Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Second Contagious Free Trade

Arthur Lee who does not have particularly deep knowledge of history and the king salamander next to him did not know well.

In fact they had already twisted the history of Europe and the world abundantly.

Everything started from the book written by a certain 21st century salesman to fill his fame and pockets abundantly, <​Arthur’s Drift Record>.

“The Far East!”

“The civilization of China and Joseon is to that extent?”

“An unprecedented country Cipangu that accepted the gospel by itself. Perhaps Prester John is also true?”

The 19th century was the era of literature.

Great writers who would leave names in history forever poured out one after another from Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Russia, even the backwoods of the new continent America.

In this era where radio and television have not yet appeared, books and newspapers, magazines are precisely the cultural bombs that can exert the strongest influence on people all over the world.

With just trivial copyright laws or something one could not prevent a masterpiece like <​Arthur’s Drift Record> from being published all over the world. No matter how much the British Empire is a country of pirates pirate edition distribution is impossible to control.

<​Arthur’s Drift Record> that crossed the Dover Strait first scratched the pride of French people.

“This kid bastard is Britain’s best Far East expert?”

“Our France has been researching Chinese learning since the time of Louis XIV, are we lagging in learning now because one kid lived a few years in a small country called Joseon?”

“We would be ahead in Chinese studies research... Joseon, well. I heard it’s just one of ordinary China’s vassals.”

“According to what’s written here that Joseon was originally a relationship competing with China over Manchuria!”

Moreover <​Arthur’s Drift Record> allocated one whole chapter determinedly and used it to hit Catholicism.

[Ancestral rites are the most universal ceremony in the Chinese civilization sphere, and to be recognized as a person in the Far East one must necessarily perform ancestral rites.]

[Some lower class people ignorant of Confucian classics believe that if one holds ancestral rites the spirits and ghosts of ancestors return from the afterlife and eat the ancestral rite food and go back. However nobles who learned even a little Confucianism never believe this-]

[Even Joseon people who were interested in Christ’s teaching when they reached the part ‘one must not hold ancestral rites’ mostly got disgusted and were astonished saying ‘Do Europeans truly not respect parents and ancestors? If Jesus is truly a sage why does his teaching encourage immorality?’]

[The missionaries of the Paris Foreign Missions Society led by Bishop Imbert were truly ones full of sublimity and nobility. However they were caught by the strict order the Pope issued, the logic that one must not hold ancestral rites and ultimately failed in missionary work.]

[If only the ancestral rite problem is resolved many Joseon people will willingly accept the teaching of Jesus Christ.]

French public opinion exploded, and the French government authorities backed by this public opinion exerted strong pressure on the Holy See to reconsider the ancestral rite ban order.

And one more.

“Joseon people, welcome!”

“My goodness... There is such a bustling city!”

“Joseon was truly in the situation of a frog in a well...!”

French people who heard that Arthur Lee invited Joseon seminarians to London of course accepted it in the French style.

In other words.

Instead of sending these Joseon people Arthur Lee wanted to meet, Kim Daegun and Choi Yangeop to London they called them to Paris and gave them generous treatment.

“That vicious guy called Arthur Lee will definitely introduce pirate water to Joseon, so we must nurture locals who can understand our France’s freedom and strength.”

“Right. If they return home with favor toward our France and spread the faith Joseon people will naturally side with us rather than Britain.”

Their intention hit the mark.

Although the Roman Holy See was furious saying the French Republic is trying to introduce strange water to their seminarians and a big commotion broke out, it was not a particularly bad thing for these two Joseon people.

They remained in history as the first Joseon people to officially visit Paris and Rome, and after contacting France’s latest civilization and learning along with theology education they returned to Macau and came to wait only for the day of returning to Joseon.

And.

“Our great French Republic plans to send a fleet to Joseon and Japan soon and make just demands regarding the murder of missionaries.”

They hadn’t hoped for something like this.

The bare face of imperialism lurking under the mask of faith, having witnessed that very small appearance the complexion of these Joseon missionaries could not easily brighten.

***

Arthur Lee.

Hong Kong’s popular star.

Of course there is no red ginseng in the items handled by <​Lee & Gladstone Company>.

It is a story everyone knows Joseon Qing and Britain, but Joseon is strictly a closed country and does not recklessly trade with foreign countries without the permission of the suzerain Qing.

The fact that red ginseng suddenly began to circulate in open ports like Hong Kong or Guangzhou?

That is of course the doing of ‘smugglers’. It is certain that vicious merchants who rip off naive ones sold American ginseng disguised as Joseon ginseng. Would the company of Arthur Lee famous for being good and conscientious do such smuggling. Diligent and devout British people absolutely did not listen to such vicious rumors.

Although Arthur seized a windfall, this is a windfall by the standard of a newborn startup.

But the merchants of Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Macau paid attention to the fact that this was not a simple windfall but a result earned in the unknown country called Joseon.

Originally the most profitable business among businesses is exchanging gold and bullets (sometimes using the bad word plunder), and the next most profitable business is of course sticking tightly to power holders and sucking the sweet honey of power.

Arthur’s result was the latter no matter who saw it.

If Joseon opens later Arthur’s share will of course explode.

