1848 Great Qing Charcoal Burners

Chapter 342 We've opened up the mainland market!
The incident of British Indian soldiers sexually assaulting women washing clothes in Wuchang occurred in Jiangxia County. After learning that Peng Gang had taken a hard line against British Consul Alcock, the first meeting between the two sides made little progress.

Guo Kuntao, the magistrate of Jiangxia County, was very anxious.

As the local official in charge, after this incident, more and more local intellectuals and scholars joined together to put pressure on Guo Kuntao, and the pressure on Guo Kuntao also increased.

The literati and scholars of Jiangxia County, and even the neighboring Hanyang County, had always opposed the opening of Hankou as a treaty port, the introduction of foreign firms and merchants into Hankou, and the permission for Western countries to set up consulates in Wuchang.

In the past, when nothing major happened, these scholars and literati could find no fault with them, and they had plenty of energy but nowhere to use it.

Now that such a thing has happened, these scholars and literati have seized the opportunity and are eager to make a big fuss to prevent the opening of Hankou as a treaty port.

Peng Gang's wedding ceremony this year will be held on September 15th.

It is now the third day of the eighth lunar month, and more and more scholars from other places who intend to participate in the scientific expedition will arrive in Wuchang in the near future.

Guo Kuntao was worried that if the incident of British and Indian soldiers sexually assaulting women washing clothes in Wuchang was not resolved quickly, it would affect the scientific expedition.

Guo Kuntao, his face full of worry, came to the Northern Prince's residence to see Peng Gang and expressed his concerns: "Your Highness, the British are always arrogant, wanting both substance and face. Your Highness has also said that Aleksandar is a professional diplomat and difficult to deal with. Asking him to hand over the soldiers who caused the incident for our trial will probably not yield results in the short term."

His Highness granted Aleksandar two days, but I fear that if he resolutely refuses after two days, the situation will be difficult to salvage. The imperial examination is imminent; if this matter cannot be resolved quickly to quell public anger, it will affect the examination itself.

With Western consulates located under its jurisdiction, the opening of Hankou as a treaty port was a foregone conclusion.

As the magistrate of Jiangxia County, the first county in Hubei Province, Guo Kuntao was highly regarded by the British, French and American missions, who frequently invited him to their gatherings.

Westernization was an important matter that the Northern Palace would not be able to avoid in the future. Although Guo Kuntao disliked foreigners, he still accepted their invitations to attend several gatherings.

Through these interactions, Guo Kuntao gained a general understanding of the personalities and needs of the personnel in the British, French, and American missions.

Compared to the members of the French and American missions, the members of the British mission, especially Consul Alcock, were the most assertive, arrogant, and difficult to talk to.

As Peng Gang perused the completed Standard Codebook, he said, “Magistrate Guo’s concerns are not without merit. Alighieri will certainly not agree easily.”

But in the eyes of the English, those Indians were nothing more than servants, not true subjects. They would calculate the enormous commercial losses incurred for the lives of a few servants.

Alcock, as a career diplomat, was indeed difficult to deal with. But those merchants, such as Martin Luther King Jr. of Jardine Matheson and the so-called business representatives of the Bao Shun Trading Company, were only concerned with selling goods to the interior as quickly as possible and purchasing tea and raw silk from the interior to ship out. France and America had already established preliminary cooperation channels with us. Alcock could sit still, but Martin Luther King Jr. and the business representatives of those British trading companies could not.”

"Does Your Highness mean to utilize the resources of merchants within the British community to resolve this matter as soon as possible?" Guo Kuntao pondered for a moment before asking.

"Since ancient times, merchants have not competed with officials. It is a great taboo for merchants to interfere in politics. Do British merchants have such great power?"

"This is a major taboo for us. England is a nation built on industry and commerce, and their merchants have far greater influence than ours," Peng Gang said, putting down the "Standard Telegraph Book" from his book.

"The internal and external pressures Alcock is currently under are greater than we realize. I have already informed the consuls and ministers of France and the United States to meet with Alcock. There are also thousands of angry Wuchang residents surrounding the Hanyangmen Wharf."

