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

In the lobby of the Commander-in-Chief's Mansion, the atmosphere was so solemn that it seemed like the suffocating depression before a storm, weighing heavily on everyone's heart.

The officials in Yangzhou City stood densely packed together, like a silent, eerie black forest, emanating an atmosphere of tension and unease. With the exception of Huaifu Huang Jiarui, Prefect Ma Minglu, and Procurator Tang Laihe, who had a vague suspicion, everyone else seemed lost in a fog, completely bewildered, unaware of the reason for their summons. They stared at each other, their eyes woven with confusion and unease, yet dared not ask rash questions.

At this moment, the Governor's Mansion was completely sealed off by soldiers in shining armor, leaving not even a sliver of space. The sun poured down mercilessly on the armor, reflecting icy rays of light that felt like sharp, tangible blades, chilling the very air.

The aura of murderous intent surged like a surging tide, surging towards the sky with overwhelming force, as if to devour everything in the world. The officials' faces were as pale as paper, devoid of any color, their legs trembling uncontrollably, their eyes filled with fear and confusion.

Just as everyone was like a startled bird, in a state of uncertainty, a man, respectfully accompanied by the Commander-in-Chief Shi Kefa, slowly emerged from the back hall with steady and resolute steps. He stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his back erect, emanating an invisible majesty. His appearance instantly captured everyone's attention.

This person came to the center of the lobby and then slowly sat down. His majestic aura was like a mountain pressing down on one's head, as if it could suppress all the evil spirits in the world.

"Your Majesty, is it really you?" Before Chongzhen could settle down, a figure rushed out like an arrow from a bow, dropping to his knees with a thud. The swiftness of the movement and the loudness of the sound startled everyone present. They looked closely and saw it was none other than Huang Jiarui, the Huaiyang Governor. His eyes were wide, filled with tears of surprise and excitement, and those tears were welling up in his eyes, as if they would burst out at any moment.

"Huang Jiarui, third-class Jinshi in the seventh year of Chongzhen's reign, and Governor of Huaiyang." Chongzhen nodded slightly, looking at the kneeling man with gentle eyes. A hint of satisfaction curled up the corners of his mouth, and he said, "It's rare that you still remember me. I am very pleased!"

"Your Majesty, you are bringing shame to me," Huang Jiarui, the governor of Huaiyang, said in a trembling voice, choking with sobs, tears welling up in his eyes, his expression full of guilt and respect.

"Alright, my Lords, why don't you hurry and pay your respects to His Majesty!" Seeing the civil and military officials still standing there in a daze, Wang Chengen frowned, raised his voice, and spoke sharply. His voice was sharp and urgent, breaking the brief silence in the hall.

"Your Highness, your Highness, Long Live the Emperor!" Suddenly, as if waking from their dream, the crowd hurriedly knelt, paying their respects with great ceremony. For a moment, the rustling of sleeves and the clatter of knees echoed throughout the hall. Some looked terrified, beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, while others, with a glimmer of anticipation, secretly glanced up at Chongzhen.

"My dear ministers, please stand up." Chongzhen sighed deeply, his voice full of vicissitudes and fatigue.

He stood up and walked slowly, each step steady and powerful, until he reached the front of the crowd. His eyes were filled with scrutiny and expectation, and his piercing gaze swept over everyone one by one, as if to penetrate their souls and discern their true thoughts.

"Thank you, Lord," they heard, and cautiously stood up, their heads slightly lowered, not daring to look directly at the Emperor's face. Some officials were still quietly wiping sweat from their foreheads with their sleeves, not daring to breathe. The entire hall was so quiet that only the sound of soft breathing could be heard.

Chongzhen took a deep breath, his gaze slowly sweeping across the hall of civil and military officials. When their gazes met his, they quickly averted their gazes, as if burned by them. For a moment, Chongzhen didn't know where to begin. The hall was eerily quiet, as if you could hear a pin drop. This silence was oppressive and unsettling.

"Everyone probably thinks I'm dead," Chongzhen finally spoke after a long silence. His voice was low, as if coming from a distant valley. "Let me tell you, I really did die once..."

As Chongzhen spoke, the crowd looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and confusion. Some officials stared with wide eyes, their mouths slightly open, their faces filled with disbelief; others frowned, lost in thought, trying to comprehend the meaning of Chongzhen's words. They dared not ask aloud, but could only speculate in their hearts, their heartbeats involuntarily quickening, as if they had a premonition of something major was about to happen.

"...When the capital fell, I had already climbed Coal Hill. On that hill, a crooked tree, I hung a white silk thread." Chongzhen spoke to himself, seemingly lost in memories, his eyes flashing with pain and determination. "I even left a will... I was unkind and disrespectful, bringing disaster upon Heaven. This allowed the rebels to march straight to the capital. It was all my ministers' fault. When I die, I will have no face to see my ancestors. I will take off my crown and cover my face with my hair. I will allow the rebels to divide the country and not harm a single civilian..."

