Opium w*r (2008)

[bunniefuu]

This urgent official document

of the Ministry of w*r

Shall be sent by prompt delivery

to Bao Xing, General of Shengjing!

This urgent official document

of the Ministry of Civil Service

Shall be sent by prompt delivery

to Qishan, Viceroy of Zhui Province!

This urgent official document

of the Ministry of Defense,

Shall be sent by prompt delivery

to Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Hu Guang

Rampant opium use has become

a serious thr*at to the Celestial Empire

In my opinion, if we do nothing,

within ten years...

the Qing Dynasty's treasury

will be drained and

the country will be defenseless

Foreigners could conquer our nation...

without using force

How dare you!

Summon Lin Zexu, Viceroy of Hu Guang,

to the capital at once

Master, here comes

His Excellency Lin Zexu

Lin, what...

This medicine has grown for a thousand

years at the bottom of the Dongling Lake

It's said that

this medicine can free you from

the habit of smoking opium for good

You might try it

I'm so ashamed of myself. I've weathered

the storms in civil service for 60 years

But failed to resist

the temptation of opium

Lin,

do you know

why you are summoned by His Majesty?

I'm afraid

it's about a strict ban on opium

Opium is the most abominable thing

China has ever seen

It leads people astray and ruins them

Even I have become addicted,

to say nothing of princes and ministers

in the capital

In my opinion,

opium smoking is dangerous

but to impose a strict ban on opium

is even more dangerous

I'd like to listen to your advice

It's so difficult

because customs officers take bribes and

high officials of central government

are corrupt

What's more, His Majesty is indecisive

It's really difficult

to predict the result

You must think twice

before you agree

to undertake any mission

I'll take your advice

Recently I wrote a poem,

and I'd like your comment

It may do you no good...

to be as courageous and

determined as you were young

It could not be a good sign

Lin Zexu, you're an important official

in my government

Right now, opium use is running rampant

Do you have any solution?

It is my opinion that

if Your Majesty issues an order,

the cabinet enacts prohibitions and

customs rigorously enforces them

I'm certain that opium can be wiped out

Are you sure? Is it that easy?

Your majesty's power

can destroy any monster

Since you are so confident,

I hope you will undertake this mission

Go to Guangdong to root out

the evil of opium

Your Majesty,

I am duly bound to sacrifice myself

for the Celestial Empire

But recently, I've been suffering

from various illnesses and

though I fear no death

I am afraid

I may fail in this important task

That would be an unpardonable mistake

I know a little about medicine

Let me check your pulse, your right hand

Your pulse is irregular

Shall I prescribe a good remedy?

How do I dare...

Lin Zexu,

the cause of your illness is threefold

One, you're afraid that

I won't delegate to you,

the power to carry out this mission

Two, you're afraid that government

officials may create obstacles

to make you give up halfway

Three, you fear that...

I may be capricious

and make unpredictable changes in policy

Is this the cause of your illness?

Your Majesty has keen insight

I do have these fears

I am not worried about my career

but I am truly concerned

about the future of the Celestial Empire

It has been 109 years since

Emperor Yongzheng issued an order...

to ban opium in the 7th year

of his reign

And yet opium use runs wild!

If we give up halfway this time,

no one would ever dare...

advocate an opium ban again

You still have no trust in me!

I will show you another remedy

Do you want to beg for mercy

on behalf of your teacher?

Your Majesty, my teacher is aged and

has been always loyal

Lu Zifang is not only your teacher

but also mine

When I was five,

he taught me painting

When I was six,

he taught me the Four Books

and Five Classics... Now...

Even princes and ministers have

taken up the habit of opium smoking

The sacred place of our Celestial Empire

will soon become a big opium den

The thousand-year-old medicine

can only cure one addict

but I want to cure the whole empire

Act on my edict: Remove Lu Zifang

from office and have him prosecuted

for his own crimes

Go!

Lin, His Majesty put me to death...

to show his determination...

to ban opium on the one hand,

and to cut off your retreat on the other

Lin, go ahead

I'll offer my head as a sacrifice

to bring you a success

I'll offer my head as a sacrifice

to bring you a success!

Go ahead, Lin!

Lin Zexu obeys Your Majesty's edict

I give my oath that I won't return

to the capital until opium is expunged

Daddy, you k*lled a seagull!

Yes, it's only a game

China...

Daddy, are we really going ashore?

Yes, go on, you'd better get changed

Qing Government doesn't welcome

young girls

God will be with you always, my son

Thank you

I like the story about Jesus

Unfortunately, books of this kind

are forbidden in the Celesial Empire

I can't take it ashore with me

Perhaps one day that will change, son

You look like a girl!

Give it back to me,

come on!

Mary, give it back!

He'll be beheaded if he's not wearing it

Beheaded? Why is that?

Yes!

Even if we're going abroad without

permission we'll get the same punishment

Oh yeah! I'm sorry

Denton

How are you. Your Excellency?

This is Captain White

How are you?

Your Excellency, the ship is ready...

for your inspection

Inspection

This suitcase will be sent

to your residence tonight

The Imperial Commissioner Lin,

the Imperial Commissioner will go

to Guangzhou pretty soon

You must observe all the regulations

and be careful

"Allowed to enter the port"

Shanzhi?

Father

Shanzhi

Father

It's all my fault...

Today, Father...

I...

My son!

Glad to see you again!

People said that

you had drowned in the sea,

but master refused to believe it

Our Yihe Company has been prospering

and we wouldn't let you die at sea

After the shipwreck,

I was rescued

by a foreign merchant ship, the Tuna

I had to work as a seaman

to gain my trip back home

The Tuna?

It is the British merchant Denton's ship

I helped him make a big fortune

How dare he treat you like a seaman!

Urgent message from 400 miles away

Urgent message from 400 miles away

Fine!

"If one is full of tolerance,

he will be generous

If one is free of greed,

he will be fearless"

Viceroy Deng's blindfolded calligraphy

is definitely a masterpiece of art

Viceroy Deng has great vision

and a magic hand

It is said that,

that is Lin Zexu's favourite couplet

In my opinion,

practising calligraphy is like,

handling matters of the state

And any slight wavering must be avoided

Just now I heard the voice of a courier

I think it must be

an urgent message sent by Lin

You're right

Where is Commissioner Lin now?

