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

Chapter 664 The Moment of Closing the Net
The morning sunlight streamed through the heavy palace gates into the main hall, where Zhu Xiong Ying stood by the window, his gaze deep and thoughtful.

He could sense that undercurrents were surging within the court, and the entire situation was gradually heading towards an inevitable climax.

"Your Highness, all the investigation work has been fully launched."

Li Jinglong rushed over, looking somewhat tired and anxious.

"Although the local resistance is fierce, our strength is sufficient to suppress them."

"However, I am worried that once these local forces are completely eliminated, it will provoke more potential hostile forces."

“Those wealthy businessmen and officials are deeply entrenched and have close ties with the local people. If not handled properly, it could trigger local unrest.”

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly after hearing this, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

“You’re right. Local wealthy merchants and gentry have controlled the area for decades. They not only control the wealth, but also the hearts of the people.”

“If we take a hard line, it will indeed cause considerable turmoil.”

His voice was low and calm, revealing deep thought.

"But that doesn't mean we should be lenient."

“Local forces have long been a hidden danger to the imperial court. If they are not completely eliminated, they will eventually become a hindrance to the court.”

He turned to look at Li Jinglong, his eyes filled with determination.

"What we need to do is not to forcibly wipe them out, but to weaken them in a smarter way."

"Let them lose control of the local area, and let their foundations slowly crumble."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong's expression shifted slightly.

"Does Your Highness mean... to adopt a strategy that combines both soft and hard tactics?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, her tone revealing calm wisdom.

“That’s right. We can’t let these local forces collapse overnight; that would only cause greater chaos.”

"We must gradually dismantle their influence and weaken their control over local areas."

"First, we must address their economic foundation by restricting their sources of income and severing their economic ties with the people."

“When they lose their financial support, their influence will naturally weaken.”

He said this with a tone that conveyed both decisiveness and deep thought.

"At the same time, we must strengthen our control over local officials to ensure that they do not continue to collude with these forces."

"Any official who dares to protect wealthy businessmen shall be severely punished without exception."

Li Jinglong nodded in agreement and then said, "I understand. I will begin making arrangements immediately."

"However, Your Highness, there are still some stubborn forces in the local areas who control a large amount of land and resources. Weakening their economic influence alone may not be enough to completely destroy them."

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

"That's right, simply weakening their economic power is not enough."

"We also need to start from their root cause."

He said this with an extremely cold tone.

“These people, relying on the protection of local officials, have formed an alliance of interests.”

"But as soon as we break this alliance, they will no longer pose any threat."

"Issue the order to begin investigating local lands and resources, and to reclaim the lands that have been seized by wealthy merchants and gentry."

"At the same time, we will increase support for farmers so that they can regain control of their land."

"In this way, the local people will no longer depend on wealthy merchants, but will instead depend on the imperial court."

"This will not only weaken the foundation of wealthy merchants, but also further strengthen the imperial court's control over local areas."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed endless decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and said, "Your Highness, I will immediately conduct an investigation according to your instructions."

"However, if this happens, the local gentry will probably resist to the death."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

"Of course they will resist."

"But that's precisely why we must take more decisive measures."

“Those wealthy merchants and gentry who dare to resist must be dealt with swiftly and decisively, and they must not be allowed any further chance to retaliate.”

"At the same time, we need to send a signal to the local people."

"The imperial court will provide them with more support, and they will no longer need to rely on wealthy merchants and gentry."

"In this way, the people will naturally stand on the side of the imperial court."

His voice was calm, yet every word he spoke was filled with boundless wisdom and decisiveness.
A few days later, the crackdown was quickly launched nationwide.

Zhu Xiong Ying's order has spread thoroughly throughout the court and beyond.

Local wealthy merchants and gentry began to feel unprecedented pressure.

The economic foundation upon which they depend for survival is being gradually dismantled by the imperial court, and their alliance of local officials is being stripped away bit by bit by Zhu Xiong Ying.

"Your Highness, the rebellious sentiment among wealthy merchants and gentry in the region is growing stronger."

Li Jinglong came to report again, his expression showing some nervousness.

“Some gentry even began to incite the local people, attempting to stir up a civil unrest in order to resist the court’s investigation.”

"However, I have already arranged for people to ensure that the actions of these gentry will not cause greater unrest."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying coldly glanced out the window, a chilling smile playing on her lips.

"These people are indeed unwilling to admit defeat easily."

"They attempted to use the people to oppose the imperial court, but they did not realize that the people no longer trusted them."

He said this, his tone revealing endless coldness and wisdom.

"We must continue to intensify our investigations in local areas, and in particular, crack down on those gentry who incite the people."

"When necessary, some stubborn forces can be dealt with publicly as a warning to others."

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement, and then asked, "Your Highness, should we send more troops to suppress these rebellious forces?"

Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head slightly, his eyes revealing deep thought.

"No need, now is not the time to use force."

"We need to dismantle them in a more subtle way."

"The power of these wealthy merchants and gentry depended on their influence in the local area."

"And once they lose the support of the people, they no longer pose any threat."

Although his voice was low, every word he spoke was filled with boundless decisiveness and wisdom.

"Pass down the order to strengthen support for the local people, especially to provide them with more economic assistance."

"At the same time, we will promote land reform and return more land to farmers."

"In this way, the common people will naturally become attached to the court, while the influence of the gentry will rapidly decline."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong suddenly realized what was going on.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. In this way, the foundation of wealthy merchants and gentry will be completely shaken."

"Understood, I will begin planning immediately."

"This time, we must completely destroy the foundation of these local forces and leave them with no power to resist."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze coldly fixed on the distant capital.

"Local forces are ultimately no match for the imperial court."

"I will make them understand that anyone who dares to challenge the authority of the imperial court will pay a heavy price."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed endless coldness and decisiveness.

***
As the investigation deepened, the influence of local wealthy merchants and gentry was gradually weakened.

The land and resources they depended on for survival were taken back by the imperial court, and the people's dependence on them gradually weakened.

The power structure across the region is undergoing a fundamental change.

"Your Highness, the situation in the region has basically stabilized."

Li Jinglong came to report again, looking somewhat relaxed.

"The resistance forces of those wealthy merchants and gentry have been completely dismantled."

"With the support of the imperial court, the people gradually began to accept the new order."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly after hearing this, a faint smile appearing on her face.

"As expected, forceful suppression is not the only method."

"As long as we win the hearts and minds of the people, those local forces will naturally be powerless to resist."

He said this with a tone that conveyed boundless wisdom and decisiveness.

"Although this operation has achieved a phased victory, we cannot let our guard down."

"Although their local power has been weakened, their roots have not been completely eradicated."

"We must remain vigilant and ensure these."

(End of this chapter)