The Wind Rises in 1898: Becoming a Warlord Starting in Southeast Asia

Chapter 118 Formal Negotiation

On the riverbanks of the Marikina River, smoke and darkness mingled.

Chen Feng leaned against the trench wall to rest. The wounds on his shoulder and thigh were tightly wrapped in bandages, and the blood-stained gauze gleamed a dark red in the dim torchlight.

Second Battalion Commander Kong Yunfei covered his newly bandaged left eye, veins bulging on his forehead, gritting his teeth in pain, yet still staring in the direction of the water tower fortress.

Battalion Commander Tian Gang used the torchlight to count the weapons he had just captured, occasionally looking up upstream. The faint afterglow of artillery fire in the night reflected on his face, which was full of worry about the battle situation.

Nearby, at a makeshift aid station, Fourth Battalion Commander Ren Dayong leaned against the trench wall, his right shoulder wrapped in thick bandages, the pain making his face look ferocious and terrifying.

Just then, the sound of rapid oars came from the river, and a small boat broke through the night and came crashing into the waves.

A messenger had just jumped onto the riverbank when he stumbled over, his voice hoarse from shouting, yet he still yelled at the top of his lungs: "General! Something terrible has happened! Our headquarters has been attacked by the Independent Army! It's Brigadier General Bardomello, leading two thousand men straight at the camp!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Kong Yunfei immediately flew into a rage, slammed his hand on the trench wall, causing dirt to fall in a shower, and blood instantly seeped from his left eye, streaming down his cheek.

With bloodshot eyes, he roared upstream, "You bastards! Ungrateful wretch! Taking advantage of our main force being engaged in a sneak attack on our allies, I'm charging over there right now and fighting them to the death!"

As he spoke, he reached for the rifle beside him and struggled to get up.

"What's the point of competing!"

Tian Gang grabbed him and said urgently, "What's the point of fighting these independent soldiers? The most urgent thing is to go back and reinforce them immediately, the sooner the better!"

He turned to Chen Feng, his voice trembling with urgency, "General, give the order! We must immediately withdraw our troops and return to camp. We cannot let Zhang Xiuwu and the others fight alone!"

Ren Dayong sat bolt upright, forgetting the excruciating pain in his right shoulder. His hand gripping the rifle clenched so tightly that the veins stood out, and his face flushed red with anger and pain: "These bastards! They dare stab us in the back! General, I'll take a squad and leave first!"

Chen Feng's heart sank, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Aquinado's madness far exceeded his expectations!

At the crucial moment when the two armies were jointly besieging Manila, they dared to stab their ally in the back and launch a sneak attack. It was utterly despicable!

But he quickly forced himself to calm down, his mind racing: the main force of the independent army on the northern front was tied down at the upstream water tower fortress, and Bardomello could only lead the trusted troops left behind by Aquinado in Marolos.

The main camp was heavily guarded, complete with watchtowers, trenches, and bunkers, and even had ten Colt machine guns. More importantly, the camp was guarded by Zhang Xiuwu.

Zhang Xiuwu, who always longed to go to the front lines but always stayed behind, was someone he deeply trusted.

Chen Feng knew him too well. He seemed calm and reserved, but in reality, he was meticulous, composed, and had solid training skills. Although there were new recruits in the camp, under his tutelage, their combat effectiveness was by no means weak.

Moreover, fighting at night puts the enemy at a disadvantage due to their unfamiliarity with the terrain, and Bardomello, that reckless fellow, might not necessarily come out on top.

Just as Chen Feng was thinking this, another small boat came sailing on the river, its oars making a more urgent sound than the previous one.

Before the ship even reached the shore, a messenger stood at the bow, waving his arms and shouting at the top of his lungs by the starlight and the afterglow of distant cannon fire, his voice filled with uncontrollable elation: "Great victory! General! Great victory!"

Battalion Commander Zhang has defeated Valdomero!

We annihilated over a thousand enemy soldiers and captured more than three hundred. We achieved a great victory with no casualties!

Bardomello fled with his remaining troops overnight!

"What?!"

Kong Yunfei and Tian Gang exclaimed in surprise at the same time, their anxious expressions instantly replaced by ecstatic joy.

