The six-dimensional pictures of emperors of all dynasties were exposed, and the ancestors panicked

Chapter 753: Destroying Opium at Humen!
On the canopy.

As Huang Juezi and the other twenty-nine memorials slowly unfolded.

The anti-smoking campaign in the Qing Dynasty spread across the country like wildfire.

……

[From July of the 1838th year of Daoguang’s reign to January of the 9th year (September 1839 to March 3), Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Henan, Shanxi, Shengjing, Zhili and other provinces reported the seizure of opium, the convicts of opium smoking and the eradication of poppy seedlings.]

[More than 4,700 opium pipes were confiscated in Hunan and Hubei in a short period of time, and more than 131,000 taels of opium were seized in Dagukou at one time.]

【On October 1838, the 12th year of Daoguang’s reign (December 12, ), the Guangzhou local authorities decided to execute a Chinese opium criminal in a square near the foreign residences where foreign merchants lived.】

【Thugs from Britain, the United States and other countries brutally interfered and destroyed the execution ground.】

[Upon hearing the news, the people immediately rushed in from all directions. In a short time, tens of thousands of people gathered without any prior arrangement, occupied the square, surrounded the foreign-style building, and used bricks, tiles and stones to fight back against the attacks of the foreign thugs.]

……

Big man.

"E'er, do you think it looks like the old days..."

Liu Bang pointed at the excited crowd in the sky and sighed:

"It's clear that their anger has been pent up for a long time."

"Just like how the people of the world resented Qin's laws."

Lu Zhi looked at the memorials one by one.

At this time, little Liu Heng, who had been silent with Liu Ying for a long time, suddenly said:

"Looking at Huang Juezi's 29 memorials, it is not difficult to see that there is a big problem in them, which is that Britain is basically not mentioned."

Liu Bang pulled himself away from his thoughts and looked at the memorials again.

Lu Zhi raised her eyebrows slightly and looked at the two princes.

He glanced at Liu Ying's innocent face.

Looking at the serious expressions of the young children, an indescribable sigh arose in my heart.

If he were my son...

Little Liu Heng sat upright and continued:

"Huang Juezhi said: The opium entering China now comes from countries like England. Those countries have laws that punish those who consume opium with death, so there are only people who make opium in those countries, but no one who consumes it."

"This person's intention is clearly to use British law to prove the correctness of his point of view."

"Then..."

Little Liu Heng stretched out his finger, pointed, and read:
"Only Liang Zhangju, the governor of Guangxi, and Lin Qing, the governor-general of Nanhe, mentioned Britain."

"But it was only a refutation of Huang Juezi's statement, believing that the harsh foreign methods were not worth imitating."

"Apart from these three places, the word Britain does not appear anywhere else."

Liu Bang never finished reading those long and boring memorials, but he did finish reading them.

He looked at little Liu Heng and clicked his tongue.

"You are still so young... don't use your brain so much! Premature intelligence is not good."

However, the people in the hall did not expect that Liu Bang's first words were to express his concern for the health of little Liu Heng.

Liu Bang stroked his beard and ignored the expressions of these people.

And said:

"I understand what you said..."

"Indeed, the original intention of banning smoking is to ban the import of cigarettes from countries such as the UK."

"However, officials from all regions did not mention the possible response of Britain to this matter in their memorials."

"This shows that the Qing dynasty had not yet linked the ban on opium with Sino-British relations."

"Combined with the macroscopic cycle of the sky..."

"They are still ignorant of the situation of opium smuggling and ignorant of the affairs of other countries in the world."

"...Really...I've been in the Celestial Empire for so long that my brain has become dull..."

Liu Bang thought back to the time when many countries existed.

Who wouldn’t be crazy about trying to find out the background of other families?
Is this so difficult to imagine?

Lu Zhi sneered and said:

"How many years has the Han Dynasty been the co-leader?"

"How many years has the emperor's throne only been around?"

"And the idea of ​​the Celestial Empire that has arisen from successive dynasties is also lofty and superior, isn't it?"

"The Celestial Empire disdains to ask about the affairs of foreigners, and the Celestial Empire's officials naturally have no need to understand the feelings of the British."

