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

Upon hearing Wu Junsheng's words, Gu Cheng sensed that Zhang Xueliang beside him was getting restless.

But he didn't speak, because Wu Junsheng was, after all, an elder, and besides, he had been guarding the rear this time, and the Fengtian Army had also contributed money and effort when it was defeated and retreated to Shanhaiguan.

The young marshal remained silent, but the eldest marshal could not hold back any longer. He slammed his hand on the table, causing the porcelain teacup beside him to bounce.

The tense atmosphere instantly exploded. The old fox glared with his triangular eyes, fiercely sweeping his gaze over the group of old-schoolers: "Even if I wait another ten or eight years, you'll still have your opinions when I mention reorganizing the army! Ask yourselves honestly:

You've all been following me to conquer the world, haven't you all received plenty of benefits? Why are you all hiding in the back now that it's time for you to put in the work and protect our Northeast? Take a good look at yourselves, are you all even less capable than these little guys?

"I'm putting this out there today: this military reorganization isn't something I'm discussing with you; the rules are already set! Anyone who disregards the overall situation in Northeast China and only thinks about their own petty gains, don't blame me, Old Zhang, for not remembering our past brotherhood!"

His words struck so hard that you could hear a pin drop in the Tiger Hall.

Wu Junsheng shut up.

However, Gu Cheng knew that although Wu Junsheng had his own ulterior motives, he was just like Sun Liechen and Zhang Zuoxiang—a staunch supporter of the warlord.

Now that Zhang Zuolin has made such a strong statement, even if he is dissatisfied, he will have to grit his teeth and support him.

Great, we've secured another one.

Gu Cheng quietly turned his head and exchanged glances with Zhang Xueliang beside him. The latter immediately straightened up and stood up: "Gentlemen, do you all understand the Commander-in-Chief's and the General Staff's intentions? Military reorganization and modernization are imperative, and there is no room for discussion."

As he spoke, he looked around at Guo Songling, Jiang Dengxuan, and others, and continued in a loud voice, "According to the preliminary regulations drafted by the General Staff Department, Mao Chenchao and other rising stars of the Fengtian Army will be assigned to various teams to assist everyone in implementing the details of the military reorganization... I also hope that everyone will cooperate."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Zuolin banged on the table and shouted, "Did you all hear what Liu Zi said? We stumbled in the interior this time because of a bunch of roughnecks leading the troops—so why don't we let these educated young men who know new methods change our rules!"

Furthermore, anyone who dares to make things difficult for them is disrespecting me, Old Zhang!

Wu Junsheng quickly replied, "Yes, yes, Yuting, since you've said so, I, Wu the Tongue-Tongu, will definitely, definitely cooperate! No matter which little brother comes..."

But as soon as he finished speaking, Zhang Jinghui, who hadn't said a word, couldn't hold back any longer: "Yuting, since you still trust us old brothers, there are some things I have to say openly—many of our old brothers followed you out of the mud pit of western Liaoning, and the little bit of wealth you have is like your own children."

"If you can just unify the staffing system like that, and then lay off the elderly and infirm as you please, people will say that you, General, have become successful and forgotten the brothers who fought alongside you!"

Zhang Zuolin was speechless after hearing this, and his brows furrowed suddenly.

Zhang Jinghui had been with him even longer than Tang Yulin. If they were to really break off relations, he would be accused of "not being able to tolerate his old brother."

But just as he was about to speak, the other party said with a barbed tone, "Besides, these young men are highly educated, but how could they know the difficulties of leading troops? If we really lay off all the old brothers, the people below will become chaotic, and the stability of the Northeast will be even more difficult to maintain!"

Putting everything else aside, Erhu didn't come today. Everyone says he's sick... but I'm wondering, is his illness a psychological one?

These words directly struck at Zhang Zuolin's concerns and gave the wavering Wu Junsheng an excuse. Wu, who had a speech impediment, immediately said that he had the same concerns.

