Solovyov in Tsarist Russia 1796.

Quite a few British ships surrendered at sea, and there were also sailors who fell into the water.

Guan Tianpei didn't expect to exchange these people's heads for military merits; he was content with winning naval battles.

If it were the previous dynasty, there would have been a bunch of human heads by the end of the Ming Dynasty.

"General, what should we do?"

"We must save them!"

Guan Tianpei's attitude was firm. He noticed that these British warships still had some salvage value. Looking at Pearson beside him, he saw that Pearson had made his suggestion before he could even speak.

"Sir, according to our local customs, these ships can be repaired and reused. British warships are quite advanced in Europe. Although they are all small ships, the Guangdong Navy can still use them."

"Let's proceed according to Instructor Pi's method, Temple and Military Commander."

"I have the same idea. Let the brothers go up and take a look. If the boat doesn't leak, we'll tow it to Guangzhou and show it to the governor."

Guan Tianpei didn't expect to win so easily, mainly because the difference in skill level was too great.

Li Hongbin was somewhat nervous when he heard that Lawrence was going to make a big splash.

Although Guan Tianpei brought a giant warship from the Jiangnan Admiral's defense zone to Guangdong, he was under the control of Tao Shu's Liangjiang Governor-General's Office, so it was good that he came to help.

On the Guangdong naval side, just as Napier arrived, he was about to conduct military exercises along the Guangdong coast. The naval admiral had already set off, leaving only the land admiral in Guangzhou.

At that time, it is likely that infantry will need to be mobilized to guard the four forts in preparation for battle.

On the other hand, Napier was very dissatisfied with the Qing army's blockade of the trading post, and was also angry about the name he was translating.

When people are emotional, they get carried away and may do something irrational.

Moreover, he still had great confidence in the Royal Navy.

However, reality sometimes doesn't follow plans.

When you're eating chocolate, you never know what flavor the next one will be.

As for Guan Tianpei, he came from a military background and worked his way up through the ranks of martial arts scholars. He couldn't concern himself with the affairs of the governors and viceroys. Governor Tao and Viceroy Lin were both good officials, and he was willing to serve the court under their command.

Although the governor had few opportunities to deal with the British, he seemed more concerned about the situation in the south, and thus submitted a memorial to the emperor.

Unexpectedly, before the emperor even issued an edict approving the request, their own side had already started operating.

Three British frigates were towed to Guangzhou, attracting onlookers.

They had seen many foreign warships, including those of the Qing Dynasty, but they had only seen a warship as large as the "Eternal Qing" when that foreign prince, Prince Suo, came last time.

This is a giant ship belonging to the Qing Dynasty, so it naturally attracts a crowd of onlookers.

As for the imposing giant ship itself, it did not enter the port. Instead, several heavy frigates, acting as escorts, towed the British ship to Huangpu, where it docked, which broadened their horizons.

After asking around, I learned that the British barbarians in red had broken the rules again and fought a battle with the brothers at Humen Fort.

Fortunately, the Jiangnan Admiral Guan Tianpei, who was assisting in the defense, passed by with a large warship. After a round of artillery fire, the British warships surrendered.

"Even the British can be defeated!"

Indeed, some people are amazed at how quickly things have changed.

As for the foreigners escorted down from the various warships, their hands were tied behind their backs and strung together with ropes, as they were to be taken to the Governor-General's office to be presented as prisoners.

This triggered the traditional skills of the Qing Dynasty: rotten vegetable leaves, rotten eggs, and maybe even stones and half a brick.

This forced the soldiers from Jiangsu to line up on both sides to barely separate the British barbarians from the flying vehicles.

Even after Guan Tianpei disembarked, he realized that this time it was really not going to work, so he beat gongs to clear the way and tried to persuade him with kind words.

"Fellow elders, I, Guan, have been appointed as the Commander-in-Chief of Jiangnan and entrusted by His Majesty and Governor-General Tao of Liangjiang to come to Guangdong to assist in the defense and military exercises. Unexpectedly, the British invaded Humen, and I had no choice but to personally lead my troops to fight against them. Now I am presenting the prisoners to Governor-General Li. Please make way for me, so as not to delay official business."

But his surname happens to be Guan, which makes it sound like a scene from a story.

Riding aboard a giant ship and wielding a Green Dragon Crescent Blade, the ship cleaved the British barbarian off his horse in a single strike.

No matter how you look at it, this imagined scenario is completely wrong.

That was when the two armies clashed on the sea, and after only one round of artillery battle, the British surrendered.

