The Australian Revolution of 1828

At 3:45 noon on August 13, 1828, Zhaoyang Island, Zhaoyang County (Natuna Island).

"It has now been found that the three brothers Li Zhisheng, Li Zhilong, and Li Zhibai of Zhaoyang County conspired with foreigners to massacre the people of Zhaoyang County. Their crimes are heinous and unforgivable."

"The time has come. Verify identity and proceed immediately!"

At a single command, three heads fell to the ground in an instant. The already enraged crowd was completely ignited, swarming forward and relentlessly kicking and beating the three corpses.

In recent years, the people of Zhaoyang County have lived a very stifled life; their extravagance is simply inhuman.

To satisfy the greedy Dutchmen, the three brothers squeezed the people of Zhaoyang County dry, leaving them with not a single grain left in their pockets.

If it weren't for the trade and immigration routes of the Xia Kingdom passing through, the people would probably be living in even greater hardship.

Fortunately, their suffering finally came to an end, and the Xia Kingdom's army arrived, completely changing the existing situation. The Chinese who had been stranded in Zhaoyang County were given a brief respite.

However, the three brothers were used to being in control and did not want Wei Guochang's vanguard troops to remain stationed there. So they colluded with foreigners to overthrow the situation in Zhaoyang.

This was intolerable, so Wei Guochang showed his bloodthirsty side, confiscating the property of the three brothers and executing them. All the proceeds were used to build fortifications.

Seeing the reaction of the people of Zhaoyang County, Wei Guochang cleared his throat and shouted, "Quiet down, everyone."

While speaking, Wei Guochang also signaled to the soldiers on duty around him to bring the commotion under control as soon as possible.

Once the chaotic situation was under control, Wei Guochang produced the order sent from Hanyang and said, "His Majesty established the Xia Kingdom on August 1st. Natuna Island has been renamed Zhaoyang Island and Zhaoyang County. Wei Guochang will assume the post of Magistrate of Zhaoyang County."

There were still some acquaintances of Wei Guochang around the execution ground. The fact that he could become a county magistrate in just four years was quite tempting to the people who had fled from Lianzhou Prefecture with him.

One of the men, a robust man of about 35, was rather smug and boasted to those around him, "Do any of you know who the magistrate on this platform is?"

Another man chimed in, disgruntled, "Old Liu, it's all over the island that Magistrate Wei once made a living on this island."

"Four years ago, I came to Hanyang on an immigrant ship, and that's how I got my current status."

"You're talking as if we don't know anything about it!"

There were about a hundred people who fled from Lianzhou Prefecture to Zhaoyang County together. Now, some have died of illness, some have starved to death, and some have been beaten to death. It can be said that nearly half of them are gone.

It was already a stroke of luck that he survived, but unexpectedly, Wei Guochang encountered a great opportunity and became the county's top official.

It would be a lie to say I'm not envious of such opportunities and status.

But the opportunity has already been missed, so we can only accept our fate.

35-year-old Lao Liu rolled his eyes at the man and cursed, "Damn it, if I had known there would be such an opportunity, I should have followed Brother Guochang. I could have gotten a job at the police station."

Who can argue with that? But it's too late!

The people below the stage were whispering among themselves, while Wei Guochang on the stage was not idle either, reading out the various policies and orders of the Xia Kingdom.

Finally, Wei Guochang presented his grand finale—"A Letter to Fellow Descendants of the Han People";

"All descendants of the Han Dynasty are welcome to settle in Hanyang. The necessary houses, fields, farming tools and other supplies have been prepared. You can go with peace of mind."

"Those of Han descent who need a stable income can also go to Hanyang to find a satisfactory job."

"If any descendant of the Han people is bullied by foreigners, the Xia Kingdom will surely seek justice for them!"

……

The letter, written entirely in vernacular Chinese, listed several points in a scattered manner, detailing the injustices and sufferings endured by Chinese people in Southeast Asia, which resonated with the people present.

While the "Letter to the People" may have exaggerated some parts, it resonated with the people, who expressed their feelings for the Xia Kingdom.

Moreover, the release of the "Letter to Compatriots" formally demonstrated Han Qingyun's emphasis on the Chinese in Southeast Asia and also provided a reason for intervening in regional affairs.

Liu, a 35-year-old man in the audience, had never been able to find a wife. Seeing how well Wei Guochang was doing, he suddenly lost all desire to stay in Zhaoyang.

"Make way, everyone, I have something to say!"

Wei Guochang recognized the man; he was a companion who had traveled south with him before.

However, Wei Guochang was only 10 years old at the time, while the boy was 17.

So many years have passed, but he hasn't changed a bit. He gestured for the soldiers maintaining order to make way and said, "Old Liu, come on up!"

Once everyone's attention was focused on the man, Wei Guochang said, "Old Liu, his real name is Liu Sangou, I'm sure you all know him."

"Back then, I followed Lao Liu to Zhaoyang County. Later, due to the pressure of making a living, I moved to Hanyang."

"What happened next is known to some and unknown to others, so I won't go into details here. If you're interested, you can ask someone."

"It was around that time that I joined the Trade Commission and became a seaman from Hanyang, and from then on I traveled all over the world. Perhaps because I had seen so much suffering for the Chinese, I vowed to cleanse these parasites who were harming the Chinese."

"Now, the parasites in Zhaoyang County have been completely eradicated, but this is not a long-term solution. Only when you all migrate to Hanyang can the Xia Kingdom truly develop and prosper."

"When the country is strong, no one will dare to bully you!"

His words struck a chord with the Chinese community present, who were so excited they were practically ready to sign up on the spot.

Fortunately, Wei Guochang didn't forget Liu Sangou beside him. After calming the crowd's jubilation, he said, "Old Liu, you had something to say earlier, now say it!"

Liu Sangou had never spoken in front of so many people before, and he was extremely nervous. He stammered, "Your Excellency, I think I've forgotten what I was going to say?"

The burly man, in a moment of nervousness, forgot what he was going to say, which drew laughter from the onlookers.

Someone in the audience shouted, "San Gou, come back quickly! We still want to hear the magistrate speak!"

Wei Guochang's pancake was too big, and the onlookers enjoyed it so much that they hoped Wei Guochang would say more and make the pancake even bigger.

Wei Guochang had said all he needed to say; now he needed a local to guide him. He said, "Old Liu, take a deep breath and try again!"

After a brief moment, Liu Sangou finally remembered what he wanted to say and said, "Folks, I've heard about this, and I guarantee it's true."

"Do you know how much the monthly salary is in Hanyang?"

"At least six silver dollars, and some could even get more than twenty!"

"Your Honor, is what I said true?"

Upon receiving Wei Guochang's confirmation, the crowd erupted in jubilation. They had only heard rumors of high salaries in Hanyang before, but no one had ever explicitly stated exactly how high; it was all hearsay.

Now that Wei Guochang has confirmed it, the news is completely true!

According to the current currency system of the Xia Kingdom, the soldiers of the Qing Dynasty only receive four or five silver dollars in salary. However, an ordinary citizen in Hanyang with no power can receive at least six silver dollars, which is already a rare and precious thing, and we dare not ask for more!

Comparing the income in Zhaoyang County to that, the difference is like night and day, there's no comparison!

As the "Letter to Fellow Descendants of the Han People" spread throughout Zhaoyang County, it also inspired the local people to try it out.