It is reported that he travels day and

night and has just passed Nanchang

He's still hundreds of miles away,

but his orders have reached us

Lin's men have already been

in Guangzhou

I'm afraid we are all on his list

Lin is really putting a lot of effort

into his mission

Denton, Denton

My son was shipwrecked in Southeast Asia

and I thank you for making him

as a seaman

Please... This Chinese is unbelievable

It is Mary!

Rong'er

Yes

This is my treat, cheers

Master

I'm told Lin Zexu wants to ban opium and

he was granted an audience with...

His Majesty once every day during,

his eight-day stay in the Capital

Well, I just have to send him 8 times

as many gifts of silver

Father, he will send him

a gift of silver eight times as much

I'm afraid Lin Zexu won't accept it

My father is old,

I'll marry you as soon as he dies

You are lying to me

Madam, here comes a customer

It's you who told me to try opium,

saying that opium can cure all diseases

I... I live on singing only and

I won't get further...

Now that you need six opium balls a day

How can I afford you?

Do you think

I can sh*t gold and piss silver?

Fine,

I will give you no more

No...

Go this way

Seal this place. Catch opium deals

Hurry up!

Sir...

No!

Not enough?

This is the best opium

No...

I just want you to stay for one night

No, I don't sleep with foreigners

Why not?

I am a man too

I came first,

whoever has to wait outside

Rong'er

Oh, it's Mr. He, and a foreign lady!

There're soldiers outside, let us in

It's dangerous outside

You are a slut!

Out of my way!

Daddy

What the deuce are you doing here?

How could you!

How did you find me?

I hate you!

Freeze!

Your Excellency!

You!

How dare you! Men, come here!

Take him away

Rong'er, get up quick

Soldiers are forcing their way in

Sister, get up now,

the Commander is Han

Your Excellency!

Rong'er

Go!

Go!

Where is Lin Zexu,

the Imperial Commissioner?

Your Excellency, when our boat arrived,

Commissioner Lin went ashore and

told me to escort the official seal

Raise the sedan chair

Yesterday I was told that

Lin Zexu had just passed Nanchang

I'm sorry. I was remissed in my duty

I do not have great vision

I think Lin Zexu has started

Investigations in the city

Tell Commander Han...

to arrest whoever appears in Lin's list

and execute them in public!

Go!

Hill, would you come take a look at this

By taking the heads of their own people,

they seek to imitate us. I think they do

There is an old Chinese saying,

"k*ll the chicken and

terrify the monkey"

Those convicts are

the unfortunate chickens

And we, gentlemen,

are the unwelcome foreign monkeys

Start the execution

Peace on earth

This is too much

They carry on this dreadful business

right beneath our national flag

I don't want to die

Help! Help!

Mr. Denton, help me!

How dare you! Shut up!

Help!

Oh, no! He!

Mr. Denton, help!

Daddy, do something!

You just can't leave him there

Denton

He is my friend! No!

What did she say?

She said she knows Your Excellency

Please spare my life

Nonsense,

how can a foreign girl know me?

She said she saw your Excellency...

on board the Tuna

If your Excellency kills me,

she will go to Commissioner Lin

to sue Your Excellency

Please spare my life!

Mary!

She is my daughter. Come here!

Daddy

Let her go!

Brother Xiong, let me do it

Sir,

he is the son of the owner

of Yihe Company

he is not an opium dealer

Viceroy Deng, Governor Yi and

General Guan are coming to meet you

How fast they found me!

Tell them to stop the ex ecution

I wish you all good health

Your Excellency, please forgive us

for not having met you earlier

Have some tea please

General Guan, please

The convict is called He Shanzhi

the son of the owner of Yihe Company

we have held him in custody

It's He Shanzhi!

Take him to my office tomorrow

Yes sir

You've collaborated with

British merchants to trade in opium

and you've committed a heinous crime

against the Celestial Empire

I am wrongly accused

I have never traded in opium

I went abroad to do business in tea,

porcelain and other goods,

I came back from abroad only yesterday

And know nothing about...

what my father and Yihe Company

are doing

I hope Your Excellency will make

a thorough investigation

Since you can speak English,

I wonder if you can read it

Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu...

was born into a poor family in Fujian

He ranked the first in provincial

examination at the age of 20

and ranked the first

in palace examination at the age of 27

Since taking office, he has made

great achievements in taxation,

sea transportation and food control

As a result,

the Emperor laid much confidence in him

He is a strong and decisive leader,

and also...

Enough!

Do foreigners always get information

as quickly as this time?

I think so. The foreigners think that

he who gets the information earlier

earns more money

We also have a saying that

to know one's own situation and

his enemy's guarantees victory

in every battle

Since you know...

how foreigners make money,

do you know...

how they make ships and g*ns?

I know a little

In the past few years travelling at sea,

I've come to realize

how big the world is

I'll take the essence of

western knowledge to improve ourselves

I'll also give you

a chance to start a new life

Thank you, Your Excellency

Since you are young and innocent,

I'll forgive you and,

appoint you as my interpreter

to investigate foreign affairs

You must find out in three days

how the British government deals

with the opium problem in their homeland

I'm willing to do my best

I can pardon you, but not your father

Where did the huge quantity

of opium come from?

Your Excellency, pardon me please

Investigations show that,

you have been guarantors

for all foreign ships

who claim that they are free of opium,

and got through the customs

But now there is opium everywhere

breaking up millions of families,

k*lling millions of people

and robbing the Great Qing

of millions of tons of silver

Look at yourself

When everyone knows that you are

one of the richest in the country

How dare you fool me

by wearing patched clothes?

He Jingrong

I'm ready to forfeit all my assets

to the government

I don't want just your money,

I want your life too

What officials collaborate with you?

However rich you may be,

you are a common citizen

How can you resell such a large quantity

of opium without any help?

