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

The Marshal's Mansion, the operations room.

It was only the beginning of September, and the weather hadn't completely cooled down yet, but the atmosphere here was already so heavy it felt like it could drip water.

The room was filled with smoke, and dozens of ashtrays were crammed with cigarette butts and cigars of various brands.

The huge sand table in the center of the room was already covered with small red and blue flags representing various warlords.

The battle between Jiangsu and Zhejiang has been clearly defined, and within two days at most, Qi Xieyuan's army will attack Shanghai.

This was the excuse the old general had been waiting for. Tonight, he summoned all the core generals of the Fengtian Army above the corps commander level to make the final tactical decisions for the second campaign to conquer the Central Plains.

"Bang."

Two heavy wooden doors were pushed open.

Zhang Hanqing, dressed in military uniform, strode into the operations room with a somber expression.

"Hey, Liu Zi's back!"

"Young Marshal, what kind of game did you hunt on your trip to Changbai Mountain? Look at you, all travel-worn, you must have had quite a journey!"

Tang Yulin and Zhang Zuoxiang, veteran generals who had watched Zhang Hanqing grow up, immediately greeted him with smiles. In their eyes, Xiao Liuzi's hunting trip was just a young man's playful behavior.

However, amidst the lighthearted banter throughout the room, one person's expression was extremely grim.

Yang Yuting, Chief of Staff of the Fengtian Army.

Yang Yuting sat in the chair at the very front of the sand table, a cigarette between his fingers, but he had no interest in smoking it.

The moment Zhang Hanqing pushed the door open, his muscles tensed instantly, and cold sweat soaked through his shirt.

He knows this guy's temper too well!

He's quick to anger, willing to go to great lengths for his brothers, and a fearless scoundrel!

Since Lin Tuozhi saw through the assassination plot and escaped using the "golden cicada shedding its shell" strategy, he must have told the young marshal the truth about the assassination before he left!

Yang Yuting stared intently at Zhang Hanqing's waist, where a Browning pistol was tucked.

His mind was frantically calculating the distance; the moment Zhang Hanqing drew his gun, he would immediately roll down onto the sand table.

He even prepared his defense when Zhang Hanqing questioned him: "Hanqing, please calm down. This is a divisive tactic by the Zhili clique!"

For Yang Yuting, those few seconds of waiting felt longer and more agonizing than waiting to die on the execution ground.

The old general, sitting in the main seat, was noticeably slower in his movements as he played with the walnuts.

His old eyes narrowed slightly as he quietly watched his son approach.

The old coach knew what Yang Yuting was afraid of, but he didn't say anything. He was waiting to see how his son would react.

If he were to disregard the bigger picture and pull out a gun to kill the chief of staff at this critical juncture, he would be extremely disappointed.

A commander who cannot control his emotions and cannot distinguish between primary and secondary contradictions is not qualified to take over the power of the Fengtian Army.

"Little Liu, you're back."

The old general stopped playing with the walnuts and asked, seemingly casually, but with a tone that carried immense weight: "Where's your sworn brother, Special Envoy Lin? Didn't he come back with you?"

All eyes, including those of the veterans who had been joking around, instantly focused on Zhang Hanqing.

The air seemed to freeze.

Yang Yuting's heart leaped into his throat, his fingers gripping the armrests of the chair tightly.

Zhang Hanqing stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping across the entire room. His eyes lingered on Yang Yuting's pale and tense face for less than half a second before naturally sliding over it and finally landing on his own father.

To Yang Yuting's surprise, he not only did not fly into a rage, but also did not draw his gun.

Instead, a natural, slightly apologetic, and helplessly cheerful smile bloomed on his face.

"Father, please don't mention it. This trip was a complete waste of my time."

As Zhang Hanqing spoke, he walked to the sand table, took off his military cap, and casually tossed it onto the chair.

"My older brother and I never went to Changbai Mountain."

His tone was calm and even, without the slightest fluctuation, as if he were a movie star.

"We had just arrived at the outpost when our elder brother suddenly received an urgent telegram from Guangzhou. Guess what? Sun Dapao's liver disease suddenly worsened, and he can't even get out of bed! The second phase of the Whampoa Military Academy's admissions have also run into chaos, with several factions vying for power within the school, and a mutiny is imminent!"

"My elder brother is the vice principal of Whampoa Military Academy. The military situation is urgent, and he is so anxious that he hasn't even eaten a bite of food."

Zhang Hanqing turned around and stared intently at his father.

