The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 641 The Trap First Appears
The cold wind of the North still howled, and the candlelight inside the tent flickered, casting a shadow on Zhu Xiong Ying's face, making his expression appear particularly solemn.

He sat at the table, staring at the map before him, his fingers tapping lightly on the surface, as if pondering his next move.

"The Timurid Empire is making more and more noise."

"They won't just be testing the waters anymore; this time it will probably be a real operation."

Zhu Xiong Ying muttered to himself, a cold glint in his eyes.

Li Jinglong walked in from outside and saw Zhu Xiong Ying's solemn expression, which made his heart tighten slightly.

"Your Highness, today's patrol was uneventful, but the enemy's vanguard seems to have increased the frequency of their reconnaissance."

"My subordinates are worried that they might launch an attack at any time."

While reporting, Li Jinglong observed Zhu Xiong Ying's expression.

Zhu Xiong Ying did not respond immediately, but continued to stare at the map. After a moment, she slowly spoke.

"The Timurid Empire cannot launch an attack rashly."

"Their intention is not to engage in a small-scale conflict, but to lure us into revealing our weaknesses."

His voice was deep, yet filled with unwavering determination.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong frowned slightly and then asked, "Does Your Highness mean that the enemy is setting a trap, waiting for us to walk right into it?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, her eyes still fixed on the map.

"good."

"They deliberately increased the frequency of their reconnaissance to make us nervous."

"If we prematurely reveal our troop deployment because of this, we will be playing right into their hands."

He said this with a thoughtful and calm tone.

Li Jinglong seemed to be thinking about something, and then said, "So how should we deal with this? Should we continue to hold back?"

Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes gleamed with wisdom as he slowly said, "Remaining inactive is the worst strategy."

"We need to give them some false information so that they mistakenly believe we have discovered their plot."

"Then, when they thought the time was right, they turned the tables on them."

Although his voice was soft, it conveyed immense confidence and decisiveness.

Li Jinglong immediately understood Zhu Xiong Ying's intention and cupped his hands, saying, "Your subordinate understands and will make the arrangements immediately."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded and watched Li Jinglong leave, but she remained vigilant.

He knew that the Timurid Empire was no ordinary opponent, and that their operation must have been meticulously planned.

"General Lan Yu has made preparations for frontal defense."

"But I can't rely on just this one line of defense."

"I must take the initiative and seize control of the battlefield."

Zhu Xiong Ying pondered silently, a resolute glint in her eyes.

***
A few days later, the Timurid Empire became increasingly active.

Their vanguard forces are constantly provoking along the border, seemingly poised to launch an attack at any moment.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower of the camp, gazing at the enemy's movements.

General Lan Yu stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, the enemy's forces have begun to approach our defenses. Although there has been no large-scale mobilization yet, their intentions are already very clear."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then asked, "What is their current troop deployment?"

General Lan Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "According to the scouts' intelligence, the enemy's main force is still in the rear, with only some vanguard troops operating on the front lines."

"They seem to be waiting for the right moment."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"They are waiting for us to make a mistake."

"But this time, they will only find themselves in their own trap."

His tone was filled with unwavering confidence, clearly indicating that he had a thorough understanding of the entire situation.

Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu immediately showed some confusion.

"Does Your Highness mean we should deliberately lure them into attacking?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, her gaze resolute.

"good."

"We need to make them think that our defenses have weaknesses, so that they will be forced to launch an attack."

"We will launch a surprise counterattack when they launch a full-scale attack."

His voice was steady and powerful, clearly indicating that he had made thorough preparations.

Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu's eyes flashed with admiration, and he immediately said, "I will arrange the manpower immediately and carry out His Highness's plan." Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, watched Lan Yu leave, and pondered to himself.

He knew that every decision on the battlefield was crucial; one wrong step could lead to total defeat.

But this time, he must take the initiative and not let the Timurid Empire control the situation.

"The Timurid Empire thought it could use petty tricks to disrupt the Ming Dynasty's defenses."

"But they would never have imagined that they had already stepped into the trap I had set."

Zhu Xiong Ying sneered inwardly, her eyes flashing with a cold light.

***
As night deepened, the cold wind at the border grew increasingly biting.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, his eyes fixed on the enemy camp in the distance.

Suddenly, a scout rushed over, looking somewhat nervous.

"Your Highness, the enemy's vanguard has suddenly begun a large-scale assembly, and there seem to be signs of an attack!"

Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes.

"Sure enough, they've taken the bait."

He said in a low voice, then quickly turned around and gave the order.

"Pass down the order to have the troops at the front maintain their formation and not make any rash moves."

"At the same time, we will mobilize our reserves to launch a counterattack when the opportunity arises."

His tone was incredibly calm and decisive, clearly indicating that he was fully aware of the enemy's actions.

The scouts immediately obeyed and left, and the soldiers in the camp quickly went into battle readiness.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, his eyes sharp and cold as he observed the enemy's movements.

"Timurian Empire, your plans have been exposed."

"This time, you will be utterly defeated."

He silently made a vow in his heart, his eyes shining with determination.

***
The enemy's vanguard finally began to move.

They launched a major offensive, attempting to break through the Ming Dynasty's defenses.

But Zhu Xiong Ying had already laid a trap, waiting for them to walk into it step by step.

"Your Highness, the enemy is approaching our front lines. Should we launch a counterattack immediately?"

Li Jinglong walked quickly to Zhu Xiong Ying's side, his expression showing some anxiety.

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze remained calm as she slowly said, "No rush."

"We will launch a full-scale counterattack when they get close to the core of our defenses."

"In this way, their retreat will be completely exposed, and they will be unable to retreat."

His voice was calm, yet it conveyed an unparalleled coldness and decisiveness.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong immediately nodded and went to relay the order.

Time passed second by second, and the enemy's attack became increasingly fierce, but they were unaware that they had fallen into a trap carefully laid by Zhu Xiong Ying.

When the enemy's main force approached the defensive line, Zhu Xiong Ying finally gave the order to counterattack.

"Army attack!"

At his command, the reserve forces, which had been lying in ambush in various positions, rushed into the battlefield like tigers released from their cages.

Caught off guard by the Ming Dynasty's counterattack, the enemy was thrown into chaos.

The battlefield was filled with the glint of swords and the deafening shouts of battle.

Zhu Xiong Ying calmly directed her troops to tighten the encirclement step by step.

The enemy's vanguard was quickly routed, and the remnants fled in all directions, but the Ming soldiers gave them no chance and swiftly completed the encirclement.

"Your Highness, the enemy's vanguard has completely collapsed!"

Li Jinglong reported excitedly, his face revealing undisguised excitement.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, her gaze remaining calm.

"This is just the beginning."

"The main force of the Timurid Empire has not yet taken action, so we cannot let our guard down."

He said this with extreme vigilance in his voice.

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and quickly went down to continue the deployment.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, looking at the enemy army that had been completely suppressed by the Ming army.

(End of this chapter)