Kong Yunfei forgot the pain from his wound and slapped his thigh: "Good lad! Zhang Xiuwu really made us proud! Four hundred against two thousand, and they even wiped out more than a thousand enemies, that's fucking satisfying! It's so satisfying!"

Ren Dayong sprang to his feet, ignoring the excruciating pain in his right shoulder, and roared with laughter: "Good! Well done, Xiuwu! We brothers trusted him for nothing! Those sons of bitches from the Independent Army, they tried to steal a chicken but lost their rice instead, they deserve it!"

He laughed so hard that it aggravated his wound, causing him to grimace in pain, but he still couldn't stop.

Chen Feng leaned against the trench wall, his tense shoulders finally relaxing, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

This is something!

We can't just let this go!

The independence army must give an explanation!

Thinking of this, the smile in Chen Feng's eyes vanished instantly, and he said coldly, "Send someone to inform Luna, word for word, of Aquinado's dispatch of Bardomello to attack my Free Army camp!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the soldiers around him who shared his hatred for the enemy, and his voice suddenly rose: "Tell Luna that either Aquinado should hand over Baldomero and compensate our army for all casualties and losses!"

Otherwise, don't blame the Chinese Free Army for turning its back on us!

If he doesn't give me a proper explanation, I'll immediately turn my gun on him and settle this score first!

The kerosene lamps at the Independent Army's northern command post remained lit all night.

Luna had just finished a war meeting with frontline officers when a messenger stumbled in.

"General! Urgent report! A secret message from the direction of Malolos!"

Luna's heart skipped a beat. He unfolded the letter, glanced at the few lines of writing, and his relaxed brows instantly furrowed into a knot. His face drained of color at a visible speed, turning into a terrifying ashen blue.

His usual gentle and refined manners were completely gone. His hands, holding the letter, trembled uncontrollably. The gold frame of his glasses slipped off his nose and almost fell to the ground. He subconsciously raised his hand to catch it, but his fingertips brushed against the fog on the lenses.

"Commander-in-Chief...how dare you act like this!"

Luna's voice was low and hoarse, filled with incredulous anger, his chest heaving violently. "At this crucial moment when both armies are besieging Manila, to launch a sneak attack on an ally? Are they insane?"

He slammed the letter onto the table, the ink bottle on the table vibrating and buzzing. A few drops of ink splashed out, leaving dark marks on the white paper, just like his terrible mood at that moment.

As one of the few clear-headed figures within the independence army, he consistently opposed Aguinaldo's narrow-minded suspicions and advocated for sincere cooperation with the Chinese Free Army, since the foundation of the Spanish colonists had not yet been completely shaken.

Aguinaldo's decision, however, pushed the independence army into an abyss of no return!

"General! There's another urgent report! It's Brigadier General Bardomello's frontline battle report!" Another messenger rushed in, panting.

Luna grabbed the new urgent report, his gaze sweeping over it rapidly. His face grew increasingly grim, and the anger in his eyes almost burst from their sockets.

"Idiot! Utterly hopeless idiot!"

He angrily slammed the battle report on the ground and stomped his foot hard on the ground. "Two thousand elite troops raided a garrison camp of several hundred men and were utterly defeated!"

A thousand enemy soldiers were annihilated?

Three hundred were captured?

What on earth is Baldomerro doing?!

Did he buy his command?

The officers inside the tent looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

Luna's chest heaved violently as he swept his gaze over the people in the tent, his voice filled with suppressed anger: "The Commander-in-Chief's decision is utterly absurd, and Bardomello's incompetence only makes matters worse!"

Now, we not only have to face a frontal attack from the Spanish, but also be wary of retaliation from the Chinese Free Army!

Just then, a guard announced from outside the tent: "General, a messenger from General Chen Feng of the Chinese Free Army has arrived!"

Luna was startled, the anger in his eyes subsided slightly, replaced by a complex expression.

He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, straightened his uniform, and said in a deep voice, "Let him in."

Zhang Erhe strode into the tent with his head held high and said loudly, "General Luna, I believe you already know what has happened!"

My general, Chen Feng, has ordered: Your army must provide a clear explanation!

He paused, then his tone suddenly became more serious: "First, hand over the mastermind, Bardomello, and let our army deal with him!"

Second, they must compensate my Free Army for all casualties, losses, and material depletions, not a penny less!

