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

The cavalrymen were all tall and straight, exuding a fierce aura from years of battlefield experience. Lin was so frightened by this aura that she shrank back and instinctively hid behind Qi Fan, clutching his clothes tightly, not daring to even breathe loudly.

The sight of a delicate, grown woman seeking shelter behind a ten-year-old child is both comical and strangely reassuring.

It was this incident that gave Lin an unprecedented sense of security regarding his six sons.

This feeling was reassuring and grounded, something she had never experienced with her honest and simple cousin.

Even though the other party was just a teenager, he was able to protect her in the midst of gunfire.

She composed herself and timidly tugged at Qi Fan's sleeve.

"Six, are these people... all your father's troops?"

She had a suspicion in her mind, but the style of these soldiers' uniforms was obviously different from that of the Fengtian Army, which made her unsure.

Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, realizing he was in trouble.

This is really hard to explain. If we tell the truth, the system's secrets can't be revealed; if we lie, we have to come up with a reasonable excuse. If the explanation isn't thorough, my cousin-in-law might turn around and tell Zhang Zuolin about it, and I'd be exposed.

You can't exactly say the cavalry company fell from the sky, can you? Qi Fan gritted his teeth and could only grit his teeth and keep it a secret.

"Sister-in-law, you must keep what I'm about to tell you a complete secret. You can't tell anyone, including my dad and cousin, okay?"

Looking at his serious little face, Lin couldn't help but reach out and pat his head.

"Don't worry, my cousin-in-law knows what she's doing. Since it's your secret, I'll keep it to myself and never tell anyone else."

Only after receiving assurances did Qi Fan lean close to her ear and deliberately lower his voice.

"Actually... these people are my private soldiers whom I've been secretly raising!"

To Qi Fan's surprise, Madam Lin was not much surprised when she heard this; instead, she nodded knowingly.

In her view, it was perfectly normal for Zhang Zuolin's eldest son to secretly raise some private soldiers. This was the only explanation for the troops in front of her. After all, he was the eldest son of the Marshal's Mansion, and he had to have his own power base.

She smiled and pinched Qi Fan's cheek: "Our Sixth Son has really grown up. He's become a young man who can support his own private army."

Qi Fan didn't respond to that topic, afraid of saying too much and making a mistake, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Sister-in-law, let me explain a few things to them first, then I'll go home with you."

Lin nodded obediently, standing still, her eyes filled with more admiration for her little cousin.

Qi Fan turned around and walked up to Sun Desheng. His childishness had faded, replaced by a more composed demeanor.

"Company Commander Sun, take your entire company and find a secluded place to set up camp near Fengtian. Remember, be extremely careful and cautious, avoid contact with outsiders as much as possible, and don't attract attention!"

As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a stack of silver notes, which his mother had left him and which he always kept close to his body.

Qi Fan had no idea how much it would cost to feed, clothe, and provide for 300 people, so he simply pulled out a silver note with a face value of 20,000 silver dollars and handed it to Sun Desheng.

"This money is for your daily expenses. Don't skimp on food and clothing. If you need more, just send someone to ask me for it."

Sun Desheng took the banknote and stared wide-eyed when he saw the amount on it.

Back when he was in his old unit, he was dirt poor. He was just grateful to have a full meal. He had never seen such a large amount of banknotes before.

Following such a generous junior leader is like falling into a paradise!

He was so excited that his hands trembled slightly. He quickly and carefully put the silver notes into his pocket and nodded vigorously.

"That's enough! Commander, those 20,000 silver dollars are more than enough for our entire company to live comfortably for over a year, absolutely enough!"

Qi Fan nodded in satisfaction and then gave a crucial instruction.

"By the way, daily training can't be neglected! I want your cavalry company to be a sharp sword that can be drawn at any time, understand?"

"Yes, sir! I guarantee I will complete the mission!" Sun Desheng snapped to attention and gave a crisp military salute, his voice strong and clear.

Looking at the well-organized and imposing cavalry company before him, Qi Fan felt much more at ease.

"Alright, you can all go back to Fengtian and await further instructions."

"yes!"

Sun Desheng saluted again, turned and mounted his horse, shouting to the troops, "Attention! Turn your horses around and return to Fengtian!"

The three hundred cavalrymen responded in unison, their voices echoing through the night sky. They then turned their horses around and galloped towards Fengtian, quickly disappearing into the darkness, leaving only the fading sound of hooves.

