LRAB Chapter 123 Ordered to welcome our young marshal's father-in-law southward
Chapter 123 Ordered to welcome our young marshal's father-in-law southward
May 28, 1925, Shanghai, Chen Mansion.
Chen Zijun glanced down at the system panel.
[Host: Chen Zijun]
[Unlimited spending system in operation... Current fund acquisition speed: 1.5 pounds/second]
Current available funds: £3,645,800
[Recent Major Expenditures: Cumulative Funding for the Raw Silk Defense Campaign (£780 million)]
[Recent Gains: Systemic growth + unrealized gains from the appreciation of raw silk spot prices (estimated at approximately £320 million)]
With a cash balance of nearly three million pounds, plus a huge amount of raw silk assets stockpiled, Chen Jiajun's economic foundation was not weakened by this financial war; on the contrary, it expanded significantly.
But at this moment, Chen Zijun had no mind to look at these numbers.
He stood on the second-floor corridor of the Chen mansion, looking down at the figure in the garden who was organizing a medicine box.
Cao Qingdi.
She had just returned from a resettlement site for displaced people in Pudong. Her white coat was still stained with yellowish-brown mud, and a few strands of hair slipped from her ears, gently blowing in the early summer breeze of Jiangnan. She squatted beside the flowerbed, carefully and attentively repackaging bottles of medicine into wooden crates.
Chen Zijun looked at her for a few seconds, then walked down the stairs.
The footsteps startled Cao Qingdi. She looked up and saw Chen Zijun walking over. She quickly stood up, subconsciously tidying her slightly messy hair, and a blush of embarrassment rose on her face.
"Brother Chen, you're back? I just came from Pudong..."
"I know." Chen Zijun walked up to her, reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, his voice soft, "Sister Cao, you've worked hard."
Cao Qingdi's face flushed even more. She lowered her head and said softly, "It's not hard work. Many of the refugee children over there have fevers, and we don't have enough sulfonamides. I have to send another batch over tomorrow..."
"I'll have Mo Huixin handle the sulfonamide matter; you don't need to do it yourself."
Chen Zijun interrupted her, then looked into her eyes and said seriously, "Sister Cao, there's something I need to tell you."
"What is it?"
"I have already sent Shen Li to Beiping."
Cao Qingdi was stunned.
"Go and pick up your father."
Chen Zijun continued, "Uncle Cao has been in Beiping for too long. He is your father and also my father-in-law. I will not let him be held hostage there alone."
Cao Qingdi's eyes immediately reddened.
Her father, Cao Yu, was the former president. After being ousted from power in a coup d'état by General Feng's Northwest Army during the Second Zhili-Fengtian War, he had been under house arrest in a residence in Beiping. For more than half a year, she had been worried day and night, but she had never asked Chen Zijun for anything.
Because she knew this matter was far too sensitive. Although her father had lost power, the title of "former president" remained an important political pawn in the eyes of various factions. To rashly accept the position could very well trigger a direct conflict with the northern warlords.
She didn't want to cause trouble for Chen Zijun.
But now, Chen Zijun has spoken up.
"Little brother..." Cao Qingdi's voice trembled slightly, tears welling up in her eyes, "You...you really want to?"
"What does 'willing or not' mean?"
Chen Zijun frowned, his tone carrying an undeniable air of dominance, "We were betrothed since childhood, we even had a wedding ceremony and played house together. Do you think you can run away? Besides, your father is my elder. Every day he suffers injustice in Beiping, the Chen family loses face. Shen Li has already set off with a company of elite troops; Uncle Cao will arrive in Shanghai within a week at the latest. Then I'll call my father over, and we'll have a drink together..."
"And," he paused, a slight smile playing on his lips, his voice softening, "once your father arrives in Shanghai, we'll hold the wedding. I want all of China to know that Cao Qingdi is my lawfully wedded wife, Chen Zijun."
Cao Qingdi could no longer hold back.
She suddenly threw herself into Chen Zijun's arms, clutching his clothes tightly with both hands, her shoulders shaking as she wept silently.
Chen Zijun didn't say anything, but simply raised his hand and gently patted her back.
The oleanders in the garden swayed gently in the breeze, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the two people.
This ruthless and cold-blooded young marshal finally revealed a hint of tenderness typical of a man in his twenties in front of his woman.
……
Two days later.
May 30, 1925, Qianmen Railway Station in Beiping.
A military train painted with dark gray bulletproof paint slowly pulled into the platform amidst a screech of brakes.
Before the train had even come to a complete stop, the platform was already in complete chaos.
The stationmaster, military police on duty, railway police, and even a few intelligence agents in plainclothes all rushed to the platform and craned their necks to look into the train carriages.
Because they had received advance notice that the special train was carrying elite troops of the Chen family army from the south.
Chen Jiajun.
