Second Zhili–Fengtian War
In 1923 Wen Shizhen was treated as an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary. With the Zhili clique's support, Wen was appointed Commissioner of Foreign Affairs and concurrently Superintendent of Customs of Shanghai in September 1924. That year the Zhili clique was beaten by the Fengtian clique in the Second Zhili–Fengtian War, and Wen was invited by the Fengtian clique's Military Governor Yang Yuting. Later the National Revolutionary Army occupied Shanghai, so Wen defected to Japan, and retired from political life for a while.