "Daddy" "What the deuce are you doing here?" "How could you!" "How did you find me?" "I hate you!" "Freeze!" "Your Excellency!" "You!" "How dare you!" "Men, come here!" "Take him away" "Rong'er, get up quick Soldiers are forcing their way in" "Sister, get up now, the Commander is Han" "Your Excellency!" "Rong'er" "Go!" "Go!" "Where is Lin Zexu, the Imperial Commissioner?" "Your Excellency, when our boat arrived," "Commissioner Lin went ashore and told me to escort the official seal" "Raise the sedan chair" "Yesterday I was told that Lin Zexu had just passed Nanchang" "I'm sorry." "I was remissed in my duty" "I do not have great vision" "I think Lin Zexu has started Investigations in the city" "Tell Commander Han... to arrest whoever appears in Lin's list and execute them in public!" "Go!" "Hill, would you come take a look at this" "By taking the heads of their own people, they seek to imitate us." "I think they do" "There is an old Chinese saying," ""Kill the chicken and terrify the monkey"" "Those convicts are the unfortunate chickens" "And we, gentlemen, are the unwelcome foreign monkeys" "Start the execution" "Peace on earth" "This is too much" "They carry on this dreadful business right beneath our national flag" "I don't want to die" "Help!" "Help!" "Mr. Denton, help me!" "How dare you!" "Shut up!" "Help!" "Oh, no!" "He!" "Mr. Denton, help!" "Daddy, do something!" "You just can't leave him there" "Denton" "He is my friend!" "No!" "What did she say?" "She said she knows Your Excellency" "Please spare my life" "Nonsense, how can a foreign girl know me?" "She said she saw your Excellency..." "on board the Tuna" "If your Excellency kills me, she will go to Commissioner Lin to sue Your Excellency" "Please spare my life!" "Mary!" "She is my daughter." "Come here!" "Daddy" "Let her go!" "Brother Xiong, let me do it" "Sir, he is the son of the owner of Yihe Company he is not an opium dealer" "Viceroy Deng, Governor Yi and" "General Guan are coming to meet you" "How fast they found me!" "Tell them to stop the ex ecution" "I wish you all good health" "Your Excellency, please forgive us for not having met you earlier" "Have some tea please" "General Guan, please" "The convict is called He Shanzhi the son of the owner of Yihe Company we have held him in custody" "It's He Shanzhi!" "Take him to my office tomorrow" "Yes sir" "You've collaborated with British merchants to trade in opium and you've committed a heinous crime against the Celestial Empire" "I am wrongly accused" "I have never traded in opium" "I went abroad to do business in tea, porcelain and other goods," "I came back from abroad only yesterday" "And know nothing about... what my father and Yihe Company are doing" "I hope Your Excellency will make a thorough investigation" "Since you can speak English," "I wonder if you can read it" "Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu... was born into a poor family in Fujian" "He ranked the first in provincial examination at the age of 20 and ranked the first in palace examination at the age of 27" "Since taking office, he has made great achievements in taxation, sea transportation and food control" "As a result, the Emperor laid much confidence in him" "He is a strong and decisive leader, and also..." "Enough!" "Do foreigners always get information as quickly as this time?" "I think so." "The foreigners think that he who gets the information earlier earns more money" "We also have a saying that to know one's own situation and his enemy's guarantees victory in every battle" "Since you know... how foreigners make money, do you know... how they make ships and guns?" "I know a little" "In the past few years travelling at sea," "I've come to realize how big the world is" "I'll take the essence of western knowledge to improve ourselves" "I'll also give you a chance to start a new life" "Thank you, Your Excellency" "Since you are young and innocent, I'll forgive you and, appoint you as my interpreter to investigate foreign affairs" "You must find out in three days how the British government deals with the opium problem in their homeland" "I'm willing to do my best" "I can pardon you, but not your father" "Where did the huge quantity of opium come from?" "Your Excellency, pardon me please" "Investigations show that, you have been guarantors for all foreign ships who claim that they are free of opium, and got through the customs" "But now there is opium everywhere breaking up millions of families, killing millions of people and robbing the Great Qing of millions of tons of silver" "Look at yourself" "When everyone knows that you are one of the richest in the country" "How dare you fool me by wearing patched clothes?" "He Jingrong" "I'm ready to forfeit all my assets to the government" "I don't want just your money," "I want your life too" "What officials collaborate with you?" "However rich you may be, you are a common citizen" "How can you resell such a large quantity of opium without any help?" "There must be some official secrecity working with you" "Confess now" "I don't have the nerve to bribe any officials" "They demand that I abide by the law" "I plead guilty, it's all because of my greed, avarice and..." "I want you to deliver an edict to the foreign merchants and to the people of Denton's party" "Our emperor bestows his kindness upon people from all over the world" "That's why His Majesty grants his approval for international trade" "To reciprocate their thanks to His Majesty, these merchants must observe our laws" "They can make profit, but never at the expense of other people" "My days are numbered, so are your golden days" "The Qing Government is treating us like a bunch of criminals..." "Gentlemen... it's time to take a vote" "For me, money is like a trade wind, easy come, easy go" "I've no objection to turn in the opium" "You don't have any opium Only you've got is a big mouth!" "Me, I'm a sailor