The Australian Revolution of 1828

December 13, 1828, Dongwanlu, the capital of Lanfang.

In the early 19th century, Pontianak and East Vando were two small towns, but with urbanization and population growth, the two small towns have evolved into the 21st-century Pontianak.

As night fell, the operation to eliminate Liu Tai'er was carried out simultaneously.

This operation was commanded by Tang Boqian, who led more than 800 soldiers from Lanfang at the trading post, armed with flintlock muskets, 12 18-pound cannons, and a number of solid cannonballs.

In addition to these firearms-equipped units, more than 2000 soldiers from Lanfang who were temporarily recruited also participated.

In addition, Chen Qi'en also organized nearly 1000 troops to assist from the side.

Unlike Dutch castles, Dongwanlu did not have high walls or a large number of armed troops stationed there; it only had a small number of patrol troops on guard.

Tang Boqian glanced around before saying, "Uncle Chen (Qi'en), the artillery will begin the first round of shelling when it gets light."

"Once the artillery fire stops, the artillery units will clear the way. You will lead your men into the city to restore order and prevent the situation in Dongwanlu from descending into chaos."

As a member of Lanfang and a leader who aspired to be the chief, Chen Qi'en did not want Lanfang to fall into chaos, so he readily accepted the appointment and said, "Boqian, Dongwanlu City is not that fortified. We can just fire three rounds of cannon fire later."

"Leave the rest to me. I'll take control of the city gates immediately and make sure Liu Tai'er doesn't escape!"

Liu Tai'er is a person who is important in some ways, but not in others.

The important point is that this man is controlled by the Dutch and has always been obedient to them. If he continues to hold the position of chief, it will be very detrimental to the trading post.

It's not important because Liu Tai'er was a product of compromise. Local leaders in Lanfang couldn't withstand the pressure from the Dutch and had no choice but to accept Liu Tai'er as their chief.

Tang Boqian knew Lanfang very well and was well aware of Liu Tai'er's influence. He said, "Uncle Chen, then I'll leave it to you. After the city falls, I'll lead men to capture Liu Tai'er. You'll be responsible for guarding the city gates."

"If this succeeds, your position as Minister Lanfang will be secure!"

At this critical moment, Tang Boqian did not forget to use his position as chief of staff to encourage Chen Qi'en.

Chen Qi'en felt the same way, thoroughly enjoying the encouragement. Looking at the distant city wall, he said, "Boqian, just give the order. Make sure this old bastard learns his lesson."

"If it weren't for the Dutch's continued support in the past two years, this old guy would have stepped down long ago, instead of waiting until now."

As the sky gradually brightened, Tang Boqian immediately began training his troops and issued an order to fire artillery towards Dongwanlu.

Upon receiving the order, the artillery units launched the first round of shelling. By observing the impact points of the solid shot, the gunners adjusted the angle of the cannons and resumed the shelling.

With the first bombardment as a reference, the second bombardment was much more accurate, with solid bullets hitting the city wall and waking up the sleeping patrolmen.

Affected by the sound of cannon fire, Liu Tai'er, who was sleeping soundly with his concubine in his arms, was awakened from his dream.

Before he could even put on his clothes, he inquired about the situation, saying, "Someone, what's with the sound of cannons? What happened outside the city?"

The servant on night watch was unaware of the situation, but knowing Liu Tai'er's character, he excused himself from his duties, saying, "Master, no one has come to report yet. I'll go and inquire right away!"

The servants had no way of knowing that their subordinates guarding the city gates would not report back.

Liu Tai'er was anxious. While putting on his clothes, he scolded, "Then hurry up and go!"

"Also, immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to the Dutch, requesting that Dongwanlu be attacked by an unknown force and asking for troops to be dispatched as soon as possible!"

The request for help has been sent; now it depends on how quickly the Dutch can deploy their troops.

During this time, dozens of solid bullets pounded the city walls, constantly eroding the morale of the defenders.

After the three rounds of artillery bombardment ended, except for 300 musketeers who stayed behind to protect the artillery, the remaining 500 musketeers advanced with their guns, continuously marching towards the city wall.

Meanwhile, Chen Qi'en led the Xinputou miners' troops toward the city, aiming to capture the city gate of Dongwanlu.

Because Lanfang was under Dutch control, it only engaged in gold mining and made no progress in industrial development, resulting in a lack of guns and cannons and a weak military.

Faced with the attack of Tang Boqian's firearms troops, Dong Wanlu's few guns were of no use at all. They could not stop the attack of nearly 500 musketeers, let alone withstand the devastation of artillery.

The Dutch military camp in Laoputou received a message by carrier pigeon. The Dutch officer in charge had no intention of sending troops. Instead, he sneered at Liu Tai'er and cursed, "These yellow-skinned pigs, they always underpay or don't pay the poll tax."

"Now that they're under siege by the Xia people, they've suddenly remembered us!"

"Let them keep fighting. Only when all the yellow-skinned pigs are dead will it be the best thing for us!"

In short, completely abandon Liu Tai'er!

Because the Dutch were slow to send reinforcements, the battle lasted only a little over two hours, ending with Tang Boqian taking control of the entire city. The moment he entered the city, Tang Boqian immediately rushed to the Chief's residence.

Unfortunately, the old man was a slippery fellow; he abandoned his family and disappeared somewhere!

Liu Tai'er is crucial to the stability of Lanfang. If that old bastard were to incite the gold miners to rebel, it would be a real problem. We'd have to find him, even if it meant digging three feet into the ground.

Worried that Liu Tai'er might escape out of the city, Tang Boqian sent someone to find Chen Qi'en, saying, "Uncle Chen, Chief Liu has disappeared. What should we do now?"

While seemingly seeking advice, he was actually shifting the pressure of finding Liu Tai'er onto Chen Qi'en. After all, Chen Qi'en was the head of Xinputou in Lanfang, familiar with the internal situation of Lanfang, and knew Liu Tai'er inside and out.

In this matter, Chen Qi'en also did his best, saying to himself, "There are no secret passages or hidden rooms in the Chief of Staff's residence. Where else could Chief of Staff Liu have gone?"

Following Chen Qi'en's line of thought, since there was nowhere to hide, the only option was to blend into the crowd.

In a flash, Tang Boqian had an idea and said, "Uncle Chen, what if Chief of Staff Liu has blended into the crowd or hidden in someone's home?"

Whether they've hidden or infiltrated people's homes, we must find them.

Chen Qi'en was not willing to fail, so he took on the task himself, saying, "If we hide, unless we have prepared food and other supplies in advance, we will be exposed sooner or later."

"But if they sneak into people's homes, finding them shouldn't be too difficult."

"General Liu has several close associates living in the city. I'll go find them right now, even if I have to dig three feet into the ground!"

Having chosen to cooperate with the Xia Kingdom, we must stand firmly on their side; there is absolutely no turning back. Hoping to live off the land from one side while the other remains at the other's expense is simply impossible.

Having grasped this point, Chen Qi'en's efficiency increased dramatically. He investigated and inquired at each household, finally obtaining results before sunset.

Liu Tai'er made the decision in a panic. After learning of the Xia Kingdom's attack, he knew that Wei Guochang remembered the previous grudge.

If caught at home, there's basically no chance of survival. This time, he secretly hid at a trusted confidant's house, but Chen Qi'en, who was familiar with Lanfang's inner workings, dug up Liu Tai'er's information.