Zhang Zongchang Zhang Zongchang ( ) ( 13 February 1881 – 3 September 1932 ) , nicknamed the " Dogmeat General " ( ) and " 72 - Cannon Chang " , was a Chinese warlord in Shandong in the early 20th century . " Time " dubbed him China ' s " basest warlord " . Born in poverty in Yi County ( now Laizhou ) in Shandong , Zhang joined a bandit gang in 1911 and rose in power after offering his band ' s services to the army of Jiangsu ' s military governor . His success as a part - time bandit chief and militiaman was short - lived and after being defeated by rivals he sought refuge with the warlord Zhang Zuolin in Manchuria . He made a good impression , with a popular story going that he rose in popularity one year at Zhang Zuolin ' s birthday party : in contrast to other guests who showered the warlord with expensive gifts , Zhang Zongchang sent him two empty coolie baskets and failed to turn up himself . Zhang Zuolin was baffled until the purpose of the gift was soon ascertained : Zhang Zongchang ' s empty basket implied he was a man willing to shoulder whatever heavy responsibilities the warlord entrusted him with . He was subsequently rewarded with a command position in his army , though only after proving himself in battle did Zhang Zongchang visit his superior in person . Zhang Zongchang ' s nickname of the " Dogmeat General " came from a fondness for gambling , especially for the game Pai Gow which Northeastern Chinese called " eating dog meat " . He kept some thirty to fifty concubines of different nationalities , including Koreans , Japanese , White Russians , French and Americans , each of whom were given numbers since he could not remember their names nor speak their language . Zhang Zongchang was free with his gifts , lavishly squandering money and concubines on superiors and friends . As a result , Zhang ' s commanders were much loyal to him , contributing to his martial success . According to the wife of Wellington Koo : Zhang Zongchang proved to be one of the more capable warlord generals , making effective use of armoured train s manned by experienced White Russian mercenaries . He recruited up to 4 , 600 White Russian refugees from the Russian civil war , from which he formed a cavalry regiment , complete with pseudo - Tsarist uniforms and regalia . Zhang Zongchang was also one of the first Chinese generals to incorporate women into the military on a large scale , even using a regiment of nurses entirely consisting of White Russian women . The White Russian nurses , in turn , trained their Chinese counterparts , resulting in greater efficiency in taking care of Zhang ' s wounded troops , a significant boost of morale and combat capability . Nevertheless , while having a reputation as one of the most brutal and ruthless warlords , he was also one of the most colourful . After defeating the army of general Wu Peifu by making his enemy ' s forces defect , he rewarded the defectors by allowing them to keep their original ranks . He then promoted his own officers , but since there was not enough metal to make the gold and silver stars for their rank insignia , he ordered the stars to be made from the gold and silver paper foil in cigarette packages . During the mass promotion ceremony , the officers were surprised to find their insignia already torn even before the ceremony had ended . Similarly , during one of his campaigns , he publicly announced he would win the battle or come home in his coffin . When his troops were forced back he was true to his word - he was paraded through the streets , sitting in his coffin , and smoking a large cigar . It was also a matter of public amusement that he kept his aged mother with him at all times , except when on campaign , when he left her at his opulent palace . In 1924 , he took part in the Second Zhili – Fengtian War and helped partition Shanghai between the two opposing forces . In April 1925 , he went on to conquer Shanghai properly and then seized Nanjing , both for the glory of Zhang Zuolin ' s Fengtian clique . He was subsequently appointed military governor of Shandong , which he ruled as warlord until May 1928 . Zhang travelled to Shanghai for frequent carousing sessions with Zhang Zuolin ' s son , General Zhang Xueliang . Both men enjoyed opium , of which Shanghai was a key site in the smuggling trade , and Fengtian economy became increasingly reliant on the drug . In an infamous incident in 1925 , an argument in Zhang ' s headquarters over who among a group of officers should receive the biggest payment from an opium deal led to shoot - out which saw three of them kill each other . In 1928 , during the Northern Expedition , Muslim General Bai Chongxi led Kuomintang forces to destroy and defeat the Zhang Zongchang , capturing 20 , 000 of his 50 , 000 troops , almost capturing Zhang himself , who escaped beyond the Great Wall to Manchuria . He fled to Japanese protection in Dalian . By 1929 he was living quietly in Japan with his mother , though was thrown into the spotlight again when he " accidentally " shot Prince Hsien Kai , a cousin of Emperor Puyi . According to Zhang the gun he was holding while standing at his hotel window happened to go off and shoot the young prince in the back , killing him instantly , though it was more likely he killed the playboy prince for dallying with one of Zhang ' s many concubines . He was charged , found guilty by a Japanese court , and given the choice between 15 days imprisonment or a US $ 150 fine . He chose the fine . While visiting Shandong in 1932 , he was assassinated by the nephew of one of his many victims , who was in turn given clemency and pardoned by the Kuomintang government . Contemporary claims were made that the " filial murder " might have been part of a plan set up a local governor to remove Zhang as a political rival .