The Australian Revolution of 1828

Zhang Zhenghe arrived quickly, and Luo Bingzhong left just as quickly.

The handover took about three days. The spoils that were originally intended to be sent back to Hanyang were also taken back by Luo Bingzhong.

Accompanying Luo Bingzhong were the newly enthroned and abdicated King of Bali, as well as the Prime Minister and other high-ranking officials. The officials temporarily remaining in Xunyang were primarily from the lower ranks.

These people are insignificant; even without the Premier and other high-ranking officials, they cannot affect the overall situation in Xunyang.

Just before boarding the ship, Luo Bingzhong did not forget to give instructions, saying, "Brother Zhenghe, the matter of the laborers is very important. You must deliver them to Hanyang as soon as possible."

Zhang Zhenghe, being one of the best among the younger generation, naturally understood the importance of laborers. He readily agreed, saying, "Brother Bingzhong, please rest assured, I will take charge of this matter immediately and will not delay it."

With Zhang Zhenghe's assurance, Luo Bingzhong boarded the ship with peace of mind. Even as the fleet sailed out to sea, their gaze never left Xunyang.

This is the place where we once fought, and it was the first piece of land occupied by Hanyang, making it of extraordinary significance.

Five days later, Luo Bingzhong's fleet arrived at Hanyang Port as scheduled, and brought the gold and silver worth 23 million silver dollars that he had captured to the Governor's Mansion. Among them, the gold and silver worth 230 silver dollars were left to the garrison regiment and the troops from Xunyang who were incorporated into the army.

The remaining 51 mu of arable land has not yet been sold and is awaiting approval from Governor-General Han Qingyun.

At this moment, Han Qingyun, inside the Governor's Mansion, was also on the verge of exploding with rage. Pointing at Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau, he shouted, "What are the Dutch trying to do?"

"Do they really think they have no weaknesses?"

"Immediately send a letter to Li Guochen, instructing him to contact Prince Dibonigoro of the Yogyakarta Sultanate and provide him with all necessary weapons support."

"As long as they pay, we'll give them whatever they want, even a 32-pound cannon."

It's no wonder Han Qingyun was furious. The Netherlands was already in the midst of war, fighting tooth and nail with the Sultan of Yogyakarta in Java, and still keeping an eye on Xunyang County.

Do they really think they're so great just because they're foreigners that the Hanyang Prefecture is afraid of them?

Dai Zhicheng of the Civil Affairs Bureau had frequently contradicted Han Qingyun, which had long annoyed her.

Knowing this, they behaved very obediently, neither infringing on Han Qingyun's decision-making power nor overturning any resolutions of the Governor's Office.

The key word is "well-behaved".

So far, his performance has been quite good, and he has done a good job. Han Qingyun has also approved of him and has not criticized him excessively.

Faced with the unreasonable demands of the Netherlands, Dai Zhicheng also expressed his anger, echoing, "General Secretary, the foreigners have been shameless for over a hundred years, not just for a day or two."

"It is utterly absurd that they think they can define our spheres of influence and then expect our approval."

"They've now handed diplomatic documents directly to Commander Li (Guochen) and demanded our withdrawal from Xunyang County. I humbly believe this is unacceptable; we must give the Dutch a warning."

"Simply supporting the Prince of Yogyakarta is not enough. I believe we should quickly take over Natuna Island."

Han Qingyun certainly wanted to take over Natuna Island, but he was just waiting to see how the Dutch would react.

The Dutch arrived shortly after capturing Xunyang Island (Bali), demonstrating that they ultimately dared not wage war.

Li Guochen's assessment was the same; he was prepared to sink the Dutch warships, but the other side did not give him the opportunity and directly sent an envoy with a diplomatic document.

At this time, Luo Bingzhong had already left Xunyang County and was unaware of the situation.

The foreigners started using diplomatic channels, and Li Guochen couldn't make direct decisions, so he sent diplomatic documents over by fast ship, which arrived even earlier than Luo Bingzhong's.

While they were discussing strategies, Luo Bingzhong also arrived from the port.

Han Qingyun did not rush to make a decision regarding Dai Zhicheng's suggestion, but instead summoned Luo Bingzhong.