Some locals in Guangzhou only felt it was much more plausible after imagining this scene in their minds.

Li Hongbin was somewhat surprised when Guan Tianpei arrived at the Governor-General's Office of Guangdong and Guangxi.

"Although Zipu is a bit reckless, it is a good thing that he has made contributions to the country. As for the rest of the matters, I will naturally handle them. We must treat the captured British barbarians well and not neglect them. According to the customs of the foreigners, there has been no declaration of war between the two countries. Doing so will not mistreat these British barbarians and will also prevent things from getting out of control."

Although Li Hongbin sounded somewhat timid, he was secretly pleased.

After all, the British were so unruly. Even after being released at sea, they remained stubborn and argued over a name. They even mobilized warships in an attempt to coerce them into submission.

But the Emperor needed to send the message to the capital via the fastest courier service, traveling 700 li (approximately 350 kilometers) from Guangzhou.

Napier was shocked to hear this, never expecting such a defeat. He feared that he would have a hard time getting by in England in the future.

Although it was just a Qing army warship passing by, and three escort ships were taken out in one round of shelling, for the Royal Navy, this was an unprecedented defeat in the area from the Indian Ocean to the Far East. The pirate encounter that Amherst had encountered on his return voyage was nothing compared to this.

As he continued like this, the situation only got worse.

Li Hongbin simply banished him to Macau, and only allowed him to return to Guangzhou once news arrived.

This time, without warships, the British naturally couldn't do anything.

When the news reached the capital, Emperor Daoguang was having a meal, a rare treat of steamed egg custard, when the report arrived.

"Your Majesty, Governor-General Li Hongbin of Guangdong and Guangxi and Acting Commander-in-Chief Guan Tianpei have submitted a report. It is an urgent message sent over 700 li. This matter is of great importance, and this old minister dares not neglect it. I have presented it without opening it."

Cao Zhenyong, that kowtowing machine, he just doesn't want to cause himself any trouble.

It's okay if you haven't checked it beforehand.

"Open it."

"Yes, sir!"

"Your subject, Li Hongbin, Governor-General of Guangdong and Guangxi, recently submitted a memorial."

"what happened?"

"Your Majesty, the British have invaded the Humen Forts. Guan Tianpei led the 'Wannianqing' and other warships to defeat the enemy at Humen. They have now imprisoned several hundred British soldiers in Guangzhou. I request Your Majesty to make a decision on this matter."

As they were talking, Daoguang's chopsticks fell onto the table.

Daoguang thought to himself, "Luckily, I'm not eating a boiled egg right now, otherwise this egg would definitely fall to the ground."

"Your Majesty." "This is a great victory. When the late Emperor was alive, we were inevitably wary of the British. This great victory is naturally a good thing."

"Your Majesty, in order to provide strong evidence of this matter, Li Hongbin and others have specially presented the ship's identification plate of the British warship to verify its identity."

"We captured the boat, not the people. In that respect, it is indeed a great victory."

"Furthermore, this old minister saw in this memorial that the Danish instructors, including Pearson, and the other instructors, were commended for their bravery in the naval battle, which led to this great victory."

"Oh dear, things are not like they were when Emperor Gaozong was alive."

Emperor Daoguang was still short of money. He reduced his own expenses, which meant he could save some money, but this was not a significant amount.

"Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, it is indeed worthy of reward. The increase in pay for officers at all levels should also be used to motivate the soldiers so that they will fight bravely against the enemy in the future if there is trouble at sea."

"I understand, of course."

Emperor Daoguang finally saw that Cao Zhenyong, that old fellow, had agreed to pay the reward.

It was also when he was about to retire and didn't want to cause any trouble. Tao Shu wanted to reform the salt administration, which involved some of his family's connections. Cao Zhenyong, who always avoided trouble, actually made arrangements and strongly supported Tao Shu.

Lin Zexu was also strongly recommended by him, and he achieved considerable political success when he took office as the governor of Jiangsu.

Such a useful old man is hard to find again.

Following Cao Zhenyong was Mu Zhang'a, a heavyweight villain.

Fortunately, this was a great victory, so there's not much to say.

However, Emperor Daoguang then thought that although he had won this battle against the British, it was also a question of whether the British would invade again in the future.

Therefore, he wanted to summon the chief instructor, General Drouot. Andon and others were all envoys, and they were in Tianjin, having come to the capital by imperial decree.

Drouot was in the capital, where he served as an official of the Qing Dynasty, received the Qing Dynasty's salary, and even wore a yellow riding jacket.

