Republic of China, 1922: Rise from the Post-Zhili-Fengtian War

Gu Cheng's gaze swept over the corpses on the ground, then he turned to his personal guards and said in a deep voice, "Drag them away and throw them into the mass grave as a warning to all the garrison troops—"

From now on, anyone who disobeys military orders, violates military discipline, or disturbs or harms the people, regardless of rank, will suffer the same fate!

The guards responded and stepped forward, dragging the corpses away.

Subsequently, Gu Cheng continued the trial of the soldiers led by Zhao Quancai, who, under Tang Yulin's instructions, carried out the operation to kill and silence witnesses.

He too was executed by firing squad. After his body was dragged away, Gu Cheng slowly walked to the edge of the judge's bench, his gaze sweeping over the densely packed crowd below.

All eyes were on him. Gu Cheng then cleared his throat and said in a firm voice, "Fellow citizens of Jinzhou, today I publicly announce the military discipline of the Jinzhou Garrison!"

First, soldiers are strictly prohibited from disturbing civilians, robbing property, or harming people; violators will be executed on the spot.

Second, it is strictly forbidden to privately mobilize troops or instigate internal strife; violators will be dismissed from their military posts and severely punished.

Third, shielding wrongdoers and bending the law for personal gain are strictly prohibited. Regardless of rank, all offenders will be subject to military law!

He raised his hand, his tone solemn, his words carrying immense weight, "I, Gu Jingchuan, hereby swear that from now on, the 105th Regiment of Jinzhou and the reorganized 11th Mixed Brigade will strictly abide by this order and will never cross the line!"

If any soldier dares to harm the people in the slightest, I will kill them without mercy! I will protect the peace and tranquility of the people of Jinzhou and safeguard this pure land!

The crowd below erupted in applause and cheers that lasted for a long time. Shouts of "Commander Gu is wise!" and "Jinzhou is saved!" rose and fell, and everyone's face showed a long-lost sense of peace.

The following day, Gu Cheng decided to move to the mansion in the south:

The house is spacious and airy, with higher and sturdier walls, making it more suitable as a military command center.

Actually, this house was given to him by Feng Delin. When Tang Yulin was moving, Gu Cheng originally thought of lending it to him to settle down temporarily. He didn't expect the old man to be so ungrateful and cause a big disaster before he even moved in.

Think about it, such a nice courtyard, it's better to keep it for myself.

Just as they were moving all the things over there, Mu Haisheng strode in: "Master Gu, those people I mentioned to you before are here."

Gu Cheng, who was directing Yang Hao and the others to carefully place the sand table, frowned upon hearing this: "What's wrong? Can't you control your mouth?"

Mu Haisheng quickly waved his hand: "Sir, you're wronging me... The relocation of our regimental headquarters was such a big commotion, people had been watching for a while!"

He was a local, and Gu Cheng knew that he had connections with many influential people in the area.

Furthermore, in addition to reorganizing the 11th Mixed Brigade, he was also tasked with establishing the Jinzhou Grand Camp, so it wouldn't hurt to build good relationships with these people.

So he nodded and said, "It's good that you know what's important... Since everyone's praising me, please all come in!"

Mu Haisheng quickly responded, turned around and strode out. Before long, he returned with five or six newly dressed gentrymen carrying gift boxes.

The leader was Lu Shoulian of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce, along with several merchants from the city, including the owner of the grain shop who was robbed by Tang Zongxi and his men.

"Commander Gu, congratulations on moving to your new home!"

Lu Shoulian stepped forward first, holding a beautifully framed calligraphy and painting in both hands. He bowed and said, "We have specially prepared some small gifts, firstly to congratulate you on moving to your new home, and secondly to express our gratitude for your impartial enforcement of the law, which eliminated Tang Yulin and his gang of villains and brought peace to the people of Jinzhou. We will never forget this kindness."

The other local gentry also stepped forward, handing over their gift boxes and chiming in with their own voices: "Yes, Commander Gu, we really owe you a lot this time! Our shop was robbed, and we lived in constant fear... Thanks to you for dealing with these people, we can finally live in peace."

"These are just some small tokens of our appreciation. Please accept them, Commander Gu."

Gu Cheng's gaze swept over the gifts in everyone's hands. There were fine silks, medicinal herbs, several bags of fine grains, eggs and meat, as well as several boxes of exquisite pastries. One shopkeeper even handed over a heavy box of silver coins.

He quickly waved his hand and said, "I am very grateful for everyone's kindness. However, as the garrison commander of Jinzhou, it is my duty to defend the land and protect the people. These gifts..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Shoulian had already shoved the calligraphy and painting into his hands: "No! If you don't accept it, we won't be able to sleep soundly when we get back! Besides, you gentlemen have also made great contributions, so it's only right that you take a little of our things."

Hearing his firm stance, Gu Cheng immediately accepted the calligraphy and painting: "Chairman Lu, you are too kind. Alright, I will accept these things for now. Hehe, you are right. The brothers can't be too poor when they eat with me, Gu Cheng, can they?"

However, Jinzhou is currently in dire need of reconstruction, and the main camp is also under construction. What you and everyone have given us is exactly what we need right now.

Upon hearing this, Lu Shoulian perked up: "Commander Gu, you mean you want to build a large camp in Jinzhou?"

Gu Cheng led everyone to the reception room, where the furniture had just been set out. After everyone was seated, he began to speak: "The war inside the Great Wall wasn't fought well, which is why we still have Zhili troops entrenched in the Northeast today—"

The commander-in-chief's idea is to build a military camp in Jinzhou similar to the Fengtian Northern Camp, and station a large number of troops there... From now on, everyone will have peaceful days!

Lu Shoulian's eyes lit up, and he leaned forward slightly: "The Zhili army fought all the way to Dalinghe, and it was thanks to Commander Mu and his brothers' desperate fight that Jinzhou was saved; now Jinzhou is truly safe!"

The grain shop owner standing nearby quickly chimed in, "Yes, Commander Gu! From now on, businesses can operate with peace of mind, and people can live their lives with peace of mind. This is a truly wonderful thing!"

The other local gentry nodded in agreement, discussing the matter amongst themselves, their voices filled with anticipation.

Amidst the chaos of war, the Zhili army left only to be replaced by Tang Yulin, a thief who stole goods, causing widespread panic. The city of Jinzhou, which had finally managed to regain its footing, was now so deserted that people were afraid to even go out, let alone do business.

Now that Gu Cheng is rectifying military discipline, eliminating harm for the people, and building a large camp to garrison troops, this undoubtedly gives everyone peace of mind.

Gu Cheng glanced at Mu Haisheng, then had Yang Hao serve tea to everyone: "The commander-in-chief knows that Jinzhou is the gateway to the Northeast. Defending Jinzhou means defending the gateway to the Northeast and preventing the Zhili Army from taking advantage of the situation. However, building a large camp is no easy task. Right now... is the time to utilize manpower and resources."

Upon hearing this, Lu Shoulian immediately patted his chest and declared, "Commander Gu, rest assured! Building this large camp is for the peace of Jinzhou and for the betterment of all of us. We will certainly give it our full support! As for the Chamber of Commerce, I will take the lead and have all the managers come up with a solution!"

Lu Shoulian spoke with great passion, but as soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the living room suddenly fell silent.

The local gentry and merchants, who had just been echoing each other, suddenly became serious, and the lively discussion came to an abrupt halt.