We don't need to directly pressure Al-Aqsa; we just need to let Madison and his men put some pressure on Al-Aqsa and help them face reality.

Try to contact Matthias and his group privately. Don't bring up personal matters; just discuss business. You can hint that if the British delegation shows sufficient sincerity, the vast markets in the interior, especially in Hubei and Hunan, are open to them. They could be offered tea and raw silk trade orders, or even the opportunity to purchase cotton cloth from them.

Let them weigh the options themselves: whether to keep three insignificant Madras Indian soldiers or embrace countless riches.

Although Aleksander was a consul and representative of the mission.

However, Matthias and others held a relatively high position within the mission.

The British capital behind Jardine Matheson and Jardine Matheson & Co. was the renowned Barings Bank, hailed as the sixth largest power in Europe.

Barings Bank financed the British suppression of the American Revolutionary War and the anti-French coalition. It also financed the Louisiana Purchase and served as the lead underwriter for British government bonds.

In the mid-19th century, Barings Bank was at its peak, possessing millions of pounds in assets and being one of the world's leading banks with immense strength.

The Bahrain family was at the height of its power, with its members not only receiving numerous noble titles but also holding important positions such as ambassador to the United States and governor-general of India.

The Baring family not only spearheaded the establishment of the Dindt & Co. trading company, but were also the political patrons of Jardine Matheson & Co.

This family was one of the main driving forces behind instigating the First Opium War and opening up the Chinese market.

Ultimately, Madison and others were working for the Bahrain family, and their status and influence were no lower than that of Aleksandr, who held a formal consular position.

In other words, Aleksandr could not ignore the demands of Matthias and others.

Peng Gang originally planned to send Tang Zhengcai to the Hanyangmen Wharf to make contact with Ma Dichen and others.

Since Guo Kuntao has come, and he also hopes to resolve this matter properly as soon as possible, it wouldn't hurt to have him make a trip.

As Peng Gang had expected, in the eyes of Madison and others, the life or death of the three soldiers from the Madras colony of India was insignificant in the face of the vast inland market and huge trade profits.

If negotiations can be restarted and equal diplomatic and commercial status with France and the United States in Wuchang and Hankou can be achieved, sacrificing them is not a problem.

As for banning the opium trade, this condition could be temporarily set aside in the view of Matthias and others. They could first open up the inland market and prevent France and America from monopolizing it.

After all, when British merchants first arrived at the port of Guangzhou, they were doing legitimate business.

Peng Gang is not the first person to ban smoking on this land, nor will he be the last.

Lin Zexu's anti-opium campaign in Guangzhou was quite a grand affair, yet the opium trade continues as before.

As long as we open up the inland market first, there is still a chance.

Madison and others did not believe that Peng Gang would maintain such a resolute attitude towards the opium trade for years, even decades.

Despite the efforts of Madison and others to bolster the Al-Aqsa community and facilitate the resumption of diplomatic and trade negotiations.

However, the British trading representatives, including Matthias, who were extremely greedy, still made a request: they hoped that Peng Gang could provide them with a trade order for 50,000 dan of black tea, to be delivered within one year, and at a price comparable to that of Russell & Co., as a precondition for them to put pressure on Alec Sussex to properly resolve the incident of British Indian soldiers raping women washing clothes in Wuchang.

Both sides in the tea trade can benefit. Even if the price of tea paid to British trading companies is the same as that paid to Russell & Co., there is still a large profit margin.

Peng Gang was naturally happy to sign a tea order.

However, the order for 50,000 dan of tea also required that all of it be black tea and that delivery be completed within one year.

The sheer size of Matthias and his associates' appetite truly astonished Peng Gang; the total volume of all the tea orders he had signed with French and American trading companies did not even reach that amount.

Even if such unrealistic orders were signed, they could not be fulfilled on time. After all, Peng Gang had already signed tea orders with French and American trading companies, and he had to prioritize meeting the needs of these companies, especially those he had already invested in, such as Liming Trading Company and Russell & Co.

