Chapter 13

Neither the laws of the city, nor the etiquette of the royal court, nor any order forged by humanity retains its power upon the open sea.

The waves do not distinguish between justice and injustice, and the wind blows equally upon the saint and the sinner.

Upon the sea, humanity is nothing more than a creature clinging to a floating log, and when that log sinks, their ambitions, good intentions, and sins sink right along with it.

Indeed, just as Daguerre and Isidore had said, taking a ship all the way to Qing China in this era was no ordinary feat.

The piercing, foul stench of rotting fish.

Frictions and brawls with rough sailors.

Cramped cabins where rats squeaked incessantly.

Even watery soup with floating bugs and hard ship biscuits.

One had to barely endure this lifestyle for four months just to arrive in Qing China, and that was not the end of it. They had to undergo rigorous quarantine inspections by the bureaucrats of the Guangzhou Foreign Factories (Canton Factories), and entry was only barely permitted after it was confirmed for a full week that no one on board was suffering from any disease.

Yet, despite all these hardships, I pinned my hopes on those two men and upon the camera.

To stop the Opium War, I had to move Parliament, and to move Parliament, I had to move public opinion.

Public opinion was like a mighty river; once its direction was set, no power possessed the strength to reverse its current. The question was how to change the direction of that river.

Investigative journalism.

It was a concept that did not yet exist in this era.

The idea that the press could transcend the mere delivery of facts to unearth concealed truths and serve as a weapon casting light upon the darkness of power. To the people of this era, that must have been an unimaginable notion.

However, I knew.

That a single photograph could be more powerful than a million words.

Within the memories of my past life, moments flashed vividly where a single photograph overturned public opinion on war and twisted the course of history.

The photograph of a police officer pressing the muzzle of a gun to a prisoner’s temple.
Just as that single image shook and awakened the conscience of millions, if a silver-plate photograph capturing the horrors of the opium den could shake the conscience of the British Parliament.

The two men agonized for a long time.

Fear lingered in Isidore’s eyes, while fear and ambition simultaneously haunted Daguerre’s.

How much time had passed?

Finally, the two men nodded.

And the moment their backs vanished beyond the doorframe, I saw conviction in their backs.

Though they might not fully understand what they were wagering their lives for, they held the conviction that their work would be no different from that of martyrs bearing a lofty cause.

Thus, the two men began walking from the light into the darkness.

A month and a half after the two men boarded the East Indiaman-class merchant ship, the Earl of Balcarras, and headed for Qing China, a troublesome report came up from the Naval Intelligence Department.

“Let’s see. The ship they boarded was carrying laudanum?”

“That is correct, Your Majesty. A man named Captain Henry Morris recently wandered around pharmacies throughout the London area, buying up laudanum at rock-bottom prices, and set sail for Guangzhou with it loaded on the ship.”

“What is the way to catch them?”

“Realistically, it is difficult. First of all, the laudanum itself belongs to them, and there is no way of knowing what they intend to do with it. Since a month and a half has already passed since they set sail, dispatching a ship to intercept them is practically impossible.”

On one side, the light to reveal the truth was crossing the ocean, while on the same ship, the darkness of greed was navigating alongside it.

The irony that the camera and opium shared the hull of the same vessel depicted the essence of this era more accurately than any words could.

Did they not say that the stronger the sunlight, the darker the shadow?

Perhaps that was the true essence of this era.

Every time I took a step forward toward the light, the darkness deepened by a step as well.

Good and evil may not be forces that extinguish one another, but rather twins that reinforce each other.

Just as Heraclitus had said, as I once heard in a liberal arts class, without day there is no night, and without war, peace cannot possess meaning either.

A man like Captain Morris loading up a mountain of laudanum to sell must be the common sense of this era. My own action of sending two people to photograph the reality of the opium dens would be closer to anachronistic madness.

Thinking that way, a chuckle escaped me.

Well, back when I blew the whistle on the company in the past, I never fought while taking things like that into consideration. I never calculated winning odds. Whatever I could do, even staying up all night, I bit down and tore away. Because that was the only way of fighting I knew.

