Did he trick the young marshal into becoming sworn brothers and then go south to Huangpu Military Ac

"Teacher...Teacher..."

The adjutant's voice was filled with undisguised terror and despair, even bordering on sobbing.

Yang Yuting's smile froze instantly, and an ominous premonition coiled around his heart like a venomous snake.

"What's the panic! Is the sky falling down?! Tell me!"

Yang Yuting shouted sternly.

The adjutant swallowed hard, his hands trembling as he handed over the telegram.

"A urgent telegram from Jilin Station... Chief of Staff... Jilin!"

"The special train...the special train has arrived in Jilin...Young Marshal...Young Marshal and Young Master Lu didn't even get off the train to hunt!"

"They just...just turned the car around...and went back to Fengtian the same way they came!"

These words were like heavy hammer blows, slamming into Yang Yuting's skull!

Yang Yuting froze on the spot.

"Didn't get off? Went back the way you came?!"

Yang Yuting snatched the telegram and stared intently at the few lines of cold, lead-printed text.

His mind went blank for a moment, and then countless details he had overlooked came rushing back like a tidal wave.

Was the hunting trip to Changbai Mountain just a pretext?

Is the person in the gray Zhongshan suit peeking out from the window a body double?!

What about Lin Tuo's people?!

"Investigate! Investigate! Where did Lin Tuozhi go?!"

Yang Yuting roared like a mad lion, kicking the desk so hard it moved half a foot: "Sujiatun! It must be related to Sujiatun! Get all the departure records from Sujiatun that night! Go now!"

No need to investigate further; Yang Yuting already understands everything.

All that arrogance, that playboy behavior, that recklessness—it's all a lie!

From the moment he staged that "bearing thorns to apologize" scene outside the Marshal's Mansion, he was completely seen through by that young man in his early twenties!

Not only did the opponent see through the trap, but they also used Lu Xiaojia as a perfect smokescreen to keep them on the run for two whole days and two nights!

With a two-day travel distance, even if a person had to crawl, they should have been able to crawl out of Fengtian territory by now!

A chill, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, shot from the soles of Yang Yuting's feet straight to the back of his head. He slumped onto the sofa, his underwear instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He was defeated, utterly and completely humiliated, his intelligence was completely crushed, and for the first time in his life he felt fear.

……

Inside the study of the Marshal's Mansion.

The old general was wearing a loose-fitting casual silk robe with a dark floral pattern. He was twirling a pair of shiny lion's head walnuts in his hands, which made a "crackling" sound.

Standing before him was the steward of the Marshal's Mansion, who was respectfully reporting Zhang Hanqing's news.

"...General, Young Master Hanqing has already returned from Jilin, but for some reason, he hasn't even gotten off the train!"

The housekeeper simply reported Zhang Hanqing's movements and had no idea what this meant.

The old general remained silent, not even uttering the words "I understand," and the study was deathly quiet.

The only sound was the "crackling" of walnuts rubbing together, a steady and unhurried rhythm.

a long time.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

A low laugh came from the old general's throat.

Then the laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into unrestrained, uproarious laughter.

"Excellent! What a brilliant escape! What a masterful deception!"

The old general stood up from his armchair, walked to the window, and looked at the southern sky.

This warlord from the Northeast, who rose from the ranks of outlaws, had eyes that had seen countless battles. At this moment, there was no anger in his eyes, only three parts fear and seven parts undisguised amazement!

He was amazed by Lin Qi's extraordinary performance.

He waved his hand, signaling that the butler could leave.

The butler was completely bewildered. He silently backed out and closed the study door.

"It's not difficult to see through Lin Ge's trap, but it's difficult to carve out a way out of a dead end and make a fool of Lin Ge, this guy who claims to be extremely smart, like a monkey for two whole days."

The old general stopped walnuts in his hand and sighed.