However, he was still wearing the French artillery general's uniform, only his sword had been changed to the Qing army style.

When Drouot heard about this, he knew, having dealt with the British for many years, that the British would definitely not let the matter rest.

Therefore, he also suggested that relations should be maintained, while at the same time, preparations for war should be strengthened before the British fleet arrives off the coast of Guangzhou.

How to prepare for the competition is also a question.

Drouot believed that the forts in Guangzhou and Xiamen should be reinforced. The forts there were still in the style of the first reconstruction and did not meet the standards of coastal forts. They would suffer heavy losses if attacked by exploding shells.

This matter is also mentioned in Li Hongbin's memorial, and it is written very clearly.

In addition, the Qing army's victory this time also had an element of luck.

Drouot also advised Emperor Daoguang that the Qing army's artillery would naturally suffer some losses under adverse wind conditions.

However, the British probably wouldn't have a good way to reinforce the forts and, with the support of the Guangdong navy, build the Pearl River Estuary into an impregnable fortress.

Emperor Daoguang agreed with this, but as for warships, the Qing Dynasty's own warships took significantly longer to build, and there wasn't enough time to buy ships.

Drouot consulted Pearson's opinion on Guan Tianpei's side and thought that they could first modify the three British frigates. In addition, they should contact the Spanish colony in the Philippines, and the Spanish governor on Luzon Island should provide some assistance.

However, those who go abroad will most likely have to negotiate with the Pan family and the Manila authorities.

In addition, we will hire sailors and officers from Europe and North America who are skilled in naval warfare, so that the ships will be combat-ready when we take them over.

The important thing is that it has to be the kind of thing that has a grudge against the British.

Pearson's performance this time fully illustrates this point; the great flaws and shortcomings of the British can inspire others to fight.

In addition, there was the issue of trade with the British.

The remaining matters had to be discussed in the court. Although Drouot was the chief instructor, he was a foreigner and had no say in court affairs. He could only meet the senior officials of the Grand Council when summoned to the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

This time, because of the victory, some officials were somewhat complacent, thinking that the British were nothing special, and some even claimed that they would ban trade with Britain.

There's no other reason than that opium is harmful, but these people are being far too blatant.

"Your Majesty, everyone's opinions have their merits."

"However, they don't know that I have many worries right now."

"The Emperor should still summon Tao Shu for advice; perhaps he has some solutions."

Cao Zhenyong and Tao Shu did not have a good relationship, but after the salt administration fully cooperated, the misunderstanding was naturally resolved.

He suggested that Emperor Daoguang should consult Tao Shu, whose attitude might be even more forceful than Lin Zexu's, and that this would be a matter for the future, requiring a choice between preparing for war and pursuing peace.

Trade with Britain must continue; otherwise, how can silver be extracted from the Thirteen Factories?

As for the topic of the Royal Navy's defeat at the Pearl River Estuary, it was still quite late when we arrived in London, but it was still the hottest topic on the streets of London.

One naval minister even bluntly stated that if the Royal Navy continues to lose like this, it might lose all face.

Therefore, some voices in the House of Commons called for a hardline stance against the Qing Dynasty and the initiation of war.

Palmerston, the future warmonger and Foreign Secretary, had a famous saying.

"There are no permanent friends, only permanent interests."

This was a critical time for Britain to end the East India Company's monopoly; if something went wrong at this point, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Therefore, in his speech in the House of Commons, he still advocated for negotiations to demand the release of the captured sailors by the Qing Dynasty.

This is a point that even the zookeepers in the House of Commons agree with.

The information they received indicated that the prisoners were imprisoned but kept in the vacant mansion of a wealthy merchant. The food in this temporary prisoner-of-war camp was quite good, and the Qing governor did not mistreat them. Instead, he kindly advised them, stating that the conflict was caused by Napier alone.

Napier himself was dissatisfied and did not publish this clause in his letter.

However, the East India Company, although it had lost its monopoly, had a lot of complaints about this business director who was more trouble than he was worth.

So instead of offering suggestions, they were implying that the cabinet should be replaced.

Even if Elliot were to take over, it would still be better than Napier himself.

The fact that the other side treated the prisoners well after winning the battle and indicated that trade relations between the two sides could still be maintained surprised the British.

From this perspective, the filter of the Celestial Empire is still there; they are still seen as a civilized Eastern empire.

As for the matter of Napier, let's just consider it a misunderstanding.

Therefore, the vote concluded that relations with the Qing Dynasty should be maintained, and a mission should be sent to Guangzhou to negotiate. (End of Chapter)