On the eve of the fall of Liaodong, he led his troops in a remonstrance against the young marshal.

Lushun was the former headquarters of the Kwantung Army.

This three-story brick building was originally the command center of the Kwantung Army. The chrysanthemum emblem at the entrance has been removed and replaced by a new black plaque with gold lettering.

Northeast Border Defense Army Headquarters of China.

In the square in front of the building, sentry posts are everywhere, one every three steps and one every five steps.

The sentries wore their newly issued winter training uniforms, with the ear flaps of their cotton hats pulled down to cover their ears, and their bayonets gleamed coldly in the morning light.

The front yard was full of military vehicles and jeeps.

The conference room on the second floor was filled with smoke.

This is a large conference room that can accommodate fifty people. In the center is a long mahogany conference table covered with a dark green woolen tablecloth.

The two rows of chairs against the wall were intended for minor generals, and they were already full.

All the bigwigs of the Northeast Army are here today, without exception.

Zhang Zuoxiang sat in the first seat on the left. This veteran of the Northeast Army was wearing a new military uniform today, with the collar buttoned up tightly. He sat upright like a statue.

Ma Zhanshan sat to the left of Zhang Zuoxiang, leaning back in his chair with an air of superiority, a Hademen cigarette between his fingers, smoke billowing from his nostrils and swirling around the chandelier above him.

Tang Yulin sat opposite him. This old general was even more rugged than Ma Zhanshan, with deep lines of flesh on his face, and he was picking his teeth with a matchstick.

Yu Xuezhong sat in the middle of the conference table, his military cap placed on the table in front of him, the brim facing the head of the table.

Wang Yizhe, Liu Duoquan, Chang Yuchun, and Zhu Wudi sat on the right side, the four of them very close together, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, as if afraid of being overheard.

Chang Yuchun and Zhu Wudi fought their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood alongside Zhang Xueming. In such a situation, they should have been considered "relatively junior," but no one dared to underestimate them.

One was the vanguard in the air battle of Lushun, and the other made the greatest contribution to the victory at Fengcheng. Although their military ranks were not high, the soldiers under their command were the most capable.

Li Changkong sat by the window, where sunlight streamed in, illuminating half of his face.

He didn't participate in any conversation, his arms were crossed, his eyes were closed, as if he were dozing off or resting.

Since leading his air force to bomb Lushun Port, his status in the Northeast Army has changed from a "technical officer who can fly planes" to a "strategic force with the power of life and death."

Navy Commander Shen Honglie sat in the far corner, wearing a dark blue navy overcoat with two gold anchor badges on the collar.

The Navy contributed the least to this great battle, so he chose the most inconspicuous position, silently smoking and not speaking to anyone.

And at the head of the conference table sat Zhang Xueliang today.

He hadn't sat in this position for a long time.

Since Zhang Xueliang returned from Beiping, all affairs of the Northeast Army, big and small, have been managed by the second son. He, the nominal commander of the Northeast Army, has not issued orders at military conferences for a long time.

But today, he sat in the main seat, his back ramrod straight, every button on his military uniform fastened tightly, his hair combed meticulously, and his chin slightly raised.

Zhang Xueming sat to his right, and Zhang Zuoxiang sat to his left.

One was his younger brother, and the other was his uncle.

One was a young marshal who held real power in the Northeast Army, and the other was a veteran and important minister of the Northeast Army.

Zhang Xueliang's gaze slowly swept over every face in the conference room, and a feeling he couldn't quite describe suddenly welled up inside him.

Some of these people were his father's old brothers who fought their way out of the bandits, some were his trusted confidants and beloved generals whom he had personally promoted, and some were his second brother's iron-willed henchmen who had been brought out from mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Today, they have come to see him off.

It's also to vindicate the second son.

Seeing that everyone was seated, Zhang Zuoxiang coughed lightly and stood up.

This veteran was highly respected in the Northeast Army. The moment he stood up, all the whispers in the meeting room instantly ceased.

"Gentlemen."

Zhang Zuoxiang's voice was old yet loud, carrying the straightforwardness characteristic of Northeasterners.

"I've called everyone here today because I have some very exciting news to announce."

He paused, turned around, and gave Zhang Xueliang a slight bow.

"Congratulations, Your Excellency, on your election as Premier!"

"From this day forward, he will hold supreme power over all national affairs, wielding immense authority and reaching the pinnacle of his position!"

