20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 775 Dark clouds over the city
The next day, dark clouds covered the city and the sky was overcast and it was about to snow.

Jiang Lianheng hurried to the Marshal's Mansion early in the morning. While he was in the car, all he saw along the way was a scene of desolation.

Fengtian had completely lost its former prosperity. The people were in panic. Eight out of ten shops in the city had closed down, and even foreign companies were not spared.

Even so, the streets were still crowded with people.

Men from every household came out, and with nothing else to do, they stood in groups of three or five on the street, sharing unfounded and imaginary rumors with each other, for fear that they would miss out on any news and miss the opportunity to respond.

In addition, there are many more refugees from war zones.

Some came to seek help from their relatives, while others had nowhere else to turn, so they had to use crutches and gather in groups on the streets.

The Liaoxi Corridor connects the interior and exterior of the Great Wall, and has been a battleground for military strategists since ancient times. In other words, many of the people there are descendants of military households. They are tough, brave, and aggressive, and are not easy to deal with.

At the moment, with all the war and human suffering, and everyone unable to get enough food, the ruthlessness in their bones has been aroused.

When Jiang Lianheng passed by, some people even tried to stop his car to beg.

This was unimaginable in the past. Who was not afraid of death and dared to stop the Jiang family’s car in Fengtian?
But now it has happened, and more than once.

Jiang Lianheng naturally had no time to deal with them. He waved his hand, and the driver stepped on the accelerator and rushed forward.

Seeing that the car did not stop, the refugees stood still, staring at the car fiercely as it sped away.

Jiang Lianheng just felt confused, thinking that this war was not caused by me, why are you glaring at me with resentment, but he forgot that he had the same thought when he was young -

We all have one head and two legs, why should others eat while I watch, and others sit while I stand?

In troubled times, there should be a way of living!
Jealousy, resentment, anger, and all kinds of extreme emotions are spreading rapidly in the hearts of the poor people.

The public security in the provincial capital was getting worse and worse. In just a short while on the road, Jiang Lianheng witnessed a robbery with his own eyes.

Several people who looked like refugees stole the food rations of passers-by. The two sides were chasing each other desperately in the street. The onlookers stepped aside to make way. At the intersection, there was an old man working in the yamen. He saw it, but didn't see it anymore. He just walked past them, patted his butt and left.

With the provincial capital in such chaos, the consulates of various countries naturally issued repeated warnings to the warring parties to protect their nationals.

But who will protect the Chinese?
To be honest, Jiang Lianheng didn't have much hope of going to the Marshal's Mansion to ask for an audience with Lao Zhang at this time. He just felt uneasy if he didn't go there once.

Sure enough, when we arrived at the Marshal's Mansion, we saw that the guards outside the door were far more than before.

The entire mansion was heavily guarded, and even the Jiang family’s car could not approach at will.

Jiang Lianheng told the driver to park the car a little further away, and then walked there instead. After a lot of effort and a body search, he was able to enter through a side door.

However, once you reach the second gate, no matter what the reason, you can't go any further.

All guests entering the Marshal's Mansion must obtain the personal approval of Lao Zhang.

Many people came, all of them were dignitaries, wealthy people and gentry, so Jiang Lianheng had to queue up and wait.

This wait lasted two or three hours.

The guard helped pass the message. He left quickly and came back even faster. He looked a little embarrassed and whispered, "Boss Jiang, the Marshal is too busy today. How about you come back tomorrow?"

As expected, Jiang Lianheng was not discouraged and said hurriedly: "Brother, I don't have to see the Marshal, but--"

He paused, looked around at the servants coming and going around him, and intentionally led the guard a few steps to the side.

"This city has been in such a mess lately. I just wanted to get some information. If anything else, my family can prepare in advance if there is any emergency!"

As he said this, he took out two foreign currency bills from his pocket and stuffed them into the guard's hands beggingly.