Everyone in Hong Kong paid attention to Arthur’s mouth, his every move.

“How do I see Chinese trade? Well, at least one won’t be able to sell silverware.”

“Chinese people do not dislike cotton cloth. From what I see the demand for cotton cloth seems much larger in the Beijing side, the region called North China.”

“You mean the reason for buying small ships on a large scale? Looking at Joseon’s water transport it seems there will be quite a demand for small cargo ships built with our advanced technology so it is. There is no port in Joseon yet where large ships can enter so small ships.”

“I currently have no thought of lending our ships to Chinese people. How do I know if Chinese people will use that to pirate or smuggle?”

If an ordinary merchant he would somehow tightly hide his own know-how, but Arthur went around chattering his thoughts in all directions as if telling everyone to listen.

“A young guy getting a bit successful and raising his nose-”

“What sound is that. It’s a very wise appearance.”

“That?”

“Joseon is small but it is strictly a country. Isn’t it saying release information about Chinese trade instead don’t touch Joseon.”

“Hmm...”

Of course if one really doesn’t touch Joseon like that one has no qualification as a merchant.

“If I present much better conditions than that guy it will be fine! I’ll also hit a jackpot in Joseon and come!”

But really really strangely.

Strangely those who tried to do trade aiming for Joseon had a high ratio of being hit by pirates.

“Yes? Pirates? That’s a terrible thing. Probably because Joseon doesn’t have a proper navy? If Joseon opens quickly the Yellow Sea will become peaceful.”

Some people rambled malicious mixed stories saying ‘Arthur Lee is definitely colluding with Guangdong pirates’, but this young merchant challenged a fight without a bit of hesitation to those who said such stories.

“Sorry but I can’t do more transactions with you.”

“Why? Suddenly?!”

“Red ginseng... no, a trading partner in a solid relationship with us was uncomfortable with you.”

“Arthur! It’s that Arthur Lee guy! Right?”

“I don’t know so quickly go.”

Where is this the movement of a rookie not even twenty?

Setting aside tabloid-like stories of honeymoon relationship with pirates, before long he also got along with Chinese traders and smoothly greased Chinese local officials.

Hong Kong merchants at some moment found out the fact that Arthur is having social gatherings with those arrogant Chinese nobles on the theme of poetry and Confucianism.

Even the way of walking is different.

Hitting ink paintings and doing poetry composing play and calling each other brothers with Qing officials how on earth does one follow that?

<​Lee & Gladstone Company> since visiting Joseon once for the first time did not float a Joseon-bound merchant ship again and mainly went back and forth to Singapore or Java, India etc. and did trade, but Arthur instead of boarding the trading ship put much more heat into making what they call ‘guanxi’.

So.

The incident that happened on a certain Chinese riverside had no relation whatsoever with Arthur.

***

Westerners are crazy for money.

Since they are guys who do not hesitate even war to sell opium it is a fact all Chinese people know that they are bastards crazy for money.

However originally people crazy for money exist anywhere regardless of race.

Being Chinese did not become an exception.

“Hyat ha! Today is also a pleasant profit creation time!”

“Ton ton-”

Western merchants who came all the way to the distant Chinese land determined to do anything if it makes money.

And Chinese pirates who kill people because of money.

Their combination was truly terrifying and destructive.

“Hahahaha! This flag effect is killing!”

“The appearance of weak officials pretending not to see even after seeing is too funny, boss!”

“I told you not to call me boss!”

Other merchants who saw Arthur happily collecting small ships competitively bought small ships as if following Warren Buffett’s stock portfolio.

But they were not Arthur.

<​Lee & Gladstone Company> shamelessly chattered ‘the small ships we bought were all swept away by wind and waves and disappeared’, but no matter who saw it was certain they secretly sold them to Joseon. If one has eyes attached it is a fact one can know just by seeing Arthur building a new mansion in Hong Kong.

Small ships that could not find a sales place gradually rotted in, and other merchants who had to somehow extract profit with ships finally came up with a great idea.

Precisely providing ships to pirates.

Speaking of this <​Arrow> ship the registry is the British Empire, the nominal captain who only put the name is an Irishman, and the pirates boarded on the ship are all Chinese, a bizarre pirate ship.

Nevertheless since they fluttered the Union Jack and committed piracy no one dared to easily crack down.

Until yesterday.

“I can’t endure anymore! Capture all those pirate bastards!!”

“Attach the ship! Capture everyone!”

“Run away!!!”

“Ton! Ton toon!!”

1851.

The small boat <​Arrow> with only 13 people boarded was easily captured by the attack of Qing government troops.

“How can this be!”

“...Yes?”

“That ship is a ship of the British Empire! Our flag was fluttering!”

“Yes. Those pirate bastards dared to falsely claim the British Empire-”

“But how can one insult our precious flag and set fire!”

“What sound. They didn’t even set fire and the ship is fine?”

“Insulting our flag! I will absolutely not forgive! These evil bastards! I knew from when they open their mouths and despise us as barbarians! You bastard China!! This time I will show you properly!!”

“?????”

A war justification that transcends imagination much more than the First Opium War.

The Second Opium War started like that.

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