There must be some official secrecity

working with you

Confess now

I don't have the nerve

to bribe any officials

They demand that I abide by the law

I plead guilty, it's all

because of my greed, avarice and...

I want you to deliver an edict

to the foreign merchants and

to the people of Denton's party

Our emperor bestows his kindness

upon people from all over the world

That's why His Majesty grants

his approval for international trade

To reciprocate their

thanks to His Majesty,

these merchants must observe our laws

They can make profit,

but never at the expense of other people

My days are numbered,

so are your golden days

The Qing Government is treating us

like a bunch of criminals...

Gentlemen... it's time to take a vote

For me, money is like a trade wind,

easy come, easy go

I've no objection to turn in the opium

You don't have any opium

Only you've got is a big mouth!

Me, I'm a sailor

Money is important to me

But more important to me is fair play

These people have never

treated us fairly

If we back down now,

these savages will treat us like slaves

I'm against bloodshed

I say we agree to their terms

but we can teach them to negotiate

in a civil manner

Listen... I've seen people smoking opium

And I know what opium means, too

It's horrible!

Denton, He Jingrong is your broker

And you made a large fortune

with his help

Now's your chance to pay him back

Well, of course

we all know He Jing-rong is innocent

They're just using him to frighten us

We may no more say

he is guilty than opium itself

As Mary, a young girl is naive

Naturally, her vote is dictated

by her feelings

But we're grown men,

all we know that

what we are expecting here is w*r

A w*r, gentlemen. We should be prepared

to sacrifice our personal feelings

for our country

Yes!

I'm terribly sorry Mr. He

The imperial kingdom has its laws

And we have our principles

What an ugly Chinese calligraphy!

How impertinent they misspell "Lin Zexu"

And to hang two swords over our heads

They keep talking about the trade

between the two countries,

but over the vast expanse of land

under the heaven

there exists no counterpart

to the Celestial Empire

This is not a diplomatic note,

but a w*r declaration

It's a w*r declaration

They are trying to sound me out

That's good

Let me show the world

our Celestial Empire's determinations

to ban opium

Besiege

all the British mansions at once!

Get back!

Take off your wig. Wear your hat

Lin Sheng, what do you think of...

my interpreter in foreign clothes?

Like a little devil

from the nether world

Let's see

how he eats with foreign tableware

What do you think?

It's clumsy to use both hands!

Well, look!

The foreign tableware...

requires the use of both hands

our chopsticks require one hand only

Yes

and have greater adaptability

Your Excellency

a priest from

the British Chamber of Commerce...

came out with a white flag

Our soldiers took Him

Where is he now?

In the front hall

Your Excellency, I do not represent

the British Chamber of Commerce

I'm here on my own behalf

Whether you come alone or

with all your people

I am ready to meet you here

I support your ban on opium

but cutting off water and food supply

is endangering their lives

Cutting off food and water

is not humane behaviour

He said, cutting off food and water

is not humane behaviour

In the name of God, I'm here

to implore you to lift the blockade

It's only been three days that

you have been cut off supplies and

you condemn it as inhumane

What about a country that

has been broken apart for the last

hundred years and the millions of people

that d*ed or whose families

have been ruined because of opium?

Who is going to sympathize with them?

Where is your God?

Where is...

your humanitarian principle?

Look!

These English newspapers...

have reported clearly strict bans on,

opium smoking in your own country

by your Queen

and she has also issued prohibitions

to the British merchants

One of them is...

"Contraband must not be shipped

to Guangzhou"

So, can I ask you...

why Denton and

his like defy the Queen and

introduce this illegal stuff to China?

This drug has driven China

to the verge of destruction

I use the blockade only as a last resort

I'd like you to convey a message:

You have enjoyed our tolerance

for a hundred years until today

We won't yield an inch any more

If Your Excellency refuses

to lift the blockade,

I'm afraid that...

they'll go on a hunger protest

Let them do it,

and I'll follow suit

If they starve to death,

I'll go down to hell to express

my good wishes

Please

If any of them starve to death,

I'm afraid it will mean trouble

I'm not afraid of these foreigners,

but...

But His Majesty may be afraid of them

What I really fear is that

if the traitors are not eliminated,

they will bring opium back

to this country

Master, the Yihe Company has been closed

by the authorities and

we are ordered to turn in

all the account books

Luckily I've made preparations for it

Rengui, if I don't live through this,

I want you to look after Shanzhi

I'll get you out of here, Father

I promise

Lin Zexu and the foreigners are going

to have direct confrontations

Trapped between the parties,

I don't stand a chance of surviving

Forget about me

Just take good care of yourself

Lin Zexu is shrewd and merciless

You must be very careful

when you work for him

Father, I'll implore Lin Zexu...

to redeem you with our assets

Money doesn't work any more,

not with Lin Zexu

I've left with Rengui

our full set of account books

you might pass to Lin if needed

They might help

Father! Master!

These are the deeds

for all our land and houses

My father wishes to turn them over

to Your Excellency

Very good. We need financing

for building warships and cannons

and your money can be of great help

Yes

What are these?

My father confesses his crime

to Your Excellency

and these are the account books of

the Yihe Company for the past 19 years

They recorded the amount of silver

he has used for bribing the officials

No one else has seen this

There might be some hidden causes

in my father's case

Please make a thorough investigation,

Your Excellency

He Jingrong deserves...

capital punishment for this!

Your Excellency...

The Yihe Company has been bribing

the government officials and

collaborating with foreigners

Now you're here

to blackmail the authorities...

with these confidential records

How many officials are on your list?

You have good reason to put Han Zhaoqing

on the list, who took million taels

But why did you record those...

who have received only a trifling amount?

What do you want from me?

k*ll all the officials...

in Guangzhou?

Or start an internal confrontation when

we are facing a strong enemy outside?

You're despicable

Get out!

According to the law of the Great Qing,

any official found listing opium...

will be stripped of his title,

dismissed from office and exiled

Which I'm sure you all know

But I'm not sure if there has been

any transgression among you

No. No!

Very good!