"Father, my elder brother said that the situation is critical, and he simply didn't have time to return to the Marshal's Mansion to say goodbye to you in person. He boarded a train to Dalian Port directly at Sujiatun and fled south like a refugee. He repeatedly instructed me to make sure he apologized to you on his behalf and thank you for your hospitality in Fengtian during this time. He said that once the situation stabilizes, he will come to Fengtian to personally kowtow and apologize to you!"

This lie was told so smoothly and flawlessly that even the slightest change in expression was perfectly controlled.

Upon hearing this, the atmosphere in the operations room instantly relaxed.

"Hey! What's the big deal?"

Tang Yulin was a rough man, and he cursed loudly, "That pedantic scholar from the South, he really has no manners! The Commander-in-Chief treats him like a VIP, and he leaves in such a hurry without even saying goodbye. It's a disgrace to scholarship!"

"Exactly, exactly. But the South is already a disorganized mess. With Sun Yat-sen gone, they're bound to fall into internal strife. This is a golden opportunity for us to break out of the pass, Commander!"

Other generals echoed this sentiment.

Amidst the noise, Yang Yuting's back, which had been taut as if it were about to break, instantly relaxed.

"call……"

Yang Yuting let out a long breath, as if he had crawled out of the gates of hell, all his strength drained away.

He understood all the key points in an instant!

Lin Tuozhi definitely told the young marshal the truth about the assassination!

However, the young marshal did not react. Instead, he fabricated a flawless lie and managed to suppress this scandal that was enough to overturn the entire world!

Why?

Because the young marshal was enlightened by Lin Tuozhi!

The young marshal understood the importance of considering the overall situation and knew that at this critical moment when the war broke out in Jiangsu and Zhejiang, he could not break ties with his chief of staff and could not make things difficult for the marshal!

"How terrifying is Lin Tuozhi... He's no longer even in Fengtian, yet he can still keep Xiao Liu in check and even extend his reach into the war room of the Marshal's Mansion..."

Yang Yuting sighed with trembling in his heart.

He knew that in this round, he was not only outmatched in intelligence, but also far behind the young man in terms of overall strategy.

The old general, sitting in the main seat, looked at his smiling son and a complex light flashed in his eyes.

He knew, of course, that his son was lying, but he had no reason to expose him.

Seeing his son shed his childishness and begin to show a serious expression, the old general felt an indescribable joy and relief welling up in his heart.

It is a great misfortune to have escaped a formidable enemy that could potentially overturn the world in the future.

But his own immature son was finally forced to grow up by the enemy during this life-or-death assassination!

Having learned to be patient, to pretend, and to compromise—that is a great fortune!

"Okay, okay, okay!"

The old marshal said "good" three times, his tone full of undisguised admiration: "It's understandable that you're preoccupied with military affairs. Now that Special Envoy Lin has returned, it's time for us to put on our own show in Fengtian!"

With the veteran coach's statement, this turmoil seemed to have come to a satisfactory end.

The atmosphere in the operations room became lively again, with the generals eager to make their mark in the upcoming Zhili-Fengtian War.

Yang Yuting completely relaxed. He reached into the silver cigarette case, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and took out a match from his pocket, preparing to light the cigarette to celebrate his survival.

"Sizzle..."

The match struck the phosphorus coating, igniting a bright yellow flame.

Just then, Zhang Hanqing, who had been facing away from the sand table as if studying a map, suddenly turned around slowly.

The amiable look on his face vanished the moment he turned around, replaced by a sharp, cold expression, like a drawn blade, even carrying a hint of mockery, like a cat toying with a mouse.

Zhang Hanqing's gaze was fixed on Yang Yuting, who was about to light a cigarette.

"Oh, right, Chief of Staff Yang."

His voice wasn't loud, and he even deliberately slowed down his speech, but it was exceptionally clear in the noisy operations room, carrying a chilling aura.

"Before getting on the bus, my brother specifically told me to make sure I gave you a message."

The operations room suddenly fell silent, and everyone looked at the young marshal in surprise, wondering what message Lin Tuozhi had left for the General Staff.

Yang Yuting's hand holding the match suddenly froze.

Zhang Hanqing looked into Yang Yuting's eyes and said, word by word.

My older brother said…

"That day, the sand table simulation with you was truly exhilarating."

Zhang Hanqing leaned forward slightly, as if trying to pierce Yang Yuting's soul with those words.

He hopes... he'll have the opportunity...

"Let's have another good match."

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