With the dust settled, Qi Fan turned and walked to Lin's side, his childlike smile returning to his face.

"Sister-in-law, let's go home."

Lin smiled and agreed, then took Qi Fan's hand, and the two walked side by side toward their residence not far away.

My cousin's home wasn't luxurious, but it was clean and tidy. Several simple embroidered decorations hung on the walls, and a pot of clivia in full bloom stood by the window. The most eye-catching thing was the large Western-style bed in the center of the room, covered with floral sheets.

"Sit down for a while, I'll go get you a basin of hot water so you can take a bath and relax." Lin let go of his hand and turned to walk towards the bathroom.

She wore a fitted cheongsam, her waist swaying gently as she walked, the hem of her skirt swaying with her steps, outlining her graceful figure. Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't help but exclaim in his heart: This figure is absolutely amazing!

Soon, the sound of running water came from the washroom, and Lin's voice mingled with the sound of the water.

"Liu Zi, take a hot bath and get some sleep. I'll send you back to your father's place tomorrow so your family won't worry about you."

Qi Fan stared intently in the direction of the washroom, his heart pounding with excitement, his eyes practically glued to the view.

But when he thought about how he was still just a ten-year-old kid, he couldn't help but wilted and muttered to himself: Damn it, I'm still too young. Even if I had the desire, I didn't have the guts, let alone the ability!

Qi Fan swore to God that he had the mindset of an industrialist, but unfortunately the "hardware" hadn't kept up and Qi Lao Er (Qi Fan's second son) hadn't matured yet, so he could only admire from afar and dream about it!

Before long, Lin had filled the basin with water, steaming hot. She wiped the water off her hands and looked at Qi Fan, who was still standing there in a daze.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and take off your clothes and take a shower, the water's getting cold."

Qi Fan immediately pretended to be shy, blushing as he stood still.

It wasn't that Qi Fan was shy; after all, he was just a kid, and he had to put on an act.

Seeing his expression, Lin instantly understood, a captivating smile curving her lips and her eyes sparkling.

"What are you ashamed of? You're still a little kid."

That smile had a murderous edge to it, making Qi Fan's heart itch again. He couldn't help but curse inwardly: This damn vixen! She's too good at seducing people!

"Don't worry about taking it off, your sister-in-law won't see," Lin said, turning to leave, then added as if remembering something.

"I'll call your dad and tell him you're here with me, so they don't need to worry."

As soon as she finished speaking, she walked out with light steps, her waist swaying gracefully, exuding charm. Qi Fan stood there, watching her retreating figure, and almost had a nosebleed!

I have to say, my cousin's wife is really amazing!

Meanwhile, inside the Fengtian Marshal's Mansion, a suffocating chill permeated the room of the fourth concubine.

A man in an officer's uniform stood in the room with his head down, barely daring to breathe, while the fourth concubine's eyes widened instantly after hearing his report.

"What did you say?!"

Her voice suddenly rose, filled with unbelievable rage.

"That brat Zhang Xueliang got away again? You bunch of good-for-nothings!"

The officer trembled with fear, lowered his head even further, and defended himself in a trembling voice.

"Madam, this...this really isn't our fault! We had already cornered that kid, when suddenly a cavalry unit appeared out of nowhere. Their coordination was impeccable, and we were no match for them. Our brothers suffered heavy casualties, so we had no choice but to retreat..."

"Cavalry?" The fourth concubine frowned, her tone instantly turning somber.

"Have you figured it out? Which unit was it?"

"No...we haven't found out." The officer shook his head tremblingly.

"However, according to the brothers who escaped back, that unit was well-trained and tactically ruthless. They were definitely not some ragtag army from around Fengtian, nor did they seem to be from our Marshal's Mansion..."

The fourth concubine's eyes suddenly turned sinister, and she gripped her handkerchief tightly with her fingertips.

"That kid's got some nerve! He always seems to run into someone to save him!"

She secretly pondered that it was most likely the local garrison in Harbin who had come upon hearing the news. After all, Zhang Xueliang was Zhang Zuolin's eldest son, and even a fallen camel is bigger than a horse; it wouldn't be surprising if he had local forces secretly protecting him.

Little did she know that what saved Qi Fan was not some local garrison, but rather the private soldiers that Qi Fan himself had summoned.