Chapter 44
To Shen Qi's and Zhao Huaiyu's surprise, it was three years before they would see each other again.
In May of the year Zhao Huaiyu returned, Japan finally showed its true colors, and war broke out starting from the Bohai Bay. President Shen and Shen Qi had in their possession President Hua's notes and years of constant warnings about Japan, so they were well-prepared. But the ambitious Commander Yan controlled the military power of the three eastern provinces.
So when they discovered that Commander Yan was personally befriending Japan, Shen Qi turned to the Zhao family for help and supported Zhao Huaiyu to take over the Lu army early. Yet, he still underestimated these people's lust for power. They colluded with Japan and deliberately let them through.
The capital was under Shen Da-Ge's (eldest brother Shen) garrison, so they didn't dare to attack directly. Commander Yan didn't want to expose his betrayal, so he pointed at Lu province and planned to invade from there.
With Commander Yan leading the way, the outbreak of the war was unexpected. No one expected a sudden attack by the Japanese forces, and the navy of Lu province was caught off-guard.
Fortunately, Zhao Huaiyu reacted quickly. He led his troops to meet the enemy and temporarily withstood the first wave of attacks. But since he just took over the Lu army and hadn't had a chance to reform it, they ultimately couldn't hold the coastline and were landed by the Japanese forces.
Shen Da-Ge wanted to send troops to support them, but they now understood Commander Yan's intentions. They did not dare to act rashly, worried that Yan might incite an internal strife. As for the other military leaders, only two were fully under the Shen family's control. They were too far away to send troops in time, and they were needed to check the other leaders, to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation.
This led to a bizarre situation.
Lu Province was under continuous bombardment while other provinces watched calmly.
Although they could not provide military support, all the necessary equipment and resources were promptly delivered, allowing Zhao Huaiyu to hold on temporarily.
That year happened to be an election year. As per the process, towards the end of the year, the military leaders were expected to participate in the election. The fact that Commander Yan chose to start a war in collaboration with Japan at this time was quite telling.
Upon hearing the news, President Shen was so furious that he literally broke his pen.
Shen Qi was also foaming in anger. He fumed at his subordinate who brought him the news: "I asked you to keep an eye on Yan, and this is how you do it?! What have you been doing for these eight years?! Have you forgotten your duty because you’re so wrapped up in the drama? Tell Wu San, if he can't find evidence of Yan's collusion with Japan, he doesn't need to come back!"
Perhaps his warning worked. Finally, three months after the outbreak of the war, they obtained crucial evidence, instantly published and broadcasted it, piercing through Commander Yan's false pretenses.
This sparked public outrage across the country. Shen Qi took the opportunity to send war correspondents deep into the front lines in Lu Province. They captured images and wrote articles about the devastation on the battlefield, further fueling the public's anger.
Starting with President Shen, the two military factions closely allied with the Shen family were the first to take a stand. Then came the commanders of the Jin and Zhe armies, including another Commander Shen... All quickly made their positions clear and distanced themselves from Commander Yan.
Faced with public opinion pressure, those who initially planned to profit from the turmoil had to retreat and temporarily take sides.
Finally, Shen Da-Ge collaborated with Commander Wu of the Su Army and Commander Shen of the Zhe Army to offer a three-pronged support to the Lu Army against Japan. Of course, this included Commander Yan who had officially turned against the Japanese.
The conflict lasted for two years.
As Shen Da-Ge left for the front line, Shen Qi had to take over the command of the remaining troops and secure the capital. Due to the outbreak of the war, that year's election couldn't be held as scheduled.
The seeds Shen Qi planted years before finally bore fruit, with Chen Ding and Cun Xue Min holding authoritative newspapers, and Yang Jiadong managing the most popular radio program, amplifying President Shen's popularity over the years. With carefully planned public opinion manipulation, the military leader election turned into a semblance of public voting, of course, without actually holding a vote.
Under the public's support, President Shen continued to be re-elected as president, bypassing the so-called military leader selection, and laying the foundation for successful disarmament in the future.
For the first half of the year, Shen Qi busied himself in the battle of public opinion. In the following year, with Shen Da-Ge on the front lines, he had to stay in the capital. By early summer, as the front lines reported success after success, Shen Da-Ge and Zhao Huaiyu wiped out Commander Yan's territory, took control of the three eastern provinces, and partnered with Commander Wu and Commander Shen to catch Japan off guard with a tactical feint.
This was an overwhelming victory, taking care of Commander Yan and Japan while other nations around the world finally responded by condemning Japan's actions. With Europe and America caught in chaos, they couldn't spare attention to this region, forcing Japan to admit defeat and seek peace talks.
"Peace talks my foot!" President Shen slammed the documents down, "They're surrendering, but they're trying to make it sound better with 'peace talks'! Tell them, either they surrender unconditionally, or we keep fighting!"
The subordinate who delivered the message was visibly frightened by President Shen's outburst.
Shen Qi picked up the discarded documents and approached: "You're right, it is surrender. However, since Japan has initiated discussions, shouldn't we at least have a conversation with them?"
President Shen, who had been stressed by a series of troublesome events over the past two years and whose hair had turned significantly grey, managed to calm his anger in front of his son. He said solemnly, "In that case, you should handle this. I believe you know what to do."
After a pause, he softened his expression, dismissing the subordinate and said, "This might be a good opportunity for you to visit your brother. Your mother is extremely worried about him. Also, Zhao Huaiyu, you haven’t seen each other in three years."
Shen Qi smiled, "How well you know me, father. I was just about to bring this up."
President Shen waved his hand dismissively, "Go, and take Chuanjun with you to have a look. Staying in the capital all the time won't broaden his horizons."