What we are here for today is meditation

I want you to sit here for six hours

If you are still in good shape

after these hours,

you may leave

If anyone of you cannot stand it,

leave your official hat here

and wait for prosecution

I want to see how long you could last!

Out of every 10,000 chests of opium

that you allowed to enter,

you would take 200

and say it was confiscated

Hiding the truth and reporting...

as your achievements

to the Imperial Court

You're...

a greater evil than the opium smugglers!

The reputation and morality

of this Celestial Empire...

are ruined by scoundrels like you

As officials appointed

by the Imperial Court,

you should be examples

to the general public

There's a question I want to ask you

Can anyone of you dare to say that

I...

you have never received a bribe?

If you can, come forward and

receive my three bows of respect

Put him in jail

Keep any eye on him day and night

Someone might k*ll him

to evade prosecution

Your Excellency, I...

The Yihe Company fabricated...

these secret account books to frame you

and to redeem He Jingrong

How stupid they are!

Your Excellency, I...

To err is human

Your Excellency

General Guan, it's you who should

receive my three bows of respect

Your Excellency,

I'm no scholar, but a soldier

I didn't understand

the couplet on the wall until now

I'm willing to face any danger and to do

whatever Your Excellency wants me to

I pledge my life to fight

for our common cause

with Your Excellency

Fighting opium will be

a lengthy struggle

Now that we three are...

in the same boat,

we must work hard together

to eradicate this opium

that poisons our country

Well gentlemen,

it's good to see the flag still flying

I'm here, by the Grace of God

Now, in the face of this unexpected

Chinese violation of

our limited resources

and indeed the dignity of the Queen

I'm henceforward taking

full responsibility...

for the property and the well-being

of the British community here in China

They're savages!

They're bottling us up to death

We want our ships back

We want our cargo!

We've been here long enough, gentlemen

k*ll them!

We've been stuck here for a long time

I'm not turning in my opium,

not one ounce

Gentlemen...

Let's not lose our heads

Now, trade is booming here

Don't let's k*ll the goose

that lays the golden egg

Are you with me?

What choice do we have?

What plan you have in mind?

Very well, I'll arrange safe passage...

for you all to leave Guangzhou,

in the next ten days

What about our opium?

In the next ten days,

I said, having first handed-in

all your opium stocks

Every last ounce of it

I'd better stay!

You're out of your mind, Captain Elliot

I've never heard of such lunacy

Well... if it isn't Mr. Denton

Risen from the gutter by cheating,

swindling and embezzling and tax evasion

Would you like me to carry on listing

your crimes against

Her Majesty's government?

That's slander, Captain Elliot

As for you, Mr. White,

I remember you from the Spanish Maine,

you're nothing more than a smuggler

How dare you?

What about you, Lawrence?

There's not much left in Britain for you

is there? Except for 5 years in jail

You're all fat greedy, rogues,

everyone of you

I'm not here

to help you line your pockets

I'm here to protect

Great Britain's trade with China

Now, here is what I propose

I'm offering you all a guarantee of

full indemnity against all your losses

Who's going to pay?

How much are you going to pay?

And what authority, may I ask,

do you have to offer such warranties?

Does the British government

know it will cost them

I will say in excess of

What's the prime minister going

to have to say about that?

We have to wait and see

Well, Denton. And in any event

we don't have much choice, do we?

What do you mean?

We're blockaded, are we not?

You want to sit here in this hell hole

until we rot?

No!

You call me a criminal

They'll hang you back home for this

Don't mind about me

The Chinese have got you all in a noose

Now, they all want a guarantee

I shall be signing them in my office

Your Majesty,

The English merchants...

are subdued by your heavenly power

and have surrendered all the opium

in their possession

Thus the opium catastrophe that

has plagued China for a hundred years

is completely eradicated

and the untamed overseas nationals...

are rendered subservient

to the Celestial Empire

I, Miannin,

the emperor of the Great Qing

humbly report to the Imperial Heaven

and Land and to the reverent ancestors:

The opium catastrophe that has plagued

this land for a hundred years

is completely eradicated

in April, the 19th year

of the reign of Emperor Daoguang

Hence the heavenly rules

are strengthened

and the whole land is brought to peace

Send my order to Lin Zexu:

All the confiscated opium

is to be destroyed in public

Witnessed by the people

at home and front abroad

so that the untamed overseas nationals

Upon the order of His Majesty,

destroy the opium now!

Upon the order of His Majesty,

destroy the opium now

Upon the order of His Majesty,

destroy the opium now

Your Excellency, it's time now

To the English Queen...

from the Imperial Commissioner

Lin Zexu...

I know you're very pleased

with yourself, Elliot

you've sold us down the river,

they are treating us like scum

Go, Go...

because he has considered it

as beneficial to the people all

over the world

Therefore what I'm imposing

is a ban on opium,

not trade

You all should be grateful

to the celestial kindness,

and abide by the Law

Damn you, Elliot! Damn you to hell!

Danton, wait

Don't be such an obstinate fool

You're a traitor to us and

to your country

Listen to me, Denton

I want you to take this letter

to Lord Palmerston

What am I now, your errand boy?

In person. Please

Tell him what's going on here

Tell him the Chinese has just burnt

of the British government

British government stock?

That opium was ours

You all have copies of my guarantee

Well, the opium they've just burnt

is now officially the property

of our Majesty's government

Do you pretend that

your guarantee still holds good?

Of course!

Damn it, Elliot, you know perfectly well

that the British government...

will never part me eight million pounds?

No, perhaps not

But they might be persuaded to make sure

that somebody else does

Someone else? You mean the Chinese?

Precisely!

You're cunning devil, Elliot

You're sending me back home

to promote the w*r!

God help me. I'll leave right away

What's that?

The Imperial Commissioner wants you

to give this letter to your Queen

You told Lin that we will never withdraw

We'll wait off shore

That's where Britain's strength lies

Let's see!

You tell Lin that

we'll be back at Guangzhou!

Do you think...

the British would declare a w*r on us?

Well... I really don't know

Mr. Denton for the East India company's

bought us...

news of the deteriorating situation

in Guangzhou

Lives, properties of the citizens

are being threatened

British commercial chambers have formed

themselves a powerful lobby to...

