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

"Father, you've been away from Fengtian for more than half a year, and the administration and finances of the three provinces outside the Great Wall have all relied on your subordinates to submit reports. Now that the Jiangnan region has suffered a defeat, the people outside the Great Wall are restless, and all sorts of rumors are flying around in Fengtian. It's really not appropriate for you to stay in Beiping for so long without going back."

"Besides, our main forces are all at the front lines right now, and we've only left a few guards in Beiping. As the commander-in-chief, you can't personally engage in bayonet fighting here. Why not take advantage of the lull in fighting between the two sides and go back to Fengtian to take command? This will not only reassure the people outside the Great Wall, but also allow us to oversee the arsenal and procure provisions and supplies. Once we've made up for our deficits and have enough strength, we can turn around and deal with Sun Chuanfang next spring. Wouldn't that be better than wasting our time in Beiping?"

His son's words resonated deeply with Zhang Zuolin.

He had been in Beiping for so long that he was already tired of it.

Those former Qing dynasty officials and Beiyang politicians in Beiping, all they do all day is ask for money and talk big. How could they be as comfortable as him in the Marshal's Mansion?!

Besides, he's in his fifties, and his bones ache on rainy days. He really misses his concubines and the warm kang bed back home in Fengtian.

The reason I refused to go back was simply because I had just suffered a defeat and was afraid that my subordinates would say that Zhang Zuolin was scared away by Sun Chuanfang; it was just a matter of saving face.

Now that the son has offered a way out, presenting the noble cause of "raising funds and ensuring stability," it's a perfect opportunity for me to back down.

"You're not entirely without filial piety; it wasn't all for nothing that I spoiled you."

Zhang Zuolin tucked his pipe into his belt, clapped his hands, and said, "Alright, I'll listen to you. Just leave a few people here in Beiping. Send the order to the Transportation Department to prepare a train. I'll be heading back to Fengtian first thing tomorrow morning!"

"Alright, I'll make the arrangements right away. I'll go back with you tomorrow."

Zhang Hanqing responded.

Early the next morning.

The Qianmen Railway Station was under martial law. A special blue steel train with eight carriages, belching steam and whistling, carrying Zhang Zuolin, his son, and his guards, departed from Beiping and headed east past Shanhaiguan, straight towards Fengtian.

The special train passed through Tangshan, Changli, and Luanzhou without even stopping at any station, speeding past at high speed.

The news reached the Third Army Corps headquarters at noon that day.

In the operations room, Guo Songling was wiping his binoculars.

The chief of staff pushed open the door and strode in, his face beaming with joy: "Commander! We just received confirmation from the railway police at the station that the old marshal and the young marshal were traveling together on a special train, and they left Shanhaiguan half an hour ago, heading back to Fengtian!"

Guo Songling stopped holding the deerskin cloth and looked up: "Hanqing also went out of the pass? Didn't you get off the train in Tianjin?"

"Absolutely true! The special train only had water added in Tianjin; the doors weren't even opened. The father and son both returned to Fengtian!"

The chief of staff replied.

"Great! This is truly a stroke of luck!"

Guo Songling put the binoculars on the table, clapped his hands, and burst into laughter.

He's been feeling uneasy these past few days.

Although he trained the Third Army Corps himself, Zhang Hanqing was the nominal commander of the corps.

Many mid- to low-ranking officers in the army had received favors from Zhang Hanqing. If Zhang Hanqing had stayed in Tianjin or come to Luanzhou to take charge, it would be hard to say who his subordinates would listen to if he raised his arm and gave orders.

Now Zhang Hanqing has returned to the Northeast with Zhang Zuolin, leaving the army completely behind in Luanzhou, without even leaving a military supervisor!

Without Zhang Hanqing's presence to restrain him, Guo Maochen had absolute authority over the Third Army Corps, and the chances of him succeeding in his rebellion increased several times over!

"Pass down the order: keep a close watch on the telegraph office and the train station; all incoming and outgoing mail must first be sent to me for review!"

Guo Songling took a few steps inside the room, then, without any further hesitation, turned to his adjutant and said, "Immediately send a telegram to Commander-in-Chief Feng, saying that the Zhang family has left the pass, and request that he send a plenipotentiary representative to Luanzhou to finalize the date of the uprising and the strategy of a pincer attack!"

Feng Huanzhang acted even faster than Guo Songling had anticipated.

Just two days later, a black sedan drove into Luanzhou and stopped in front of Guo Songling's residence.