"They did not mention Britain in their memorials because in their minds they put all foreigners at the same level."

"Liu Ji, do you believe it?"

"Even if the sky rips this scene apart alive, there will still be emperors who hold on to this idea and cling to the incompleteness."

Liu Bang was silent for a moment, and after a moment, he murmured:

“Is this… the background of the times?”

……

【Driven by the widespread anti-smoking struggle, Emperor Daoguang strengthened his confidence in banning smoking. 】

[In September of the 1838th year of Emperor Daoguang’s reign (October 10), Emperor Daoguang ordered all provinces to seriously ban opium. He demoted Xu Naiji, who was the first to petition for the relaxation of the ban, and ordered him to retire, expressing his “deep hatred for the spread of opium and his determination to completely eradicate it and prevent it from causing further harm.”]

[He then ordered the Governor-General of Huguang, Lin Zexu, to come to Beijing for an audience with the Emperor, and granted him the right to ride a horse and a sedan chair in the Forbidden City. He was summoned eight times in eight days.]

[On November 12 (December 31) of the th year of Daoguang's reign, Lin was appointed as the Imperial Commissioner to control the Guangdong Navy and go to Guangdong to investigate and deal with the ban on opium.]

……

On the canopy.

The weather in Beijing is sunny.

In the courtyard with blue bricks and red tiles.

An official wearing a yellow jacket and a red feather on his hat, facing the imperial desk and the imperial edict, burned incense and bowed nine times.

Green smoke curls up.

The officer turned away.

The strands of black hair fluttered in the wind.

The majestic passing of cards leads the way forward.

The long line marched towards Zhangyi Gate.

……

【Lin Zexu, also known by his courtesy name Yuanfu and Shaomu, was a native of Houguan (Fuzhou), Fujian.】

【In the 1811th year of Jiaqing (), he passed the imperial examination and entered the Hanlin Academy. 】

[After the disbandment of the academy, he worked as an editor in the National History Museum, the Book Museum, and the Qingmi Hall, and also served as an imperial censor.]

[In the 1820th year of Jiaqing's reign (), two months before his death, Emperor Jiaqing was appointed governor of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou in Zhejiang. He rose rapidly in the future.]

[Although he had to mourn twice due to the death of his parents, he was immediately appointed to a vacant position after returning to office, and served as an inspector, governor, and governor of He, and later as a circuit commissioner of Zhejiang and governor of Jiangsu.]

【On the 1837th day of the first month of the 2th year of Daoguang's reign (February 26, ), he was appointed Governor-General of Huguang.】

[During this term, he acted vigorously and vigorously, setting up anti-smoking bureaus in Wuchang, Hankou and other places, and issued a large-scale notice to strictly prohibit opium. He also donated his salary to prepare anti-smoking pills and distributed them widely.]

[Supervise and lead subordinates to confiscate opium, opium paste, opium guns, and opium pipes. ]

[In a short period of time, more than 12,000 taels of opium and opium paste were seized and confiscated in the three towns of Wuhan, and more than 2,000 pipes and tobacco pipes were confiscated in Hunan. More than 2,300 pipes and tobacco pipes were confiscated in Hunan. The ban on smoking has achieved remarkable results.]

[He supported Huang Juezi's proposal and pointed out bitterly that opium "has spread throughout the world and caused great harm, so the law should be strictly enforced. If we continue to ignore it, in a few decades, the Central Plains will have almost no soldiers to defend against the enemy, and no silver to pay for military pay."]

【This statement has a significant impact on the ban on smoking. 】

……

{Since ancient times, we have had people who work hard, people who work hard, people who plead for the people, and people who sacrifice their lives for the law... Even the so-called "official history" that is equivalent to writing genealogies for emperors and generals often cannot cover up their glory. This is the backbone of China.}
……

Ji Han.

Liu Bei glanced at the officials in the skylight, and then looked at Cao Cao.

Zhuge Liang glanced at the officials in the skylight, and then looked at Cao Cao.

Everyone was looking at the sky and at Cao Cao.

Cao Cao:......

"cough……"

Liu Bei cleared his throat and said meaningfully:

"That's a good point..."

