Occupy Ulan Province for Me

Lu Xiaoya's heart skipped a beat.

A diplomat?

To follow this man who had created a legend?

The proposal, like a stone cast into a lake, stirred a thousand ripples in her heart.

She looked at Zhang Xueming's bright and confident eyes, momentarily forgetting to answer.

Northern Prefecture, Presidential Palace.

Behind the carved rosewood desk, President Duan slowly exhaled a smoke ring, the mellow aroma of his cigar filling the air.

He was in a very good mood.

"Shuzheng."

He glanced at Xu Shuzheng, who stood before him with a ramrod straight posture.

"Tell me, is that young man Zhang Xueming being chased all over by White Bear's Cossack cavalry right now?"

Xu Shuzheng bowed slightly, a knowing smile on his face.

"You have a keen insight, Mr. President."

"Zhang Xueming only commands a single brigade, with a little over ten thousand men. White Bear has dispatched the vanguard of their entire Far East Army, all elites. If they clash head-on, what can he possibly use to fight them?"

"It's like an egg hitting a rock."

President Duan nodded with satisfaction, pressing his cigar into the crystal ashtray.

"Those old fellows in Fengtian are truly muddle-headed to let such a reckless youth run amok."

"If Zhang Xueming can hold Ulan, I'll let him have my position as President."

His words were filled with disdain and mockery.

In his eyes, Zhang Xueming and the Feng Army's current actions were simply suicidal.

All he had to do was wait patiently.

"Are our men all ready?"

President Duan changed the subject, his eyes sharpening.

"Replying to the President, all preparations are complete."

Xu Shuzheng answered immediately.

"As soon as news of the Feng Army's Eighth Brigade's defeat arrives, we will immediately declare war on the Feng Army in the name of 'maintaining national unity and preventing the loss of territory'."

"At that time, our army will march north, and that black land of Guandong will naturally hoist the flag of our Northern Prefecture."

President Duan leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, a look of intoxicated strategic planning on his face.

What a beautiful game of chess.

Let the Feng Army and White Bear fight until they were both weakened.

Then he would appear as the savior, legitimately taking over everything.

Without bloodshed, reaping the benefits.

As for whether the people and land of Guandong would suffer in the war?

That was not a problem he needed to consider.

He only wanted the result.

"Good, very good."

"Have the people below keep a close watch and report immediately as soon as there is any news."

"Yes!"

However, as soon as he finished speaking, the office door was violently pushed open.

A secretary rushed in, his face ashen, the document in his hand trembling like leaves in an autumn wind.

"Mr... Mr. President!"

"What's all the panic! Have you no decorum!"

Xu Shuzheng berated him sharply.

President Duan also frowned, extremely displeased by the sudden interruption.

"Has the sky fallen?"

The secretary gasped for air, barely able to utter a complete sentence.

"Cha... Chaha... Governor-General's urgent telegram!"

He used all his strength to hand over the telegram.

Xu Shuzheng snatched it, glanced at it, and froze on the spot as if struck by lightning.

Seeing his strange expression, President Duan's heart sank, and he took the telegram.

The words on the telegram were few, but each one was blinding.

"Feng Army's Eighth Brigade, below Wulan City, annihilated the White Bear's Far East Army vanguard, killing over twelve thousand and capturing three thousand. A great victory."

"Zhang Xueming... a great victory?"

President Duan muttered to himself, rereading it several times to confirm he wasn't seeing things.

Annihilated?

Over ten thousand?

What kind of international joke was this!

Was Zhang Xueming a god descended to earth?

A surge of hot blood rushed to his head.

He felt the world spin and his vision blacken.

"Mr. President!"

Amidst Xu Shuzheng's startled cry, President Duan's body went limp, and he fell backward stiffly, tumbling from his chair and passing out.

The entire Presidential Palace instantly descended into chaos.

Half an hour later, President Duan slowly regained consciousness.

Doctors and aides were gathered around, and Xu Shuzheng was anxiously by his bedside.

"I... I'm fine..."

President Duan struggled to sit up. His face was still pale, but his eyes had regained a sliver of clarity.

The dejection of a loser lasted only a short time before the instincts of a powerful figure quickly took over.

He grabbed Xu Shuzheng's arm, his voice hoarse but urgent.

"Langfang!"

"Order the troops in Langfang to march north, immediately, right now!"

"Seize it! No matter the cost, we must get to Ulan Province before Zhang Xueming!"

He had lost the first move, but he absolutely could not lose the whole game.

So what if Zhang Xueming had won?

As long as his troops could garrison Ulan Province first and establish a fait accompli, the Northern Prefecture could claim at least half of the credit for that victory!

Xu Shuzheng nodded heavily.

"Understood!"

He immediately turned and strode out of the room to personally issue the orders.

"Block the news!"

"Lock down all the newspapers and telegraph offices! Not a single word about the Wulan campaign is to be leaked!"

"Also, send our people north immediately to take over the administration of Ulan Province!"

Xu Shuzheng's orders were issued one after another, with swift and decisive action.

He believed that as long as he moved fast enough, he could temporarily keep this earth-shattering news under wraps.