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

Chapter 134 The loyal soul never dies

"Fifty elite soldiers! All hand-picked by the elite vanguard battalion! Equipped with foreign rifles and grenades, they laid a triple ambush, yet they couldn't even stop a group of overseas rebels?"

Ronglu kicked the commander in the chest with such force that the man rolled several times, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were filled with incredulous rage and astonishment, and his voice suddenly rose: "Chen Feng! Just who is this Chen Feng?"

He thought victory was assured: fifty elite soldiers were lying in wait along the retreat route, and the new army and police were stationed in the government prison. Even if Chen Feng had extraordinary abilities, he could only become a dead man under gunfire or be captured alive and sent to the capital to claim credit.

But to his utter surprise, the other side not only rescued Wang Wu unharmed, but also slaughtered all fifty of his elite troops, leaving not a single survivor!

"Sir... those men of Chen Feng are too ruthless!"

The commander struggled to his feet, his knees still on the ground, his voice trembling with tears, "Their marksmanship is so fast and accurate, the brothers were taken down as soon as they showed their heads, they didn't even have time to react... And Wang Wu, he's been imprisoned for many days, yet he was still able to kill the martial arts masters we hired with his bare hands, it's really... really strange!"

"Strange?"

Ronglu sneered, his tone chillingly menacing, "You're all useless! I underestimated him!"

He originally thought Chen Feng was just a bandit who had managed to occupy a piece of territory in Luzon by chance, but he did not expect that the other party not only had elite armed forces, but also such a meticulous plan and fearless fighting power.

These are no ordinary bandits; they are clearly a well-trained and incomparably brave elite force!

"Issue the order immediately!"

Ronglu's voice was filled with a fierce, clenched-teeth tone. "Seal off all city gates! Mobilize the entire Xigu garrison and conduct a city-wide search! Even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, find Chen Feng and Wang Wu!"

He paused, a ruthless glint in his eyes: "Furthermore, immediately send a telegram to the court! Report that the overseas rebel Chen Feng has infiltrated Tianjin, rescued the notorious criminal Wang Wu from prison, and killed and wounded countless soldiers—his crimes are heinous! Request that the court immediately dispatch troops to Luzon to annihilate this villain and uphold the law!"

"Yes! I'll take care of it right away!"

The commander felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he scrambled out of the room, fearing that if he was even a step too late, he would be reduced to ashes.

Meanwhile, in a secluded corner of the German concession docks, the Lufthansa's smokestacks were already billowing black smoke, and the steam engine was humming in a low rumble, ready to set sail at any moment.

"Master, get on the boat quickly! It will be too late if we wait any longer!" Chen Feng grabbed Wang Wu's arm, his tone urgent.

Wang Wu stood still, slowly pushing Chen Feng's hand away and looking towards the direction of Tianjin.

There are the people he protected, his unfulfilled wishes, and the principles he was willing to risk his life to uphold.

"Good disciple, you may leave now."

Wang Wu's voice was still loud and clear, but with a hint of determination: "I can't go to Luzon with you."

Chen Feng was stunned, his eyes filled with confusion: "Master! Staying here is certain death! Ronglu will never let this go; with a city-wide search, you have nowhere to hide!"

"Throughout my life, I, Wang Wu, have always upheld justice and never feared danger."

Wang Wu paused, his tone still bold and unwavering: "Although the Qing Dynasty is corrupt, Mr. Tan Fusheng's reform cause has not yet succeeded, and countless people are still struggling in misery. If I leave, who will protect him? Who will provide shelter for these suffering people?"

He raised his hand and patted Chen Feng on the shoulder, his tone heavy yet firm: "You created a new world for the Chinese in Luzon, which is a long-term vision; I stayed in Qing China to assist in the reform, which is a short-term concern. We, master and disciple, one working in the interior and one on the exterior, one with a distant goal and one with a near goal, complement each other, and only then can we find a way to survive for the Chinese people all over the world!"

Wang Wu looked towards the capital, his eyes filled with a complex light, a mixture of grief, resentment, and a tragic determination: "In this world, we don't do things just because we see hope; rather, we do things so that hope may arise!"

Mr. Tan knew that the reform movement was fraught with peril, yet he still stepped forward.

Since I, Wang Wu, have acknowledged him as a friend, I cannot back down out of fear of death!

Chen Feng wanted to persuade him again, but Wang Wu waved his hand to interrupt him: "I, Wang Wu, am not blindly loyal, but loyal and righteous! The court can kill me, can stifle the reform, but it cannot kill the people's desire for peace, nor can it stop the Chinese people from striving for self-improvement!"

Go back to Luzon, go your own way. Even if I am beheaded and my head displayed to the public by the court, never come back to risk your life!

After saying that, he turned and left, his back standing taller and more upright in the night, like a sturdy pine tree, never looking back.

As the Lufthansa's horn sounded, Chen Feng stood on the deck, watching Wang Wu's receding figure, and suddenly felt his eyes well up with tears.

He suddenly realized that his master's choice to stay was never for a reform that was destined to fail, but rather for the sacrifice of himself.

There are always some people in this world who, knowing that the road ahead is a bottomless abyss, still step onto it without hesitation.

They were not foolish, but they clearly understood that the awakening of a nation always requires bloodshed, and the rebirth of a country is always inseparable from the passing on of the torch.

From Wen Tianxiang's resolute declaration, "Since ancient times, who has ever escaped death? Let my loyal heart shine in history," to Yue Fei's unwavering loyalty to his country, and now to my master and Tan Fusheng's magnanimous choice to die for loyalty and righteousness, to die for their country, their spirit is passed down through generations.

They used their lives to build an indestructible spiritual Great Wall for the Chinese nation.

