The arrogance started from Chinatown

Chapter 800 I brought them guns and bullets

"The Chinese from America with pigtails declared war on Spain and said they would occupy Madrid with laundries!"

1882, December 12, the Feast of All Saints, is a traditional festival in Spain.

Similar to April Fools' Day, newspapers also have the habit of publishing various false news.

This report was the headline of Madrid's Liberty newspaper today, and many people laughed after reading it.

After attending a meeting, Prime Minister Sagasta returned to his office to get some things before going home. (At that time, Spain did not have a fixed prime minister's office.)

After the knock on the office door, Secretary of State Aguilar stood halfway, looking a little serious.

"It's a good thing you haven't left yet!"

"Is there something important?" Sagasta motioned for the other party to come in.

"Yes, we may have to prepare for war." Aguilar walked in with a telegram.

"Just received news that the Chinese ship has passed through Chilean waters... and the US fleet in the Atlantic is shrinking near Washington."

Although as the Secretary of State of an old powerful country, he was very contemptuous of that country whose people were all descendants of Indians and prostitutes, but when he felt that the other side was likely to be preparing for war, he still showed a serious attitude.

He would not be worried if the United States staged various protests.

But it has been nearly a month since the Governor of Cuba froze the Chinese's assets. The US Secretary of State has only refuted Spain's accusations internationally and stated that the Spanish minister died in a vendetta, the criminal has been caught, and the specific situation will be notified to Spain later.

Apart from that, nothing else was said, not a single protest about Chen's assets in China.

This abnormal behavior made him begin to feel that Prime Minister Sagasta's judgment was correct.

A biting dog does not bark.

Then, several of Chen Zhengwei's ships sailed south through the Chilean waters - this was told to them by the "kind-hearted" British in the newspapers.

The US fleet also canceled all missions and withdrew for maintenance and preparation.

The United States is indeed preparing for war.

Although he also doesn't understand where the United States gets its confidence from.

"Will your next sentence be Happy Feast of All Saints?" Prime Minister Sagasta looked at him and asked.

"This is not a joke! It's not fake news!" Aguilar said seriously.

"The Chinaman's fleet passed through the war zone, this was the news in the Times yesterday!" said Secretary of State Aguilar.

And the Times has even pointed out that the Americans are preparing for war.

The British determined this earlier than they did.

"Looks like I have to work overtime today?" Prime Minister Sagasta said after sitting back in his chair and thinking for a moment.

And his secretary was already waiting at the door when he saw the Secretary of State.

"We need to call a meeting and inform the Secretary of State for War, the Secretary of State for the Admiralty, and the Secretary of State for the Exchequer."

On December 12, the Spanish Prime Minister's Office finally held a press conference, first accusing the United States of delaying and not taking any practical action after the tragedy at the Spanish Embassy in the United States, which made every Spaniard full of anger.

Then it was stated that Spain would mobilize seven warships including the Infanta Maria Theresa and the Peraya to Cuba, and did not rule out the possibility of further use of force for retaliation to maintain the glory of Spain.

Among these seven warships, there are four new steel warships, among which Theresa and Peraya are armored ships with a displacement of more than 6000 tons.

There were also two armored cruisers with a displacement of about 3000 tons and three old wooden steam-powered warships.

Prime Minister Sagasta did not want to go to war, so he transferred half of the home fleet to Cuba for military deterrence.

If the United States really intends to go to war, according to the Secretary of the Navy, this fleet is enough to send the US Navy to the bottom of the Caribbean.

After the press conference, the news appeared in all Spanish newspapers the next day.

This time even the opposition did not launch attacks and accusations in the newspapers.

……

In the Las Villas region in central Cuba, in a village near the mountains.

Today, the leader of the Cuban rebels, the bronze giant Antonio Maceo, sat in the room seemingly distracted.

After a while, people came in one by one, and he seemed to be thinking about something while greeting them.

"Marceo, everyone is here," someone reminded.

Maceo then came to his senses and looked at the people in the room, who were the leaders of the various resistance teams.

With the help of the Chinese, the Cuban rebels are no longer as scattered as before, but a real team.

Maceo's eyes swept across everyone's face: "From the first uprising in 1812, to the Yala Declaration in 1868, to today..."

"The Spanish are still the rulers here! Although we seem to have taken some rights from them... nothing has changed."

"Our compatriots are still slaves, and they still have trouble getting enough to eat."