Gu Cheng remained expressionless and turned his gaze to Yang Yuting—

He kept his head down, flipping through documents, as if he hadn't heard Zhang Jinghui's conversation at all.

Before the meeting began, he suggested to the commander-in-chief that the advance should start with the core troops, clearly worried that too much action might cause some unforeseen changes.

The reactions of Zhang Jinghui and others now confirm his point of view, so Little Zhuge naturally chooses to stand by and watch.

Gu Cheng sneered.

Each of them had their own agenda—even Yang Yuting was no exception.

He clenched his fists, which were resting flat on his lap, little by little. He knew that neither he nor Feng Yong had the right to speak at this moment.

Moreover, saying the wrong thing could cause trouble for yourself.

But looking at Zhang Jinghui, his anger flared up.

He was well aware of history: this slippery old man in front of him would later become the Grand Minister of Manchukuo... In any case, he had to teach this traitor a lesson.

"Fifth Uncle is right, but I had a few drinks with Hanqing yesterday and overheard a few of his words."

Gu Cheng suddenly spoke up, "During the Great Battle of Guannei, Hanqing and Instructor Guo led the Central Route Army in a bloody battle against Wu Peifu at Changxindian. That battle was fought brilliantly!"

But then someone dawdled and didn't fill the gap at the front in time, causing Hanqing to be surrounded and almost wiped out; our commander was frantic, and in the end, it was only thanks to my uncle's emergency troop deployment overnight that the siege was barely lifted. This... you know about it?"

The room fell silent after those words were spoken.

Zhang Jinghui's fake smile froze instantly, her face turning bright red down to her ears: "I...I didn't delay on purpose! The troops have been marching for a long time, the vehicles and horses are exhausted, and the soldiers haven't even had enough to eat. We just couldn't keep up! I absolutely didn't mean to abandon Xiao Liuzi..."

Hearing that he had indeed fallen into the trap he had set, Gu Cheng chuckled to himself: This stinky tofu seller really only has a little bit of cleverness.

He then leaned forward slightly towards Zhang Jinghui: "Fifth Uncle, you see, you are a glutton, I didn't say you weren't? It's just that I have a long ear and have heard some rumors:

It's said that this unit not only withheld soldiers' pay, but the men under its command couldn't even get enough coarse grains to eat. When they went into battle, they only went for the food provided by the Zhili army... and the horses were also lacking fodder, making marching difficult.

Zhang Jinghui's face turned green, and he couldn't utter a single rebuttal: This isn't just a matter of being easily influenced; they've practically dug up his entire family's secrets!

Where did this kid hear this from?

I'm really going to tear that guy's mouth apart!

Just as Zhang Jinghui was filled with resentment and anxiety, Gu Cheng turned his gaze to Zhang Zuolin: "General, look at what's going on in our Fengtian Army: withholding military pay, lax management; on the battlefield, they only care about themselves. They either desert in the face of battle or delay reinforcements, almost harming Hanqing and causing our brothers to shed blood and sacrifice in vain!"

"You want to reorganize the army, isn't it precisely to prevent this kind of thing from happening again? Isn't it to unite the entire Fengtian Army?"

Gu Cheng's words hit the nail on the head, cleverly exposing Zhang Jinghui's flaws while circling back to the core of the military reorganization, giving Zhang Zuolin a perfect way out.

Zhang Zuolin's eyes lit up as he listened, and he nodded repeatedly, even his mustache standing on end: "Listen to this, listen to this! Who says the younger generation doesn't understand the difficulties of leading troops? I think it's you old fogies who don't understand!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Junsheng quickly gave a thumbs up: "I've heard from Liu Zi that Jingchuan was the top talent selected by the Military Academy... and now that he's studied in Japan, he speaks so eloquently! Alright, I, Wu the Big Tongue, am convinced, truly convinced... From now on, I'll listen to everyone!"