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

In stark contrast to the chaotic escape on the wasteland, Zhang Zuolin's mansion in Fengtian City was bustling with activity.

Several strings of red lanterns were hung up, and servants moved back and forth, wiping the pillars and tidying up the guest rooms. They all walked briskly, making final preparations to welcome Zhang Xueliang and his two siblings.

The courtyard of Fourth Madam Xu Shuyang exuded a tranquility that was completely out of place with the bustling atmosphere inside the mansion.

The stove inside was burning brightly, filling the air with a faint scent of incense powder.

Xu Shuyang sat upright in front of the dressing table. The woman in the mirror had delicate features, and the makeup perfectly concealed the fierceness between her brows.

No one would have guessed that this seemingly gentle lady was originally a country girl who was chosen by Zhang Zuolin at first sight and married into his household. She was able to gain a foothold in the Marshal's Mansion not because of her weakness.

A man in military uniform stood to one side with his hands at his sides, his military cap clutched in his hand, fine beads of cold sweat on his forehead, and his face full of undisguised fear.

"What did you say?" Xu Shuyang slowly turned around, his tone calm but carrying a chilling coldness.

"An elite squad couldn't even take down three kids?"

"Madam, spare my life!" The man knelt down on one knee with a thud, his voice trembling.

"It was a completely unexpected turn of events; no one anticipated that a top-tier expert would suddenly appear out of nowhere! That person fired two guns simultaneously with unparalleled accuracy; our brothers were no match for him, and we only managed to escape with the loss of most of our men..."

"waste!"

Xu Shuyang spat coldly, his fingertips brushing against the jade hairpin on the dressing table, his eyes filled with malice.

"I think that expert is probably a remnant left behind by that bitch Zhao Chungui before she died, specifically to protect those three brats! If we fail this time, we won't have such a good opportunity to make a move again in the future."

She paused, her tone growing increasingly harsh: "Go and send a message to the rest of you, tell them to lie low for now, not to return to Fengtian, to find a place to hide and avoid trouble, and not to show their faces."

"Yes, yes, yes!" the man quickly agreed, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon.

"Don't worry, Madam, I'll arrange it personally. I guarantee it will be done cleanly and efficiently, and it won't arouse any suspicion from the old marshal."

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a maidservant lifted the curtain and entered, looking flustered but not daring to be impolite.

"Fourth Madam, the Second Madam has sent someone to urge you. She says that Young Master Liu and the others are almost at the gate and wants you to hurry over to help prepare for their arrival."

"Understood, I'll be right there." Xu Shuyang instantly concealed the fierceness in her eyes, her face regaining its gentle smile. She gave an instruction to the maid, then turned to look at the man who had just stood up.

"Remember, if the old general gets even the slightest hint of suspicion and suspects you... you know what to do, right?"

The man froze, then quickly nodded.

"Don't worry, Madam! If this gets out, I'll handle it immediately and make sure no one is left alive. I won't cause you any trouble!"

Xu Shuyang nodded in satisfaction, smoothed her hair, and walked out of the room with graceful steps.

Before long, she arrived at the courtyard of the second concubine, Lu Shouxuan.

The room was already filled with people. The second concubine, Lu Shouxuan, sat in the main seat, her expression gentle yet composed. The third concubine, Dai Xianyu, sat to the side, her fingers twirling Buddhist prayer beads, her expression serene. The fifth concubine, Zhang Shouyi, stood by the window, instructing the servants to check the items to be brought to the guests, her actions efficient and decisive.

Upon seeing Xu Shuyang enter, Lu Shouxuan was the first to stand up and greet him warmly.

"Fourth brother has finally arrived. Perfect timing, I was just about to say a few words to you sisters."

Dai Xianyu put down her prayer beads and said, "Second sister is right. Xueliang and his two siblings have just arrived in Fengtian, and the old marshal values ​​Liu Zi the most. We must pay more attention to them in the future and not neglect the children, lest we displease the old marshal."

"Third sister is right." Zhang Shouyi turned around, a polite smile on her face.

"The children have had a long and tiring journey, so we should take extra care of them and not let them feel distant."

As the ladies were discussing in hushed tones, the sound of horses' hooves and carriage wheels came from outside the gate of the Marshal's Mansion. Qi Fan and his party had finally arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, which controlled the lifeline of Northeast China.

Qi Fan first let Xi Shun lead Zhang Shoufang and Zhang Xueming into the mansion, while he pulled Yan Shuangying aside and took out a silver note from his pocket. It was a full ten thousand silver dollars that he had secretly found in the small treasury left by his mother Zhao Chungui before he left.

Qi Fan first let Xi Shun lead Zhang Shoufang and Zhang Xueming into the mansion, while he pulled Yan Shuangying to a secluded spot, took out a silver note from his pocket, and stuffed it into Yan Shuangying's hand.

"Brother Yan, you should find a place to stay in Fengtian first. I don't need too many people in the manor for the time being. You can take this 10,000 silver dollars for now. This amount of money is enough to support a small team for a year. If you spend it sparingly, it will definitely be enough."

The moment Yan Shuangying's fingertips touched the silver note, his eyes lit up instantly upon hearing these words. He immediately made a plan in his mind. His lord had specifically emphasized that "ten thousand silver dollars is enough to support a small team for a year." This was clearly not a simple request for him to settle down. It was obviously a way to avoid attracting attention by openly mentioning "forming a small team," and he was using this phrase to subtly hint at it!

