The Australian Revolution of 1828

Six days later, on April 15, 1828, Captain Wei Guochang led the fleet safely to Hanyang Port and brought news that the cargo ships had been hijacked.

Han Qingyun knew perfectly well that this was the work of Li Guochen of the Trade Department, but he pretended to be unaware of it, looked very shocked, and made a speech about the incident.

"Since we settled in Hanyang, we have never suffered such a humiliation! A bunch of ruffians and scoundrels from Dampasa dared to rob Hanyang merchant ships without even a gun or a cannon."

"Are we too easy to talk to, or have we become too used to being bullied?"

"I don't believe this is the private act of a rogue; it seems more like a deliberate act. If the Governor's Office continues to condone such shameless behavior, our trade will be unsustainable!"

"To ensure the safety of the Hanyang trade route, the Governor-General's Office must punish the bandits with swift and decisive action!"

As soon as the announcement was made, the armed fleets of the Trade Bureau and the Immigration Bureau were the first to react. Driven by self-interest, the fleets of both bureaus volunteered to fight and severely punish the villains, demonstrating their respect for the trading post.

In response, Han Qingyun convened a meeting on April 17 to address the hijacking of the merchant ship.

At this time, the Dutch Batavia colonial government was busy with the Java War and had no time to look eastward. But just in case, Han Qingyun still kept a contingency plan.

The merchant ship incident was used to completely silence the Dutch Batavia colonial government.

Once all the heads of various government departments had arrived, Luo Bingzhong of the Immigration Bureau, one of the two most loyal implementers of the expansion strategy, spoke first, saying indignantly, "Chief of State, the trade war is the foundation of Hanyang's development, and it absolutely cannot be lost. If we just give up now, who knows how many more problems will arise in the future!"

"I believe we should immediately send troops to demand an explanation from the King of Bali."

Han Qingyun neither confirmed nor denied, but instead shifted his gaze to the other sixteen directors (out of a total of 17, excluding Li Guochen from the Trade Bureau), and said, "Director Luo's words are indeed reasonable. What do you directors think?"

All sixteen commissioners present had attended labor conferences and were well-prepared for the Denpasar conflict. Naturally, they were also indignant and offered their advice, strongly advocating for severe punishment of the troublemakers.

The relevant procedures have been completed, and it's time to decide on a leader. Although Han Qingyun already has a candidate in mind, a standard process still needs to be followed.

After the meeting adjourned, Han Qingyun reorganized a meeting of the six departments, namely the Grand Governor's Office, the Civil Affairs Department, the Trade Department, the Immigration Department, the Military Affairs Department, and the Industry Department, to make decisions on the commanding generals.

During the meeting, Han Qingyun gave his opening remarks before the battle, saying, "This is a war in which we have no experience whatsoever, and it is of paramount importance to Hanyang. Everyone, speak freely and do not hesitate or act like women."

Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Department welcomed the outcome of the conflict sparked by the labor issue.

At this stage, as long as Han Qingyun is willing to do things, there will inevitably be times when he makes wrong decisions, or when his decisions cause incalculable losses.

Once things reach this point, it will inevitably cause unrest in Hanyang, and Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau can use the pretext of "correcting past mistakes" to regain the lost rights.

If handled properly, they could even oust Han Qingyun from power!

Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Department responded positively, saying, "General Secretary, I believe that Lin Moquan, the former Director of the War Bureau, is the most suitable candidate."

"When the old governor was alive, Director Lin was famous for his naval skills and served as the director of the War Bureau for a long time. If you ask who in all of Hanyang is good at naval warfare, I think it has to be Director Lin!"

Since the last dismantling of the War Bureau, Lin Moquan has been dismissed and is now unemployed at home, doing nothing.

If Hanyang Prefecture were stable enough and had a large and capable army, Han Qingyun might actually have promoted Lin Moquan. But that's clearly not the case; given the current situation in Hanyang, there's simply no room for dissidents.

Appointing Lin Moquan as the commander of this battle would be far too frivolous.

