20demayo Chapter 94 A Battle of Wits
Chapter 94 A Battle of Wits
Chapter 94 A Battle of Wits (Second Update, Seeking First Subscription)
"Alright! Let's get down to business!" Aquinas clapped his hands, abruptly changing the subject.
Eva's eyes were almost overflowing with resentment. She glared at Isabella fiercely and cursed inwardly: "That little bitch took advantage of her youth and beauty to steal my chance!"
She turned away sullenly, her skirt scraping against the floor with a screeching sound, and retreated from the living room in a disheveled state.
Isabella loosened her clenched, white fingers, the tips still feeling cool with tension.
She looked up at Chen Feng, a sweet smile playing on her lips, and said softly in broken but gentle Mandarin, "Chen... Feng, let's talk later."
I'm afraid I won't have another chance later!
Chen Feng shook his head inwardly, then looked directly at Aguinaldo and said in a deep voice, "Mr. Aguinaldo, I have already stated my conditions. Although the Chinese population in Luzon is small, the blood and effort they shed for Philippine independence are no less than that of any other race!"
Aquinado narrowed his eyes, deliberately avoiding the core issue, and instead launched into a grand narrative, speaking in a deep voice: "Commander Chen, in my view, from now on, the Philippines should only have one ethnic group, and that is the Filipinos! A diverse mix of races will ultimately hinder great achievements, let alone unity. Forcibly assigning ethnic quotas will only sow the seeds of division!"
Before Chen Feng could speak, Liu Hengfu suddenly stood up and retorted urgently, "Commander-in-Chief, how is that possible!"
Generations of Chinese have settled here, their blood and sweat shed in Luzon; how can they be assimilated so easily?
Connor, standing to the side, held his coffee cup, took a slow sip, and looked completely relaxed, clearly intending to watch the show unfold.
Aquinado gave Liu Heng a cold glance and continued, "My original parliamentary charter allocated seats according to the population of each province, and all ethnic groups have been eligible. But you Chinese insisted on allocating seats according to ethnicity, and now, everyone is following suit, arguing endlessly, each trying to gain benefits for their own group!"
At this point, he suddenly raised his voice and sternly questioned, "If it weren't for you Chinese setting this precedent, would the various ethnic groups have fallen apart? Later, when different ethnic groups turned against each other and killed one another over quotas, shouldn't you be held responsible for that?"
Upon hearing this, Chen Feng immediately chuckled, his tone laced with biting sarcasm: "According to the Commander-in-Chief, we Chinese, who fought bloody battles, have become the traitors to the Philippines' nation."
"How about this: you issue the order right now to return the Chinese soldiers' pay, recall the weapons manufactured by the Chinese, and settle the pensions for the Chinese who died in battle. We'll pack our bags and leave immediately, and we'll never interfere in your great cause of unity!"
These words left Aquinado's face turning pale and then red.
He suppressed his anger and softened his tone: "That's not what I meant! I see the contributions of the Chinese, and all ethnic groups remember them. But members of parliament should be elected; that's true democracy and freedom. How can they be appointed based on one person's personal opinion?"
What a grand and noble concept of democracy and freedom!
Chen Feng felt a surge of anger, and he almost couldn't suppress the urge to draw his sword.
election?
One person, one vote?
Chinese people make up only 1.5% of the total population, how can they compete with the indigenous people?
In the end, it was nothing more than a figurehead in the parliament, unable to even voice a dissenting opinion!
This is not democracy; it is clearly using population advantage to oppress the weak!
Before he could retort, Aguinaldo's voice rang out again: "The situation in the provinces is currently turbulent, and the election law is temporarily suspended, but the provisional parliament must be formed as soon as possible. I can grant you all the Chinese seats you requested, allowing the Chinese to discuss national affairs and promulgate a constitution with other ethnic groups. This is my greatest sincerity."
As he spoke, he turned to Liu Heng, playing the family card with a gentle yet somewhat calculating smile: "Brother-in-law, tell me, isn't my plan reasonable? In the future, the Philippine government will undoubtedly be a democratic and free government, and Chinese people will be able to vote for their own representatives. Why worry about our rights being violated?"
"this----"
Liu Hengzeng hadn't read many books to begin with, and his democratic rhetoric left him bewildered. Then, the phrase "brother-in-law" struck a nerve.
