As a young marshal, it's reasonable for me to have 300,000 private troops, right?

The maid Xiaochun quickly brought over steaming hot food, which Qi Fan wolfed down, not daring to delay for even a moment.

He returned to his desk, spread out paper and pen, pondered for a moment, and then began to write his speech.

The entire content revolves around the theme of "the people as the foundation," and the words reveal the Fengtian Army's reverence for the people.

This not only highlighted the seriousness of Dai Xiansheng's mistake, but also emphasized Zhang Zuolin's determination to "not show favoritism and severely punish evildoers," all to make the people feel that the Fengtian Army was the one truly protecting them.

After finishing writing, Qi Fan read it through again to make sure there were no problems before hurriedly taking the manuscript to find Zhang Zuolin.

He knew in his heart that a ten-year-old child like himself would not be convincing in such a public setting. Only his father, the powerful figure in Fengtian, could personally stand on the stage to maximize the effect of "establishing authority and winning hearts".

When they found Zhang Zuolin, he was handling military affairs in his study.

Upon hearing Qi Fan's purpose, he took the speech and read it carefully. The more he read, the wider his smile became. When he read the line "Emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners," he couldn't help but slap the table.

"Good lad! Well written! Every sentence hits the nail on the head! Alright, I'll show up this afternoon!"

By the afternoon, the largest central square in Fengtian City was already packed with people.

Following Qi Fan's instructions, happy Shun erected a platform ten feet high, with the prepared banner hanging in front of it.

"General Zhang has dealt with the culprit who disturbed the peace of the people last night, restoring peace to Fengtian." The words in black on a red background were extremely eye-catching.

The high platform was surrounded by elite soldiers holding long spears, their expressions solemn, maintaining order at the scene.

The square was packed with people who had rushed over after hearing the news. When Qi Fan arrived at the scene, he was also taken aback by the crowd.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Xuecheng and his group spread the news so widely that almost half of the people in Fengtian City came.

He glanced at the sea of ​​people below the stage and nodded to himself: the timing was perfect.

"Xishun, bring the person up here." Qi Fan walked to the side of the platform and instructed Xishun, who was waiting there.

"yes!"

happy Shun responded and turned to signal his personal guards to escort Dai Xiansheng to the stage.

With his hands tied behind his back, his hair disheveled, and his face as pale as paper, Dai Xiansheng's legs went weak the moment he stepped onto the platform and felt the gazes of thousands of people below. He almost collapsed to the ground, completely losing the arrogant demeanor he had when he was smoking opium.

Just then, Zhang Zuolin, dressed in a crisp military uniform, walked steadily onto the platform.

The moment he appeared, the murmurs below the stage instantly subsided, and all eyes turned to the stage.

Zhang Zuolin walked to the center of the platform, stood with his hands behind his back, and glanced at the audience below. His deep voice was transmitted in all directions through the tin loudspeaker that had been prepared in advance.

"Fellow citizens of Fengtian! I, Zhang Zuolin, am sure you all recognize me!"

The audience below the stage was completely silent, listening attentively.

Zhang Zuolin raised his hand and pointed to Dai Xiansheng, who was trembling beside him.

"I've set up this stage here today to deal with this man! To be honest, his name is Dai Xiansheng, and he's my brother-in-law!"

As soon as these words were spoken, a murmur arose from the audience. The people were shocked and began to whisper among themselves.

No one expected that the mastermind who was to be punished was actually a relative of Marshal Zhang!

Zhang Zuolin raised his hand to quiet the room, and the scene fell silent once again.

"This is my brother-in-law, Zhang Zuolin's brother-in-law. Last night, he went crazy and smashed all the streetlights on one street in Fengtian City! Streetlights are for everyone to light their way at night, and he dared to ruin the people's property! Our Fengtian Army will never allow such a black sheep to exist! I've called everyone here today to punish him properly in front of everyone!"

He paused, his voice growing increasingly forceful: "As the old saying goes, even the emperor is subject to the same laws as the common people! In my Fengtian realm, no matter who you are, no matter what your relationship is with me, Zhang Zuolin, if you dare to harm the interests of the people, dare to break the law, you have no right to escape punishment!"

The audience was thrilled, and many nodded in agreement.

"So!" Zhang Zuolin suddenly raised his voice.

"Today, in front of all of you, I personally order that Dai Xiansheng be given one hundred lashes! If he can withstand it, consider himself lucky and he should repent and reform himself; if he can't, his death will be deserved, and it will be an explanation to the people of Fengtian!"

At this point, he looked around and solemnly promised.

"From today onwards, remember this! Whether you are a soldier of the Fengtian Army or someone close to me, Zhang Zuolin, if you commit any illegal, disorderly, or oppressive acts against the people, you can come directly to me, Zhang Zuolin! I guarantee that you will be severely punished without exception!"

