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

The special train dispatched by Zhang Zuolin traveled smoothly on the tracks. The interior of the carriages was exquisitely furnished, with thick carpets that isolated the train from the outside noise and turbulence.

Qi Fan leaned back on the soft sofa, holding a cup of warm coffee, sipping it slowly with a relaxed expression.

Zhang Xuecheng, on the other hand, was not as calm as him. He was like a curious child, touching and looking around the carriage. Every now and then he would lean against the window and marvel at the scenery of the fields rushing past outside.

A moment later, he picked up the glass ornaments on the table and examined them over and over, his eyes full of curiosity.

Qi Fan was so dizzy from being spun around that he put down his coffee cup and complained irritably.

"Now that you've finished learning, can you please calm down a bit? You're spinning around and making my eyes blurry."

Zhang Xuecheng reluctantly turned his gaze away from the window, still clutching the glass ornament in his hand, and leaned closer to Qi Fan, his eyes sparkling.

"Brother, aren't you excited at all? This is my first time riding a special train! It's so impressive! By the way, isn't it your first time too? Why don't you have any reaction?"

Qi Fan glanced at him indifferently, then picked up his coffee cup again and took a sip.

"It's just a train ride, what's so exciting about it?"

"How can this be the same? This is a special train! A special train!" Zhang Xuecheng emphasized, then leaned closer, a gossipy grin on his face, and asked in a low voice.

"Brother, guess how pretty Yu Fengzhi is? I heard the Yu family is a wealthy family, so the young lady must be a beauty, right? And also, if you marry her, what will happen to your beautiful cousin-in-law?"

Seeing Zhang Xuecheng's lewd grin, Qi Fan couldn't resist flicking him on the forehead.

"I don't know if Yu Fengzhi is pretty or not, but you're definitely up to no good. I think you're just lovesick and thinking about women, aren't you?"

Zhang Xuecheng's cheeks flushed instantly when his secret was exposed, and he scratched his head awkwardly like a child caught doing something wrong.

"Brother, do you think... that thing is really that fun?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan immediately perked up, put down his coffee cup, patted his chest, and looked like a seasoned veteran.

"This is something that can only be understood through experience. In short, once you meet a girl you like and experience it for yourself, you'll know what a real man is."

As he spoke, he put his arm around Zhang Xuecheng's shoulder and patted him on the back.

"Don't worry, once this marriage proposal is settled, I'll find you a suitable girl when I get back to Fengtian. She'll be gentle and virtuous, and I guarantee you'll have a good experience with her."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Xuecheng's eyes lit up instantly, his previous shyness vanished, and he excitedly grabbed Qi Fan's arm, nodding vigorously.

"Really? Bro! It's a deal! You can't go back on your word!"

"When have I ever lied to you?" Qi Fan said with a smile, playfully flicking his nose.

As the two chatted and laughed, the special train slowly pulled into Zhengjiatun Station. The sound of the wheels rubbing against the rails gradually subsided, and it finally came to a smooth stop.

As soon as Qi Fan and Zhang Xuecheng stepped off the train, they saw a group of people standing at the station entrance, led by a smiling Wu Junsheng.

Qi Fan couldn't help but think to himself, "Good heavens, how come my Second Master Wu is even more eager than my father? He's actually waiting here in person."

Wu Junsheng spotted them immediately, quickly walked over, and patted Qi Fan on the shoulder without saying a word.

"Wow! Liu Zi, you've grown into a real young man in the past few years, and you're getting more and more energetic!"

Qi Fan quickly composed himself and bowed respectfully to Wu Junsheng.

"Greetings, Master Wu! We are truly sorry to have troubled you to come and wait for us in person."

Wu Junsheng laughed heartily, put his arm around Qi Fan's shoulder, and walked outside.

"Don't be so polite with Second Master! I've already made arrangements with the Yu family beforehand. I'll take you there directly in a bit, and I guarantee everything will go smoothly."

The group got into the car and soon arrived at the entrance of the Yu residence.

Yu Wendou, the head of the Yu family and Yu Fengzhi's father, had been waiting outside the gate with several elders of the clan. When the carriage stopped, he quickly stepped forward to greet them.

