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

The mixed brigade's post-battle site was desolate and dilapidated, with most of the barracks destroyed and broken wood and scorched earth scattered all over the place.

Soldiers, led by officers of all ranks, moved back and forth, searching for usable items and taking inventory of weapons and ammunition... Fortunately, when Tang Yulin set off, this place was already a temporary camp and not much infrastructure had been put into it.

Unfortunately, the fire was too large and the camp was divided into sections, resulting in heavy losses of food and supplies.

"Pass down the order: the new camp must be settled by tonight. Also, any remaining edible food must be transported to the Jinzhou camp!"

At Gu Cheng's command, Cai Changyuan and Shen Yi responded in unison.

Besides coordinating various resettlement matters, he was also worried about the mole hidden in the military, and his mind was always on edge.

Just as the camp relocation was proceeding smoothly, a soldier ran up from the perimeter to report to Gu Cheng that a letter had arrived from home and Gao Tianqi, who had lost too much blood, had woken up... but as soon as he opened his eyes, he was eager to see him, saying that he had something important to report.

Gu Cheng smiled upon hearing this.

When Gao Tianqi led his troops to the mixed brigade camp to deliver orders, he was ambushed and must have seen the attackers with his own eyes.

Now that he's awake, he'll be reporting on it, which will definitely involve details of what happened.

He immediately called Cai Changyuan over and asked him to continue supervising the team's resettlement, while he himself rode back to the brigade headquarters with Yang Song and the others.

Before Gu Cheng even stepped into the courtyard, a black sedan slowly drove up and came to a steady stop by the roadside.

The car door opened, and Wang Yuyou quickly got out first, followed by two servants from the Wang family, carrying several large bags full of things.

She hurried forward and, before Gu Cheng could speak, asked anxiously, "Commander Gu, how is the situation? My father heard about it and is very worried. He sent me and the steward to check on things... I also prepared some medicine and tonics, so I can come and lend a hand."

Seeing her concerned expression, Gu Cheng felt a sense of relief: "Thank you for your concern, Miss Wang. The brigade headquarters is currently facing many complicated matters and the order is still chaotic. I'm sorry to have troubled you to make the trip here."

Wang Yuyou smiled and lowered her eyes: "Is there anything I can do to help right now? I learned some basic nursing skills when I was at Peking University, so I can be of assistance regularly."

Gu Cheng thanked her repeatedly, and led her into the brigade headquarters compound.

The original plan was to have someone lead her to the front hall to serve tea and rest, and then express her gratitude in person after finishing her important business.

But then he thought again that the matter of the mole in the army was complicated and involved a wide range of people. If Wang Yuyou could convey the message to her father, Wang Yongjiang, he might be able to help make a decision.

Gu Cheng raised his hand to signal the accompanying soldiers to stop outside the courtyard, and led Wang Yu slowly into the bedroom.

The doors and windows inside were half-closed, the light was dim, and a strong smell of herbs mixed with a faint smell of blood wafted through the air.

Gao Tianqi's face was ashen, and his once sharp features now looked haggard. His chest, abdomen, and arms were wrapped in layers of white gauze, and his weak breathing occasionally aggravated his wounds, causing his body to tremble slightly.

Yang Hao, who was keeping watch by the bedside, immediately stood up and saluted when Gu Cheng entered: "Master Gu, you're back? Staff Officer Gao just woke up and was eager to see you..."

As if awakened by his voice, Gao Tianqi struggled to open her heavy eyelids, her gaze immediately focusing on Gu Cheng, as she tried to sit up.

"Don't move, just lie down and rest." Gu Cheng quickly stepped forward and gently pressed his shoulder. "Your injuries haven't healed yet, so don't push yourself. You can talk slowly."

Wang Yuyou stood quietly to the side, her delicate face full of worry.

Gao Tianqi caught his breath, his throat dry and hoarse, and tried to speak clearly as much as possible: "Jingchuan... 11th Mixed Brigade, is anything wrong?"

Gu Cheng knew he was still worried, so he replied softly, "It's all over now. Just take good care of yourself."

With Gao Tianqi's intelligence, he immediately understood the implication in his words and sighed, "I knew it! Something bad was bound to happen! The mixed brigade has poor discipline and loopholes in their defense zone... They intercepted us when we went to report the news, preparing to catch us off guard!"

After saying this, he composed himself before slowly continuing, "It's Tang Zongxi!"

Gu Cheng was taken aback.

Tang Zongxi, along with his thugs, caused trouble in Jinzhou, abducted women, and killed several civilians. Later, he reported this to the military headquarters, whereupon he and the thugs were all executed.

"How could that be?"

He quickly pressed further, "And how did you know that?"

Gao Tianqi sighed again: "You know, these people didn't intend to kill us, they just wanted to lure us away... But one of our brothers recognized them, and that's when they decided to kill us, cough cough..."

After he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the room suddenly became heavy.

Back then, Tang Zongxi allowed his subordinates to commit atrocities and disregard human life in Jinzhou. He himself executed all of his accomplices in accordance with military law... This was originally intended to rectify military discipline and rid the people of a scourge.

Unexpectedly, this blood feud was firmly remembered by someone with ulterior motives, and instead became a weakness that the enemy could exploit.

The Japanese forces were ruthless and precisely seized upon the resentment within the Tang family, secretly contacting and winning over the remaining members.

While offering money, they also incited people's desire for revenge, taking advantage of the situation to recruit these vengeful individuals into their own ranks. They then connected with Tang Yulin's former subordinates in the army who were dissatisfied with the reorganization, and also bribed local vagrants and bandits in Goubangzi. With these forces united as one, they were able to carry out this meticulously planned series of sneak attacks.

First, they set fire to the construction site to disrupt the defenses, then they intercepted and killed messengers on the way to cut off communication. With internal and external cooperation, they targeted the 11th Mixed Brigade at every turn. Their goal was to completely disrupt the defense of Jinzhou and give the Kwantung Army a perfect excuse to openly enter western Liaoning.

"I never expected that a military disciplinary action would be exploited by foreign enemies, leading to such a disaster," Gu Cheng murmured with a sigh.

Wang Yuyou also became nervous: "Commander Gu, I'm afraid that if we continue investigating like this—"

She didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what her subtext was.

Gu Cheng couldn't help but recall Feng Delin's earlier warning to him through gritted teeth: taking office in Jinzhou and implementing reforms would be a risky business, and he should be extremely careful.

It seems that the Fengtian Army is deeply entrenched, and the old guard still has considerable influence. With a little provocation, they can stir up trouble.

Gao Tianqi leaned against the headboard and said softly, "Jingchuan, the Tang family has deep-seated grievances and has been manipulated and used by foreign enemies. This sneak attack is just the beginning. If we don't thoroughly eliminate the hidden dangers, Jinzhou will never have peace again. We must thoroughly investigate and deal with the Tang family's related forces and cut off this line of collusion with foreign enemies."

Gu Cheng nodded slightly, having already made up his mind.

The interrogation results regarding Lu Qingshan's suspected role as an insider have not yet been finalized. The bandit gang's testimonies provide substantial corroboration, and now the core connection between the remnants of the Tang family and the Japanese has been uncovered. The situation has long since transcended the scope of a simple internal strife within the military camp.

This matter is too complex to be decided by my own authority alone. It must be reported to the Fengtian Marshal's Office immediately and handed over to Zhang Zuolin for a decision.

"Don't worry about me, I'll handle this." Gu Cheng reassured Gao Tianqi. "Focus on your recovery, and leave the rest to me."