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

After hearing Jia Xu's plan, Qi Fan had to admit that it was indeed a good way to eliminate the problem once and for all and at its root.

By using a trap to capture Tang Yulin and Feng Delin together, both losses from large-scale firefights could be avoided, and these two potential threats could be completely eliminated, making the operation clean and efficient.

But he didn't respond for a long time, his expression full of hesitation.

This hesitation had nothing to do with Tang Yulin or Feng Delin. In his eyes, these two old guys were both obstacles to the overall situation of the Fengtian clique, one reckless and domineering, and the other ambitious. Even if they died, it would not be a pity.

What he was really worried about was Feng Yong.

Feng Delin is Feng Yong's biological father. The two grew up together. Although they didn't formally become sworn brothers like Qi Fan did with Zhang Tingshu and the others, Qi Fan had long regarded Feng Yong as a true brother.

Moreover, he clearly remembered that when the Zhili-Fengtian War broke out in the original novel, Feng Yong always stood firmly on Zhang Xueliang's side and made many contributions to the Fengtian Army.

If Jia Xu's plan is followed and Feng Delin is killed on charges of rebellion, how will he explain this to Feng Yong in the future? This brotherhood will likely be completely shattered.

Jia Xu, being so insightful, saw through Qi Fan's concerns at a glance and slowly spoke.

"I understand what you are hesitating about, my lord. You are worried that disciplining Feng Delin will affect your brotherly relationship with Young Master Feng Yong, is that right?"

Qi Fan looked up at him, nodded, and said earnestly, "Since Wenhe has seen through it, is there any way to achieve the best of both worlds?"

"There is a way to achieve both goals, but it would require my lord to take some risks himself." Jia Xu said calmly, then changed the subject and offered a second plan.

Qi Fan's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly asked, "What plan? Tell me!"

"Your lord must have a highly capable secret force under your command, right?" Jia Xu asked sharply and directly.

"If our lord takes advantage of this visit to Tang Yulin to secretly send this army along and eliminate Tang Yulin by surprise, we can directly incorporate his 53rd Brigade. At that time, by killing one to warn a hundred, Feng Delin will naturally not dare to make any rash moves after seeing that Tang Yulin is dead and isolated. In this way, we can eliminate the immediate threat and protect Feng Yong without damaging our brotherhood."

Qi Fan was shocked. He never expected that Jia Xu would even know about the existence of the Yan Ying Group.

He kept this unit extremely well hidden; apart from himself and Yan Shuangying, almost no one knew about it.

Seeing this, Jia Xu smiled faintly and reassured him.

"My lord, there is no need to be surprised. I do not know for certain, but only have a vague guess. The Seventh Intelligence Bureau is dedicated to intelligence gathering. They have found out several times that the Japanese are plotting against you, but each time their actions were quietly thwarted by a mysterious force in the shadows. Moreover, this force is ruthless and secretive, and is definitely not an ordinary bodyguard. Based on my speculation, this must be a force that you have secretly cultivated."

Qi Fan breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Jia Xu's explanation. The strategists of ancient times were indeed extraordinary; their ability to manipulate people's hearts alone far surpassed that of many chiefs of staff today.

Just then, Dai Xiansheng, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly spoke up and reminded him.

"By the way, Hanqing, there's one more thing I need to report to you. Our informant among the Japanese has sent word that someone within the Marshal's Mansion seems to be secretly colluding with you, plotting against you. However, our people in Japan don't have access to core secrets, so we can't confirm the mole's identity yet. You must be extra careful when you get back."

"Is there a traitor in the Marshal's Mansion?" Qi Fan's expression instantly darkened.

Qi Fan had always wondered why the Japanese were always able to accurately track his movements and repeatedly set traps for him. It turned out that the problem lay within the Marshal's Mansion; someone was secretly tipping off the Japanese!

His eyes suddenly sharpened as he looked at Dai Xiansheng and gave him a deep, stern command.

"Xiansheng, immediately increase manpower to closely monitor the movements of everyone in the Marshal's Mansion. Once you find out who is colluding with the Japanese, remember not to make a fuss, and report to me immediately."