"This is the glory of our Northeast Army, and the glory of all Northeasterners!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he was the first to applaud.

Thunderous applause erupted in the conference room.

Ma Zhanshan held the cigarette between his fingers and clapped his hands together loudly.

Tang Yulin grinned and laughed heartily, clapping as he laughed.

Shen Honglie stood up from the corner and clapped, and Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan also clapped.

Zhang Xueliang stood up, a smile on his face.

That smile held a hint of smugness, but also a subtle complexity.

He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and bowed deeply to the assembled generals.

"It is thanks to the efforts of everyone that Xueliang enjoys his current glory."

He spoke each word clearly, with the refined tone characteristic of the young marshal.

"These days, I have shared meals with you brothers using the same ladle, and I have learned a great deal from your generosity. I thank you all very much."

At this point, he stood up, slowly raised his right hand, his five fingers together, and his fingertips touching the brim of his hat.

A standard, impeccable military salute.

As if drawn by something, everyone stood up in unison.

Ma Zhanshan stood up, Zhang Zuoxiang stood up, Yu Xuezhong stood up, Wang Yizhe stood up, Chang Yuchun and Zhu Wudi sprang up from their chairs like springs, and even Shen Honglie, who was silently smoking in the corner, stood up.

Everyone raised their right hand at the same time.

He saluted the Premier of the Executive Yuan who was about to head south to take up his post.

Zhang Xueliang's eyes reddened.

He stood there, receiving salutes from a room full of generals, his chest feeling as if something was blocking it, unable to utter a single word.

After a moment, he took a deep breath, suppressed the sob in his throat, and spoke again:

"After today, Xueliang will head south to take up his post."

"The Premier of the Executive Yuan has a heavy responsibility. I am afraid that once I go to Jiangnan, I will no longer have time to take care of the affairs of the Northeast Army."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping over every face in the room.

"Therefore, in front of all of you old brothers today, I am handing over the position of Commander of the Northeast Army to my second brother, Xueming."

"After I finish speaking, who agrees and who disagrees?"

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the conference room seemed to freeze.

Although everyone knew this day would come sooner or later, when it actually arrived, everyone still involuntarily held their breath.

"General..."

Yu Xuezhong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but Zhang Zuoxiang silenced him with a look.

On the other side, Yuan Lang, Zhan Lang, Chang Yuchun, and Zhu Wudi almost simultaneously scanned the faces of the generals present.

Yuan Lang sat near the door, legs crossed, one hand on the holster at his waist, his thumb seemingly fiddling with the holster's hidden clasp.

Zhan Lang stood behind Zhang Xueming, his hands behind his back, his face expressionless, but his eyes, like searchlights, scanned everyone's faces.

A faint smile played on Chang Yuchun's lips as he tapped his fingers on the table. The rhythm sounded casual, but each tap was precisely what made everyone else's heart race.

Zhu Wudi was the most direct. He pushed his chair back half a foot, leaned forward slightly, and rested his hands on his knees, his posture resembling a cheetah ready to pounce at any moment.

They wanted to see which fool would dare to say "no".

The meeting room was silent for a good ten seconds.

No one speaks.

No one stood up.

These bigwigs of the Northeast Army have gained a clear understanding of the situation these past few days.

Zhang Xueming didn't come to discuss anything; he came to inform people.

He held the most elite troops in Northeast China, the strongest air force in China, and the prestige of the two great victories in Fengcheng and Lushun.

His rise to this position was a natural progression.

Zhang Zuoxiang was the first to break the silence.

"If that's the case, then it should be so."

He stood up and nodded slightly to Zhang Xueming, "Everyone has seen the achievements of the Second Marshal these past few days."

"With the Northeast Army in the hands of the Second Marshal, we old brothers can rest assured."

Ma Zhanshan nodded and stubbed out the cigarette butt, which was almost burning his finger, into the ashtray.

"I, Lao Ma, have no objection."

Tang Yulin grinned, revealing a mouthful of teeth stained yellow from smoking.

"This is how the two commanders fight."

He gave a thumbs up and said, "I, Tang Laohu, am convinced that the Northeast Army has been handed over to the Second Marshal."

Yu Xuezhong nodded silently at the end.

His 200,000-strong army had been transferred to Zhang Xueliang and sent south, his family was in Fengtian, and his base in Northeast China was in Zhang Xueming's hands.

Whether he says "agree" or "disagree," the outcome will be the same. So he chooses to remain silent.

