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

On a July night in Yangzhou, the heat was pervasive and the stifling heat was quite uncomfortable. However, as the most prosperous commercial city in the Ming Dynasty, parts of Yangzhou were still bustling with activity.

Dongguan Street, Caiyi Street, and the Xiaoqinhuai River were ablaze with lights, as bright as day, illuminating the dark night sky with a shimmering brilliance. Shops along the streets were bustling with activity, operating as usual, their employees busily greeting customers. Stalls selling local specialties, handicrafts, and snacks were scattered throughout the area, their cries echoing endlessly, attracting numerous visitors.

Besides ordinary commercial shops, specialized entertainment venues were even more bustling. In teahouses, entertainers performed vivid storytelling, opera, and other performances on stage, while diners leisurely sipped tea, immersed in the wonderful performances, and frequently applauded the actors' superb skills. Taverns presented a different scene, with patrons gathered in groups, clinking glasses, chatting, and laughing, creating an extraordinary bustle.

Thousands of lights in the night market illuminate the blue sky.

There are many guests with red sleeves in the tall buildings.

Now is not like usual days,

The music and singing can still be heard until dawn.

This poem aptly depicts the lively scene of Yangzhou night market and vividly shows the luxury and prosperity of Yangzhou city.

But in other parts of the city, the scene was quite different. Most people followed their daily routines and fell asleep early. Besides the orderly patrols of the streets by the security forces, the only sounds on the streets were the night watchmen, their clappers and gongs, which they struck periodically, reminding residents to pay attention to time and safety. Their monotonous sounds carried far into the silent night.

The area surrounding the Governor's Mansion became a heavily patrolled area at night. As the night wore on, a group of over a hundred men quietly emerged from a street adjacent to the Governor's Mansion's walls. They moved swiftly and silently, like ghosts stalking the night.

The team patrolling the street at this time not only ignored these people, but walked to both ends of the street tacitly, with firm and orderly steps. It was obviously an arrangement made in advance to prevent anyone from getting close and to provide convenience for the mysterious team to move.

"Master Wang, why are you here too? Did your father agree?" Qu Shangzhong led the team. After meeting up with the men sent by the Wang family, he was surprised to see Wang Cong, the son of the Wang family, among them. He frowned slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of worry and confusion.

"If I told him, why would he let me come?" Wang Cong said excitedly, his eyes gleaming with excitement, as if he was about to take part in a thrilling adventure. "Since we are going to deal with that guy today, how can I be left out?"

There was an inexplicable calmness and confidence on Wang Cong's face, and he was full of confidence in his abilities.

"Young Master Wang, you'd better go back. Didn't your father tell you about this in detail?" Qu Shangzhong frowned even more tightly and still persuaded after thinking for a moment. He was well aware of the danger of this operation and did not want Wang Cong to be involved in it.

"Eunuch Qu, you don't have to persuade me. I won't go back," Wang Cong said, shaking his head firmly. "Besides, I've been practicing martial arts since I was young. Even three or five people can't get close to me. I won't be a drag."

"Oh, okay!" Qu Shangzhong sighed and shook his head helplessly.

He didn't know what this young man was thinking, to treat this life-and-death assassination so lightly. But now that things had come to this, he was unwilling to go back and could only leave it to fate. Anyway, if the assassination failed, no one in the Wang family would be able to escape!

As a salt merchant family with a history of hundreds of years, Wang Zheng naturally has a group of brave warriors under his command.

Determined, Wang Zheng acted with remarkable efficiency, gathering over a hundred assassins in just one day. He also leveraged official power, with Wang Zhi's cooperation, to block off several nearby streets to facilitate his actions. This move further impressed Qu Shangzhong with the immense power of these salt merchants, and he could not help but marvel at their might.

"There are only four guards on duty in the courtyard here, and there are about twenty guards at the Governor's Mansion." The speaker was Hu Debiao, the person in charge of Wang's operation, nicknamed "Hu Yidao".

This man was originally a centurion in the frontier army, known for his bravery, charging fearlessly into battle. However, he later offended his superior, who retaliated against him. In a rage, he killed his superior and fled, fortunately being taken in by Wang Zheng. His gaze was firm as he spoke, and he was fully aware of the surrounding situation, clearly having conducted a thorough investigation.

