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

At the far end of the horizon, dust suddenly rose up, as if a giant, earth-yellow dragon had awakened from its slumber, soaring into the air and blocking out the sun. The rolling dust spread out, rapidly spreading in all directions like a surging wave, about to sweep everything away.

Gradually, the thunderous roar grew closer, and a black cavalry surged in like a tide. The sunlight shone on their shiny armor and sharp weapons, reflecting a dazzling light that made people dare not look directly at them.

Each cavalryman was like a god of war forged from steel, their posture erect and their riding skills superb. Their horses were tall and powerful, their muscles clearly visible as they galloped, as if imbued with boundless power. The tightly packed formation, like an impassable Great Wall of steel, approached with the aura of crushing everything, causing one's heart to race and their breathing to quicken.

When the figures of this elite cavalry finally appeared in Zheng Longfang's sight, he felt his mind instantly shocked by its majestic momentum, as if he was cast under a spell, and stood there in a daze.

The cavalrymen were clad in black armor, its patterns faintly visible in the sunlight, like mysterious ancient spells, lending them an aura of chilling mystery and terror. The horses' manes fluttered wildly in the wind, blazing like blazing flames in the sunlight, brimming with boundless energy and savagery. Their hooves pounded the ground with such force that gravel flew everywhere, seemingly blasted by their immense power. The cavalrymen's eyes were as cold as ice, as sharp as arrows, as if they could easily penetrate any obstacle and discern the enemy's every move. Their ranks were perfectly aligned, each movement seamlessly coordinated, as if they were acting as one. This supreme coordination and unity, simply from the visual perspective, conveyed a profound sense of overwhelming pressure, as if a mountain were slowly bearing down on them.

The cavalry that emerged from the depths of hell was none other than the cavalry led by Yan Yingyuan. The immense pressure unleashed by these two thousand cavalry was enough to make any enemy feel powerless.

This cavalry unit was an elite force carefully selected from the troops of Huang Fei, Huang Degong, and Li Chengdong, as well as the local militia recruited by Yan Yingyuan. All of them were battle-hardened veterans. A large portion of them were originally Huang Fei and Huang Degong's personal soldiers and retainers. They were battle-hardened, experienced, and incredibly formidable. They were truly the elite of the elite, the aces of the aces.

As Emperor Chongzhen's first direct army, he naturally invested generously in it. Furthermore, he now possessed abundant financial resources and was not short of resources. Therefore, this unit's equipment and benefits were top-notch. Furthermore, during this period, Yan Yingyuan's rigorous training had further significantly enhanced the unit's combat effectiveness. Now, this well-armed cavalry could even outmatch the elite Qing cavalry in a head-on confrontation, demonstrating its strength.

This is also why Zheng Longfang immediately felt the invisible huge pressure when he saw this cavalry for the first time, as if he was enveloped by a powerful aura and unable to move.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Zheng Longfang forced himself to remain calm, rode his horse forward, and shouted loudly, trying not to lose momentum.

"We are His Majesty's personal army. His Majesty's carriage will be arriving soon. Let your Lord Liu go out to greet us," Yan Yingyuan said with a blank expression and a cold tone. He was too lazy to even waste words with him and walked straight forward to speak.

"Your Majesty's personal army? You said so, right? Do you have any proof?" Zheng Longfang knew in his heart that Liu Zeqing was unwilling to come forward to greet him under such circumstances, so he could only find excuses to delay.

"Proof? That's ridiculous." Yan Yingyuan was slightly startled, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and then he said, "It doesn't matter who I am. What matters is that His Majesty's carriage will be arriving soon. Quickly notify Liu Zeqing to come and greet him!"

"You said you would come to greet me, right?" Zheng Longfang glared at Yan Yingyuan and said, "I know what you do."

Zheng Longfang was also quite depressed at this time. You know, they came here in the name of serving the king, but secretly they were working for Emperor Chongzhen. It seemed that no matter what they said, it was wrong at this time!

If they were to become enemies, what would they do next? But if they listened to them, how could they trick the city gates open? Zheng Longfang was confused. Hadn't they already agreed on this? Why would Shi Kefa send such a cavalry force?

"Who are you? Do you have the final say in this camp? Can you take responsibility if things are delayed?" Yan Yingyuan said with a slightly raised corner of his mouth, revealing a sarcastic smile.

"I am Deputy General Zheng Longfang. I don't care who you are. Withdraw your troops first!" Zheng Longfang had no choice but to make a tough statement. At this time, he could only choose to drive people away. As for what happened next, let the Marshal deal with them.

"What if I don't withdraw?" Yan Yingyuan's face darkened, his eyes turned cold in an instant, and he said coldly, his tone full of provocation and deterrence.

"Then don't blame me for driving you away!" After Zheng Longfang finished speaking, he waved his hand suddenly, and several riders behind him rushed out like arrows from a bow, rushing straight towards Yan Yingyuan, trying to intimidate the other party with force and make him retreat.

Seeing Zheng Longfang sending people to drive them away, Yan Yingyuan looked angry, but secretly happy in his heart.

This is the effect he wants.

Emperor Chongzhen was scornful of Ma Shiying and Liu Zeqing's offer of support. He believed he could easily capture Nanjing even without their help. The reason he tentatively agreed to the offer was because he had other plans in mind: to eliminate Liu Zeqing, a major threat to his heart.

