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

Gu Cheng stared intently at the scene before him, his expression devoid of any joy, instead revealing a hint of unease.

Construction of the camp had already begun, but the materials needed, the wages of the craftsmen, and the supplies for the soldiers all required money, and the shortage of 40,000 silver dollars weighed on his mind like a boulder.

However, he knew that Sun Liechen, as the commander-in-chief stationed in western Liaoning and the main force confronting the Zhili army, would definitely come to witness such a major event as the groundbreaking of the main camp.

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for.

Sure enough, Sun Liechen arrived just as the ground was being broken up.

He stepped out of the car in a crisp military uniform, surrounded by a large guard—it was quite an impressive sight.

Gu Cheng and Zhang Tingshu exchanged glances, straightened their clothes, and quickly stepped forward to greet them personally.

"Uncle Liu, you've taken the time out of your busy schedule to watch us two juniors have some fun. You're too kind to us."

Zhang Tingshu greeted him with a beaming smile.

Sun Liechen exchanged casual pleasantries, then glanced at the bustling activity around him and smiled, saying, "Jinzhou is a strategically important military stronghold, and the construction of the camp is crucial to the defense of the entire Liaoxi region, so naturally I had to come and take a look."

As he spoke, he swept his cold gaze around. The craftsmen were busy with their respective tasks, and many soldiers in military uniforms also put down their weapons and joined in carrying timber and leveling the foundation, working up a great deal of activity.

"You are in charge of the defense of western Liaoning, which is a lot of work. It is really hard work for you to come and inspect the commencement of construction in person... But with you here, we feel at ease."

Gu Cheng followed on his other side, leading the group to inspect the area around the construction site, and continued, "This construction site has just started, and it's dirty and messy everywhere."

Sun Liechen remained silent, his sharp gaze sweeping across the surroundings before he coldly said, "Jingchuan, what are you doing?"

Gu Cheng knew what he meant, but pretended to know the answer already: "What's wrong, Sixth Uncle?"

In front of his subordinates, Sun Liechen gave Gu Cheng plenty of face, but asked in a low voice, "Jingchuan, our Feng Army doesn't have this rule!"

The construction of fortifications should be done by civilian laborers and craftsmen; how can we expect soldiers to do manual labor in the fields? Military training has been neglected; what kind of discipline is it to have our brothers wasting their days digging and moving stones here?

Gu Cheng glanced at him, then at the subordinates behind him, and then replied seriously, "Sixth Uncle, please allow me to explain slowly. I am implementing 'work-based training' in the 11th Mixed Brigade... Now that the war is temporarily stable, it is inevitable that the soldiers will find it boring to train behind closed doors every day."

Therefore, taking advantage of the opportunity to build the main camp, they could personally familiarize themselves with the camp layout and terrain defenses. This would not only hone their physical strength but also allow them to understand the advantages and disadvantages of the place they would be stationed in later, which could be considered killing two birds with one stone.

Seeing the other person's brows furrow even more, Gu Cheng sighed again, feigning difficulty, "Besides, I do have some difficulties myself..."

Sun Liechen saw that he seemed to want to say something but hesitated, but did not press him for details. Instead, he continued his inspection with a frown.

Today was the first day of work, and both superiors were present. Naturally, the men had to give it their all, and everyone was sweating profusely.

Sun Liechen nodded and smiled from time to time, and occasionally gave Gu Cheng some instructions on building a large camp.

After walking around for a while, Gu Cheng led Sun Liechen and the others to the work shed to rest, where plum juice and herbal tea had been prepared early in the morning.

After taking a few sips of tea, Gu Cheng put down his cup and said respectfully to Sun Liechen, "Sixth Uncle, I've been so busy with the trivial matters of starting the camp these past few days that I haven't been able to visit you to offer my congratulations. Please forgive me, Sixth Uncle."

Sun Liechen paused, holding his teacup, and asked in bewilderment, "Congratulations? What's there to congratulate me on? I'm busy with the defense of western Liaoning every day, confronting the Zhili army. What joyous occasion could there be?"

Gu Cheng leaned closer, feigning mystery, and lowered his voice just enough for his colleagues to hear: "Hey, Sixth Uncle, haven't you heard the news yet? I guess my ears are too sharp; I overheard some rumors—"

I've heard that the Zhili army intends to sign a ceasefire agreement, and the defense of the Shanhaiguan line will be transferred to our Fengtian army. You are the most meritorious general who has been stationed in western Liaoning, confronting the Zhili army. The Marshal knows this and will surely reward you handsomely.

A hint of surprise flashed in Sun Liechen's eyes, then he waved his hand and said, "Oh? Is that so? I really haven't heard of it. Your information network is quite impressive."

"Of course. Although the news was kept secret, people down there are always gossips. I only overheard someone mention it casually." Gu Cheng smiled and turned to Zhang Tingshu beside him, teasingly saying, "Tingshu, don't you think so?"

From now on, we can't call him Sixth Uncle anymore; we have to call him Governor Sun—I heard the Marshal is going to promote Sixth Uncle to Governor of Jilin, this is incredibly joyous news!

Sun Liechen's men, who were serving tea, put down their cups to congratulate him upon hearing this. Zhang Tingshu, standing nearby, immediately chimed in, "That's right, Sixth Master, oh no, we should call him Governor Sun! This is a genuine honor; you must share in our joy beforehand!"

Sun Liechen was taken aback at first, then burst into hearty laughter, and gently patted Gu Cheng's shoulder: "You two naughty boys, always teasing me! What governorship or not, there's still no definite answer."

We're family, no need to be so formal. Call him Sixth Uncle as usual. Don't be like those bureaucratic formalities. We're family, no need for such formalities!

As he said this, a hint of joy could not be hidden in his eyes—the military governor of Jilin was a powerful regional official who held military and political power over the province. If he could be promoted, it would be Zhang Zuolin's greatest appreciation of him and the best reward for his life-and-death experiences during this period.

Gu Cheng smiled and thought to himself: Historically, this loyal and valiant general was destined to be promoted to military governor of Jilin soon after taking office. He would then reform the bureaucracy and appease the people, earning him a good reputation in Jilin Prefecture.

He's still in the dark. By letting him know in advance, I'm both doing him a favor and bringing us closer, and it will also make him happy. When we talk about the shortage of funds later, he'll naturally be more willing to take it seriously.

After laughing, Sun Liechen picked up his teacup and took another sip, then said with emotion, "If it is truly as you say, then it is a sign of the Marshal's high regard for me. I will certainly do my best to live up to the Marshal's trust."

"By the way, Jingchuan, you mentioned earlier that there are difficulties in building the main camp. What exactly happened? Why don't you tell me, and see if your sixth uncle can help you come up with a solution?"

Just as Zhang Tingshu was about to answer truthfully, Gu Cheng grabbed him and waved his hands repeatedly, saying, "No, no, Sixth Uncle, look at what you're saying... I appreciate your words! You're about to be promoted, let Tingshu and me handle this little matter in Jinzhou, how could I trouble you—besides,"

He paused deliberately for a few seconds, then gestured for Yang Song to pour tea for everyone, quickly making a gesture as if to change the subject: "Alright, alright, Sixth Uncle, we're having a good time, let's not talk about troublesome things, and besides, how could I possibly drag you into this!"