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

Liu Zeqing actually agreed with Chen Cheng's explanation. At this time, Emperor Hongguang had very few people at his disposal, and Liu Zeqing was not one of his closest confidants, so it was normal for him to be on guard.

So although he was unhappy, he did not get angry after learning about the situation, and ordered his men to set up camp.

As for joining forces with Ma Shiying to defect, that wasn't imminent. Scouts had reported today that Emperor Chongzhen had only just departed from Yangzhou. Based on their itinerary, the army wouldn't arrive until tomorrow at the earliest. He felt he could afford to wait patiently for just one night.

Moreover, the person who was most anxious at the moment was not Liu Zeqing, but Ma Shiying. He firmly believed that Ma Shiying would give him a clear and definite explanation tomorrow.

The night was peaceful and silent.

The next morning, Liu Zeqing was deep in sleep when he was suddenly awakened by a sudden loud noise. He impatiently pushed away the woman who was snuggling close to him, her skin as white as snow, and got up with a frown on his face.

He stretched out his hands and pounded his lower back twice. Last night, due to his excitement, he had been tossing and turning for half the night. Now he felt weak in his waist and knees and exhausted all over.

Liu Zeqing stood up and listened attentively for a moment. His expression suddenly changed and became extremely ugly.

The sound he heard clearly sounded like the sound of horse hooves!

The rapid clatter of horse hooves came suddenly like a raging rainstorm, coming closer and closer, becoming clearer and clearer, louder and louder, as if the entire earth was trembling violently with the rhythm of the horses' hooves. Each thud of a horse's hoof hitting the ground was like a heavy hammer, hammering hard on the heart, making the heart beat wildly involuntarily. The heartbeat and the clatter of the horses' hooves intertwined, making people even more panicked.

Having spent half his life in the military, Liu Zeqing was all too familiar with this sound. He knew that only a large group of cavalry galloping past would produce such a thrilling sound. But how could a large group of cavalry suddenly appear outside Nanjing at this moment?

"Someone come here!" Liu Zeqing shouted loudly.

"Marshal!" Zheng Xi, the chief of the personal guards on duty, hurried in quickly, looking a little nervous.

"What happened outside?" Liu Zeqing asked Zheng Xi with sharp eyes.

"Your Excellency, the scouts just reported that a large group of cavalry are rapidly approaching us." Zheng Xi replied hurriedly. He had just received the news and was about to report it to Liu Zeqing, but he had not expected that Liu Zeqing had already noticed it.

"Do you know where these cavalrymen are from?" Liu Zeqing felt uneasy, with a hint of anxiety in his tone.

"It's so thick with dust that it's hard to see clearly." Zheng Xi hesitated for a moment before continuing, "But the scouts said that judging by the flags, it should be Commander-in-Chief Shi Kefa's troops."

"Shi Kefa?" Liu Zeqing gasped upon hearing this and said in astonishment, "When did he acquire such a powerful cavalry unit?"

"General, since this is Commander-in-Chief Shi Kefa's army, then... could it be the Emperor?" Zheng Longfang also hurried over at this time and murmured, "But their marching speed is really fast..."

"Didn't we agree to let us enter Nanjing in the name of defending the king?" Liu Zeqing frowned, his face full of confusion. "Why are you suddenly rushing here at this time?"

"Maybe they want to put some pressure on Nanjing City to make it easier for us to act?" Zheng Longfang said after a little thought.

"Perhaps they're just putting on a show for us," Zheng Xi chimed in. "If we pretend to fight them, will Emperor Hongguang no longer be suspicious of us and allow us into the city?"

"That's not right." Liu Zeqing was indeed a seasoned, shrewd old fox. Although he couldn't figure out the reason for a moment, relying on his keen intuition, he felt that this matter was quite strange, so he decisively ordered, "Have all battalions prepared for battle. If the situation is not right, we must not linger in the fight and retreat to Huai'an first!"

"General, why is this happening?" Zheng Longfang asked in confusion. "We're already here. As long as Lord Ma opens the city gate, we can easily achieve this strategic goal."

"Then how do we explain this cavalry?" Liu Zeqing shook his head, his expression solemn. "You know, we haven't reached any substantive agreement with Emperor Chongzhen. Everything was handled through Ma Shiying. And now, we were supposed to enter the city, but now we're waiting outside. Doesn't this all sound like something unexpected has happened?"

"This..." Zheng Longfang also gradually realized that the situation was not right. He asked hurriedly, "Marshal, how should we deal with this cavalry?"