"Good riddance! A clean and tidy departure. It prevented me, as the father, from falling out with Xiao Liuzi, and it also prevented the Southern Headquarters from finding any fault with him. Before leaving, it even gave Lin Ge a resounding slap in the face."

"That Lin Tuozhi is amazing! If he had been born thirty years earlier, what chance would we old bones have?!"

"However, I don't have time to deal with you right now; the grand drama of the world is about to begin!"

As he spoke, the old general suddenly turned his gaze to the giant national military map hanging on the wall, his eyes fixed on the area where Jiangsu and Zhejiang meet.

September has arrived, and Qi Xieyuan and Lu Yongxiang in Jiangsu and Zhejiang have completely broken off relations. With their armies pressing in, war is imminent. This infighting among local warlords is the perfect excuse and trigger for the Fengtian Army to march out of the pass and directly attack the Central Plains.

"Guards! Summon all the generals to the commander's residence for a meeting."

……

Late at night, at the military station in northern Fengtian.

"Ugh... hiss..."

With a screeching sound of brakes and billowing white steam, the special train, which had been speeding for two days and two nights, slowly came to a stop on the platform.

As soon as the car door opened, Zhang Hanqing stepped out. His face was ashen, his eyes were sunken, and his eyes were bloodshot with exhaustion.

He barely slept a wink on the train these past two days, his mind filled with the words Lin Qi had spoken to him.

"Hanqing! Hanqing!"

An untimely shout, tinged with resentment and impatience, came from behind.

Lu Xiaojia, dressed in hunting attire and carrying a double-barreled shotgun, hurried over, trudging through the coal slag on the platform.

As he ran, he looked around, his face full of doubt and dissatisfaction.

"Hanqing, what exactly happened? Weren't we supposed to be hunting bears in Changbai Mountain? How come... how come we ended up in Jilin and didn't even see a single mountain, and now we're back in Fengtian?"

Lu Xiaojia complained, then suddenly realized something and tiptoed to peek into the carriage behind Zhang Hanqing.

"Hey? Where's Brother Lin? Wasn't he supposed to be in seclusion in his private room working on some blueprints? We've arrived at our stop. Even if he's working on those blueprints in a hurry, shouldn't he get off the train and catch his breath?"

Clearly, even at this moment, this young master Lu, who only knew how to play with women and frequent brothels, was still completely kept in the dark.

He had no idea that he had perfectly played the role of a smokescreen, drawing attention away from the problem, over the past few days.

Zhang Hanqing turned his head and coldly looked at the greasy-faced, incessantly chattering playboy in front of him.

Looking at Lu Xiaojia's face, which was filled with frustration because he hadn't managed to hunt, Zhang Hanqing suddenly felt a sense of sorrow and absurdity, as if he were looking down on ants.

How can the difference between people be so great?

Both in their early twenties, the elder brother was able to devise flawless strategies in a seemingly hopeless situation, outmaneuvering the top strategist of the Fengtian Army. He even managed to teach Zhang Hanqing a lesson in political maneuvering that could change the course of history during their escape.

And what about Lu Xiaojia in front of us?

He was used as a pawn, and after teetering on the brink of death, he was still thinking about his bear.

If such a person hadn't been born into a good family and had a father who was a warlord, he probably wouldn't even know how he died in the chaos of war.

"Alright, stop looking."

Zhang Hanqing didn't even bother to come up with a lie to appease him. His tone was icy, devoid of any of the usual brotherly politeness, and he waved his hand as if dismissing a beggar.

"There's going to be a war in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Qi Xieyuan's troops have already reached Taihu Lake. The old marshal sent an urgent telegram, summoning me back for a meeting. Brother Lin also has military affairs to attend to, so he's leaving now."

After saying that, he turned to the adjutant beside him and coldly ordered, "Go, send a carriage to take Young Master Lu back to the west courtyard to rest."

After saying that, she turned around and strode towards the exit of the platform, leaving only her cold and indifferent back view.

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