Liu Zeqing stationed his troops in Huaiyang, a crucial point for his future deployments to Shandong or the defense of the Jianghuai line. Huai'an was a place Chongzhen was determined to capture, and the general stationed there had to be someone he absolutely trusted.

During this uprising, Liu Zeqing, due to his suspicious nature, remained in Huai'an and did not take any action. Chongzhen was initially helpless against him. However, Ma Shiying unexpectedly persuaded him to surrender. Chongzhen naturally would not miss this golden opportunity. His plan was to eliminate this troublemaker in Nanjing and put an end to his future troubles.

At this moment, Yan Yingyuan couldn't help but recall the instructions Emperor Chongzhen gave him before the trip.

"This time, Liu Zeqing is trying to claim credit for this decision. I'll grant his wish, but it depends on whether he has the guts to do so. Li Heng, you will lead your cavalry and set off first. You must demonstrate their imposing manner to the utmost, so that he will be suspicious of us. That way, Liu Zeqing will definitely not show up before I show up. What you need to do is to do everything you can to provoke conflict between the two sides, preferably letting them take the initiative. After all, I promised them that if I want to turn against them, I must have a suitable excuse..."

Yan Yingyuan knew that while Emperor Chongzhen intended to deal with Liu Zeqing, he had already made a promise, so he still needed a proper reason. Zheng Longfang's dispatch of his men to drive them away was exactly what Yan Yingyuan wanted! So, he naturally didn't mind fanning the flames and making the situation even more chaotic and complicated.

"You are so good, Liu Zeqing. You invited His Majesty to come but didn't show up to meet him. Moreover, you attacked His Majesty's personal army. This is a rebellion! Zhao Meng and Yao Er, kill them!" Yan Yingyuan's eyes were wide open and he shouted loudly. He held his spear and lance in his hand and rushed towards Zheng Longfang like a black lightning. His momentum was like a god descending to the earth, which was terrifying.

In addition to his outstanding martial arts skills, Zhao Meng was also a talented commander of troops. This time he was sent to lead troops under Yan Yingyuan. There were five or six other people coming out of the Royal Guard Camp with Zhao Meng.

Zheng Longfang asked his men to step forward just to show his force and make Yan Yingyuan and others give up. He never thought that the other party would actually take action.

Yan Yingyuan stood nine feet tall, with a red face and a long beard. He sat upright on his chestnut horse, looking like the reincarnation of Guan Yu. He spurred his steed, and like an arrow shot from a bow, he charged straight at Zheng Longfang. While Yan Yingyuan's chestnut horse wasn't as fast as the Red Hare, it was still quite impressive, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of Zheng Longfang.

"You..." Zheng Longfang had never expected that the other party would attack him without giving him any time to react. By the time he realized that something was wrong and the danger was approaching, Yan Yingyuan had already approached him like a ghost.

"Kill!" Yan Yingyuan roared again, his voice shaking the whole area. The specially made spear in his hand flashed with cold light under the sunlight. He swung the spear violently, and the spear passed through the air, instantly slashing out several dazzling afterimages.

Zheng Longfang was so terrified that he had no time to dodge. With a "click", the long spear was like an extremely sharp scythe of the god of death, which directly beheaded Zheng Longfang. His body fell powerlessly under the horse, and blood spurted out like a fountain.

Among mounted weapons, the most challenging to master is the long lance. The lance wielded by Yan Yingyuan was a specially crafted weapon. Besides its razor-sharp, two-foot-five-inch blade, the lance shaft, where the blade meets the shaft, was meticulously forged from solid fine iron, extending two feet in length, to significantly increase the power of chopping and slashing blows during a mounted charge. This heavy weapon for horseback combat demands immense arm strength, requiring a thousand-pound strength to wield. It also demands extremely demanding martial arts and horsemanship, making it beyond the reach of ordinary men.

But precisely because of this, Yan Yingyuan took advantage of his fast horse and long spear, and Zheng Longfang had never expected that they would actually kill him, so he was completely off guard. So in the blink of an eye, he was beheaded by Yan Yingyuan and died.

Zhao Meng, Yao Er, and the other personal guards, following closely behind Yan Yingyuan, saw this scene, their blood boiling with excitement. Zhao Meng led the way, his spear wielding like a dragon emerging from the sea, wielding it with vigor and force. Wherever the spearpoint pointed, blood splattered, and the enemies fell screaming. Yao Er, naturally unwilling to be left behind, wielded his spear like the Grim Reaper's scythe, mercilessly harvesting the lives of his enemies. Enemy riders before him were like fallen wheat, vulnerable, falling one after another, their bodies strewn across the field.

In just one encounter, the cavalry sent by Zheng Longfang was completely killed by Yan Yingyuan and his men, leaving not a single piece of armor behind! The difference in strength between the two sides was immediately apparent, as vast as the difference between heaven and earth.

The killing of their commander was like stirring up a hornet's nest. Zheng Longfang's cavalrymen were instantly enraged, like a herd of enraged beasts, their eyes red as they howled and charged forward, ready to fight to the death. A bloody and brutal battle was about to begin.

At this critical moment, a clear sound of a bugle suddenly came from the camp, which seemed particularly abrupt in the tense atmosphere.

Immediately afterwards, under the escort of a team of cavalry, Liu Zeqing, with a dark face, slowly walked out of the camp.