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

Liu Zeqing was stationed in Huaiyang, and his base was in Huai'an City.

His mansion in the city rivaled the grandeur of a royal palace, its opulence utterly lavish. Its vast scale and sprawling grounds evoked an imposing presence. Its towering gates and imposing pavilions resembled a leviathan, embodying its owner's exalted status. Upon entering, the sight was a riot of gold and splendor, each detail meticulously crafted and embodying the grandeur of the place. Brilliant gold ornaments shone in the sunlight, and the riot of colourful gems reflected a captivating light, as if all the world's wealth were gathered here.

The mansion's garden is truly unique, featuring a gurgling, winding canal. The water is crystal clear, shimmering in the sunlight like a flowing jade belt. Along either side of the canal, exotic flowers and plants vie for beauty, emitting bursts of fragrance. The garden's tall, majestic buildings, their soaring eaves and brackets resembling eagles ready for flight, radiate an extraordinary aura. The surrounding walls are deep and thick, imbuing the place with a sense of solemnity and mystery. Around the walls, sword guards stand tall, their postures erect, their expressions solemn, their gleaming weapons in hand, ever vigilant, protecting the mansion's safety.

And today, in this luxurious mansion, a mysterious visitor quietly arrived and threw a stone into the calm lake, which was about to create waves.

Liu Zeqing, the general who was best at changing with the wind and wavering in the ever-changing situation in the late Ming Dynasty, was now deeply trapped in a vortex of complex emotions and calculations.

Ever since he learned that Shi Kefa had jointly issued a petition to the three towns, he had clearly realized that he had missed an extremely important opportunity. This was no small matter. In that turbulent era, the balance of power was constantly tilting, and every decision was related to life and death, honor and disgrace.

You must know that under the complicated situation at that time, although Emperor Chongzhen had lost the throne, he was the symbol of the orthodoxy of the Ming Dynasty. With the support of the three towns, it was not a pipe dream for Emperor Chongzhen to return to the throne.

Historical data shows that the military distribution of the late Ming Dynasty was highly uneven, with the forces of these three towns holding a significant weight in the overall military layout. Looking back, Zhu Yuanzhang relied on the support of numerous generals during his difficult rise to power to achieve his hegemony. In the current situation of the Southern Ming, the military strength of the three towns was like a powerful weight, capable of significantly influencing the fate of the throne.

If Emperor Hongguang had a large army, he might be able to fight against Emperor Chongzhen. But now the three towns have united to form a powerful force. Emperor Hongguang is like a candle in the wind. How can he compete with it?

Liu Zeqing knew his soldiers' abilities like the back of his hand. For example, in previous battles, his army's combat effectiveness was mediocre. The soldiers were poorly trained and fought in a disorganized, unorganized manner. Military discipline was abysmal, with frequent instances of looting civilians and disobeying orders.

Compared to the other three towns, the gap was as vast as heaven and earth. If a real fight broke out, any of the other three towns would be able to defeat his army like autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.

Ever since he received Chongzhen's edict, he has been in agony. He's like an ant on the hot pot, wanting to get closer to Chongzhen, but worried that his actions would be a drop in the bucket and would be of no avail. After all, his previous actions had already left a deep rift in Chongzhen's heart.

But if he did not openly support Chongzhen, could he still support Emperor Hongguang?

Now the situation is clear, and in the eyes of discerning people, Emperor Hongguang is like a sinking ship, with no chance left. So he can only hold his troops in place for the next few days.

However, Liu Zeqing wasn't particularly afraid. After all, he now commanded a large army, his greatest asset in troubled times, a lifeline. Even if Emperor Chongzhen were to return to the throne, he probably wouldn't dare to attack him easily.

Throughout history, there are countless examples of checks and balances between powerful generals and the imperial court. If it ever came to that, he reasoned, the worst that could happen was rebellion. Whether surrendering to the Shun or the Qing, for him, it was merely a means to preserve his own interests. In that chaotic and morally corrupt era, too many generals shifted sides like duckweed in the wind, constantly seeking survival and personal gain. Liu Zeqing felt he was simply following the tide, drifting with the flow.

However, this was not the outcome he wanted. He had greater ambitions in mind. After all, if that were the case, he would be marginalized in the future imperial court structure, like a chess piece forgotten in a corner, excluded from the core circle of power, and never again able to reach the coveted pinnacle of power.

However, he was also very hesitant about supporting Chongzhen, his heart like a tangled ball of silk threads. There was a reason for his hesitation. You know, when Emperor Chongzhen asked him to come to the rescue, he actually refused to send troops, claiming he had fallen off his horse. This was a serious act of disobeying the emperor's orders at the time. In addition, when Shi Kefa summoned him to a meeting, he refused on the grounds of serious illness. This series of actions made him feel uneasy when facing Emperor Chongzhen.

