Zhao Tianlin, the former president of the National Peiyang University, arrived in the capital and was welcomed by Huang Fu, the Beiyang Minister of Education. Huang Fu had studied in Japan in his early years, successively attending the Tokyo Shinbu School and the Topography Department of the Japanese Army Land Survey Department. He later joined the Tongmenghui and returned to China in 1910.

Unlike Zhao Tianlin, Huang Fu turned to join the Revolutionary Party after the Xinhai Revolution. After the failure of the Second Revolution, he was wanted by Yuan Shikai and fled to the United States, only returning to China after Yuan Shikai's failed attempt to proclaim himself emperor in 1915. He increasingly associated with figures in the Beiyang clique and was subsequently employed by Xu Shichang.

Upon seeing Zhao Tianlin, Huang Fu couldn't help but stare for a moment at this Doctor of Law who already enjoyed a considerable reputation. Zhao Tianlin and Huang Fu had gone abroad to study at roughly the same time, but now Zhao Tianlin was already an important figure in education and diplomacy within the Northeast Government. Among the Beiyang figures, Zhao Tianlin's prestige and status were unmatched by ordinary Beiyang civil officials.

Zhao Tianlin appeared elegant and behaved with composure. The scholarly air combined with the sophistication gained from holding high office was something few Beiyang figures could match. Huang Fu couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy and sighed, "Brother Zhao, the Great President and the Premier are looking forward to your visit. The car is ready, please come with me."

Zhao Tianlin saw that Huang Fu was also a striking figure, but he lacked the deep-seated composure that the various bureau directors of the Northeast Government had developed through their extensive experience. He gave off a feeling of being somewhat frail. Zhao replied, "I apologize for troubling Minister Huang."

On the way, Zhao Tianlin was preoccupied with how to communicate with Xu Shichang and Duan Qirui. Seeing Zhao Tianlin's calm and self-possessed demeanor, Huang Fu found himself unable to strike up a conversation, feeling even more inferior in his heart.

Arriving at the Presidential Palace at Iron Lion Hutong, military officers were already waiting at the entrance to welcome them. Zhao Tianlin entered the Presidential Palace. Huang Fu didn't even have the opportunity to sit in on the meeting, which left him feeling truly regretful. Although Zhao Tianlin was only an official of the Fengtian clique and his official rank was technically below Huang Fu's, his actual status and standing were worlds apart. Huang Fu felt disheartened, convinced that the days of this Beiyang government were numbered.

Inside the Presidential Palace, Xu Shichang welcomed Zhao Tianlin. The two discussed old acquaintances they both knew in the Beiyang clique, discovering that those people were now doing rather mediocrely. Just as Xu Shichang was lamenting this, Duan Qirui arrived. After an exchange of greetings, they took their seats again. Zhao Tianlin glanced at the guards nearby, and Duan Qirui dismissed them for the time being.

Only then did Zhao Tianlin inform Xu Shichang and Duan Qirui of He Rui's arrangements. The guards were actually standing guard at the door, and through the glass windows, they could see the three men talking inside. Xu Shichang's expression grew increasingly grave, and Duan Qirui even stood up, clasping his hands behind his back and pacing back and forth in the room. When Duan Qirui sat down, they faintly heard him shout angrily, "Brother He actually wants to plunge the country into the flames of war! Does he not care about the people being plunged into misery?"

Xu Shichang spoke in a low voice throughout, and they could only see him talking. After Xu Shichang finished, Zhao Tianlin said something to Duan Qirui. Then Duan Qirui stood up again and continued to pace with his hands behind his back.

The guards dared not look too closely and resumed their posture of standing at attention outside the door.

At this moment, inside the room, Duan Qirui was both angry and anxious. He was indeed shocked by He Rui's operation plan. Duan Qirui had originally thought that He Rui would settle down after fighting Japan. He hadn't expected that He Rui intended to continue challenging the Great Powers, and not just one, but to wipe out the foreign garrisons in Tanggu. Those were garrisons dispatched by the Great Powers under the Boxer Protocol. He Rui was going to offend all the Great Powers at once.

When he questioned Zhao Tianlin, Zhao Tianlin replied in his consistently gentle and elegant voice, "According to statistics from recent years, every winter in Shanghai alone, two thousand people die from exposure and are collected from the streets. The major cities in Jiangsu and Zhejiang are not much better. Beijing and Tianjin have been slightly better in the past two years, but that is also because of the Great Drought of 1920, which caused nearly ten million northern disaster victims to flee to the Northeast, leading to a sharp decrease in the number of poor people in the north. This is the only reason there have been fewer deaths. Given China's current situation, are the people not being 'plunged into misery' every single day?"

Even Duan Qirui found it hard to maintain his composure in the face of such a rhetorical question. Moreover, what Zhao said was true, especially regarding the fact that the lives of the villagers in the north seemed easier these past two years because the destitute had run off to the Northeast to survive. Duan Qirui had actually thought it was due to his own effective governance. Being told this by Zhao Tianlin, he suddenly realized the truth. Things were not as Duan Qirui had imagined. This made it even harder for Duan Qirui to maintain his dignity.

Xu Shichang, on the other hand, did not think that much. Things had reached a point where he could no longer influence them. He simply asked, "Director Zhao, what exactly does Brother He intend by sending you here?"

Zhao Tianlin then informed Xu Shichang of the parts of He Rui's plan that concerned the Beiyang government. Xu Shichang wasn't particularly surprised at this point; he simply pressed, "Director Zhao, does Brother He really intend to go to this extent?"

Zhao Tianlin's tone remained gentle. "Great President. This war is fought for the country. No matter how dangerous it is, it must be fought. What are the foreign garrisons in Tanggu there for? Is it not to threaten the capital at any moment and overthrow the government? 'How can one allow others to sleep beside one's bed?' The foreign garrisons in Tanggu must be annihilated. Annihilating these foreign garrisons will inevitably lead to conflict with the Great Powers. Chairman He simply refuses to bury his head in the sand."

Xu Shichang no longer really doubted that He Rui sincerely wanted to revitalize China. In recent years, the domestic call for abolishing concessions and restoring sovereignty had grown louder and louder. After He Rui dealt a heavy blow to Japan, although a large number of radical youths had gone to the Northeast to join He Rui, leaving the area south of the pass somewhat quieter, this public sentiment had already formed, and Xu Shichang was very clear about it.

Anyone who opposed foreigners acting tyrannically in China believed that He Rui had the ability to change this status quo. Even if only for his own image, He Rui could not go against this public sentiment.

Finally, Xu Shichang said, "So Brother He feels that us old fellows are still of some use, which is why he sent Director Zhao to pass a message."

Zhao Tianlin smiled faintly. "Chairman He knows that both of you are patriots, so he sent me here to invite you to participate in this cause."

Duan Qirui suppressed his displeasure and sat back in his seat. "What about the Beiyang brothers? Some of them are uneasy in their hearts; does Brother He not care about that?"