Luo Bingzhong had just arrived in Hanyang and was unaware of what had happened in Xunyang County. He led his men to carry boxes of gold and silver to the governor's study.

Looking at the gold and silver piled up in the study, Han Qingyun felt much better and said, "This battle was not in vain. We not only gained a stable transit point for immigration and trade, but also seized a considerable amount of gold and silver."

"It not only made up for military spending, but also laid the foundation for the next phase of immigration."

"You all deserve a lot of credit for this battle!"

Luo Bingzhong was pleased to receive Han Qingyun's affirmation and said, "It was all thanks to the Chief Censor's excellent planning that we were able to successfully capture Xunyang."

"It would be inappropriate to give all the credit to us."

After hearing so many nice words, Han Qingyun actually found them quite agreeable.

However, this matter concerns the army's recognition of merits, so it cannot be taken lightly. He said, "Bingzhong, you are an old man, and you have been with me for many years."

"Don't you know who I am?!"

He then picked up an appointment document from the desk, handed it to Luo Bingzhong, and said, "This is the approval based on the commendation report you submitted."

"Take a look, there's nothing wrong with it, let's do it this way!"

At that time, the reports requesting commendations were submitted after repeated deliberation by the two of them, so Luo Bingzhong was aware of the contents.

After a quick glance, finding nothing amiss, he said, "I have no objection to informing the Chief Justice."

While Luo Bingzhong was reviewing the reply letter regarding the merits, Han Qingyun carefully pondered the matter of Natuna Island before asking Luo Bingzhong's opinion, saying, "Bingzhong, this is a diplomatic document submitted by the Minister of State. Take a look at it as well."

"Old Dai hopes to take advantage of the situation and seize Natuna Island. What's your opinion?"

At this point, Han Qingyun was already leaning towards taking the bait, which meant thoroughly provoking the Dutch colonial governor's office in Batavia to see their true reaction.

If the other side feigns weakness and pretends not to know, it means the Netherlands is no longer capable of intervening. As for diplomatic documents, simply ignore them.

But if they dare to start a war, Han Qingyun is prepared with all weapons support except for military force, and he must make the Yogyakarta Sultan's prince hurt the Netherlands badly.

Only by inflicting serious damage can Han Qingyun secure the flight route that belongs to Hanyang.

As for the Dutch defeating the Yogyakarta Sultan's prince, that happened two years later.

Two years later, in 1830, the Netherlands was again facing the danger of financial exhaustion, making it unlikely that it would resort to force.

It was based on this fundamental judgment that Han Qingyun decided to test the waters in the Netherlands. Only by understanding the situation in the Netherlands could Han Qingyun handle things with ease and avoid making mistakes in decision-making.

As for Britain, Great Britain doesn't even consider Natuna Island worthy of its attention.

It can be said that at this time, there were hundreds of large and small forces in Southeast Asia. It was commonplace for one to fight against foreigners, and it was not surprising at all.

On the contrary, Hanyang Prefecture was the least valued force. Even if they hurt the Dutch, so what? Would the British rush to join the war?

However, Luo Bingzhong had just returned from the front lines and knew about the morale of the troops and the reserves of supplies. Han Qingyun needed Luo Bingzhong to make a relatively well-founded judgment.

In fact, Luo Bingzhong did not disappoint Han Qingyun, saying, "Chief Censor, I think it's feasible. Wei Guochang, the county magistrate of Xunyang, immigrated to Hanyang from Natuna Island."

"There are more than 8000 Chinese on Natuna Island. Wei Guochang can persuade the locals to surrender."

"Once the Chinese on Natuna Island surrender, Hanyang can immediately build fortifications. It will only take a month to build a warship."

"Even if all five Dutch warships came, they still wouldn't be able to take it down."

That makes sense. Wei Guochang went to Southeast Asia with his fellow villagers when he was 10 years old. He later lived on Natuna Island and must have had some familiar fellow villagers there.

Once this connection can be established, coupled with the support of the trading post on Natuna Island, they will inevitably surrender and become an important stronghold on the Hanyang trade route.

The only shortages are food and ammunition, which Natuna cannot guarantee production of!