Chapter 7

PS: First update is here, please add to your collection and give a recommendation! Thank you to the book friend "Pindao Guduzi" for the tip! Xiao Yu has conducted a survey, and welcomes book friends to vote. The protagonist's future as an emperor or a president will be decided by the votes of the book friends!

As cherry blossoms danced in the wind, Misaki opened the old diary and read the words of promise written there.

"Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother."

"Those of you who are traitors, you dare to plot against the officials of the court, you are rebelling, and you will be punished with the destruction of your families!" After Zhao Erlxun was captured, even though he was tied up, he still seemed to have not recognized the reality and instead continued to speak rudely, constantly threatening the other soldiers.

Some of the soldiers, who had never seen such a scene, were indeed frightened by Zhao Erlxun's threats.

"What are you standing there for? Take him inside, the generals are waiting!" Wu Haoxuan and James happened to pass by and, upon hearing Zhao Erlxun's threats, immediately ordered the soldiers.

"Yes, Young Master!" These soldiers were all under Wu Xingquan's command and naturally recognized Wu Haoxuan, so they immediately pushed Zhao Erlxun forward.

Upon seeing Wu Haoxuan and James, Zhao Erlxun immediately widened his eyes.

"Even foreigners? Bastards, you guys actually collude with foreigners, you are traitors to your own people!"

Wu Haoxuan shook his head speechlessly, exchanged a few words with James, and then walked towards the main hall of the governor's residence. At this point, the entire governor's residence had been taken control of, and the fighting within the city had ended. The troops loyal to Zhao Erlxun had either been annihilated or surrendered, with almost no resistance left.

The soldiers of this era, after the First Sino-Japanese War and the invasion by the Eight-Nation Alliance, had long forgotten their duties. Many people had no other choice but to join the army to make a living. They were paid to serve, and it was impossible to expect them to risk their lives.

Zhao Erlxun had only taken over as the governor of Shengjing for two months and had not yet cultivated a loyal core of subordinates. As a result, when Zhang Yuting, Wu Xingquan, and others rebelled, he not only received no advance warning but also had no one to rely on.

If Zhao Erlxun had arrived in Fengtian two years earlier, with his abilities, he would have certainly turned Fengtian into an iron fortress. Any rebellion would have been impossible.

In the main hall of the governor's residence, Ma Tengxi, Wu Xingquan, Feng Lingge, and Zhang Yuting were seated, their faces showing unhidden excitement and agitation. They probably had not expected their actions to be so easy! Not only did they easily capture the governor's residence, but they also captured Zhao Erlxun alive. Their plan had been realized, and now they just needed to follow through with it. Soon, they would become the provincial governors with full authority.

At this moment, Zhao Erlxun was brought into the hall. He seemed to have recognized the reality and stopped cursing, but the anger on his face could not be hidden.

"Hmph! You guys, I treated you well, yet you openly rebel against the court. Have your consciences been eaten by dogs?" Upon seeing Ma Tengxi and the others, Zhao Erlxun immediately began to curse.

Instantly, the expressions on their faces varied. Ma Tengxi's eyes flashed with a hint of shame, and Wu Xingquan's expression was somewhat unnatural. Feng Lingge's face showed a flash of anger, and if it were not for the agreement with Yuan Shikai to send Zhao Erlxun to Yanjing, he might have ordered him to be killed to silence him. As for Zhang Yuting, his face was expressionless, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"General, we are truly sorry. However, we are following the orders of Mr. Yuan, and we had no choice but to do this!" Zhang Yuting said directly.

"Yuan Shikai? You actually collude with that traitor Yuan Shikai? Don't you know that Yuan Shikai is a traitor who wants to usurp the throne? No, you are just as much a traitor as Yuan Shikai!" Zhao Erlxun looked as if he had suddenly realized something. At the same time, he appeared very regretful. If he had known these people had ulterior motives, he would have dealt with them long ago and would not have ended up as a prisoner.

"Cough, cough! General, Mr. Yuan is a rare good official. The court's treatment of Mr. Yuan is truly unacceptable, which is why we... hope you can understand!" Ma Tengxi coughed and then said.

"Hmph! Talking is useless. I failed to recognize you traitors, and I have let down the court! Do what you will with me! I am a loyal subject of the Qing Dynasty, and I will die as a loyal ghost of the Qing Dynasty!" Zhao Erlxun showed great integrity, as if he was ready to die for his principles at any moment.

"General, rest assured, we will not kill you. Tomorrow, we will send you to the capital!" Wu Xingquan said.

