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

Qi Fan returned to his room, closed the door behind him, and finally relaxed completely after a long day of tension.

He sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) covered with a thick quilt, and couldn't help but smile.

The successful resolution of Dai Xiansheng's matter not only prevented Zhang Zuolin's plan to establish his authority from failing, but also helped him win the hearts of the people. He also gained favor with his third concubine and Dai Xiansheng, achieving multiple benefits in one fell swoop.

Thinking of this, Qi Fan rubbed his hands together with joy, feeling that all the work he had done that morning was worth it.

Just as he was happily planning his next move, the long-lost system notification suddenly rang in his mind.

[The system has detected that the host has successfully increased the favorability rating of three people to 80%. Rewards will be distributed shortly!]

"Huh?" Qi Fan's smile faltered, and he blinked in confusion. "Three people?"

He subconsciously recalled that there were only two concubines, Dai Xianyu and Dai Xiansheng. When did a third one appear?

As if sensing his confusion, the system notification sounded immediately afterward.

[Additional Note: Testing has shown that Zhang Zuolin's favorability rating has increased to 80%, Dai Xianyu's to 80%, and Dai Xiansheng's to 100%, meaning all three have met the requirements.]

"Even my father's favorability has increased?" Qi Fan's eyes lit up, feeling both surprised and delighted.

He originally only thought of using the matter of dealing with Dai Xiansheng to save people and win the favor of the third concubine and Dai Xiansheng. He did not expect to gain Zhang Zuolin's approval. This was a great surprise!

It seems that today's "establishing authority through the people" act has pleased that cheap father quite a bit.

[Congratulations, host! Rewards successfully issued: One Rank B Army Card and one Rank B Skill Card!]

As soon as the system finished speaking, two virtual cards emitting a faint golden light appeared in Qi Fan's mind.

He suppressed his excitement and eagerly focused on examining the document.

The first card is a Class B military card, with information clearly marked on it.

[Rank B Army Card: New First Cavalry Company! Configuration Details: Total strength: 300 men; Weapons: All equipped with sabers and Type 38 rifles; Mounts: 300 high-quality horses. Instructions for Use: The host can summon this unit at any time. Once summoned, it will exist permanently and cannot be recalled.]

"Holy crap! The new 1st Regiment Cavalry Company?" Qi Fan couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes wide with surprise.

Isn't this Li Yunlong's precious darling? Although it only has 300 men, the cavalry company's mobility and raiding capabilities are top-notch, making it an absolute sharp blade on the battlefield!

The only minor regret is that the equipment is a bit ordinary, but that's okay, there will be plenty of opportunities to get them better gear in the future.

He suppressed his excitement and continued to examine the second card.

[Rank B Skill Card: Mastery of Strategic Maps! Skill Effect: The host can instantly identify all strategic maps, accurately interpret terrain and route information, and quickly pinpoint deployment vulnerabilities and weaknesses by observing troop deployments marked on the map.]

Upon seeing this, Qi Fan's breathing became a little lighter.

Strategic mapping mastery! This skill is practically tailor-made for future planning!

Whether you're looking at Fengtian's defense map or analyzing the battlefield situation, having this skill will give you a head start, so it's a pretty good skill.

[Host has successfully completed the beginner quests. A new main quest is now being issued!]

[Main Quest: Raise the favorability of ten characters to 80%! Quest Rewards: One A-rank Army Card, one B-rank Character Card!]

"hiss!"

Qi Fan gasped, then his eyes flashed with intense fighting spirit.

If a B-level army card already represents a cavalry company, then wouldn't an A-level army card potentially give you an entire artillery regiment?

There are also B-level character cards. The first beginner reward was given to a top expert like Yan Shuangying. This time, the character card might be another formidable character who can stand alone!

The thought of these tempting rewards filled Qi Fan with motivation.

He lay on the warm kang bed, his mind racing as he considered who he needed to win over next.

Zhang Xuecheng and his sworn brothers, as well as Xi Shun, their father's capable henchman, are all targets that can be won over.

The more he thought about it, the more hopeful he felt for the future. A satisfied smile appeared on Qi Fan's lips, and before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep, filled with anticipation for the reward.

The next morning, the chirping of birds outside the window pulled Qi Fan out of his sweet dream.

He stretched, and the excitement he felt last night from the system's reward vanished completely with the stretch.

Life at the Marshal's Mansion returned to its usual tranquility, devoid of the tension and excitement of the previous two days.

After eating the breakfast brought by the maid, Qi Fan, with a belly full of "plans to win favor," strolled leisurely towards the school.

He already had a plan in mind: Yang Jingzhen's favorability towards him had already increased to 30% during the last class, and now the new task required ten people to reach 80% favorability, so he would raise this gentleman's favorability first.

Even the smallest mosquito bite is still meat, and even the strictest teacher can still earn you points!

Upon entering the school, one could see Feng Yong, Zhang Xuecheng, and a few others huddled in a corner, whispering to each other and glancing towards the door every now and then.

