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

Yan Yingyuan had already arrived at the parade grounds. He wanted to intervene, but seeing Chongzhen was indifferent, he did not step forward. Yan Yingyuan naturally had his own plans in mind. He had been thinking about what Chongzhen had mentioned last night, but he could not make up his mind. Although Chongzhen had the right principles, he had no troops or power at the moment, otherwise he would not have been drawn to him.

Although Emperor Hongguang was slightly inferior to Emperor Chongzhen in terms of status, he was elected by the ministers after all. Moreover, he had both military power and authority. Could he willingly give up the throne?

If the Hongguang Emperor refused, could Chongzhen take back the throne that belonged to him? Too many unknowns made Yan Yingyuan dare not respond easily.

In fact, these are not the most important things for Yan Yingyuan. His greatest wish is to end the turmoil in today's society and let the people live a stable and prosperous life. Emperor Chongzhen has not done this for such a long time. Now that it has come to this point, can he still do it?

Moreover, from what he has learned over the years, Emperor Chongzhen has an impatient, irritable, suspicious and self-willed personality. Once he encounters a problem, he is either indecisive or eager for quick results. Therefore, although he seems to have been working diligently for the past 17 years since he ascended the throne, the national strength has not improved, but has deteriorated. Now, even Kyoto has been lost!

Is this kind of person really worthy of his following? Perhaps the newly enthroned Hongguang Emperor is capable of doing something?

However, when he first met Chongzhen last night, he was greatly shocked.

When they met for the first time, Chongzhen had a gentle smile on his face. During the conversation, his words were clear and logical. His analysis of the situation between the Dashun Army and the Qing Army was far-sighted, which quietly ignited a glimmer of hope in Yan Yingyuan's heart.

When he arrived at the training ground, he was surprised to see Chongzhen doing morning exercises with a strong and agile posture.

When Yao Er challenged Chongzhen, his heart leaped into his throat, and he felt like rushing into the training grounds to stop him. However, a lingering curiosity kept him in check. He watched as Chongzhen calmly responded to the challenge, and even after the duel ended, he remained cheerful and cheerful, showing no sign of imperial airs.

Afterwards, Chongzhen sat with everyone and ate from a big pot. His friendly and easy-going manner deeply touched Yan Yingyuan, who had been observing secretly.

Until this moment, Yan Yingyuan was finally moved by Chongzhen. The fire of hope in his heart burned into a raging flame, and he finally made up his mind to follow Chongzhen.

Yan Yingyuan strode forward and knelt down in front of Chongzhen. Just as he was about to say something, Chongzhen grabbed him and said with a smile, "Liheng, wait! Let's go back and talk in detail!"

Once Yan Yingyuan made up his mind, he would never drag his feet in doing things.

At the Battle of Huangtiangang, Yan Yingyuan decisively defeated the pirate Gu Sanmazi, frightening him so much that he never again dared to attack Jiangyin. Upon hearing this, Zhang Guowei, then Right Censor-in-Chief and Governor of the Ten Prefectures of Jiangnan (Songjiang, Suzhou, Changzhou, Zhenjiang, Huizhou, Ningguo, Chizhou, Taiping, Anqing, and Guangde), visited Jiangyin as the "Qinyi Dusi." Yan Yingyuan accompanied him on the inspection, ringing the gong to clear the way, a move the people of the city regarded with pride. During the visit, Zhang Guowei praised Yan Yingyuan highly and encouraged him to further strengthen Jiangyin's defenses against pirate attacks, strengthen Jiangyin's military capabilities, and ensure the safety of Jiangyin, and ultimately, the security of Zhenjiang and Nanjing upstream.

With Zhang Guowei's endorsement, Yan Yingyuan seized the opportunity and worked hard to organize the militia from the villages along the river and conduct strict military training, gradually training them into a disciplined and highly combat-effective local armed force. At the same time, he selected more than 40 militiamen with strong military qualities and unwavering loyalty from the more than 1,000 militiamen to serve as his retainers.

Now that he had decided to follow Chongzhen, all of his servants, except for two who remained to protect his family, went with him. Upon learning that Chongzhen was short of soldiers and major generals, Yan Yingyuan, leveraging his prestige, carefully selected dozens of local soldiers he had meticulously trained, and, along with his own servants, formed an elite detachment of a hundred men.