"Hmph!" Zhao Erlxun still held his head high, not looking at them. It was as if looking at them would taint his eyes. However, upon hearing that he would not be killed, Zhao Erlxun did feel a bit relieved.

"Bring the General to rest, and send him to the capital early tomorrow morning!" Zhang Yuting ordered.

A few soldiers entered the hall and took Zhao Erlxun away. This time, Zhao Erlxun was very cooperative. He probably knew that he had no chance of turning the situation around.

After Zhao Erlxun left, Wu Haoxuan entered the hall.

"Congratulations, uncles, from today on, Northeast China will be ours!"

"Ha ha! I never thought we would become provincial governors!" Feng Lingge immediately laughed heartily. Wasn't this what they had always hoped for?

"Not just provincial governors, but we will be local tyrants who only follow orders and not summons." Zhang Yuting's face also showed a smile. After all, according to the agreement with Yuan Shikai, they would become the military and political leaders of Northeast China, and they would not have to follow orders from the capital. This was essentially an independent kingdom!

"Uncles, I have one more thing to say!"

"Haoxuan, no need for formalities. Just say what you have to say. You have done a great job this time!" Ma Tengxi had also calmed down and was no longer sad about becoming a traitor. After all, the success of this plan had brought him great benefits.

"Yes. Although we have succeeded this time, it will not be easy to truly control Northeast China. Besides the Shengjing Governor, there are also the Jilin Governor Fushun, the Heilongjiang Governor Cheng Dequan, and the Rehe Governor Kuishun. Without dealing with these people, we cannot control all of Northeast China!"

"Fushun and Cheng Dequan are relatively more troublesome, but Kuishun only has a few thousand troops and is not a threat!" Feng Lingge said nonchalantly. In the three provinces of Northeast China, Fengtian was the most important. At this time, the total population of Northeast China was 20 million, and Fengtian accounted for half of it. In terms of military and economic strength, Jilin and Heilongjiang could not compare to Fengtian.

"Besides these local forces, we also need to be wary of Yuan Shikai!" Wu Haoxuan continued.

"Yuan Shikai? Will he go back on his word?" Everyone was shocked. They supported Yuan Shikai to gain the court's appointment, which would allow them to become the local tyrants of Northeast China.

"At this stage, Yuan Shikai may not go back on his word. On the contrary, to attract talent, Yuan Shikai will have to treat us well. However, who can guarantee that after Yuan Shikai takes control, he will still tolerate us only following orders and not summons? Given Yuan Shikai's character, this seems unlikely!"

"What should we do then?" Everyone was getting anxious.

"The only way is to develop our own strength before Yuan Shikai takes control. Additionally, the four of us must work together to deal with Yuan Shikai. Otherwise, if we act separately, Yuan Shikai will defeat us one by one!"

Everyone was not foolish and could easily understand the possibility that Wu Haoxuan mentioned.

"The four of us must stand united. If Yuan Shikai goes back on his word, we will fight him to the death. Northeast China is ours, and no one can take it away!" Zhang Yuting said with a commanding tone. He was already beginning to show the aura of a warlord who would rule all of Northeast China.

"That's right, if Yuan Shikai goes back on his word, we will fight him to the end! In Northeast China, we are not afraid of him!" The others also nodded in agreement. After all, no one wanted to let someone take away the fat they had already eaten.

"Then, we need to find ways to strengthen our own power. I have connections with the Americans, and if the uncles need weapons, I can help!" Wu Haoxuan took the opportunity to promote his armory's products. Although this would strengthen their opponents, they first needed to unite to get through Yuan Shikai's challenge. Otherwise, everything would be in vain.

"Are those the weapons used by Wu Xingquan's troops in tonight's battle?" Zhang Yuting immediately asked.

At the time, the combat effectiveness of Wu Xingquan's troops was quite impressive, leaving Ma Tengxi, Feng Lingge, and Zhang Yuting deeply impressed. Everyone knew that having guns meant having territory and power, and ensuring military strength was the most important.

Wu Haoxuan nodded. Ma Tengxi and the others immediately expressed their willingness to purchase some. They had already seen the performance of those weapons and naturally wanted to equip their own troops. After all, Ma, Wu, Feng, and Zhang were both allies and potential rivals, and arming themselves and improving their military strength was the most important.

The next morning, Ma Tengxi, Wu Xingquan, Feng Lingge, and Zhang Yuting, in the name of the Shengjing Governor, sent a telegram to the nation, declaring that Fengtian supported the Zhili Governor and Beiyang Minister Yuan Shikai in clearing the court. Instantly, this telegram from Fengtian caused a stir. While the nation was condemning Yuan Shikai, a different voice emerged.

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