roccoschili Chapter 74 All of the Philippines is an enemy
Chapter 74 All of the Philippines is an enemy
Three?
Are you trying to get rid of a beggar?
Is this a sign of looking down on the Free Army's guns, or a sign of underestimating the strength of the US military?
Aquinado thought he could pull the Free Army onto the Independent Army's bandwagon with this little bit of stuff?
Chen Feng picked up his wine bowl, took a slow sip, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "I appreciate the Commander-in-Chief's kindness. But marriage is a serious matter and cannot be rushed. My master treats me like a son, so I must consult him first. Besides, what the Chinese Free Army seeks has never been a few parliamentary seats."
Liu Hengfu's eyelids darkened, realizing that asking his master was just an excuse, and he asked in a deep voice, "Then what exactly are General Chen's conditions for agreeing to this?"
Snapped!
Chen Feng slammed his wine bowl down, a glint of cunning flashing in his eyes. He said fiercely, "The Chinese in Luzon have suffered oppression for centuries. I, Chen Feng, have raised this force not to curry favor with the powerful, nor for personal gain! It is solely to allow the hundreds of thousands of Chinese in Luzon to stand tall, to have land to cultivate, food to eat, and dignity, so they no longer have to be subservient to others or be slaughtered!"
He leaned forward, veins throbbing in his neck, and said, enunciating each word clearly, "I want Chinese people to hold a full 50% of the seats in the newly formed parliament! If Aquinado refuses, then this parliament is not worth having!"
"Fifty...fifty percent?"
Liu Hengfu was so shocked by the number that the wine bowl in his hand clattered to the ground.
He knew better than anyone that in Aguinaldo's original plan, the Chinese wouldn't even get half a seat.
If it weren't for the Free Army's backing by the US military, they probably wouldn't even have been given the right to attend, let alone three spots!
Chen Feng glanced at the broken bowl on the ground, picked up the wine pot, refilled another empty bowl with wine, and said with a half-smile, "What? General Liu, have I asked for too little?"
Liu Hengfu suddenly came to his senses, bent down to pick up the broken bowl fragments, picked up the new wine and drank it all in one gulp, and said in a muffled voice: "You really dare to think! How could the Commander-in-Chief possibly give you 50% of the parliamentary seats? Even these three seats for Chinese people are just a verbal promise. They are not mentioned in the draft constitution and need to be added to the resolution by Congress after your marriage."
"A supplementary resolution?"
Chen Feng narrowed his eyes, his tone suddenly turning cold: "General Liu has been in Luzon for many years and should know that parliamentary representatives are elected. Can Aquinado increase the number of seats with just a word? He can add them today and remove them tomorrow! What I want is the 50% of seats explicitly stipulated in the constitution, not empty quotas he's giving away."
Liu Hengfu looked up at Chen Feng, a general eight years his junior. His eyes held no greed for power, only a fierce determination to fight for the Chinese people.
He suddenly felt a tightness in his throat, and a sense of inferiority rose within him. He grabbed the flask and downed most of a pound of strong liquor. The liquor burned his throat, and his voice became hoarse and dry: "General Chen... do you know that saying these words means making an enemy of the entire Luzon indigenous elite? Chinese people make up less than 1.5% of the total population; they will never agree to take 50% of the seats!"
"Bring two more jugs of wine!"
Chen Feng shouted loudly towards the outside, his voice booming: "Although we Chinese make up less than 1.5% of the total population of Luzon, we support 60% of the Independent Army's finances, and it is thanks to the Chinese soldiers led by you, General Liu, that we have stabilized our fighting strength on the southern front!"
If Aquinado is unwilling to grant the Chinese even this basic political standing they deserve, why should I, Chen Feng, be afraid of making enemies of the Luzon indigenous elites?
Even if all the indigenous people of the entire Philippine archipelago become enemies, I, Chen Feng, will still not be afraid!
Liu Hengfu picked up another pot of wine, took a few more gulps, and struggled violently in his eyes. In the end, he lowered his voice and advised, "General Chen, listen to my advice, don't go to Malolos. If you make that demand, the Commander-in-Chief will kill you without hesitation."