After learning about the tea market situation in Hankou from Peng Yi, Peng Gang asked Guo Kuntao to make another trip and reply to Matthias that he could provide an order for 50,000 dan of black tea to several British-owned trading companies, but the delivery time would be extended from one year to four years, otherwise he would be powerless to help.

Having gained tangible benefits, the heads of the British trading companies finally began to exert their influence, venting their anxieties and discontent on Alcock.

The extremely tormented Ali locked himself in his office, repeatedly weighing the pros and cons.

If they insist on not handing over personnel, the idea of ​​restarting diplomatic and trade negotiations will inevitably fall apart, England will be excluded from the Hubei and Hunan markets, and France and the United States will definitely benefit.

Not only were the British business representatives accompanying the mission dissatisfied, but they also had no way to explain themselves to the merchants in the open ports after returning to Shanghai.

Not only will her consular position be in jeopardy, but she may also face a military standoff with Peng Gang. Currently, she is engaged in direct military friction with Peng Gang in the inland region, with little chance of victory and no external support, making it extremely difficult for her to emerge unscathed.

Handing over the detainees would violate the principle of consular jurisdiction and draw criticism from some hardliners. However, it could immediately secure the resumption of negotiations, open up the huge inland market, meet the needs of the business community, and solidify his own position in China.

As for the three colonial soldiers from Madras, India, it wouldn't matter as long as Peng Gang didn't emphasize their status as English employees, but instead handed them over to him as Indian soldiers. This would at least save face and preserve the reputation of the English in the inland market.

With the two-day deadline set by Peng Gang fast approaching, and facing pressure from all sides as well as considering his own career prospects, Ali Guo finally disembarked from the Lily Pavilion and, escorted by the Northern Palace's holy soldiers, went to the Northern King's Mansion to meet Peng Gang.

Upon entering the main hall of the Northern King's Palace, Aleksandr al-Alias ​​composed himself, prepared his speech, and began, "Your Highness, I deeply regret the actions of the three Indian soldiers who committed the offense. Although they were employed by the mission, their behavior completely deviated from Her Majesty's instructions and civilized norms. I have dismissed them, and they are no longer members of our English mission."

Aleksandr deliberately emphasized the Indian nationality of the three soldiers from the Madras colony, intentionally downplaying their status as English employees, and observed Peng Gang's reaction.

Peng Gang immediately understood Aleksander's intentions: to hand over the perpetrators to quell the incident while preserving the face of the British Empire, so that upon returning, the matter could be characterized as the misconduct of an individual Indian and to distance himself from the issue as much as possible.

Peng Gang wanted to give the people under his jurisdiction an explanation and quell their anger.

The decree was proclaimed to the people under its rule that foreigners who broke the law would be punished equally, without any favoritism.

As to whether these people were English or Indian, the vast majority of the public had no idea; they only needed to see the foreigners who had committed crimes brought to justice.

"The Consul of Aliza is quite sensible." Since both sides had given him a way out, Peng Gang took the opportunity and properly resolved the matter.

"Under my rule, no matter where they come from or what their skin color is, once they break the law, they will be punished according to the law. As for their specific nationality, it is only a matter of impartiality and is not of great importance."

Peng Gang then asked Guo Kuntao to discuss the issue of compensation for the victims with Ali Guo, giving Guo Kuntao an opportunity to demonstrate his abilities.

Under Peng Gang's guidance, Guo Kuntao initially offered a very high price, stating that in order to ensure their safety, a large number of soldiers from Wuchang had been transferred, resulting in high expenses.

In addition to paying 3,000 taels of silver to the families of each woman who committed suicide after being humiliated, and 1,500 taels of silver to the women who were harassed, the British also had to pay 20,000 taels of silver as expenses for ensuring the safety of their British mission members over the past two days.

This compensation, which Guo Kuntao considered outrageous, was not even a fraction of the 497,000 taels of silver paid for the Tianjin Massacre eighteen years later in another timeline.

Such a high amount of compensation is certainly unacceptable to the country of Algeria.