Feng Huanzhang was cautious by nature and was afraid that sending people directly would cause a stir, so he continued to use the excuse that his wife, Li Deying, was visiting her old classmate, Han Shuxiu, as a cover.

The car door opened, and Li Deying stepped out of the car wearing a plain-colored cheongsam.

Following behind her was a middle-aged man dressed in a gray cloth jacket and a melon-shaped hat, carrying two boxes of pastries. He looked no different from the steward of an ordinary wealthy family.

Han Shuxiu was already waiting at the door, and she took Li Deying's hand and greeted her warmly: "Deying, with all this chaos, why did you come all this way in person? Come in and have some tea."

The two women chatted and laughed as they walked through the courtyard and into the inner courtyard, where they closed the door to drink tea and reminisce under the guise of each other.

The steward, carrying a box of pastries, had just stepped through the second gate when he was led by his adjutant, Guo Songling, into a secluded corridor and directly into a secret room in the west courtyard.

Inside the secret room, Guo Songling, Liu Wei, Ji Yun, and Fan Pujiang had been waiting for a long time.

As soon as the door closed, the butler put down the snack box, took off his melon-shaped hat, and straightened his back.

This person was Xiong Bin, a core advisor under Feng Huanzhang.

"General Guo, esteemed generals, I, Xiong, have come to Luanzhou on the orders of the Commander-in-Chief to join forces in this great undertaking."

Xiong Bin cupped his hands in greeting and took out a letter bearing Feng Huanzhang's personal seal from his inner pocket, handing it over.

After verifying the seal, Guo Songling invited Xiong Bin to sit down and went straight to the point: "Mr. Xiong, Zhang Zuolin and his son have returned to Fengtian, leaving the interior of the Great Wall vulnerable. My 70,000 troops are ready to turn their guns and cross the Great Wall at any time. I wonder when Commander-in-Chief Feng will be able to send troops south to provide support?"

Xiong Bin did not answer directly, but stood up and walked to the Zhili map hanging on the wall.

"General Guo, the Commander-in-Chief has assembled three divisions in Chahar, ready to advance eastward along the Beijing-Suiyuan Railway at any time. However, before we launch an attack, there is one person whose attitude we must ascertain."

Xiong Bin pointed his finger heavily at the word "Tianjin" on the map: "If we don't drag this person down with us, even if General Guo leads his troops out of Shanhaiguan, he will be isolated and vulnerable to attack from both sides."

Guo Songling frowned and stepped forward: "Mr. Xiong, are you referring to Li Jinglin?"

"It is indeed Li Jinglin and Li Fangchen, the Military Governors of Zhili!"

Xiong Bin drew an arc on the map with his finger, circling Hebei and Tianjin.

"Gentlemen, please look. Li Jinglin is now the Military Governor of Zhili, with his office located in Tianjin. He governs the entire Zhili region and commands tens of thousands of elite troops, who are currently being heavily deployed along the Yangcun, Junliangcheng, Machang, and Yangliuqing line around Tianjin!"

Liu Wei and Ji Yun, who were inside the room, gathered around the map.

Xiong Bin turned to look at Guo Songling: "General Guo, you started your rebellion in Luanzhou, inside Shanhaiguan. From Luanzhou westward to Tianjin, Li Jinglin's defense zone is right behind you, your only retreat route and supply line inside the pass! If you lead your army out of Shanhaiguan to attack Fengtian, and Li Jinglin suddenly turns against you from behind, sending troops eastward from Junliangcheng and Yangcun, cutting off the railway line from Luanzhou to Shanhaiguan, and then launching a pincer attack from outside the pass, where will your army be placed?"

Liu Wei gasped, "Then we're trapped in the Liaoxi Corridor, like dumplings surrounded, with no way to advance or retreat!"

"good."

Xiong Bin nodded and said, "Therefore, the Commander-in-Chief specifically instructed that Li Jinglin's position directly determines the success or failure of this anti-Fengtian cause. Before taking action, we must first win Li Jinglin over and bring him onto our side!"

Guo Songling stared at Tianjin on the map, stroking his chin with his fingers: "I know Li Fangchen well. On the surface, he's a general of the Fengtian clique, but in reality, he has a lot of grudges with the old man. Mr. Xiong is right; the army cannot move rashly without securing our retreat. There's no time to lose. Tonight, I'll take you to Tianjin secretly to see Li Jinglin in person!"

P.S.: Chapter 2 is here, and there will be another chapter at noon.

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