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

Chapter 658 Foreseeing the Storm
As the sun began to set, its golden rays bathed the capital of the Ming Dynasty, shimmering the entire palace in a mystical glow.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood by the window of the study, her brows slightly furrowed.

Although local reforms have shown initial success and the power structure has gradually stabilized, he still felt a vague unease.

"Your Highness, the reforms in the localities are progressing smoothly. Many local officials have expressed their support, and local gentry and wealthy merchants are gradually maintaining closer cooperation with the imperial court."

Li Jinglong strode into the study, his tone tinged with satisfaction.

"However, there are still a few dissenting voices in some places, especially in areas where reforms touch vested interests, where resistance is greater."

After listening, Zhu Xiong Ying slowly turned around, a thoughtful look flashing in her eyes.

"This was expected."

He spoke with calmness and rationality.

"No reform can be completely smooth, especially when it touches on the fundamental interests of the local area, it will inevitably arouse opposition."

"What we need to do is not only to promote reform, but also to find ways to overcome these obstacles."

Li Jinglong nodded in agreement, and then said, "Your Highness, I have already sent people to those areas where there is the greatest resistance to investigate and try to find out the root cause of the opposition."

"However, in some places, the forces are deeply entrenched, making it difficult to thoroughly investigate them in a short period of time."

Zhu Xiong Ying frowned slightly, his tone thoughtful.

"The power dynamics at the local level are complex, which is why we need to implement reforms."

“If these local powers are allowed to continue to grow, one day they will threaten the rule of the imperial court.”

"The problem now is not just local opposition, but also the hidden interest chains behind them."

"You need to conduct a more in-depth investigation to find out exactly what kind of vested interests are involved behind these opposition forces."

He said this, his eyes flashing with unparalleled decisiveness and determination.

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order and said, "Understood. I will continue to send people to investigate and make sure to find out the problems behind these issues."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, then looked out the window again.

"Reforms at the local level are necessary, but we cannot ignore the situation in the central government in the name of reform."

"Although Zhang Jingyi's faction has been dismantled, its aftereffects have not yet subsided."

"Most of the officials who colluded with Zhang Jing are now silent, but they won't stay silent forever."

"We must closely monitor the movements of North Korea and China to ensure that these people do not take the opportunity to retaliate."

Zhu Xiong Ying's voice was deep and firm, revealing boundless calmness and decisiveness.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong's expression turned somewhat wary. He then said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. I will immediately arrange for people to closely monitor the officials in the court who have had dealings with Zhang Jing, and ensure that they do not make any unusual moves."

"However, Your Highness, there have indeed been some subtle changes in the court recently."

"Many neutral officials have begun to regroup and form factions, seemingly testing the waters of the situation in North Korea."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze instantly turned cold and sharp, and a sneer appeared on his face.

"It seems these people really couldn't hold back any longer."

"They thought that after a period of silence, they could become active again, but they underestimated my control of the situation."

"The balance of power is always a struggle without end."

“If these people really want to form cliques again, I will definitely not be lenient.”

Although his voice was calm, the coldness and decisiveness in it sent a chill down Li Jinglong's spine.

"Your Highness, should we take action against these neutral officials next?"

Li Jinglong asked, his expression showing some worry.

Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes flickered slightly, and then he slowly said, "There's no need to rush into action for now."

“These people are just testing us. If we act too soon, it will only make them more wary.”

"We need to wait until they reveal more of their cards before taking them down in one fell swoop."

He spoke with remarkable calmness and strategic thinking.

"But at the same time, we must secretly strengthen our surveillance of them, especially their connections with the local authorities."

“Zhang Jingyi’s faction has many supporters in the local area. If these people continue to collude with the local authorities, it will be the best time for us to take action.”

Li Jinglong nodded in agreement, his admiration for Zhu Xiong Ying's calmness and decisiveness growing even stronger.

"Understood, sir. I will arrange for people to continue monitoring the movements of these neutral officials to ensure that no clues are missed." Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, already secretly planning his next move.

He knew that although the situation was temporarily stable, the struggle for power was never truly over.

Behind every storm lies a deeper crisis.

"These neutral officials thought that after a period of silence, they could rise again."

"But they underestimated my patience."

“I will make them understand completely that the power struggles in the court are never something they can control.”

He pondered silently, his eyes flashing with unwavering determination and ruthlessness.

***
A few days later, Li Jinglong came again, looking somewhat nervous.

"Your Highness, I have strengthened the surveillance of those neutral officials in the court as you instructed."

"However, we have recently discovered some unusual circumstances."

Zhu Xiong Ying frowned slightly, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes.

"What's the unusual situation?"

He asked in a deep voice, his tone filled with icy coldness.

Li Jinglong said in a low voice, "We have discovered that some officials in the court have begun to secretly contact local gentry and wealthy merchants, attempting to rebuild their power through them."

"They remain outwardly silent, but in reality they have begun to secretly plot to regain control of the discourse in the government."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's expression grew even colder, and a chilling murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"It seems these people are indeed unwilling to accept this."

He said this with an extremely cold tone.

"They thought that by secretly colluding with local forces, they could regain power in the court, but every move they made was under my control."

"Now that they've shown their true colors, we can't give them any more chances."

Li Jinglong immediately replied, "Your subordinate understands. Your subordinate will arrange the operation immediately to ensure that these officials who collude with the local authorities are all caught in one fell swoop."

Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head slightly, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"There's no need to rush into action for now."

"We need to first find out the specific connections between them and local forces, and then eliminate them completely once they expose more of their accomplices."

"This time, we must completely eradicate all potential threats and never give them another chance to turn the tables."

Although his voice was soft, every word he spoke was filled with coldness and decisiveness.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong admired Zhu Xiong Ying's decision even more and said, "I understand. I will continue to investigate thoroughly to ensure that all the collusion behind these officials is uncovered."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, gazing into the distance, her heart filled with unwavering determination.

"The struggle for power never ends."

"Behind every storm lies a greater crisis."

"But in any case, I will keep a firm grip on the court and ensure that the future of the Ming Dynasty will not be controlled by these ambitious people."

His voice was deep and firm, and his eyes shone with unparalleled decisiveness and calmness.

***
With Zhu Xiong Ying's order issued, the power struggle in the court gradually entered a secretive and tense phase.

Those officials who had previously remained neutral began to stir, attempting to regain power through local influence.

But their every move was under Zhu Xiong Ying's control.

He knew the real storm was yet to come, but he was fully prepared.

When the storm truly arrives, he will quell it all with swift and decisive action.

"No matter how they plot, they cannot change the overall situation in the court."

"I will let them know that anyone who tries to challenge the authority of the Ming Dynasty will pay a heavy price."

Zhu Xiong Ying pondered silently, her eyes revealing boundless calmness and decisiveness.

The struggle for power never ends, but as long as he controls the overall situation, the future of the Ming Dynasty is assured.

(End of this chapter)