Money is important to me" "But more important to me is fair play" "These people have never treated us fairly" "If we back down now, these savages will treat us like slaves" "I'm against bloodshed" "I say we agree to their terms but we can teach them to negotiate in a civil manner" "Listen..." "I've seen people smoking opium And I know what opium means, too" "It's horrible!" "Denton, He Jingrong is your broker" "And you made a large fortune with his help" "Now's your chance to pay him back" "Well, of course we all know He Jing-rong is innocent" "They're just using him to frighten us" "We may no more say he is guilty than opium itself" "As Mary, a young girl is naive" "Naturally, her vote is dictated by her feelings" "But we're grown men, all we know that what we are expecting here is war" "A war, gentlemen." "We should be prepared to sacrifice our personal feelings for our country" "Yes!" "I'm terribly sorry Mr. He The imperial kingdom has its laws" "And we have our principles" "What an ugly Chinese calligraphy!" "How impertinent they misspell "Lin Zexu"" "And to hang two swords over our heads" "They keep talking about the trade between the two countries, but over the vast expanse of land under the heaven there exists no counterpart to the Celestial Empire" "This is not a diplomatic note, but a war declaration It's a war declaration" "They are trying to sound me out That's good" "Let me show the world our Celestial Empire's determinations to ban opium" "Besiege all the British mansions at once!" "Get back!" "Take off your wig." "Wear your hat" "Lin Sheng, what do you think of... my interpreter in foreign clothes?" "Like a little devil from the nether world" "Let's see how he eats with foreign tableware" "What do you think?" "It's clumsy to use both hands!" "Well, look!" "The foreign tableware... requires the use of both hands our chopsticks require one hand only" "Yes and have greater adaptability" "Your Excellency" "a priest from the British Chamber of Commerce... came out with a white flag" "Our soldiers took Him" "Where is he now?" "In the front hall" "Your Excellency, I do not represent the British Chamber of Commerce" "I'm here on my own behalf" "Whether you come alone or with all your people" "I am ready to meet you here" "I support your ban on opium but cutting off water and food supply is endangering their lives" "Cutting off food and water is not humane behaviour" "He said, cutting off food and water is not humane behaviour" "In the name of God, I'm here to implore you to lift the blockade" "It's only been three days that you have been cut off supplies and you condemn it as inhumane" "What about a country that has been broken apart for the last hundred years and the millions of people that died or whose families have been ruined because of opium?" "Who is going to sympathize with them?" "Where is your God?" "Where is... your humanitarian principle?" "Look!" "These English newspapers... have reported clearly strict bans on, opium smoking in your own country by your Queen and she has also issued prohibitions to the British merchants" "One of them is..." ""Contraband must not be shipped to Guangzhou"" "So, can I ask you... why Denton and his like defy the Queen and introduce this illegal stuff to China?" "This drug has driven China to the verge of destruction" "I use the blockade only as a last resort" "I'd like you to convey a message:" "You have enjoyed our tolerance for a hundred years until today" "We won't yield an inch any more" "If Your Excellency refuses to lift the blockade," "I'm afraid that... they'll go on a hunger protest" "Let them do it, and I'll follow suit" "If they starve to death," "I'll go down to hell to express my good wishes" "Please" "If any of them starve to death," "I'm afraid it will mean trouble" "I'm not afraid of these foreigners, but..." "But His Majesty may be afraid of them" "What I really fear is that if the traitors are not eliminated, they will bring opium back to this country" "Master, the Yihe Company has been closed by the authorities and we are ordered to turn in all the account books" "Luckily I've made preparations for it" "Rengui, if I don't live through this," "I want you to look after Shanzhi" "I'll get you out of here, Father I promise" "Lin Zexu and the foreigners are going to have direct confrontations" "Trapped between the parties, I don't stand a chance of surviving" "Forget about me Just take good care of yourself" "Lin Zexu is shrewd and merciless" "You must be very careful when you work for him" "Father, I'll implore Lin Zexu... to redeem you with our assets" "Money doesn't work any more, not with Lin Zexu" "I've left with Rengui our full set of account books you might pass to Lin if needed" "They might help" "Father!" "Master!" "These are the deeds for all our land and houses" "My father wishes to turn them over to Your Excellency" "Very good." "We need financing for building warships and cannons and your money can be of great help" "Yes" "What are these?" "My father confesses his crime to Your Excellency and these are the account books of the Yihe Company for the past 19 years" "They recorded the amount of silver he has used for bribing the officials 3,576,000 taels in total" "No one else has seen this" "There might be some hidden causes in my father's case" "Please make a thorough investigation, Your Excellency" "He Jingrong deserves... capital punishment for this!" "Your Excellency..." "The Yihe Company has been bribing the government officials and collaborating with foreigners" "Now you're here to blackmail the authorities... with these confidential records" "How many officials are on your list?" "You have good reason to put Han Zhaoqing on the list, who took million taels" "But why did you record those... who have received only a trifling amount?" "What do you want from me?" "Kill all the officials... in Guangzhou?" "Or start an internal confrontation