His voice was calm yet heavy, and every word echoed clearly in the silent hall, striking the ministers' hearts like a heavy hammer, causing them to feel a profound shock. The ministers' attention was riveted by his words, and they dared not utter a single breath.

"But just when I lost consciousness, I had a dream. In the dream, Emperor Taizu scolded me. He scolded me for losing the Ming Dynasty, scolded me for losing the backbone of the Ming Dynasty, and even scolded me for plunging the people of the world into hunger and war. In the end, he kicked me and let me live, save the people from the water and fire, and save the building from collapse..." There was a hint of excitement in Chongzhen's eyes, as if the dream was still vivid, bringing him endless strength and sense of mission.

"At that moment, I came to my senses and told myself that I could not die. I wanted my people to live a stable life again. I also wanted to quell the civil unrest, expel the Tartars, and end the war..." His voice gradually became firm and powerful, and his eyes flashed with determination.

"If I can't do this, I'll be ashamed to face my ancestors in the underworld..." Chongzhen gave a bitter smile, a smile full of bitterness and helplessness, his eyes revealing a determined light. "But when I went through hardships, survived a near-death experience, escaped from Li Zicheng's nose, and experienced the impact of the storm, I finally returned to the south, only to find that the throne was already taken..."

"Actually, if Zhu Yousong, the Hongguang Emperor, truly was the one who could restore the Ming Dynasty, I would never argue with him. As long as the Ming Dynasty returns to its rightful place, anyone can be emperor. But what about the reality?" Chongzhen sneered, his laughter filled with mockery and anger. He continued, "Since ascending the throne, Zhu Yousong has indulged in alcohol, indulged in lust, and pursued pleasure, paying no attention to state affairs. Worse still, he handed over state affairs to Ma Shiying while he himself engaged in shady activities!"

There was anger burning in his eyes, and he was extremely angry at Zhu Yousong's behavior.

"Now that the country is in crisis, he doesn't think about how to reorganize the army and prepare for war. Instead, he starts to build palaces on a large scale. He even selects 'ladies' from all over the country to fill his harem in the name of a grand wedding! Due to insufficient money and food, he restored the 'three taxes' of the year (namely: Liao tax, suppression tax and training tax), without considering the lives of the people at all..." Chongzhen's voice trembled slightly with anger. He felt sad for the suffering of the people and resentful of Zhu Yousong's stupidity.

"There is no other way, I must stand up. My Ming Dynasty still occupies half of the country, and it is the most prosperous and rich place. We still have a chance to continue my Ming Dynasty!" Chongzhen's eyes were full of firm belief, as if he saw the hope of the Ming Dynasty's revival.

"Of course, I can't do it alone. It requires the efforts of everyone here. Here, I would like to thank you all first!" Chongzhen said this with emotion, his eyes red, and he bowed deeply to the ministers present.

This frightened the ministers. The emperor's salute was like the collapse of heaven and earth. Who could dare to accept it? They hurriedly knelt on the ground again, their foreheads pressed against the ground, and said in fear: "Your Majesty, you can't do this!"

"Your Majesty, on behalf of all the ministers, I would like to express my sincere feelings. Please rest assured that we will do our best until our death!" Shi Kefa said loudly, his voice firm and powerful, echoing in the hall.

"Okay! I've been waiting for you to say this. I believe that with our joint efforts, we will be able to quell the civil unrest and drive the Qing Dynasty back to its deep mountains and old forests!" Chongzhen's eyes were firm, as if he saw the dawn of victory in the future.

Even though the novice writer Zhu Youjian hadn't participated in any MLM or insurance training, as a person of later generations, he still had some basic skills in sensationalism. Chongzhen's words today might not have been brilliant, but they were full of passion and appeal, igniting the fire of hope in the hearts of everyone present.

"Master Shi, if that's the case, then let's announce this to the world today and tell them I'm back!" Chongzhen shouted, "Also let the world know what Zhu Yousong has done and ask him to abdicate!"

"promise!"

At this point, Emperor Chongzhen reappeared before the public for the first time since the rumors of his death in the storm. Following this, the imperial edict drafted by Shi Kefa would be announced to the nation, letting officials everywhere know that Chongzhen, far from dying, had returned intact. The throne of the emperor would then require reaffirmation.

However, given the status of the Southern Ming court at that time, it was impossible for these local officials to make a choice directly. They would most likely wait and see, and only take action when the moment was beneficial to them.

Nanjing was the secondary capital during the Ming Dynasty, and now that the capital had been destroyed, it became the political center of the Ming Dynasty. Only by occupying this place could the majority of people recognize it. Chongzhen knew Zhu Yousong well, so he would not give up this position easily and would definitely launch a counterattack against him. Therefore, how to capture him was the top priority!