"Is that big guy here?" Wang Cong was still frightened of Zhu Tie and couldn't help asking.

"The two guards from that day are here, and the big guy has already gone to bed," Hu Debiao nodded, a hint of disdain in his eyes. "Don't worry, sir. Even if he's powerful, one or two people can't beat him. How about ten people? Fifty people? A hundred people? With so many of us, we can kill him even if we pile on him!"

"That's true, but Wang Fu couldn't even survive a single encounter in his hands..." Wang Cong said with lingering fear.

"Wang Fu only knows some mediocre kung fu, but he just knows how to show off all day long. He is just borrowing the power of our Wang family to bully others. If a real fight breaks out, how can he compare to them?" Hu Debiao said disdainfully, with a look of contempt on his face, and he looked down on Wang Fu's martial arts.

"There is no time to lose, let's hurry up and take action!" Qu Shangzhong couldn't help but say when he saw Wang Cong still talking about this and that.

At this time, he was very anxious, worried that the night would cause more trouble and affect the smooth progress of the operation.

"Okay!" Hu Debiao also knew that this was not the time to chat. Although he felt that tonight's mission was quite easy, he also understood that the situation on the battlefield was changing rapidly. In order to avoid a disaster, he still had to be careful.

Because someone blocked the road outside, Hu Debiao and his men even brought several wooden ladders. Hu Debiao sent two nimble men in first, and a moment later, the two gave a signal.

Hu Debiao took the lead and led everyone to climb over the wall. He was agile and nimble, like a monkey, and easily climbed over the wall.

At this point, no one in Yangzhou knew Chongzhen's identity, and with Shi Kefa as the commander-in-chief, there were no scoundrels trying to cause trouble. Furthermore, as a later generation, Chongzhen was not particularly aware of his own security, so he kept a small staff at his residence. His personal guards, as well as Zhu Ge's secret guards, were all dismissed by Chongzhen.

So today's guards were Zhu Tie, Zhu Ge, and two other guards. It was already midnight, and Chongzhen and the others had already fallen asleep. One of the guards on night watch was also feeling drowsy, his head drooping from time to time.

At this moment, Zhu Tie, who had been snoring loudly, suddenly opened his eyes, his eyes revealing vigilance and sharpness, as if he had sensed the impending danger.

Although Qu Shangzhong was a eunuch, he possessed remarkable skills. He had come to reassure Wang Zheng, lest he suspect him of harming him; and secondly, to witness Chongzhen's assassination firsthand. This time, he had to confirm his death to ensure the safety of the Hongguang Emperor's throne. His eyes revealed a resolute determination as he closely followed the others' lead.

These people were all veterans in this field, and more than a hundred of them climbed over the wall and entered without making much noise.

After landing, Hu Debiao looked around the yard and saw that a guard in front of the house was still on duty, but he was a little drowsy and unaware of their arrival.

Hu Debiao waved his hand, and two of his best fighters quietly moved towards the guard from both sides. Their movements were light and ghostly, without making any sound.

Just as the two men were about to succeed, a sudden sound of bowstrings rang out, and two crossbow bolts pierced the throats of the two skilled fighters. Without a single groan, they fell to the ground, dead. The previously drowsy guard suddenly opened his eyes, a sharp, alert look in them, and quickly retreated back into the house.

"Not good, they're prepared." Hu Debiao frowned, thinking to himself that this was not good. But at this point, there was no way to retreat. He immediately shouted, "Charge forward. They're not many, let's fight quickly!"

Suddenly, several people rushed to the door, and at that moment, a man walked out of the house. He was tall and strong, standing there like an iron tower! This man was Zhu Tie!

Zhu Tie possessed an animal-like instinct for danger. Even in his sleep, he would awaken instantly when he sensed approaching danger. Thanks to him, Chongzhen and the others were able to detect the attackers in time and even set a trap to kill two of them.

Watching the enemy charging towards him, Zhu Tie showed no fear, but instead felt his blood boiling. With a roar, he rushed towards the leading enemy, his iron staff wielding a shadow. His momentum seemed to split mountains and crack rocks, terrifying even the merest aura...