Had I finally become a true man of the nineteenth century?
The reaction of the merchants after learning Qing's intentions matched my expectations exactly.
"You're telling me they intend to come all the way here and confiscate the opium?"
"Those lunatics must have lost their minds. Let them try if they dare."
"If they attempt a forced landing, we can simply blast them with our cannons. We conceded when they seized opium in Canton—that's their territory—but this island has been in our possession for over a decade."
Strictly speaking, Lintin Island also belonged to Qing.
However, most Western nations of the time had already concluded—based on their own customary laws—that this place fell under effective European control.
If Qing had continuously protested the matter, it might have been different.
But since they had remained largely silent until now, it was widely interpreted as tacit acknowledgment.
Of course, from Qing's perspective the situation was somewhat different.
It wasn't that they agreed.
They simply had no desire to wage war with Western powers over a tiny, uninhabited island located far from the mainland.
So they had swallowed the humiliation and endured it.
"Gentlemen, please, calm yourselves," I said.
"No matter how furious the Qing emperor may be about confiscating opium, Lin Zexu is a rational man. He understands perfectly well how absurd it would be to send warships here to seize it."
"You really think so?"
"Do you know roughly how much opium is currently stored on Lintin Island?"
"Well, nearly all of our company's stock is stored here," one merchant answered.
"The same goes for the others. Recently we swept up nearly every available supply. I'd estimate… around thirty thousand chests."
One chest weighed roughly 140 pounds, more than sixty kilograms.
Thirty thousand chests meant an absolutely staggering quantity of opium sitting on this island.
"And if all thirty thousand chests sold at market price?" I asked.
"What kind of figure would we be looking at?"
"The price fluctuates," the merchant replied, "but roughly 7.5 million pounds—assuming it all sells."
In modern terms, that was a fortune worth billions.
The number alone explained everything.
Why the merchants were desperate to sell it.
Why so many British politicians found it difficult to resist their lobbying.
Burning opium publicly off the coast of Canton was one thing.
But sailing into a territory effectively controlled by British merchants and confiscating £7.5 million worth of goods was something entirely different.
No nation would argue that Britain should simply tolerate such an act.
Of course, the merchants were not fools.
They would never surrender the opium peacefully.
They might call in military support from the East India Company, or attempt to move the cargo elsewhere.
Either way, precautions were necessary to prevent rash actions.
"If Qing truly confiscates opium worth that much without consent," I said calmly, "then they are essentially declaring war on Britain."
"They are free to make that choice, of course. But if they truly intend something so insane, they will have to pay the price."
"Well," another merchant muttered, "perhaps they're simply trying to send a message. Something like, 'We are serious, so abandon any foolish thoughts.'"
Even seasoned veterans like Jardine and Matheson, who had been selling opium here for decades, clearly did not believe Qing would actually follow through.
But surprise.
In this world, nothing is impossible.
* * *
The negotiations on Lintin Island lasted three days and two nights.
As expected, the Qing inspection party arrived in overwhelming numbers.
Perhaps their navy's weakness made them nervous.
I had briefly worried they might come with only a small delegation to demonstrate trust.
Fortunately, that did not happen.
Of course, given Qing's bureaucratic nature, such restraint had never been very likely.
"Governor Lin," I said, gesturing toward the warehouse district.
"You've seen it yourself. There are thirty thousand chests of opium stored here."
"Surely you understand now how unrealistic it would be to confiscate and destroy all of it. The merchants—and Britain itself—will never accept such a thing."
"…I did not realize the quantity was so vast," Lin Zexu admitted quietly.
"But you must understand what that means. All of this was meant to be sold to our people."
"Do you have any idea how much silver will flow out of our country? How many lives will be ruined by this drug?"
He wasn't wrong.
But in Britain, people openly claimed opium was less harmful than whisky, and that Chinese addiction merely proved the laziness of the Chinese people.
Arguments like Lin Zexu's would never gain traction there.
"Honestly," I said thoughtfully, "I also find the idea of releasing all this opium into Qing rather troubling."
"But confiscating everything would bankrupt these merchants. In fact, much of the opium here has not yet been paid for. The East India Company would suffer serious losses."
"Well…"
Lin Zexu hesitated.
He clearly wanted to say that such matters were not Qing's concern.
But saying it aloud would make the situation impossible to control.
The opium trade had expanded relentlessly for years.
Demand always outpaced enforcement.
The East India Company simply produced opium continuously.
Merchants acquired as much as possible.
Payment could always be made later—once the goods were sold.
Credit transactions had become standard.
But if every chest stored here were confiscated or destroyed?
The damage would be catastrophic.
Merchants would collapse into bankruptcy.
The East India Company would suffer enormous losses and aggressively attempt to recover its money.
"Governor Lin," I said softly, "you are a wise man. I trust you understand which decision would be the wiser one."
Lin Zexu exhaled slowly.
"Do you think I wish to do this?" he muttered.
"But the emperor's will is firm. I have no choice."
"No choice, you say… yet realistically speaking, confiscation itself is impossible."
"You saw the situation yesterday. Could Qing forces truly seize the opium here?"
