RPAGF Chapter 95 The Cup Shatters and the Soldiers Appear
Chapter 95 The Cup Shatters and the Soldiers Appear
Chapter 95: Broken Cup Reveals Soldiers (Third Update, Seeking First Subscription)
Chen Feng raised his hand and gently pried open Liu Heng's clenched, white fingers, and said in a deep voice, "General Liu, I understand your grievances; I appreciate your intentions."
Before he could finish speaking, he turned to look into the room, his voice icy: "Thank you for your kind offer, Commander-in-Chief, but I, Chen Feng, absolutely cannot accept this marriage!"
Isabella's blush faded instantly, leaving her completely pale. Her eyes were filled with disappointment and embarrassment. Her fingers twisted the hem of her clothes, her shoulders trembled, and she kept her head down, not daring to lift it. She even held her breath.
Aquinado's smile froze instantly, the gentleness in his eyes vanished, and he said coldly, "Commander Chen, is this true? Do you know the consequences of refusal!"
Liu Hengfu was so anxious that he kept stamping his feet, and the veins on his forehead were throbbing. He was both anxious and confused.
He believed from the bottom of his heart that forming an independent government and getting rid of the colonial rule of the American West was the only way out for the Chinese in Luzon, but Chen Feng was deliberately leading them to their doom!
He was about to speak when Chen Feng stopped him with a cold look, and he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, only able to look around anxiously.
Connor paused, the playfulness in his eyes vanishing instantly, replaced by a serious expression.
Chen Feng stared directly at Aquinado, his gaze unwavering, each word resounding: "First, the rights of the Chinese people have always been won through blood and sweat, not through marriage or nepotism! If we try to exchange rights through marriage today, what will happen when the marriage falls apart? Won't the Chinese people be at the mercy of others again? I, Chen Feng, cannot afford to lose face like that, and the Chinese people in the Lu case cannot afford to lose face like that either!"
Secondly, General Liu suffered humiliation not because he lacked ability, but because the Chinese lacked real voice! If I were to accept this marriage, I might appear to be living a life of great prestige, but in reality, like General Liu, I would ultimately be at the mercy of others due to our in-laws. The Chinese will never be able to truly stand tall!
Third, the Commander-in-Chief repeatedly claims that the Chinese are his own people, yet he refuses to acknowledge their contributions and give them a voice in the debate. Instead, he tries to use a marriage alliance to bind them to his cause. Forgive my bluntness, but what you want isn't a family member, but a subservient Chinese puppet!
He paused, then his voice suddenly rose: "I, Chen Feng, protect the Chinese people. What I want is equality enshrined in the Constitution, a voice earned through blood and sweat, not charity obtained by marrying your daughter! I understand that I cannot accept this marriage proposal."
Either we discuss the justice that Chinese people deserve, or we settle things based on merit.
"Speak based on strength?"
Aquinado laughed wildly, as if he'd heard the funniest joke in the world. His eyes were filled with rage and disdain. "Fine! So, let's talk this over!"
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly slammed the coffee cup in his hand to the ground!
"Snapped!"
A crisp cracking sound pierced the air, and scalding hot coffee splashed all over the floor.
Almost simultaneously, a burst of footsteps and the sound of guns being cocked came from outside the hall, mixed with shouts from the Independent Army soldiers, creating a commotion that instantly shattered the tranquility of the mansion.
Two figures burst through the hall door. Qian Biao and Pang Li, their bodies tense and faces filled with anxiety, strode into the hall and shouted in unison, "It's terrible! A large contingent of the Independent Army has arrived outside, fully armed! We're completely surrounded!"
The expressions on everyone's faces changed drastically. Liu Hengfu took a half-step back in shock, staring at Aquinas with disbelief in his eyes, his lips trembling as he stammered, "You... how could you do this?"
He cursed Chen Feng inwardly for being so foolish, refusing to take a perfectly good path and insisting on going head-to-head with the independent government; he was indeed a lackey of the Americans.
But then she remembered that she had risked her life to ensure Chen Feng's safe departure, and she couldn't just stand by and watch him die. So she paced anxiously, secretly glancing at the garden outside the hall, trying to figure out how to find a way out.
Just then, Connor finally stood up slowly, dusted off the wrinkles in his clothes, and said leisurely, "Mr. Aquinado, isn't this a bit unbecoming of a guest?"
Aquinado turned and glared at him, his tone unfriendly: "Mr. Connor, this is an internal matter for the Philippines, none of your business!"
"Oh?"
Connor raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "I was commissioned by the U.S. military to provide a fair guarantee for these negotiations, ensuring the safety of both sides. Now it seems the Commander-in-Chief wants the guarantee to turn into a standoff?"
"I have another battalion of men in the city, equipped with the latest rifles and machine guns. If they hear gunfire inside, or see one side of the negotiations being maliciously surrounded, do you think they'll just stand by and do nothing?"
"What's the point of just sitting idly by?"
Aquinado slammed his fist on the table, abruptly standing up, his eyes blazing with a desperate madness. "The independence of the Philippines is none of the business of outsiders! Today, even at the risk of offending the United States, I will take you, Chen Feng!"
He pointed at Chen Feng, then turned to Liu Heng and shouted sternly, "Chen Feng is completely subservient to the United States; he has no regard for the Philippines, much less the Chinese in Luzon! Only you, brother-in-law, truly care about the Chinese and genuinely support an independent government! Take him down, and from now on, all Chinese affairs will be decided by you, Liu Heng. I, Aguinaldo, will never interfere! This is the true way out for the Chinese!"
These words struck a chord with Liu Hengzeng.
His lifelong pursuit was for the Chinese people to stand tall in Luzon, and he aspired to become leaders among the Chinese community.
Aquinado's words stirred his heart instantly, but when he turned to see Chen Feng, he remembered the resounding guarantee he had once made.
After hesitating for a moment, he finally stepped forward and pleaded, "Commander-in-Chief, although Chen Feng is confused, I once guaranteed with my life that he would come to the meeting in Marolos! Please, for my sake, give him a way out and let him leave!"
"Brother-in-law! You're so foolish!"
Aquinado glared at him and shouted, "This Chen Feng is a major threat! If we don't eliminate him today, he'll surely become a menace in the future!"
"You're the fool!" Connor's face darkened, his hand gripping his sidearm, his gaze icy. "You're going to provoke a conflict with America for your own selfish gain?"
Liu Hengfu's eyes reddened with anxiety, and his voice trembled with tears: "Commander-in-Chief, I know you're doing this for the cause of independence, but loyalty can't be abandoned! If Chen Feng dies here, I, Liu Hengfu, will have no face to follow you anymore!"
"Brother-in-law, don't worry! I swear on my honor that as long as Chen Feng surrenders, I will not harm him!"
Aquinado waved to Liu Hengfu, then turned to Connor: "I'm not doing this for my own selfish gain; what I want is a unified Philippines! Today, it's either him surrendering or a fight to the death!"
At this moment, the commotion outside the hall gradually escalated, with shouts of killing in indigenous languages and English intertwined, but no one dared to fire the first shot.
Liu Hengfu, his face ashen, grabbed Chen Feng and dragged him towards the garden outside the hall, urgently saying, "General Chen! Quickly climb over the wall and leave! Since I promised to let you leave safely, I will never go back on my word! I am the Commander-in-Chief's brother-in-law; he won't do anything to me. It will be too late if we wait any longer!"