The Australian Revolution of 1828

"Hey, what are you all doing? Have you finished your tasks for today?"

A clap of thunder startled Old Chen, Old Wei, and the other miners, causing them to scatter like birds and beasts.

One by one, people pushed their carts and took their tools, disappearing instantly into the heart of the mine.

Once the source of the "thunderclap" was completely out of sight, Old Chen finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, "Luckily I ran fast. If the mine manager had seen me, he would have given me a good scolding!"

"The task is heavy and time is tight. The mine is working overtime, so we can't afford to get caught again. You guys, be careful during your breaks!"

"If you see the mine manager on inspection tour, be sure to inform each other so you don't become an example!"

That's what they say, but when you get really into a conversation, you might not even notice it.

The miners beside him nodded frequently, indicating their agreement.

Old Wei, who was 25 years old, was also afraid of the mine manager. Taking advantage of this opportunity, he acted as the elder brother for a while and said, "Old Chen has said so, so why don't you hurry up and get to work?"

"Our group has only completed a little over half of our task today; there's still a small portion of the ore left to be transported up. If we don't finish before dark, the mine manager will give us trouble again."

"If you deduct money from my pay, don't blame me for yelling at you!"

Upon hearing this, the miners were immediately invigorated and full of fighting spirit!

Although the sudden clap of thunder had interrupted the miners' fantasies about the future, the flame of making money had been ignited in their imaginations, making them somewhat restless and full of fighting spirit.

The miners were once again immersed in their busy work and began their own struggles.

Of course, while the miners were struggling in the mines, a similar struggle was taking place in the governor's study in Hanyang Prefecture, where a group of people were arguing and debating fiercely around a map on the wall.

This matter is of great importance. Each government office has its own interests, and they all have their own opinions, resulting in significant disagreements. No one can convince anyone else.

Meng Xiong, from the Industrial Bureau, in particular, had a deep understanding of Hanyang Prefecture's production capacity and was even more knowledgeable about the war.

If you don't have the skills, don't take on the job!

The Immigration Agency and the Trade Agency hold different views and strongly advocate for its introduction and implementation.

Whether from the perspective of Hanyang's development or the expansion of the government's power, both government offices had a need to control immigration routes, and naturally hoped that the Governor-General's Office could approve this plan.

As the host of the meeting and the highest decision-maker in Hanyang Prefecture, Han Qingyun had an inescapable responsibility to come up with a clear decision as soon as possible.

Otherwise, the two sides with differing opinions will definitely fight until one side is defeated.

To be honest, this is also a headache for Han Qingyun, making it difficult for him to make a decision.

According to Meng Xiong of the Industrial Bureau, the total population of Hanyang Prefecture was less than 7 Chinese, and the number of troops that could be deployed was very limited.

Unless all production ceases, it will be difficult to sustain operations once the war is lost.

To say it makes no sense would be false. But to say it makes sense is clearly impractical.

This is a crucial moment for Hanyang's development, and the demand for labor is extremely urgent.

If you delay, you might really miss out for a lifetime!

After much hesitation, Han Qingyun knew he had to make a decision. He gestured for everyone to sit down before solemnly saying, "The development of Hanyang cannot be separated from immigrants and laborers."

"Director Meng, what you said makes a lot of sense, but it doesn't apply to Hanyang."

"There is a pack of wild and untamed jackals around Hanyang. If we are complacent or full of worries, then once these jackals grow stronger, it will not be a question of how to make a living, but a question of whether we can survive at all."

Then, Han Qingyun walked to the edge of the map, took out his baton, and marked a large area of ​​islands in the South China Sea, saying, "You all know the situation here, so I won't go into details!"

Clearly, Han Qingyun still supported the opinions of the Trade Commission and the Immigration Agency.

As for Meng Xiong's opinion from the Industrial Bureau, Han Qingyun gave a brief but thorough explanation using the situation in Southeast Asia.

Meng Xiong of the Industrial Bureau had indeed enjoyed a few good years and become somewhat complacent. However, being a military man by birth, he never lacked that fighting spirit.

Now that Han Qingyun has chosen war, Meng Xiong of the Industrial Bureau naturally retracted his previous opinion and said, "Chief Secretary, you are right. If Nanyang continues to develop in the current situation, we really don't have much time left."

"If laborers can solve the problem of Hanyang's development, I am willing to lead troops into battle."

"Even if I die on the battlefield, I will never back down!"