He married Aquinado's widow, and over the years he has been unable to hold his head high in the independence army, and even his own people have suffered because of him.
Seeing this, Chen Feng's lips curled into a mocking smile. He stepped forward, his gaze piercing as he stared directly at Aguinaldo. His voice was calm, yet every word was scathing: "Mr. Aguinaldo, your words sound grand and dignified, but in reality, they are biased to the core! The premise of democratic elections is equal interests and equal contributions, not using population figures to deceive people!"
In the Luzon independence war, the Chinese paid 70% of the military pay, produced half of the weapons, and the Chinese warriors who charged into battle on the front lines accounted for 30% of your rebel army's strength!
These achievements, built on blood and sweat, were earned with human lives, not by counting people! If you're going to allocate quotas based on population, then you should also allocate responsibilities based on contribution! Next time you conscript soldiers and raise funds, the Chinese will only contribute 1.5% of the manpower and 1.5% of the financial resources. Commander-in-Chief, are you willing to do that?
At this point, Chen Feng paused, glanced at Liu Hengfu, whose face was full of struggle, and then looked at Aquinado, his tone becoming colder and harder: "You keep saying you're afraid of racial disunity, but true unity is about giving every ethnic group a way to survive and a real voice, not forcing the weaker ethnic groups to swallow their anger and accept their fate in silence!"
The Chinese community's demand for ethnic quotas is not about splitting the Philippines, but about fearing that the land we fought and bled for will ultimately be lost, and that our descendants will not be able to survive!
I appreciate the provisional parliament granting us seats, but this is merely a temporary measure. If the final constitution doesn't even guarantee the most basic rights of the Chinese, then this independence will simply mean a change of masters to oppress them. Do you think the Chinese will willingly submit?
Upon hearing this, Aquinado was not angered at all; instead, he clapped his hands and laughed, "Commander Chen's words have hit the nail on the head! I remember the contributions of the Chinese, and I have absolutely no intention of denying them!"
As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept over Chen Feng, then fell on Isabella, who was standing to the side with her eyes lowered and a gentle smile: "Empty words are useless. If we want the Chinese and Filipino peoples to truly unite as one, we must become real relatives! Isabella is my most beloved daughter. She is intelligent, beautiful, sensible, and reasonable. I cherish her like the apple of my eye!"
Commander Chen, you are young and promising, skilled in both literature and martial arts, a true and honorable man! I wish to offer my daughter to you in marriage, so that we may become in-laws!
These words shocked everyone in the hall!
Connor paused abruptly, a playful glint in his eyes. He looked at Chen Feng with interest, his fingertips slowly tracing the inside of the cup, waiting to see how Chen Feng would respond.
Isabella's cheeks flushed crimson, her fingers clenched tightly at her sides, and she timidly looked up at Chen Feng, her eyes filled with a mixture of shyness and anticipation. Her ears were so red they seemed to bleed, and even her neck was tinged with rouge.
Liu Hengbo's eyes widened in shock, then he froze as if struck by lightning.
He instantly thought of the humiliation of marrying his sister, the embarrassment of Chinese people not being able to hold their heads high, and the significance of Chen Feng marrying Aquinas's beloved daughter. The hesitation in his eyes instantly turned into ecstasy and eagerness, and his whole body trembled!
Before Chen Feng could even hesitate, Liu Hengzeng rushed forward, grabbed Chen Feng's arm, and forcefully pulled him aside. He shouted in a low voice, his voice filled with a mixture of humiliation and ecstatic joy: "General Chen! We must agree! This is a golden opportunity, a chance for us Chinese to turn our lives around!"
His eyes reddened as he poured out all the grievances he had held back for years: "I was forced to marry his widow. People laugh at me for being a spineless opportunist. I've been groveling before him all these years, not daring to even breathe loudly. The Chinese have had enough of this humiliation following me, and I've never been able to stand up straight!"
But you're different! You married his own precious daughter! You married Mr. Ma through proper channels! It's not about climbing the social ladder, it's about being equals! No one dares to laugh at you, all of the Philippines has to respect you!
He glanced at Aquinado, lowering his voice even further: "If you agree, the Chinese are his closest relatives. Parliamentary seats and rights guarantees are a done deal; there's no need to fight or beg anymore! If you refuse, you're publicly slapping him in the face, and everything we've discussed will fall apart! The hard work and sacrifices of the Chinese cannot be ruined at this step!"