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

The banquet was drawing to a close, and the wine on the sandalwood wooden table was still warm, the rich aroma of the wine and the lingering fragrance of pickled cabbage and pork filling the hall.

The old general picked up his glass, clinked it with Lin Qi's, tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of strong liquor, then wiped his mouth.

"Takumi, those words you just said were really hurtful, but after pushing this sand table, I'm truly impressed."

The old general didn't put on any airs, and his words were full of generosity: "Of all the friends Xiao Liu has made over the years, you're the most remarkable! With your brains, the master is as secure as Mount Tai in Guangzhou."

Zhang Hanqing, listening intently, was beaming with excitement and quickly raised his glass: "Father is right! I knew my elder brother was a genius. If it weren't for his guidance, who knows how many brothers would have been killed by those guns at our arsenal!"

"Yes, Xiao Liuzi mentioned this to me. You have done a great service to our Fengtian Army."

The old general nodded, his gaze toward Lin Qi growing increasingly fervent.

Sitting at the end of the table, Lu Xiaojia held a half-full glass of wine in his hand, not daring to even extend his chopsticks to pick up food. He watched Lin Qi chatting and laughing with the world-renowned Northeast King, and the envy and awe in his heart were almost overflowing.

His father, Lu Yongxiang, was the military governor of Zhejiang. Even when he saw Marshal Zhang, he had to address him respectfully as "Marshal Zhang."

But what about Lin Qi?

A few words and a sand table simulation made him an honored guest at the Marshal's Mansion, and the old Marshal even personally served him soup!

Comparing yourself to others is truly a recipe for disaster.

Lu Xiaojia lowered her head, ate a couple of bites of pickled cabbage, and made up her mind to cling to Lin Qi's coattails and never let go.

The meal was eaten quickly, in a warlord-like manner, without any fuss.

After the meal, the remaining food was cleared away, and the maid brought mouthwash and hot towels.

The old general wiped his face, threw the towel into the copper basin, and stood up.

Ignoring the veterans like Tang Yulin, his gaze fell directly on Lin Qi.

"Tuozhi, it's late tonight and the wind is strong outside. Don't bother going back to the mansion. Stay here with Xiao Liuzi and come to my study. Have some tea and chat with me."

The atmosphere in the room subtly changed after the old coach said those words.

They're going into the inner study for tea; this is where they're going to discuss truly confidential matters.

Lin Qi curled his lips, stood up, and nodded.

He knew that the seed of "Feng Huanzhang of Chahar" that he had deliberately planted during the sand table simulation had finally grown into a thorn in the old marshal's heart. The old marshal could no longer hold back and was going to personally investigate.

Under Lu Xiaojia's expectant gaze, Lin Qi followed the old marshal and his son through numerous courtyards and into the inner study, the most confidential core power center in the entire Northeast.

The study was small and lacked the luxury of a flower room; its furnishings were extremely simple.

A large rosewood desk stood before a bookshelf crammed with official documents and maps. The earthen floor had been lit as early autumn arrived, making the room warm and cozy.

Once the door was closed, it shut out the outside noise.

The old marshal did not sit in the main seat, but casually sat down in the armchair for guests, and pointed to the chair next to him for Lin Qi and Zhang Hanqing to sit down.

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The butler brought out three freshly brewed cups of Xinyang Maojian tea, steaming hot.

The old general picked up his teacup, skimmed off the foam with the lid, and didn't drink it. The easygoing and generous look on his face vanished the moment he closed the door, and his walnut-shaped eyes revealed a sharpness like a hawk as he stared intently at Lin Qi.

Without any preamble or beating around the bush, the old general went straight for the knife.

"My dear nephew."

The old general's voice was deep and carried an undeniable air of authority: "The sand table demonstration you just performed was truly ingenious; it broadened my horizons. However, there's one thing I've been pondering for the duration of a meal, and I still can't figure it out."

As he spoke, the old general leaned forward, his gaze fixed intently on Lin Qi.

"Feng Huanzhang of Chahar, in that battle two years ago, he hid in the rear and was hardly a decisive factor. Why did you specifically single him out in your analysis? And why did you say he was the Achilles' heel of the Zhili clique?"

coming.