Nothing has changed between then and now.

I could not sit idly by with my hands folded until the photographs of the opium dens arrived.

If Morris’s laudanum business succeeded, a second and third Morris would swarm.
For successful greed is contagious. Just as a single bug hole causes an entire embankment to collapse, once a single precedent was set, hundreds of imitations would follow.

Because it’s private property, one can’t interfere? Then I just need to create the justification to interfere, don’t I?

The first thing a whistleblower learns is not justice, but strategy.

If one could win with justice alone, the profession of a whistleblower would never have been needed in this world.

I immediately summoned Baroness Lehzen.

“Please summon Home Secretary Lord John Russell and Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Sir Charles Rowan. If I tell them it is a matter of royal discipline, they will come running right away.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Royal discipline.

The weight that the word royalty carried in this era was absolute, and before that weight, the bureaucrats straightened their postures.

When the two men arrived in the office, I had already prepared the script.

One of the things I learned while undergoing prosecution investigations as a whistleblower was that, depending on the way the same truth is revealed, it can either become a weapon or not.

Depending on which frame you put the exact same facts into, it becomes a story of petty theft or a story of treason.

“I called the two of you here because of a rather unseemly matter.”

I paused for a moment.

Silence is sometimes more effective than any words.

After confirming that the expressions of the two men grew minutely tense, I opened my mouth.

“According to recent reports from the royal pharmaceutical dispensary, there has been an issue with the quantity and quality of medicines delivered to the palace. Specifically, laudanum was the problem.”

Sir Rowan’s eyebrows arched.

An expression weighing whether this issue was serious enough to summon even the Police Commissioner.

However, paying him no heed, I continued speaking. Because the weight on the scale is placed by me.

“The two of you likely know the fact that I do not personally seek out that medicine. But just because I do not use it does not mean it is not the property of the royal court.”

Here I paused for another beat. Because the next sentence was the core of this conversation.

“The fact that someone is skimming items coming in under the name of the royal court midway, and even swapping them out for inferior goods… is this not a deception against the Sovereign that goes beyond a mere theft issue?”

Deception against the Sovereign.

This was the language of power, and the expressions of the two men hardened simultaneously.

Lord John Russell opened his mouth with a heavy expression.

“Your Majesty, I am beyond apologetic. To think there is someone who dares lay hands on royal property. We shall immediately conduct an internal investigation and…”

“No, Lord Russell.”

I smoothly cut off his words.

“I do not think this matter is a mere internal wrongdoing. To pull off an operation of this scale, would it be possible without systematic external connections, ranging from pharmacists to distribution merchants? That is why I need the help of both of you, especially Sir Rowan, who is responsible for the security of London.”

I looked straight at Sir Rowan.

“This is a matter involving the honor of the royal court. Please deploy the elite forces of the Metropolitan Police to thoroughly comb through everything, starting from the vendors supplying medicines to the royal dispensary down to all distribution networks trading with them. Investigate ledgers, transaction records, everything related, and uncover who dared commit such a bold crime against the royal court.”

Sir Rowan completely squared his posture. Determination blazed in his eyes out of loyalty to the royal court.

“I deeply apologize for causing Your Majesty concern. I shall immediately form a special investigation team and investigate thoroughly so that not a single shred of suspicion remains.”

I nodded and added one final remark.

“The investigation must be quiet yet swift. Because the prestige of the royal court must no longer be damaged. Ascertain how far the roots of the culprits extend and report back to me.”

“Your orders shall be obeyed, Your Majesty.”

Watching the two men walk out, I broke into a knowing smile.

Normally, it was a matter that required going through official procedures to request an investigation from the Home Secretary, but the moment items supplied to the royal court were brought into question, this entire affair became a matter concerning the royal court, leaving the justification with no choice but to fall entirely to me.

Four months later, Guangzhou, Qing China.

