Travel back in time and become Chongzhen, watch me turn the tide

Wuchang had just regained some of its vitality when Zhang Xianzhong withdrew from the city. A ruthless fire burned the city to the ground, destroying everything from the magnificent Chu Palace and the majestic Yellow Crane Tower to government offices, the Imperial Examination Hall, warehouses, schools, temples, and even the main commercial district. The once prosperous city was instantly reduced to ruins.

All Zuo Liangyu got from Zhang Xianzhong was a scorched earth. After nearly a year of hard work and renovation, as the surrounding residents gradually moved in, the almost ruined Wuchang city gradually regained some life.

At this time, a heated debate was going on in Zuo Liangyu's mansion in Wuchang City.

"Father, we must never bow to Chongzhen!" Zuo Menggeng stood tall and straight, with an imposing manner, but his face was full of anxiety at this moment, and his voice trembled slightly with anxiety.

Zuo Liangyu raised his eyes slightly, a look of doubt and scrutiny in his eyes, and asked, "Why? Please tell me in detail."

Zuo Menggeng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. He said, "Father, look at what happened to the four Jiangbei towns... Gao Jie and Liu Zeqing barely managed to save their lives. Liu Liangzuo is a little better off, having been raised with patronage, but who can guarantee that Chongzhen won't take action against them in the future? Who knows, one day an imperial edict might be issued, and they'll be doomed. If we listen to Shi Kefa and obediently hand over our military power, will there be any place for our Zuo family in this court?"

Zuo Liangyu gently stroked his beard. After a moment's silence, he slowly spoke, "We can't generalize like that. Huang Degong is still highly valued."

Upon hearing this, Zuo Menggeng paced anxiously and said, "Father, Huang Degong is different from us. He was promoted by Emperor Chongzhen and is naturally loyal to him. But what about us? We don't have such a close relationship with him."

Zuo Liangyu was choked by these words and didn't know how to respond for a moment. He just said "this..."

Zuo Menggeng struck while the iron was hot and continued, "Besides, if Chongzhen really wanted to use father, why would he ignore us after he ascended the throne? Let alone rewards, at least a few words of comfort should have been given. But what is the reality?"

Zuo Liangyu frowned even more tightly, staring at the letter from Shi Kefa in his hand, muttering to himself, "Master Shi's letter asking me to submit a petition in support of Chongzhen seems to be all right..."

Zuo Menggeng's forehead was bulging with anxiety, and he shouted, "Father, we now have an army of 800,000 men at our disposal. Why should we be controlled by others? Since Chongzhen doesn't take us seriously, why should we care about him? As for Shi Kefa, he's just a pedantic scholar, not worth our attention!"

Zuo Liangyu looked troubled and sighed, "Let me think it over again."

Zuo Menggeng still refused to give up. He stepped forward and said, "Father, don't you understand the current situation? Although Chongzhen has taken the throne, the people's hearts may not be stable. I heard that he has recently reorganized the army, and there are complaints from all the towns. Gao Jie, Liu Liangzuo, and Liu Zeqing have been stripped of their military power, but they are still alive. Why don't we unite with them..."

Before he could finish his words, Zuo Liangyu's face darkened and he shouted angrily, "Shut up! You can't just say such outrageous words!"

Zuo Menggeng was scolded, but he didn't flinch. Instead, he straightened his back and continued, "Father, think about it. We are now facing Li Zicheng. If he leads his army to attack us, we will have nowhere to retreat. By then, we will be caught between Li Zicheng and Chongzhen, with no room for maneuver. It would be better to take Nanjing now. There are so many princes in the Ming Dynasty. Isn't it better to support any of them to the throne than to follow Chongzhen?"

Zuo Liangyu's eyes flashed with hesitation, and he whispered, "The Chongzhen Emperor is the legitimate emperor after all..."

Zuo Menggeng sneered, a sinister expression on his face. "Humph! Just because he says he's legitimate means he's legitimate? They said he was buried at the bottom of the sea, but now he's resurfaced. Who can prove he's the Chongzhen Emperor and not someone else pretending to be him?"

Zuo Liangyu's face was solemn. After a long moment of contemplation, he said firmly, "Alright, let's end this matter here. Don't mention it again!"

Zuo Menggeng wanted to argue: "Father!"

Zuo Liangyu waved his hand impatiently: "Back off!"

Zuo Menggeng was completely dissatisfied, but he had no choice but to turn around and stride out of the room.

Zuo Liangyu sighed deeply as he watched his son's retreating figure. How could he not have considered what Zuo Menggeng had said? But putting it into action was no easy task. While the army boasted an army of 800,000, he knew its actual combat effectiveness. Most of them were ragtag, a mix of vagrants, defeated soldiers, and bandits. If they were to be deployed to the battlefield, what chances would they have of success? Of those truly capable, there wouldn't even be 100,000...

Not to mention the plans of Zuo Liangyu and his son, Chongzhen at this time had not yet spared the time to deal with them. What he had been doing in the past two days was the establishment of a military academy, and the first officer training class had already been successfully started.

The location of the military academy was also decided. Like the Royal University, it was located within the imperial palace.

Only the main palaces of Nanjing's imperial palace have been renovated, with the majority still under renovation. Chongzhen, with a stroke of his pen, allocated these palaces to the Imperial Military Academy and the Imperial University. The academy and university were to be located on either side of the palace, separated by a palace wall. This resulted in the Ming Dynasty's palace becoming extremely cramped. This move was naturally strongly opposed by the court officials, who wrote petitions to dissuade them, offering earnest advice and even arguing their case in court. However, Chongzhen insisted, and the plan was eventually passed.

As a result, the front of the Nanjing Imperial Palace became the office space for various departments, and the harem was reduced to a few palaces. However, Chongzhen was now alone and could not even use these palaces.

After renovation, the other halls and dozens of side rooms were turned into classrooms for the university and military academy. Chongzhen was even more enthusiastic and wrote inscriptions for this highest institution of civil and military learning.

The preparations for the university have not been completed yet, and the military academy has not been completed either. However, at the request of Chongzhen, the first phase of grassroots military officer training has already begun.

The first batch of trainees, consisting of 120 grassroots military officers from various towns, had participated in the training. Although the towns had undergone reorganization, removing the old and weak, and streamlining their personnel, their combat effectiveness had improved in a short period of time, their combat skills and awareness had not improved much, and the loyalty of the troops had not changed much.

Chongzhen targeted the grassroots military officers of each town for this training, so the highest rank participating was no more than a centurion. While training for senior officers was also to be conducted, Chongzhen had not yet finalized the outline, so it would be conducted later. While these grassroots military officers participating in the training might seem low-ranking, they were the backbone of the army, responsible for the most crucial combat missions and acting as the key link in the military's communication and coordination.

This training course for these people not only includes basic tactical and strategic training, but also basic cultural studies. You must know that most of these people are illiterate, so cultural studies have become a compulsory subject.

To further strengthen his control over the army, Chongzhen personally attended the training session and gave an opening speech to the grassroots military officers, explaining the purpose and significance of the training and his expectations for them. He would also train with them from time to time, personally demonstrating the movements and sharing the joys and sorrows with the students.

With just these few small actions, the loyalty of the first batch of trainees to him soared instantly. After the training ended, Chongzhen personally awarded them certificates and medals, which made these people completely loyal to Emperor Chongzhen...