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

Chapter 666 The Overall Situation is Initially Settled
As dawn broke, Zhu Xiong Ying was already standing in the main hall, his gaze cold and stern.

His mind had never been so tense.

The internal and external situation is changing rapidly, and any small mistake could cause him to lose the initiative.

"Your Highness, I have just received the latest intelligence."

Li Jinglong strode in, his expression grave.

"The Timurid Empire's army continues to assemble on the border. Although they have not launched a large-scale offensive, scouts have discovered that their military buildup is accelerating."

"In addition, some wealthy merchants and gentry in the local area have begun to move around frequently, seemingly waiting for further action from the Timurid Empire."

Zhu Xiong Ying narrowed his eyes slightly, his brows furrowed.

"The collusion between these local forces and foreign enemies was something we had anticipated."

He said it with a cold, decisive tone.

"But they clearly underestimated our control of the situation."

"The fact that the Timurid Empire dared not launch a rash attack shows that they were not prepared for a full-scale war."

"These local forces are merely taking advantage of the situation to plot against each other, hoping to turn the tables with the help of external forces."

He slowly walked to the desk, picked up a secret report that had just been delivered, and scanned it for a moment.

"Their every move is under control."

"Now is the time for us to close the net."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong's expression revealed a hint of anticipation.

"Your Highness, do you mean... it's time to take action?"

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze was deep, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"That's right, the time has come."

"We have obtained all the evidence against these wealthy businessmen and officials who colluded with foreign enemies."

"Now is the best time to take action."

His voice was deep but full of unwavering resolve.

"Pass down the order and begin the operation immediately."

“We will round up all the wealthy merchants, gentry and officials who collude with foreign enemies and secretly incite local unrest.”

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order and said, "I understand. This operation will definitely eliminate these local forces completely."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly toward the distant capital.

"These people have betrayed the imperial court and colluded with foreign enemies; they have no way out."

"They thought they had the situation under control, but little did they know that they had already fallen into our trap from the very beginning."

"We must not only completely thwart their conspiracy, but also make everyone understand that the imperial authority is inviolable."

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

***
A few days later, the atmosphere in and around the capital was tense and fraught with fear.

The crackdown personally directed by Zhu Xiong Ying was like a huge net, quickly covering the entire network of local forces.

"Your Highness, the operation has been fully launched."

Li Jinglong came to report again, his expression showing a hint of excitement.

"As per your instructions, all wealthy businessmen and officials who colluded with foreign enemies have been secretly taken into custody."

"The evidence against them is irrefutable and there is no room for denial."

"I will ensure that no one escapes the net."

Upon hearing this, a hint of satisfaction flashed in Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes.

"very good."

"These people thought they could turn the tide with the help of foreign enemies, but they underestimated the court's determination."

He said this with an air of unwavering decisiveness and ruthlessness.

"Issue the order to immediately imprison these people and publicly deal with them at a later date."

"At the same time, their crimes should be made public so that all officials and people can understand that the court will never tolerate any collusion with foreign enemies."

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and then said, "I understand. I will arrange manpower to ensure that everyone's crimes are exposed."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, her gaze sweeping coldly out the window.

"This operation is not only to eliminate those rebels, but also to deter all forces with ulterior motives."

"We must make them understand that any act of colluding with foreign enemies will be completely eradicated."

"The imperial authority is unshakeable." His voice was low and calm, but every word was filled with boundless courage and decisiveness.

***
Just as the crackdown was in full swing, the situation on the border gradually became clear.

Although the Timurid Empire's army continued to assemble, it never took any further offensive action.

Zhu Xiong Ying had foreseen this situation long ago.

"Your Highness, the situation on the border has been completely stabilized."

Li Jinglong arrived with good news, his expression relaxed.

"Although the Timurid Empire attempted to provoke conflict, their military strength was insufficient to launch a full-scale offensive."

"Our troops have successfully suppressed their probing actions."

"At the same time, local gentry and wealthy merchants, upon learning that Timur's empire's actions had been thwarted, lost morale and expressed their intention to surrender."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's lips curled into a cold smile.

“These local forces are nothing but opportunists; their resistance was doomed to failure from the very beginning.”

"Since the external enemies could not provide them with substantial support, they naturally dared not act rashly again."

He said this with an air of utter coldness and decisiveness.

"However, the situation has not completely calmed down."

"We must remain vigilant to ensure that the Timurid Empire has no further chance to retaliate."

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and then said, "I will continue to strengthen the border defenses to ensure that no further accidents occur."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze deep.

"Although the Timurid Empire has suffered a temporary setback on the border, their ambitions should not be underestimated."

"We have to remain vigilant at all times."

"At the same time, the crackdown on domestic cases cannot be relaxed."

"Although those local forces have been suppressed for the time being, their roots have not been completely eradicated."

"We must continue to undermine their influence and ensure that the imperial court has a more solid grasp on the local areas."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed boundless wisdom and decisiveness.

***
A few days later, the operation was nearing its end.

All the wealthy merchants and officials who colluded with the Timurid Empire were escorted to the capital, and their crimes were fully exposed.

Inside and outside the capital, people were discussing the matter extensively, praising the court's decisive action.

"Your Highness, this operation has thoroughly deterred those with ill intentions."

Li Jinglong arrived with the final report, his expression revealing a mixture of relief and admiration.

"The local gentry and wealthy merchants no longer dared to act rashly."

"The Timurid Empire has also been severely damaged by this operation and will not provoke any further trouble for the time being."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, a hint of calm satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

"very good."

"This operation not only stabilized the situation, but also laid a more solid foundation for the court's future rule."

"We must maintain this high-pressure stance to ensure that no rebellious thoughts arise again."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed boundless courage and decisiveness.

"At the same time, issue an order that those local forces that have surrendered may be temporarily spared from prosecution."

"But they must understand that all their actions from now on are under the control of the imperial court."

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and then said, "Your subordinate understands. Your subordinate will continue to strengthen the monitoring of the local area."

"This time, we must ensure that the situation on the ground is completely stable and that there are no further changes."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly across the distant horizon.

"Although the situation has temporarily calmed down, undercurrents still exist."

"We must remain vigilant at all times to ensure that the future of the Ming Dynasty is no longer threatened."

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

Although the overall situation had been initially settled, Zhu Xiong Ying knew that the real challenges were yet to come.

He must remain clear-headed and vigilant to ensure that the authority of the court remains unshakeable.

(End of this chapter)