Cornley soon felt the "warmth" from Seoul. It's just that this warmth came somewhat coldly, making him feel a chill from his heart on a hot day.
Petrus, the prisoner whom he personally ordered to be strictly guarded, unexpectedly disappeared in broad daylight in the most strictly guarded prison in Batavia. What's more terrible is that when he learned the news, he had already passed away. It's been five days.
If he hadn't asked his secretary to go to the prison to see Petrus and pay attention to his health, he might not have known that Petrus was missing until he was about to escort Petrus back to the Netherlands.
In anger, Cornley immediately called the warden of the prison and asked the warden to explain the matter. Who would have thought that the warden looked indifferent and said with a smile: "In such a big prison, people disappear occasionally. It’s normal to have one or two prisoners.”
"Normal? That's the governor! He's the governor of the entire company! You actually told me that he was missing?"
Cornley felt that his three views were about to be subverted, and said angrily: "Find him within three days and take him back to prison! Otherwise, resign!"
"OK."
The warden took off his hat and handed in his resignation.
"Mr. Acting Governor, I have been feeling unwell recently and often have nightmares. I must be sick. I think I need a good rest, so please accept my resignation."
After saying that, he turned around and left without even a second of hesitation.
Cornley looked at his leaving back and didn't react for a moment. When he reacted and tried to stop the warden, the warden had already ran away quickly.
Cornley realized something was wrong, so he called other prison directors and asked them to investigate the matter together. As a result, they all submitted their resignations to express their helplessness about the matter.
Cornley became even more angry and refused to allow them to resign, forcing them to find Petrus.
As a result, the deputy warden told Cornley clearly and without any fear.
"Mr. Governor has left Batavia. If nothing else, he should be in Seoul now. Mr. Acting Governor, if I were you, I would not pursue this matter because it is meaningless."
"What? Seoul?"
Cornley was completely stunned.
"Actually, Batavia is a very large prison. Everyone who lives here is a prisoner. Mr. Acting Governor, you have not been here long, but we have been here for two years. I am a prisoner, this feeling is not pleasant, but it may be over soon."
After saying that, the deputy warden took the lead, and a group of prison officials turned around and left, leaving no good looks on Cornley's face.
Cornley stared blankly for a while, then finally reacted and shouted loudly: "What do you mean? What happened here?"
No one paid attention to him, and his majesty as acting governor seemed to have no value at all.
Surprised and angry, Cornley had no other choice but to ask his secretary to find Julian, who was accompanying him to and from Seoul. He planned to ask Julian what happened in Batavia and what happened to Petru. Si's whereabouts.
Julian did come, but after hearing Cornley's doubts, he didn't seem surprised at all.
"Mr. Acting Governor, this is normal and not surprising at all. The deputy warden is right. Batavia has been a prison since two years ago. The prison surrounded by Zhao Xuening's army, the people living here People have lost hope for a long time, and the only thing they want to know is when Zhao Xuening plans to deal with us."
"This...why didn't I know this before?"
"Perhaps Zhao Xuening was not ready to deal with us at that time."
Julian sighed, took off his glasses, and said slowly: "But this time when you came back, you did not reach an effective agreement with him, but instead arrested his wife's father. Then everyone knows, Zhao Xuening Action will soon be taken on Batavia.”
"What?!"
Cornley stood up in fright: "How could this happen? Why is this happening?"
"Mr. Acting Governor, you really shouldn't have come to Batavia at this time. There was some hope a few years ago, but now, there is no hope at all. You have personally ruined Batavia's only talisman."
Julian wiped his glasses, put them on again, stood up, and saluted Cornley.
"When things have reached this point, there is no possibility of easing. Mr. Acting Governor, people throughout Batavia have begun to find a way out for themselves. Of course, I will also find a way out for myself. Regarding this matter, I can't I have helped you, and I hope you have prepared a way out for yourself in advance.”
After saying that, Julian turned around and left without leaving Cornley the slightest hesitation.
Cornley stood stunned on the spot and couldn't react for a long time. Of course, Cornley's secretary didn't react either.
A month has passed since they reached an agreement with the British. The British with a target acted very quickly. They mobilized almost all available merchant ships and delivered 50,000 pounds of saltpeter to the Seoul seaport as quickly as possible, and delivered it to Lanfang Republic, after Lanfang received the saltpeter and verified its quality, the agreement between the two parties automatically came into effect.
Therefore, on April 5, the first year of the Lanfang Republic, Zhao Xuening officially issued a war order as the president, ordering the Lanfang army to prepare for first-level combat and to simultaneously exchange messages with the British.
Finally, the two sides formally agreed to launch a full-scale military operation on April 15th.
On April 15, the huge expedition team composed of the First Fleet and the Second Fleet of the Lanfang Navy and the First and Second Corps of the Lanfang Army assembled at the Seoul Military Port. After Zhao Xuening personally presided over the swearing-in ceremony, the army officially launched its attack.