Chuanjun is the eldest son of Shen Da-Ge, and the eldest grandson of the Shen family.
Shen Qi nodded, "Rest assured, I will handle this matter exceptionally. When we return, we will arrive in glory with your daughter-in-law. You must prepare for us, we should hold the wedding ceremony as soon as we return."
"Well-done!" President Shen chuckled and dismissed Shen Qi with a wave of his hand.
The next morning at dawn, Shen Qi, along with his nephew Shen Chuanjun, set off on a train to Lu province.
Shen Qi didn't inform Zhao Huaiyu of his arrival, wanting to surprise him. Of course, he also wanted to confirm whether Zhao has been as celibate as he claimed in his letters.
It's noteworthy that due to the recent conflict, the reputation of Zhao Huaiyu, the young commander of Lu army, has swept across the nation. Following his charismatic figure appearing on the newspapers across the country, Shen Qi constantly heard about speculation surrounding Zhao Huaiyu whenever he was out in public. Even though the public was aware that they were engaged, several young men and women confessed their admiration for Zhao Huaiyu.
Shen Qi was proud to see Zhao Huaiyu being praised. However, he was indifferent to these admirers. He made sure that the newspapers clearly mentioned his relationship with Zhao Huaiyu in any related articles.
Over the past three years, even though they hadn't seen each other, their letters kept communication alive. Unlike in the past when only Zhao Huaiyu wrote, Shen Qi now replied ensuring that the situation of both was clear to them.
Even though the only communication was through these letters, Shen Qi could still sense that Zhao Huaiyu had changed significantly and more profoundly than in the previous four years.
During the previous four years, Zhao Huaiyu received a promotion from Shen Qi, which gave him the power to deal with his wrongdoers, exacting revenge. Even though he became powerful due to early venting of resentment, he still showed some restraint, potentially out of concern for Shen Qi, unlike the original plot where everyone was put to death.
While he appeared righteous in public, his cynicism and twisted thoughts were not completely eliminated, just hidden deep within his heart.
This is why Shen Qi was willing to tolerate his pretense, knowing that his outburst was fake, because he could see his discomfort and didn't want to expose it.
But this time, after experiencing the brutality of warfare, Zhao Huaiyu had truly matured and undergone a big change. Not just outwardly but also inwardly.
This is why Shen Qi felt a mix of anticipation and apprehension, he was eager to see how Zhao Huaiyu had changed, but also uncertain about these changes.
All of the apprehension disappeared when Shen Qi saw Zhao Huaiyu.
Alighting from the train, Shen Qi was with his nephew Shen Chuanjun, and in his arms was his son Shen Chuanshun. Yes, his son. The year Zhao Huaiyu returned, his second aunt gave birth to a fourth son, and after some discussion, the child was adopted by Shen Qi.
They had planned it well. Two years later, Shen Qi and Zhao Huaiyu would get married. By that time, Shen Chuanshun would be two years old – past the needy infant stage, able to walk and talk, easy for the two men to take care of. However, unexpectedly, a war broke out, and Shen Chuanshun was almost three years old, but they were still not officially married.
But since Shen Chuanshun was one, Shen Qi had raised him by his side. With the experience from his past life, he was comfortable raising a child.
"Father, where is little father?" Shen Chuanshun, almost three years old, held onto Shen Qi's neck and looked around in curiosity.
Since he learned to speak, Shen Qi had told him about Zhao Huaiyu's existence and even shown him photos. Plus, in the last two years, Zhao Huaiyu's heroic feats had been prominent nationwide, Shen Chuanshun was looking forward to meeting the "little father" he had yet to see.
"He's not here. We're going to find him now." Shen Qi, taking his nephew and son, got into the car sent by his older brother. He asked the adjutant who came to pick them up, "Where is Zhao Huaiyu now? Let's drive over."
The adjutant was taken aback, "Commander Zhao and the General are currently at the frontline camp. The General ordered to take you to his mansion first—"
Shen Qi interrupted him: "Go to the frontline."
The adjutant wanted to disagree, but meeting Shen Qi's unquestionable gaze, he could only swallow his words: "Yes."
The frontline was located in a small coastal town. Five days ago, the two sides fought their last battle here and then declared a ceasefire and entered peace talks.
When they left the train station, they could still see the hustle and bustle of the crowd, seemingly unaffected by the war. People carried on with their lives as usual, but as they approached the frontline, the prosperous scene dwindled, and more raggedly-dressed people appeared.
Even though they had read about the situation in the newspapers, witnessing it in person was undoubtedly shocking.
Shen Chuanjun, who was initially excited, became gradually silent. Shen Chuanshun, who didn't understand what was happening, was frightened by the gloomy atmosphere on the road and hid in Shen Qi's arms without looking around, eventually falling asleep.
Shen Qi sighed and withdrew his gaze.
With the adjutant present, the vehicle entered the camp without obstruction. Yet when Shen Qi got out of the car, instead of surprising Zhao Huaiyu, he received a "surprise" from him first.
On the training ground, Zhao Huaiyu was wrestling with the soldiers. The afternoon temperature was hot, and they all took off their upper garments, grabbing each other's arms and bodies. With a light shout, Zhao Huaiyu pinned a man beneath him, victorious.
"Come on, let's continue!" Zhao Huaiyu casually wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face bearing a broad smile, the sun highlighting his tanned, solid, and sexy muscles.
Shen Qi watched expressionlessly for a while, then handed the sleeping Shen Chuanshun to Shen Chuanjun, removed his suit jacket and rolled up his sleeves, stepping onto the field: "My turn."
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