It turns out they had planned this all along, and now they've even personally allocated the funds. Their considerations are truly remarkable!

He gripped the silver note tightly, nodded solemnly to Qi Fan, and spoke with absolute certainty.

"Don't worry, Hanqing! I will handle this matter perfectly and will not let you down!"

"All done perfectly?" Qi Fan was taken aback upon hearing this, his brows furrowing instantly. He looked at Yan Shuangying with a blank expression, wondering to himself: I only gave him some money to find a place to stay, I didn't say what I needed to do. What did he understand?

Just as he was about to ask further questions, he heard footsteps coming from inside the gate of the Marshal's Mansion. Several well-dressed maids and servants escorted the steward out to greet him, calling out from afar.

"Sixth Young Master! You've finally arrived! Second Madam and the others are all waiting inside!"

Qi Fan's heart tightened, fearing that Yan Shuangying's prolonged presence would arouse suspicion. He quickly swallowed back the words he was about to say and waved his hand repeatedly at Yan Shuangying.

"Stop talking! Get out of here! If you stay any longer, someone will see you!"

He paused, then added, "Once you've found a place to stay, have someone reliable pass me a note, and I'll find some time to contact you later."

A knowing glint flashed in Yan Shuangying's eyes. His lord was afraid that making too much noise would expose their whereabouts, so he wanted him to act discreetly and communicate secretly!

He said no more, nodded slightly to Qi Fan, and then his figure flashed, disappearing into the alleyway like a ghost.

After Yan Shuangying left, Qi Fan turned around and strode towards the gate of the Marshal's Mansion.

happy Shun was already waiting at the door with Zhang Shoufang and Zhang Xueming. Seeing him come over, he quickly stepped forward and asked, "Liu Zi, is everything arranged?"

Qi Fan nodded, offered no further explanation, and followed the steward and maid who came to greet him inside.

After passing through the ornately decorated corridors and around the courtyard filled with pine and cypress trees, the servants quickly led the three to an elegantly furnished side room.

As soon as they entered, four elegantly dressed ladies surrounded them, each with a smile on their face, their eyes all fixed on Qi Fan and his sister.

Second concubine Lu Shouxuan walked at the front. She was wearing a moon-white cotton robe embroidered with orchid patterns. Her face was gentle. She walked quickly to Qi Fan and gently reached out to touch his head.

"This must be Liu Zi, right? Look at his chubby face and lively features, he's a spitting image of the master, so handsome!"

Qi Fan felt a little uncomfortable being touched by her, and shrank his neck slightly, his eyes subconsciously sweeping over the faces of the four concubines.

It must be said that Zhang Zuolin ate very well! Each of his four concubines had her own unique charm: Lu Shouxuan was gentle and graceful, Dai Xianyu was aloof and cold, Zhang Shouyi was capable and efficient, and even Xu Shuyang, who had a slight smile on her face, exuded a kind of soft and charming vibe. Each one of them was more outstanding than the last.

He couldn't help but think to himself: Dad is living a really comfortable life.

"That's right!" Fifth Concubine Zhang Shouyi chimed in, wearing a bright red cheongsam that accentuated her fair complexion, her tone cheerful.

"Look at Liu Zi's eyes, so clear and bright. He's clearly no ordinary person; he's destined for greatness!"

Qi Fan's heart stirred. Since awakening the Favorability System, he had gained a special ability: he could clearly see the favorability rating of each person towards him.

He glanced at the four people in front of him without making a sound, and the corresponding values ​​instantly appeared in his mind: Lu Shouxuan 32%, Dai Xianyu 29%, Zhang Shouyi 31%, all of which were below average favorability ratings.

But when his gaze fell on the fourth concubine, Xu Shuyang, his brows furrowed slightly. Xu Shuyang's favorability towards him was -15%! The red negative number was particularly eye-catching.

Qi Fan was puzzled: He had just entered the mansion and hadn't even spoken a word to this fourth concubine. How could he have offended her? But then he thought about it and realized that he was Zhang Zuolin's obvious successor. These concubines all had their own agendas, and it was understandable that some of them harbored hostility towards him.

At this moment, Lu Shouxuan spoke again, her tone becoming even gentler, and she took Qi Fan's small hand and patted it lightly.

"Liu Zi, Shou Fang, Xue Ming, from now on, this Marshal's Mansion will be your home. The Master specifically instructed that I am your mother. If there is anything you need, just tell me and don't be shy."

The moment the words "biological mother" were uttered, Zhang Shoufang's eyes turned cold.

She was older than Qi Fan and more perceptive. She immediately understood the hidden meaning in his words: he was going to replace their deceased mother, Zhao Chungui!

Zhang Shoufang didn't directly refute him, but turned to look at Zhang Xueming beside her. She immediately noticed that the little white dog he was holding was moving closer to the edge of the bed, and she frowned and scolded him sternly.

"Xueming! What's wrong with you? How dare you let Xiaobai sleep with you? Do you think this is your own home? You can't just do whatever you want here. This is someone else's place, behave yourself!"

She emphasized the phrase "other people's homes" with particular force, her tone filled with estrangement and hostility.

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze upon hearing this. Lu Shouxuan's smile faded, Dai Xianyu's hand, which was holding Buddhist prayer beads, paused, and Zhang Shouyi's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant.

They all understood that Zhang Shoufang was using the dog as a pretext, ostensibly referring to her younger brother, but actually refuting Lu Shouxuan's earlier words and implying that the Marshal's Mansion was not their home.