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

As the night lights came on, the city of Nanjing, adorned with twinkling lights, resembled a dream. The main hall of the residence of Ma Shiying, then Prime Minister of the Hongguang Dynasty, was ablaze with light, as if it were daytime. Inside, the scent of sandalwood incense curled upward, its delicate fragrance filling the air and soothing the tense nerves.

Ma Shiying sat upright on the armchair, his brows furrowed and his face full of worry. His former majesty was now a bit more worried.

Below him sat Ruan Dacheng, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War and Right Censor-in-Chief, Liu Kongzhao, the Right Admiral of Nanjing who was in charge of the Yangtze River and patrolled the river defense, Tang Guozuo, the Marquis of Lingbi, and Zhao Zhilong, the Earl of Biancheng.

These people formed a tight-knit group with Ma Shiying as their core. At this moment, they gathered here to discuss the matters of today's court meeting, and everyone's face was filled with solemnity.

"Sir, do we really need to contact Zuo Liangyu and Liu Zeqing?" Seeing that the atmosphere was as heavy as solidified lead, Ruan Dacheng couldn't help but speak to break the silence.

"If I don't say that, will Your Majesty let me go?" Ma Shiying snorted coldly, with a hint of helplessness and resentment in his tone.

"I told you, Liu Zeqing is fine, but why would Your Excellency ask for help from Zuo Liangyu?" Ruan Dacheng seemed to have gotten some kind of relief, he let out a long sigh, and a smile appeared on his face.

Ruan Dacheng had a reason for saying this. Whether it was Ma Shiying, Ruan Dacheng, or Liu Kongzhao, their relationship with Zuo Liangyu had always been strained, stemming from personal grudges and, more importantly, factional struggles.

Speaking of this, we have to mention the Donglin Party.

Although Zuo Liangyu was a military commander, he had deep ties to the Donglin Party. He had been recommended repeatedly by Donglin Party member Hou Xun and had a close relationship with Zuo Guangdou, a key Donglin Party member. Ma Shiying, Ruan Dacheng, and others, however, had long harbored grievances against the Donglin Party, creating a bitter rivalry and mutual hatred. Consequently, they harbored a deep fear of Zuo Liangyu, and the chasm between them, driven by their opposing party positions, created an insurmountable chasm.

In Ma Shiying's view, with Shi Kefa around, Zuo Liangyu would definitely stand on the side of Emperor Chongzhen and support his restoration, rather than supporting Emperor Hongguang.

"Since we can't ask Zuo Liangyu for help, what about Liu Zeqing?" Chen Zhilong asked with a frown and confusion in his eyes.

"As for Liu Zeqing..." Ma Shiying stroked his beard and said slowly after a moment's silence, "He's best at adapting to changing circumstances. Expecting him to rescue Nanjing is simply a fantasy. It's just that three of the four towns participated in the enthronement, but why was he not included?"

"I remember that Emperor Chongzhen originally ordered him to come to the capital to defend the emperor, but he used the excuse of a broken leg and recuperation at home to delay sending troops," recalled Lingbi Marquis Tang Guozuo. "Could that be why Emperor Chongzhen didn't invite him?"

"That's possible," Ruan Dacheng nodded, a glint in his eyes. "Emperor Chongzhen was a narrow-minded man, so it's not surprising that he would do such a thing. In this case, doesn't that mean that Liu Zeqing might still be able to provide assistance to Nanjing?"

"Rescue Nanjing? That's absolutely impossible!" Ma Shiying shook his head and said firmly, "Given Liu Zeqing's character, he will definitely be a powerful figure. He now commands a large army, and no matter who becomes emperor, they will eventually have to win him over. What's more, if he is really pushed to the limit, it is not impossible for him to surrender to the Qing army..."

"Since we can't ask Zuo Liangyu and Liu Zeqing for help, what should we do next?" Liu Kongzhao said with a look of worry. "The garrison troops under the control of Emperor Chongzhen are the most elite troops of our Ming Dynasty. Compared with these pampered old soldiers in Nanjing City, there is a world of difference. What's more, in terms of legitimacy, the Chongzhen Emperor is more orthodox than the current one..."

"You say Shi Kefa is too unkind. When we supported the current emperor to ascend the throne, we pulled him in. Now he wants to restore Emperor Chongzhen, why didn't he discuss it with us?" Chen Zhilong said angrily, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.

"Discuss? What to discuss?" Ma Shiying's face was as gloomy as the sky before a storm. "Could he possibly expect me to welcome Chongzhen into the city?"