Third, your Commander-in-Chief Aguinaldo must personally go to my Free Army camp to apologize and atone for his sins!

"If there is no response within one hour, our army will consider it a deliberate declaration of war by your army!"

Zhang Erhe's eyes were icy, his tone laced with bloodlust, "Then, blood will be used to pay for this debt!"

These words resonated deeply, and the officers of the Independent Army inside the tent were immediately in uproar, glaring angrily at Zhang Erhe, with many instinctively reaching for their weapons at their waists.

I will immediately arrange the camp's defenses, and I will personally go to your camp an hour later to explain in person.

Seeing his resolute attitude and lack of evasiveness, Zhang Erhe nodded and said, "Alright! We'll await your reply! But my general said he only has one hour; no more waiting!"

Having said that, he said no more, turned around and strode out of the tent, leaving behind a tent full of Independent Army officers with different expressions.

General Marolos's Office.

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered slightly in the wind, casting the Independent Army flag on the wall on and off.

Aquinas leaned against the velvet-covered bed, his face so dark it seemed to drip water, while Nobuyuki Aoki remained seated in the wicker chair beside the bed, an unlit cigar between his fingers, his eyes as deep as the night.

Bardomello knelt on the ground, his military uniform covered in dust and blood, his collar askew, his former arrogance completely gone.

He glanced at Aquinado's ashen face, then quickly puffed out his chest, adopting a tough stance: "But I'll take responsibility for my actions! Don't worry, if Luna or Chen Feng asks, I'll just say that attacking the Chinese Free Army camp was my own idea, and has nothing to do with you!"

Aoki Nobuyuki sat to the side, a flash of disdain crossing his eyes as he heard this, a cold smile playing on his lips.

Two thousand soldiers launched a surprise attack on a garrison camp of several hundred men, but not only did they fail, they also suffered heavy losses, and their plans were ruined.

If he had known that the independence army was so useless, he shouldn't have been so hasty in revealing to Aguinaldo that the gold had been taken by the Chinese Free Army.

This gold was originally a crucial bargaining chip he planned to offer to the Japanese military, but now not only has he failed to obtain it, it may also make Chen Feng realize that Japanese forces are pulling the strings behind the scenes.

If the news leaks out, not only will the gold be lost, but it will also completely offend this rising Chinese general, which would be a huge loss.

Aoki Nobuyuki ran his fingertips along the armrest of the recliner, pondering what remedial measures to take.

Aquinado glared at his good-for-nothing cousin, his anger almost bursting forth. He said in a deep voice, "If it weren't for the fact that you're my cousin, I'd drag you out and shoot you!"

Bardomero trembled with fear, lowered his head even further, and didn't dare to breathe.

Aquinado took a few deep breaths, forcibly suppressing the murderous intent in his heart.

No matter how incompetent Baldomero is, he is still his trusted confidant and a member of his own family. If he were to be handed over, it would not only alienate his other confidants but also allow rival forces like Luna to seize the opportunity to grow stronger.

He softened his tone and said sternly, "From now on, you must stay in the military camp in the north of the city. Without my order, you are not allowed to step out of the camp even once!"

"That Luna guy has always advocated cooperation with the Chinese Free Army. If you're captured by his men, he'll definitely use you as a scapegoat and hand you over to Chen Feng to vent his anger!"

"Yes! Yes! Thank you for your mercy, Commander-in-Chief!" Bardomello was overjoyed and kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude.

Aquinado waved his hand, signaling him to step back, then turned his gaze to Aoki Nobuyuki, forcing a smile to cover up his earlier lapse in composure: "Mr. Aoki, please forgive my embarrassment. It was just an accident. Bardomello made a mistake and ruined everything. This loss is nothing; I still have tens of thousands of troops at my disposal."

Aoki Nobuyuki slowly concealed the disdain in his eyes, a fake smile appearing on his face. He narrowed his eyes and said, "Commander-in-Chief, there's no need to worry. Those who achieve great things don't concern themselves with trifles. This setback is just a minor episode on the road to success."

He paused, then said firmly, "Our Great Japanese Empire has always valued its friendship with the Philippines and firmly believes that the Commander-in-Chief can lead the Philippines to independence. We will continue to support you in the procurement of supplies."

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