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

After gasping in shock, Zhang Zuolin quickly closed his eyes, took a few deep breaths, and barely managed to calm down from the shock.

He slowly turned around, his gaze fixed on Qi Fan, his eyes filled with disbelief and astonishment.

When he saw Qi Fan looking back at him with a half-smile on his lips, his suspicions became clearer. Although he still found it unbelievable, he asked in a deep voice.

"You brat did it, didn't you?"

Qi Fan made no attempt to hide anything and nodded frankly.

"You... how did you do that, kid?" Zhang Zuolin took two steps forward, his tone full of questioning.

"Right here in your Uncle Tang's mansion, in front of so many of his men, he was beaten to death?"

Qi Fan shrugged, a sly glint in his eyes, and looked at Zhang Zuolin with the same smiling expression.

"It's a secret. But Dad, you have to admit, my intervention saved you a lot of trouble, didn't it? At least you no longer have to rack your brains to plan traps and captures, nor do you have to worry about the risk of collusion from within or without."

Zhang Zuolin's gaze toward Qi Fan gradually became complex and strange, no longer simply one of shock.

He had long known that his son was extraordinary and possessed considerable power. The spies he had secretly sent to follow Qi Fan and try to find out his whereabouts were all dealt with silently by Qi Fan, leaving not a trace.

Even so, he did not expect that Qi Fan would have such courage and ability to break into the Tang residence alone, kill Tang Yulin decisively, and even take over the entire 53rd Brigade.

Qi Fan saw through his father's thoughts at a glance, fearing that his father would dig into the details and ask probing questions, so he quickly made an excuse to slip away.

He took half a step back, his voice tinged with weariness.

"Dad, if there's nothing else, I'll head out now. I've been busy all night with giving gifts and dealing with people, I need to go back and rest."

Before Zhang Zuolin could even respond, Qi Fan dashed out of the meeting hall like a greased rag doll, heading straight for his cousin's house.

The night's events were truly thrilling, involving both planning and committing murder. His nerves were constantly on edge, and he desperately needed his cousin-in-law to soothe his nerves.

Zhang Zuolin stared blankly at Qi Fan's hurried disappearing figure at the door for a moment, then smiled helplessly and with satisfaction, shook his head and muttered to himself.

"That brat... he's getting more and more capable. As his father, I understand him less and less!"

On the other side, Qi Fan had just run out of the marshal's mansion when he jumped onto his light bicycle, whistling a cheerful tune, and pedaled off towards his cousin's house.

The evening breeze caressed my cheeks, dispelling the tension and fatigue of the night, leaving only a sense of relaxation and comfort.

The car had just stopped at the gate of my cousin's house when the gate creaked open.

Cousin's sister-in-law, Lin, hurriedly came out to greet him, her face full of undisguised worry. She quickly walked up to Qi Fan and grabbed his arm.

"Liu Zi, are you alright? I heard from the people in the manor that Tang Yulin and your father had a falling out, and they even fought. Are you hurt?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine." Qi Fan jumped out of the car, patted himself, and reassured everyone with a smile.

"Look, there's not a single scratch."

Still worried, Madam Lin pulled Qi Fan around and carefully examined him to make sure he had no wounds. Only then did she breathe a long sigh of relief and finally put her mind at ease.

She reached out to help Qi Fan take off his coat, which was covered in dust, her voice tinged with lingering fear.

"You have no idea how worried I was when I heard the news. I was terrified that something might happen to you."

Qi Fan felt a warmth in his heart as he looked at her concerned expression. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head.

"What's there to worry about? Your man is so capable, this little thing is no problem for me."

Lin blushed slightly at his words and gently punched his chest with her small pink fist.

"Yes, yes, you're the most capable."

Qi Fan put his arm around her and walked into the house, then suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, has my cousin's divorce papers arrived?"

"It was delivered a long time ago." A hint of relief flashed in Madam Lin's eyes as she nodded with a smile.

"I've already signed the papers, and now I'm a free man."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin suddenly stood on tiptoe and pounced on Qi Fan, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Her eyes were full of charm and dependence, and her breath was warm.

Qi Fan was instantly captivated by her alluring appearance and lost his composure.

The candlelight flickered inside the room, casting intertwined shadows of the two figures. After a burst of gunfire, the two lay nestled together on the bed.

Lin leaned against Qi Fan's warm embrace, her fingers gently tracing his chest. After hesitating for a moment, she asked softly.

"I heard...you're getting married?"

Qi Fan did not deny it. He knew that Lin was always insightful and sensible, so there was no need to hide it from her. He simply hummed in agreement.

"I just went to the Yu family to present the betrothal gifts a few days ago, but the date hasn't been set yet."

Upon hearing the affirmative answer, a hint of melancholy flashed in Madam Lin's eyes. That sadness was fleeting, quickly replaced by a gentle smile as she looked up at Qi Fan.

"It's okay, just don't forget me. I don't need any title or status, as long as you have me in your heart, this place will always be your home."

She knew in her heart that her status was ultimately unworthy of the eldest son of the Marshal's Mansion, and obtaining a formal title would be as difficult as climbing to heaven.

All she wanted was for Qi Fan to have a place for her in his heart and for him to visit her often; that would be enough.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Qi Fan tiptoed out of his cousin's house.

After his cousin's wife comforted him throughout the night, his tense nerves completely relaxed, and most of his fatigue dissipated.

The tension of the previous night had dissipated in Fengtian City, and it had returned to its usual tranquility. Early-rising vendors were already packing up their stalls, and a faint smell of cooking filled the air.

Qi Fan was in a great mood. He jumped onto the light bicycle, whistled a cheerful tune, and pedaled furiously, heading towards the Marshal's Mansion.

But as soon as he arrived at the entrance of the Marshal's Mansion, he was stunned. The mansion, which was usually quiet in the early morning, was unusually lively today. The laughter of women could be heard from inside the mansion from time to time, and the maids and servants coming and going were also hurrying along, with a hint of excitement in their expressions.

Qi Fan was full of doubts, so he grabbed a maid who was passing by carrying a basin of water and asked her.

"What's going on? Why is the Marshal's Mansion so lively today?"

When the maid saw it was him, she immediately stopped and replied with a smile.

"Young master, don't you know yet? Master had someone bring your future bride over this morning! She's in your courtyard now, why don't you go and see her!"

"Huh?" Qi Fan's eyes widened, and he was instantly dumbfounded. Was his father in such a hurry? He had just gone to the Yu family to present the betrothal gifts a few days ago, so how could he bring Yu Fengzhi over so soon?

Without a second thought, he quickly parked his bicycle under the eaves at the entrance of the mansion and strode towards his courtyard.

As soon as I reached the gate of the courtyard, I heard a lot of chattering coming from inside the house, making quite a racket.

Qi Fan peeked inside and saw that his room was full of people, including all four of his father's concubines.

They were gathered in the middle of the room, chatting animatedly.

Qi Fan stood at the door and listened for a while, but couldn't tell who was saying what.

He coughed lightly and stepped inside.

Only then did they realize that the four concubines were surrounding Yu Fengzhi, who was dressed in simple and elegant clothes, chattering incessantly.

At this moment, Yu Fengzhi's cheeks were slightly flushed, and she nervously gripped the hem of her clothes with both hands. Like a giant panda being watched, she stood awkwardly in the middle, letting the concubines look at her and ask her questions.

Qi Fan stood there for quite a while, but none of the concubines noticed him.

They only turned around when he coughed deliberately again.

Fifth Concubine was the first to react, her face immediately breaking into a smile as she called out in a raised voice, "Oh! Sixth Prince is back!"