This sacrifice is not a pointless one, but a torch that illuminates the way forward.

The Qing government could stifle reform and massacre patriots, but it could not extinguish the spirit of loyalty and righteousness that was ingrained in the blood of the nation.

The blood shed in this reform will turn into spring rain, nourishing more seeds of awakening, and one day they will converge into a prairie fire, burning down this corrupt old world and illuminating a brand new future.

The Lufthansa slowly departed the dock, heading towards the South Seas.

Beijing, Summer Palace.

The flickering candlelight inside the Hall of Joyful Longevity reflected the glittering jewels that filled the hall, but it could not dispel the somber atmosphere.

Empress Dowager Cixi, dressed in a bright yellow embroidered phoenix palace gown, leaned against a cushioned throne, toying with a high-quality pearl in her hand. Her face showed no emotion, but her eyes held a chilling coldness.

"Snapped!"

An urgent telegram was slammed to the ground, and Ronglu's memorial to the throne shattered the deathly silence in the hall like a thunderclap.

"This is outrageous! It's a complete rebellion!"

Empress Dowager Cixi's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a penetrating authority and fury. She gripped the pearl in her hand tightly. "A foreign traitor dared to infiltrate Tianjin to break into the prison, kill and wound my Qing soldiers, and even rescue that rebel Wang Wu! What is Ronglu good for? Keeping a bunch of good-for-nothings around!"

The Grand Councilors standing in the hall knelt down in unison with a thud, their bodies trembling, their heads bowed low, none of them...

Daring to respond.

Everyone knew that the Empress Dowager's anger at this moment was enough to destroy everything.

"Fifty elite soldiers from the Vanguard Battalion! Equipped with modern rifles and cannons, yet they couldn't even stop a rabble!"

Empress Dowager Cixi slammed her hand on the armrest of her throne, her eyes wide with rage, and gritted her teeth, saying, "Chen Feng? Hmph, what audacity! A mere clown who has seized a tiny piece of land in Luzon dares to provoke me!"

She stood up, paced a few steps in the hall, her gaze sweeping over the kneeling ministers before finally settling on Wang Wenshao. Her tone was icy: "Wang Wenshao! Ronglu has requested permission to send troops to Luzon to besiege them. What do you suggest we do?"

Wang Wenshao's Adam's apple bobbed, he took a deep breath, and said earnestly, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger. This old minister has something to say, though I am afraid to do so."

"Speak!" Empress Dowager Cixi's tone remained icy.

"Your Majesty, Luzon is far away in the South Seas, thousands of miles from our capital. It is not a place that can be easily conquered."

Wang Wenshao slowly kowtowed and said, word by word, "In the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, the Beiyang Fleet was completely destroyed. Although the Nanyang Fleet survived, it consisted mostly of old warships. Only after Governor-General Zhang took office in Liangjiang did he add a few shallow-draft gunboats. Even coastal defense was inadequate, so how could it possibly fight across the ocean?"

He glanced at Empress Dowager Cixi's expression and, seeing that she was not angry, continued, "Furthermore, Luzon is currently a Spanish territory. The US military just defeated the Spanish army in Manila Bay last month and is currently negotiating the handover with the Westerners."

If our troops were to rashly enter at this time, and accidentally damage American or Western warships, it would inevitably provoke intervention from the great powers. Two years ago, Song Yuren raised funds in Britain...

The expedition to Japan was halted by the Empress Dowager simply because it involved foreigners; today's situation is a hundred times more dangerous than that!

Empress Dowager Cixi's expression darkened slightly, and she tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest of her throne, but she did not interrupt him.

"More importantly, the national treasury is empty, and there is no money left to pay the troops."

Wang Wenshao's voice grew increasingly low, tinged with helplessness. "The 230 million taels of silver indemnity from the First Sino-Japanese War have not yet been paid off. Most of the taxes from various provinces have been used to repay the debt, and even the salaries of the officers and soldiers in the Beijing garrison are often delayed. If we send troops on a distant expedition this time, the cost of supplying grain ships and warships will exceed one million taels. If the expedition fails and the military funds run out, I fear there may be a mutiny!"

These words were like cold water, pouring down on Empress Dowager Cixi's anger.

She recalled the Minister of Revenue weeping over the account books after the defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War, lamenting the dire situation of having less than 100,000 taels of silver in the treasury, and the arrogant faces of foreign ministers when they pressed for reparations. The anger in her chest was gradually replaced by hesitation.

Seeing this, Wang Wenshao pressed his advantage and continued, "Although Chen Feng is ruthless, he is ultimately a lone overseas thief. He has only a few thousand Chinese under his command, far from enough to shake the foundation of the Qing Dynasty. It would be better to temporarily abandon the idea of ​​an expedition and instead strictly order the coastal provinces to strengthen their coastal defenses, blockade the merchant shipping routes to Luzon, cut off their supply of food and weapons, and their power will be destroyed on its own."

He paused, then added, "As for the matter of Luzon, we can wait until we have agreed on trade regulations with Spain and the United States before asking the great powers to assist in suppressing the rebels. This would not only avoid the danger of war but also demonstrate the Qing Dynasty's composed approach to the situation. Wouldn't that be better than rashly launching an attack?"

Empress Dowager Cixi remained silent for a long time; the hall was so quiet that the crackling of the candlelight could be heard.

Finally, she let out a heavy sigh and said, "What Wang Wenshao said is not unreasonable. Let's do it this way!"

"The Empress Dowager is wise!"

The ministers echoed in unison, their voices filled with a sense of relief and relief.

Wang Wenshao lay on the ground, the cold sweat on his forehead finally drying slowly.

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