Qi Fan knew very well that the mole was like a knife hanging over his head, constantly threatening his safety. He could not tolerate such a hidden danger remaining by his side and had to root out this cancer as soon as possible.

"Don't worry, Hanqing," Dai Xiansheng replied immediately, his tone firm.

"I had anticipated that this matter was not simple, and I had already arranged for people to secretly keep an eye on the Marshal's Mansion. I will notify you immediately if there is any news."

Hearing that Dai Xiansheng had already made all the arrangements, Qi Fan breathed a slight sigh of relief, stood up, straightened his clothes, and prepared to set off.

"Alright, I won't linger any longer. I should head to Master Tang's residence now, or things might change if I stay any longer."

Just as he turned to leave, Dai Xiansheng suddenly stood up and strode forward to stop him: "Hanqing, wait a moment."

"Hmm? Is there something else?" Qi Fan stopped and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Without saying much, Dai Xiansheng took out a small, exquisite pistol from his pocket and handed it to Qi Fan.

This pistol is extremely well-made and smaller than any other pistol on the market at the moment, about half the size of a palm. It is jet black and has a cold metallic luster.

Qi Fan raised an eyebrow, looked at the pistol, and asked with some confusion.

"Why are you giving me this? You know I rarely use guns; I always rely on my brain."

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Dai Xiansheng explained, shoving the gun into his hand.

"This gun is specially made in Germany. Besides being small and easy to conceal on your person, its power is not to be underestimated. The only downside is its limited magazine capacity of only eight rounds. Moreover, these special bullets are hard to find, and once you run out, there's basically nowhere to refill them. Just keep it as an emergency item, or as a souvenir if all else fails."

Qi Fan took the pistol, weighed it lightly in his hand, and found it to be very light, completely invisible when hidden in his clothes.

He sighed inwardly. Although he lived in a chaotic world and was used to seeing swords and shadows, he still couldn't quite get over the hurdle in his heart of personally pulling the trigger to take someone's life.

But he also knew that this trip to the Tang residence was fraught with danger and uncertainty, and that the more precautions he took, the more secure he would be.

He carefully tucked the small pistol into his pocket and nodded to Dai Xiansheng: "Okay, I'll take it then, thank you."

When Qi Fan returned to the car, Zhang Xuecheng was getting impatient. His eyes lit up when he saw Qi Fan come back.

"Brother! You're finally back! What have you been doing?"

Qi Fan bent down and sat in the driver's seat, then began to explain.

"We're about to enter a dangerous place, so I need to find out the situation and know our enemy beforehand. Otherwise, if we rush in rashly, who knows what might go wrong."

"A den of dragons and tigers?" Zhang Xuecheng was instantly dumbfounded, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape as if he could fit an egg in it.

"Brother! Didn't you say you'd take me to experience something exciting? How did it turn into a den of tigers and dragons in the blink of an eye? Did you trick me again?"

Qi Fanxi inwardly cursed, realizing he had accidentally let something slip.

He awkwardly touched his nose and gave a dry laugh.

"Um... I've finished my studies, bro, I'm not kidding you. Think about it, with the current situation, going to Grandpa Tang's house on business, isn't that exciting?"

"What?! Go to Grandpa Tang's house?!" Zhang Xuecheng's voice suddenly rose, and he shrank back, his eyes full of resistance.

"Going to Grandpa Tang's house now? Isn't that like jumping into a fire pit, sending yourself to your death? Brother, I'm not going! Can I get off the bus? Let me off!"

Qi Fan wasn't about to let him get away. He didn't give him a chance to argue. He stepped on the gas, and the car sped off with a "whoosh," heading straight towards the Tang residence.

"It's late, they've already set off. Just sit still, I'm here, I'll make sure you're safe and sound."

"Brother! Drive slowly! Slow down!" Zhang Xuecheng was so frightened that he gripped the car door handle tightly, his voice trembling with tears as he pleaded.

"Could you pull over and let me out? I really don't want to go and die!"