The Biography of Lord Lin

A novel following Lin Zexu from birth through his childhood and youth, his studies and examinations, his entry into court and rise through the ranks, and his winning the emperor’s favor. Appointed as an imperial commissioner, he heads to Guangdong to ban opium, vowing, "As long as a single opium pipe remains, this official will not return." The novel devotes extensive passages to the opium suppression campaign in Guangdong. After being impeached by corrupt officials, he is exiled to Yili in Xinjiang, where a series of stories unfold following his arrival.