"As a candidate who can get the emperor, Manchu officials, and Han officials to agree to preside over the ban on opium."

"Then this person must be a civil official who is fair and honest, conscientious in his work, has a certain status, and can break the old customs of the officialdom and revive the decline and revive the corruption."

Zhuge Liang on the side also said:
"My lord, you are right. He is definitely not a military commander who can lead three armies to fight against foreign barbarians."

"He is not a strategist who negotiates with foreigners."

Cao Cao glanced at the two sarcastic people and retaliated in the same way.

"Yes, but the biggest obstacle to banning opium is the bribery that is rampant in the opium trade and the covert resistance of corrupt officials that it causes."

"The UK's obstruction is the real ultimate obstacle to banning smoking."

"Be an honest official and do your work conscientiously..."

"If you start in the wrong direction, all your efforts will be in vain."

“What needs to be broken must be broken, and what needs to be built must be built.”

"Legal correctness seems so weak compared to might."

Liu Bei and Cao Cao began to look at each other.

……

Tang Xuanzong Period
Yang Yuhuan was stuffing herself with fruit when she suddenly felt very quiet.

She turned her head and saw Li Longji touching his chin, thinking about something.

According to her understanding, the emperor was silent and must be up to something!

Blinked, and said nervously:

"Sanlang...you don't want to..."

Li Longji glanced at her and said unhappily:

"What kind of image do I have in your mind now?"

Yang Yuhuan smiled awkwardly.

Li Longji said:

"I was just wondering how to block this news..."

"Fortunately... according to General Gao, people outside Chang'an can't see this thing... otherwise..."

The only people Li Longji could trust were the local rich men from all over the country.

There is nothing they dare not do...

The military might of the Tang Dynasty is still there, so it would not resort to such harmful and uncontrollable things.

"Opium... it's better to completely eradicate it."

……During the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty
In the courtyard, an old official in purple robes bowed and said:
"No need for it! Are we just going to watch what happens next?"

Zhao Zhen rubbed his swollen forehead.

Since the lifting and strict prohibition of opium, the ministers have had two completely different voices.

One is total destruction.

Another is dumping...

"What nonsense!"

Another purple-robed minister started to rant:

"Things like these are harmful to the country and the people, hurting others and yourself! If they flow back, the consequences will be disastrous!"

"How can you guarantee that the Song Dynasty will not follow in the footsteps of the Qing Dynasty?!"

The purple-robed official who spoke first also turned around and said sarcastically:
"Then may I ask if Mr. Han wants to change the ancestral system?"

"Why can't the Song Dynasty defeat Northern Liao and Western Xia?"

"Don't you know it now?"

"If we don't use any tricks now, won't we just sit there and wait for the aftermath to happen?"

"Can this matter be changed by changing officials?!"

"How did Di Qing die later? Don't you know?"

The ministers were in an uproar!

Now they understood.

The old man Pang Ji's knife is aimed at them!

The more Zhao Zhen listened, the more headache he felt.

Pang Ji pushed things to an extreme.

It's either this or that, there are no other options.

Or you can use tricks and bet that the Song Dynasty will not be like the Qing Dynasty.

If we don't use Yang's approach, we should directly reform the ancestral system, otherwise the Song Dynasty will repeat the same mistakes.

Take your pick.

……

[On the 1839th day of the first lunar month in the 3th year of Daoguang’s reign (March 10, ), Lin Zexu arrived in Guangzhou.]

[He took anti-smoking measures with the support of Deng Tingzhen, the Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, and Guan Tianpei, the Admiral of the Guangdong Navy.]

[First, they conducted open and secret investigations to get the inside story of opium trafficking and smoking, and sent people to spy on Western affairs, translate Western books, and buy their newspapers to gain a deep understanding of the Western situation.]

On the fourth day of the second month (March 3), Lin Zexu ordered merchants to convey a message to foreign merchants: they must hand over all opium within three days and sign a pledge stating that "no future ships will dare to smuggle opium. If anyone brings opium, once discovered, the goods will be confiscated and the person will be executed. I am willing to plead guilty."

……

Great Sui.