The guard took the foreign money without hesitation, then curled his lips and pointed stealthily to the corner of the wall at the second gate.

"Boss Jiang, did you see that?"

In the corner of the courtyard wall, there were three military vehicles parked at this moment. Although there was no sign of them starting, there were drivers sitting in the vehicles.

"Do I need to tell you this?" the guard whispered, "That's for the Marshal. The car is full of luggage. We can leave at the command. What else do you want to ask? Get ready to flee!"

Because of Meng Duo's call, Jiang Lianheng had already anticipated that Lao Zhang might run away, but what he wanted to ask for were the specific details.

If Marshal Zhang had abandoned the city and fled, war would not have broken out in Fengtian, and the Jiang family would not have had to flee south; if Marshal Zhang had simply withdrawn his headquarters, Fengtian would have become the main battlefield that would decide the outcome of the battle, and by that time, simply taking refuge in the Nantie Concession would probably be far from enough.

However, the guard said that he was not clear about Lao Zhang's specific plans.

Jiang Lianheng was skeptical and wanted to test the waters by taking out two more foreign currency bills.

Unexpectedly, the guard was quite particular. He immediately raised his hand to stop him and said, "Boss Jiang, this is not about money. I really don't know the specific situation on the front line. The real battle reports are top secret. Now in the whole Fengtian City, I guess only the few people around the Marshal know it."

"Then... in the past two days, has anyone else come to see the Marshal?"

Since he couldn't get first-hand information, Jiang Lianheng planned to look for second-hand intelligence.

However, the guard said, "Boss Jiang, there are so many people who have come to see the Marshal, but none of them have seen him. It's not just you. Many officials now don't have the opportunity to see the Marshal."

"Is the Marshal preparing to step down?"

"Go to the wild?"

The guard shook his head repeatedly: "No, it's impossible. It might have been possible before, but it's absolutely impossible now. Even if the Marshal goes to Lüda for refuge, he will never send a telegram to resign."

"What do you mean?" Jiang Lianheng frowned.

The guard whispered, "Boss Jiang, you may not know that when Guizi Guo started his rebellion in Luanzhou, he held a Hongmen Banquet and tricked Jiang Chaoliu into coming over and killing him."

Hearing this, Jiang Lianheng was shocked.

As we all know, the general rule of the Beiyang government was that those who resigned from office would not be killed. In fact, not only those who resigned from office would not be killed, but most of those who surrendered would not be killed either.

This is an unwritten rule among the Beiyang officials - leave some room for others so that they can meet again in the future.

Warlords were fighting each other, one after another. Things could change over time. No one could guarantee that they would not have bad luck one day. In order to avoid making too many enemies, everyone tried to forgive others when possible.

Even the defeated general was not killed, let alone his former colleagues?

Since he had no hatred for his father's murder, nor for his wife's being taken away, how could he be deliberately killed?

Jiang Chaoliu was one of the Five Tiger Generals of the Fengtian Army. He was a powerful general of the non-commissioned officer faction and had a very good relationship with the Fengtian-Zhang Group.

Guo Guizi's killing of him was tantamount to revenge for a personal vengeance, which was equivalent to the Luda faction within the Fengtian Army declaring war on the non-commissioned officers faction.

"Boss Jiang, do you understand now?" the guard continued, "You also know General Chao Liu, such a good man, was killed by the devil Guo. If the Marshal resigns, will Staff Officer Yang and his men still have a chance to survive? They will surely die. How can they not fight him to the end? If the Marshal wants to resign, the non-commissioned officers will not agree!"

In other words, Guo Guizi has forced all his potential allies into a desperate situation. Those who originally wanted to surrender now have no choice but to fight to the death.

That was all the information the guard had.

As for how much one can infer about the changes in the situation from these intelligence, it still depends on one's personal understanding.

Jiang Lianheng didn't say anything for a long while after hearing this. At this time, the servants of the Marshal's Mansion began to go in and out and busy themselves inside and outside.