when we are facing a strong enemy outside?" "You're despicable" "Get out!" "According to the law of the Great Qing, any official found listing opium... will be stripped of his title, dismissed from office and exiled" "Which I'm sure you all know" "But I'm not sure if there has been any transgression among you" "No." "No!" "Very good!" "What we are here for today is meditation" "I want you to sit here for six hours" "If you are still in good shape after these hours, you may leave" "If anyone of you cannot stand it, leave your official hat here and wait for prosecution" "I want to see how long you could last!" "Out of every 10,000 chests of opium that you allowed to enter, you would take 200 and say it was confiscated" "Hiding the truth and reporting... as your achievements to the Imperial Court" "You're... a greater evil than the opium smugglers!" "The reputation and morality of this Celestial Empire... are ruined by scoundrels like you" "As officials appointed by the Imperial Court, you should be examples to the general public" "There's a question I want to ask you" "Can anyone of you dare to say that" "I... you have never received a bribe?" "If you can, come forward and receive my three bows of respect" "Put him in jail Keep any eye on him day and night" "Someone might kill him to evade prosecution" "Your Excellency, I..." "The Yihe Company fabricated... these secret account books to frame you and to redeem He Jingrong" "How stupid they are!" "Your Excellency, I..." "To err is human" "Your Excellency" "General Guan, it's you who should receive my three bows of respect" "Your Excellency," "I'm no scholar, but a soldier" "I didn't understand the couplet on the wall until now" "I'm willing to face any danger and to do whatever Your Excellency wants me to" "I pledge my life to fight for our common cause with Your Excellency" "Fighting opium will be a lengthy struggle" "Now that we three are... in the same boat, we must work hard together to eradicate this opium that poisons our country" "Well gentlemen, it's good to see the flag still flying" "I'm here, by the Grace of God" "Now, in the face of this unexpected" "Chinese violation of our limited resources and indeed the dignity of the Queen" "I'm henceforward taking full responsibility... for the property and the well-being of the British community here in China" "They're savages!" "They're bottling us up to death" "We want our ships back We want our cargo!" "We've been here long enough, gentlemen" "Kill them!" "We've been stuck here for a long time" "I'm not turning in my opium, not one ounce" "Gentlemen..." "Let's not lose our heads Now, trade is booming here" "Don't let's kill the goose that lays the golden egg" "Are you with me?" "What choice do we have?" "What plan you have in mind?" "Very well, I'll arrange safe passage... for you all to leave Guangzhou, in the next ten days" "What about our opium?" "In the next ten days," "I said, having first handed-in all your opium stocks" "Every last ounce of it" "I'd better stay!" "You're out of your mind, Captain Elliot" "I've never heard of such lunacy" "Well... if it isn't Mr. Denton" "Risen from the gutter by cheating, swindling and embezzling and tax evasion" "Would you like me to carry on listing your crimes against Her Majesty's government?" "That's slander, Captain Elliot" "As for you, Mr. White," "I remember you from the Spanish Maine, you're nothing more than a smuggler How dare you?" "What about you, Lawrence?" "There's not much left in Britain for you is there?" "Except for 5 years in jail" "You're all fat greedy, rogues, everyone of you" "I'm not here to help you line your pockets" "I'm here to protect Great Britain's trade with China" "Now, here is what I propose I'm offering you all a guarantee of full indemnity against all your losses" "Who's going to pay?" "How much are you going to pay?" "And what authority, may I ask, do you have to offer such warranties?" "Does the British government know it will cost them" "I will say in excess of 6 million pounds?" "What's the prime minister going to have to say about that?" "We have to wait and see" "Well, Denton." "And in any event we don't have much choice, do we?" "What do you mean?" "We're blockaded, are we not?" "You want to sit here in this hell hole until we rot?" "No!" "You call me a criminal" "They'll hang you back home for this" "Don't mind about me" "The Chinese have got you all in a noose" "Now, they all want a guarantee" "I shall be signing them in my office" "Your Majesty," "The English merchants... are subdued by your heavenly power and have surrendered all the opium in their possession" "22,283 chests in total" "Thus the opium catastrophe that has plagued China for a hundred years is completely eradicated and the untamed overseas nationals... are rendered subservient to the Celestial Empire" "I, Miannin, the emperor of the Great Qing humbly report to the Imperial Heaven and Land and to the reverent ancestors:" "The opium catastrophe that has plagued this land for a hundred years is completely eradicated in April, the 19th year of the reign of Emperor Daoguang" "Hence the heavenly rules are strengthened and the whole land is brought to peace" "Send my order to Lin Zexu:" "All the confiscated opium is to be destroyed in public" "Witnessed by the people at home and front abroad so that the untamed overseas nationals" "Upon the order of His Majesty, destroy the opium now!" "Upon the order of His Majesty, destroy the opium now" "Upon the order of His Majesty, destroy the opium now" "Your Excellency, it's time now" "To the English Queen... from the Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu..." "I know you're very pleased with yourself, Elliot you've sold us down the river, they are treating us like scum" "Go, Go... because he has considered it as beneficial to the people all over the world" "Therefore what I'm imposing is a ban on