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

Tang Yulin returned to his residence in a rage. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately ordered all his soldiers to tie white ribbons around their right arms.

The snow-white ribbon stood out starkly in the twilight, its bright light conveying a sense of resolute rupture. This was his mark of a coup, a sign that he was prepared to confront Zhang Zuolin with swords at any moment.

Inside the conference room of the mansion, Tang Yulin gripped the telephone receiver, his face grim as he spoke with Feng Delin.

"I've already seen the telegram you sent. But tell me the truth, can sending a telegram really force Zhang Zuolin to step down? I don't think it's very likely."

A disdainful sneer came from the other end of the phone, his tone laced with encouragement.

"Tang Erhu, when did you become so hesitant? You're scared before you even make a move?"

"It's not that I'm afraid, it's that I know Zhang Zuolin too well!" Tang Yulin emphasized, his tone resolute.

"You think a telegram can bring him down? He and Xu Shuzheng in Beijing are practically inseparable. Your telegram will probably be stuffed into Xu Shuzheng's pocket and discarded as scrap paper as soon as it reaches Beijing!"

"You know nothing!" Feng Delin's voice suddenly rose.

"If you don't make a big scene, who will support you? Let's stir things up and make things a fait accompli! Don't I know what kind of old fox Xu Shuzheng is? By then, it'll be a done deal, and he'll have no choice but to support you! Just listen to me, make as much trouble as you want! I don't believe that if our two forces join forces, we can't take down this little Zhang!"

Tang Yulin felt a surge of warmth in his heart after hearing Feng Delin's words, and most of his original doubts dissipated. He gritted his teeth and agreed with a "Okay," then hung up the phone heavily.

For a moment, the air in Fengtian City seemed to freeze.

The shadow of impending war quietly spread, and people in the streets and alleys were filled with anxiety. The previously relatively stable situation had completely turned into a precarious situation.

On the other hand, at Wu Junsheng's horse farm in Zhengjiatun, the atmosphere was completely different.

Qi Fan and Yu Fengzhi have been in contact these past two days, and their feelings for each other have quickly intensified. To put it simply, they are just one step away from getting married. However, Qi Fan knows in his heart that he should be more discreet until they reach the point of marriage.

That afternoon, the two were riding their horses slowly across the grassland when Qi Fan saw Wu Junsheng standing at the entrance of the horse farm, looking somewhat solemn, and waving at him incessantly.

Qi Fan's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly reined in his horse, galloping towards Wu Junsheng's direction.

Wu Junsheng began by saying, "Something has happened in Fengtian."

"The telegram that arrived this morning says that Tang Yulin and your father have completely broken off relations, and he's already preparing for war! Your father wants you to return to Fengtian immediately today!"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.

He knew that Tang Yulin would betray him at this point in the original story, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

He turned to look at Yu Fengzhi beside him, a hint of reluctance unconsciously creeping into his eyes.

Yu Fengzhi was incredibly intelligent; she immediately understood the urgency of the situation.

She showed no sign of being spoiled or trying to hold him back; she simply tugged at Qi Fan's sleeve gently, though her eyes betrayed her reluctance.

"Go back home with peace of mind, I'll be fine. Fengtian is the priority, so please be extra careful."

Seeing the two of them being so affectionate, Wu Junsheng couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"You two aren't even married yet, and you're already acting all lovey-dovey?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Fengzhi's cheeks flushed bright red. She realized that her actions had gone too far and quickly lowered her head in embarrassment.

Qi Fan looked at Yu Fengzhi's reddened eyes and shy appearance, feeling reluctant to part with her, but he dared not delay.

He solemnly bid farewell to Yu Fengzhi, and entrusted Wu Junsheng to take good care of her. Then he grabbed Zhang Xuecheng, who was standing next to him, and hurriedly went to the station to board the express train to Fengtian.

The express train sped along and arrived at Fengtian Station just as darkness fell.

