20 years of the Republic of China

Chapter 488 Adding a touch of literati flavor to the Fengtian clique

The day is clear and bright, and the autumn air is crisp and refreshing.

The square in front of Fengtian Railway Station was no different from usual, with people coming and going, the hustle and bustle of traffic, and it was extremely lively.

"Click, click, click..."

A pair of large high-top military boots walked through the exit passage, from the shadows to the sunlight, and finally stopped on the steps at the door.

These were two extremely long legs, and one had to look up to see the person's face clearly.

But this man was nearly forty years old, with a sturdy figure, thick eyebrows and big eyes, drooping ears, a five-color Beiyang star on his head, and the title of Army Lieutenant General on his shoulders. He had a humorous expression, but also a bit of murderous aura; his clothes were bright, but he could not hide his melancholy heart.

Although he was an army lieutenant general, the ceremony was quite shabby. Not only was there no queue to clear the way, there was no carriage to welcome him. Even the adjutants and guards who accompanied him were only a few pitiful people. He was like a commander without any troops.

He looked into the distance for a long time, and in a trance, the past came to his mind, and he said with deep emotion:

"After ten years of absence, I, Zhang Xiaokun, am back again!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the adjutant beside him came over and asked with a little dissatisfaction: "General, why doesn't Fengtian even have a welcoming ceremony? There should be a car, right? Do you think they look down on us?"

"Well, jealousy!" Zhang Xiaokun sneered, "When I was in the capital, I heard people say that there are many villains around Yu Shuai. They are probably afraid that I will steal their limelight, so they have been slandering and saying bad things. We took the initiative to come here to seek refuge, so this is normal, don't worry too much."

"General, let's not let a villain ruin things like we did in the capital!" the adjutant reminded him in a low voice.

Zhang Xiaokun waved his hand and said, "No, the Fengtian Army is in need of talents right now. If I come and join them, it will be like adding wings to a tiger. Marshal Yu will be very happy. Besides, you can't write two 'Zhang' characters with one stroke. We are related. Don't worry!"

There's nothing I can do if I'm worried.

After the fall of President Feng of the Zhili clique, the great poet Zhang was not welcome in the capital. Scholar Wu looked down on his barbarian behavior, so he ran into obstacles everywhere. He could not smoke anywhere and sometimes he could not even get his military pay. His life was quite frustrating.

After much thought, he thought that perhaps only the Feng Zhang faction, who also came from the green forest, would put aside their prejudices and give him important positions, so he came to join him.

Zhang Xiaokun said, "Listen to me, brothers. Let's not rest yet. Prepare the gifts we brought and go straight to the general's office to meet the commander. When I come back with a job, you brothers will still enjoy a good life!"

"Yes!"

Several followers shouted in response, and then put two large baskets on the ground and asked, "General, here are the gifts for meeting. Do you want to check them?"

Zhang Xiaokun shook his head, with a look of desperation.

The two broken baskets contained all his belongings, and the reason why he deliberately used such a rough way to give gifts was, firstly, to show his honesty; secondly, to imply that the only thing he lacked was "the burden on his shoulders."

He was a rough but meticulous man. He bet all his fortune on Marshal Zhang to see if he could make a comeback.

This time, Zhang Xiaokun rarely got serious and reminded his men, "Brothers, things are different now. In the next few days, tighten your pants. No one is allowed to go to brothels or casinos. You must leave a good impression on me. No matter what happens, you have to wait until my letter of appointment comes down!"

The followers nodded. Even if they were just pretending, they had to pretend to be good.

As they walked, the adjutant asked, "General, what rank do you think this commander-in-chief can give to our brothers?"

Zhang Xiaokun raised his hand to call for a carriage, frowned, and muttered to himself: "I am now a lieutenant general. No matter what, you should at least give me a mixed brigade, right? Anyway, as long as there is a number and military pay, I can recruit people myself!"

As they spoke, the group got into the carriage and drove tremblingly towards the provincial capital.

He entered the general's office and met Marshal Zhang.

The meeting lasted for more than an hour. No one knew what the two of them talked about. All they knew was that Zhang Xiaokun left with a smile on his face. Then, Yang Zhuge came with a group of Fengtian clique's core staff.

That night, the Fengtian Military Governor's Office arranged for Zhang Xiaokun and others to move into an apartment in Yulin Hutong, Dabeiguan, the provincial capital, and settle down.

Zhang Xiaokun was overjoyed and boasted to his followers, "Don't worry, brothers. The Marshal and I got along very well. Just wait for good news. Also, send a telegram to my friends in the capital. If you want to come and join me, hurry up. If you're late, there will be no place! But remember, you must behave well recently and don't let those villains find fault with you!"

When everyone heard the good news, of course, without hesitation, they all behaved themselves well, kept their heads down, and stayed at home, waiting for good news.

After three or five days, the Marshal's Mansion indeed sent someone to summon him.

Zhang Xiaokun went out laughing, and came back home with a sad face.

When everyone saw this, they felt something was wrong and rushed forward to ask what was going on.

