The Australian Revolution of 1828

November 25, 1828, the residence of the Lanfang Chief.

"Gentlemen, what do you think we should do now?"

Originally, Liu Tai'er had already made preparations to completely side with the Dutch and expel the Xia Kingdom's trading posts from the country.

As it turned out, the Dutch were no match for Wei Guochang; they were wiped out in a single attack and became a thing of the past. This left Liu Tai'er, the commander of Lanfang, in a dilemma, unsure whether to expel them or curry favor with the Xia Kingdom.

I hesitated for more than ten days, but still couldn't reach a clear conclusion.

Left with no other choice, Liu Tai'er had to gather the leaders from various parts of Lanfang to discuss and determine Lanfang's final destination.

However, the local leaders in Lanfang were not fools. In this situation of two powerful forces vying for power, the best thing they should do was sit on the sidelines and watch the show, and never interfere in the affairs of the two countries.

Chen Qi'en, the head of Xinputou, was directly responsible for liaising with the trading post and was particularly reluctant to get involved in this matter. He said, "Chief, the Dutch are indeed not easy to deal with, but are the Xia people easy to deal with?"

"In just one attack, most of the Dutchmen stationed at Laoputou were killed, and a small number were captured, thus losing any possibility of a counterattack."

"Furthermore, Tang Boqian is also from Jiaying. Even if he doesn't help the Xia Kingdom's trading post, he shouldn't be an accomplice to evil and work for the Dutch!"

Tang Boqian, a native of Lanfang, whose ancestral home is Jiaying Prefecture, Guangdong, was born on September 2, 1796. He is currently 32 years old and serves as the stationmaster of the Lanfang Trading Station.

Chen Qi'en spoke with great emotion, trying to persuade Liu Tai'er to either side with Xia or remain neutral and reap the benefits without taking sides.

However, Liu Tai'er had received great favors from the Dutch and was unable to make a decision. He turned his attention to other chieftains, hoping to arrive at a different conclusion.

Clearly, the other chieftains shared this view and did not want to get involved in the conflict between the two countries, saying, "Chief, let's wait and see!"

"If the Dutch send troops to attack, it won't be too late for us to make a decision."

"To rashly expel the trading post now would be tantamount to offending the Xia people, and we would inevitably suffer collateral damage!"

Without the support of the masses, especially Chen Qi'en, expelling the trading post was like a reflection in the water—completely impossible.

Therefore, Liu Tai'er desperately needed the support of local leaders in order to curry favor with the Dutch.

However, Chen Qi'en had profited greatly from the trading post and, not wanting to drive away a benefactor, said somewhat angrily, "Chief, if you have nothing else to say, I'll head back."

"There's been some commotion in Xinputou lately, I need to go back and keep an eye on it."

Liu Tai'er was repeatedly proven wrong, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Currently, it seems that only by relying on the power of the Dutch can the local chieftains be suppressed.

After the local magistrates gradually left, Liu Taier angrily slammed down several cups before he could calm down.

After pondering for a moment, he summoned his trusted attendant and said, "Go and send a message to the Dutch in the city, saying that Chen Qi'en of Xinputou is disobeying orders and that even I cannot persuade him."

"If they want to drive out Xia's trading posts, let them send troops!"

Because of his puppet status, Liu Tai'er still hoped the Dutch would send troops. After all, the position of Chief of Staff was given to him by the Dutch, and without the Dutch military backing, the chiefs below would definitely replace him with a new Chief of Staff.

This was driven by self-interest, leading Liu Tai'er to side with the Dutch.

Of course, Lanfang was a melting pot; some sided with Holland, while others sided with China.

Just like Chen Qi'en at this moment, having just come out of Liu Tai'er's general's residence, he ordered his attendants to drive the carriage, saying, "Let's go to the Xia Kingdom trading post!"

Dongwanlu was the capital of Lanfang and also a town in Pontianak, very close by. Chen Qi'en arrived at the Lanfang trading post in about half an hour.

The situation of Liu Tai'er was immediately explained, and it was said: "Magistrate Wei, Station Master Tang, Chief Liu is being instigated by the Dutch and intends to expel the trading post. You would better be prepared."

"If he brings in the Dutch, there's nothing I can do!"

During this period, Wei Guochang had been preparing for war, specifically to guard against a Dutch counterattack.

Instead of the Dutch army, Lan Fang greeted them with hostility. He was displeased and worried about Chen Qi'en's intentions, and said sarcastically, "Chief Chen, you are a Kapitan appointed by the Dutch, so you should be at their beck and call."

"Are you telling us this now to let us retreat, or do you want us to stay and fight?"

His words were full of distrust, especially since he was the headman of Lanfang.

Chen Qi'en had long supplied the trading post with food and other supplies, from which he had profited greatly. Naturally, he did not want to expel the trading post and affect his personal income, which is why he came to deliver the message.

Unexpectedly, Wei Guochang was very suspicious, doubting his own motives. Chen was also somewhat annoyed and said sarcastically, "Magistrate Wei, it seems your country is well prepared for war. I, Chen, have been overthinking it!"

"In that case, I'll take my leave."

The argument was on the verge of breaking down, and Tang Boqian, who was standing to the side, couldn't sit still any longer.

Tang Boqian was originally from Lanfang, and he and Chen Qi'en were fellow townsmen from Jiaying Prefecture. They had cooperated a lot and had a certain level of trust with each other. He quickly stopped Chen Qi'en, who was about to leave, and explained, "Uncle Chen, Magistrate Wei is new to Lanfang and has some misunderstandings."

"I know your character; your heart has always been with us Chinese. You're just being coy for now because you're afraid of the Dutch's military power!"

"Once the right opportunity arises, you also want to expel the Dutch."

The necessary face-saving measures were changed, and the appropriate reasons were given, which helped to dispel Chen Qi'en's anger.

After Tang Boqian's reminder, Wei Guochang, who was very suspicious, also realized Chen Qien's role and had the idea of ​​using him. He put aside his previous distrust and said, "Chief Chen, this is my fault. I was worried that you were a spy sent by the Dutch."

"Boqian is right. You are Lanfang's hope and the Chinese leader who can lead Lanfang forward. We must cooperate sincerely to drive out the Dutch forces."

He was just there to deliver a message, to prevent the trading post from being caught off guard and being defeated by Liu Tai'er and the Dutch.

Unexpectedly, he received such high praise, and was momentarily overjoyed, saying, "It's not that bad, but I just don't want your country to be misled by General Liu, lest you fall into the Dutch's trap."

"I am also from Jiaying, and I am from the same hometown as Boqian. We should help each other out."

"Please feel free to mention any needs your country may have. If it's within my ability, I will certainly help!"

After all that talk, they still had no intention of jointly defending against the enemy, and expected the Xia Kingdom to bear all the pressure from the Dutch. Wei Guochang understood, and didn't press the matter.

If Lanfang had possessed the spirit to resist, he wouldn't have been controlled by the Dutch.

Having considered this, Wei Guochang decisively chose to cooperate. After all, being on Chen Qien's territory, there were indeed needs, and it was not advisable to cause too much conflict. He said, "Chief Chen, then I'll trouble you."

The three finalized the details of their cooperation before seeing Chen Qi'en off and preparing the necessary supplies. These supplies were for the upcoming war, and Chen Qi'en was the most suitable person to provide them.

This person knows the local leaders in Lanfang and can find all kinds of supplies needed for the trading post, as well as more food, as long as he pays.