China by Edward Rutherfurd (historical books to read TXT) 📕

not. He is very angry with me. I have shamed him and my ancestors. He told me so.”

“You must not say such things.”

“But it is true, Teacher. It is true. And he was right.” Shi-Rong sank to his knees in shame and put his face in his hands.

For a long moment Mr. Wen was silent. “You will have to go home, you know. It is your duty. You cannot work for the marquis anymore, or for anyone, until the period of mourning is over.”

“I know,” said Shi-Rong.

“Perhaps it’s just as well,” said Mr. Wen. “It’ll keep you out of trouble.”

◦

Cecil Whiteparish had been standing on the waterfront at Macao on a quiet day in March in the year of Our Lord 1841, looking at the ships in the Roads, when no less a person than Captain Elliot came walking swiftly towards him, and to his surprise hailed him and declared, “My dear Mr. Whiteparish. The very man I was looking for. I need your services as an interpreter again.” Elliot paused. “How would you like to visit Canton?”

“Is it safe now?”

“The river is clear almost up to the factories at Canton, where I hope British trade will soon resume.”

Since the January day when Elliot’s squadron and its iron ship had smashed the Chinese forts at the top of the gulf, the British advance up the Pearl River had continued. The marquis had called for truces, but it was soon obvious that he was only playing for time, and Elliot pressed on regardless. Day after day, mile after mile, the British had destroyed every battery, rampart, and garrison. Chinese casualties had been large, British minimal.

“We missionaries act as your interpreters, Captain Elliot, because we’re loyal Englishmen. But since this whole business is to support the opium trade, as a man of God, I can’t pretend to like it.”

“And you know very well,” Elliot assured him, “that I hate it, too. But remember, the government’s true mission is much larger. We intend to coerce the Chinese to behave like a civilized country—open at least five ports, including Canton, to general trade, with British consuls in each port, perhaps an ambassador at the court. Englishmen will be able to live freely in those places. And there will be Christian churches there, for the Chinese as well. Your desires and mine are the same.”

“That is the end. But the opium trade is the means.”

“I’m afraid so, yes.”

“I must serve the government, I suppose,” Whiteparish said, “but I hope I shan’t be asked to do this again.” He sighed. “I regret the loss of life,” he said sadly.

“So do I,” said Elliot. “I was especially sad when that gallant old admiral Guan was killed at one of the forts we stormed. But I’m afraid that’s war.” He paused. “There’s been another casualty, of a kind. The marquis has lost the emperor’s confidence.”

“Demoted?”

“Carted off to Peking in chains, two days ago, under sentence of death. Lin saw him off, apparently. There’s irony for you.”

“Where does that leave negotiations?”

“The marquis ceded Hong Kong to us, evidently without the emperor’s authority. But we’ve occupied it, and we certainly won’t give it back. He also promised six million dollars for the lost opium—also probably without authority. But we’ll force the Chinese to give it to us, you may be sure.”

“The conflict’s not over, then.”

“Not quite.” Elliot nodded. “And that, my dear Mr. Whiteparish, is where Her Majesty’s Government needs you. I’m going on a secret expedition. I have a good pilot. You’ve met the fellow. They call him Nio. He gave us information about the gun batteries—entirely accurate, too. Now I need an interpreter.”

“I see.”

“There may be a little action, but nothing to worry about.” He smiled. “We’ll be on the Nemesis.”

—

They’d entered the great network of waterways that lay west of the gulf, a world of mudflats as far as the eye could see. The Nemesis, carrying a contingent of marines as well as its crew, and towing a couple of longboats astern, chugged its way northward through the watery landscape. Every so often, the channel forked confusingly, but their pilot never hesitated.

“Nio may be a rogue,” Elliot observed, “but he knows these waterways like the back of his hand.”

“The place seems empty,” Whiteparish remarked.

“According to Nio, it isn’t. As well as a town, there’s a lot of small forts up here. So I thought I’d better reduce them now. Once we’ve got control of the whole river, we don’t want trouble developing in the rear.”

—

When they reached the town, Elliot’s assertion that they had little to fear seemed to be borne out. This was no mere village. Whiteparish guessed the place might house thirty thousand souls. Archers on the bank loosed arrows at them, though most bounced off the ship’s iron sides. But two stout war junks barred their path. The moment the Nemesis opened fire with its guns, however, and surged towards them, they fled.

“They’ve never seen an iron warship before,” Elliot remarked with a chuckle.

“Iron dragon,” said Nio.

“The town’s not important,” Elliot explained. “Exposed on the water like that, we can knock it about whenever we like. It’s the forts I’m concerned about.”

They began to encounter these during the afternoon. They were not large. Most had mud walls and batteries of cannon. In each case, the iron ship’s cannon soon blasted these defenses to bits, and the marines were able to run ashore and spike their guns without suffering casualties. In several places, parties of soldiers appeared and waved antique spears, shouting abuse. But they wisely kept out of the marines’ musket range.

At the end of the afternoon they came upon a small fort where the commander asked for a parley. He was quite a young man, with an intelligent face. Coming aboard the Nemesis, he explained that his father owned much of the local land. He looked at the ship’s armaments with great interest. “I have heard all about this iron ship,” he explained, “but I wasn’t sure it was true.”

“Tell