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

Gu Cheng stood up solemnly: "I will keep Min Gong's teachings in mind."

Wang Yongjiang gestured for him to sit down: "If you're willing to listen to my rambling, then my concern for these things during my illness won't have been in vain."

As he spoke, he pulled a document from the table and handed it to Gu Cheng. "This is Mo Dehui's proposed grain allocation plan. Take a look. If there's anything wrong with it, tell me as soon as possible, and I'll have him revise it."

Gu Cheng took it and examined it line by line by the light.

The study fell silent for a moment, with only the occasional faint sound of the lamp flame popping and the intermittent chirping of insects outside the window.

Wang Yongjiang leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to rest, and his breathing gradually calmed down.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Gu Cheng finished reading the document in his hand. He looked up and was about to speak when he noticed that Wang Yongjiang had opened his eyes at some point and was staring straight at him.

In that gaze, besides scrutiny, there was also a hint of an indescribable emotion.

He seems... a little angry.

Gu Cheng was somewhat taken aback. In that instant, the man in front of him, who held real power in Northeast China, seemed like a child whose beloved toy had been taken away.

"Min Gong?" After a brief moment of distraction, Gu Cheng still asked softly.

Wang Yongjiang remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, his voice lower: "Jingchuan, there's something I want to ask you."

Gu Cheng put down the documents and sat up straight: "Min Gong, please speak."

Wang Yongjiang tapped the armrest twice with his right hand, as if he was carefully considering his words.

He took a deep breath, his gaze falling on Gu Cheng's face: "You and Yu You have been getting quite close lately?"

Gu Cheng's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he remained calm and said, "Miss Wang is gentle and courteous, and very attentive to the affairs of Jinzhou... Ever since the camp encountered some trouble, she has frequently come to deliver supplies, and I greatly respect her character. As for the rest—"

Wang Yongjiang interrupted him: "You know I'm not talking about that! Yuyou is young and naive. She only felt passionate when she saw the incident at the Jinzhou camp. How could she know..."

At this point, the sudden change in his emotions caused him to burst into another violent cough. Gu Cheng was startled and quickly got up to pat his back repeatedly: "Min Gong! Don't worry—no matter what, I really shouldn't have gotten too close to your daughter, I..."

Wang Yongjiang coughed while waving his hand to indicate that he was alright.

She then picked up the soup and took two more sips, waiting until her breathing calmed down a bit: "How could I not know what's on my mind about my own daughter?"

He put the soup bowl back on the table, his gaze falling on Gu Cheng's face. "Once she's made up her mind, not even nine oxen could pull her back."

Gu Cheng lowered his eyes and remained silent.

Wang Yongjiang leaned back in his chair and sighed, "I'm not blaming you. You're the commander-in-chief's handpicked general of Jinzhou, young and promising, with a limitless future. If Yuyou were just an ordinary family's daughter, it wouldn't matter—"

He then lowered his voice even further, "But she is my daughter, Wang Yongjiang's daughter. Think about it, what's the situation in Jinzhou right now? We haven't caught the Japanese spies yet, we haven't cleaned up the traitors within the army, and Tang Yulin's old subordinates are just looking for an excuse to cause trouble. If word gets out that you're getting close to my daughter, what will people say?"

Gu Cheng looked up: "What does Min Gong mean..."

"They'll say that you, Gu Jingchuan, are trying to curry favor with the Wang family to gain a foothold in Jinzhou; they'll say you're an opportunist who rose to power through nepotism." Wang Yongjiang said, emphasizing each word, "You've worked so hard to eliminate internal troubles in Jinzhou, and the next step is to continue reorganizing the army... Are you going to let these rumors ruin your hard-earned prestige?"

Gu Cheng was silent for a moment, then said, "I understand Min Gong's concerns. But I have absolutely no improper thoughts about Miss Wang."

Wang Yongjiang looked at him with a mixture of relief, helplessness, and a hint of barely perceptible regret in his eyes.

"I know you're not that kind of person," he said slowly, "but you can't stop people from gossiping. You've only been in Jinzhou for a short time, your position isn't stable yet, but you've already made quite a few enemies. Those who are watching you openly and secretly are just looking for something to do with you."

Gu Cheng nodded: "I understand. From now on, I will be careful not to make things difficult for Lord Min, nor will I let Miss Wang be implicated in the slightest."

Hearing him say this, Wang Yongjiang's tense expression finally relaxed a bit: "It's good that you think this way."

After saying that, he picked up the soup bowl again and slowly took two sips, as if trying to calm his mind.

Gu Cheng sat quietly to the side, waiting for him to speak.

After a moment, Wang Yongjiang put down his soup bowl, looked up at him, and said, "Enough of these sentimental matters. Let's get down to business—what do you think of Mo Dehui's grain allocation plan?"

Gu Cheng picked up the thread: "Overall, it's safe. However, regarding the transportation capacity, while taking the rail from Fengtian to Jinzhou is certainly faster, the South Manchuria Railway line is not very safe. I suggest that a portion be taken by land, although it will be slower, it will be more reliable."

Wang Yongjiang nodded slightly: "You've considered everything thoroughly. Anything else?"

"After the supplies arrive in batches, the storage locations will need to be replanned." Gu Cheng stood up, walked to the Jinzhou defense map hanging on the wall, and pointed to two places. "The newly built warehouses at the main camp construction site are not stable enough. I suggest we borrow the old granary in the west of the city for now. I went to see it after the main camp caught fire... It's on higher ground, relatively dry, and has existing sentry posts, which will save us a lot of trouble."

Wang Yongjiang nodded repeatedly: "It seems you've been running around Jinzhou quite a bit these days."

Gu Cheng turned around and smiled modestly: "Since the commander trusts me so much, I must thoroughly understand the territory before I begin."

Wang Yongjiang smiled and said, "Alright, you can handle these matters. I'll have Liu Chen keep an eye on the supplies. You just need to focus on the main camp and the army's reorganization. Once Jinzhou is stable, it'll be easier for me to negotiate with Fengtian."

After saying that, he carefully stood up, supporting himself on the mahogany table, and slowly walked to the bookshelf. Then, he took out two ledgers with practiced ease. "Jingchuan, in principle, these ledgers should not be given to you, but... right now we need to investigate the source of the building materials, and besides, I trust your character, so I'm lending them to you to assist in the investigation."

Gu Cheng looked grateful and took the two ledgers with both hands: "Please rest assured, Lord Min, I will keep the ledgers safe and sound. I will only review them myself and will not entrust them to anyone else."

Wang Yongjiang's gaze lingered on Gu Cheng's face for a moment, before he finally sighed, "It's getting late, you should go back. Remember what I just said—be mindful of your behavior."

Gu Cheng stood up and bowed solemnly: "Farewell, Lord Min. Please take good care of yourself and don't overwork yourself."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the door.

He had only taken two steps when Wang Yongjiang's voice came from behind him, tinged with weariness and earnestness: "Jingchuan."

Gu Cheng stopped and turned around.

"This game in Jinzhou is not easy to play." Wang Yongjiang leaned back in his chair, his gaze deep. "You need to make every move carefully. Don't rush things, and don't be afraid of offending people. Be patient when you need to be patient, and don't hesitate when you need to act."

Gu Cheng straightened up and nodded solemnly: "I've got it."