To exert pressure from all directions

upon the government for

m*llitary interference

Merchants are interested only in money

Far more important is that the Chinese

do not treat us

with equality and fairness

We shall not let them insult the dignity

and honour of her Majesty the Queen

The government is not involved

in the opium trade

that is a free trade conducted

by private business

Gentlemen, I take pride in informing you

that some wise men have been engaged

for some time in preparing maps of China

ever since McCartney's visit there

Here, on the table, we have a map

which shows all rivers, all harbours,

all the fortifications

A map much more accurate than anything

they have in their imperial palace

As for the Chinese marine force,

it's a fleet of fishing

boats if anything

A priest convinced us yesterday

that one British warship could

sink 10 Chinese warships

Do you believe what he said?

No, I do not

I believe one British warship

could destroy

the whole Chinese Marine force

So what have you brought me,

my dear friends?

Budget, deficit or w*r in India?

Your Majesty,

I'm inviting you to cut the ribbon

for a new railway

That's wonderful, I'll do it

By the way... there's something important

that Palmerston has to report you

In China, Your Majesty,

Lin Zexu has destroyed

and is driving all the British residents

out of Guangzhou

Well, what shall we do then?

We're looking forward

to your instructions

But I hear

you're already assembling marine forces

This is the sample of a new stamp

to be released shortly

What do you think?

She looks prettier, doesn't she?

Your Majesty, the world is never

short of beautiful women,

but there is only one British Queen

Thank you for your honesty, Melbourne

The stamp will be distributed to

every country in the British Empire

My dear, where there is sunshine,

there is your image

And in China, too?

Your Majesty,

the Cabinet is looking forward

to your support

for the motion to send the army to China

and for parliamentary

support of m*llitary appropriations

Now tell me

what kind of a man Lin Zexu is

Well... he's a strong-will, unrefined,

loyal to his emperor,

liable to go to extremes...

I confess that our knowledge of

that thousand-year-old empire...

is somewhat limited

I wish I could see him

in Madame Tussaud's Museum

If I were in Lin Zexu's position

I would also burn all the opium...

But now, it's not the opium issue,

nor the issue of the lives and

properties of a few merchants

It's not even a matter of the dignity

of our British Flag and royalty

If all nations follow China's example

and reject free trade...

the British Empire will no longer exist

within a year

This is the reason for us to use force!

We must teach them

a lesson on free trade!

Gentlemen,

Britain has the responsibility...

to open up this last and

largest territory in the East

I hope you won't tell me one day that

this has been done by other countries

The fact is, whoever gets hold of China

will have the entire East

The 19th century

Load up

Load up

It seems that the English

don't intend to surrender or retreat

But what are they doing

just floating on the sea?

They must be waiting

for their Queen's order

The British people live on trade

Once the w*r starts,

trade will be stopped

What good would that do?

If Denton doesn't understand it,

the Queen certainly does

Order! Order!

I said order.

I call upon the

honorable member Pontious

There are four hundred million people

living in China

If that many people lived in Europe,

they would have separated

into hundreds of countries years ago

But the Chinese have always been ruled

by one emperor and spoken one language

Is this not formidable?

For 5,000 years!

Do you not think that

we should be making trade

with these people and not w*r?

They have banned the trade!

They've treated the British Empire badly

They really should be punished

Order...

The honourable members...

There is one thing that

I'd like to call your attention to

Britain has the most advanced industry

in the world

and China has the biggest market

If every Chinese were to lengthen

the lower hem of his shirt by one inch

All the British factories would be kept

Order... Order of the house!

Sir, Alexander Madison

Gentlemen, I know two strange names

Confucius and Zhuangzi

They lived in China over 2,000 years ago

before Aristotle and Socrates

And their thoughts are

even more profound than...

those of Socrates and Aristotle

And in all probability

it would take us generations

to understand the profundity

of their thoughts

and to understand China

It is a country with a huge wall

thousands of miles long in the north

and the great canal of

thousands of miles in the South

Mr. Speaker, it's a great nation

But even in sleep, they're unpredictable

Yes, we may be able to defeat them

But we can never conquer them

Mr. Speaker,

I have one ambition left in my life

It is to visit China

But I would rather swim the Atlantic...

than sail there in a battleship

Are you sure you're ready?

To tell you the truth,

the objection is so strong

and the motion will probably be rejected

Order...

Mr. Speaker. Honoured gentlemen,

I come before you to present

the plight of a group of defenseless

British subjects blockaded in an attempt

to starve them into submission

Made to surrender their property

in trade which was then destroyed

who were then driven from

their quarters in Guangzhou

to be confined aboard our ship without

food, without water, without medicine

There to float

under the pestilent heat of the sun

Before I set out

on my journey to England

I was obliged to take

even my daughter who, being sick,

was unable to travel with me

I may never see her alive again

And yet our glorious Union Jack

still flaps high on our mast

Gentlemen, your countrymen and your

sovereign have been grievously wronged

They look to you for reparation.

To that end, your

representative living in China

Captain Charles Elliot, gave me letters,

which I have delivered

to the Prime Minister

There are also gifts

to be delivered to the house

This is a piece of Chinese bronzeware

made over 2,000 years ago

This is adorned with figures

of sacred spirits

representing their highest ideals

Bronze was the strongest metal

then known to the world

Ever since that time the Chinese

have called themselves the Hans

This vase is carved

from a single piece of jade

It dates from the Tang Dynasty

the golden age of China

Not only was this the most prosperous

period in the history of China,

the Tang was also the most civilized

and cultured people in the world

This is a work of art

from the China of the day

Like the great Qing Dynasty

it represents

It appears sumptuously rich,

plump and proud

It looks down on all around it

including the bronze and the jade

And yet it is filled with nothing

but self importance

One touch and

it will shatter into pieces

This is the China I offer you

I want to go home...

Mr. Elliot, I like to remind you that

our food stocks are running low

We can't feed on cannon powder, can we?

As captain of the ship,

I need to know your intention

Wait

Wait? Wait for what? For death?

