The Australian Revolution of 1828

Once inside the outer city, there is a wide main street that leads directly to the inner city.

Workers came and went along the street, all dressed in the same work clothes, men and women, chatting and laughing, looking very comfortable.

Although the population density in the city was far less than that of the Indian colony of Calcutta, it was still much higher than that of Sydney.

Knowing he couldn't move freely, Major Edmund Lockyer didn't insist on visiting on his own. He boarded a carriage and headed straight for the palace.

Han Qingyun did not take this too seriously. Instead, he deliberately made things difficult for the British envoy from Sydney by ordering his attendant to relay a message to the army major who was receiving him, instructing him to return to the inn to rest temporarily.

When will the audience take place? To be determined.

It wasn't that Han Qingyun was pretending to be profound or arrogant; rather, Han Qingyun had to be firm and not be too lenient, lest the other party see through Xia Kingdom's undeserved national strength.

Overestimating the other party could easily embolden the already arrogant and complacent British envoy.

For this reason, Han Qingyun planned to give the envoy a few days of silence as a way to intimidate him. This would both correct the envoy's attitude and make the envoy look at him with more respect.

Major Edmund Lockyer, always arrogant, became even more furious upon learning of the further delay. Through a translator, he protested to the army major who was receiving him, "Your Majesty is extremely rude. There is no reason for you to avoid meeting me."

"The Kingdom of Great Britain, with its vast maritime borders, has never received such treatment!"

The army major, also known for his fiery temper, retorted directly through the translator: "Our king is the ruler of the nation; how can he tolerate such slander from a mere major like you!"

"If you want war, then I'll fight. Enough with the nonsense!"

"If you don't want to wait at the inn, please go back!"

His overall posture and demeanor were no less imposing than Major Edmund Lockyer's; on the contrary, he appeared quite confident.

Major Edmund Lockyer’s rudeness and arrogance stemmed from Britain’s powerful naval forces and its colonies around the world.

What gave the Xia Kingdom army major in charge of receiving them such confidence?

This is a question that Major Edmund Lockyer should consider.

However, Major Edmund Lockyer didn't have time to think about that problem for the time being. He needed to prioritize meeting the King of Xia and finding out the true situation in Xia.

Considering that the two cruisers stationed in the open sea are currently in a standoff with the Xia Kingdom's fleet.

If we cannot meet with King Xia as soon as possible, thus delaying our return to the fleet, it may lead to a misjudgment by the fleet, which could have serious consequences.

Given the current strength of the Sydney Governor's Office, it certainly does not have the capability to wage war.

The Indian Viceroy's Office had just experienced the First Anglo-Burmese War and needed time to recover, so it had no plans to launch a new round of colonial wars for the time being.

Moreover, Xia Kingdom is located in a remote area and is not on international shipping lanes, so the Indian Viceroy's Office is not keen to get involved in Xia Kingdom's disputes too early.

Of course, there were also concerns about intelligence, since the Indian Governor's Office had not yet fully investigated the specific population, military equipment, and other information of the Xia Kingdom.

To avoid the fleet's miscalculation leading to an unnecessary war and the destruction of the Sydney Governor's only two cruisers, Major Edmund Lockyer flatly refused, saying, "Since your King has business to attend to, I will come again tomorrow."

"Please send me back to the fleet; I need to take command of it."

The major in charge of receiving them did not hesitate and arranged for a paddle steamer to take them to the outer sea fleet.

The following day, when Major Edmund Lockyer brought up the matter of an audience again, Han Qingyun directly refused.

He then relayed a message to Major Edmund Lockyer, expressing his disappointment with the envoy: "The Xia Kingdom is not a place one can come and go as one pleases."

"As diplomatic envoys between our two countries, you have shown no sincerity whatsoever. The Xia Kingdom does not welcome you."

At this point, Han Qingyun not only revealed the army's true strength (68-pounder cannon) but also demonstrated sincerity, completely pinning the blame for the rudeness on Edmund Lockyer.

In diplomatic relations, it's all about who can seize the initiative.

As long as things haven't completely fallen out, it still has some effect.

Now that Han Qingyun has the upper hand, he can use Edmund Lockyer's rudeness as an excuse to completely thwart the other party's plans to go ashore.

While Edmund Lockyer might still want to continue his reconnaissance ashore, he could use this excuse to refuse, leaving the other party speechless and preventing them from suspecting Xia's true intentions.

It can be said that the refusal was reasonable and well-founded, with no flaws to be found.

In fact, after seeing the 68-pound cannon on the city wall and the workers inside the city, Major Edmund Lockyer lost his will to continue shouting and calmed down.

First, the Sydney Governor's Office was too weak to contend with the Xia Kingdom's naval power.

Secondly, Major Edmund Lockyer never truly grasped the strength of the Xia Kingdom.

Thirdly, to defeat the Xia Kingdom, the Indian Governor-General's Office would need to provide assistance.

Fourth, the Xia state had factories and workers, which could cast more powerful cannons.

Fifth, if the Hanyang Fort also had 68-pounder cannons, it would be something that ordinary battleships could not contend with.

The above five points are all key factors that determine success or failure.

As a naval lieutenant commander in the Sydney Governor's Office, Edmund Lockyer lacked the ability to influence the Indian Governor's Office and could only hope to find out about Xia's military capabilities as soon as possible.

Looking at Hanyang so close at hand, Major Edmund Lockyer was powerless.

Unable to land or fire the cannons, they found themselves in a difficult situation.

Faced with the Xia Kingdom's naval vigilance, Major Edmund Lockyer was completely helpless. If he had stayed at the inn, he might have been able to meet the Xia King.

Now that I haven't even met him, I'm going back to Sydney in such a dejected manner, which is somewhat disheartening.

But there was no good solution, so we had to go back and discuss it further.

Han Qingyun was still a little worried after learning that the "plague god" from Sydney had left.

This is a colonial empire that clamors for "free trade," but it will never be so honest when it comes to interests.

If the first attempt fails, there will inevitably be a second and a third.

In this respect, the British were quite adept at stirring up trouble, after all, that's how India came to be a colony.

In the early stages, the focus was on trade. Once some local forces were won over and the conflicts between the various parties were understood, the conflicts could be intensified, thus allowing the other party to reap the benefits.

This method can be described as something they handle with ease and effortlessness.

Based on this consideration, Han Qingyun reiterated a previously issued order, which was to be implemented by Luo Bingzhong, the chief minister of the Civil Affairs Department, who said: "Given the development of the situation, any foreigners found in factories, mines and districts shall be detained."

"Foreigners must not be allowed to roam freely and investigate everything within the country's borders."

This "everything" includes many things, such as the location of factories and mines, population data, the number of workers, the acreage of cultivated land, and the location of fortifications, etc.