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

Qi Fan's questioning resounded like thunder across the plains, instantly making the three regimental commanders the target of everyone's criticism.

Regiment Commander Zhao Pingmin turned pale and hurriedly stepped forward, bowing as he tried to explain.

"Commander! This isn't our fault! We never expected you to suddenly call an emergency assembly today! If you had given us advance notice, we would all have been there on time, and this situation would never have happened!"

Feng Luoxin, the commander of the Second Regiment, quickly echoed this sentiment, his tone carrying a hint of disapproval.

"Yes, Acting Brigade Commander! It's just that we were a little late. It didn't cause any major problems. You don't need to make such a fuss, do you?"

In his view, it was just an ordinary gathering, and Qi Fan was deliberately using them to establish his authority.

Unlike the two men's flustered explanations, Li Changqing, the commander of the Third Regiment, stood straight in place without saying a word.

His team was the first to assemble, and he himself showed no signs of being late. However, faced with Qi Fan's anger, he did not offer any explanation and calmly accepted the scrutiny.

Qi Fan's gaze swept over Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin, finally landing on Li Changqing, and he slowly walked over.

"They're both making excuses. Your group was the first to arrive, so don't you have anything to say in your defense?"

Upon hearing the question, Li Changqing straightened his back even more and spoke in a loud and firm voice.

"Reporting to the brigade commander! As the regimental commander, although no one under my command was late, the entire brigade's slow assembly indicates that I failed to proactively assist other regiments in rectifying military discipline, and I also bear responsibility for inadequate discipline! I have no excuses and am willing to accept any punishment from the brigade commander!"

Looking at his open and honest demeanor, Qi Fan's eyes flashed with approval, and he slowly nodded.

Among these three regimental commanders, there is at least one who is a decent soldier, who knows how to take responsibility and does not shirk it.

He turned back to look at Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin, his tone filled with sarcasm.

"So you two mean that in the future, when the enemy attacks, we'll have to give you a three-hour heads-up, telling you, 'We're about to attack, get ready,' so that you can respond?"

These words struck them like a slap in the face, leaving them speechless and their cheeks flushed red.

They never expected Qi Fan to refute them in this way, and they were speechless for a moment, unable to say a single word in their defense.

Zhao Pingmin reacted the fastest, quickly approaching Qi Fan, lowering his posture and speaking in a very low voice.

"Young Master Zhang, we were foolish, we were wrong! Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against us. For Fifth Master's sake, please forgive us this time. We will definitely change in the future!"

"Fifth Master?" Qi Fan raised an eyebrow, instantly becoming interested, and looked at Zhao Pingmin with a half-smile.

"Tell me then, what's your relationship with me, Master Zhang Wu?"

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Zhao Pingmin quickly said, "Young master, you don't know this, but Fifth Master's third concubine is my own sister! By seniority, you should call me uncle!"

As he said this, he had a fawning smile on his face, thinking that by bringing up this relationship, Qi Fan would at least give him some face.

After hearing this, Qi Fan understood immediately. Sure enough, it was another parasite who had risen to power through nepotism!

He didn't speak, but turned to look at Feng Luoxin beside him and asked in a calm tone.

"And you? What's your relationship with me?"

Seeing this, Feng Luoxin quickly stepped forward and said with a smile.

"Young master, I am also related to you in some way. I am the fourth madam's distant cousin, so according to seniority, you should call me your maternal uncle."

"Heh." Qi Fan couldn't help but chuckle.

One uncle and one maternal uncle—it seems the position of regimental commander of the guard brigade has become a relative's welfare home?

This is the Fengtian Army right now, this is the so-called elite force! With such people leading the troops, it's no wonder that their discipline is lax and they have no fighting power whatsoever.

He suppressed his disgust and looked at Li Changqing beside him again, asking a question.

"And you? Did you get to become the commander of the Third Regiment because of family connections?"

"I have no relatives or connections whatsoever!"

Li Changqing's voice was strong and his eyes were firm. "I rose through the ranks from an ordinary soldier, relying on my own hard-earned merits. Now I am the commander of the Third Regiment!"

After listening to Li Changqing's words, Qi Fan's eyes showed even more approval, and he nodded heavily.

What the Fengtian Army needs most right now is this kind of tough guy who can stand on his own merits.

He turned his head, his gaze suddenly sharpening, and called out in a deep voice, "Chu Shixin!"

