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

Just as dawn was breaking, the once tranquil Marshal's Mansion was suddenly shattered by a chaotic commotion.

Qi Fan, who was sleeping soundly on the warm kang, was disturbed by the shouts and heavy footsteps of the soldiers outside. He frowned, lazily crawled out of bed, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and went to the window to peek out through the crack.

Upon seeing this, he instantly became much more alert. On the bluestone path of the mansion, there were many soldiers in crisp military uniforms, each with a straight posture and solemn expression, patrolling in an orderly manner along the corridor.

It's no surprise that his cheapskate father, Zhang Zuolin, has returned.

Sure enough, not long after, a loud and fiery Northeastern accent came from afar, making the window paper tremble slightly.

"Damn it! This stupid meeting gave me a headache, but it's finally over! Xishun! Where's Xishun? Get the hell out here!"

Qi Fan shrank back, secretly exclaiming: This temper is like it could kill someone! It seems that his father had a bad time at the meeting and was in a terrible mood.

He quickly calculated in his mind that going up to say hello at this moment would be like walking into the line of fire; only a fool would do that.

Thinking of this, he quickly took off the cotton-padded jacket he was only halfway through putting on and threw it at the foot of the bed. He then scrambled back into the warm kang bed and pulled the quilt over his head.

Despite the uproar outside, he soon went back to sleep, waiting for Zhang Zuolin to calm down before making a move.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere inside the Marshal's Mansion council hall was already as heavy as a piece of iron soaked in water.

Zhang Zuolin, dressed in a crisp, dark gray military uniform, with the gold stars on his epaulets gleaming in the morning light, sat imposingly in the main seat. His two signature mustaches trembled slightly with his heavy breathing, and his sharp, piercing gaze swept over the bowing crowd below, filled with barely suppressed rage.

happy Shun stood in the center of the hall, head bowed, hands pressed tightly to the seams of his trousers, trembling all over. Cold sweat streamed down his face, and he didn't even dare to breathe.

He was terrified by Zhang Zuolin's temper, fearing that if he said the wrong thing, he would be severely scolded or even slapped.

"Damn it!" Zhang Zuolin slammed his hand on the octagonal table, making the teacups on it vibrate and spill tea.

"Dare to touch my son in the Fengtian Realm? These bastards are tired of living!"

His eyes darkened, and his tone became frighteningly ruthless.

"Investigate thoroughly! Dig three feet into the ground and find these people! If I catch them, I'll tear down their ancestral graves and skin them alive!"

"Yes, yes, yes! Please calm down, General!" happy Shun quickly bowed and replied, his voice trembling as he added.

"Commander, after careful observation, those people are no ordinary bandits. Their weapons are all German-made, and their skills and marksmanship are those of a regular army; they're definitely from the military!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Zhang Zuolin narrowed his eyes, his small pupils darting around quickly. His originally furious expression subsided slightly, replaced by a deep sense of calculation.

He paused for a moment, tapping his fingertips lightly on the table, and slowly said, "Let's not make a fuss about this for now, lest we alert the enemy."

"You will personally lead my personal guard to investigate." He paused, his tone extremely solemn.

"Keep a close eye on all the troops that have been mobilized around Fengtian recently, not just any unorthodox forces from outside, but also our own 27th and 28th Divisions. Don't let a single one slip by!"

These words sounded like a serious internal investigation, but Zhang Zuolin already had a clear idea in mind; he never really suspected his own troops.

Right now in Northeast China, the only one who dares to openly challenge Zhang Zuolin is his third brother, Feng Delin.

If it was Feng Delin who sent people to do it, then it makes sense.

But the thought of Feng Delin made Zhang Zuolin's brows furrow even more.

Feng Delin held considerable military power, his influence was no less than his own, and he was currently the only person he feared in Northeast China.

Without solid evidence, he really didn't dare to easily break ties with Feng Delin and start a war, otherwise it would only allow the Japanese or other forces to reap the benefits, which would be a loss for him.

"Report any leads to me immediately. Do not act without authorization!" Zhang Zuolin ordered in a deep voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable authority.

"Your subordinate obeys!" happy Shun bowed again in response, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, and carefully withdrew.

The council chamber fell silent again. Zhang Zuolin leaned back in his chair, gazing intently out the window, his fingers still rhythmically tapping the table. No one knew what kind of game this Northeast King was plotting.

After finishing his urgent official business, Zhang Zuolin got up and left the council hall, heading straight for the courtyard of his second concubine, Lu Shouxuan.

As soon as they reached the courtyard gate, the maidservant guarding the gate quickly came forward and announced their arrival in a loud voice.

"Second Madam, Master is here!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Shouxuan, who was inside the room, immediately put down her needlework and hurried out to greet him. With a gentle smile on her face, she naturally took the military cap that Zhang Zuolin had taken off.

"Master is finally back. You must be tired from your journey."

"Yes, you're back." Zhang Zuolin responded, his anger largely dissipated. He walked into the house and casually asked.

"Where are Liu Zi and his two siblings?"

"The children have had a long and tiring journey, and they've been frightened. They're exhausted," Lu Shouxuan said as she followed beside her, instructing the maid to pour tea.

"I reckon they're still taking a nap on the warm kang (heated brick bed), so I told the maid not to disturb them."

"Yes, of course." Zhang Zuolin nodded, walked to the table, sat down, picked up his teacup, took a sip, and spoke with a touch of emotion.

"Yesterday, the siblings and their family had a close call."

As he spoke, he raised his hand to unbutton the brass buttons of his military uniform, preparing to change into the casual clothes handed to him by the maid. He had just put on one sleeve when, as if suddenly remembering something, he turned to ask Lu Shouxuan.

"By the way, has everything been arranged for Liu Zi to have a tutor, as I instructed before?"

'

"Don't worry, sir, everything has been arranged." Lu Shouxuan replied with a smile.

"There's Zhang Xuecheng from our backyard, as well as Bao Guiqing's son Bao Yulin and Zhang Zuoxiang's son Zhang Tingshu. They're all around the same age as Liu Zi, and they're all steady in character."

"Good." Zhang Zuolin nodded in satisfaction, his tone becoming solemn.

"I specially invited Yang Jingzhen to teach them to read. This is a rare opportunity, and Liu Zi must make the most of it."

Lu Shouxuan responded with "Yes," then suddenly changed the subject, as if she had remembered something important, and leaned closer to speak.

"Master, do you know? Yesterday, when Liu Zi and the others were attacked by bandits, the mysterious person who saved them was no ordinary person."

"Oh? I heard Xishun mention this before." Zhang Zuolin put down his teacup, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I heard this person is quite mysterious. He safely escorted Liu Zi and the others back to the Marshal's Mansion and then quietly left without anyone catching a glimpse of him. Do you think this person might have been arranged by my older sister before she passed away?"

He sighed, his tone somewhat complicated: "My first wife, though she has a fiery temper, is a good homemaker, but I've never heard of her having such a skilled helper."

"That's right, that's strange." Lu Shouxuan chimed in, her tone tinged with surprise.

"I heard from the men below that the man was very skilled and very respectful to Liu Zi, addressing him as 'Hanqing' at every turn, as if he were treating Liu Zi as a proper master."

After listening, Zhang Zuolin was stunned for a moment, then a meaningful smile appeared on his lips as he picked up his teacup and took another sip.

"When did this little Liu get the ability to know someone like this?"