After some haggling, the two sides finally agreed on a compensation amount of 300 taels of silver for each family member of the woman who committed suicide after being humiliated, 150 taels of silver for the woman who was harassed, and 3,000 taels of silver to be paid to Wuchang as a token of gratitude for the security provided to the members of the British mission over the past two days.

Even if Aleksandar wanted to settle the matter peacefully, he dared not pay the money in an official capacity, otherwise his political career would be over.

Aleksandr stated that he could only pay the money in the name of his personal sympathy for the victims and his appreciation for the hard work of the North Temple soldiers who had ensured the safety of the British mission members over the past two days.

Guo Kuntao was truly amazed by the low moral standards and shamelessness of the Al-Guo Kingdom.

Guo Kuntao never expected that under these circumstances, Aliguo could still portray himself as a generous philanthropist.

Guo Kuntao did not dare to make a decision on his own and asked Peng Gang whether he should accept the result. If not, he could talk to Ali again.

Peng Gang knew that with his current strength, it would be extremely difficult to get the British to pay compensation in an official capacity.

This is the best result he can achieve at the moment.

Even the "charitable donations" made by Aleksandar in his personal name amounted to a real sum of 3,750 taels of silver.

Furthermore, whether this money is a donation or compensation does not depend on Aleksandar's wishful thinking, but on the opinions of the people of Wuhan.

No one would be foolish enough to believe that the foreign consul was being generous and would just give away 3,750 taels of silver.

After handing over the three troublesome Indian soldiers from the Madras colony, Aleksandar eagerly presented a draft treaty he had prepared beforehand to negotiate a trade treaty with Peng Gang and to discuss matters such as establishing a consulate in Wuchang.

Since the two sides had been in contact for several months, they had a psychological expectation of each other's bottom lines.

The two equal treaties, the "Hankou Trade Regulations" and the "Agreement on the Establishment of the British Consulate in Wuchang," were quickly signed.

After signing the treaty, a relieved Aleksandr beamed and personally carried the briefcase containing the two copies of the treaty to the Hanyangmen Wharf.

At the cost of three soldiers from the Indian colony of Madras and his personal contribution of 3,750 taels of silver, the British Empire finally gained access to Hankou, the gateway to the inland market it had long dreamed of. Hankou was officially opened to British merchants, who were allowed to reside, trade, and set up warehouses there. They were also permitted to establish a permanent consulate in Wuchang. This was a major breakthrough.

Despite his complete failure in the opium trade, Alcock considered himself to have achieved a breakthrough victory in legitimate trade.

Aleksandr stepped lightly onto the deck of the Lily, where the mission representatives, merchant members, and officers were already waiting and watching him.

Aleksandr straightened his tie, walked to the mainmast, cleared his throat, and raised copies of the two newly signed treaties to the crowd, proclaiming this diplomatic victory.

"Gentlemen, look at the treaty in my hand. Today, we have won an unprecedented future for the commerce of the British Empire! We have opened up the vast inland market of China, and will soon win it."

Although the Qing government opened five ports to trade after the signing of the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, the growth of British industrial exports to China was slow. With the support of the opium trade, it was not until ten years later that trade balance was barely achieved.

However, the trade surplus along the route exceeded five million pounds, meaning that the profits from trade with China were basically earned by opium dealers.

Aside from opium dealers, other English business groups, such as textile merchants, did not benefit much from the opening of the five treaty ports. They also hoped that China, the largest single market, would absorb their textiles in the same way it absorbed opium.

They were dissatisfied with the status quo of the five treaty ports, believing that the Chinese market was only open to the mainland, with ports limited to coastal areas, making it difficult for English goods to penetrate the inland regions. They were eager to open up markets in the Yangtze River basin and even North China.

In any case, the Alekseev mission did indeed accomplish its mission of opening up the market in the heart of the Yangtze River basin, which is something to be very happy about.

The mission representatives, members of the merchant corps, and naval officers cheered and celebrated this diplomatic victory.

(End of this chapter)