In 1925 China, these three words had become a symbol that made all warlords tremble with fear. Sinking the Izumo, annihilating the Fengtian clique's 100,000-strong army, and using 88mm anti-aircraft guns to sweep away Japanese aircraft in a direct fire... one victory after another had already spread throughout the country through newspapers and radio.
Now, this legendary unit has actually appeared in Beiping!
The car door opened.
The first person to step down was a lean, stern-faced young officer.
Shen Li.
He wore a crisp, grey-green German military uniform, a Browning pistol tucked into his belt, and gleaming riding boots. His eyes, hidden beneath his cap, were cold and sharp. After scanning the faces on the platform, a mixture of curiosity and fear, he slightly raised his chin.
"get off."
With this command.
Whoosh—!
One hundred and twenty fully armed German-trained guards filed out of the carriages like a steel torrent!
The uniform M35 German-style steel helmets gleamed coldly under the platform lights. Each person had an MP18 submachine gun slung across their chest, and their waists were laden with magazines and grenades. At the very back of the line, four burly men carried two MG34 general-purpose machine guns, their dark muzzles slowly sweeping across the crowd under their watchful eyes.
The entire platform fell into an instant silence so profound you could hear a pin drop.
Everyone was stunned by the equipment and imposing presence of this unit.
What was the army like in Beiping? Worn-out Hanyang rifles, patched gray uniforms, and emaciated soldiers who couldn't even get enough to eat.
And this team in front of us?
Each of them was equipped with better gear than the complete outfit of the Beiping Garrison Commander!
An old military policeman couldn't help but swallow hard, whispering to his companion beside him, "My God... this isn't a pickup, this is clearly a war!"
Shen Li ignored the whispers around him. He led his team to the platform exit, preparing to board the truck that had been arranged in advance.
Suddenly, a chaotic sound of horses' hooves came from afar.
More than thirty warhorses trotted across the gravel road, kicking up a cloud of dust, and came to a stop in front of the train station gate. Seated on their backs were a group of soldiers dressed in grey-blue uniforms, with large swords at their waists.
Northwest Army.
The leader was a burly middle-aged military officer with the insignia of a major general on his shoulder. His face was full of menacing features, and his triangular eyes revealed shrewdness and arrogance.
He dismounted and swaggered toward Shen Li, his face plastered with a fake smile.
"Oh, isn't this the famous Chen Family Army? I am Liu Guanglie, commander of the Third Brigade of the Beiping Garrison, here to welcome our distinguished guest on General Feng's orders!"
Shen Li stopped and gave him a cold look.
"No need to be so polite. I'm here on personal business on Commander Chen's orders. I don't need a welcome, nor do I wish to disturb you."
"Hey, you can't say that!" Liu Guanglie rubbed his hands together, his eyes darting between the submachine guns and machine guns, his greed practically overflowing. "Beiping is General Feng's territory. Your Chen family army brothers brought so many weapons in; according to the rules, you should register with the garrison command first. And..."
He licked his lips, his tone changing: "As for weapons, according to the Beiping Garrison Regulations, the firearms of visiting troops must be temporarily handed over to the Garrison Command for safekeeping. They will be returned when you finish your business and leave."
The air on the platform suddenly froze.
Shen Li didn't speak. He simply tilted his head slightly and glanced at Liu Guanglie.
That glance was like looking at a cockroach that had no sense of its own mortality.
Then, he gently raised his right hand.
Splash splash splash splash—!
One hundred and twenty MP18 submachine guns and two MG34 general-purpose machine guns completed the bolt-loading action at the same instant!
The crisp, dense clanging of metal rang out on the quiet platform, like more than a hundred cold death pronouncements!
All the gun barrels were pointed at Liu Guanglie and the thirty-odd Northwest Army cavalrymen behind him.
Liu Guanglie's smile froze on his face. The cavalrymen behind him turned pale, and several warhorses were so startled by the sudden metallic sound that they stumbled backward, almost throwing their riders off.
Shen Li took a step forward and leaned close to Liu Guanglie. His voice wasn't loud, but every word pierced Liu's ears like a knife.
"Brigadier Liu, I'm saying this once, listen carefully."
"We came to Beiping on orders to welcome our young marshal's father-in-law south. Who our young marshal's father-in-law is, I don't need to explain, do I?"
"The 120 brothers under my command are all sharpshooters enough to turn you 30-odd men into sieves in three seconds."
"You can try to stop me. But I suggest you think about one thing before you do."
Shen Li smiled slightly, a smile colder than the winter winds of Beiping.
"Was the Izumo at Wusongkou big enough? Was it tough enough? What was its final fate?"
"Since we, a group of over one hundred people, chose to come, we have made all the necessary preparations!"
"It doesn't matter if we die, but please, General Feng and Marshal Zhang, think about it: next time, it will be the Central Reorganized 10th Division and the Shanghai Independent Armored Brigade..."
Liu Guanglie's face changed from red to white in an instant, and then from white to green.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.