He d*ed in hand of the lord,

we will remember his soul

We therefore commit the body of this our

dearly departed brother to the deep...

May the Lord have mercy

on his soul, amen

Charles, for heaven's sake,

let's weigh anchor and go home

Or there will be more dead

I've told you before,

you can go back to your church in Macao

Oh no. I'm needed here

You're leading these people to death

My Majesty's government won't

let there die for nothing

Yes, that's what you wanted, isn't it

No rescue but a cause of the w*r

That's what you wanted

Today you came here

You... you are the devil

Good heavens! You knew... by Jesus,

you knew! There they are

Our warships are coming

Our warships are coming!

We're saved! We're saved!

Your Excellency, the British warships

have arrived at Humen

and blocked the estuary

of the Zhujiang River!

Let's finish the game first

Mary!

Daddy!

You left me

You really have to forgive me, Mary

Soon we will have our reward. Oh Daddy!

I tell you Captain Bremer. I knew

this water like the back of my hand

If we att*ck now,

we can take Guangzhou by night

How well do you know Lin Zexu,

Mr. Elliot?

We shall meet the greatest resistance

here in Guangzhou

The heart of the Great Qing in Peking

Let's settle our account

with their Emperor

That would effect the greatest fear

He's a tricky customer to deal with

Lin Zexu

Strange, isn't it? I've never met

my old adversary face to face

Your Excellencies, the enemy ships,

finding us in full battle array,

fled away without any fighting

Have they withdrawn far enough?

I saw them sailing directly up

to the north

Lin, this... dismissed!

The British haven't fled. They sail

northwards to Beijing and Tianjin

Send our ships to chase after them

It might delay their att*ck

The British have sturdy ships

with powerful cannons and great speed

Send 600 couriers to inform...

all our forts along Xiamen,

Shoushan and Dinai

In truth, I'd rather battle

to the last in Guangzhou

than see them go up north

Attention!

We don't want to occupy Dinghai

but we ask to use this lovely,

small island

to replenish our ships

with some provisions and fresh water

We'll pay for it

If you don't agree, we'll wipe you up

Say. Yes or no?

They're always like this

This is so typically Chinese

They never say yes, they never say no

Stand by!

Open fire!

Open fire

Open fire!

Ready. Fire

Do you feel like talking now?

I've never seen such a large ship,

nor have I seen such powerful cannons

However, we must resist

We, the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty

would rather die than surrender

Come on! Lead the remaining soldiers

to retreat to the mountain

But you...

I'll stay. Hurry up!

What a great nation and imperial court

It is less than in an hour!

Seven forts in Dinghai

and over ten battleships

were b*rned to ashes

Hundreds of people were k*lled

England

China

As your Majesty are not feeling well,

I dare not present my report

Speak up!

The courier from Zhoushan has come

with an emergency report

that the British took Dinghai

seven days ago

Now that Dinghai is lost,

the British ships, I'm afraid,

are sailing up to the north

Your Majesty, Qishan, Viceroy of

Zhili Province, requests an audience

I kowtow to wish Your Majesty

all the best

This morning the British ships

reached Dagukou of Tianjin

How dare they inv*de the forbidden

zone of the imperial palace!

Where is Lin Zexu?

Why hasn't he held off the enemy

in Guangzhou?

I've just gotten a letter

the foreigner wrote to Your Majesty

Who is Palmerstone?

This foreigner is a high official

He is the British foreign secretary

Britain is only a very small island

and it is not even worthy to be

a province of the great Qing Dynasty

How dare they write

a diplomatic note to me?

In my opinion,

we should never appease the British!

Otherwise, other countries like France,

America will follow suit

How could that be allowed?

Our best move is

to deal head-on with the British

and drive them

out of our territorial sea

The British always dominate

the sea warfare

by their powerful warships and cannons

At Dagukou,

I have seen with my own eyes...

So?

Forgive me, Your Majesty...

Tell me what you have seen

The British have the warships

and cannons so powerful

that I have never seen

Their warships can even run faster on

water than our horses on land

Their cannons are

as powerful as the force...

of a thunderbolt when they fire

Lin Zexu is incompetent

He cannot root out

the scourge of opium from inside

or withstand the foreign invaders

from outside

Bad news has arrived continuously

through the night

Lin Zexu, you've done harm to

the country, to me and to my subjects

Your Majesty,

the British are marching northward

because of Lin Zexu's hastiness

in handling the opium problem

So, why not dismiss Lin Zexu from office

What?

In this way, the British no longer

have an ex cuse to resort to arms

Then we can persuade them

to withdraw with due respect

and resolve the conflict peacefully

No,

those foreigners have poisoned us

with opium,

and Lin Zexu did well by destroying

the opium at Humen

Now, the foreigners with guilt

are treated as guests of honour

while Lin Zexu with merit

is to be dismissed?

Our Great Qing Dynasty cannot suffer

such a humiliation

Your Majesty,

Lin Zexu alone is as light as a feather

but the integrity

of the Celestial Empire

is essential to the Great Qing Dynasty

Your Majesty,

I'm afraid that Qishan's idea means

making a concession to the foreigners

This will make them even more insatiable

That's enough

These foreigners

are barbarious and ignorant

I decided to try peaceful means

before resorting to force

Qishan, you have enjoyed

the imperial grace all life

and you are also seen

as a pillar of the Celestial Empire

So, I order you to go

back to Tianjin and

appease the British

by telling them that,

I have already dismissed Lin Zexu and

forgiven them for resorting to arms

I appoint you

as the Imperial Commissioner

to resolve the conflict

I'll obey Your Majesty's orders

Lin Zexu,

Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi

is required to listen

to the imperial edict

Lin Zexu,

Viceroy of Guangdong and Guangxi

is required to listen

to the imperial edict

Since this is a private meeting

of close friends

I hope all of us can speak

frankly and sincerely

Whatever...

we say will just be between us

Then I'd like to speak outright

Lin has fallen into

such a miserable state

and as officials of the imperial court,

we are bitterly disappointed!

It's like changing horses in midstream

A bad omen!

