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

Gu Cheng walked lightly to the bedside and saw Wang Yongjiang lying on the bed, his face as pale as paper. His usually calm and sharp eyes were now filled with endless fatigue, and his breath was so weak that it seemed as if he would break at any moment.

"Min Gong, Commander Gu is here!"

Mo Dehui leaned forward and whispered in his ear.

At this moment, the person on the hospital bed slowly opened their eyes, stared at Gu Cheng for a full two minutes, and then smiled warmly and said, "Jingchuan...you've come?"

Seeing his extremely weak appearance, his daughter Wang Yuyou, who was attending to him, burst into tears. But fearing that her father would hear or see, she quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief and turned her back.

Upon seeing this, Gu Cheng felt a pang of sorrow and quickly gave Zhang Tingshu a wink, signaling him to comfort her.

He stepped forward, bowed slightly, and said softly, "Lord Min, what are your instructions for summoning me here?"

Wang Yongjiang composed himself, and after a long pause, he slowly said, "Jingchuan, I... I've been holding back this anger, I just want to see you!"

As he spoke, he grasped Gu Cheng's hand with almost impossible force, "Jingchuan, I'm afraid I'm not going to make it! From now on, all the big and small matters in Jinzhou will probably have to be left to you and Liu Chen..."

Gu Cheng quickly reached out and tightly grasped Wang Yongjiang's withered and cold hand. Instantly, he felt the knuckles of his palm digging into his hand, and it was even colder and had no warmth at all.

Suddenly sensing something was amiss, Gu Cheng sat down beside him, tucking the blanket around him as he did so: "Min Gong, please don't overthink things! Everyone gets sick sometimes."

Besides, you've always been in good health; how could you suddenly collapse like this... I'll have Tianqi return to Fengtian right away and get you the best doctor!"

Mo Dehui, standing to the side, had tears in her eyes and whispered words of comfort: "Min Gong, please relax and get some rest... We'll handle the government affairs in Jinzhou and all the local matters! You've fallen ill from overwork, so please don't worry about it anymore."

Wang Yongjiang shook his head with difficulty, his chest heaving, and he coughed a few times. A mouthful of dark red blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, staining his clothes.

Hearing the cough, Wang Yuyou turned around abruptly. Upon seeing this scene, her body froze instantly, and tears streamed down her face like a burst dam.

Wang Yongjiang gasped for breath for a long time, his breathing becoming increasingly weak: "Don't try to comfort me... I know my own body; I can't hold on for more than a few days!"

He composed himself slightly, his gaze fixed firmly on Gu Cheng. "I'm using my last breath to see you because I have something very important to tell you—"

The selection of the site for the Jinzhou camp, the preparation of provisions, and the allocation of funds and supplies were all meticulously planned and executed. Any slight mistake could lead to endless trouble.

Liu Chen and I have been planning this for the past few days, and the detailed plan has been written. Ahem... from now on, well, it'll depend on you, Liu Chen!

Gu Cheng nodded emphatically: "Min Gong, rest assured, I have been thinking about this matter! Today, I met with Lu Shoulian and other gentry and merchants from the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce. I explained the pros and cons to them, and everyone is willing to contribute according to their ability, donating money, grain and building materials to help with the expenses of the camp's construction."

Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking and heard the name Lu Shoulian, Wang Yongjiang's expression changed drastically. A look of anxiety flashed in his eyes, his chest heaved violently, and his emotions instantly became agitated.

He tried to speak, but a metallic taste rose in his throat, followed by a heart-wrenching, violent cough, and his body convulsed uncontrollably.

"Min Gong!" Mo Dehui exclaimed in alarm and quickly reached out to support his back.

Unexpectedly, he coughed so hard that his whole body trembled, his face turned ashen white in an instant, and he couldn't catch his breath and fainted.

"Min Gong! Min Gong!" Mo Dehui cried out repeatedly, his face ashen.

Gu Cheng's heart tightened, and he quickly bent down to check his breathing and pulse.

He was still breathing, but he was so weak that he seemed ready to disappear at any moment.

Even Gu Cheng hadn't expected that simply mentioning Lu Shoulian would cause Wang Yongjiang to be so emotionally agitated.

I only mentioned Lu Shoulian briefly, how did this happen...? What exactly is going on?

Mo Dehui, standing to the side, was already panicked: "Commander Gu, what should we do? What if something happens to Duke Min? What will happen to Jinzhou? What will happen to Fengtian Province? We... we won't be able to explain this to the Commander-in-Chief!"

Gu Cheng clearly remembered that Wang Yongjiang should have passed away several years later due to overwork, and should never have reached the point of exhaustion in Jinzhou in 1922.

But the current situation is too dangerous. He even has a feeling that if he doesn't lend a helping hand, Wang Yongjiang might really die at the Jinzhou official residence.

Gu Cheng immediately composed himself and said calmly, "Mr. Liu Chen, please calm down first. The more flustered you are, the more mistakes you will make."

"You must keep a close watch on the Duke of Min and oversee the entire household. Furthermore, strictly control the flow of information; absolutely no word of the Duke of Min's affairs should be leaked, lest it cause unrest and chaos in Jinzhou."

Mo Dehui was at a loss and could only nod repeatedly, "I'll listen to you, I'll stay here and guard this place, I won't leave! Go quickly and fetch the best doctor!"

"You can stay here and guard it without worry," Gu Cheng replied in a deep voice, then got up and left.

As soon as she stepped out of the bedroom, she saw Zhang Tingshu standing under the veranda, comforting the sobbing Wang Yuyou.

The girl's eyes were red and swollen, her shoulders trembled, and she was filled with worry for her father. Hearing footsteps, the two of them turned around at the same time.

"Jingchuan, Min Gong, he..." Zhang Tingshu stepped forward quickly, but swallowed the words back, his eyes filled with anxiety—

Although he was on duty outside, he vaguely heard the noises coming from the bedroom and knew that something was wrong.

Wang Yuyou quickly wiped away her tears and staggered forward, saying, "Commander Gu, how is my father? Please find a doctor quickly, I beg you to save him. No matter how much it costs, no matter how many people you need, I'm willing to do anything to save my father..."

Looking at the girl's reddened eyes and helpless appearance, Gu Cheng felt a pang of sorrow in his heart again: "Miss Wang, rest assured, I will do my best to find the best doctor to save Min Gong."

Go back to your bedroom and stay with your father. Take good care of him... You know, when Duke Min wakes up and sees you like this, he will be heartbroken.

Wang Yuyou nodded vigorously, tears still streaming down her face. Biting her lip, she replied, "I understand, Commander Gu. I'll leave it to you then..."

"Don't worry." Gu Cheng nodded slightly, then turned to Zhang Tingshu and instructed, "Tingshu, let's go."

The two had just hurried out of the hanging flower gate when Wang Yuyou's voice came from behind, tinged with urgency: "Commander Gu, please wait!"

Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu turned around and saw Wang Yuyou running over quickly, her face still wet with tears: "I had someone bring the family car and driver here. They're right at the entrance of the official residence. If we take the car, we can find a doctor faster and save some time."

Gu Cheng was startled, then a warm feeling welled up inside him.

This girl, who was sixteen or seventeen years old, was even calmer than Mo Dehui at this moment, and it was rare that she thought of this matter first.