Everyone was looking at Antonio Maceo with burning eyes, the bronze giant who had existed from the Ten Years' War to the present.

"But all this will change soon! We are just one war away, and our compatriots will be freed from slavery. And we...the Americans promised to let us establish an independent country!" Antonio Maceo's lips trembled slightly when he said this, revealing his current mood.

"It's our own country, we manage it ourselves!" the bronze giant repeated again.

Then everyone stood up suddenly, with disbelief on their faces. "Is this true? Maseo, can we believe them?"

The condition was so good that it made them subconsciously doubt the authenticity of the matter.

"It's true!" Maceo took a deep breath and said, "I think we can believe that many people in the United States are paying attention to our situation. I went to school and fought in the United States. I participated in the Civil War and helped them liberate the slaves, so I understand that country!"

“And this has always been our dream, we have to give it a try.”

"The Spanish governor froze the assets of Mr. Chen in the United States, and he was very angry."

"You know that Chinese people are also an oppressed minority in the United States. It was because he led the Chinese people to victory that they were able to gain a firm foothold in the United States."

"He may not be a good person in the strict sense, but he has always been concerned about ethnic equality. He also provided us with a lot of help before."

"Now the Spanish Governor has frozen his plantations and other assets in Cuba, and he's furious!"

"Marceo, Chen...what is he going to do? Is he going to go to war with the Spaniards?" someone asked.

"It's not him who's at war with the Spanish, it's America who's going to be at war with Spain!"

"What does he want us to do?" someone else asked.

"Attack the naval bases in Havana and Santiago and blow up their ammunition depots! Then the United States will win the naval battle and drive the Spaniards back to Europe!" Maceo's eyes swept across everyone's face.

"Just one more fight and we'll be free!"

"And this battle is not difficult. Santiago has only 4000 defenders and Havana has 8000. They are completely defenseless."

"And we have 3 people!"

"More importantly, our weapons are better!"

"Mr. Chen sent over two more ships of weapons, including 10,000 Remington rifles, all of which were the new type with 13 rounds of ammunition. As long as they were fully loaded, they could be used from the beginning of the war to the end."

"And the Spaniards were still scrambling to reload their bullets."

"Besides that, there will be someone to cooperate with us! Mr. Chen has also sent two artillery units... We don't even need to blow up their arsenal ourselves. As long as we hold our position, the artillery will blow up their arsenal!"

At this point, a smile appeared on Maceo's face.

There are too many favorable conditions in this battle.

At this time, the leader of a team raised his hand.

"Gomez, what's your problem?" Maceo asked.

"I've never fought in such a wealthy war, it's a bit difficult to get used to it..." Gomez said with a smile.

Everyone burst into laughter.

"I haven't played it either!" Maseo laughed.

Seeing everyone's faces filled with excitement, Maceo was in no hurry to continue.

Let everyone be happy first... For them, there are too few happy things like this.

But soon, everyone became distressed.

What kind of country should they build?

After all, not many of these people have received any education.

……

"Yes, I am also concerned about the situation of the Cuban people... As everyone knows, I have always been concerned about racial equality. And I have many plantations in Cuba... I have improved the treatment of local workers and brought them many good things. I hope they can live like human beings."

Chen Zhengwei sat on the sofa with his legs crossed and a cigar in his hand.

In front of him were several reporters.

“Only when you see it with your own eyes can you understand how miserable the people there live.”

"Mr. Chen, what did you bring to the locals?" the reporter asked immediately, while concentrating on writing it down.

This is great content.

"I'll give them guns and bullets! Tell them to rob those Spaniards!" Chen Zhengwei said without hesitation.

The expressions of those reporters suddenly froze.

As Chen Zhengwei's "exclusive reporter", even though they have interviewed Chen Zhengwei more than once, Chen Zhengwei's wild imagination still makes them not know how to react.

"Just kidding! I brought them the concepts of freedom and equality. I treated them like human beings. I think this is the best gift!" Chen Zhengwei changed the subject.

Translated it means...not practical at all, just a lot of empty talk.

However, people of this era are very fond of this, and the reporters immediately became excited and recorded it.

Chen Zhengwei looked at the actions of those reporters and curled his lips.

What he said before is true. He brought a lot of guns and bullets to the Cubans.

The latter sentence is nonsense.

But these people don't care about the real things, but instead tirelessly pursue empty words.

(End of this chapter)