In order to appease Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau and the confidants left behind by Old Master Han, Han Qingyun did not press the matter further. Instead, he offered words of reassurance and assured them of stability in Hanyang, saying, "Director Dai, what you said is not without merit!"

"If we're talking about who's the best fighter in Hanyang, I think it has to be Director Lin Moquan. But as you know, Director Lin has always been very arrogant, and I'm afraid he might look down on the Kingdom of Bali."

"This battle concerns the future development of Hanyang, and I cannot easily entrust the success or failure of Hanyang to someone who is too reckless."

"You can also understand it this way: we're no longer the pirates of the past. Now we're small landowners with land and money. We can't always be thinking about risking our lives anymore; instead, we need to achieve the greatest results with the least cost."

Han Qingyun's words were reasonable and well-founded; even Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau couldn't find any fault with them. He said, "It was my rashness. Please give me your instructions, Chief Inspector!"

Seeing that Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau had given in, Han Qingyun turned his attention to Meng Xiong of the Left Governor-General's Office and the Industrial Bureau.

To be honest, ever since the labor issue was settled, Meng Xiong of the Left Governor-General's Industrial Office had been quite worried, fearing that the war would affect the stability of Hanyang.

Now that the die was cast, the Governor-General's Office had no way to back down. Meng Xiong volunteered, saying, "Governor-General, this matter concerns the life and death of Hanyang. We can only win, we cannot afford to lose!"

"This humble officer requests to lead the troops to fight this battle. If we are defeated, I am willing to bring my head to face you."

This was essentially a pledge, but Han Qingyun couldn't agree to it.

The reasoning is obvious. As Meng Xiong of the Left Governor-General's Industrial Office said, this battle must be won, not lost! Only in this way can Han Qingyun secure his position as governor-general and strengthen Hanyang.

Moreover, Han Qingyun already had a satisfactory candidate for commander, so there was no need for Meng Xiong of the Left Governor's Industrial Office to lead the troops. He said, "Left Governor, you are a veteran of Hanyang Prefecture. This time, let the newcomer take charge!"

"Now it's not just a matter of winning the war, but also about assessing the situation in Southeast Asia."

"The Netherlands has always regarded the East Indies as its exclusive domain and would never allow us to wage war against them. Although the Dutch Batavia colonial government is bogged down in the war in Java, we cannot ignore the influence of the Netherlands."

"This battle needs to be judged from the overall situation in Southeast Asia. Only Li You, who is familiar with the situation in Southeast Asia, can make the most advantageous choice."

"This fleet will not only sail to Natuna Island, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, and Sumbawa, but also completely shut up the Dutch colonists."

"Furthermore, I'm not comfortable leaving the navy unattended. This operation will primarily utilize armed merchant ships from the Trade Bureau and Immigration Bureau, with naval vessels providing support. Left Commander-in-Chief, please accompany the navy on this expedition!"

"If any armed merchant ships belonging to the Trade Bureau or the Immigration Bureau encounter any problems, the naval fleet can provide support."

The appointment of Li Guochen from the Trade Bureau as the commander for this operation was not due to any intentional favoritism by Han Qingyun, but rather a decision made after careful consideration.

First, Li Guochen was willing to risk his life to go to Denpasar and take this risky step.

Secondly, Li Guochen of the Trade Commission was determined to acquire the trading post and was well prepared.

Third, the Trade Commissioner controlled a number of armed merchant ships and had sufficient command capabilities.

As for Luo Bingzhong of the Immigration Agency, he also controlled some armed merchant ships, but ultimately he wasn't as ruthless as Li Guochen. Han Qingyun now needs a general who can go to the battlefield and is ruthless enough to himself.

Otherwise, being too indecisive can easily lead to mistakes.

Furthermore, considering the importance of armed merchant ships to Hanyang, Han Qingyun planned to simultaneously appoint Luo Bingzhong of the Immigration Bureau as deputy commander, to assume responsibilities that suited his character.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the scarcity of talent in Hanyang Prefecture; there are simply too few candidates available!