opium, not trade" "You all should be grateful to the celestial kindness, and abide by the Law" "Damn you, Elliot!" "Damn you to hell!" "Danton, wait Don't be such an obstinate fool" "You're a traitor to us and to your country" "Listen to me, Denton" "I want you to take this letter to Lord Palmerston" "What am I now, your errand boy?" "In person." "Please" "Tell him what's going on here" "Tell him the Chinese has just burnt 8 million pounds won'th of the British government" "British government stock?" "That opium was ours" "You all have copies of my guarantee" "Well, the opium they've just burnt is now officially the property of our Majesty's government" "Do you pretend that your guarantee still holds good?" "Of course!" "Damn it, Elliot, you know perfectly well that the British government... will never part me eight million pounds?" "No, perhaps not" "But they might be persuaded to make sure that somebody else does" "Someone else?" "You mean the Chinese?" "Precisely!" "You're cunning devil, Elliot" "You're sending me back home to promote the war!" "God help me." "I'll leave right away" "What's that?" "The Imperial Commissioner wants you to give this letter to your Queen" "You told Lin that we will never withdraw" "We'll wait off shore" "That's where Britain's strength lies" "Let's see!" "You tell Lin that we'll be back at Guangzhou!" "Do you think... the British would declare a war on us?" "Well..." "I really don't know" "Mr. Denton for the East India company's bought us... news of the deteriorating situation in Guangzhou" "Lives, properties of the citizens are being threatened" "British commercial chambers have formed themselves a powerful lobby to..." "To exert pressure from all directions upon the government for military interference" "Merchants are interested only in money" "Far more important is that the Chinese do not treat us with equality and fairness" "We shall not let them insult the dignity and honour of her Majesty the Queen" "The government is not involved in the opium trade that is a free trade conducted by private business" "Gentlemen, I take pride in informing you that some wise men have been engaged for some time in preparing maps of China ever since McCartney's visit there" "Here, on the table, we have a map which shows all rivers, all harbours, all the fortifications" "A map much more accurate than anything they have in their imperial palace" "As for the Chinese marine force, it's a fleet of fishing boats if anything" "A priest convinced us yesterday that one British warship could sink 10 Chinese warships" "Do you believe what he said?" "No, I do not I believe one British warship could destroy the whole Chinese Marine force" "So what have you brought me, my dear friends?" "Budget, deficit or war in India?" "Your Majesty," "I'm inviting you to cut the ribbon for a new railway" "That's wonderful, I'll do it" "By the way... there's something important that Palmerston has to report you" "In China, Your Majesty, Lin Zexu has destroyed 8 million pounds worth of our goods and is driving all the British residents out of Guangzhou" "Well, what shall we do then?" "We're looking forward to your instructions" "But I hear you're already assembling marine forces" "This is the sample of a new stamp to be released shortly" "What do you think?" "She looks prettier, doesn't she?" "Your Majesty, the world is never short of beautiful women, but there is only one British Queen" "Thank you for your honesty, Melbourne" "The stamp will be distributed to every country in the British Empire" "My dear, where there is sunshine, there is your image" "And in China, too?" "Your Majesty, the Cabinet is looking forward to your support for the motion to send the army to China and for parliamentary support of military appropriations" "Now tell me what kind of a man Lin Zexu is" "Well... he's a strong-will, unrefined, loyal to his emperor, liable to go to extremes..." "I confess that our knowledge of that thousand-year-old empire... is somewhat limited" "I wish I could see him in Madame Tussaud's Museum" "If I were in Lin Zexu's position" "I would also burn all the opium..." "But now, it's not the opium issue, nor the issue of the lives and properties of a few merchants" "It's not even a matter of the dignity of our British Flag and royalty" "If all nations follow China's example and reject free trade... the British Empire will no longer exist within a year" "This is the reason for us to use force!" "We must teach them a lesson on free trade!" "Gentlemen, Britain has the responsibility... to open up this last and largest territory in the East" "I hope you won't tell me one day that this has been done by other countries" "The fact is, whoever gets hold of China will have the entire East" "The 19th century" "Load up" "Load up" "It seems that the English don't intend to surrender or retreat" "But what are they doing just floating on the sea?" "They must be waiting for their Queen's order" "The British people live on trade" "Once the war starts, trade will be stopped" "What good would that do?" "If Denton doesn't understand it, the Queen certainly does" "Order!" "Order!" "I said order." "I call upon the honorable member Pontious" "There are four hundred million people living in China" "If that many people lived in Europe, they would have separated into hundreds of countries years ago" "But the Chinese have always been ruled by one emperor and spoken one language Is this not formidable?" "For 5,000 years!" "Do you not think that we should be making trade with these people and not war?" "They have banned the trade!" "They've treated the British Empire badly" "They really should be punished" "Order..." "The honourable members..." "There is one thing that I'd like to call your attention to" "Britain has the most advanced industry in the world and China has the biggest market" "If every Chinese were to lengthen the lower hem of his shirt by