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

Seeing Wang Yuyou's tearful eyes, Gu Cheng added, "Didn't Ting Shu already say that you should acknowledge me as your brother...? How can I accept such a grand gesture when I'm helping my own sister?"

Wang Yuyou felt a surge of warmth in her heart as she gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. Jiang Yingrong, who was standing next to her, immediately stood up with a smile and reached out to take Wang Yuyou's arm: "I say, Yu'er, you don't need to be so polite to him anymore."

"If we had known earlier that the person in charge of Jinzhou was Jingchuan, we wouldn't have needed to come and thank him today. We're all family; there's no need for such formalities."

Gu Cheng laughed heartily, "That's exactly what you mean, Sister! Miss Wang, please have a seat. The weather is so hot in mid-July; there's really no need for you to make this special trip. It would be my fault if the two young ladies got a heatstroke!"

These words eased the awkwardness in the hall. Yang Song brought in a teapot, teacups, and two kinds of snacks. Gu Cheng personally poured them for them, saying as he did so:

"The Sheng family's pharmacy brought over a lot of medicinal herbs. I saw that there were hawthorn and dried tangerine peel among them, so I asked my family to make some refreshing plum juice for me to try!"

The two happily picked up their celadon teacups, and the slightly cool plum juice went down their throats, its sweet and sour taste refreshing, instantly dispelling most of the summer heat.

Jiang Yingrong drank it all in one gulp, put down her bowl and teased with a smile: "Jingchuan, you are so thoughtful and considerate in every way. You even know so much about ways to cool off in the summer."

Nowadays, many military officers only know how to wield swords and spears; they wouldn't pay attention to such trivial matters as home care. Compared to them, you are much more insightful.

Gu Cheng waved his hand and smiled, "My skills aren't enough for you to praise, sister. They're just some trivial little tricks... By the way, Miss Wang, how is Master Min feeling?"

Upon hearing him mention his father, Wang Yuyou gently put down her teacup. After expressing her gratitude once again, she added, "He has clearly recovered in the past two days... In addition to being able to get out of bed and walk around, his appetite has also gradually improved. He can eat some light porridge and side dishes every day. However, the doctor advised him not to overexert himself and to continue to rest quietly."

"That would be perfect." Gu Cheng nodded slightly, relieved. "Min Gong has been busy with all the affairs in the Northeast, and his health is already weak. With proper rest, he will gradually recover."

Jiang Yingrong chimed in, "Now Yu'er can finally get a good night's sleep... Jingchuan, you have no idea, during the days when Min Gong was seriously ill, he called Fengtian every day, and even Shoufang in Heilongjiang Province knew about it!"

"Since Shoufang couldn't return from Heilongjiang Province, she entrusted her case to me. Luckily, my elder brother found a military doctor, and they arrived in Jinzhou around the same time."

Gu Cheng pondered to himself: It seems that history is indeed true. Even if he hadn't risked going to Lianshan Station to find the Japanese that day, someone from Fengtian would have come to cure Wang Yongjiang.

However, to be fair, it wasn't a wasted trip... Seeing how sincerely Miss Wang thanked him, this favor has been firmly established, and in the future, he will be able to use this relationship to make things easier for himself in Fengtian.

"Jingchuan, what are you daydreaming about?"

Jiang Yingrong noticed he was lost in thought, and her smile held a hint of reproach. "What's wrong? Is something bothering you?"

Gu Cheng looked up at her, shook his head and sighed, "It's nothing."

Jiang Yingrong has a straightforward personality and has always disliked beating around the bush: "What are you dawdling about? If you really have something bothering you, just say it."

Gu Cheng sighed again: "It's just that things have been complicated in Jinzhou lately, and I have to worry about everything inside and outside... Let's not talk about these things anymore, let's talk about something else, so that these troublesome matters don't spoil your mood."

He wanted to change the subject, unwilling to discuss military affairs in such a private setting, but Jiang Yingrong was straightforward and stubborn, and refused to comply.

She leaned forward slightly, her eyes showing a hint of seriousness: "I can tell you're troubled! Tell me, what's bothering you? Maybe I can help you figure out a solution?"

Gu Cheng looked troubled: "My dear sister, I know you care about me... but this is no small matter, and I'm afraid it will cause you trouble. Let's just forget about it."

"What? You don't believe I can help you?" Jiang Yingrong immediately raised her eyebrows. "Am I the kind of person who's afraid of trouble? Besides, didn't you and Hanqing cause me and Shoufang a lot of trouble back then? Just say the word... If I can help, I definitely will. If I can't, I'll at least put in a good word for you."

Wang Yuyou, who was standing to the side, also said, "Commander Gu, why don't you tell me: Although my father is still recuperating, if it concerns Jinzhou, I can help pass it on to Mr. Liu Chen."

Gu Cheng glanced at the two of them, let out a long sigh, and finally said, "The problem lies with the bank draft sent from Fengtian."

After roughly organizing his thoughts, he continued, "Miss Wang, you should know that a large camp is to be built in Jinzhou. The Duke of Min has raised funds, and the Marshal's Mansion has also sent a telegram saying that 100,000 silver dollars will be allocated."

But when my chief of staff and his men went to the bank to cash the money, they discovered that only 60,000 had actually been deposited into their account—a full 40,000 short.

"What?!" Jiang Yingrong was filled with disbelief, then her anger flared instantly. "Such a thing happened? Who has the audacity to tamper with the special funds explicitly allocated by the Marshal's Mansion? This isn't just skimming off a passing goose; it's outright robbery!"

She was by nature averse to evil and, like Jiang Dengxuan, could not tolerate such despicable acts of withholding military pay and lining their own pockets.

"Jingchuan, tell me clearly, was the money intercepted in Fengtian, or did something go wrong along the way? Did the money exchange say anything?"

Wang Yuyou, standing to the side, was also startled and turned slightly pale. Although she was not as eager to express her opinion as her sisters, her breathing became rapid.

She helped her father manage the financial affairs and knew the rules for allocating special funds for the Marshal's Mansion. The fact that someone dared to blatantly intercept 40,000 silver dollars showed that there must be a powerful backer behind them.

Looking at their reactions, Gu Cheng shook his head and said, "The bank said the funds were transferred directly from the Ministry of Finance of the Fengtian Military Command, without any deductions along the way. Apart from a few yuan in transfer fees, the amount received was 60,000."

It's obvious without even thinking that the money was intercepted within Fengtian City.

"What audacity!" Jiang Yingrong gritted her teeth and said, "I want to see who is so blind as to dare to embezzle the special funds of the Jinzhou camp and make things difficult for you, Gu Jingchuan!"

I'll call my brother later and tell him to investigate in Fengtian and find out who's behind this misappropriation of funds!

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng quickly interrupted, "How can that be? Brother Chao Liu is still busy with the important matter of reorganizing the army at the General Staff Headquarters. Why bother him with 40,000 silver dollars?"

I doubt anyone would dare to intercept the funds... It's more likely that someone misappropriated the money, and it should be gradually returned to the account later.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yingrong shook her head repeatedly: "Oh, my silly brother! The money's already been embezzled, do you think it can be returned to you? It's like throwing a meat bun to a dog—a complete waste!"