"Master Ma, it's actually possible to do this," Biancheng Earl Chen Zhilong's eyes lit up and he said excitedly, "Now the defense of Nanjing City is in my hands, and the defense of the river is in the hands of Master Liu Kongzhao. If we just surrender Nanjing City, wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

"Yes, at worst we can just open the city of Nanjing and welcome Emperor Chongzhen to Beijing," everyone became excited when they heard this, and started talking about it with excitement flashing in their eyes.

"Since everyone feels that Emperor Hongguang's abdication is inevitable, surrendering the city is naturally our best option," Ma Shiying said after thinking for a moment, "but how to surrender the city requires further consideration!"

In fact, ever since receiving Qu Shangzhong's secret letter, Ma Shiying had already begun to plan a way out for himself.

With the Chongzhen Emperor now in command of a large military force, a wise Hongguang Emperor would have abdicated and welcomed the Chongzhen Emperor to Beijing, perhaps securing a better outcome. However, despite his recent ascension, the Hongguang Emperor was rabid for the throne and refused to relinquish it. Ma Shiying, however, was unwilling to accompany him to this fate. As long as he could maintain his position, he didn't care who sat on the throne.

"What's there to think about? We can contact Shi Kefa in advance, and once the army arrives, we can open the city gates and let Emperor Chongzhen enter Beijing, right?" Chen Zhilong said.

"If we do that, we'll just be surrendering," Ma Shiying shook his head, a hint of worry in his eyes. "By then, will you still be able to maintain your current positions? Moreover, if Shi Kefa gains power, he will undoubtedly recruit members of the Donglin Party. How could they let us go then?"

"This..." Ruan Dacheng, who had the deepest hatred for the Donglin Party, was terrified at this moment. "What should we do?"

Since they supported the enthronement of the Hongguang Emperor, first Ma Shiying forced Shi Kefa to flee to Jiangbei to command the army, and then the Donglin Party members in the court were either idled, demoted, or forced to retire and return home. This was all their "masterpiece". If Shi Kefa were allowed to return to the court, they would definitely not have a good result.

"If we want to maintain our position, our achievements must at least not be much worse than theirs." Ma Shiying said thoughtfully.

"Why don't we kidnap Zhu Yousong and directly welcome Emperor Chongzhen to Beijing." Ruan Dacheng said fiercely, with a hint of ruthlessness in his eyes.

"This..." Ma Shiying hesitated.

Although they did not have much psychological burden about backstabbing the Hongguang Emperor, they still felt a little hesitant to personally capture Zhu Yousong. After all, Zhu Yousong was the one they personally supported to ascend to the throne, so they still had to consider some face.

"I wonder what Liu Zeqing is thinking?" Ruan Dacheng frowned, feeling extremely anxious.

He knew very well that once the court was controlled by the Donglin Party, other people present might have a chance of survival, but he himself would inevitably be severely suppressed by the Donglin Party and would never be able to turn things around.

"What do you think about us joining forces with Liu Zeqing to take control of Nanjing before Shi Kefa, and then welcome Emperor Chongzhen to Beijing?" Ma Shiying suddenly had an idea, and a hint of cunning flashed in his eyes.

"This is a brilliant plan!" Ruan Dacheng slapped his thigh and said excitedly, "This way, our contribution to the throne will be no less than Shi Kefa's. Moreover, with Liu Zeqing backing us up, our mutual support with him will make our position in the court even more secure!"

"This is just our wishful thinking. Will Liu Zeqing be willing to join us?" Lingbi Hou Tang Guozuo frowned and said with doubt on his face.

"I think it's almost certain!" Ma Shiying nodded and said confidently, "For some reason, the three towns didn't join forces with him this time. No matter what, he lost this opportunity. If we join forces with him, with his wavering personality, he will definitely agree!"

"What are we waiting for? Let's start contacting Liu Zeqing right away." Ruan Dacheng stood up excitedly.

"There's no time to lose. Let's quickly arrange for someone to contact Liu Zeqing. This must happen quickly. We must take control of the situation in Nanjing before Shi Kefa leads his troops to Beijing, and prepare for Emperor Chongzhen's arrival..." Ma Shiying said after a moment's thought, "Bearer of Biancheng, you are responsible for the defense of Nanjing. Since the release of the manifesto, many people in the city are ready to take action. You must be vigilant!"

"Don't worry, sir. Zhilong will go and strengthen the patrols and will definitely not let anyone else collude with others inside or outside the city!" Biancheng Earl Zhao Zhilong stood up to receive the order and said seriously.