As soon as Qi Fan and Zhang Xuecheng stepped off the train, they saw their car already waiting outside the platform, with several guards standing beside it looking vigilant.

Qi Fan glanced at the situation and understood immediately. Clearly, the situation in the city had reached a point where it was about to erupt.

"Judging from this, things have gotten quite serious."

Qi Fan turned to look at Zhang Xuecheng beside him, his tone calm, but his eyes held a hint of seriousness.

The car drove away from the station and headed into the city.

Along the way, all that could be seen were soldiers armed with guns. At many intersections, machine guns and artillery were even set up, their cold muzzles pointed at the streets and alleys, and the air was filled with the strong smell of gunpowder.

Zhang Xuecheng had never seen such a tense situation before. His face paled slightly, and he couldn't help but ask.

"Hanqing, your father and Tang Yulin won't really fight, will they?"

Qi Fan leaned against the car window, pondered for a moment, and then spoke.

"This battle was inevitable sooner or later. My father had just secured his position as the military governor of Fengtian, and his men were already feeling a sense of loss, so it was inevitable that some of them would harbor resentment. Even if it wasn't Tang Yulin, someone else would have jumped out, it's just that this day came sooner than I expected."

As they were talking, the car arrived at the entrance of the Marshal's Mansion.

But as soon as the car stopped, it was stopped by the soldiers on duty at the gate: "Stop the car! Submit for inspection!"

Upon seeing this, Zhang Xuecheng immediately flew into a rage, forcefully pushed open the car door, and angrily berated the soldier.

"Are you crazy? You dare to stop our car?"

The soldier peered into the vehicle and saw Qi Fan sitting upright in the back seat. His expression changed instantly, and he quickly stepped aside to make way, bowing respectfully.

"It's Young Master Zhang! I have been very rude, please forgive me!"

After saying that, he immediately waved his hand to signal his soldiers to make way.

As the car slowly drove into the Marshal's Mansion, Qi Fan immediately sensed the unusually oppressive atmosphere inside.

In front of the council hall, many officers in military uniforms were hurrying in and out. On the long table inside the hall, a huge military map of Fengtian City was spread out, with dense markings covering the paper.

Yang Yuting was standing next to the map, holding a brush and intently drawing the strategic direction, his expression serious.

Qi Fan looked up and saw Zhang Zuolin sitting in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously tapping the table, as if he was thinking about something, his brows slightly furrowed.

Zhang Zuolin spotted Qi Fan as he walked in, temporarily setting aside his thoughts, and asked.

"You little rascal's back? Did the betrothal go smoothly this time?"

"Everything went smoothly, and the Yu family has no objections," Qi Fan replied succinctly as he stepped forward.

"It's good that everything goes smoothly." Zhang Zuolin nodded, then changed the subject, his tone becoming serious.

"I called you back this time because I have something to ask you to do. Go to your Uncle Tang's house for me and help me smooth things over. We've been brothers for decades, we can't just break up like this."

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan instantly understood his father's intentions; he was being used as a test.

He raised an eyebrow and asked directly, "Dad, do we need to test you like this?"

Zhang Zuolin, having his thoughts exposed, was not embarrassed at all; instead, he grinned.

"As expected, nothing can be hidden from you, you brat. Since you know what I mean, you should understand that I still want to give your Uncle Tang another chance."

Qi Fan knew that Zhang Zuolin had a dual purpose in sending him to the Tang residence.

Firstly, he genuinely wanted to use his status as a junior to advise Tang Yulin. If he could help Tang Yulin see the error of his ways, he could avoid fratricide and resolve the crisis without firing a shot.

Secondly, he wanted to mislead Tang Yulin by sending him to deliver gifts and seek peace, so that Tang would think that Zhang Zuolin was unwilling to go to war, thus lowering his guard.

If Tang Yulin fails to appreciate their kindness, they can seize the opportunity to suppress him with swift and decisive measures, achieving two goals at once.