one inch" "All the British factories would be kept" "Order..." "Order of the house!" "Sir, Alexander Madison" "Gentlemen, I know two strange names" "Confucius and Zhuangzi" "They lived in China over 2,000 years ago before Aristotle and Socrates" "And their thoughts are even more profound than... those of Socrates and Aristotle" "And in all probability it would take us generations to understand the profundity of their thoughts and to understand China" "It is a country with a huge wall thousands of miles long in the north and the great canal of thousands of miles in the South" "Mr. Speaker, it's a great nation" "But even in sleep, they're unpredictable" "Yes, we may be able to defeat them" "But we can never conquer them" "Mr. Speaker, I have one ambition left in my life" "It is to visit China" "But I would rather swim the Atlantic... than sail there in a battleship" "Are you sure you're ready?" "To tell you the truth, the objection is so strong" "and the motion will probably be rejected" "Order..." "Mr. Speaker." "Honoured gentlemen," "I come before you to present the plight of a group of defenseless" "British subjects blockaded in an attempt to starve them into submission" "Made to surrender their property in trade which was then destroyed who were then driven from their quarters in Guangzhou to be confined aboard our ship without food, without water, without medicine" "There to float under the pestilent heat of the sun" "Before I set out on my journey to England" "I was obliged to take even my daughter who, being sick, was unable to travel with me" "I may never see her alive again" "And yet our glorious Union Jack still flaps high on our mast" "Gentlemen, your countrymen and your sovereign have been grievously wronged" "They look to you for reparation." "To that end, your representative living in China" "Captain Charles Elliot, gave me letters, which I have delivered to the Prime Minister" "There are also gifts to be delivered to the house" "This is a piece of Chinese bronzeware made over 2,000 years ago" "This is adorned with figures of sacred spirits representing their highest ideals" "Bronze was the strongest metal then known to the world" "Ever since that time the Chinese have called themselves the Hans" "This vase is carved from a single piece of jade" "It dates from the Tang Dynasty the golden age of China" "Not only was this the most prosperous period in the history of China, the Tang was also the most civilized and cultured people in the world" "This is a work of art from the China of the day" "Like the great Qing Dynasty it represents" "It appears sumptuously rich, plump and proud" "It looks down on all around it including the bronze and the jade" "And yet it is filled with nothing but self importance" "One touch and it will shatter into pieces" "This is the China I offer you" "I want to go home..." "Mr. Elliot, I like to remind you that our food stocks are running low" "We can't feed on cannon powder, can we?" "As captain of the ship, I need to know your intention" "Wait" "Wait?" "Wait for what?" "For death?" "He died in hand of the lord, we will remember his soul" "We therefore commit the body of this our dearly departed brother to the deep..." "May the Lord have mercy on his soul, amen" "Charles, for heaven's sake, let's weigh anchor and go home" "Or there will be more dead" "I've told you before, you can go back to your church in Macao" "Oh no." "I'm needed here" "You're leading these people to death" "My Majesty's government won't let there die for nothing" "Yes, that's what you wanted, isn't it" "No rescue but a cause of the war" "That's what you wanted Today you came here" "You... you are the devil" "Good heavens!" "You knew... by Jesus, you knew!" "There they are" "Our warships are coming Our warships are coming!" "We're saved!" "We're saved!" "Your Excellency, the British warships have arrived at Humen and blocked the estuary of the Zhujiang River!" "Let's finish the game first" "Mary!" "Daddy!" "You left me" "You really have to forgive me, Mary" "Soon we will have our reward." "Oh Daddy!" "I tell you Captain Bremer." "I knew this water like the back of my hand" "If we attack now, we can take Guangzhou by night" "How well do you know Lin Zexu, Mr. Elliot?" "We shall meet the greatest resistance here in Guangzhou" "The heart of the Great Qing in Peking" "Let's settle our account with their Emperor" "That would effect the greatest fear" "He's a tricky customer to deal with Lin Zexu" "Strange, isn't it?" "I've never met my old adversary face to face" "Your Excellencies, the enemy ships, finding us in full battle array, fled away without any fighting" "Have they withdrawn far enough?" "I saw them sailing directly up to the north" "Lin, this... dismissed!" "The British haven't fled." "They sail northwards to Beijing and Tianjin" "Send our ships to chase after them It might delay their attack" "The British have sturdy ships with powerful cannons and great speed" "Send 600 couriers to inform... all our forts along Xiamen, Shoushan and Dinai" "In truth, I'd rather battle to the last in Guangzhou than see them go up north" "Attention!" "We don't want to occupy Dinghai but we ask to use this lovely, small island to replenish our ships with some provisions and fresh water" "We'll pay for it" "If you don't agree, we'll wipe you up" "Say." "Yes or no?" "They're always like this" "This is so typically Chinese They never say yes, they never say no" "Stand by!" "Open fire!" "Open fire" "Ready." "Fire" "Do you feel like talking now?" "I've never seen such a large ship, nor have I seen such powerful cannons" "However, we must resist" "We, the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty would rather die than surrender" "Come on!" "Lead the remaining soldiers to retreat to the mountain" "But you..." "I'll stay." "Hurry up!" "What a great nation and imperial court" "It is less than in an hour!" "Seven