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

Gu Cheng was about to bow and agree, but Zhang Zuolin gently stopped him, saying, "Young man, don't rush to agree—this job won't be easy!"

As he spoke, his expression grew increasingly solemn. "Although Wang Xiucai is in charge there, the local garrison and its finances are not in good shape right now."

Furthermore, banditry is rampant around Jinzhou, and the Zhili army is also lurking near Shanhaiguan... Defending Jinzhou is not as simple as you think.

Gu Cheng remained silent.

Actually, the old fox only mentioned the difficulties on the ground in Jinzhou:

His trip to Jinzhou this time was ill-fated in terms of timing, location, and popular support.

Especially the "human element": Tang Yulin is rough and has a lot of old habits. This time, he lost so much face in front of the commander-in-chief. He has to reorganize the army and transfer people away from Fengtian. Who knows how this guy will cause trouble with his confidants.

"My lord, if I were to refuse because of these difficulties, I would truly be betraying your and Hanqing's trust."

Gu Cheng showed no sign of backing down. "The more difficult it is, the more someone should shoulder the burden. You and the Military Academy have nurtured me so well, and Hanqing has placed immense trust in me and my brother. Naturally, I must take good care of the Northeast."

"Don't worry, when Fourth Uncle goes to suppress the bandits, I'll coordinate the army's training and repairs... With this internal and external cooperation, we'll definitely make Jinzhou an impregnable fortress."

After saying this, Zhang Zuolin's shrewd eyes lit up, and then he patted his shoulder again and laughed heartily: "Good lad! I really didn't misjudge you - alright, since we've come this far, I have to give you some power."

Listen up, from today onwards, you are the Chief of Staff of the 11th Mixed Brigade. In addition, all the former Jinzhou garrison troops will be incorporated into your command, forming a regiment.

As for Tang Yulin, if he dares to disobey orders, you can telegraph me immediately, and I, the Marshal, will remove him on the spot!

Upon hearing this, Gu Cheng slammed his military boots down, making a loud thud: "Yes, sir! Gu Jingchuan will definitely complete the mission!"

…………

On the way back to the Feng family's old residence, Feng Delin heard about the job Gu Cheng had brought and was so angry that he cursed Zhang Zuolin for being a scoundrel. Instead of arranging a good place for him, Zhang Zuolin sent his precious nephew to Jinzhou, a godforsaken place.

Gu Cheng could only manage a wry smile upon hearing this: "Uncle, what are you saying? Jinzhou is a crucial military stronghold connecting the inside and outside of the region, and it's also the first line of defense for our Fengtian Army when we retreated beyond the Great Wall to guard against the Zhili Army... How can you call it some godforsaken place?"

Feng Delin raised his hand and smacked him on the back of the head: "You brat, you're trying to lecture me now, aren't you?"

Gu Cheng smiled wryly, and the group remained silent for the rest of the journey.

Upon returning to the Feng family's old residence, the Marshal's Mansion issued its second order: to establish the Northeast Aviation Bureau, with Feng Yong appointed as deputy regimental commander and transferred to the Aviation Bureau as counselor.

But his father, Feng Delin, picked up the order, glanced at it, and as if he had expected it, simply hummed indifferently before turning and going into his study. Soon after, the sound of a telephone call could be heard from inside.

Occasionally, one could hear a few swear words, and Gu Cheng also vaguely heard phrases like "good brother" and "after all these years, you've come to help out."

It wasn't until dinner time that Feng Delin, whose expression had softened slightly, came out of his study and called his steward, Feng Jing.

Tell him to prepare a draft for two thousand silver dollars, and then go to the warehouse to retrieve the original "Bamboo and Rock Painting".

Before Gu Cheng could even refuse the two items, Feng Delin pressed his hand down and said solemnly, "This draft can be withdrawn from the Jinzhou Zhengjin Bank, a total of two thousand silver dollars... Remember, you are now the acting regimental commander there, and also the chief of staff of the mixed brigade. Everything costs money; we can't let people laugh at our Feng family for being stingy—"

Erhu is a greedy and lustful scoundrel. You are, after all, the junior, so you can give him some money to keep him in check, since you'll be working together in the future. But if he openly opposes you, use Yuting's orders to pressure him, and then call your uncle! Let's see how I deal with him!

Also, I've settled things over there, and I've found you a suitable bodyguard who'll be coming to the house in the next day or two.

Gu Cheng held the thin draft in his hand, and looking at his earnest expression, felt a warmth in his heart:

Feng Delin had been in business for many years, and the Feng family was quite wealthy. However, these two thousand silver dollars were equivalent to six or seven hundred thousand yuan in modern terms, which was definitely not a small amount.

And even though he scolded me on the way back, he still spent money and effort on me, working hard for me for most of the day.

Gu Cheng quickly stood up and said, "Thank you so much, Uncle, for taking care of me! Please rest assured, I will definitely do my job well."

Feng Delin waved his hand and said, "Also, that pedantic scholar Wang Yongjiang spares no expense, but he loves calligraphy and painting... This 'Bamboo and Rock' painting was brought back by your brother. Take some time to visit him."

Gu Cheng was deeply moved: "Uncle, you've worried so much about me, yet I can't be there to help you and fulfill my filial duties—"

Feng Delin interrupted him irritably, "Here we go again, huh? I hate it when you scholars dawdle like this! How old am I, your uncle? Whether I should fulfill my filial duties or not can wait... Just don't cause me any more trouble!"

Even so, he still gave him a long lecture, and even during dinner he kept reminding him that the situation in Jinzhou was more complicated than in Fengtian.

Tang Erhu was even more restless, telling him to be very careful. If things got really difficult, he should send a telegram home and he would try to get Gu Cheng transferred back.

Feng Yong also repeatedly said that if he needed help, he would apply to be transferred from the Aviation Department to Jinzhou... He and his brother would definitely be able to do a good job if they worked together.

Gu Cheng quickly reassured the two that he would report back to them as soon as he arrived in Jinzhou.

Gu Cheng didn't rest for the next few days either.

In addition to contacting Yang Yuting and Zhang Xueliang to coordinate military affairs in Jinzhou, they also organized detailed defense maps and military supply allocation approvals.

While Zhang Xueliang, Zhang Zuoxiang, Guo Songling, and others were busy reorganizing the army, they attached great importance to Gu Cheng's mission and immediately transferred 30 soldiers from the guard brigade to serve as his personal guards.

However, just as Gu Cheng was making preparations, Tang Yulin said that his 11th Mixed Brigade was "not fully manned and its weapons were in need of repair" and refused to set off for Jinzhou.

Gu Cheng knew that the old man was angry and was deliberately putting on a show of force to intimidate him.

However, he was unwilling to clash with Tang Yulin in Fengtian, so he decided to lead his team ahead to make arrangements.

In addition to the personal guards assigned to him by Zhang Xueliang, Gu Cheng also contacted his good friend Gao Tianqi, who was at the military academy at the time.

In addition, Zhang Zuoxiang's second son, Zhang Tingshu, volunteered to go to Jinzhou with him.

It was already the evening of the third day when the troops arrived at the Jingfeng Railway outpost outside Dongguan in Jinzhou.

The setting sun bathed the mud walls of the outpost in a dim yellow hue, and in the distance, several Fengtian soldiers could be seen lighting a bonfire, roasting meat and flatbread while drinking and chatting idly.

Laughter mixed with lewd remarks could be heard continuously. When they got closer, they found that Gu Cheng and the others were in disheveled uniforms, their weapons were carelessly thrown against the wall or at their feet, and they did not even have the vigilance that sentries should have.