Lin Qi's hand holding the teacup was extremely steady, without the slightest tremor.

He lowered his head, blew on the tea to release its aroma, and took a small sip of Maojian tea, which had a slightly bitter fragrance.

He put down his teacup, raised his head, met the old marshal's sharp gaze, and spoke in a calm tone without a trace of emotion.

"Uncle is right. A little over a year ago, Feng Huanzhang was indeed not a decisive factor."

He paused for half a second, then said calmly.

"But the outcome of the Second Zhili-Fengtian War is hard to predict."

These words, like a steel needle coated with deadly poison, pierced the old marshal's fatal weakness with pinpoint accuracy.

The old general felt a surge of emotions. His left hand, which was resting on his knee, clenched tightly, making a slight cracking sound from his knuckles. However, he kept his facial expression under control, even deliberately feigning confusion and frowning.

"Nephew, there's a hidden meaning in your words."

The old general leaned back: "The second battle hasn't even started yet, how do you know Feng Huanzhang is not a good match? The more I listen, the more confused I get."

Lin Qi looked at the old marshal's pretentious act and sneered inwardly, "Old fox, he won't shed tears until he sees the coffin."

He sat up straight, stopped speaking in riddles, and began the extreme pulling motion.

"Uncle, we're all family. Since I've kowtowed to you, it means I consider you an elder." Lin

He lowered his voice, each word as firm as iron: "You can rest assured, even if this secret is kept to myself, I, Lin Tuozhi, will never utter a single word about it to anyone."

The word "secret" was thrown out.

The old coach could no longer hold back and suddenly turned to look at his son sitting to the side.

Zhang Hanqing was also horrified, and cold sweat broke out on his back, his shirt sticking to his body.

They managed to turn Feng Huanzhang against them!

This is currently the absolute top secret of the entire Fengtian clique!

For this matter, the old marshal spent hundreds of thousands of dollars and sent his most trusted secret envoy to keep it a secret from everyone.

In the entire city of Fengtian, apart from the father and son, only Yang Yuting, who was being rubbed on the sand table by Lin Qi, knew this!

There is absolutely no way those three could have leaked the secret.

Lin Qiyuan was in Guangzhou, keeping a close eye on the arsenal and that Whampoa Military Academy every day. How did he find out about all that?!

The old general's chest heaved violently, his breathing became heavy, and he gave his son a quick wink.

Zhang Hanqing understood immediately, no longer caring about appearances. He stood up, took a few steps to Lin Qi, and, gripping the armrests of the chair, asked urgently:

"Brother! You just said we're family, so I won't hide it from you!"

Zhang Hanqing's voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with fear.

"Feng Huanzhang did indeed reach a private agreement with us! He took our money and promised to turn against us at a crucial moment. But we did it without anyone knowing! Not even our uncles and elders knew!"

"How did you know?! Could it be... that one of Feng Huanzhang's people wasn't tight-lipped and leaked the information?!"

As soon as the question was asked, the old general's fingers tightened abruptly as he gripped the teacup.

If it really was Feng Huanzhang who leaked the secrets, then the Fengtian clique's next strategy would be a complete failure!

Once Wu Ziyu gets wind of this, he will not only take action to eliminate Feng Huanzhang in advance, but also turn the tide and use this opportunity to set up a trap for the Feng army!

If that were the case, the Fengtian Army would be sending themselves to their deaths if they went out of the pass!

Seeing the father and son on the verge of collapse, as if facing a formidable enemy, Lin Qi knew that the time was right.

He picked up the teapot, slowly poured Zhang Hanqing a cup of hot tea, and pushed it towards him.

"Hanqing, sit down, what's the rush?"

Lin Qi's voice was so calm it was almost cold.

Zhang Hanqing swallowed hard and stiffly sat back down in his chair.

"No one leaked anything to me. I don't know if Feng Huanzhang leaked the information."

Lin Qi picked up his teacup and looked at the old marshal: "I know this secret because I figured it out myself, step by step."

"You figured it out?"

The old general exclaimed, his face filled with disbelief: "How can you calculate such a military secret?!"