During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China's economic center of gravity moved south, and Beijing's grain was mainly provided by Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. After the implementation of the maritime ban in the Ming Dynasty, water transport was the only way for southern materials to be transported to Beijing. Zhenjiang is the hub of water transportation. The intersection of the Jiangnan section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Yangtze River is Zhenjiang, and the materials on the south bank of the Yangtze River are transferred in Zhenjiang. Therefore, after Zhenjiang was captured, the whole grain transportation system could not transport grain, and people in Beijing would starve to death within six months.

In fact, due to the important geographical position of Zhenjiang, the soldiers sent to Zhenjiang by the Qing Dynasty were also the most brave and skillful in the whole Qing army. In this humiliating battle of Zhenjiang, the Qing army killed nearly 4,200 people, and the losses of the British army were also the worst in previous wars of aggression against China. When the British attacked Zhenjiang, they also saw Zhenjiang's position in the eyes of the Qing army. After the attack, the British army carried out large-scale burning and looting in Zhenjiang to force the Qing government to surrender.

The British know that after the occupation of Zhenjiang, it is not enough to fear whether the Qing Dynasty can organize personnel and materials to continue to resist. As long as Zhenjiang is captured, it is equivalent to choking Daoguang Emperor and the Qing government. If the Qing government still dares to refuse peace talks with them, then what awaits the Qing government is the tragic situation that the whole capital is out of food.

Therefore, after learning of the fall of Zhenjiang, Daoguang knew that he had no choice. Not to mention signing these unfair treaties, he can only obey. It can be said that during Guangxu period, the history of China entered modern times, and gradually moved towards the humiliating state of "semi-colonial and semi-feudal".