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

Chapter 645 The lurking crisis

Zhu Xiong Ying stood inside the tent, staring intently at the map on the table.

He had a feeling of unease.

Although the Timurid Empire had temporarily reduced its military strength, he knew that this did not mean they had given up their intention to attack.

"Your Highness, reconnaissance along the border in recent days has not detected any large-scale enemy movements."

Li Jinglong entered the tent, holding the latest intelligence in his hands, his tone tinged with doubt.

"The enemy seems to be really withdrawing their forces. Are they preparing to retreat?"

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze remained fixed on the map, and she did not answer immediately.

He pondered for a moment before slowly speaking.

"The Timurid Empire will not give up so easily."

"Their goal has never been merely to occupy the border, but to undermine our foundation in North Korea by disrupting border defenses."

His voice was low, yet full of determination.

"The enemy's retreat is not a real withdrawal, but rather a preparation for the next offensive."

Li Jinglong frowned, then asked, "Your Highness, do you mean that the enemy is brewing an even bigger conspiracy?"

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

"good."

"The enemy's apparent retreat is a ploy to mislead us and buy us time."

"They must be secretly mobilizing troops, looking for loopholes in our defenses, and preparing to launch a more lethal attack."

He said this with a deep sense of judgment in his voice.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong suddenly realized his mistake and said, "Your Highness is wise. It seems we cannot be deceived by the apparent calm."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze remaining cold and stern.

"We must continue to strengthen our defenses, especially in areas where the defenses are weak."

"At the same time, we must pay close attention to the enemy's movements and not give them any opportunity to take advantage of the situation."

He said it with unwavering resolve.

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order and quickly left.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood alone in the tent, but he never let his guard down.

He knew that the border war was far from over, and the real crisis was still lurking in the shadows.

"The Timurid Empire will not give up easily."

"Their true intentions have not yet been fully revealed."

He pondered silently, his eyes revealing utmost calmness and rationality.

***
As evening fell, the wind outside the tents grew stronger, and the entire camp was shrouded in a somber atmosphere.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, gazing into the distance at the border.

Suddenly, a scout rushed over, looking somewhat nervous.

"Your Highness, we have just discovered enemy activity in the distance. It seems that some reconnaissance units are loitering near our lines."

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze sharpened instantly, and he asked, "How many people are in the enemy's reconnaissance unit? What are their specific movements?"

The scout immediately replied, "The enemy numbers are small, only a few dozen. They seem to be probing our defensive lines."

"They didn't approach rashly, but they were clearly looking for weaknesses in our defense."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying frowned slightly.

"As expected, the enemy is still probing."

He spoke with utter calmness and sternness.

"They are looking for an opportunity to launch a fatal attack once we make a mistake."

His cold gaze swept across the surroundings, clearly having seen through the enemy's intentions.

"Pass down the order to strengthen patrols along the defensive line, especially in areas with weak defenses."

"We must never allow the enemy's reconnaissance forces to have the opportunity to get close to our lines."

He said this with a tone full of decisiveness and ruthlessness.

The scouts immediately obeyed and left, and the entire camp quickly entered a tense state of preparation for battle.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, coldly gazing into the distance.

He knew that the real time for the Timurid Empire to attack had not yet come, but they had already begun preparing for the final battle.

"The enemy will not give up; they are waiting for the best opportunity."

"We must strike first and prevent them from launching a surprise attack," he silently vowed, his eyes gleaming with determination.

***
The atmosphere on the battlefield was even more tense the next morning, and the winds blowing across the border grew increasingly chilly.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood inside the tent when General Lan Yu strode in, his expression grave.

"Your Highness, we have just received intelligence that the enemy's main force seems to be quietly approaching our defenses."

"Their operations are very secretive, but our scouts have already caught some clues."

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze sharpened instantly, and he asked, "How many main forces does the enemy have? What are their intentions?"

Lan Yu pondered for a moment, then said, "According to our reconnaissance, the enemy's forces should number in the tens of thousands."

"They appear to be preparing a surprise attack, but the exact timing has not yet been determined."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then calmly said, "The enemy has indeed begun to take action."

"Their objective is clear: to launch a surprise attack on a weak point in our defenses and break through our defenses."

He said this with utmost calmness and analysis in his tone.

"However, they are still waiting for the best opportunity."

"If we can detect their actions in advance and take the initiative, then this crisis will be resolved."

Upon hearing this, General Lan Yu immediately understood Zhu Xiong Ying's meaning.

"Does Your Highness mean that we should take the initiative and disrupt the enemy's plans?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, her eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"good."

"We cannot passively defend; we must take the initiative."

"If we can launch a surprise attack before the enemy has fully assembled, we can completely thwart their plans."

He said this with unwavering decisiveness and determination.

General Lan Yu immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is wise. This humble general will immediately mobilize elite troops and prepare for a proactive attack."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded in agreement and watched Lan Yu leave, but remained vigilant.

He knew that Timurid's conspiracy was far from over, and the real climax of this border war was about to arrive.

“The enemy is probing us with every step, and we must get ahead of them and disrupt their plans.”

He pondered silently, his eyes revealing calmness and determination.

***
The atmosphere of battle grew increasingly intense over the border. A few days later, Zhu Xiong Ying personally led his elite troops in a swift and surprise attack.

This battle was extremely swift, completely catching the enemy off guard.

"Your Highness, we have successfully disrupted the enemy's assembly plan, and their troops are in disarray!"

Li Jinglong ran over excitedly, his face full of excitement.

"The enemy's lines were broken by us, and their morale was greatly reduced."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, her face remaining calm.

"Although this battle disrupted the enemy's plans, their main force is still intact."

He spoke with utmost calmness and rationality.

"The Timurid Empire will not give up because of this battle; they will soon reorganize their offensive."

"We must be prepared to meet even greater challenges."

His voice, though calm, was full of insight and coldness.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong's excitement subsided slightly, and he immediately said, "Your subordinate understands. We will continue to strengthen our defenses and will not give the enemy any chance."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, his gaze coldly fixed on the battlefield.

He knew that the real battle was far from over.

"This battle is not only a border war, but also a contest of the entire imperial court."

"Whether it's Zhang Jing and others' power struggles in the court or Timur's Empire's conspiracies on the border, I cannot afford to be complacent."

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

***
Night fell, but the atmosphere on the battlefield remained tense.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on the watchtower, overlooking the battlefield in the distance.

He knew that Timurid's next attack would be even more ferocious, and that he had to give it his all.

"Whether it's the enemy's conspiracy or the court's power struggles, I will not let them succeed."

"I will surely win this storm."

(End of this chapter)