"Alas..."

Yang Jian slapped his forehead and suddenly said:
"I forgot about this!"

"No wonder they didn't go directly to the British, but went to the merchants instead!"

Dugu Jialuo sat on the mat, rocking the cradle, and sneered:

"Trading merchants, cut off the channels of contact between foreigners and ordinary Chinese people, to prevent them from colluding with foreign countries."

"It can also preserve the dignity of the Celestial Empire, and officials can avoid having to stoop so low as to come into contact with the barbarians."

“That’s a good idea.”

But there is no doubt that such monopoly trade preferences can make merchants rich and become the richest group.

However, they also have to bear corresponding obligations.

Since every foreign merchant can only obtain a red card to enter Guangzhou after the merchant guarantees his tariffs and character.

If a foreign businessman evades taxes or engages in misconduct, of course the businessmen themselves should be held accountable.

……

[According to Lin Zexu's deployment, Guangzhou Customs stopped issuing red cards to foreign merchants to leave Guangzhou, and some soldiers also secretly patrolled near the trading houses where foreign merchants lived to guard against them.]

【Three days passed. The foreign merchants did not obey the order.】

[On the seventh day of the second month (March 3), Lin Zexu announced through the merchants that he would go to the merchants' guild the next day and execute one or two merchants. As a result, the foreign merchants agreed to hand over 21 boxes of opium.]

[On the eighth day of the first lunar month (March 3), Lin Zexu ordered the interrogation of the big opium merchant Dent, but to no avail.]

[On the tenth day (March 3), Lin Zexu issued an order: suspend all Sino-foreign trade, blockade the trading houses, withdraw servants, and cut off supplies.]

[They turned the approximately 66,000 square meters of the commercial district in the southwest corner of Guangzhou into a large detention center, and imprisoned approximately 350 foreign businessmen there.]

……

Ming Dynasty Yongle Period
Zhu Di admired Lin Zexu's decisive and swift style.

"These foreign devils won't cry until they see the coffin!"

Empress Xu saw another side.

“This shows that local officials are rotten to the core.”

"At first, these foreign businessmen probably thought that Lin Zexu was here to seek bribes."

Zhu Di thought about it and thought about the Qing Dynasty's administration...

I can’t say it’s very likely, I can only say that I definitely think so.

"It's not easy to be in solitary confinement."

"But it's just scabies after all."

“The source is still there.”

……

【On February 3 (March 27), the British Superintendent of Trade in China, Elliot, who ventured into the trading post, expressed his surrender.】

[In the name of the British government, he advised British merchants to hand over the opium to him, who would then hand it over to the Qing court.]

[On February 3 (March 28), Elliot "respectfully reported to the Imperial Commissioner" and stated that "in accordance with the special order of the Imperial Commissioner", he handed over boxes of opium! ]

【After Lin Zexu received the news, he began to resume supply to the commercial district the next day.】

[On February 4 (April 12), when Lin Zexu received the first batch of opium, he allowed the servants to return to the trading post to work.]

[On March 5 (May 2), when Lin Zexu determined that the opium surrender work could be completed as scheduled, he lifted the blockade of the trading houses and allowed all foreigners to leave Guangzhou except for major opium dealers including Dent.]

[After that, opium ships from Fujian, Nan'ao and other places arrived at Humen Gate to surrender their opium.]

[Among them, three ships coming from Nan'ao delivered a total of 1,067 boxes and 510 bags of opium.]

【The three ships that came from Fujian delivered a total of 2,204 boxes and 57 bags of opium.】

【On the sixth day of April (May 5), the work of confiscating opium was finally completed.】

[On the same day, Lin Zexu and others reported to Emperor Daoguang that the total amount of opium collected from foreigners was 19,187 boxes and 2,119 bags. Compared with the original number of 20,283 boxes that Elliot reported, there were 1,000 bags and more collected in excess.]

[On the tenth day of April (May 5), when the opium surrender work was completed, Lin Zexu asked the 22 detained opium merchants to sign a pledge to guarantee that they would not come to China in the future. At Elliot's suggestion, Dent and others all signed the pledge.]

