At this moment, Zhu Wencong was surrounded by a crowd, all of whom wholeheartedly agreed with Zhu Wencong's assertions—the Englishman's utter lack of humanity was inexcusable.
The heinous nature of the Englishman's actions has fostered deep animosity amongst the Qing populace towards Westerners, which is detrimental to the foreign merchants' business dealings.
The only piece of good news is that the aristocratic families of the Qing court are not a monolithic bloc, and yet they incite the public to attack the major Foreign Trading Houses.
Zhu Wencong chose to yield, helping everyone to mend their relationships and trust with the local populace—this was precisely what they all needed most.
As long as the local populace does not resist the foreign merchants, they can then move from coastal cities towards Mainland cities, where foreign merchants have long coveted the rich resources of the inland.
