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

Gu Cheng smiled.

My uncle really has a discerning eye—don't let Tang Erhu's bad temper fool you, he's a fierce general under the commander.

However, he later became the military governor of Rehe, where he exploited the people and used large tracts of farmland to grow poppies and make a fortune through the opium trade.

Despite being incredibly wealthy, the old man actually deserted during the Rehe War of Resistance, sending dozens of military vehicles loaded with silver dollars, gold and all sorts of treasures away overnight, causing the entire Rehe region to fall rapidly.

"What are you thinking about, you brat?"

Seeing that his gaze was still fixed on the direction Tang Yulin had gone, Feng Delin called to him, "Stop thinking about that coward. Let's go back to the old house and wait for Yuting's news! You really came out on top at Tiger Hall today. I'm thinking the old man will definitely assign you a good job."

Gu Cheng readily agreed and followed him in another direction along the corridor.

But as soon as they turned the corner to the staircase directly opposite the front hall, Zhang Zuolin roared furiously from the second floor: "What the hell do you think the Marshal's Mansion is? You come and go as you please, and then you pretend to be sick when you don't want to come."

"Fine, if you can't cure your headaches, then hand in your resignation and go back to herding your cattle!"

The two couldn't hear Tang Yulin's response from their location, but judging from his flustered appearance, they could tell that he was definitely being submissive and hesitant: even if he had to make up a flimsy excuse, he would have to cover up what had happened today.

At this moment, the family driver had already driven the car to the front gate. Feng Yong got out of the car and greeted the two of them, obviously wanting to ask what his father had said to Gu Cheng.

Neither of them said anything, but quickly got into the car, intending to return to the Feng family's old residence in Fengtian. However, before the car had even left the gate, Zhao Xishun came running down from the second floor, covered in sweat, and shouted loudly as he ran to stop the Feng family's car: "Third Master Feng! Jingchuan... the Marshal wants you to wait, he has important instructions!"

Feng Delin muttered to himself, "That old man, he just finished disciplining Erhu, what does he want from us now?"

Despite complaining, he still pulled Gu Cheng out of the car, with Feng Yong following closely behind.

The group headed straight for the study. As soon as Gu Cheng stepped into the room, his heart skipped a beat:

The fact that the commander-in-chief summoned them at this time might mean he was planning to send him to Tang Yulin's 11th Mixed Brigade!

At this moment, Zhang Zuolin was standing in the center of the study, with Tang Yulin standing beside him. His originally livid face showed obvious embarrassment upon seeing the group.

"Hey General Zhang, you just left the house and you've already had Xishun call us back... What's going on? Are you planning to invite us to stay for dinner or something?"

As astute as Feng Delin was, he could certainly see through the clues, but he deliberately ignored them and offered the two a way out in a relaxed tone.

"Tell me about this fourth brother! All the high-ranking officers of our Fengtian Army who should be here today are here, and the younger generation is all here too... but him, he says he has a headache! I don't think he has a headache, he just wants to go home and herd cattle!"

Zhang Zuolin showed him no mercy, pointing his finger at him and giving him a thorough scolding—

Tang Yulin's expression grew increasingly grim; he was starting to lose his composure.

Zhang Zuolin glanced at him sideways, then coughed twice and said, "Alright, how long has it been since you brothers last saw each other? Give them a piece of my mind!"

Before Feng Delin could agree, he looked past everyone and glared directly at Gu Cheng: "Jingchuan, come here."

Feng Yong, who was standing beside him, immediately tensed up. Gu Cheng straightened up, bowed, and replied "Yes," before following Zhang Zuolin out of the study.

In the courtyard of the Marshal's Mansion, several pomegranate trees had just blossomed, and they were quite a sight to behold in the midday sun.

Zhang Zuolin strolled slowly with his hands behind his back, occasionally chatting about everyday matters: asking what books he was studying in Xinmin, whether he was helping Feng Delin manage his business, and so on.

Gu Cheng answered carefully one by one, but the topic quickly turned to the great battle inside the Great Wall.

This old fox subtly probed, using concrete examples to try and understand whether he truly understood military strategy and warfare.

Having read numerous military commentaries on this war in the 21st century, Gu Cheng answered naturally and skillfully.

Hearing these evaluations from later generations, Zhang Zuolin couldn't help but chuckle: "Logically speaking, you're one of those 'old-school' members of the Fengtian Army that you mentioned, so why don't you show any consideration for your uncles and elders? I thought... you'd be protecting your uncle's old brothers and saying a few kind words for them!"

Gu Cheng said solemnly, "General, you know perfectly well that our Fengtian Army should not have lost this battle. It was Hanqing's first time on the battlefield, and his two brigades fought quite well against the main force of the Zhili Army."

He observed the other party's reaction, and then appropriately loosened his grip, "And your old brothers have fought for half their lives, how come they're not doing well now? If you ask me, embezzling salaries and pocketing money isn't the fatal flaw, after all, is the Zhili Army clean? The key is... our Fengtian Army's tactics really need to change."

Zhang Zuolin grunted and stroked his long beard thoughtfully: "So, the tactics you learned from the Japanese really worked?"

Having discussed the matter to this extent, Gu Cheng had basically confirmed his guess before entering the room, and he suddenly realized: this must be a good opportunity to gain real power!

He quickly reviewed his response in his mind and replied softly, "General, you are so astute; you should know that Hanqing was able to achieve the greatest merit this time because of his innovative tactics. Although the Japanese tactics are not a panacea, they can certainly cure the root of our Fengtian Army's problems!"

Think about it, even Uncle Tang, who suffers from headaches, is a tough guy who dares to fight to the death. But when it comes to tactics, the Zhili Army emphasizes infantry-artillery coordination and positional defense... No matter how brave the brothers are, they can only sacrifice themselves in vain.

That's what I learned at the sergeant school. If the Commander trusts me, I, Gu Jingchuan, am willing to lead a small squad of brothers to train for a few days... The Commander will know whether it works or not at a glance!

Zhang Zuolin's mustache bristled upon hearing this: "Good lad, you've got some ambition! No wonder Liu Zi has mentioned to me many times that he wants to transfer you to his 38th Brigade—"

Looking at it now, haha... I really can't bear to give it to him! How about you go to Jinzhou?"

Gu Cheng asked sternly, "Jinzhou?"

He took a deep breath, confirming the other person's gaze once more, and his tone instantly turned serious: "Jinzhou is the gateway to the Northeast, a strategic location fought over by military strategists since ancient times... It's a place where you can attack or defend; controlling Jinzhou is equivalent to controlling the throat of the entire Fengtian Province!"

Zhang Zuolin laughed heartily and patted Gu Cheng's shoulder forcefully: "Kid, you really have a knack for it, I really like it! That's right... our Chief of the General Staff gave me an idea, saying that the Zhili Army is eyeing Shanhaiguan with hostility, so we should build a large camp in Jinzhou to strengthen the defense line and hold this pass!"

At this point, the other person suddenly stopped smiling. "After much thought, I've decided that this job can only be done by you. You're a member of the new generation, you've studied abroad, you understand modern tactics, you're courageous, and you're smart!"

Therefore, I plan to send you to Jinzhou—not just you, but also your Uncle Tang, leading his 11th Mixed Brigade, to oversee the reorganization of the army and the construction of the Jinzhou camp!