Shen Honglie stood up from the corner and said:

"All officers and men of the Navy support the Second Marshal to take over as commander of the Northeast Army."

Wang Yizhe and Liu Duoquan exchanged a glance and stood up at the same time.

"Support the two commanders!"

The voices were perfectly synchronized, as if they had been rehearsed.

Passed unanimously.

No one objected.

Zhang Xueliang watched this scene, and he couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart.

These people had never so unanimously supported any decision when he was the commander of the Northeast Army.

Now, without any prompting from anyone, they stood up one by one to pledge their loyalty to his brother.

But he no longer had time to dwell on those things.

He turned around and walked to the front of the conference table.

There are three things there.

a knife.

A flag.

A seal.

The knife is the command knife of the commander of the Northeast Border Defense Army. The scabbard is engraved with the four characters "Protect the Border and Secure the People", and the handle is wrapped with a non-slip cowhide rope.

This knife was passed down from Zhang Zuolin. It was with this knife that Zhang Zuolin fought his way out of the bloodbath of the Central Plains War and ascended to the throne of the King of Northeast China.

The flag is the military flag of the Northeast Border Defense Army, with a black background and gold lettering, and a large "Zhang" character embroidered in the center.

The seal is the official seal of the commander-in-chief of the Northeast Border Defense Army. It is a palm-sized Hetian jade seal with a crouching tiger carved on the seal knob.

Once this seal is stamped, it can mobilize 300,000 troops in Northeast China and determine the life and death of the two provinces outside the Great Wall.

Zhang Xueliang bent down and picked up the command sword with both hands.

The scabbard gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the sunlight, and the icy touch sent shivers down his spine.

He turned around and faced Zhang Xueming.

"Second brother."

His voice was a little hoarse.

"This knife was left to us by our father."

"When he passed it on to me, he said that this knife was not for killing people, but for protecting the territory."

"The people of the four northeastern provinces are the parents of our Northeast Army. Our guns can only be pointed at outsiders, not at our own people."

He held the knife with both hands, raising it horizontally in front of Zhang Xueming.

"Today, I entrust this knife to you, hoping that you will live up to our father's last wish and the expectations of the people of the four northeastern provinces."

Zhang Xueming reached out and took the command sword.

"Don't worry, brother."

He held the knife in his hand, his fingers tracing the inscription "Protect the Borders and Secure the People" on the scabbard, before handing it to Zhan Lang behind him.

Zhanlang accepted it with both hands and took half a step back.

Zhang Xueliang picked up the military flag again.

The black flag was unfurled in his hand, and the large character "Zhang" on the flag gleamed golden in the sunlight streaming in through the window.

"This flag followed my father from western Liaoning to the interior of China; it is the totem of our Northeast Army."

He held the flag up in front of Zhang Xueming, "Second brother, keep it safe."

Zhang Xueming took the military flag and handed it to Yuan Lang.

Finally, Zhang Xueliang picked up the large seal.

The tiger seal knob made of Hetian jade was cool and smooth. He held the seal in his palm and looked at it for a long time.

Then he looked up at Zhang Xueming.

"Second brother."

"No matter how important an official seal is, it is not as important as the nation and the people; no matter how great one's power is, it is not as great as the hearts of the people."

"Remember what our father said: for the Zhang family, family and country come first."

He handed over the official seal.

Zhang Xueming accepted it with both hands and held it solemnly in his palms.

Then he raised the seal to his chest, letting his heartbeat travel through his palm to the cool Hetian jade.

"Don't worry, brother."

He looked into Zhang Xueliang's eyes and said, word by word, "Xueming will prioritize the nation and the Northeast, and will never fail my elder brother's trust."

Zhang Xueliang finally smiled.

That smile held the relief of having a heavy burden lifted, the anticipation of heading south to take up a new post, the trust in his second brother, and the hope for the future.

"Then I'm relieved."

He released his grip, turned around, and faced all the Northeast Army generals in the conference room.

"Gentlemen! From this day forward, all military and political affairs of the Northeast Army will be under the command of the Second Marshal!"

Everyone in the conference room stood up, faced Zhang Xueming, and gave a unanimous military salute.

"Obey the Second Commander's orders!"

The sound struck the walls of the conference room and bounced back, echoing in everyone's ears.

Enduring and uninterrupted.

The transfer of power in the Northeast Army was as expected by the people, and everything seemed so natural.

Zhang Xueming, as a new official, made three bold moves, which caused a sensation throughout China!