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August 27， 1839, Lin Zexu reported his draft of the letter to Queen Victoria as Ultimatum, the Daoguang Emperor approved it and asked Lin to submit as drafted. This letter appealed to rational threats, emphasizing China would cut of the supplies of tealeaves and rhubarb, which Chinese believed British could not live without, if Britain continued selling opium. This was a misunderstanding, however, backing on such false comprehension for certain victory, China eventually lost in the Opium War. For the details you may refer to our research finding: Chang Che-chia, “The Myth of Rhubarb: The Strategic Rationale and Cultural Implications of China's Prohibitions on the Export of Rhubarb to Britain and Russia in the Qing Period".
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