Seeing the crowd around him, the guard didn't dare to say anything more and quickly said with a smile: "Boss Jiang, if there's nothing else, I have to go back to stand guard!"

Jiang Lianheng came back to his senses, clasped his hands and said, "Oh, please go ahead, brother. Sorry to bother you."

After saying that, he turned around and was about to leave when he suddenly ran into a middle-aged man in a silk cotton robe.

Jiang Lianheng's eyes lit up, and he immediately walked over and greeted him, "Butler Xu, you are busy!"

"Hey, Boss Jiang, when did you come? What's wrong with your face?"

While responding, Butler Xu kept looking out the door, looking a little anxious.

"Oh, I have a toothache!" Jiang Lianheng said with a smile, "I just arrived not long ago. I originally planned to come and see the Marshal, but I didn't get to see him... How is the Marshal doing recently?"

"Alas, Boss Jiang, I think you also know that the current situation is very serious!" Butler Xu sighed, "Just these few days, the handsome man has been very angry!"

"Guo Guizi overestimates his own capabilities. With the Marshal in Fengtian, I don't think he can be so arrogant for much longer."

Butler Xu is close to Lao Zhang, so of course Jiang Lianheng had to say this.

Unexpectedly, the other party just waved his hands after hearing this.

"Who knows? Alas, I don't know either. Anyway, Mr. Shuai has been a little depressed recently..."

When Jiang Lianheng heard this, he seemed to have some clues, so he hurriedly asked a few more questions.

According to housekeeper Xu, Marshal Zhang is now almost in a state of mental despair. He has no appetite and just locks himself in the room from morning till night, lying on the small kang and smoking opium. From time to time, he suddenly gets up and asks Guo Jun where the battle has gone. Then he paces back and forth in the room as if he has lost something, cursing Xiao Liuzi as a bastard a few times, and then lies back on the small kang again, continuing to smoke his pipe.

Apart from Guo Jun's movements, Lao Zhang no longer cared about any affairs in the provincial capital.

He ignored the chaotic public security in Fengtian and the rampant bandits; he also ignored the shortage of supplies and soaring food prices in the city; he even knew that someone in the office was secretly making peace with Guo’s army, but he no longer cared.

The once mighty Marshal Zhang has now become completely decadent.

The elite Fengtian Army, with a total of 70,000 soldiers and horses, was handed over to the eldest son, who was entrusted with an important task. However, he was betrayed and all his life's efforts were wasted.

A feeling of disillusionment set in, and no one could withstand such a heavy blow.

As they were talking, there was a sudden noise outside the gate, and dozens of servants from the Marshal's mansion came in one after another, carrying boxes.

Seeing this, Butler Xu quickly smiled and said, "Boss Jiang, I'm a little busy here, so I won't accompany you for long. Please do as you please."

After he finished speaking, he immediately turned around and directed the servants to work.

Jiang Lianheng was a little curious. At first he thought the box contained the eight million in cash, but gradually he felt something was wrong.

There were too many boxes, all large suitcases, one after another, as if there was no end in sight.

Moreover, the people carrying the boxes walked briskly with their arms hanging down, and it was obvious that the boxes were empty!

By this time, Jiang Lianheng had already guessed most of it.

Unexpectedly, he saw someone carrying in a few barrels of kerosene outside the door. He suddenly realized the urgency of the situation. There was no need to ask Butler Xu for confirmation. He immediately ran out of the Marshal's Mansion, got into the car, and told the driver to drive quickly to the mansion in the north of the city.

When I got home, it was only two or three o'clock, but the sky was already extremely gloomy and dark.

The city of Fengtian was shrouded in gloomy clouds and cold winds. It seemed as if the sky was falling and the earth was sinking. It was a doomsday scene.

There were a lot more brothers in the house than usual. Another car of the Jiang family was parked in the middle of the yard, and two more horse-drawn carriages were added in the corner.