"Kill me?"
Chen Feng chuckled to himself, thinking to himself that it was a waste of his talent not to perform on the stage with his Oscar-worthy acting skills!
With Connor's written guarantee and the covert protection of the U.S. Marine Corps, the trip to Malolos, though risky, was by no means a dead end.
Of course, this could not be said to Liu Hengfu.
This guy was actually hoping I'd attend that damn Declaration of Independence press conference, hoping I'd team up with Aquinas.
Chen Feng raised his voice again, his voice buzzing in the stone house: "Since ancient times, Yan and Zhao have produced many generous and tragic heroes. How could I, Chen Feng, a fine man, be afraid of death?"
Even if Aquinas dares to cut off my head, so what?
"I can use my blood to show all the Chinese in the Philippines what a treacherous and despicable man Aguinaldo is, and whether he is truly trustworthy! Whether he is worth the Chinese investing their entire fortunes in!"
Just then, Wang Muning came in carrying freshly cooked meat outside the stone house. Upon hearing this, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Sunlight streamed through the stone window, illuminating her face. Her clear eyes sparkled with starlight as she gazed at Chen Feng, who stood tall and imposing in the room. Her eyes burned with fervor, and even the hand holding the ceramic basin tightened slightly.
Looking at Chen Feng's spirited and fearless demeanor, Liu Hengfu recalled the frustration he had felt in the Independent Army over the years.
The contrast between the two filled him with mixed emotions. He picked up his wine bowl, downed it in one gulp, and said in a hoarse but firm voice, "What a fine line: 'Why fear being an enemy of the entire Philippines!' General Chen, your words have struck a chord with me!"
He slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly: "General Chen, I'll be waiting for you in Marolos. If the Commander-in-Chief dares to lay a hand on you, I will risk my life to protect you. I, Liu Hengfu, am not a coward who fears death."
"Well said! I, Zheng Mingsong, am not one to fear death!"
A hearty shout came from outside. Zheng Mingsong strode into the stone house and said loudly, "My father had already ordered me to go to Malolos to attend the ceremony. I originally thought it was unnecessary, but after hearing the two gentlemen's heartfelt words for the rights of the Chinese people outside, I realized how narrow-minded I was!"
Given Zheng Mingsong's relationship with the Chinese Free Army, he naturally didn't need to announce his arrival outside the camp like outsiders, and simply brought his men in.
Chen Feng was so excited just now that he noticed Zheng Mingsong was already outside the house, with someone following behind him.
This man was in his early thirties, dressed in a blue scholar's robe, with a neat short haircut. He exuded both the elegance of a scholar and a touch of unconventional sharpness, and was in the prime of his life.
Chen Feng's heart stirred. He waved for a few more wine bowls to be added, smiled, and gestured for the two men to sit down. His gaze fell on the scholar-robed man, and he said gently, "This gentleman looks unfamiliar. May I ask your name?"
Zheng Mingsong immediately introduced them warmly: "Brother Chen, this is Brother Wu Tingchen, Wu Zimo!"
The current chief copywriter of the Manila Chinese Chamber of Commerce, he comes from a family of Confucian scholars in Fuzhou. His grandfather once served as an instructor at the county school during the Daoguang period. His family has a deep academic background and he also studied under Mr. Chen Bi, a famous Confucian scholar in Fuzhou. He passed the imperial examination in the third year of the Guangxu reign and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations).
In 1890, Fuzhou was hit by a devastating flood, destroying all his possessions. He then made his way to Luzon to make a living, and over the years has done a great deal of work for the overseas Chinese community!
Upon hearing this, Wu Tingchen quickly stood up, straightened his scholar's robe, and solemnly bowed, saying, "General Chen, my name is Wu Tingchen, courtesy name Zimo. I have long admired your esteemed name, and I am even more fortunate to have read your book, 'The Rise of Great Powers.' The insightful observations in the book have kept me awake at night! I have specially asked Brother Zheng to introduce me to you, and I have come here to pay my respects!"