Zhao Xuening himself led the Navy's Third Fleet from the Seoul Military Port south to Java Island, and arrived outside Batavia on April 19 to join the Lanfang Army's Third Corps, which had long surrounded and controlled Batavia.
Mao Qiyong, governor of Java Prefecture, and Du Huai, commander of the Army's Third Corps, had been waiting for Zhao Xuening for a long time.
After Zhao Xuening arrived, he quickly learned that after they issued an ultimatum to the city, after a night of chaos in the city, the capitulation faction had completed a comprehensive purge of the resistance faction, and opened Badawi early in the morning on April 17th. Yachengmen, formally surrendered.
"It's quite fast? Who is the person leading the surrender?"
"The deputy commander of the last fleet in Batavia, Julian Hoyle."
Du Huai stood next to Zhao Xuening and said slowly: "This man's reaction was very fast and he surrendered to us very quickly. Before I even had time to order the artillery team to load ammunition to prepare for deterrence, the city gate opened, and he led He led all the armed men out of the city, handed over all their weapons, and had a very good surrender attitude."
Zhao Xuening nodded.
"Where are the others?"
"In the prison camp."
Du Huai took Zhao Xuening to the prisoner of war camp under construction. When he saw it, he was immediately happy.
The prisoner-of-war camp was actually built by the surrendered Dutchmen themselves. They were humming and carrying wood and bricks to build a prisoner-of-war camp for themselves. What a good guy.
"I didn't plan to end the battle so quickly, so I didn't prepare a prisoner-of-war camp. Now that they have all surrendered, let's just let them build their own prisoner-of-war camp to live in and wait for your instructions. The one who is giving the orders is Julian Hoy. you."
Zhao Xuening saw a neatly dressed Dutch officer wearing glasses giving orders to his subordinates, telling them to move faster.
He suddenly became happy.
"Julian."
Zhao Xuening stepped forward and said with a smile: "I didn't expect you to be the leader of the surrender."
When Julian heard Zhao Xuening's voice, he immediately turned his head, looked at Zhao Xuening, and showed a smile.
He stood upright facing Zhao Xuening and saluted him with a military salute.
"Your Majesty the President, you haven't seen me for a long time, right?"
"Well, I haven't seen you for a long time. How have you been lately?"
Zhao Xuening stepped forward and patted Julian on the shoulder: "I feel like you've lost weight again."
"Not a lot thinner."
Julian smiled: "But I just met you a few days ago. I followed Mr. Cornley to Seoul and attended your dinner, but you didn't seem to notice me."
"Is that so? There must be too many people and they didn't notice you."
Zhao Xuening smiled and said: "After all, you have always been a man with no sense of existence, so you really shouldn't be a soldier. You should be a spy. This is what you are best at."
"Maybe, but now, I'm your prisoner."
Julian smiled bitterly and said: "A prisoner who built a prisoner of war camp for himself."
"It's good, at least he's not my enemy."
Zhao Xuening smiled and said: "Are you interested in taking a position in my navy? I asked you this question at the beginning, and you rejected me. Now I ask you again, are you willing to join Lanfang and become a Lanfang citizen?"
"If you don't want to, will you kill me?"
"meeting."
"Okay, I do."
Julian saluted Zhao Xuening again: "A loyal citizen of the Lanfang Republic, Julian Hoyle, I will serve you wholeheartedly!"
Zhao Xuening was stunned.
"If I had known you were so easy to recruit, I should have put a knife to your neck."
"I was just joking."
Julian sighed: "I no longer have a home. My brother took away my share of the family property. Now I am a dead person in my hometown. Even if I go back, there is no way to return to my previous life. In this case, it’s better to stay here, follow you, the most promising person, and earn yourself an industry that can support you in your retirement.”
Zhao Xuening nodded.
"I am currently studying a kind of social welfare called pension. If you are willing, I can discuss this social welfare system with you. If it works well, it should be able to achieve the goal of providing security for the whole society."
"Is there such a thing?"
Julian pushed up his glasses: "If I have the chance, I will definitely discuss this system with you. I have many immature ideas about welfare."
"Okay, let's not talk about it now. By the way, where is Mr. Cornley?"
"I'll hand him over to your men."
Julian looked at Du Huai.
Du Huai nodded.
"Yes, President, Cornley is under our care and is not in a prisoner of war camp."
"Okay, go see him right away."
Zhao Xuening nodded and looked at Julian again: "Urian, you are responsible for selecting a group of skilled people from this group of prisoners of war who are willing to stay and work for Lan Fang."
"And what about the rest?"
"Lanfang is under construction, and there are some more dangerous tasks that require their participation, such as some more dangerous mines. I think they will not refuse to devote their blood and youth to the development and construction of Lanfang, right? "
Zhao Xuening looked at Julian with a smile.
"Yes, President, you are right."
Julian's expression remained unchanged, as if his former colleagues and comrades who were about to die had no longer any relationship with him.
