The Australian Revolution of 1828

The Dutch have been arrogant for a long time. Previously, they chose to give way because they were wary of the armed force of nearly 1000 people at the trading post.

The red-haired officer leading the group tried to take Tang Boqian away quietly, but gunshots rang out, and their whereabouts were completely exposed.

The trading post was already worried about trouble caused by the foreign devils and had always been on guard.

Upon hearing the gunshots coming from the direction of Tang Boqian's residence, they immediately guessed that the situation was about to get out of control.

Cheng Wenzhuo, the deputy station chief in charge of trade war preparedness, sensed that the situation was about to change. Without delay, he took over command and gave the order: "Sound the alarm immediately and assemble for an emergency."

"First Company, follow me. The rest of you, stay alert. If any of the red-haired devils launch a surprise attack, drive them back."

The entire trade war involved nearly 1000 people, roughly 120 people in a squadron.

About 10 minutes later, Cheng Wenzhuo hurriedly led the First Squadron to Tang Boqian's residence.

The mansion gates were wide open, and apart from two still somewhat warm corpses inside the courtyard, there was no other living creature.

Cheng Wenzhuo checked the temperature of the body, estimated the time of the incident, and said, "The gunshot just now definitely came from the station chief's house."

"The stationmaster's disappearance must be the work of those red-haired devils."

"Company commander, immediately send someone to report the situation to the station and mobilize artillery to prepare for an attack on Laoputou."

"Also, prepare two fast boats. Once it is confirmed that the red-haired devil is behind this, immediately report to the Xunyang County Garrison Command and Magistrate Wei of Zhaoyang County."

"The military situation is extremely urgent; there is absolutely no room for complacency!"

Because the trading posts were far from the central hub, each postmaster had the authority to make decisions on the spot, in order to prevent unforeseen situations from escalating to the point of being unmanageable.

Tang Boqian's disappearance means that the trading post is facing a great challenge.

If one hesitates at this point, disaster will follow.

The Xia Kingdom's trading posts are of paramount importance to trade and immigration; they must not be lost and must be protected from infiltration and attacks by any force.

This is a consensus in the Xia Kingdom and also the responsibility of the trading post, with Cheng Wenzhuo bearing the brunt of it.

Cheng Wenzhu relayed the order to the company commander, and then issued a new order, saying, "The gunfire has only lasted about 20 minutes. The red-haired devils must not have crossed the river yet. Pursue them towards Laoputou."

The old shop is located on the opposite bank of the Capuas River, facing the trading post of Xinputou across the river.

Cheng Wenzhuo hurried as fast as he could, but still couldn't catch up with the red-haired devil. When he arrived at the riverbank, the red-haired devil had already left by boat, and he also spotted Tang Boqian.

Watching the ship sail away, Cheng Wenzhuo was furious. He grabbed a gun and fired a shot at the ship, and a red-haired man fell to the ground.

Then, disregarding the possibility of triggering a war between the two countries of Xia and He, Cheng Wenzhuo ordered: "Everyone, avoid the stationmaster and fire at the red-haired devils. Make sure to kill all the red-haired devils on the ship."

The entire river is no more than 350 meters wide, and as long as it does not cross the center line, it is within the range of flintlock muskets.

The red-haired devils on the ship consisted of only a small squad of 35 men, which was no match for the First Company.

However, Cheng Wenzhuo's order came a little too late; the red-haired devils' boats had already crossed the midline of the river and were beyond the range of the flintlock muskets.

A volley of gunfire rang out, leaving only the smoke and residue of gunpowder.

Realizing he couldn't stop the red-haired devils from reaching the shore, Cheng Wenzhuo didn't hesitate and ordered, "Immediately notify the station and order the fast boat to depart immediately. Report the news of Station Chief Tang's arrest to the Xunyang Garrison Command and Zhaoyang County."

Tang Boqian's position is crucial to the normal operation of the trade war and the very existence of the trading post; he absolutely cannot allow the "red devils" to run rampant.

Now that it's confirmed Tang Boqian has been arrested, all rescue efforts must be employed.