Zhang Xiaokun was lost in thought as he took out a special appointment letter from his pocket, handed it to his follower, and sighed faintly: "A fallen phoenix is ​​no better than a chicken!"

Everyone took it and looked down. "Zhang Xiaokun is hereby appointed as the senior advisor of the Fengtian Patrol Office and concurrently the commander of the provincial government's military police battalion. He will take up his post next month."

"What?" The adjutant's eyes widened immediately, and he said indignantly, "This senior advisor is just an empty title. How can a lieutenant general be a battalion commander? Isn't this a fucking insult?"

"That's right, isn't it obvious that they want to chase us away?"

"General Zhang, I think we should not stay in Fengtian anymore. Captain, let's call over those guys from the capital. It will take more than one battalion!"

"Who says it's not true? If a general is a battalion commander, what are we supposed to do? Go out on the street and shine shoes for people?"

Everyone was talking at once, no one was convinced, but Zhang Xiaokun just smoked quietly.

This was probably the most frustrating moment in his life.

Although life was hard when he was young, he built himself up from nothing and gained a lot with every step. As a teenager, he went to Northeast China to help the Russians build a railway. Within a few years, he became a foreman and then became the head of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Vladivostok. After that, he threw himself into the turbulent times and served in the army for ten years. Although his record was not brilliant, he had his moments of glory.

From frugality to extravagance is easy, from extravagance to frugality is difficult!
A lieutenant general of the army came to Fengtian and became a military police battalion commander - his mood was all written on his face. If he said he didn't care, he would be lying.

But after thinking about it, there is really no other way at the moment. If I don’t stay, where else can I go?
After pondering for a long while, Zhang Xiaokun suddenly laughed and said in a reassuring voice: "Don't panic, brothers. Although I am a battalion commander, the commander told me that everyone's salary will still be paid according to their original military ranks."

The adjutant muttered quietly, "The point is, how can a general get rich by relying on salaries? You are the battalion commander, and your brothers have no way to make money."

"What are you arguing about!" Zhang Xiaokun scolded, "I came to Fengtian to make a comeback. Don't worry. When have I ever treated you badly? I am the battalion commander. I have been a commander without any troops. What is there to be afraid of? The Zhili and Fengtian families are about to go to war. We will have plenty of opportunities then!"

Everyone was skeptical, but Zhang Xiaokun could only be a battalion commander, so naturally they had no chance of promotion.

If he stayed in Fengtian, at least he could receive salary according to his military rank; if he left Fengtian, his only option would be to become a bandit.

Zhang Xiaokun was extremely depressed after suppressing his gambling addiction for three to five days, and ended up with such a result. He simply gave up and waved his hands impatiently, saying, "Alright, alright, go back to bed, I'll go to the city tomorrow to relieve my sexual desire, and then I'll think of a solution later."

So, everyone had to disperse quietly.

Unexpectedly, at noon the next day, when Zhang Xiaokun and his adjutant walked out of the apartment with gloomy faces and were about to go into the city to have some fun, a burst of "beep, pop, pop" noise suddenly came from the street.

Following the sound, he saw a brand new black Ford car escorted by several landlords, slowly stopping in front of the apartment door, attracting the surrounding citizens to stop and watch. Seeing this, Zhang Xiaokun couldn't help but curse in a low voice: "Who the hell is this? He made such a big show, isn't he afraid that the government will arrest him!"

As he was talking, the passenger door opened and a man in his thirties with a slight limp walked over slowly. When he saw Zhang Xiaokun, who was so tall, he was stunned for a moment, then he quickly clasped his hands and asked with a smile:

"Sir, are you General Zhang Xiaokun?"

Zhang Xiaokun frowned and asked, "I am Zhang Xiaokun, what's wrong with that?"

"My name is Liu Yansheng." The visitor introduced himself respectfully. "My boss is an old friend of General Zhang. I recently heard that the general came to Fengtian, so I specially set up a banquet in Bagua Street to entertain him. I hope the general will do me the honor of being a good host."

Zhang Xiaokun was a little confused, so he turned to his adjutant and asked, "Have you been to the city in the past two days?"

"No!" the adjutant explained quickly, "The brothers all followed the orders and stayed in the house. How could they dare to go out and play?"

"That's strange. Apart from Mr. Shuai, I haven't seen anyone else!" Zhang Xiaokun raised his chin and asked, "Who is your boss? Someone from the General's Office?"

Liu Yansheng smiled and said, "My boss's surname is Jiang, Jiang Lianheng. He is not a military officer, nor an official. He is just a businessman in the city."

"Jiang Lianheng?"

Zhang Xiaokun kept repeating the name, but he became more and more confused.

Over the past ten years, he had traveled all over the country and made friends with countless dignitaries, from the president of the capital to the tycoon of the Green Gang, all kinds of people from all walks of life, too many to count. He suddenly forgot that an old friend named Jiang was doing business in Fengtian.

No wonder he is so forgetful.

Zhang Xiaokun and Jiang Lianheng did not meet very often.

When they first met, they were still young, one was building a railway; the other was begging on the street.

Ten years later, they met again. Both of them had achieved some success. One was the head of a Chinese merchant group and intended to go south to make money; the other had settled his grudges and had not yet opened a business.