forts in Dinghai and over ten battleships were burned to ashes" "Hundreds of people were killed" "England" "China" "As your Majesty are not feeling well, I dare not present my report" "Speak up!" "The courier from Zhoushan has come with an emergency report that the British took Dinghai seven days ago" "Now that Dinghai is lost, the British ships, I'm afraid, are sailing up to the north" "Your Majesty, Qishan, Viceroy of Zhili Province, requests an audience" "I kowtow to wish Your Majesty all the best" "This morning the British ships reached Dagukou of Tianjin" "How dare they invade the forbidden zone of the imperial palace!" "Where is Lin Zexu?" "Why hasn't he held off the enemy in Guangzhou?" "I've just gotten a letter the foreigner wrote to Your Majesty" "Who is Palmerstone?" "This foreigner is a high official" "He is the British foreign secretary" "Britain is only a very small island and it is not even worthy to be a province of the great Qing Dynasty" "How dare they write a diplomatic note to me?" "In my opinion, we should never appease the British!" "Otherwise, other countries like France, America will follow suit" "How could that be allowed?" "Our best move is to deal head-on with the British and drive them out of our territorial sea" "The British always dominate the sea warfare by their powerful warships and cannons" "At Dagukou, I have seen with my own eyes..." "So?" "Forgive me, Your Majesty..." "Tell me what you have seen" "The British have the warships and cannons so powerful that I have never seen" "Their warships can even run faster on water than our horses on land" "Their cannons are as powerful as the force... of a thunderbolt when they fire" "Lin Zexu is incompetent" "He cannot root out the scourge of opium from inside or withstand the foreign invaders from outside" "Bad news has arrived continuously through the night" "Lin Zexu, you've done harm to the country, to me and to my subjects" "Your Majesty, the British are marching northward because of Lin Zexu's hastiness in handling the opium problem" "So, why not dismiss Lin Zexu from office" "What?" "In this way, the British no longer have an ex cuse to resort to arms" "Then we can persuade them to withdraw with due respect and resolve the conflict peacefully" "No, those foreigners have poisoned us with opium, and Lin Zexu did well by destroying the opium at Humen" "Now, the foreigners with guilt are treated as guests of honour while Lin Zexu with merit is to be dismissed?" "Our Great Qing Dynasty cannot suffer such a humiliation" "Your Majesty," "Lin Zexu alone is as light as a feather but the integrity of the Celestial Empire is essential to the Great Qing Dynasty" "Your Majesty," "I'm afraid that Qishan's idea means making a concession to the foreigners" "This will make them even more insatiable" "That's enough" "These foreigners are barbarious and ignorant" "I decided to try peaceful means before resorting to force" "Qishan, you have enjoyed the imperial grace all life and you are also seen as a pillar of the Celestial Empire" "So, I order you to go back to Tianjin and appease the British by telling them that," "I have already dismissed Lin Zexu and forgiven them for resorting to arms" "I appoint you as the Imperial Commissioner to resolve the conflict" "I'll obey Your Majesty's orders" "Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi is required to listen to the imperial edict" "Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi is required to listen to the imperial edict" "Since this is a private meeting of close friends" "I hope all of us can speak frankly and sincerely" "Whatever... we say will just be between us" "Then I'd like to speak outright" "Lin has fallen into such a miserable state and as officials of the imperial court, we are bitterly disappointed!" "It's like changing horses in midstream" "A bad omen!" "To tell the truth," "Lin's dismissal is actually my idea" "The foreigners are resorting to arms simply because we destroyed their opium" "If we want to put out the flames of war, we must resolve this conflict first" "Then, with the adoption of both hard and soft tactics, we can subdue our enemy" "Lin, in order to safeguard the Qing Dynasty, govt officials like you and me must be ready to sacrifice even our lives" "Why bother your career and life?" "I know you understand" "Please accept my apology" "If the foreigners have invaded our country just because of me," "I sincerely beg Your Excellency to cut off my head so that the enemy troops may retreat" "I would die with a smile" "You are overstating the case." "Sincerity is the prerequisite for seeking peace" "Your dismissal... will show our sincerity" "The foreign ships with their powerful cannons are just outside the capital" "I don't believe you can repel the enemy with sincere words" "What is your idea?" "The foreigners' farsightedness, force and ambition... are far beyond our imagination" "We have no choice but to assemble all our military forces to fight against them" "Lin Zexu!" "Several months ago, you proclaimed that the foreigners dare not make war and if they did so, they would be no match for us" "If it had not been for your self-righteousness, we would not have been taken by surprise when the British warships came!" "Now you argue strongly for fighting" "It was you who looked down upon the foreigners and it was you who brought about their invasion" "Now it is you again who try to plunge the whole country into war" "At that time, I, like a frog in a well, didn't know much about the world affairs" "Not until today did I understand that there are many powerful countries in the world... and I'm aware of the approaching calamity" "If you were a frog in a well, how do you know you are still not?" "I have served... the army all my life, and don't have much book knowledge" "Your Excellency may be good at seeking a reconciliation, but my desire is to fight to the