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

The room was filled with the aroma of tea and the gentle chirping of cicadas. The formalities of officialdom had been shed, and the worries of military affairs had been put aside... leaving only the subtle warmth that quietly blossomed between the young general and the gentle lady, a scene both tranquil and touching.

After a moment, Wang Yuyou calmed down a bit: "No matter what method you plan to use to get that money back, you must prioritize your own safety and never put yourself in danger for the sake of money."

"I know," Gu Cheng replied softly, his gaze remaining tenderly fixed on her. "I will definitely protect myself, I will definitely guard Jinzhou, and I will not let you down."

Wang Yuyou's fair face flushed again. Just as she was about to speak, light footsteps sounded outside the door. Jiang Yingrong had returned after finishing her phone call. Before she had even fully stepped into the hall, her cheerful voice burst through the door: "Jingchuan, this matter is finally showing some progress. My brother said..."

Her words abruptly stopped, and she stopped abruptly. She looked up and saw the two people facing each other in the room, and instantly understood everything.

With her age and experience, she naturally understood. She deliberately coughed twice to break the sweet atmosphere, and a mischievous smile appeared in her eyes.

"It seems my return was ill-timed; I've interrupted Yu'er's gratitude to her benefactor."

Her words immediately made Wang Yuyou's cheeks burn again, and she instantly stood up, looking reproachful, and said, "Sister is teasing me again."

With that, she lowered her head and took her leave, not daring to look at the two of them again as she went out.

"I'll see you out." Gu Cheng immediately stood up, took a step, and was about to follow him out the door.

"Hey, don't go!" Jiang Yingrong quickly reached out to stop him, a mischievous smile still lingering in her eyes. "Yu'er is shy. If you see her off any further, she might be too embarrassed to even take a step. Her servants are with her outside the mansion, so it's perfectly safe. Please stay, I have something important to tell you."

Gu Cheng stopped in his tracks, glancing at Wang Yuyou's hurried departure outside the door. A faint warmth flickered in his eyes. Ultimately, he heeded Jiang Yingrong's words, slowly halting his steps and looking up at her: "How is it? Any news from Brother Chao Liu?"

Jiang Yingrong put away her joking expression and lowered her voice, saying, "As you said, I asked a few questions indirectly, and my brother hesitated for a moment before bringing it up with me... Although he didn't say it explicitly, the implication in his words pointed to Yang Yuting."

He said that recently, the Fengtian Arsenal has been frequently requesting funding, claiming it's to expand equipment and expedite the production of military equipment.

arsenal?

Gu Cheng thought to himself that Yang Yuting had indeed served as the chief of the Fengtian Arsenal in history, and that the "Little Zhuge" was indeed very talented. The Fengtian Arsenal had developed from being able to only imitate to being able to produce many military products independently.

Before the September 18 Incident, the Fengtian Arsenal had become one of the largest and most advanced arsenals in the country, with its output value increasing year by year. At its peak, it could produce tens of thousands of rifles, thousands of machine guns, and hundreds of thousands of artillery shells every year, which can be called the "source of confidence" of the Fengtian warlords.

Taking advantage of his position in charge of the arsenal, Yang Yuting firmly grasped the lifeline of the Fengtian clique's arms industry, making his power more and more stable and his arrogance more and more rampant.

Thinking of this, he narrowed his eyes and said, "In other words, he misappropriated my Jinzhou funds under the guise of an arms factory."

"That's right." Jiang Yingrong nodded, her tone becoming increasingly certain. "Although my brother didn't directly say that Yang Yuting had embezzled your special funds, he hinted to me that the 100,000 silver dollars in Jinzhou were most likely embezzled by Yang Yuting under the guise of 'emergency turnover for the arsenal.'"

He hinted to me that ever since the young marshal took the lead in reorganizing the army, Yang Yuting had been determined to seize control of the arsenal, misappropriating funds to fill its gaps... The marshal was aware of this as well, since the arsenal was also very important, so no one dared to expose it.

Gu Cheng's expression gradually darkened.

It was indeed Yang Yuting. No wonder he dared to so blatantly embezzle the Marshal's Mansion's special funds. It turns out he was using the name of the Fengtian Arsenal, under the guise of "expanding military equipment and assisting in the reorganization of the army," to enrich himself and expand his own power.

"My brother also said," Jiang Yingrong added, "that since he is now in the General Staff Headquarters, it is inconvenient for him to directly interfere in the affairs of the Ministry of Finance and the arsenal, lest Yang Yuting seize on this as leverage to bite back."

But he gave me a definite answer: Yang Yuting's embezzlement of the special funds this time, though done discreetly, still left traces—”

At this point, Jiang Yingrong's eyes became even more mysterious. "Jingchuan, if you need them, these traces... he can submit them to the Marshal's Mansion privately."

Gu Cheng's eyes twitched slightly, and he quickly said, "Sister Rong, it's not appropriate to let Brother Chao Liu get involved in this mess... Of course, I don't mean anything by it, I just think... it's better to have someone else take the lead in this matter."

Jiang Yingrong was taken aback: "Others? What do you mean? In Fengtian City, besides my brother, who else is willing to help you, and who else can challenge Yang Yuting?"

Gu Cheng took a deep breath: "Brother Chao Liu is in charge of the military reorganization at the General Staff Headquarters. He is a person in the eye of the storm. Yang Yuting is already wary of him. If he mentions these things to the Marshal's Mansion again... if Yang Yuting finds out, he will definitely turn around and accuse him of using the name of military reorganization to suppress dissidents and form cliques for personal gain."

At that time, not only would Brother Chao Liu be in jeopardy, but the military reorganization he had personally promoted might also be disrupted, resulting in more harm than good. I cannot ruin Brother Chao Liu's future because of my 40,000 silver dollars in Jinzhou, nor can I delay the important matter of the Marshal's Office's military reorganization.”

After careful consideration, Jiang Yingrong also felt that Gu Cheng's words made sense—Yang Yuting was narrow-minded and held power over the arsenal and the Ministry of Finance. If Jiang Dengxuan were to take action openly, it would indeed be easy for him to find fault with her.

She sighed, "Then tell me, who should we ask? In Fengtian City, there aren't many people who can stand up to Yang Yuting and dare to get involved in this matter."

Gu Cheng smiled and said, "I already have someone in mind... Alright, Sister Rong, you and Brother Chao don't need to worry about this. I have a way to handle it."

Seeing his mysterious demeanor, Jiang Yingrong suppressed her curiosity and simply said goodbye.

Gu Cheng saw her out, repeatedly telling her to relax and not to worry about it.

Seeing his resolute expression, Jiang Yingrong didn't ask any more questions, turned around, got into her car, and left.

Gu Cheng stood in front of the door, watching the car drive away. The gentle smile he had just given to others slowly faded, and his face became more reserved and sharp.

Next, I need to create an opportunity for this guy to bite Yang Yuting.

…………

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu led a large group of men straight to the site chosen for the Jinzhou camp.

Soldiers stood in neat rows, tools in hand, while craftsmen stood ready on one side... As planned, today was the day the camp was to break ground. This was not only of paramount importance for the defense of Jinzhou, but also a crucial step for Gucheng to consolidate its foundation in western Liaoning.

According to custom, the craftsmen had already laid out firecrackers and placed pig's head and fine wine on the offering table. After Gu Cheng burned incense and poured wine to perform the ceremony, amidst the sound of firecrackers, the craftsmen, holding shovels, shouted in unison as they dug up shovelfuls of soil, symbolizing the official start of the construction of the Jinzhou camp.