The brothers who were assigned to guard the house were all familiar faces. They were all ruthless "Xiangzi", and they were also the dozen or so most capable helpers of the Jiang family over the years.

Yuan Xinfa, Yang Lazi, Wan Dewei, Chang Laocai, Lao Heer, Lao Jie, etc.

When we entered the mansion, everyone who should have come was there, except Xue Yingqing, Wang Zhengnan and Zhao Zhengbei.

Hu Xiaoyan, Zhao Guoyan, Zhang Zhengdong, Li Zhengxi, Hai Xinnian, Hua Jie, Guyu, Jiang Ya, Jiang Chengye, Xifeng's son, as well as Song Ma, Yingzi and other servants.

Everyone gathered in the living room, waiting for Jiang Lianheng's arrangements. They didn't look nervous, but they definitely didn't let their guard down.

Jiang Lianheng rushed into the living room, looked around, and then asked, "Where are Xiaogu and Nanfeng?"

Zhao Guoyan replied: "Manager Xue has already taken people there. She said that after she settles down, she will let Lao Dao come to help us pick up the people."

Songfeng Zhuyun is located on Bagua Street, which is only one street away from the South Railway Concession. There is really no need to travel all the way to the north of the city and then go there with everyone else.

"Has Nanfeng found a place to live over there?" Jiang Lianheng asked.

"I just called and said that they have booked several rooms, but not in the same hotel." Hu Xiaoyan saw that he was speaking very quickly, so she asked, "What's the situation at the Marshal's Mansion? Is it urgent?"

"urgent!"

Jiang Lianheng said bluntly: "Old Zhang should have started preparing to move, and he will probably leave tonight. And I suspect - he might burn down the Marshal's Mansion!"

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone could no longer sit still.

Perhaps because the atmosphere in the living room was too tense, Xifeng's son suddenly cried out "wow". Guyu was so anxious that he quickly held the child in his arms, kissed and coaxed him, and tried to comfort him, but he could not stop the child from crying.

Li Zhengxi took a quick glance and did not have time to comfort him. He immediately stood up and said, "What? They are going to burn down the Marshal's Mansion. Doesn't that mean that the Guo Guizi have already attacked? They won't fire into the provincial capital, right?"

No one can say for sure whether Guo’s army will bombard Fengtian, but it is always the safest decision to be prepared and take refuge in the South Railway Concession first.

"I don't know either," Jiang Lianheng shook his head. "Old Zhang is depressed now and doesn't care about anything. Anyway, you guys should pack up your things quickly!"

As he spoke, he suddenly remembered something and ordered, "Oh, right, someone contact my aunt and tell her not to let Lao Dao drive over later, but go directly to the house outside South City and bring Shu Ning and the others with her!"

Yes, there are still descendants of the Jiang family in the outer houses of South City!

We can't just leave Zhuang Shuning and Dong Niya there.

After Jiang Lianheng finished speaking, he suddenly felt a little guilty and couldn't help but steal a glance at Hu Xiaoyan.

Unexpectedly, Hu Xiaoyan said, "Guo Yan, immediately ask Yang Lazi to take a few people to the South City to guard the gate and protect the third and fourth rooms. If the city is in chaos, anything can happen. They are also members of the Jiang family, so don't neglect them!"

Although she often belittled Zhuang Shuning, as the mistress of the house, she did not lose her composure when faced with a crisis.

Jiang Lianheng felt very relieved.

Before he could say anything, Hu Xiaoyan said, "You have to go upstairs to see your aunt and talk to her properly. Don't scare the old lady."

Jiang Lianheng nodded, his heart sank, but he walked quickly. After a few "thumps", he arrived at his aunt's door.

After thinking for a moment, he put on a nonchalant expression and slowly opened the door.

But I saw that the desk lamp in the room had been turned on early. Under the warm yellow light, Xu Ruqing was sitting at the desk, carefully stroking the family photo in his hand...

(End of this chapter)