【On April 5 (May 24), Elliot and the last group of foreign merchants left Guangzhou.】

……

On the canopy.

On Humen.

A ceremonial platform covered with a kirin tent and red felt was set up.

A long yellow silk banner was hung in front of the platform, fluttering in the wind, majestic and magnificent.

"The Imperial Commissioner was ordered to investigate the affairs of Guangdong Haikou and control the water and land camps. The Governor's Office Tang Lin"

The sun is high in the sky.

People came from all directions to watch, and there were huge crowds of people in front and behind the mountains.

Two pools, each fifteen meters long and wide, were dug high on the beach.

The bottom of the pool is paved with stone slabs, and there is a culvert on one side of the pool.

Next to the pool were piles of lime, salt bags and more than 20,000 boxes of opium.

Hundreds of soldiers were standing around the pool holding baskets of lime and knives and hammers for opening boxes.

Lin Zexu stood on the podium.

He looked into the distance.

The harbor was filled with blue waves, and dozens of warships were lined up in a straight line.

The Qing Dynasty dragon flag hung on the tip of the mast fluttered in the wind.

"By order... Gunsmoke!"

The local officials and soldiers who were also watching the ceremony behind him shouted in unison:

"Gunfire by order!"

The voice gradually spread.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The booming salutes rang out!
Some soldiers brought water from the ditch at the back into the opium-burning pool and sprinkled salt into it, turning the water into brine.

Some soldiers opened the boxes to take out the opium, cut each piece into four pieces and threw them into the pool.

The opium was soaked in salt water and then added with lime.

In an instant, the pool began to boil, and a large amount of thick smoke rose upwards, while some debris sank.

Thick smoke billowed up over Humen Beach.

……

[On February 4 (April 12), when Lin Zexu reported to Emperor Daoguang that foreign merchants were willing to hand over all their opium, he suggested: "It is a novelty that the foreigners have handed over such a large amount of opium. We should send civil and military officials to bring the original boxes to Beijing for inspection and then burn them to verify the facts."]

【On March 5 (May 2), Emperor Daoguang issued an edict expressing his agreement.】

【On March 5 (May 8), Deng Ying, the Censor-in-Chief of Zhejiang Province, submitted a memorial, arguing that the confiscated opium should be destroyed on the spot and should not be sent to the capital.】

[Because the amount of opium confiscated this time was too large, and the cost of boats, carriages, and labor was too great, it was not worth wasting the country's useful money on useless things.]

[Moreover, this item is easy to smuggle, and transporting it over long distances will cause many problems. After arriving in Beijing, even if an official is inspected, he can only check the quantity but cannot tell whether it is genuine.]

Therefore, he suggested that Emperor Daoguang ask Lin Zexu and others to "not send the seized opium to Beijing, but once it is confiscated, supervise the officers and soldiers there to check and destroy it publicly, so as to save the trouble of transportation. The sooner it is destroyed, the more trouble it can avoid."

[“And if the coastal residents and the barbarians can see the destruction with their own eyes, they will all understand the sage emperor’s sincere intention to eradicate all evil, and they will be more frightened and subdued, and will not dare to have their old ways again.”]

【Daoguang accepted his suggestion and issued an order to Lin Zexu and others the next day.】

【April 1839, the 6th year of Daoguang’s reign (June 3, )】

[The destruction of opium at Humen, which shocked China and the world, began. 】

[From April 6 to May 3 (June 23-)]

[After deducting the weight of boxes and bags, the total weight of tobacco sold was 2,376,254 kilograms.]

[There are four types of opium: Gongban, Baitu, Jinhua, and Xiaogongban.]

【Lin Zexu petitioned Emperor Daoguang to keep two boxes of each type, a total of eight boxes, and suggested that they be sent to Beijing as samples to be used as reference for comparison when the provinces seized opium.】

【During this period, Lin Zexu issued a notice to allow local civil and military officials, people from near and far, and foreign businessmen and missionaries to come and watch the destruction of opium.】

【There were so many people watching, all of them were filled with awe and awe. 】

[After the destruction of opium at Humen, Lin Zexu returned to Guangzhou on May 6 (June 25).]

(End of this chapter)