With Meng Xiong's attitude from the Industrial Development Bureau, the discussion meeting can be considered to have successfully completed its mission.

Based on the need for laborers, Han Qingyun absolutely could not allow this mission to fail, saying, "Director Meng, you can't have this mentality. We may not be able to defeat the foreigners, but that doesn't mean we can't defeat the indigenous people of the South Island."

This sounds quite frustrating, but it's true, and Meng Xiong of the Industrial Development Bureau has no objection.

Han Qingyun followed suit, and seeing that Meng Xiong of the Industrial Bureau did not object, he continued, "Furthermore, in addition to the armed fleets of the Immigration Bureau and the Trade Bureau, we also have a naval force!"

"With such an advantage, you must have some confidence in yourself!"

"As for who will ultimately lead the troops, we can discuss that later; there's no rush."

"The urgent task now is to determine whether our naval fleet, as well as the armed fleets of the Immigration and Trade Administration, are capable of fighting this battle and to ensure victory."

Currently, the naval fleet of Hanyang Prefecture is under the management of the Grand General's Office, and its command authority also rests with the Grand General's Office, controlled by the Left and Right Grand Generals.

Meng Xiong, concurrently serving as Left Commander-in-Chief of the Industrial Bureau, directly conveyed the naval force's stance to Han Qingyun, stating, "Chief of State, the naval force is capable of fighting and will never disappoint you!"

The attitude is there, but as for their actual capabilities, we need to see for ourselves.

Following Meng Xiong's words from the Industrial Bureau, Han Qingyun also had the idea of ​​inspecting the naval fleet, saying, "Director Meng, we'll only know if the navy can fight after we see it. Let's hurry back before it gets dark."

However, Meng Xiong held a different opinion and strongly advised Han Qingyun, saying, "Generalissimo, why don't we wait until tomorrow? If we go now, the naval forces will be completely unprepared."

"Besides, it's getting late. By the time we get there, it'll be almost dark, and we won't be able to see anything!"

Having undergone five years of industrial training, Meng Xiong of the Industrial Bureau was quite mature and prudent, and considered matters thoroughly. Therefore, Han Qingyun did not insist and postponed the matter for a day, saying, "Then let's do it tomorrow!"

Early the next morning, Han Qingyun led the heads of four government offices onto an inland river transport ship at the dock outside the city to inspect the Hanyang naval port!

The naval port was already on high alert, with officers and soldiers wearing peaked caps and sky-blue uniforms fully prepared.

Five warships were lined up side by side in the harbor, namely:

Ship number 301, a sail-powered, wooden-hulled third-class battleship with a displacement of 1500 tons, a total of 80 guns, and a crew of 535.

Ship number 302, a sail-powered, wooden-hulled third-class battleship with a displacement of 1300 tons, a total of 74 guns, and a crew of 475.

Ship number 501, a sail-powered wooden-hulled cruiser, with a displacement of 1000 tons, 50 cannons, and a crew of 350.

Ship number 502, a sail-powered wooden-hulled cruiser, with a displacement of 900 tons, 36 cannons, and a crew of 285.

Ship number 503, a sail-powered wooden-hulled cruiser, with a displacement of 800 tons, 36 cannons, and a crew of 225.

There are two ammunition supply ships, each with a displacement of 600 tons and a total of 150 officers and soldiers.

The entire naval fleet (excluding supply ships) has a total tonnage of 5500 tons and a rated personnel of 2020.

This is naturally incomparable to the British navy's total tonnage of 26 tons, but it can still be compared with the Netherlands. After all, the Dutch navy's tonnage has decreased, and now only its former "reputation" and the title of "white great power" remain.

As a result of the Napoleonic Wars, the total tonnage of the Dutch naval fleet has dropped from 5.5 tons before the Napoleonic Wars to a historic low of 1.5 tons.

As for armed merchant ships, there were quite a few. However, armed merchant ships were ultimately merchant ships, and their function was to be responsible for trade. It was impossible to cut off domestic trade in the Netherlands for the sake of war.

With this level of military force, it's truly a miracle that Britain was able to preserve its existing colonies.

If Britain hadn't had reservations and needed the Netherlands to counterbalance France, it wouldn't have compromised and conceded, returning Batavia, which it had once occupied, to the Netherlands.

But while withdrawing, they firmly held onto Singapore!

This move also extended the reach of the Indian Viceroy's office into the Southeast Asian region. However, the country had just ended the Napoleonic Wars and was still in a period of recovery.