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

Although Chongzhen and his entourage occasionally encountered small groups of Ming troops on the road, no one dared to come and provoke trouble because of the powerful force of their team.

However, as they got closer to Yangzhou, the surrounding scenes were like heavy stones, pressing down on Chongzhen, causing him to frown tightly, his heart filled with a complex mixture of worry and grief.

Yangzhou should have been a bountiful land of fish and rice, its fertile soil teeming with endless vitality. But now, as Chongzhen walked along, he saw the roadside rows of rice paddies, once vibrant and tender, trampled and toppled. Weeds grew like mad invaders, clearly indicating that these once vibrant fields had long been neglected. Their desolate and desolate appearance seemed to silently speak of a torrent of fate.

Chongzhen watched this scene with a deep sense of regret. The Ming Dynasty had once been a land of prosperity, with its people living and working in peace and contentment. But now it lay in ruins. He lamented that, as the Son of Heaven, he had failed to protect this land and its people.

In the villages outside the city, every home shut its doors, a silence as if forgotten by the world. In some villages, houses seemed ablaze with demonic flames, blazing up into the sky, threatening to consume the very air. A group of soldiers, as ravenous as hungry wolves, stormed in, looting property and plundering food with impunity. The screams of dying civilians, the terrified cries of women and children, echoed one after another, weaving together into a despairing elegy.

From afar, Chongzhen saw a young woman who, in order to protect her chastity, resolutely chose to fight to the death and eventually died by hitting her head against a wall. That tragic scene, like a sharp thorn, deeply hurt Chongzhen's heart.

He was filled with grief and anger, grief at the suffering of the people and anger at the brutality of the soldiers. He secretly asked himself, how could he save these innocent people? He felt extremely guilty and helpless, hating himself for not having enough power to stop it.

Although he was a soul from later generations, Zhu Youjian still integrated most of Chongzhen's memories. Therefore, he was able to look at Chongzhen's actions since he ascended the throne more objectively and rationally.

For seventeen years, Chongzhen had diligently worked to save the Ming dynasty. However, his impatience, suspicion, indecision, and impatience on major issues contributed to the current situation. He felt he had failed the people's expectations and the trust placed in him by his ancestors.

The bodies of innocent civilians lay scattered across the road. Some were pierced by arrows, others slashed by sharp blades. Blood stained the ground red, a horrifying spectacle of gore. The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood, making one sick. Bereaved families lay beside the bodies, their cries deafening, their tears flowing like a river of sorrow.

Those who had managed to escape, dragging their families with them, fled in panic. The elderly staggered, and children clung to their parents' clothes, their faces filled with fear and confusion.

Chongzhen looked at these pitiful people with a heart full of pity. These were his own people, who should have lived in peace, but were displaced by war. He wished he could immediately provide them with a safe haven, freeing them from suffering. But he also knew clearly how little power he currently possessed, and this feeling of powerlessness filled him with immense frustration.

The sight of Yangzhou's towering walls from afar was even more heartbreaking. Smoke hung heavy, dark clouds over the sky, and the pungent smell of gunpowder, mixed with the scent of blood, drifted on the wind, as if telling the world about the brutal war.

Once, Yangzhou was hailed as the most prosperous and affluent city in the Ming Dynasty, a place coveted by countless people. It was known as "a place rich in one hundred thousand taels of gold, riding a crane to Yangzhou." But now, it is shrouded in the shadow of war, and the once peaceful and tranquil Yangzhou has become completely unrecognizable.

Chongzhen was filled with emotion, the contrast between the former glory and the present desolation was stark. He secretly vowed that if he could one day regain power, he would restore Yangzhou to its former prosperity and let the people live a stable life.

Gao Jie, driven by a desire to seize the fertile land of Yangzhou, was willing to wage war. His sole concern was power and wealth, with no regard for the lives of his subjects. Chongzhen gripped the reins tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, his heart filled with rage and frustration. This was his Ming land, his people, yet they were being slaughtered before his eyes, their land trampled before his very eyes, and he could do nothing to stop it.

At that moment, Chongzhen wanted to order the execution of the Ming troops still wantonly slaughtering people in the fields and villages, but he gritted his teeth and held back. It was simply because he lacked strength. He had less than a thousand cavalrymen under his command, while in his sight he could see a massive military camp filled with tens of thousands of soldiers. Besides, he had more important things to do. However, Chongzhen had already secretly vowed that if he were to regain control of the government, Gao Jie would be the first person he would kill.