Nearly ten years have passed since they last parted. Both of them are now in their prime. One has experienced ups and downs on the battlefield and returned to Fengtian when he was confused and down; the other sheathed his sword, sat firmly on the dragon's head, and was in high spirits.

The first two times, Zhang Xiaokun helped Brother Jiang; this time, Jiang Lianheng should also lend a hand to Brother Zhang.

I was just in a daze for a moment and really couldn't remember this old friend.

Seeing Zhang Xiaokun's embarrassed expression, Liu Yansheng smiled and said, "General Zhang, before I came here, the boss specifically told me that he has always admired your poetry and prose. Although we haven't had the opportunity to meet over the years, we have had many spiritual exchanges. I'm sure the general will have an impression of you."

As these words reached his ears word by word, the corners of Zhang Xiaokun's mouth began to curl up little by little, and finally turned into a hearty and heroic laugh.

"Hahaha, it turns out to be that Brother Jiang. I remember, of course I remember. Brother Jiang is my soulmate!" Zhang Xiaokun said as he turned around and ordered, "Go upstairs and prepare some gifts for me. I'm going to go and reminisce with Brother Jiang."

The adjutant's face suddenly turned eggplant red. He bit his earlobe and whispered, "General, we don't have any gifts for meeting you. Weren't the two baskets delivered to the general's office a few days ago?"

"Hey, Brother Jiang and I are just like gentlemen. It's not about the value of etiquette, it's all about the affection. Go and get my collection of poems."

"What collection of poetry?"

"Tsk, those booklets in my box!"

"Ah? Those booklets? Didn't we use them all when we were squatting in the train toilet when we got here?"

"Assholes!" Zhang Xiaokun cursed, "Who the hell told you to use it? I have another copy under my pillow, get it down for me now!"

The adjutant took the order and hurriedly turned around and ran into the apartment to get the collection of poems.

Liu Yansheng told his brothers to open the car door, then stepped aside and greeted them respectfully, "General Zhang, why don't you get in the car and wait?"

"Okay, okay, brother, I won't be polite then!"

Zhang Xiaokun got into the carriage with a smile on his face. Meeting an old friend in a foreign place, all the unhappiness that had been pent up in his heart last night disappeared in an instant.

Soon, the adjutant ran out of the apartment with the collection of poems.

Afterwards, accompanied by a series of "beep beep" horn sounds, the car slowly drove towards the west of the city.

In Zhang Xiaokun's vague impression, Jiang Lianheng's place should be in Xiaoxi Gate in the city, but the car took him out of the outer gate and went straight to the newly opened southwest market in the city.

Like Binjiang County outside Harbin Road, there is also a "circle building" in Bagua Street, Fengtian South Market, where at least twenty brothels are gathered. The most grand, luxurious and upscale one is called "Songfeng Zhuyun".

This was originally Xue Yingqing's place, but she was used to being a hands-off boss and had other businesses to take care of, so she was often not seen. On weekdays, Kang Zheng was the manager and took care of the business.

Zhang Xiaokun was a man who had seen the world, but when he came to this brothel, he couldn't help but be dazzled and exclaimed in amazement.

Although it was not yet nightfall, the lobby was already crowded with distinguished guests, humming songs, playing finger-guessing games, and molesting each other. Not only were there Chinese people having fun here, but there were also many Westerners who came here to experience life. Countless fair-skinned and beautiful young women were running around and playing around. A closer look revealed that there were even White Russian girls serving wine and making fun of them. It was really a place of luxury and debauchery.

"Brother Jiang's business has grown so big now?"

Zhang Xiaokun was sincerely amazed and impressed, but what he didn't expect was that this entire Bagua Street was actually the property of the Jiang family.

"This is General Zhang, right?" Kang Zheng hurried over to greet him, "Please come in, please come in. Our host has already booked a private room on the second floor, and is waiting for General Zhang to come!"

"Okay, okay!" Zhang Xiaokun climbed up the stairs with a smile, turned around, and asked loudly, "Brother, what is this third floor for?"

Liu Yansheng followed behind and explained, "General Zhang, the third floor is the guest room for the night. There are a few small card tables over there. After dinner, if you are interested, you can go over and play a few cards."

When Zhang Xiaokun heard this, his hands and heart itched, and his mouth almost burst out laughing.

As they were talking, several people arrived at the door of the private room.

As soon as I opened the door, an alluring body fragrance immediately hit me.

Before Zhang Xiaokun could figure out what was going on, four White Russian girls came close to him, blowing into his ears, touching his shoulders, caressing his chest, and shifting gears, all flirting with him in a coquettish and charming manner:
"Please don't hesitate, do it~~"

Zhang Xiaokun was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter twice, and quickly spoke pure Russian, chattering a few words, which made the White Russian girls tremble with joy and look extremely charming.

This hospitality makes us feel like we are at home.

Zhang Xiaokun was so happy that he couldn't help but look into the room. He saw a large dining table filled with delicious food. A young man in his early thirties, wearing a long gown, stood up and bowed to him:
"Brother Zhang, how are you?"

(End of this chapter)