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

Because military pay was often delayed, lower-ranking soldiers often went hungry and cold; in addition, Tang Yulin was rough and impulsive, and his officers often beat and scolded lower-ranking soldiers, so many people were dissatisfied and wanted to desert.

Therefore, getting soldiers addicted to smoking can have a certain control effect... This is a common tactic used by many officers in the 11th Mixed Brigade.

After thinking for a long time without finding a way to respond, Cai Changyuan finally said in a muffled voice, "Since you've brought up Tang Zongxi, you should know that these are all old stories. Why bring them up again? Back then, I dared not speak out against it. After all, his uncle was in charge, and we—"

Gu Cheng was very disgusted when he heard this: Just now you asked you to do your work and exert your strength, and you brought up the old rules. Now that you are talking about the problems in the team, you also say that they are "old matters" and have nothing to do with you, the deputy brigade commander... So you have to take all the blame.

So he took a deep breath and quickly continued, "Since you know these are the facts, you should think about whether you can just let things continue like this."

Instead of letting them lie around smoking opium and collecting their pay, it's better to send them to the main camp to work hard and sweat. Work from sunrise to sunset, wear down their laziness first, then we can talk about training for battle.

Lu Qingshan quickly chimed in to smooth things over: "Yes, Deputy Brigade Commander Cai, Master Gu has a long-term vision. This isn't about making soldiers do hard labor; it's about using the camp repairs as an opportunity to improve morale."

All we need to do is organize the personnel of each regiment into shifts, ensuring that defense work is not neglected and training is not delayed—a win-win situation.

Cai Changyuan remained silent for a long time before finally accepting reality.

Old rules are rigid, but the current situation is flexible. If he continues to insist on his own opinions, he will only appear to lack a sense of the bigger picture.

Finally, he slowly nodded and relented: "Master Gu is very thoughtful, and I was being too rigid in my adherence to old practices. Since Mr. Wang has also decided on this method in his plan, then let's proceed with the work-study program. I can be responsible for maintaining discipline on-site, supervising the soldiers' work, and ensuring they don't slack off or cause trouble."

But as soon as he said that, he added another sentence.

"But... I'm worried that the brothers haven't done this kind of rough work before. They're all men who've been through thick and thin, and I'm afraid they won't be able to adapt to it in a short time."

Furthermore, the battalion commanders of each regiment will likely harbor resentment, feeling that we are treating our soldiers like civilian laborers, which is embarrassing.

These words are indeed true, and they also reveal Cai Changyuan's compassion as an elderly person.

He wasn't simply being stubborn and conservative; he genuinely cared for his brothers who had risked their lives on the line and feared that a sudden change in the system might provoke a collective backlash from the officers of each regiment, causing unnecessary trouble.

Gu Cheng listened, his expression calming down: "I understand. These brothers have been fighting for years and have never done civil engineering work before. I didn't intend to force them to do heavy or tiring work right away."

As he spoke, he stood up and handed him the plan that Wang Yongjiang had written. He added, "Brother Huisheng, you should know that this time I not only took on the position of acting commander, but I am also a member of the Army Reorganization Department."

The General Staff Headquarters and the General Headquarters demanded military reorganization and modernization, one of the most important tasks of which was to eliminate the old, weak, and disabled soldiers.

Cai Changyuan didn't accept the plan, but he jumped to his feet at Gu Cheng's words: "Master Gu, what do you mean by that? Could it be that the higher-ups mean that we, the brothers who have served our Fengtian Army our whole lives, are just going to slink away like this?"

Seeing his sudden panic, Lu Qingshan quickly stood up, his face full of apologetic smiles: "Deputy Brigade Commander Cai, let's talk this out with Master Gu. We can't..."

Gu Cheng raised his hand to signal him to shut up, and continued, "Work-study programs are not just about rectifying military discipline... I also intend to leave a way out for the brothers."

He looked back at the other man, his eyes filled with pity. "I know some brothers have fought half their lives and never left the ranks—"

Even if the higher-ups meant well and wanted to improve the overall combat effectiveness of our Fengtian Army, driving all these people away at once did lack a bit of humanity.

So, after much thought and discussion with Min Gong and the others, I came up with this plan: "Think about it, these veterans, those who are injured, will have something to do in the future, and they can earn a decent wage and live a stable life. Wouldn't it be better to just lay them off?"

Cai Changyuan was momentarily stunned after hearing this.

He had met countless warlords and officers, and in their eyes, soldiers were nothing more than pawns in war. Being able to feed and clothe the lower-ranking soldiers was considered a rare act of "treating soldiers like one's own children."

Who has ever seen an officer genuinely consider the future of veterans and wounded soldiers, unwilling to let them end up displaced?

The young acting brigade commander before him, who was not yet twenty years old, had a vision and a heart that far exceeded his expectations.

"Mr. Gu, what's wrong...?"

Cai Changyuan was speechless for a moment, deeply shaken.

Gu Cheng saw through his thoughts, smiled and patted his shoulder to make him sit down, then calmly continued, "You might as well come to the 105th Regiment and ask around: as long as my brothers, Gu Cheng's brothers, are willing to serve the Fengtian Army, then we will not abandon any of them."

Brother Huisheng, think about it carefully... If we don't even consider the future of our brothers, who will be willing to risk their lives? From now on, our regular pay will be paid in full every month, and we'll also give extra subsidies to our brothers who are working. With real money and food in their hands, who will still complain for no reason?

After a few words, Cai Changyuan was completely convinced.

He began following Zhang Zuolin at the age of sixteen, rising from the guard brigade to the 52nd brigade, and now to the 11th mixed brigade. He has fought countless battles, large and small, and encountered one after another of his superiors.

Some are greedy, some are arrogant and domineering, and some only care about power and position. No one ever really cares about the livelihood of the lower-ranking soldiers or the future of the old, weak, and wounded soldiers who can no longer fight.

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind: Was this show of consideration for the soldiers just a facade? Were they just saying nice things while actually trying to pocket money?

But when he looked up at Gu Cheng, the young man's resolute and open-mindedness, devoid of any pretense, instantly dispelled all his suspicions.

Cai Changyuan stood up solemnly: "Yes! If the brothers truly have real benefits in their pockets, enough to eat and wear, who would cause trouble? If there are any ungrateful ones who still try to stir up trouble and lead the complaints, I, Cai Huisheng, will be the first to object and will punish them severely according to military discipline!"

Gu Cheng smiled and gripped his shoulders tightly: "Brother Huisheng, I'm truly happy that you and Qingshan are so supportive! And I can't let you two work for nothing..."

As he spoke, he took out two drafts that had been written. "I have a long ear, and I heard that when Tang Yulin was alive, you two lived in poverty and couldn't even afford to make two new sets of clothes for your family. Don't worry, this money is a settling-in allowance that my uncle gave me before I came to Jinzhou. It's clean."

Just as Cai Changyuan was about to decline, Lu Qingshan, who was standing to the side, smiled happily and accepted it with profuse thanks.