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

It was 10 p.m. that night.

Guo Songling changed into a gray long gown and a top hat, and with only Xiong Bin and four guards, he boarded a coal freight train, avoiding eyes and ears along the way, and quietly sneaked into Tianjin.

Midnight, the back gate of the Zhili Governor's Office in Tianjin.

A rickshaw stopped in the shadows, and Guo Songling handed over his visiting card.

A few minutes later, the side door opened, and Li Jinglin, the adjutant, personally carried a lantern and welcomed Guo Songling and Xiong Bin into the study in the backyard.

The study was brightly lit. Li Jinglin, the military governor of Zhili, dressed in civilian clothes, dismissed everyone and personally greeted them at the door.

"Brother Maochen! What are you doing here in Tianjin in the middle of the night instead of being in Luanzhou?"

Li Jinglin pulled Guo Songling's arm and walked into the house, glancing at Xiong Bin: "This gentleman looks very unfamiliar."

After Guo Songling was seated, he took off his top hat and placed it on the coffee table, getting straight to the point: "Brother Fangchen, we're brothers, so I won't beat around the bush. This is Mr. Xiong Bin, the plenipotentiary representative sent by Commander-in-Chief Feng of the Northwest Army."

Upon hearing the words "Commander-in-Chief Feng," Li Jinglin's hand trembled violently as he poured tea, causing the teapot to knock onto the teacup.

He quickly straightened up, walked to the door, glanced outside to make sure no one was in the courtyard, then bolted the door shut. Turning back, he lowered his voice and said, "Mao Chen, are you crazy? The Marshal just sent gold bars and territory to Feng Huanzhang to appease him, and you're secretly getting involved with the Northwest Army. If this gets to the Marshal's ears, do you even want your head?!"

"I want my head, and my 70,000 brothers need to survive, that's why I've come to you!"

Guo Songling stood up and stared into Li Jinglin's eyes: "Brother Fangchen, there are no outsiders in this room, let's speak frankly. You've been working under Old Zhang for the past six months, have you really been happy? Have you really been able to sleep soundly?"

A glint flashed in Li Jinglin's eyes as he avoided Guo Songling's gaze, picked up his teacup, and took a sip: "What could keep me up at night? The Marshal appointed me as the Governor-General of Zhili, to guard Tianjin; he has treated me well."

"Has he treated you well?"

Guo Songling sneered and took half a step forward: "Brother Fangchen, it's one thing for you to talk in official jargon with others, but why are you pretending to be confused with me? Last year during the Zhili-Fengtian War, the old marshal originally ordered you to attack Rehe. What did you do? You didn't consult Fengtian, and on your own initiative, you led your troops straight to Tianjin, drove Wang Chengbin away, forcibly occupied this lucrative territory of Zhili, and disrupted the old marshal's entire plan!"

When this old story was mentioned, Li Jinglin's face froze, and he slowly put the teacup back on the table.

"The old marshal slammed his fist on the table, scolding you for disrespecting your elders and abusing your power, and immediately ordered troops to be deployed to court-martial you!"

Guo Songling said, enunciating each word clearly, "In the end, who pleaded for you before the old marshal and the young marshal? It was I, Guo Maochen, who risked my life to vouch for you, saying that you could control the Zhili clique in Tianjin, and that's how this death sentence was dropped! Brother Fangchen, you know the old marshal's temper better than I do. Did he truly let you go? He just didn't have the manpower at the time! I've kept this debt in my little notebook!"

Li Jinglin felt a chill run down his spine and remained silent.

This is indeed the biggest worry in his heart.

When he seized Tianjin without authorization, he offended Zhang Zuolin. Although he managed to keep his position as governor thanks to Guo Songling's mediation, he has been living in fear for the past six months, worried that Zhang Zuolin might find a pretext to strip him of his military power and settle scores with him later.

Seeing that he remained silent, Guo Songling continued to stab him in the heart: "Look at your life after you became the Governor-General of Zhili! You are nominally the top official in Zhili, but do you have any autonomy whatsoever as governor-general? You wanted to expand by two brigades, and Fengtian rejected it with a single official document. The money from Tianjin Customs and salt tax had just entered your account when the old marshal's telegram demanding payment arrived, repeatedly forcing you to pay military expenses to Fengtian and the front lines! You've been working yourself to the bone in Zhili, and in the end, you're just guarding the Zhang family's property!"

Li Jinglin gritted his teeth and sighed, "Maochen, that's true, but what can we do when we're relying on the Zhang family's resources?"

"The bowl is about to be smashed, and you're still holding it?!"

Guo Songling pointed south and said, "Zhang Zongchang and Yang Yuting suffered a defeat in Jiangnan, losing both Shanghai and Jiangsu. The old marshal is not willing to swallow this insult and has already drawn up a plan to take revenge on the Northwest Army. The order will come down in a few days, forcing your and my troops to take the lead and attack Feng Huanzhang's National Army!"

Li Jinglin's expression suddenly changed: "Go to war with the Northwest Army, with Feng Huanzhang?!"

"That's right!"

Guo Songling spouted nonsense: "Once we go to war with the Northwest Army, where will the battlefield be? Right on your territory, Li Fangchen's! Two hundred thousand troops will be locked in a chaotic battle in Yangcun, Machang, and Tianjin, destroying your territory, killing your soldiers, and draining your Tianjin treasury! If you win, the credit goes to Yang Yuting. If you lose, the old marshal will settle all the old and new scores, using your head as a scapegoat! Brother Fangchen, are you really willing to risk your life for someone else, even your entire fortune?!"

Li Jinglin knew that Guo Songling and the young marshal were inseparable, like mentor and friend.

I actually believed most of what should have been a very easy thing to deduce.

He paced back and forth in the study twice, his brows furrowed deeply.

Li Jinglin's biggest fear was fighting in Zhili.

He had finally managed to occupy Tianjin, such a treasure trove, but if it were to become a battlefield, all his hard work would be for naught.

"Mao Chen, what exactly do you intend to do by bringing Commander-in-Chief Feng's men here today?"

Li Jinglin stopped and asked in a low voice.

Xiong Bin, who was sitting to the side, stood up, walked to Li Jinglin, and bowed, saying, "Commander Li, my Commander-in-Chief and General Guo have reached an agreement. Zhang Zuolin and his son are stubborn and self-willed, relying heavily on villains like Yang Yuting, engaging in reckless military campaigns, and have lost the hearts of the people. Now that the Zhang family has returned to Fengtian, General Guo has decided to raise an army in Luanzhou to rebel against Fengtian and fight their way back to the Northeast!"

Li Jinglin's pupils contracted as he looked at Guo Songling: "You want to rebel against the old marshal?!"

"This isn't a rebellion, it's about purging the court of corrupt officials, getting rid of Yang Yuting, and reforming Northeast China!"

Guo Songling stepped forward and revealed his hand: "Brother Fangchen, Commander-in-Chief Feng and I have already made a secret agreement. I'm here today to invite you to join us. The three of us will join forces to divide the North!"

"How do you divide it?"

Li Jinglin's breathing became rapid.

Xiong Bin held up three fingers and said, word by word, "The three parties agree that General Guo will lead the Third Army Corps out of Shanhaiguan, take over and govern the three northeastern provinces, while my Commander-in-Chief will lead the National Army to manage the Northwest and provide support to you two on the flanks of Beijing and Tianjin, without ever touching an inch of Zhili. As for Governor Li, you will not only firmly hold onto Zhili, but after the matter is accomplished, the entire province of Rehe will also be placed under your jurisdiction!"

"Zhili plus Rehe?!"

Li Jinglin's breathing became rapid.

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