To tell the truth,

Lin's dismissal is actually my idea

The foreigners are resorting

to arms simply

because we destroyed their opium

If we want to put out the flames of w*r,

we must resolve this conflict first

Then, with the adoption

of both hard and soft tactics,

we can subdue our enemy

Lin, in order to safeguard

the Qing Dynasty,

govt officials like you and me must be

ready to sacrifice even our lives

Why bother your career and life?

I know you understand

Please accept my apology

If the foreigners have invaded

our country just because of me,

I sincerely beg Your Excellency

to cut off my head

so that the enemy troops may retreat

I would die with a smile

You are overstating the case. Sincerity

is the prerequisite for seeking peace

Your dismissal...

will show our sincerity

The foreign ships with their powerful

cannons are just outside the capital

I don't believe you can repel the enemy

with sincere words

What is your idea?

The foreigners' farsightedness,

force and ambition...

are far beyond our imagination

We have no choice but to assemble

all our m*llitary forces

to fight against them

Lin Zexu! Several months ago,

you proclaimed that

the foreigners dare not make w*r

and if they did so,

they would be no match for us

If it had not been

for your self-righteousness,

we would not have been taken by surprise

when the British warships came!

Now you argue strongly for fighting

It was you who looked down

upon the foreigners

and it was you

who brought about their invasion

Now it is you again who try to plunge

the whole country into w*r

At that time, I, like a frog in a well,

didn't know much about the world affairs

Not until today did I understand that

there are many powerful countries

in the world... and

I'm aware of the approaching calamity

If you were a frog in a well,

how do you know you are still not?

I have served...

the army all my life,

and don't have much book knowledge

Your Excellency may be good

at seeking a reconciliation,

but my desire is to fight to the death

General Guan,

you have the will to fight to the death,

but do you have confidence that

we can win the w*r?

If anyone of you here

sure of winning the w*r,

I would like to be the first to fight

General Guan, you are not

afraid of a fight to the death,

and I belong to the imperial kinsmen

and have enjoyed His Majesty's grace

I, too, am not afraid to fight

to the death

But at Dagukou of Tianjin,

I saw the foreigners'

warships and cannons

which are even more sturdy and powerful

than we could imagine

Please excuse my blasphemous remark

A disastrous fate will befall

the Great Qing Dynasty!

If we yield without fighting,

we are not far away

from the end of the Great Qing Dynasty

Lin!

The Chinese can tower like a giant

in the east for 5,000 years

by relying on these

younger generations of scholars

No matter how powerful

the enemy outside is

and how frightening and earthshaking

the changes are,

the training of scholars

should not be neglected

Your Excellency

I'd like to accompany Your Ex cellency

and follow wherever you go

You have so many vanities

and frailities that

you can bear hardships for a short time,

nor for life

Yes, I know

When I'm here in Guangzhou,

I must continue to collect information

for Your Excellency to compile your book

I've been thinking a lot these days

You see, the foreign suit,

though ugly in style

is quite convenient for body motion

Also, these foreigners even eat

with metals like knives and forks

So, we can no longer

look down upon them

Your family is really wealthier

than anyone in this country

He Shanzhi, I come to Guangzhou

to deal with the foreigners

Since you've had dealings

with the foreigners,

do you know what they are...

The foreigners are ordinary human beings

They are similar

to your Ex cellency in likes

and dislikes

I would absolve your father

from capital punishment

If you...

could accomplish this mission

I'll try my best

Great!

I want her to...

How can I persuade Rong'er to go?

Do you know who Rong'er is?

She is the granddaughter

of the blind musician

The blind musician was a bodyguard...

in the Forbidden City

He had offended His Majesty and so,

his eyes were stabbed blind

for punishment

He went into exile and became

a wanted fugitive for more than 30 years

His life and Rong'er's both are

in my hands

Would she dare refuse?

He is wanted

Wanted?

Grandpa?

Take care of yourself

I am leaving for a long trip

You are born bellicose as you like

to eat bleeding food

I understand that the Chinese cuisine

is unrivaled anywhere in the world

I can't say as much as for your cannons

If you applied just a little

of your expertise in cookery

to manufacturing of cannons,

It would be we who today are begging

for a truce

I'm here not to ask for a truce...

but to grant a truce

Grant a truce!

I don't care what you call it

We don't care

His Majesty the Emperor knows that you

have behaved with respect and submission

and therefore bestows on you

to cover the expenses of your trip home

Who said anything about going home?

No!

We want...

We want 6 million taels of silver

to compensate for the opium

We want your opening up

of five ports for trade

At the most, we want Hong Kong

It's impossible. Our Great Qing Dynasty

has never ceded its territory before

Never before... Well, you will now...

Why do you want Hong Kong?

Money is important. Take the money first

No, it will be invaluable to us

We recongnise Hong Kong

as the best port in the whole Far East

Yes. Perfect location,

excellent climate,

deep water, it's ideal

And we must have it

I know perfectly well the temperament

of His Majesty the Emperor

You can't ask for so much all at once

I know perfectly well the temperament

of Her Majesty the Queen,

Her birthday is coming up soon

And we would find

a suitable present for her

Hong Kong will be ideal

Look,

I have to tell you

If you don't agree to our conditions

we will att*ck Guangzhou at once

Good. But you must...

let me report to His Majesty the Emperor

What is going on?

From now on, you are the guests

of the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty

So you'll be entertained

with all the food at our expense

I wish I could be treated

like this at home

Now I can see you're sincere

in your request for peace

I will extend the cease-fire

for another month

I don't think we will fight

Good!

We should get Hong Kong in ten days time

But of course you'll give us letters

from your Emperor

confirming our conditions

If we don't receive these in one month,

we can only take it

as a declaration of w*r

My sisters sell their smiles only,

but not their bodies

You have promised to let them go back

I'll stay to take care of you

I am telling you something

They're planning to get rid of me

Do you know who I am?

It was me

who masterminded the whole thing

Without me...

there wouldn't have been

any British troops here at all

It's as if... I was a farmer

I bought a cow, fed it,

look after it, fatten it up and then...

when veal is ready to eat,

they want to send me back!