Chu Shixin, standing beside him, seemed to be pricked by a needle, and abruptly stood up, loudly replying, "Present!"

"Take out Regiment Commander Zhao Pingmin and Regiment Commander Feng Luoxin and execute them on the spot!"

"What?!"

These words caused an uproar in the audience!

Everyone was stunned. Whether it was the soldiers standing in the ranks or Zhang Xuecheng and others under the shade, their faces were filled with disbelief.

Putting aside the fact that these two are related to the Zhang family, the fact that Qi Fan executed two regimental commanders as soon as he took office is simply shocking!

Chu Shixin was completely stunned. He never expected Qi Fan to be so decisive and ruthless, launching a killing move right from the start.

These two men are not ordinary military officers; they are connected to the Zhang family's network of relatives. Killing them will inevitably trigger a series of chain reactions, and may even alarm the elders of the Marshal's Mansion, which would cause a lot of trouble.

Qi Fan's eyes turned cold the moment he saw Chu Shixin standing frozen in place.

"What? Chu Shixin, didn't you hear my command?"

"I heard you! I heard you clearly!" Chu Shixin shivered and quickly responded.

"Did you hear me? Why aren't you carrying out the order?"

Qi Fan's voice suddenly rose, carrying an unyielding authority.

At this moment, Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin completely panicked. The flattery and wishful thinking on their faces vanished, leaving only a deep-seated fear.

"You can't kill us! You have no right to kill us!"

"Zhang Hanqing! You dare touch us? Your Fifth Master will never let you get away with this! Aren't you afraid your Fifth Grand Master will come after you?"

Qi Fan looked at them coldly, his tone icy.

"Regimental Commander Zhao Pingmin and Regimental Commander Feng Luoxin delayed military operations and disregarded military discipline during the emergency assembly. As the brigade commander of the guard brigade, I have the authority to deal with them on the spot! Execute this order!"

Seeing this, Chu Shixin knew that further hesitation was useless.

Now that things have come to this, Qi Fan will take care of things if the sky falls; he only needs to carry out orders.

Without further delay, he gave the soldiers behind him a look and shouted sternly, "Drag these two men away!"

Two soldiers immediately stepped forward and, as if picking up chickens, dragged the limp Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin to the open space next to them.

"Bang! Bang!"

Two crisp gunshots pierced the sky.

Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin's cries of agony abruptly ceased as their bodies collapsed heavily to the ground, their blood instantly staining the earth beneath them.

The entire parade ground fell into a deathly silence. All the soldiers of the guard brigade froze on the spot, their eyes filled with extreme fear. They looked at Qi Fan as if he were a ruthless demon.

Qi Fan was well aware of the consequences of killing these two people; it would inevitably bring all sorts of trouble, and might even be used as an opportunity for Yang Yuting and others to launch an attack.

But he knew even better that if he wanted to build the Fengtian Army into a disciplined and invincible force, he had to use such ruthless methods to make an example of them!

Only by completely overhauling the military from top to bottom and eliminating these parasites who rely on connections to get by can this army truly be revitalized and can we safeguard this land in Northeast China!

His gaze was sharp as he slowly swept across the entire room, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"From today onwards, I will set the discipline for the Guard Brigade! Anyone who dares to disregard discipline or delay military operations will suffer the same fate as these two individuals!"

As soon as his words, which had already stunned the entire audience, Qi Fan turned his head and locked his gaze on Chu Shixin and Zhang Xuecheng standing to the side.

"Chu Shixin! Zhang Xuecheng!"

The two were already on edge, and upon hearing the sound, they immediately stood up, chests out, not daring to relax in the slightest.

"arrive!"

"From today onwards, Chu Shixin will be the commander of the First Regiment, and Zhang Xuecheng will be the commander of the Second Regiment!"

Qi Fan's appointment order was swift and decisive, without the slightest delay.

"I will immediately lead a team to Kyrgyzstan to suppress the bandits. After I leave, the training and discipline of the Guard Brigade will be entirely in your hands!"

He paused briefly, then emphasized his words, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Remember, if you discover any more corrupt officials like Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin who disregard military discipline and corrupt the atmosphere, you two have the authority to act without reporting to higher authorities!"

"Yes, sir! Mission accomplished!"

The two responded in unison, their voices loud and clear, their eyes filled with determination.

After this battle, they understood even more clearly Qi Fan's determination to rectify military discipline, and dared not be perfunctory in the slightest.