Meanwhile, Captain Henry Morris realized that his judgment had not been wrong in the least. Together with First Mate Thompson, he clinked high-end brandy glasses in the captain’s cabin and wore a knowing smile.

“Thompson, was I right or was I wrong?”

“You truly are the captain, sir! Back when we scooped up all that laudanum that London’s pharmacists were forced to hand over at rock-bottom prices with bitter tears, I honestly had a lot of worries, though.”

As Thompson bantered lightly, Captain Morris looked toward the port of Guangzhou with a gaze dripping with contempt, and continued.

“Tsk, tsk. They say London nobles these days die by fashion and live by fashion. As soon as the rumor spread that Her Majesty the Queen started drinking that willow bark tea, everyone began treating laudanum like some kind of poison. Foolish bastards.”

“Thanks to that, we struck it rich, sir.”

“Indeed we did, rich indeed.”

Captain Morris smiled with satisfaction. The Queen’s eccentricity causing London’s laudanum sales to slump was a golden opportunity for him.

“Now we just need to sell this ‘noble commodity’ to those who truly know its value. Don’t you agree?”

“Still, Captain, I hear that fellow Lin Zexu’s crackdowns are exceptionally strict. If we happen to get caught by any chance…”

A look of worry flashed across Thompson’s face, but Morris scoffed.

“Thompson, you still have a long way to go. What they are cracking down on is opium, through and through. That pitch-black, stinking lump.”

When he swirled the brandy glass in his hand, the clear amber liquid gently orbited the rim.

“What do we have here?”

“Isn’t it… laudanum, sir?”

“Right. Not opium, but laudanum! A noble liquid, that’s what it is!”

Morris’s eyes flashed with greed.

“Do you think those primitive Qing Chinese fellows can tell the difference? They’re a race that drinks tea like water. Do you think they’ll notice as if by magic if a few drops of this noble stuff are added to that tea?”

“Ah!”

“Besides, what we are selling isn’t just ordinary laudanum.”

Morris puffed out his chest triumphantly.

“This is none other than ‘Royal Grade Laudanum.’ The very same item enjoyed by Britain’s storied nobility and royal family!”

Royal Grade.

What the royal court recognized was no different from what God recognized, and anything bearing the name of the royal court served as a shield deflecting any suspicion.
Morris was attempting to steal and use that shield.

By plastering the name of the royal court back over what the royal family had discarded, he intended to transmute discarded poison into gold.

If lying had a form of architecture, a flawless structure of falsehood had already been erected inside Morris’s head.

“We must firmly impress upon them that it is in a different league from tacky lumps of opium. Selling it mixed into the wine they enjoy drinking will do just as well. Whether it’s Lin Zexu or anyone else, they’ll never notice.”

“You’re a genius, Captain!”

As Thompson expressed genuine admiration, Morris shrugged his shoulders and downed the brandy in a single gulp.

“The ones who make money in an era of chaos are always the clever bastards who exploit the loopholes in the law. We are going to become the wealthiest men in all of Britain, Thompson!”

Captain Henry Morris’s expectations hit the mark with not a single error. No, far surpassing his expectations, laudanum began to gain explosive interest in Guangzhou.

“Captain! Royal Grade Laudanum has become an absolute blockbuster, sir!”

When First Mate Thompson burst panting into the captain’s cabin and shouted, Morris let out a scoff, asking if he hadn’t told him so, and leisurely tilted his brandy glass.

“Wasn’t it all expected?”

“No, this is beyond expectations, sir! Guangzhou merchants are buying it up as if it were some kind of elixir of immortality! Since word got out that it’s what the British royal family drinks, we can’t keep enough in stock to sell!”

A satisfied smile hung on Morris’s lips.

The wealthy merchants of Guangzhou vied with one another in seeking out this dark red liquid.

They mixed a few drops into high-end white liquor or tea and drank it to show off their status and wealth.

Because it was in liquid form, it did not stand out like conventional opium, and the authority bestowed by the signboard of the royal court remained absolute even across borders.

