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

As soon as Qi Fan stepped into Jilin Province, Fengtian was already in complete chaos.

Inside the military headquarters meeting room, Zhang Zuolin had just finished processing several official documents when Zhang Jinghui stormed in, his face ashen, and slammed his fist on the table as soon as he entered.

"Yuting! Your son has gone too far this time!" Zhang Jinghui pointed to the empty seat, her tone both urgent and angry.

"Putting everything else aside, I, as the fifth uncle, have always treated Xiao Liuzi very well! Zhao Pingmin, the commander of the First Regiment of the Guard Brigade, is my brother-in-law. He killed him without a second thought. Does he have any respect for me as his elder? Does he have any respect for the rules of the Fengtian Army?"

Zhang Zuolin picked up his teacup, took a sip, and slowly put it down. His face was expressionless, but he responded to what Zhang Zuolin said.

"That brat is really outrageous, he's too reckless. Don't worry, when he comes back from suppressing the bandits in Jilin Province, I'll definitely teach him a lesson and give you an explanation."

Having spent many years in officialdom, Zhang Jinghui could easily tell that Zhang Zuolin was being hypocritical and perfunctory. He sneered, took two steps forward, and stared intently at Zhang Zuolin.

"Don't give me that crap! Everyone can see you're protecting that kid. You need a clear explanation for what happened today, or I can't face my wife or my brothers!"

Seeing that Zhang Jinghui was relentless, the gentleness on Zhang Zuolin's face gradually faded, replaced by the majesty of a powerful warlord.

He had always valued harmony with his old comrades like Zhang Jinghui, hoping to maintain the support of the old guard, but that didn't mean he was afraid of them. Moreover, Qi Fan hadn't done anything wrong by killing Zhao Pingmin.

"Fifth Brother, you can't say that." Zhang Zuolin leaned back slightly, his tone becoming serious.

"I'll give you some leeway, but you still have to be reasonable. It's true that Zhao Pingmin is your brother-in-law, but he takes advantage of that relationship to act arrogantly and neglect military discipline in the guard brigade. His guard brigade is the most elite unit in the Fengtian Army, and as a result, when Xiao Liuzi issued an emergency assembly order, it took a full three hours for the troops to barely assemble!"

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly forceful.

"Little Six is ​​the brigade commander of the guard unit. There must be rules for running an army! A three-hour delay in an emergency assembly is a serious breach of military strategy on the battlefield; he deserves to die ten times over!"

Zhang Jinghui was speechless after being rebuked by Zhang Zuolin's words. Looking at Zhang Zuolin's darkening face, he felt a chill in his heart.

He knew, of course, that he was in the wrong, and dared not really turn against Zhang Zuolin, for Tang Yulin's fate was still fresh in his mind.

Qi Fan's killing of Tang Yulin had a significant impact on the Fengtian Army.

That incident also thoroughly shocked all the old-school people: Zhang Zuolin cherished old friendships, but he was by no means indulging them without limits; even if these old brothers had made contributions, if they dared to take advantage of him, Zhang Zuolin would still dare to deal with them!

Zhang Jinghui's momentum instantly weakened, and her tone softened.

"Yuting, I know Zhao Pingmin did wrong, and he deserves to be punished for his lax military discipline... but Xiao Liuzi, you didn't have to kill him outright, did you? At least spare his life for my sake."

Seeing that Zhang Jinghui had given in, Zhang Zuolin also relented, giving him a way out.

"Fifth Brother, I know you're upset. Xiao Liu really went too far in this matter, not considering your feelings at all. How about this, after he returns from suppressing the bandits, I'll personally take him to your residence to apologize, and he'll prepare generous gifts to apologize to you and your wife. What do you think?"

Seeing this, Zhang Jinghui knew that this was the best possible outcome. Continuing to argue would not bring any benefit and would only offend Zhang Zuolin.

He sighed and waved his hand, "Fine, fine... I admit defeat. A new broom sweeps clean, but I never expected that Xiao Liu's first act would backfire on his own head."

After saying that, Zhang Jinghui didn't linger any longer and turned to leave the conference room with a gloomy expression.

Zhang Zuolin watched his retreating figure, picked up his teacup and took another sip, his eyes deep. Although Xiao Liuzi's ruthless methods had disturbed the peace of Fengtian, they also served as a warning to the old guard, which might not be a bad thing.

On the other side, deep within the Marshal's Mansion, a trusted military officer stood bowing before the Fourth Concubine.

"Madam, something terrible has happened! Commander Feng Luoxin has been killed by Zhang Xueliang!"

"What?" Fourth Concubine's embroidery needle suddenly stopped, her expression changed abruptly, and a flash of shock and panic crossed her eyes.

She subconsciously clenched the embroidered handkerchief in her hand, her mind racing: Feng Luoxin only got the position of commander of the Second Regiment by using her distant cousin's name. Could it be that her private actions were exposed because he was killed?

Those who assassinated Qi Fan were basically done by Feng Luoxin on his behalf. If he were to be exposed, it would be troublesome.

But then he thought, if he had really been exposed, Zhang Zuolin, who was known for his ruthless methods, would have already come to his door to demand an explanation, instead of things being so calm.

Moreover, there was no word of it within the mansion, which suggests that Feng Luoxin's murder was most likely due to his own actions causing trouble, and had nothing to do with him.

As the thought crossed her mind, the panic on Fourth Concubine's face faded, and she regained her composure.

Seeing her change in expression, the officer quickly pressed her for details.

"Madam, Commander Feng is, after all, your relative. Should we go to the master now and demand an explanation for him?"

"No need," the fourth concubine waved her hand, her tone indifferent.

"He was just a distant cousin, someone I barely knew. He used my name to get away with all sorts of shady dealings. He got killed, so he probably got what he deserved. If we go to him now, it'll only make us look unreasonable and annoy the master. Just wait patiently. If the master has something to say, he'll come to me."

As expected, after finishing his official business that night, Zhang Zuolin went straight into his fourth concubine's courtyard.

After he sat down, he didn't beat around the bush and went straight to recounting the whole story of Qi Fan's emergency assembly and the execution of Zhao Pingmin and Feng Luoxin.

"This is really not Xiao Liu's fault. Your cousin Feng Luoxin is lax in military discipline and arrogant in the guard brigade. He delayed the emergency assembly for three hours. No brigade commander could tolerate him."

Upon hearing this, the fourth concubine immediately adopted a righteous and understanding demeanor, nodding in agreement.

"You're right, sir! I've always thought this cousin was unreliable. He thought he was all that because of our family ties, and now he's in this mess. It's all his own doing. It's really putting you and Xiao Liu in a difficult position."

After saying that, she changed the subject, her tone becoming somewhat earnest.

"However, sir, I have a small favor to ask of you. You see, our son Xuezeng is getting on in years, and he hasn't made much progress staying in the manor. I was thinking, could we send him to America to study military affairs? When he returns after completing his studies, he can help his brother share some of the burden and contribute to our Fengtian Army."

Zhang Zuolin already felt somewhat guilty because Qi Fan had killed her relative. Now, seeing that his fourth concubine was so understanding and not only did she not pursue the matter, but she also made such a harmless request, he immediately felt a sense of goodwill towards her.

"Good! Fourth brother, it's very reasonable of you to think this way. It's settled then. I'll arrange for people to make preparations in the next couple of days and send Xue Zeng to America as soon as possible!"