Zhang Zuolin had always been a character of interest to the Japanese, who kept a close eye on the court politics of the Beiyang Government. Those he kept around him had never created much enthusiasm amongst the Japanese diplomatic corps, and his official anti-Japanese stance was inevitably only going to deepen that rift. This rift was impossible to ignore, however, as Zuolin deftly maneuvered in Chinese politics and found himself in charge of Manchuria and bordering a significant portion of the Japanese's possessions on the mainland. He was clearly a man with influence on the politics in Beijing, and a man that had the manpower and loyalty of his officers to swing the careful balance the Republic of China teetered on.

The balance was in tatters to anyone who had kept an eye on the Republic of China for the past few months. The dominant force in Beiyang politics, the Anhui Clique, had been clamoring for war with the separatist movement in the South and had taken a large loan from Japanese banks to fund such an incoming conflict. He was not the only group that had influence in Beiyang politics, nor was he even guaranteed to succeed in his theoretical crusade against the South. But he was a powerful in to Beiyang politics for Japan, not to mention his financial debt meant that Japanese interests had a powerful hold over him, and to allow someone with a more obvious anti-Japanese stance would be a failure of Japan's interests in China. It was clear to Foreign Minister Uchida Kōsai that Zuolin must be convinced of Japanese benevolence, while protecting Duan from any of Zuolin's aspirations. The tried and true method of pure bribery would be employed in this case. A portion of the bribe would target Zuolin's practical side, that is a few crates of Type 38's numbering a few thousand would find themselves somehow in the city of Fengtian (Liaoning) at the same time a secret telegraph was to be sent to Zuolin. The eccentric character side of Zuolin would also be indulged, with a dwarf of Formosan origin would also be officially sent to Zuolin as a 'gift' from the Japanese. The telegraph would specify the expectations set by the Japanese due to their numerous undisclosed 'gifts,' that being Zuolin's promise of neutrality should any of the "anti-Beiyang" forces tempt him into betraying his vows of loyalty to the Republic of China.