He couldn't help but wonder, if he switched sides at this point, what would the Chongzhen Emperor think of him? Would he harbor resentment towards him because of what had happened before, and would he find an excuse to punish him?

Just when he was trapped in the quagmire of hesitation and struggle, the arrival of this mysterious visitor was like a ray of light breaking through the darkness, bringing him a glimmer of hope, and a huge achievement suddenly appeared before him.

"Lord Chengyi? Why are you here?" Liu Zeqing couldn't help but exclaim in surprise upon seeing the visitor, his voice filled with unconcealed astonishment. His eyes widened; he had never expected to see Lord Chengyi Liu Kongzhao here at this time.

This time, the person sent by Ma Shiying was Liu Kongzhao, the Earl of Chengyi. After a fierce discussion in Nanjing, considering the rapidly changing situation and the need to avoid any further complications, Zhao Zhilong, the Earl of Biancheng, escorted Liu Kongzhao out of Nanjing overnight and rushed to Liu Zeqing's residence without stopping.

"I have a huge fortune to give to Lord Liu. I wonder if you are interested?" Liu Kongzhao said slowly with a mysterious smile on his face.

"Lord Tang, is there such a good thing?" Liu Zeqing responded lightly. Although he was as curious as a kitten scratching its itch, he also remained vigilant.

After all, in this chaotic world, nothing good happens without a reason. He and Liu Kongzhao have some friendship, but not to the extent that the other party would give him a huge fortune for no reason. Such good things often hide huge conspiracies behind them, and he has to be on guard.

"I've come here on the orders of Lord Ma Shiying," Liu Kongzhao didn't intend to beat around the bush at this point. He simply got straight to the point and spoke directly, his eyes firm and sincere. "Now that Emperor Chongzhen has issued a manifesto to suppress rebellion, Lord Ma and the four towns supported Prince Fu to ascend the throne because they believed that Emperor Chongzhen was dead. Now that we know that Emperor Chongzhen is still alive, Lord Ma, who has received the emperor's grace, is naturally willing to welcome Emperor Chongzhen back to the throne..."

"Hiss... Are you saying that Lord Ma is willing to support Emperor Chongzhen to return to the throne?" Liu Zeqing's eyes suddenly lit up when he heard it. The look in his eyes was like a hungry wolf seeing its prey, and he said with surprise.

"That's right!" Liu Kongzhao confirmed with a smile.

"Lord Ma has already discussed with Zhao Zhilong, the Earl of Biancheng who is in charge of the city defense, to open the city to welcome the return of Emperor Chongzhen, but..." Liu Kongzhao changed the subject, like a sudden surge of waves on the calm sea.

"Just what? Sir Tang, please sit down and talk slowly." Liu Zeqing suddenly became energetic. He turned around and scolded the soldiers around him, "Sir Liu, you didn't even bother to bring a chair when he arrived. How disrespectful!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Zeqing's personal guards hurriedly brought a chair. Liu Kongzhao did not hesitate and sat down slowly.

"It's just that Lord Ma and Shi Kefa have always been at odds. If he bows to Shi Kefa, then the achievement of supporting Emperor Chongzhen back to the throne will probably be Shi Kefa's alone. So... So Lord Ma wants to join forces with Lord Liu to capture Emperor Hongguang, open the city and welcome Emperor Chongzhen back to the throne. What do you think?" Liu Kongzhao explained in detail, his eyes fixed on Liu Zeqing, observing his reaction.

"Haha, Master Ma is so insightful!" Liu Zeqing was overjoyed, his face beaming. He had been worrying about how to outdo Shi Kefa and the other three commanderies in this matter of enthronement. It was as if Ma Shiying could see through his thoughts and hand him this perfect opportunity. It really was like someone handed him a pillow just when he was about to fall asleep!

Of course, he also understood why Ma Shiying acted this way. Like him, they all wanted a share of the credit for this decision. Ma Shiying, as expected, had previously stabbed Shi Kefa when he supported the enthronement of Prince Fu, and now, by welcoming the Chongzhen Emperor, he wanted to take some of the credit from Shi Kefa.

"Since Lord Ma has this idea, I naturally agree with it very much. I just don't know how Lord Ma plans to do it?" Liu Zeqing thought for a while, calmed down and asked.

"We will let your army enter the city in the name of your loyalty to the emperor. After entering the city, your army will take control of the defense of Nanjing. After that, we will capture Hongguang and open the city to welcome Emperor Chongzhen to Beijing... How about it?" Liu Kongzhao said in an orderly manner.

"But how does Emperor Chongzhen know what we are going to do?" Liu Zeqing said after thinking for a while.

"We will naturally contact Emperor Chongzhen and tell him about our surrender of the city. I believe he will agree to our arrangement," said Liu Kongzhao, the Earl of Chengyi, with a smile.

"Haha, then I have to thank Lord Ma very much..." Liu Zeqing's face was full of proud smile, as if he had already seen himself rising step by step in the court in the future with the help of this policy-making achievement.