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

Early in the morning, Gu Cheng had just finished washing up and was sitting in the side hall eating the breakfast that Xiao Xue had brought him—a bowl of hot millet porridge, two plates of refreshing side dishes, and two steamed buns.

He had been preoccupied with military affairs for days and rarely had a quiet morning. Just as he was about to have a proper meal, a noisy commotion came from outside the courtyard, with faint sounds of crying and cursing mixed in.

Then it got louder and louder, more and more chaotic.

Gu Cheng put down his chopsticks and called out towards the door, "What's all the commotion so early in the morning?"

The mansion's butler, Zhou Ran, rushed in from outside the courtyard, trying his best to remain calm: "Master Gu, something's happened! Chairman Lu of the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce... is dead!"

Gu Cheng's heart skipped a beat, and his eyes widened in shock: "What did you say?! Dead... How did he die?"

Zhou Ran lowered his voice: "When his servants found him this morning, he was already hanging from the study beam. There was a suicide note left on the table..."

"A suicide note?" Gu Cheng's brows furrowed even more. "What was written in the suicide note?"

Zhou Ran glanced at Gu Cheng's face, hesitated, and finally forced himself to speak: "The suicide note said... that he was forced to his death by you, Master Gu. It said that you used him as a scapegoat to establish your authority, and when you investigated the accounts, you couldn't stand it, so..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.

The side hall fell silent instantly; you could hear a pin drop.

Yang Song's face turned ashen, and he gritted his teeth, cursing, "What utter bullshit! When did Master Gu force him? This is clearly a frame-up!"

Gu Cheng didn't say anything, but slowly sat back in his chair, picked up the bowl of millet porridge, and took a sip.

The porridge had gone cold and tasted bland, but his mind was racing.

Lu Shoulian is dead.

The timing of his death was so coincidental; it happened right when the audit was being conducted.

She even left a suicide note, specifically naming him as the one who drove her to her death.

This wasn't suicide; it was silencing him.

Moreover, it killed two birds with one stone—it eliminated Lu Shoulian, who might have leaked the secret, and also shifted the blame onto Gu Cheng.

"Are those people outside Lu Shoulian's family?" Gu Cheng put down his bowl and looked up at Zhou Ran.

Zhou Ran shook his head: "It's not just family members, but also a group of merchants from the Jinzhou Chamber of Commerce. I don't know where they got the news from, but they gathered at the entrance of the travel agency early this morning, saying... saying they want to seek justice for Chairman Lu. There are quite a few people, probably over a hundred, and they've completely blocked the entrance."

Gu Cheng sneered.

The news spread really fast.

Lu Shoulian's body had probably just cooled down when this group of people neatly lined up at the entrance of the brigade headquarters.

He doesn't believe it unless someone secretly instigates it.

"Master Gu, should I take some men and kick them out?" Yang Song asked angrily. "These people believe anything they hear. What does Lu Shoulian's suicide have to do with you? If this continues, I—"

"Drive them away?" Gu Cheng looked up at him. "If you drive them away when there are hundreds of people blocking the entrance to the brigade, it will confirm that you have a guilty conscience. At that time, not only in Jinzhou City, but even in Fengtian, people will spread rumors that I, Gu Cheng, forced the president of the Chamber of Commerce to death and bullied others by abusing my power."

"Then... what should we do? We can't just let them keep making a scene like this, can we?"

Yang Song was taken aback.

Gu Cheng stood up, straightened his clothes, and said calmly, "What should we do? Go outside and talk to me face to face."

"Master Gu!" Yang Song exclaimed anxiously, "Those people outside are really getting angry. If you go out now, what if someone tries something bad—"

"So you have to come along." Gu Cheng interrupted him, then looked at Zhou Ran, "Go, invite Uncle Ji and Brother Liu over, tell them to bring their weapons, but don't show them, just stand in the crowd. Also, send someone to invite Mr. Liu Chen, tell him that Lu Shoulian is dead, and ask him to come over."

Zhou Ran turned and jogged out the door, while Gu Cheng straightened his clothes and walked towards the courtyard.

Yang Song quickly followed, his hand on the gun handle at his waist, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily.

Outside the brigade headquarters, a dense crowd of people stood.

There were merchants in long gowns, servants of the Lu family dressed in mourning clothes, onlookers, and some unfamiliar faces with ordinary clothes but exceptionally sharp eyes—Gu Cheng glanced at them and immediately understood their identities.

Someone in the crowd spotted Gu Cheng walking out and immediately shouted, "Gu Jingchuan is out!"

That shout was like stirring up a hornet's nest; the previously noisy crowd instantly erupted into a frenzy.

"Commander Gu! What exactly did Chairman Lu do wrong that you're driving him to his death!"

"Chairman Lu has been operating in Jinzhou for twenty years and has always been kind to everyone. You've only been here a few days, and you've already driven him to the brink of suicide!"

"A life for a life! Give Chairman Lu an explanation!"

The cries, shouts, and questions mingled together, making one's eardrums ache.

Gu Cheng stood on the steps, his gaze calmly sweeping over the crowd. Only after the noise subsided slightly did he slowly speak.

"Gentlemen, I just heard about Chairman Lu's matter."

"Just heard about it?" A middle-aged man in a silk robe sneered from the crowd. "Commander Gu, you make it sound so easy! You've been auditing the accounts for days, and this morning Chairman Lu hanged himself from a beam in his house. There was a suicide note on the table, stating in black and white that you drove him to his death—and you think you can wash your hands of the responsibility with just 'just heard about it'?"

Gu Cheng's gaze fell on the man's face, and he asked unhurriedly, "Sir, you seem to know more than I do? You've read Chairman Lu's will?"

The middle-aged man was taken aback, then puffed out his chest: "The Lu family showed it to me, so what? Is that not allowed?"

"Alright." Gu Cheng nodded. "Then let me ask you—besides mentioning that I checked the accounts, did the will specify what I found out? Did it mention what wrong Chairman Lu had done that made him afraid of my investigation?"

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

Gu Cheng didn't give him time to think and continued, "During my time in Jinzhou, I, Gu Jingchuan, have indeed been checking the material accounts at the camp construction site. This is official business, an order from my superiors, not because I, Gu Cheng, have any personal grudge against Chairman Lu."

What was found in the accounts is still undetermined, and Chairman Lu has not been punished in any way—why would I force him to commit suicide? Wouldn't that just create more trouble for my investigation?

His cold gaze swept across the crowd, and everyone he looked at involuntarily turned their eyes away. "Also, I, as the garrison commander of Jinzhou, deeply regret Chairman Lu's suicide. But I cannot admit that I forced him to his death."

A commotion arose in the crowd; some whispered among themselves, while others murmured amongst themselves.

The middle-aged man, regaining his composure, shouted again, "You think you can just deny it like that? Now that such a big thing has happened, of course you're going to try to deny it! Do you think you can just confess on your own?"

Upon hearing this, another chorus of agreement erupted from the crowd: "Yes, who would confess on their own?"

"Commander Gu, if you are innocent, please explain yourself clearly!"

Just as Gu Cheng was about to speak, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from the back of the crowd: "Make way! Make way, everyone!"

Everyone turned around and saw Mo Dehui, accompanied by several attendants, sweating profusely as he squeezed through the crowd and staggered to the steps.

His long robe was covered in mud, and his hat was askew, clearly indicating that he had run all the way. He took a few breaths, panting, and then straightened up, holding his knees.