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

Chapter 132 Anti-Qing and Rejection of Alliance

Chen Feng looked down; although the newspaper page was yellowed, the ink was still clear, and it prominently displayed a photo of him fighting shirtless.

The blood from the bullet wound in his shoulder had congealed into a dark red. His left hand gripped a long sword tightly, the blade still adorned with fragments of cloth from a Spanish soldier. His eyes were fierce and filled with murderous intent, a testament to the bloody battle during the crossing of the Marigana River.

The English title above the photo is particularly eye-catching: "Chinese-American Commander Leads Free Army to Cross Marikina River! Manila's Northern Front Breaks Through Spanish Defenses for the First Time."

"Of Chinese descent?"

Chen Feng uttered those two words in a low voice, his tone full of sarcasm.

He read the text line by line, and every word was an exaggerated narrative of American heroism.

The credit for the successful river crossing was attributed entirely to his courageous charge, and the coordinated operations of the Free Army soldiers and the precise coordination of logistical supplies were simplified into a brave act of following the commander.

What irritated him even more was that the article repeatedly emphasized that the artillery support from the USS Olympia was key to the victory, while making no mention of the casualties suffered by the Chinese Free Army.

Even Elizabeth's call for peace was only mentioned briefly at the end of the article.

Chen Feng shook his head inwardly, knowing that this was not Elizabeth's original intention, but purely due to the Chinese Exclusion Act.

At a time when anti-Chinese sentiment is sweeping across the United States, the collective honor of Chinese people is not recognized. The fact that this story was published is perhaps the result of her reasoned arguments.

Rong Xingqiao took a sip of beer and laughed, "These days, the United States is carrying out a large-scale anti-Chinese campaign. Chinese people overseas are often expelled and bullied, and it's even difficult for them to make a living. Yet you, Brother Chen, have made it onto the front page of The New York Times. This is truly an unprecedented event in a century!"

He lightly tapped the photo on the newspaper with his finger, his tone full of emotion: "When Mr. Sun was in Honolulu, he showed this report to the overseas Chinese and said that Chen Feng was able to make Westerners take the Chinese seriously by his own efforts, proving that we are not the sick men of East Asia. As long as we unite and fight, we can drive out the barbarians and restore China."

Mr. Sun?

Chen Feng instantly realized that this person was a core member of the Revive China Society.

Rong Xingqiao seemed to see through his thoughts, and his smile deepened: "To be honest, my dear brother, Mr. Sun has finished his fundraising in Honolulu and will soon be heading to Japan to contact comrades. After that, he will travel to Hong Kong to handle association affairs, and then he will make a special trip to Luzon to visit you and discuss the grand plan to overthrow the Qing Dynasty!"

A grand plan to overthrow the Qing dynasty?

The devil's grand plan to overthrow the Qing!

Please don't come! We can't meet!

Chen Feng almost instinctively shouted in his heart, but he had to maintain his composure on his face and shook his head to refuse: "Mr. Rong, thank you for your kind offer, Mr. Sun. However, the situation in Luzon is complicated right now, and the Free Army has not yet established a firm foothold."

The cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty is not something that can be accomplished overnight; there's no need to rush it. It would be better to wait a year or two, until the situation in Luzon becomes clearer and the Free Army's base is solid, then I can personally visit Mr. Sun Yat-sen in Hong Kong or Yokohama. At that time, we can then have a thorough discussion about expelling the Manchus and restoring China. Wouldn't that be more prudent?"

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Rong Xingqiao's smile faltered slightly, clearly not expecting such a direct rejection.

He stared into Chen Feng's eyes, trying to find any trace of evasion, but only saw honest concerns and a hint of indescribable urgency.

That wasn't a perfunctory refusal to cooperate; it was more like a firm resistance to the fact that the timing was wrong.

Rong Xingqiao pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "What you say makes sense, my brother. When Mr. Sun was in Honolulu, he also heard that the war in Luzon had just ended and the situation was delicate, so he must understand your difficulties. I will convey your meaning to Mr. Sun truthfully, and then we will discuss the next steps."

Chen Feng breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Mr. Rong, what brings you to Tianjin this time?"

Rong Xingqiao avoided answering, instead asking, "Brother, you came to Tianjin to rescue Master Wang Wu, didn't you?"

Now that their identities are known, there's no point in hiding anything.

Chen Feng nodded frankly: "That's right. My master is imprisoned in the Tianjin government jail, and I've come here to rescue him."

"Do you need our help?" Rong Xingqiao asked immediately.

Chen Feng's heart stirred slightly.

The Xingzhonghui had always maintained close ties with southern secret societies such as the Hongmen and the Gelaohui. Although its foundation in the north was not solid, its ability to infiltrate under the Qing government's nose meant it must have controlled a considerable amount of local resources.

He did not readily agree, but cautiously asked in return: "If the Revive China Society is willing to lend a helping hand, what kind of support can it provide?"

I, Chen Feng, have always been clear about my debts and grudges. If you can help me rescue my master, I will surely repay you handsomely!

Rong Xingqiao's face broke into a smile again. He took out a roll of oiled paper from his sleeve and gently laid it on the table: "There's no need for a generous reward. The great cause of overthrowing the Qing should be carried out together. What we can provide is exactly what you need right now: a detailed map of the Tianjin Prefectural Prison and more than ten spies lurking in Tianjin."

He pointed to the oil paper and continued, "This was drawn by our prison guards. Mr. Wang Wu was imprisoned in cell number one of the highest-ranking cells, which was surrounded by water dungeons and guarded by a platoon of the Beiyang New Army. The shift change was at 1-3 AM and 7-9 AM, with only a quarter of an hour between shifts."