"Your Majesty, let's hurry up and get on the road." Wang Chengen saw Chongzhen's gloomy expression, knew what he was thinking, and hurriedly advised him.

"Let's go!" Chongzhen loosened his clenched hands and sighed deeply.

He was torn between two options. On the one hand, he wanted to leave this place of suffering as soon as possible to fulfill his mission. On the other hand, he was worried about the people here and felt that leaving would be a form of escapism. However, he also understood that he had no better solution at the moment and could only endure the humiliation and wait for the opportunity.

However, just as they were about to speed up and leave, a team of more than a hundred Ming troops suddenly blocked their way.

Yan Yingyuan's men were in charge of clearing the way ahead. Seeing someone blocking their way, they quickly rode forward and politely asked, "Sir, why are you blocking our way?"

The captain in charge glanced at Yan Yingyuan lazily and said, "There's a battle going on ahead. No one outside is allowed to pass."

"This..." Yan Yingyuan quickly dismounted, stepped forward with a smile and said, "We are from General Huang Fei's unit. We are going to Yizhen to pay a visit to Master Huang Degong. Could you please be flexible?"

"We just received a military order. No one is allowed to pass this road, let alone a mere general. Even if Commander-in-Chief Shi comes, we can't pass it!" The captain in charge said with a disdainful laugh.

After hearing the captain's words, the guards behind Yan Yingyuan couldn't help but burst into anger, and some of them were about to curse. Yan Yingyuan smiled and waved his hand to stop his men's commotion.

"Then..." Yan Yingyuan cupped his hands and said, "How long do we have to wait?"

"When? Humph!" The captain in charge glanced at Yan Yingyuan and snorted coldly, "That depends on the Marshal's mood!"

"What the hell did you say..." As Yan Yingyuan's personal guard, Yao Er could no longer bear it. He took a step forward and was about to take action, but was stopped by Yan Yingyuan.

"Boy, you want to fight?" The captain leading the team was not afraid at all. He turned around and shouted, "Brothers, bows strung, swords unsheathed, let's see who dares!"

"Not really, not really!" Yan Yingyuan waved his hands repeatedly, turned around and shouted, "Everyone, step back! No one is allowed to take action without my order."

Although Yan Yingyuan knew Gao Jie's men were deliberately making things difficult for him, and even though the hundred or so men before him posed no real threat, he didn't dare engage them here. This was their territory. The captain was so arrogant because he had tens of thousands of troops backing him. Furthermore, even if they managed to charge through, they would be in the wrong if a lawsuit arose.

Yan Yingyuan did not dare to delay. He ordered his men to retreat a hundred meters, then rode his horse to the central army to report to Chongzhen.

"What is Gao Jie going to do?" Huang Fei frowned and said, "Does he know we are going to Yizhen? He doesn't want us to go find Huang Degong..."

"It's best not to get into a fight with a lunatic like Gao Jie. How about we change our route?" Li Ruolian thought for a moment and said, "He won't block all the roads, will he?"

"I think all the roads nearby will be closed. If we change the route, we may have to take a long detour, which will not be a matter of one or two days." Yan Yingyuan was very familiar with the geographical environment of Huaiyang and shook his head.

"How about I go and talk to Gao Jie about it?" Huang Fei thought for a moment and said, "If all else fails, we can just give him a gift. It's best not to hit someone who smiles..."

"I don't think this matter is that simple," Chongzhen thought for a long time, always feeling that there was something strange about this matter, but he couldn't tell what was wrong.

Huang Fei and Gao Jie had no grudges against each other; they were all officials in the same palace, so there was no need to quarrel over a simple matter. This 100-man team had clearly just arrived to deploy defenses, so their intention to target them shouldn't be too obvious.

Just as everyone was baffled, a horseman suddenly galloped towards them from afar. Behind him, a dozen other cavalrymen followed closely. The knight, dressed in ordinary civilian clothing, crouched on his horse. Several long arrows lodged in his shoulders. As he ran, he suddenly saw soldiers blocking his way, and he was overcome with despair.

But when he saw the banners held by Chongzhen and his men, he quickly stood up from his horse and shouted, "Quickly report to Master Huang, Gao Jie has ambushed Huang Degong, Gao Jie has ambushed Huang Degong!"

"What?" Although they were hundreds of steps apart, the cavalry's shouting at the top of their lungs still reached Chongzhen's ears. Chongzhen was shocked when he heard this.