The Australian Revolution of 1828

Chapter 90 Mediation

At dawn on January 3, 1829, at the Xia King's Palace in Hanyang.

As dawn broke, the cry of a newborn baby brought joy to the palace.

A maidservant rushed out of the delivery room and reported the situation to Han Qingyun, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, it's a little princess!"

The pregnant Gao Jingyi did not go into the delivery room, but stayed by Han Qingyun's side and offered her blessings at the right time, saying, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on the birth of your little princess."

With Gao Jingyi taking the lead, the eunuchs and palace maids standing by offered their blessings as instructed.

Han Qingyun was delighted and said, "Han An, everyone present will receive a reward of 5 silver dollars each!"

Han Qingyun issued the decree, and naturally, someone carried it out. Stepping into the delivery room, he looked at Meng Yu, whose face was pale from childbirth, and said, "Your Majesty, you've suffered greatly!"

However, lying on the bed, Meng Yu was somewhat disappointed and said weakly, "Your Majesty, I have disappointed you. It's a little princess!"

Meng Yu felt somewhat guilty for not giving birth to a legitimate eldest son.

Han Qingyun understood the importance of sons in this era; they were the heirs to the throne. No matter what Han Qingyun said, Meng Yu might not be at ease.

To allow Meng Yu to focus on her recovery, Han Qingyun gently picked her up, leaned her against the bed, and said, "Once you've recovered, we'll try our best, and I guarantee we'll have a big, healthy boy next year!"

Hearing this, Meng Yu's mood improved considerably, and he said, "Your Majesty, you're just joking!"

Han Qingyun gently kissed Meng Yu's forehead before saying, "I never joke, Your Majesty, you'd better work hard!"

Meng Yu was long past the age of shyness and could accept sweet words between husband and wife without resistance, saying, "Your Majesty, I obey!"

Taking the little princess from the midwife, Han Qingyun's playful side instantly awakened. He gently poked the little cheek and said, "When our little princess grows up, she will definitely be as beautiful as her mother."

With the indirect praise, Meng Yu was in a very good mood, and the little worry in her heart disappeared.

Not to be outdone, Gao Jingyi, who had followed her in, also praised her newborn daughter, saying, "Your Majesty, the little princess is so adorable!"

The peaceful scene was rare, and Han Qingyun was quite pleased. However, he still had things to do in the morning, so he said, "Your Highness, the Queen suddenly gave birth in the middle of the night, and we haven't had time to inform the Meng family yet."

"Have someone inform her that Meng Jie should come and keep the Queen company."

Then Han Qingyun looked at Meng Yu and said, "I have important business to attend to today, I'll come back to keep you company tonight!"

After settling matters in the inner palace, Han Qingyun went to the front hall to handle affairs.

It has been a month since the outbreak of the war between the Netherlands and the Netherlands on December 2 last year.

Unable to bear the consequences of the trade disruption, the Netherlands turned to British India, hoping that Britain would intervene to expel Xia's ships in the South Seas.

However, British India was also recuperating and had no immediate plans to launch an attack on Southeast Asia.

Moreover, they had consistently misjudged the Xia Kingdom and dared not rashly send troops, lest they provoke a fierce conflict.

It was for this reason that the idea of ​​mediation arose, hoping to learn more about the Xia Kingdom and the achievements of the Xia people in agriculture and industry.

When it came to mediation, Li Guochen and Meng Xiong of Xunyang County couldn't make the decision, so they pushed the matter to Hanyang.

Han Qingyun was unaware that British India had misjudged the situation and was also worried about British intervention in the war between the two countries. Therefore, he agreed to the mediation, hoping to end the war between the two countries as soon as possible and get what he wanted through British intervention.

Yesterday, the envoys from Britain and the Netherlands arrived in Hanyang and settled in the city.

Han Qingyun handled official business while waiting for the envoys from both countries.

Around 10 a.m., two envoys arrived together. As if they had planned it beforehand, the Dutch envoy made an unreasonable demand of Han Qingyun, saying, "Your country's unprovoked shelling of the old shop is a provocation against the Kingdom of Holland!"

In addition, to express their indignation, they also demanded the handover of Wei Guochang and others.

Han Qingyun scoffed at such a request, expressing his dissatisfaction, and said, "If your esteemed envoy has come to mediate, then let's discuss the conditions for a ceasefire."

"If it's to express anger, then I'm not going to play along!"

After dismissing the two envoys, Han Qingyun asked, "Bingzhong, what do you think?"

Luo Bingzhong, who was accompanying the envoys, witnessed the true colors of the British and Dutch envoys and said, "Your Majesty, I believe this is a test, an attempt to probe our bottom line."

Han Qingyun shared the same sentiment, saying, "Making exorbitant demands is simply a way to gauge the situation and provide a basis for future negotiations."

"If my performance falters, Britain will inevitably get involved."

"Alright, let's give them some space and talk to them again when they lower their demands."

Despite Han Qingyun's order, the envoys from Britain and the Netherlands made several attempts to meet with him, but were not granted an audience.

The British envoy was Lieutenant Commander Lawrence Claflin, who had made the previous misjudgment, concluding that the Xia Kingdom had a population of over one million.

As an envoy, I also wanted to observe the situation of the Xia Kingdom up close.

However, since entering the city, they have been protected by soldiers dispatched by Han Qingyun. They are not allowed to inquire about the situation in Xia Kingdom, nor can they move around freely. They can only move within a fixed area.

This continued for several days.

British envoy Lawrence Claflin, having neither obtained what he wanted nor ascertained the strength of the Xia Kingdom, could only once again turn to the Civil Affairs Bureau.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs oversees foreign affairs. Luo Bingzhong personally met with the envoys of both countries and asked, "Did you not sleep well or eat well before your arrival?"

The Dutch envoy, anxious and furious, said, "Sir, we wish to see Your Majesty. Please inform him!"

The translator reported the situation to Luo Bingzhong as it was, and Luo Bingzhong responded casually, saying, "This is a bit unfortunate, His Majesty is currently inspecting the arsenal and shipyard."

"If Your Excellency has business with His Majesty, then you will have to wait a few days."

Luo Bingzhong's goal was simple: to stall until the Dutch envoy showed sincerity.

The fighting between the two countries continues unabated, resulting in daily losses and territorial depletion. If this continues, let alone defeating the Xia Kingdom, they won't even be able to suppress the indigenous forces.

British envoy Lawrence Claflin, acting as mediator, said, "Mr. Luo, we have come in good faith and hope to be granted an audience with His Majesty."

Luo Bingzhong repeated his words: Han Qingyun is inspecting the factory.

After nearly half a month of back-and-forth negotiations, Han Qingyun felt it was time to formally summon the envoys from both sides.

This meeting was relatively mild, and the Dutch envoy did not have the aggressive attitude he had before.

Instead, Han Qingyun drew a small circle at the location of Xinputou in Pontianak and said, "Xia Kingdom wants this place, as well as half of Lanfang's rights. The Netherlands must agree unconditionally."

"Furthermore, your country needs to compensate our military and civilians for their losses, totaling 500 million silver dollars!"

This condition took the Dutch envoy by surprise. He never expected that the Xia Kingdom would make such an exorbitant demand, and he was caught in a dilemma, unable to make a decision.

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