In addition, the Qing court recruited two江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) henchmen to guard outside the prison; one was a master of hard martial arts, and the other was proficient in spear fighting—both tough nuts to crack.

Hard skills?

A spear?

Chen Feng almost burst out laughing. Did they really think this was the era of cold weapons?

These two so-called lackeys of the underworld probably wouldn't even have a chance to fight back against the Colt M1895 machine gun and grenades; they would simply be throwing their lives away.

However, he didn't point it out. Instead, he suppressed the smile in his heart and sincerely cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Rong. These two experts are indeed not to be underestimated. With the defense map you provided, I can arrange manpower to deal with them in advance."

Seeing his seriousness, Rong Xingqiao showed approval, but then abruptly changed the subject: "There is another matter that you should pay close attention to, my brother. According to Qing court custom, a criminal like Mr. Wang Wu should have been escorted to the capital within three days of his capture and handed over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation. However, more than half a month has passed, and he is still being held in the Tianjin Prefectural Jail. This is definitely not normal."

"I also sensed something was amiss," Chen Feng echoed in a low voice.

The Qing court has always been ruthless in dealing with rebels. His mentor was deeply involved with the reformers and was also implicated with this overseas rebel. The Qing court had no reason to keep him in Tianjin, as things could get complicated if things dragged on.

"You noticed it too?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Rong Xingqiao's eyes, then he added, "I've already sent spies to infiltrate the Governor-General's residence to investigate. The Governor-General of Zhili, Ronglu, recently returned to Tianjin from Beijing and checked into a temporary residence. His movements are very secretive; aside from meeting with the Tianjin Prefect..."

The new army commander held secret talks and never appeared in public.

"Ronglu?" Chen Feng frowned slightly.

This man was a confidant of Empress Dowager Cixi, well-versed in political intrigue, and single-handedly promoted Yuan Shikai. His elite Ruifeng Battalion was specifically designed to deal with anti-Qing patriots and secret societies, and all its members were equipped with foreign guns, making them far more powerful than ordinary Qing troops.

Ronglu's personal presence in Tianjin at this time could not possibly be for the sake of Wang Wu, who was already imprisoned.

Rong Xingqiao continued, "Nine times out of ten, they're after you. They may have already tracked you down from Luzon and deliberately set up a trap."

impossible!

Chen Feng recalled that only Wang Muning and Qian Biao knew about his departure from Luzon.

These two would never reveal their whereabouts!

When traveling to Hong Kong on a German merchant ship, he disguised himself as a foreign merchant named Hans throughout the journey, and the customs procedures were personally handled by Consul Kluge, so the Qing government had no way to verify his identity.

After arriving in Tianjin, he went directly into the German concession and never had much contact with the outside world. How could he possibly be targeted?

The only possibility is that they are gambling!

I'm betting that he's loyal and righteous, and will definitely come back to save his master!

Having figured this out, Chen Feng's doubts deepened.

The prison of the government office was only 1.5 kilometers away from the entrance to the German concession. According to the marching speed of the Free Army, if there was no ambush, the whole process of rushing in to rescue people and then escaping back would take less than 20 minutes.

But if there really is an ambush, a large-scale firefight would inevitably throw Tianjin into chaos. If the Qing army were to blockade the entire city, there would be no way to escape to the German concession!

This matter must not be acted upon rashly!

While the life of the master was important, the lives of the hundred Chinese Free Army soldiers who followed him across the sea were equally precious and should not be sacrificed in vain due to a moment of impulse.

If it was truly impossible, at least he had tried, which was enough to repay his master's kindness in raising him, and he had a clear conscience.

Chen Feng took a deep breath, reached out and picked up the protective oil paper on the table, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Rong, for your frankness today. Not only did you provide such an important defense map, but you also pointed out the dangers involved. It's getting late, and I need to go back as soon as possible to discuss countermeasures with my men, so I won't take up any more of your time, sir."

Seeing his solemn expression, Rong Xingqiao realized he had taken his advice to heart and rose as well: "Brother, there's no need for such formalities. The cause of overthrowing the Qing should be one of mutual assistance. Rest assured, I will have my men continue to gather intelligence on Ronglu's plans and will notify you immediately with any news. If you need anything, feel free to come to the Guangdong Guild Hall and mention your name, Xingqiao."

"it is good."

Chen Feng nodded in agreement, his gaze sweeping over the yellowed copy of The New York Times on the table before he reached out and put it away.

The two walked out of the beer hall side by side. It was noon, and the streets were even more lively.

"Mr. Rong, farewell." Chen Feng stopped and bowed again.

"Take care, my dear brother. I await your good news."

Rong Xingqiao returned the greeting with a cupped hand, and watched Chen Feng turn and merge into the crowd, heading towards the warehouse, before turning and leaving in the opposite direction.

When they returned to the red brick warehouse, the soldiers were all resting against the wall, but each of them remained vigilant, with their rifles within easy reach.

"General, you're back." Zhang Xiuwu lowered his voice and handed over a packet of dry rations wrapped in oil paper.

Chen Feng took the wheat cake, broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, saying as he chewed, "I'm in the New York Times, with a clear picture of me. The Qing government has probably already gotten their hands on the newspaper and knows what I look like. You'll be in charge of gathering information from now on."

Zhang Xiuwu immediately opened his baggage, took out the wig and coarse cloth shirt that Wang Liang had prepared for him, quickly changed his clothes, and nodded, saying, "General, don't worry! This afternoon I'll disguise myself as a laborer from a Guangdong merchant guild who's come to Tianjin to make purchases. Under the guise of going out for leisure, I'll go to the teahouses and taverns in the city to gather information, and I will absolutely not reveal my identity!"