"Hmph! Ultimately, strength is everything. No matter what they intend to do, we must fully demonstrate our strength." Liu Zeqing snorted coldly and said firmly, "Long Fang, pull out all our cavalry and show them what a true elite division is!"

"Marshal, if the other party is Emperor Chongzhen himself, would you come forward?" Zheng Longfang asked thoughtfully and considerately.

"You take people out first, I'll wait and see what happens next." Liu Zeqing said after thinking for a moment.

This guy really won't cry until he sees the coffin. No matter what situation he is in, the first thing he thinks of is always to protect himself, and he will never easily choose sides.

Moreover, the sudden arrival of the cavalry led by Shi Kefa made Liu Zeqing, who was sensitive and suspicious by nature, keenly aware that things seemed to be gradually deviating from his original ideas and expectations, which made him feel a little uneasy and fearful deep in his heart.

At this critical moment, no matter who the visitor is or what his intentions are, as long as Liu Zeqing does not show up, he will have enough space and room to maneuver.

Therefore, a cunning man like Liu Zeqing naturally sent his men to test the situation first, while he hid behind and watched from afar. After all, it was by relying on this set of rules of conduct over the years that he was able to gain his current status and power in this chaotic world.

Zheng Longfang received the order and without hesitation, he immediately ordered his troops to leave the camp.

Liu Zeqing, stationed in Huaiyang, boasted tens of thousands of soldiers under his command, but his arrival in Nanjing was rather hasty, bringing with him only a few thousand soldiers. However, these ten thousand soldiers were his most elite troops, especially the two thousand cavalry in the central army, which were considered his trump card.

These cavalrymen are his private soldiers!

This is the solid foundation and powerful guarantee for his control over the army.

Speaking of this, we have to mention the servants and family generals of the Ming Dynasty.

Jiading, a common group of servants in ancient China, existed in the world. However, during the Ming Dynasty, Jiading differed significantly from those of other periods. Initially, they specifically referred to the private armed forces maintained by military commanders. Later, they gradually grew and became a vital component of the army.

At first, supporting servants was just a personal act of generals, and the garrison soldiers and recruited soldiers were still the main combat force of the Ming army.

However, as the garrison system gradually weakened and disintegrated, the combat effectiveness of the garrison troops plummeted, leaving them unable to effectively defeat the enemy and struggling to defend themselves. The imperial court, forced to switch to conscription, left it to the generals at all levels to recruit, train, and command troops independently. With the decline of the garrison system and the rise and parallel development of the conscription system, the former national army became increasingly corrupt and degraded, its combat effectiveness declining. However, the retainers of the generals, once private servants, quickly rose to prominence, gradually becoming the backbone of the northern border defense forces during the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty.

These retainers were well-paid, well-fed, and well-equipped, receiving "ten times more than regular soldiers"! Their combat effectiveness far surpassed that of ordinary military households. In battle, they often outmaneuvered ten, achieving astonishing feats. It was even common for a general to lead only a few hundred retainers and chase thousands of enemy troops across the grasslands. Examples include Qi Jiguang's Qi Family Army and the retainers of Li Chengliang, the Liaodong General.

A completely dependent relationship existed between household servants and generals. While the commander was in office, the household servants served in the army, received food, and obeyed the commander's orders. Once the commander resigned or tragically died in battle, the household servants were separated from the army, either relying on the commander for continued support or facing a loss of food and clothing, thus falling into hardship. This close dependency often meant that household servants were often independent of the Ming army's regular combat system, obeying only the commander's orders.

For retainers, the general's orders were paramount, and in their eyes, only the general was worthy of their loyalty. These generals relied on the retainers as their core strength, thus firmly controlling the entire army.

Whether it was Huang Degong or Liu Zeqing, although they boasted tens of thousands of soldiers and horses, their true core strength consisted of only a few thousand retainers. These individuals were not only the solid foundation of their combat effectiveness, but also the key to maintaining the stable operation of their vast military system.

The two thousand cavalrymen led by Zheng Longfang were Liu Zeqing's fundamental support and greatest strength. These cavalrymen naturally lived up to their commander's expectations, demonstrating exceptional combat effectiveness. More importantly, their loyalty lay not with the almighty emperor nor with the so-called Ming dynasty, but with their commander, Liu Zeqing!

As the leader of this cavalry, Zheng Longfang was also full of confidence and had a lot of confidence. In his view, even if his cavalry could not boast of being invincible, at least in a duel of equal numbers, they would be able to fight even the elite cavalry of the Qing army and would not be afraid at all.

But when he actually saw the aggressive cavalry with his own eyes, his heart suddenly sank...