Wiping away the aversion carried by the word ‘opium’ with the exotic name ‘laudanum,’ and wrapping it in the pretense of ‘Royal Grade’ to package it as a secret luxury item:
It was a poison, yet it did not bear the name of poison; it was ruin, yet it did not wear the face of ruin.

Thus, the poison became a beautiful structure that captivated everyone in Guangzhou.

Of course, inspections were not entirely absent.

A customs official renowned for being strict gazed with suspicious eyes at the barrels containing laudanum.

“What is this? It has a suspicious reddish tint.”

As the official sniffed around and smelled it, Thompson broke into a cold sweat, but answered as casually as instructed by Captain Morris.

“Ah, this is a fermented wine consumed only by very distinguished persons back in our Britain. Because the aroma is unique, it might feel unfamiliar at first.”

“Fermented wine, you say…”

When the official still did not drop his suspicion, Thompson stealthily slipped a heavy silver pouch into his sleeve. The moment the heavy feel of silver touched the official’s fingertips, the scale of morality tilted.

“…Hmm, the aroma is indeed unique. Good wine is good for the body, too. Pass it through.”

Silver was like the master key of this era.

It could open any door, make any eyes close, and put any conscience to sleep.

Ever since humans began using silver as currency, silver has served not as a medium of exchange, but as a medium of depravity.

Even after the life of Jesus Christ was sold for thirty pieces of silver, countless instances of conscience, duty, and human dignity have been pressed down and silenced by the weight of silver.

Therefore, no matter how fiercely Lin Zexu scoured for lumps of opium with blazing eyes, he could not block the infiltration of laudanum, which disguised itself as liquor and filled officials’ pockets with silver.

For what Lin Zexu was fighting was not the substance of opium, but human nature itself—greed.

“We just need to sit back and rake in the money now, Thompson. All the silver in Guangzhou will soon be ours!”

Morris laughed heartily and chugged his brandy. The port of Guangzhou visible outside the window seemed as though the entire world was glittering in silver.

Perhaps ten days had passed since they began the laudanum trade.

“Captain, I’m going crazy, sir! We don’t even have anywhere left to pile up the silver on the ship!”

At Thompson’s happy scream, Morris puffed on a cigar for all to see.

“See? Didn’t I say we’d become the richest men in Britain?”

To handle the pouring flood of orders, Morris remodeled the ship’s cargo hold and even built a laudanum manufacturing facility.

He bought up opium that remained unsold due to Lin Zexu’s crackdowns at rock-bottom prices and mass-produced Royal Grade Laudanum.

Opium turned into laudanum, laudanum turned into silver, and silver turned back into opium. Within this cycle of circulation, the only thing that steadily dwindled was human dignity.

“Captain Morris. Please, double the volume! I’ll even add a premium on top!”

An agent from Jardine Matheson, Guangzhou’s largest trading company, visited the ship every day and fawned over him, while other minor merchants likewise brought boxes of silver, laid them at Morris’s feet, and begged.

“We only trust you, Captain! Without you, we can’t do business!”

Before long, Morris had been enthroned as the emperor of Guangzhou’s black market, and to him, Lin Zexu’s crackdowns were simply another opportunity.

The more supply shrank, the higher prices rose, and the higher prices rose, the brighter his laudanum shone.

It was the same principle where the deeper the darkness, the brighter a lantern appears.
The only difference was that the light he was illuminating was not a lantern, but arson.

“Lin Zexu? What good is that fellow no matter how wildly he rampages on land? Our Britain rules the seas!”

With those words, looking down at the horizon where the sun was setting beyond the captain’s cabin window, he wore the smile of a victor.

Soon, when darkness descended, another batch of laudanum would head for land.
And today, tomorrow, and the day after—as long as darkness accompanied them, silver coins would flood into the cargo hold of the Earl of Balcarras, and they would grow ever wealthier.

Yet Morris remained ignorant of one fact.

He thought he had driven out the light and burned only darkness on his ship, but a dazzling sun was preparing to rise from beneath the dark horizon in the shape of a camera.