Upon seeing Qi Fan enter, the group immediately fell silent. Feng Yong even winked at him, their furtive manner suggesting they were discussing the handling of Dai Xiansheng in the square yesterday.

Qi Fan had no interest in chatting with them. He quickly grabbed a seat closest to the podium and sat down, then secretly glanced at Yang Jingzhen, who was resting with his eyes closed on the podium.

The old master was dressed in a dark blue long robe, his head slightly lowered, and even with his eyes closed, he exuded an air of majesty.

Qi Fan couldn't help but rub his hands together, secretly pleased with himself.

How could I, a fine young man of the 21st century, not handle an old scholar? Last time, the 30% favorability rating was just the starting point. Just wait, the moment I open my mouth, I guarantee you'll be pleasantly surprised, and your favorability rating will skyrocket!

Not long after, Yang Jingzhen slowly opened his eyes, stood up leisurely, and cleared his throat.

Feng Yong and the others remained huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

Yang Jingzhen's gaze immediately swept over, and his face darkened.

"Stop chattering during class! What kind of behavior is this! Feng Yong, you tell us, what were you all talking about just now?"

When Feng Yong was called out, he was startled and quickly jumped up from his seat. He scratched his head and said with a grin.

"Sir, we didn't talk about anything else, just... just about Hanqing's father punishing Dai Xiansheng in front of the whole city."

Upon hearing this, Yang Jingzhen's expression softened somewhat, and he nodded gently.

"Hanqing's father punished his relatives to rectify social customs, which is indeed worth mentioning. However, do you understand the underlying principle?"

Feng Yong's smile froze instantly. He glanced at Qi Fan beside him with a troubled expression and stammered.

"Sir, this... Hanqing is right here, I can't say anything, I'm afraid he'll tell his father!"

"Hey! You're just talking nonsense!" Qi Fan, sitting to the side, couldn't help but roll his eyes and retort.

"Who's like you, always tattling? I'm not that petty!"

"Alright, enough with the noise!"

Yang Jingzhen raised his hand to interrupt their bickering, his tone becoming more serious.

"What I'm saying today is purely for academic discussion and has nothing to do with anything else. Feng Yong, feel free to speak your mind."

Emboldened by Yang Jingzhen's words, Feng Yong instantly gained courage and cleared his throat.

"My dad told me that Zhang the Shorty beating his brother-in-law was all an act, a 'righteous act of sacrificing family ties' for the whole town to see, just to establish his authority and make everyone fear and obey him!"

After hearing this, Yang Jingzhen smiled noncommittally and nodded slowly.

"What you said isn't entirely wrong, but it's not entirely reasonable either. It's true that Marshal Zhang punished Dai Xiansheng to establish his authority, but the core issue wasn't 'acting,' but rather the concept of 'principle.'"

At this point, his gaze slowly shifted to Qi Fan.

"Hanqing, what is your opinion on this matter? Do you know what this 'Dao' I'm referring to is?"

Qi Fan had already rehearsed his explanation in his mind several times, just waiting for Yang Jingzhen to ask the question.

As soon as he finished speaking, he stood up abruptly, his back ramrod straight, a smile on his face.

"Sir, the 'Dao' you speak of is the Daoist principle of tranquility and non-action, not a method of governing a country! In my opinion, my father's punishment of Dai Xiansheng is not a matter of 'Dao,' but rather a swift and decisive measure for governing a chaotic world! Only by suppressing villains with severe punishments can Fengtian be kept stable and orderly. This is a real means of control, not just empty talk about morality!"

"presumptuous!"

Upon hearing this, Yang Jingzhen's face turned ashen, and he slammed his hand on the desk.

"You brat, how dare you distort the wisdom of our ancestors and slander the Confucian Way! The Confucian 'orthodox tradition' is the foundation for governing the country and ensuring its stability. It is the truth that our ancestors devoted their entire lives to comprehending. How can you belittle it like this! Moreover, your father was once my student. He always held Confucianism in high esteem and would never dare to utter such disrespectful words!"

Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong! Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Yang Jingzhen's favorability rating was dropping at a visible rate, 30%, 20%, 10%... and in the blink of an eye, it had fallen into negative territory. Startled, he hurriedly waved his hands to explain.

"Sir, you misunderstand! I have absolutely no intention of disparaging great Confucian scholars! It's just that the current situation is turbulent, with warlords vying for power, and the Confucian principle of 'benevolence and forgiveness' is hardly enough to quell the chaos! It's more like a moral framework to restrain people's hearts than a practical method for governing a country in times of chaos. I'm just stating the facts!"

But to Yang Jingzhen, this explanation was nothing short of blasphemy.

The old scholar was already trembling with anger, and upon hearing this...

His chest heaved violently, his face turned from ashen to purplish-red, and he kept muttering to himself, but couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

"You...you...you're hopeless...you're beyond redemption!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yang Jingzhen suddenly clutched his chest, his body went limp, and he collapsed heavily onto the desk with a thud.

The classroom fell silent for two seconds, then erupted into chaos.

Suddenly, someone shouted something from a corner.

"Oh no! Mr. Yang has had a relapse! Run!"