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

Barton took a neatly folded document out of his trench coat pocket and gently placed it on the table in front of Sun Chuanfang.

"General Sun, as long as you can publicly guarantee that after defeating the Fengtian Army, you will respect and not infringe upon all the vested interests, concession privileges and inland waterway shipping rights of the British Empire and France in Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang."

Barton tapped on the document, throwing out a bargaining chip that would drive Sun Chuanfang mad:

"Standard Chartered Bank of the British Empire will immediately provide you with a special interest-free loan of up to two million pounds for a term of three years!"

"Not only that."

French Consul Merlin added, "A French merchant ship is currently anchored off the coast of Wusongkou, carrying 30,000 state-of-the-art rifles, 200 Hotchkiss heavy machine guns, and ample ammunition. As long as General Sun signs this memorandum, this arsenal can be secretly delivered to your defense zone tomorrow night!"

Two million pounds interest-free loan!

A whole ship full of the most advanced weaponry!

Sun Chuanfang was stunned for a moment, and his ecstasy almost made him faint.

He stared at the documents on the table, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

A miraculous escape from a desperate situation, a true miraculous escape from a desperate situation!

He finally understood the reason: the British and French were afraid of the Japanese behind Zhang Zuolin, and afraid that the Japanese would interfere with the interests in the Yangtze River basin!

Britain and France are using Sun Chuanfang as a proxy to drive the Fengtian Army back to the north!

Thinking of this, Sun Chuanfang regained his composure, raised his head, and said calmly.

"I'll sign, not only guaranteeing the interests of both countries, but also cutting off Zhang Zongchang's head and hanging it in front of the Confucius Temple!"

Sun Chuanfang picked up the pen on the table and signed his name without hesitation.

The British and French consuls smiled, shook hands with Sun Chuanfang with satisfaction, and said goodbye.

Three minutes later, Sun Chuanfang looked up and burst into laughter!

"Zhang Zuolin! Zhang Zongchang! You think I'm at my wit's end?! I now have cash from the British and heavy machine guns from the French!"

Having said that, he pushed open the study door and roared at the adjutant waiting outside:

"Pass on my order! Assemble the entire army and prepare for a counterattack."

With strong British and French support, the war machine of the five southeastern provinces roared like a resurrected beast.

Lin Qi, far away in Guangzhou, is debugging new machines at an arsenal.

He seemed to sense the raging flames of war thousands of miles away, and cursed inwardly.

"Fight! Use the guns and cannons of the foreigners, shed the blood of our own people. Fight until your brains are splattered, until the last vestige of the Beiyang Army's strength is exhausted..."

"It's time for Lao Tzu's iron torrent to emerge from the mountains."

……

Beiping, Zhongnanhai, inner study.

Zhang Zuolin leaned back in a large armchair, holding a brass tobacco pipe in his hand.

He didn't smoke, but slowly rubbed the edge of the pipe with his thumb, his small, gleaming eyes pulsating with undisguised ambition.

Zhang Hanqing and Yang Yuting sat on either side of the lower seat.

The room was quiet, and the two men were waiting for Zhang Zuolin to speak.

"Fuck you."

Zhang Zuolin suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but full of imposing manner.

"We men are about to do something big."

Zhang Zuolin slammed his pipe on the table, his gaze sweeping over Yang Yuting and Zhang Hanqing: "Pass down the order, prepare to march south and cross the Yangtze River!"

The air froze instantly upon hearing this.

What does crossing the Yangtze River mean?

That's taking too big a step!

Yang Yuting subconsciously adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his back instantly straightening.

Zhang Hanqing's expression changed drastically, and he abruptly stood up from his chair.

"Father! What did you say? Cross the Yangtze River?!"

Zhang Hanqing's voice was filled with shock and anxiety.

He walked a few steps to Zhang Zuolin and said in a deep voice, "Father, how long has our Fengtian Army been stationed in Beiping? We haven't even had a chance to settle in Zhili, Shandong, and Shanghai yet. Our brothers have been fighting for months, and they're exhausted. To suddenly cross the Yangtze River at this time, stretching the battle lines so far, isn't that a cardinal sin in military strategy?!"

Zhang Hanqing's vehement opposition stemmed not only from his belief that the Fengtian Army was advancing too rapidly and its foundation was unstable.

The words Lin Qi had said to him before leaving Beiping kept echoing in his mind.

Lin Qi told him that if the Fengtian Army were to advance south in a large-scale manner, it would inevitably get bogged down in a quagmire and face danger.

Now they're not only heading south, but also crossing the Yangtze River. What are they planning to do?

To unify the whole country?

Moreover, it wasn't just Lin Qi; just yesterday, Guo Songling also earnestly advised him, saying that the Fengtian Army's current foundation was not yet strong enough to support a unified empire. He suggested holding onto Shanghai and relying on Shanghai's financial resources to develop the Northeast's industry. Once their strength was truly robust and their weapons and ammunition were completely self-sufficient, they could then plan to move south.

The two people he trusted most, whom he considered to be the most knowledgeable about military affairs in the world, reached the same conclusion.

"Father, Maochen also said that if we head south now, our supply lines will be stretched too long, and we simply can't afford to wait it out. We should..."

"fart!"

Zhang Zuolin slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacups to clang loudly.

He abruptly stood up, pointed at his son's nose, and cursed, "Don't try to intimidate me with that bastard Guo's words! What does he know about the world situation?! A schoolteacher, besides drawing doodles on the blackboard, what does he know about fighter jets?!"

Seeing that his son remained unmoved, Zhang Zuolin took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness.

"Little Liu, spending so much time with Lin Tuozhi has certainly sharpened your mind. Your concerns are valid, but as the old saying goes, 'The bold get rich, the timid starve!'"

As he spoke, he walked around the desk, went to the map, and drew a large circle on it with his pipe.

"With Feng Huanzhang gone, the Northwest is leaderless. How many tens of thousands of soldiers can that little devil Wu in the South possibly muster?"

Zhang Zuolin's gaze turned incredibly cold: "Xu Shuzheng is dead too! Lin Tuozhi personally sent him on his way! With Xu Shuzheng dead, Duan Hefei's spirit has dissipated, and the Anhui clique is now a corpse."

"Now, in most of this country, Wu Xiaogui is no longer a threat, the Anhui clique is dead, Feng Huanzhang can't come back, and all that's left is Sun Chuanfang, who's entrenched in the southeast!"

Zhang Zuolin turned to his son and said, "Such a good opportunity! If I don't cross the Yangtze River, am I supposed to spit out this piece of fat meat that's been delivered right to my mouth? Would I even deserve to be called Zhang Zuolin?!"

Zhang Hanqing remained unconvinced, believing his father was taking too big a step.

But Yang Yuting's breathing became rapid.

His eyes were filled with fervor.

Head south!

As long as the Fengtian Army's advance crosses the Yangtze River, he can personally supervise the battle and take a decisive step to attack Guangzhou!

He would repay the humiliation Lin Qi had inflicted upon him a hundredfold by capturing him alive on the day Guangzhou fell!

Fearing something might happen, Zhang Hanqing stiffened his neck and said:

"Father, even if..."

"Shut up!"

Zhang Zuolin impatiently interrupted him: "I called you here to give an order, not to discuss anything! I conquered this world with my own sword and spear; it's not your place or Guo Degang's place to tell me how to wage war! Get out!"

Zhang Hanqing opened his mouth, but seeing his father's uncompromising face, he could only grit his teeth, suppress his anger, and turn to leave the study.

"General, I've arrived!"

No sooner had Zhang Hanqing left than a deafening voice came from outside the study.