As soon as he finished speaking, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience. The people waved their fists excitedly and shouted slogans such as "Marshal Zhang is wise!" The atmosphere at the scene reached its peak.

Zhang Zuolin glanced at the crowd below with satisfaction, then turned to Xishun and sternly ordered, "Xishun! Prepare for the execution!"

"yes!"

happy Shun responded loudly, and immediately took a cowhide whip soaked in cold water from his personal guard. When he swung it in the air, it made a crisp "snap" sound, which made the hearts of the people below the stage tighten.

He strode up behind Dai Xiansheng and said in a deep voice, "Stand up straight!"

Dai Xiansheng was so frightened by the shout that he trembled all over. He had barely managed to stand up straight when he was met with the first heavy whip.

"Snapped!"

The leather whip lashed hard across his back, instantly tearing the fabric of his long robe and leaving a bright red welt.

"what!"

A piercing scream burst from Dai Xiansheng's throat. He trembled and almost fell to the ground, but was held down firmly by the guards on both sides.

Immediately afterwards, the second and third lashes followed.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The cracking of the whip echoed across the square, particularly jarring.

Before long, Dai Xiansheng's back was slapped so hard that his skin was torn open and blood soaked through his long robe, dripping down the hem onto the high platform.

His initial screams and struggles gradually turned into weak groans, until finally he couldn't even make a sound and could only be supported by his personal guards like a lump of mud.

The entire execution was awe-inspiring, and the people below held their breath in suspense, their previous chatter completely silenced.

Some people were initially worried that Zhang Zuolin would show favoritism, but after witnessing Dai Xiansheng being beaten to death, they all showed awe in their eyes.

The fact that even his own brother-in-law could be dealt with so severely demonstrates that General Zhang's determination to "severely punish those who break the law and violate discipline" is genuine!

Many people nodded to themselves, their opinion of the Fengtian Army completely changed, and their previous dissatisfaction with the smashed streetlights was gradually soothed by this "fairness".

He was whipped a hundred times, from late afternoon until his arms started to ache, before he finally stopped.

At this point, Dai Xiansheng was already unconscious, his body covered in blood and gore, barely breathing, and on the verge of death.

happy Shun waved his hand, signaling his personal guards to carry him away on a wooden plank.

Upon seeing this, the crowd erupted in thunderous applause once again, and shouts of "Marshal Zhang is wise!" echoed throughout the square for a long time.

This incident solidified Zhang Zuolin's prestige among the people of Fengtian.

Qi Fan stood to the side of the platform, watching everything unfold, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief: his goal had been achieved.

He did not linger in the square, but turned around and followed the soldiers carrying Dai Xiansheng back to the Marshal's Mansion.

Dai Xiansheng was placed in his own room, where the family's physician was already waiting, busy cleaning his wounds and applying medicine. Qi Fan did not disturb him, and only entered his room again in the evening.

At this moment, Dai Xiansheng had just woken up from his coma. His face was ashen. When he saw Qi Fan come in, he struggled to move his eyes and spoke in a hoarse, almost inaudible voice.

"Rokuko...you've come..."

Qi Fan walked to the bedside, looked down at him, and spoke in a calm tone that carried an undeniable authority.

"This time, you've learned your lesson, haven't you?"

Dai Xiansheng nodded weakly, two tears sliding down his cheeks, a mixture of unbearable pain, relief at surviving a disaster, and gratitude towards Qi Fan.

He opened his mouth, and said weakly, "I...I remember...I'll never do it again..."

Seeing this, Qi Fan gently patted his uninjured shoulder.

"You should focus on recovering. The doctor will come to change your dressings on time. Once you're a little better, I'll help you quit opium. If you don't quit, you'll eventually fall for it again."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Once you've fully recovered and quit smoking, I have something important for you to do."

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light flashed in Dai Xiansheng's eyes, as if he had found a lifeline.

He nodded with all his might, his voice hoarse as he promised, "Liu Zi... don't worry... I'll definitely take good care of myself... quit smoking... from now on... my life is yours... whatever you ask me to do... I'll do it..."

Qi Fan nodded in satisfaction and didn't say anything more.

He turned and walked out of the room, instructing the maidservant guarding the door, "Tell the doctor to pay close attention, come to check on him on time, and report to me immediately if anything happens."

"Yes, young master," the maidservant replied hastily.

Watching the door close, Qi Fan was overjoyed, because Dai Xiansheng's favorability rating had reached 100%. He hadn't expected that Dai Xiansheng was such a sentimental person. After this incident, he was willing to work wholeheartedly for him, which was worth it.