death" "General Guan, you have the will to fight to the death, but do you have confidence that we can win the war?" "If anyone of you here sure of winning the war," "I would like to be the first to fight" "General Guan, you are not afraid of a fight to the death, and I belong to the imperial kinsmen and have enjoyed His Majesty's grace" "I, too, am not afraid to fight to the death" "But at Dagukou of Tianjin," "I saw the foreigners' warships and cannons which are even more sturdy and powerful than we could imagine" "Please excuse my blasphemous remark" "A disastrous fate will befall the Great Qing Dynasty!" "If we yield without fighting, we are not far away from the end of the Great Qing Dynasty" "Lin!" "The Chinese can tower like a giant in the east for 5,000 years by relying on these younger generations of scholars" "No matter how powerful the enemy outside is and how frightening and earthshaking the changes are," "the training of scholars should not be neglected" "Your Excellency" "I'd like to accompany Your Ex cellency and follow wherever you go" "You have so many vanities and frailities that you can bear hardships for a short time, nor for life" "Yes, I know" "When I'm here in Guangzhou, I must continue to collect information for Your Excellency to compile your book" "I've been thinking a lot these days" "You see, the foreign suit, though ugly in style is quite convenient for body motion" "Also, these foreigners even eat with metals like knives and forks" "So, we can no longer look down upon them" "Your family is really wealthier than anyone in this country" "He Shanzhi, I come to Guangzhou to deal with the foreigners" "Since you've had dealings with the foreigners, do you know what they are..." "The foreigners are ordinary human beings" "They are similar to your Ex cellency in likes and dislikes" "I would absolve your father from capital punishment" "If you... could accomplish this mission" "I'll try my best" "Great!" "I want her to..." "How can I persuade Rong'er to go?" "Do you know who Rong'er is?" "She is the granddaughter of the blind musician" "The blind musician was a bodyguard... in the Forbidden City" "He had offended His Majesty and so, his eyes were stabbed blind for punishment" "He went into exile and became a wanted fugitive for more than 30 years" "His life and Rong'er's both are in my hands" "Would she dare refuse?" "He is wanted" "Wanted?" "Grandpa?" "Take care of yourself" "I am leaving for a long trip" "You are born bellicose as you like to eat bleeding food" "I understand that the Chinese cuisine is unrivaled anywhere in the world" "I can't say as much as for your cannons" "If you applied just a little of your expertise in cookery to manufacturing of cannons," "It would be we who today are begging for a truce" "I'm here not to ask for a truce... but to grant a truce" "Grant a truce!" "I don't care what you call it We don't care" "His Majesty the Emperor knows that you have behaved with respect and submission and therefore bestows on you 3 million taels of silver to cover the expenses of your trip home" "Who said anything about going home?" "No!" "We want..." "We want 6 million taels of silver to compensate for the opium" "We want your opening up of five ports for trade" "At the most, we want Hong Kong" "It's impossible." "Our Great Qing Dynasty has never ceded its territory before" "Never before..." "Well, you will now..." "Why do you want Hong Kong?" "Money is important." "Take the money first" "No, it will be invaluable to us" "We recongnise Hong Kong as the best port in the whole Far East" "Yes." "Perfect location, excellent climate, deep water, it's ideal" "And we must have it" "I know perfectly well the temperament of His Majesty the Emperor" "You can't ask for so much all at once" "I know perfectly well the temperament of Her Majesty the Queen," "Her birthday is coming up soon" "And we would find a suitable present for her" "Hong Kong will be ideal" "Look," "I have to tell you If you don't agree to our conditions we will attack Guangzhou at once" "Good." "But you must... let me report to His Majesty the Emperor" "What is going on?" "From now on, you are the guests of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty" "So you'll be entertained with all the food at our expense" "I wish I could be treated like this at home" "Now I can see you're sincere in your request for peace" "I will extend the cease-fire for another month" "I don't think we will fight" "Good!" "We should get Hong Kong in ten days time" "But of course you'll give us letters from your Emperor confirming our conditions" "If we don't receive these in one month, we can only take it as a declaration of war" "My sisters sell their smiles only, but not their bodies" "You have promised to let them go back" "I'll stay to take care of you" "I am telling you something" "They're planning to get rid of me" "Do you know who I am?" "It was me who masterminded the whole thing" "Without me... there wouldn't have been any British troops here at all" "It's as if..." "I was a farmer" "I bought a cow, fed it, look after it, fatten it up and then... when veal is ready to eat, they want to send me back!" "I tell you." "If I was told not to get a share of the meat," "I would have helped Lin Zexu, and been his advisor" "Maybe..." "Maybe I'll marry you" "You're so beautiful..." "Bremer" "You little bitch!" "Hurry up, Bremer" "She's hiding scissors under her clothes!" "I blow your brains out" "For God's sake, Elliot, don't be a bloody fool" "Send her back to Qishan for punishment" "You disgraceful wretch, you dare to cause harm to the national cause of the Celestial Empire!" "You used such a woman to appease the British!" "You should be punished for provoking a conflict!" "Speak up" "Would somebody come?" "Put him into jail" "Yes sir" "According to the orders of His Excellency Commissioner Qishan the traitorous bitch is to be put to