As the deputy station chief, Cheng Wenzhuo took on the rescue mission, saying, "The station chief has been attacked by the red-haired devil. As the deputy station chief, I will act as the station chief in full authority."

"I now order the First Company to immediately prepare boats to cross the river and surround the Red-Haired Devil's yamen."

"The Second Company will remain to guard the trade war, while the Third Company will immediately take artillery to the old shop to besiege the Red-Haired Devil's government office together."

"We will not return until we rescue the stationmaster!"

Cheng Wenzhuo's words resonated with the First Squadron.

"I swear I will never return to my master!"

"I swear I will never return to my master!"

"I swear I will never return to my master!"

The echoes of the First Squadron reverberated along the entire riverbank, lingering for a long time!

Fifteen minutes later, the boat still hadn't arrived, and it was already dark. The night had shrouded the riverbank. The subordinate, worried about falling into an ambush by the red-haired devils, hesitated and said, "Deputy stationmaster, how about we cross the river at dawn?"

"If we cross the river now, we'll inevitably fall into the trap set by those red-haired devils."

"If the first squadron is lost, it may be impossible to rescue the station chief from his predicament."

The subordinate's concerns were justified; darkness makes it easier to ambush.

However, considering Tang Boqian's safety, Cheng Wenzhuo couldn't just sit idly by. He was truly in a dilemma and said, "With the station chief arrested, I, Cheng, am unable to eat or sleep in peace!"

The subordinate understood Cheng Wenzhuo's feelings and also knew the importance of Tang Boqian. However, acting impulsively wouldn't solve the real problem, so he said, "Deputy Station Chief, with the Station Chief trapped, we are truly worried."

"Or, we could go around to the upper reaches of the river, avoiding a direct confrontation, to prevent the red-haired devils from ambushing us."

The other side of the trade war between Singapore and Taiwan isn't only accessible through direct confrontation; there are alternative routes.

Reminded by his subordinates, Cheng Wenzhuo had an idea and said, "How about this, you lead a small team to confuse them from the front, and I will lead two small teams to cross the river upstream."

"Once we cross the river, I will ambush the troops from behind, and you can then cross the river from the front."

Having determined their tactics for crossing the river, the two quickly set off under cover of darkness.

Anyway, the red-haired devils on the other side of the river couldn't see clearly. His subordinates led a small squad of men, carrying many torches, to disguise themselves as a company of soldiers, and waited for the boats.

Cheng Wenzhuo led two small teams and quickly disappeared into the night, running upstream to find boats to cross the river.

On the other side of the river, the red-haired devil commander who led the attack on Tang Boqian was lying in ambush behind the dock houses, waiting for the First Company to fall into the trap.

After waiting for more than two hours, and still not seeing the First Squadron cross the river, he said impatiently, "What are these yellow-skinned pigs doing? Why haven't they moved yet?"

However, instead of a response from his subordinates, he was met with a burst of gunfire.

Upon hearing the gunfire, some soldiers from the First Company, responsible for crossing the river from the front, quickly boarded the boats and rushed to the opposite bank, preparing to attack the "red-haired devils" from both sides.

The Red-Haired Devil garrison at Laoputou numbered only 173 men, with about 70 of them responsible for the ambush.

In the first wave of attacks, the red-haired devils lost 23 men instantly, and by the time they reacted, they were left with only about 50.

They were barely able to handle Cheng Wenzhuo's raiding force, but then they were attacked from both sides by the first company's troops crossing the river in front. They were unable to withstand the firepower and retreated one after another.

Without the cover of houses, the red-haired devils retreated in disarray. By the time they all returned to the garrison camp at Laoputou, 57 men had been killed in battle, with only 15 surviving.

The first squadron had only 17 wounded soldiers who only needed to be sent to the hospital for treatment.

Now that the possibility of an ambush is gone, the First Company has completely surrounded the Red-haired Devil's garrison camp and is waiting for artillery support from the Third Company.

Meanwhile, at the gate of the Japanese garrison, the shouts of the First Company were deafening: "Japanese devils, release Station Chief Tang Boqian immediately!"