Although the trip to Jiangyin encountered many setbacks, it ultimately gained the support of Yan Yingyuan. This auspicious start instantly boosted Chongzhen's confidence. To prevent any accidents, everyone set out on their return journey that same day.

After returning to Taizhou, although the cavalry waiting here had stayed for two days, because they were flying Huang Fei's banner, everything was calm and did not attract any attention or accidents.

It is not far from Taizhou to Yizheng. Although Chongzhen is quite confident about how to persuade Huang Degong, everyone is full of doubts. After all, people's hearts are hidden. Even though Chongzhen has been kind to him, Huang Degong is now in a high position and has a large army under his command. Whether he will still recognize Chongzhen as the emperor is hard to say until they meet.

At this time, the troops under Chongzhen were more responsible. They included not only Feng Kaizhang's servants, Huang Fei's personal guards, Li Laiheng's subordinates, but also the local soldiers brought by Yan Yingyuan. These people had different affiliations, and once a fight broke out, the command would be very confusing. In order to be on the safe side, Chongzhen decided to reorganize the forces in his hands.

First, he carefully selected fifty brave warriors skilled in horsemanship and archery, highly skilled in martial arts, and loyal and fearless as his personal guards. These warriors were the elite of the army, possessing extraordinary abilities. Chongzhen appointed Gao Qianqiu, a captain of the Imperial Guard who had followed him all the way from the capital, as the leader of his personal guards, with Zhu Tie and Zhao Meng as his deputies. Gao Qianqiu was a skilled warrior and deeply loyal to Chongzhen; Zhu Tie was exceptionally brave; Zhao Meng was meticulous. Together, the three of them were responsible for Chongzhen's safety and security.

Chongzhen then selected fifty exceptionally agile individuals from the ranks. These individuals were characterized by their swiftness and agility, like cheetahs, silent yet lightning-fast; their minds were as cunning as foxes, perceiving the subtlest details. This special unit, functionally equivalent to the Imperial Guard, was temporarily under the command of Li Ruolian, the commander of the Imperial Guard, with his deputy, Zhuge. Their primary responsibility was intelligence gathering and other important tasks.

The remaining troops were reorganized into three teams. Yan Yingyuan, Li Laiheng, and Huang Fei's deputy general, Su Xiang, were appointed captains, respectively. Yan Yingyuan was experienced and courageous; Li Laiheng was young and energetic; and Su Xiang was calm, sophisticated, and experienced. This arrangement not only fully utilized the strengths of each commander, but also ensured a rational distribution of forces, fully preparing for the upcoming operation. These troops, in turn, followed Huang Fei's unified command.

The plan for this meeting was personally drawn up by Chongzhen. While it was a simple one, Huang Fei, under the pretext of moving his troops to Zhenjiang and stationing them in Wuhu for quarrying, would visit Huang Degong. Since the two had a long-standing relationship, Huang Degong naturally offered a warm reception. Chongzhen would use this opportunity to meet Huang Degong and persuade him to help him regain the throne.

Huang Fei and Huang Degong have similar personalities and temperaments, and they have a good personal relationship. But even so, no one dares to be careless.

Considering that Huang Degong would not allow them to bring too many people, Gao Qianqiu's personal guards will escort them into the camp this time. In addition to Huang Fei and Li Ruolian, Zhu Tie and Zhao Meng will also stay by Chongzhen's side. With these two powerful generals, even if Huang Degong turns against them, they still have hope of breaking out of the enemy camp.

Yan Yingyuan and Li Laiheng led their cavalry to support the enemy outside the camp. If there was any change in the camp, they would lead their troops directly into the camp! Su Xiang was responsible for the rear, cutting off the reinforcements and ensuring their safe escape...

The plan was decided, and at Chongzhen's command, everyone broke camp and set off.

"Your Majesty, this place is nearly two hundred miles away from Yizhen. We are cavalry, and a normal march would take two days, but if we march quickly, we can arrive in one day," Huang Fei said as he watched the army set off. "But to reach Yizhen, we have to pass through Yangzhou, which is Gao Jie's territory. Recently, Gao Jie is attacking Yangzhou City because of the garrison issue. To avoid trouble, we'd better march quickly!"

"General Huang, I'll follow your instructions on how to march," Chongzhen nodded and said, "If we encounter Gao Jie's army, try to avoid friction..."

"promise!"