death" "Grandpa!" "Master He, congratulations" "When can I leave?" "His Excellency Commissioner Qishan has sent you a gift" "By order of His Excellency you should be accompanied by opium all your life" "Please drink it up" "Drink it" "In my opinion, we must not declare war without careful consideration" "The foreigners' ships are strong and they run fast like the wind" "How can we deploy forces everywhere along our thousand-mile-long coastline?" "If we don't have enough troops, we can organise a civic corps of militia to withstand invasion" "Lin Zexu once organised some civic corps but Qishan disbanded them, making Guangzhou a city of no defense" "This is another crime of Qishan's" "Qishan's sinful" "Your Majesty, that's simply like plotting a rebellion" "The organization of a civic corps of militia, is the worst government policy to make" "If these riotous people stir up trouble among the masses and turn against us, how can we live in peace?" "Hong Kong is only a small and primitive island" "To the great Qing Dynasty, it is no more than a drop in the ocean" "Your Majesty, if we can exchange Hong Kong for internal peace and stability, it will be a fortunate case for the Qing Dynasty" "Your Majesty, Since the founding of the Qing Dynasty two hundred years ago, we have expanded our territory even as far as Tianshan mountain, but never surrendered our country's sovereign rights under humiliating terms like these" "Once we cede Hong Kong and set a precedent, there will be more adverse consequences to follow" "We'll all be traitors by then and Your Majesty will become the sovereign of troubled times" "How dare you!" "Your Majesty, if Hong Kong is granted to the foreigners," "I'll kill myself right in front of you" "I'm fully aware of the danger in seeking peace" "However, I'm also fully aware of the harm in declaring war" "I've decide to assemble forces from all the provincial armies to fight against the foreigners" "Hurry up!" "Get ready the cannons!" "The teeth is an extension of my skeleton" "The skin and hair are the surface of my flesh and blood" "As my flesh, blood and skeleton are given by my parents," "I would like you to take them back to my home town and bury them in my ancestral grave" "Ah Shan, you have been with me for more than 40 years and saved my life twice in the battle" "I will pay a debt of gratitude for your great kindness in my next life" "Now, I merely beg that you leave me forever" "Do you want me to kneel down?" "These are my life savings and listen, you guys" "If your cannon hits the British ship once, you'll get 50 taels of silver as a reward" "If your cannon sinks a ship, you'll get a box of silver!" "Let's fight to the death!" "Let's fight the enemy for a reward" "Fire!" "Commander" "Commander" "I'm surprised that you have the nerve to see me again" "Commander, I, Han, have disappointed the Qing Dyanasty and let the people down I deserve death!" "But I've served in the army for all my life" "Commander, the British troops are invading our country" "I beg you to let me... die on the fort" "All right, you may die on the fort" "This time next year will be the anniversary of your death" "Thank you Commander" "You must die a heroic death!" "Without guns, without..." "I don't understand why they continue to fight" "I do" "The Chinese believe in devoting their lives to justice" "It's a belief that could destroy any warships" "What's wrong with your cannon?" "Commander, our cannons cannot reach the British warships" "Bitch!" "I am indebted to Your Majesty for the imperial edict, and I must obey the orders of Your Majesty," "I beg Your Majesty to grant me the opportunity, of redeeming my crimes by fighting like a soldier against the enemy" "I will devote my life, to the country" "General Guan, the great Qing Empire depends on you" "Master..." "Master" "Why are you back?" "Master, your things have been placed in the ancestral shrine" "I'm here to take your body back" "All right, Ah Shan, today I'll die with a grievance" "The strongest fort we have has been destroyed within only ten hours" "Why does God let me be defeated in such a disastrous... and hopeless way!" "My heart is bleeding!" "Master!" "Surrender!" "Come on!" "Qishan has deceived His Majesty by betraying the country and surrendered our country's sovereign rights by ceding its territory" "So, Qishan should be removed immediately from... the post of the imperial commissioner and that of the Viceroy of Zhili and sent under escort to Beijing for capital punishment" "Lin Zexu has done harm to the country with his false report and stirred up a military conflict," "So Lin Zexu should be banished immediately to Xinjiang" "Thank His Majesty for his kindness" "Be well, your Excellency" "Guangdong depends on you all" "All right, all right" "All right, please go" "Be well, Your Excellency" "Ah, it's Qi Shan, isn't it?" "Lin, you and I have both suffered a crushing defeat" "You, however are honoured and will perhaps go down in history" "But I..." "I have ended up in shame and ruin, and will take the blame forever" "Since I came to Guangzhou," "I have never thought of myself" "I fear that the Chinese are... being thrown into a long dark night and have nowhere to turn for help" "Heaven only knows the Qing Dynasty is difficult to save!" "Lin Sheng" "I have no chance to see the Emperor in this life" "But you will," "If you see... the Emperor again," "You must give this to the Emperor for me" "Please tell him" "There are so many powerful nations in the world" "Our Qing Dynasty could no longer be... out of touch with reality" "Your Excellency, Please" "Take care of yourself" "From Humen, and Sanyuanli to Dinghai Ningbo and Zhenjiang, the Chinese army and people resisted the British troops heroically but their effort failed because of a corrupt government and military inferiority" "The treaty of Nanjing was signed between China and Britain on August 29, 1842"