"…If your merchants cooperated…"
"You know they won't," I said calmly.
"Unless they wish to lose their entire fortunes."
I glanced toward the merchants observing the negotiations.
Lin Zexu followed my gaze.
Their expressions were rigid.
Hostile.
Anyone could see it.
If Qing attempted confiscation, they would fight.
Yet an imperial order from the Son of Heaven was absolute.
Even a governor could not defy it.
"I understand your position," Lin began firmly.
"But the command of the emperor—"
At that exact moment—
BOOOOM!
KRAAAASH!
A deafening explosion shook the ground beneath our feet.
"What—what was that?!"
"Did something explode?!"
"Gunpowder?!"
"Fire! There's fire!"
Chaos erupted instantly.
Flames were rising in the distance.
The merchants leapt to their feet in horror.
Lin Zexu looked equally stunned.
"Damn it… what just—"
Jardine, who had been cursing while rubbing his ears, suddenly turned pale.
"…That direction…"
"…Isn't that where the warehouse is?"
"…."
The merchants fell silent all at once.
Everyone knew exactly which warehouse he meant.
Then—
"FUCK!!!"
"Water! Bring water! Put the fire out!"
"No! No! NOOO!"
Five seconds later they were running like madmen toward the burning district.
I watched calmly.
As expected.
Oil made an excellent accelerant.
Once flames spread like that, no amount of water would save the warehouses.
I turned toward Lin Zexu.
"That's certainly… an innovative approach," I said coldly.
"When formal confiscation seemed impossible, did the emperor order you to simply burn everything instead?"
"N-no! That's impossible!" Lin Zexu shouted.
"This is a misunderstanding! We did not start that fire!"
"Then who did?" I asked.
"Did the merchants suddenly go mad and decide to burn their own fortunes?"
"I never gave such an order!" Lin Zexu protested desperately.
"This must be someone acting independently!"
Of course he couldn't claim Qing had nothing to do with it.
A massive Qing delegation had just arrived.
And suddenly the warehouses were burning.
Who else could possibly be blamed?
Especially after they had spent an entire day inspecting those warehouses.
"Independent action or not," I said coldly, "the investigation will determine that."
"But Britain will not ignore this."
"I swear I gave no such order!"
Perhaps he truly hadn't.
But Qing officials eager to destroy opium were plentiful.
And when an opportunity appeared—
All they needed was a spark.
My agents, disguised as merchants, had prepared the warehouses beforehand.
They soaked the structures in oil and scattered flammable materials among the crates.
All it required was a few patriotic Qing soldiers shouting "Down with opium!" to ignite the inferno.
Technically speaking, the fire was indeed started by Qing soldiers.
An investigation would reveal nothing pointing to us.
In fact, I had already secured evidence identifying the culprits.
But the operation did not end there.
WHOOSH!
"AAAAH! The harbor! The harbor is burning!"
"The merchant ships are on fire!"
Flames were rising from the docks.
Ships that had supposedly sailed between Joseon and Japan—vessels operated by my own agents—were burning furiously.
This was the key.
The final move.
The casus belli.
Lin Zexu's face turned ghostly pale.
"W-why is there fire there as well…?"
"Extinguish the flames! Check for survivors!"
"I… I… what is happening…"
This time, Lin Zexu could not even claim innocence.
After all, Qing soldiers had attempted to inspect those ships.
The Chinese navy could never intercept them at sea.
And inspections in Canton revealed nothing.
Only here—while the ships were docked—could Qing attempt a search.
Which was exactly why my agents had instructions.
If Qing soldiers attempted a covert inspection—
Start a disturbance.
Then burn the ship.
Once the fires died down, the crew would naturally be listed as missing.
Leaving behind ample evidence that Qing soldiers had forcibly boarded the vessels.
Lin Zexu stared at the destruction in disbelief.
"How… how did this happen…"
The fires raged for hours.
When they finally died down, the warehouses and merchant ships were nothing but ashes.
The merchants searched desperately through the ruins.
"There must be something left!"
"Please! Just one chest!"
Opium normally did not burn easily due to its moisture.
But warehouses drenched in oil?
Nothing survived.
Eventually the merchants discovered a few chests of opium aboard a Qing vessel.
Naturally, those had been planted.
But once the evidence appeared—
Qing's intentions were undeniable.
Weapons used by Qing soldiers were also found among the burned shipwrecks.
"You bastards!" one merchant roared.
"You planned this from the beginning!"
"You pretended to negotiate while preparing to burn everything!"
"You even murdered the crew to destroy evidence!"
Lin Zexu closed his eyes.
Even if he personally had not ordered it, the result was the same.
The opium was gone.
Merchant ships had been searched.
Sailors were dead.
Evidence remained.
This was already equivalent to a declaration of war.
Lin Zexu pleaded for time to conduct a full investigation.
But the negotiations ended abruptly.
He fled the island before the third day was complete.
The merchants surrounded me, shouting.
"Minister! Inform Britain immediately!"
"We must crush those bastards!"
"Don't let them escape! Order the cannons!"
Their voices echoed across Lintin Island.
The signal had been fired.
The war had begun.