The Australian Revolution of 1828

September 16, 1828, off the coast of Hanyang, the capital of the Xia Dynasty.

After a seven-day sea voyage, Major Edmund Lockyer, following the location map provided by the Governor-General of India, finally located the approximate location of the Xia Kingdom.

He summoned the fleet's second-in-command, pointed to the distant coastline, and said, "Captain, we're about to reach the so-called Xia Kingdom. Order the fleet to increase its alert level."

"If the situation changes, open fire at my command."

The major had many questions in his mind about how large the Xia Kingdom was and how strong its naval power was.

The Sydney Governor's Office did send people to sail around the Mingzhou continent and draw up detailed nautical charts. At that time, they did not pay much attention to the distribution of power on the west coast; their only goal was to draw up a detailed map of the Mingzhou continent as soon as possible.

Decades later, the unexpected discovery of a powerful Xia Kingdom, without any prior knowledge of its inner workings, left the Sydney Governor's Office feeling uneasy and eager to ascertain the Xia Kingdom's strength.

According to the Indian Viceroy's Office, this Xia Kingdom has a population of over one million, more than five naval vessels, and an unknown number of armed merchant ships.

Such a force, placed in the Southeast Asia, could rival the Dutch. The fact that no one noticed the reconnaissance ships sent earlier was a serious oversight.

The captain hesitated slightly. This was the first time the two sides had dealt with each other, and the other side had a naval force that could rival that of the Netherlands. The major was already preparing to open fire, which was something the captain had not expected.

But as a soldier, the captain obeyed orders and replied, "Yes, Major!"

Major Edmund Lockyer brought two outdated Tier IV cruisers and a supply ship with him when he came to investigate the situation in Xia Kingdom. This was all the naval force that the Sydney Governor's Office could muster.

It's not that Britain didn't have ships, but rather that there was no country in Sydney, only numerous tribes. These tribes were powerless even against criminals, let alone two fourth-class cruisers.

These two cruisers, stationed in Sydney Harbour, are practically invincible.

This invincible existence vanished completely in a report from the Indian Governor's Office, becoming a weak force in the Mingzhou continent.

If Xia Kingdom truly possesses more than five warships, the Sydney Governor's Office can only watch helplessly.

With this sense of unwillingness, Major Edmund Lockyer arrived at the coastal waters of Xia Kingdom.

In the sea area, there was a blue sky and white clouds, and a third-class battleship approaching from a distance.

Holding a monocular telescope, He Zhibang, the commander of the Xia Kingdom's navy, observed the fleet approaching from afar and issued a new order: "Issue a warning to the ships in the area, prohibiting them from continuing to approach our coastal waters."

By changing the flag, He Zhibang also sent out his warning to the other party.

Major Edmund Lockyer, unimpressed and indignant, shouted, "Ignore these monkeys, the ship continues on its way."

As a thorough colonizer, Major Edmund Lockyer possessed an unusual ruthlessness and did not take Xia Kingdom's warnings seriously.

Moreover, the purpose of this voyage is to find out the specific situation of Xia Kingdom. If we leave in such a humiliating manner, it will be as if we have gained nothing.

Faced with the reckless ramming of the Sydney Governor's House warships, the naval commander did not order them to open fire, but instead followed behind, waiting for reinforcements from other ships.

Two hours later, reinforcements arrived one after another and began to surround the enemy ships.

Faced with five warships superior to their own, Major Edmund Lockyer finally calmed down and said, "Captain, signal to them with flags to reveal our identity as special envoys and request permission to go ashore to visit the King of Xia."

The situation at sea could erupt at any moment; a slight misstep could lead to a fierce naval battle.

Naval Commander He Zhibang wanted to establish his authority, but he also knew that the other party was a British ship and not easy to deal with at the moment, so he could only ask Han Qingyun for instructions.

When the news reached the Xia King's Palace, Han Qingyun and Luo Bingzhong exchanged a smile and said, "Bingzhong, what's coming will come. This test is probably unavoidable."

"Since they want to come ashore for reconnaissance, then let their fleet commander come over. Their warships are not allowed to dock."

"Also, keep a close watch on him and don't let anyone get close to this foreigner."

"As for the rest, you can make the arrangements. We must show this foreigner our strength and that we are not a small country that can be easily bullied."

If one plan fails, another will surely follow; there's no escaping it.

The order was quickly relayed to the sea, and Major Edmund Lockyer did not hesitate, readily accepting the order and heading to Xia Kingdom to meet Han Qingyun.

They have the courage and the confidence.

But whatever that aura, it's the arrogance that Britain has cultivated over hundreds of years.

Major Edmund Lockyer actually looked down on Xia Kingdom, but because British military forces were deployed all over the world, they couldn't interfere with Xia Kingdom for the time being.

With this kind of mindset, Edmund Lockyer appeared very arrogant.

That afternoon, the steam paddle steamer dispatched by the Xia Kingdom picked up Major Edmund Lockyer and took him to Hanyang City via the inland waterway.

After disembarking, Major Edmund Lockyer looked at the solid concrete road, the city walls that were tens of meters high, and the large cannon barrels on the walls.

A rough estimate suggests it was at least a 68-pound cannon, with the barrel weighing approximately 8000 kilograms.

While the 68-pound cannon had a slow rate of fire, it was enough to destroy any ship that tried to get close to the city walls.

现阶段，三级战列舰多以28门32磅重炮为主，辅以30门24磅炮和16门9磅炮。

32磅炮约重5000斤，发射32磅的实心铁弹；24磅炮约重4000斤，发射34磅的实心铁弹；9磅炮约重2000斤，发射9磅的实心铁弹。

A third-rate battleship is simply no match for a 68-pound solid iron shot.

For reconnaissance purposes, Major Edmund Lockyer was still interested in going up to the city walls to take a look, and he asked, "Sir, may I go up to the city walls to have a look?"

The person in charge of receiving him was an army major, who refused Major Edmund Lockyer's request, saying, "Major, the city walls are a military restricted area and viewing is prohibited."

"If you wish to see His Majesty, please come this way and do not be late."

Han Qingyun could not possibly meet the demands of the foreigners.

Some things are meant to be shown off; as for their actual quality and performance, let others guess!

Weapons must be intimidating to deter the enemy.

In any case, it's impossible to allow foreigners to watch up close, nor is it possible to allow them to observe the launch effects.

Major Edmund Lockyer seemed somewhat unwilling to leave, lingering outside the city walls to get a close look at the large-caliber heavy artillery.

Only after he had a clear idea of ​​what was going on did he follow the army major who was there to greet him into the city.

Hanyang was divided into inner and outer cities, both of which were built with materials such as concrete and bamboo strips, making their structural strength much higher than that of ordinary city walls.

All of this caught the attention of Major Edmund Lockyer, further convincing him that the Xia Kingdom was a formidable power and not easily conquered.