"General Wu, I didn't expect you to make this trip in person. It's truly an honor for my humble abode!" Yu Wendou bowed respectfully, his tone full of politeness.

Wu Junsheng got out of the car, returned the greeting, and said with a smile.

"President Yu, you're being too polite. Zhang Shuai is my superior, and it's my honor to act as matchmaker for your son. There's no question of 'troubling' me."

The two walked side by side into the mansion, exchanging pleasantries. Qi Fan and Zhang Xuecheng followed behind, entering the Yu residence in a proper and respectful manner.

The courtyard is secluded and quiet, with blue bricks and gray tiles, exuding the orderliness and elegance of a wealthy family.

As Yu Wendou led Wu Junsheng inside, he smiled and tried to smooth things over.

"General Wu, you flatter us. It is a blessing for the Yu family that Marshal Zhang would favor my daughter."

"Of course!" Wu Junsheng changed the subject and began to praise Qi Fan.

"President Yu, to be honest, I've watched Hanqing grow up. He's intelligent, quick-witted, brave, and resourceful. Great generals have always loved fine horses, and beautiful women have always been companions of heroes. In my opinion, Hanqing and your daughter Fengzhi are a match made in heaven!"

As he spoke, he moved closer to Yu Wendou and added in a low voice.

"I, Wu Junsheng, may not have any other special skills, but I have an exceptional eye for talent. Trust me, your future son-in-law will definitely be an extraordinary person in the future!"

Qi Fan, standing behind him, felt his cheeks burning as Wu Junsheng showered him with compliments. He thought to himself, "Master Wu's boasting is too much; I'm getting restless listening to it."

Before he could catch his breath, Wu Junsheng began to praise him endlessly again.

Qi Fan couldn't hold back any longer and secretly gave Zhang Xuecheng a wink.

The two understood each other perfectly. Taking advantage of everyone's attention being on Wu Junsheng and Yu Wendou, they quietly slipped aside and ran towards the depths of the courtyard.

He had only run a few steps when he bumped into a woman.

Both of them were taken aback and stopped in their tracks.

The woman looked up at Qi Fan, her cheeks slightly flushed, and asked shyly, "You must be Hanqing's younger brother?"

Qi Fan looked up and saw that the woman had a well-proportioned figure and delicate features. Although she was not stunningly beautiful, she was very pleasing to the eye and had a gentle and kind temperament like a big sister next door. She also had a mature and steady demeanor.

At first glance, you can tell she's a thrifty and capable homemaker.

Qi Fan instantly understood: this must be his future wife, Yu Fengzhi.

He nodded to himself: No wonder people always said, "If you're going to marry, marry Yu Fengzhi." It was indeed well-deserved.

He nodded slightly and asked, "You must be Miss Yu Fengzhi?"

Yu Fengzhi nodded shyly and didn't say anything more.

Seeing the atmosphere instantly become awkward, Zhang Xuecheng quickly slapped his thigh and came up with a lame excuse.

"Oh! I just remembered, Uncle Wu's adjutant said he wanted to discuss something with me, I need to go check on him right away!"

After saying that, he turned to leave.

Qi Fan wasn't about to let him get away with it. He grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him back, saying irritably, "Where do you think you're going!"

Holding Zhang Xuecheng down, Qi Fan turned to Feng Zhi, cupped his hands in greeting, and introduced her with a smile.

"Miss Yu, I'm sorry to have made you laugh. His name is Zhang Xuecheng, he's my second uncle's son. He's usually a bit crazy, please don't mind him."

Seeing this, Zhang Xuecheng also pretended to be stupid.

"Ah! Yes! That's just how I am; whenever I see a big courtyard, I always think of all sorts of 'important matters'!"

Yu Fengzhi was amused by the two of them and covered her mouth with a soft laugh. Then she looked at Qi Fan and said gently.

"It's alright, the courtyard in the manor is quite beautiful. Shall I show you two around?"

Qi Fan quickly returned the greeting, his tone respectful: "Then I'll have to trouble you, young lady!"