I tell you. If I was told not

to get a share of the meat,

I would have helped Lin Zexu,

and been his advisor

Maybe... Maybe I'll marry you

You're so beautiful...

Bremer

You little bitch!

Hurry up, Bremer

She's hiding scissors under her clothes!

I blow your brains out

For God's sake, Elliot,

don't be a bloody fool

Send her back to Qishan for punishment

You disgraceful wretch,

you dare to cause harm to the national

cause of the Celestial Empire!

You used such a woman

to appease the British!

You should be punished

for provoking a conflict!

Speak up

Would somebody come? Put him into jail

Yes sir

According to the orders

of His Excellency Commissioner Qishan

the traitorous bitch is to be put

to death

Grandpa!

Master He, congratulations

When can I leave?

His Excellency Commissioner Qishan

has sent you a gift

By order of His Excellency

you should be accompanied

by opium all your life

Please drink it up

Drink it

Drink it!

In my opinion, we must not declare w*r

without careful consideration

The foreigners' ships are strong and

they run fast like the wind

How can we deploy forces

everywhere along

our thousand-mile-long coastline?

If we don't have enough troops,

we can organise a civic corps of militia

to withstand invasion

Lin Zexu once organised some civic corps

but Qishan disbanded them,

making Guangzhou a city of no defense

This is another crime of Qishan's

Qishan's sinful

Your Majesty,

that's simply like plotting a rebellion

The organization of

a civic corps of militia,

is the worst government policy to make

If these riotous people stir up trouble

among the masses and turn against us,

how can we live in peace?

Hong Kong is only a small

and primitive island

To the great Qing Dynasty,

it is no more than a drop in the ocean

Your Majesty, if we can exchange Hong

Kong for internal peace and stability,

it will be a fortunate case

for the Qing Dynasty

Your Majesty, Since the founding of

the Qing Dynasty two hundred years ago,

we have expanded our territory

even as far as Tianshan mountain,

but never surrendered

our country's sovereign rights

under humiliating terms like these

Once we cede Hong Kong and

set a precedent,

there will be more adverse

consequences to follow

We'll all be traitors by then

and Your Majesty will become

the sovereign of troubled times

How dare you!

Your Majesty, if Hong Kong

is granted to the foreigners,

I'll k*ll myself right in front of you

I'm fully aware of the danger

in seeking peace

However, I'm also fully aware

of the harm in declaring w*r

I've decide to assemble forces

from all the provincial armies

to fight against the foreigners

Hurry up! Get ready the cannons!

The teeth is an extension

of my skeleton

The skin and hair are the surface

of my flesh and blood

As my flesh, blood and skeleton

are given by my parents,

I would like you to take them

back to my home town

and bury them in my ancestral grave

Ah Shan,

you have been with me

for more than 40 years

and saved my life twice in the battle

I will pay a debt of gratitude

for your great kindness in my next life

Now, I merely beg that

you leave me forever

Do you want me to kneel down?

These are my life savings

and listen, you guys

If your cannon hits

the British ship once,

you'll get 50 taels of silver

as a reward

If your cannon sinks a ship,

you'll get a box of silver!

Let's fight to the death!

Let's fight the enemy for a reward

Fire!

Commander

Commander

I'm surprised that

you have the nerve to see me again

Commander, I, Han,

have disappointed the Qing Dyanasty

and let the people down

I deserve death!

But I've served in the army

for all my life

Commander, the British troops

are invading our country

I beg you to let me...

die on the fort

All right, you may die on the fort

This time next year will be

the anniversary of your death

Thank you Commander

You must die a heroic death!

Without g*ns, without...

I don't understand

why they continue to fight

I do

The Chinese believe in devoting

their lives to justice

It's a belief

that could destroy any warships

What's wrong with your cannon?

Commander, our cannons cannot

reach the British warships

Bitch!

I am indebted to Your Majesty

for the imperial edict,

and I must obey

the orders of Your Majesty,

I beg Your Majesty to grant me

the opportunity,

of redeeming my crimes by fighting

like a soldier against the enemy

I will devote my life, to the country

General Guan,

the great Qing Empire depends on you

Master...

Master

Why are you back?

Master, your things have been placed

in the ancestral shrine

I'm here to take your body back

All right, Ah Shan,

today I'll die with a grievance

The strongest fort we have has been

destroyed within only ten hours

Why does God let me be defeated

in such a disastrous...

and hopeless way!

My heart is bleeding!

Master!

Surrender!

Come on!

Qishan has deceived His Majesty

by betraying the country

and surrendered our country's sovereign

rights by ceding its territory

So, Qishan should be removed

immediately from...

the post of the imperial commissioner

and that of the Viceroy of Zhili

and sent under escort to Beijing

for capital punishment

Lin Zexu has done harm to the country

with his false report

and stirred up a m*llitary conflict,

So Lin Zexu should be banished

immediately to Xinjiang

Thank His Majesty for his kindness

Be well, your Excellency

Guangdong depends on you all

All right, all right

All right, please go

Be well, Your Excellency

Ah, it's Qi Shan, isn't it?

Lin, you and I have both suffered

a crushing defeat

You, however are honoured

and will perhaps go down in history

But I... I have ended up in shame

and ruin, and will

take the blame forever

Since I came to Guangzhou,

I have never thought of myself

I fear that the Chinese are...

being thrown into a long dark night

and have nowhere to turn for help

Heaven only knows

the Qing Dynasty is difficult to save!

Lin Sheng

I have no chance to see

the Emperor in this life

But you will,

If you see...

the Emperor again,

You must give this

to the Emperor for me

Please tell him

There are so many powerful nations in the world

Our Qing Dynasty could no longer be...

out of touch with reality

Your Excellency, Please

Take care of yourself

From Humen,

and Sanyuanli to Dinghai Ningbo and Zhenjiang,

the Chinese army and people resisted

the British troops heroically

but their effort failed

because of a corrupt government and m*llitary inferiority

The treaty of Nanjing was signed

between China and Britain on August 29, 1842