Chapter 129: Private Army 1

On a summer day in Jinling in 1932, the atmosphere in the President's Office was heavy. The principal was reviewing documents when Chen Bulei, looking flustered, hurried in, tightly clutching a secret report.

"Principal, there's an emergency," Chen Bulei's voice trembled slightly.

The principal didn't look up: "Speak."

"According to reliable information, Chairman Li's Private Army has expanded to over 30,000 men. Adding the Fifth Army's current expansion of 100,000 troops, he now actually commands a force of about 130,000."

"Snap!" With a sound, the red‑blue pencil in the principal's hand snapped. He slowly raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes: "What did you say?"

"Yes, principal, Chairman Li's Private Army has grown to over 30,000," Chen Bulei repeated, fine beads of sweat seeping from his temples.

The principal was silent for a moment, his expression wavering. Finally, he said in a deep voice, "Bring Jingxing over."

After an Incense Stick burned, Li Yuxuan stepped into the office with a light gait, a hint of pride on his face: "Young Master, you called me?"

"I heard your Private Army has reached over 30,000," the principal said, his tone terrifyingly calm.

"That's right, so what?" Li Yuxuan, oblivious to any danger, replied enthusiastically, "These are all elite troops and strong commanders, equipped with the latest gear."

"What do you intend to do with this force?" The principal's fingers tapped the desk unconsciously.

"Planning to go to the Southwest for a tour," Li Yuxuan said lightly.

"Southwest?" The principal's gaze suddenly sharpened.

"Yes," Li Yuxuan leaned in, lowering his voice, "Long Yun that brat has been restless lately; I'll go beat him up for the Young Master."

The study fell into a prolonged silence. The principal stared at the brother who had grown up with him, as if trying to read his thoughts through his eyes. Li Yuxuan faced him calmly, his face forever bearing that simple grin.

"Fine," the principal finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, "but don't expand any further."

"Yes, Young Master!" Li Yuxuan stood at attention, saluted, and left with a light step.

The study door closed gently; the principal waved away all attendants. He walked alone into the inner room, opened the Safety Deposit Box hidden behind the bookshelf, and took out a leather‑bound diary.

He flipped open the yellowed pages, which recorded every detail of his interactions with Li Yuxuan: from the master‑servant relationship in Xikou, to standing side by side in the founding of Huangpu, and then the life‑and‑death camaraderie of the Central Plains War. Each page was soaked with decades of friendship between the two.

"Jingxing, is it you who has changed, or is it me?" the principal murmured, his finger brushing a photo of the two of them when they were young.

In the photo, the two youths stood side by side, eyes full of hope for the future. Back then, Li Yuxuan was a hot‑blooded youth who would argue with him over a single crate of ammunition.

The principal walked to the window, gazing at the myriad lights of Jinling City, and let out a long sigh: "What has become of me?"

As night deepened, the lights in the President's Office stayed on. The principal sat alone in the darkness, smoking one cigarette after another. The ashtray quickly filled with butts, and the whole room was thick with smoke.

Inside, he waged a fierce inner battle. On one hand, he could not accept that the brother who had lived and died with him might betray him. On the other, as a politician he knew well how power corrupts human nature.

"Thirty‑thousand Private Soldiers..." the principal said helplessly, "Jingxing, what am I supposed to do?"

At dawn, the principal finally made a decision. He rang the call bell, and Chen Bulei pushed the door open at once, clearly having not slept through the night.

"Principal, any orders?"

"Has Jingxing's Private Army been staffed?" the principal's voice was hoarse from a night of smoking.

"Yes, principal, it was arranged early," Chen Bulei replied softly, "Following your instructions, we have been infiltrating since its inception. Now, a third of the mid‑to‑high‑level officers in this force are ours."

The principal nodded with satisfaction, a fierce glint in his eyes: "Send the order down. Once Jingxing penetrates the Southwest, immediately begin dismantling his Private Army. Remember, do it cleanly and efficiently."

"But..." Chen Bulei began, then stopped, "Chairman Li's side..."

"No need to worry," the principal waved his hand, "I know Jingxing. He may throw a tantrum, but in the end he'll see the situation clearly; at most he'll just ask me for money."

He walked to the map, his finger sweeping across the Southwest provinces: "Long Yun, Wang Jialie... these warlords are all troublemakers. Letting Jingxing deal with them will exactly drain his strength."

Meanwhile, Li Yuxuan was holding a secret meeting with his confidants in his own residence.

"The principal has already approved our march into the Southwest," Li Yuxuan told several General Officers, "This is a once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity."

Du and Ming said anxiously, "Director, but the principal's side..."

"Don't worry," Li Yuxuan smiled confidently, "The Young Master still trusts me. Besides, aren't I doing this all for the Party and the Nation?"

He walked to the Sand Table and began the deployment: "Step one, enter Guizhou under the pretext of Bandit Suppression. Step two, seize the transportation arteries of Yunnan; step three..."

"Director," Dai Li suddenly spoke, "According to the intelligence we have, the principal has placed many eyes in your forces."

Li Yuxuan waved his hand dismissively: "If the Young Master wants surveillance, let him surveil. We act uprightly, what is there to fear?"

After the meeting ended, Li Yuxuan stayed alone in the study. He opened a secret Safety Deposit Box that held a large amount of Gold Bars and foreign exchange.

"Thirty‑thousand troops... still far from enough," he muttered, ambition flashing in his eyes.

In the days that followed, undercurrents roiled within Jinling City.

Outwardly, the principal trusted Li Yuxuan even more, not only approving his Southwest plan but also allocating a large extra military budget. Secretly, however, he intensified infiltration and dismantling of Li Yuxuan's power.

"Principal, this is the list of personnel Chairman Li has recently contacted," Chen Bulei handed over a thick file.

The principal skimmed quickly, and when he saw a few familiar names, his brows knit: "Even Lian Song Ziwen is that close to him?"

"Yes, it's said Minister Song recently partnered with Chairman Li on several big deals."

"Continue surveillance," the principal said coldly, "Remember, don't alert the snakes."

On Li Yuxuan's side, he was also actively arranging. Through Dai Li's intelligence network, he had long detected the principal's surveillance, yet pretended to know nothing.

"Let the Young Master handle the surveillance," Li Yuxuan said to Li Nian'an, "When he realizes we truly serve the Party and Nation, he'll naturally dispel his doubts."