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

Chapter 675 The Dawn Before Dawn
As Li Zhi experienced all of this, his heart was filled with complex emotions and hope.

However, he knew that even though the rescue had arrived, they could not completely let their guard down.

The battle continued, and every soldier facing Cold Steel was only thinking about defeating as many enemies as possible.

"We will proceed with caution and will not back down until the very last moment."

Li Zhi spoke to his team, his tone a mix of pressure and reassurance.

Although the battlefield changes in an instant, every decision and every snap of the fingers is related to the honor and disgrace of the soldiers on the front line.

Even if it means living up to the ideals of both Buddha and my beloved, the ultimate dream is to build a prosperous future for the Ming Dynasty.

As night fell, the campfire in the camp cast a warm glow. Soldiers sat in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones, their tired faces etched with the marks of time.

Li Zhi was in a corner of the camp, looking down at a map. Next to him was an older soldier, who was exchanging opinions with Li Zhi about the night guard duty.

"General Li, I think we need to send more men to the east side. The terrain there is relatively complex and could be easily exploited by the enemy."

The older soldier said with a serious expression.

Li Zhi nodded, and was about to reply when a commotion came from afar, interrupting their conversation.

Everyone turned to look and saw a young general in bright yellow armor walking quickly toward them. The distinctive color of his armor was particularly striking in the firelight.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince!"

Li Zhi whispered a reminder, and the older soldier immediately stopped talking, looking somewhat nervous.

Zhu Xiong Ying approached; though his face was young, it was steady and resolute.

His sharp eyes swept around the room before he whispered, "Get out of the way."

The older soldier dared not be negligent and hurriedly took a few steps back, looking somewhat uneasy. Although unwilling, he dared not linger any longer.

"Your Highness, the Crown Prince,"

Li Zhi stepped forward and bowed slightly. "You've come at just the right time. We were just discussing the night's defenses."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze firm and calm.

"General Li, it's good that everything is arranged properly. I came to confirm that there are no loopholes in our defense preparations. Since the matter is urgent, we cannot afford to be negligent in the slightest."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Li Zhi nodded in agreement, "We are adjusting our deployment to ensure that every position is flawless."

After this brief but intense exchange, night fell, and a veil seemed to be draped over this temporary tranquility in the hazy darkness.

Looking at the Crown Prince, Li Zhi couldn't help but feel respect. This young general carried the future of the entire Ming Dynasty, and it was his duty to do so.

"It's late at night, take care of yourself."

Zhu Xiong Ying said, his tone now carrying a hint of brotherly concern.

Li Zhi replied, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, the soldiers are all working diligently and are eagerly awaiting the day when they can fight alongside Your Highness again."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly and patted Li Zhi on the shoulder, "Alright, let's work together. The future of the Ming Dynasty depends on everyone's unremitting efforts."

The two nodded in acknowledgment, and Zhu Xiong Ying turned and left, leaving the camp to continue operating in the quiet night.

Li Zhi continued to mark key points on the map, his mind as clear and resolute as the night breeze.

Night fell, and the surroundings were quiet and oppressive, with only the occasional sound of wind and the slight crackling of torches.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood beneath the city gate, his eyes revealing a resolute and composed demeanor.

He took a deep breath, turned to Li Zhi beside him, and said, "We are preparing to launch a counterattack. Now is the time to turn the tide."

Li Zhi nodded to indicate that he understood, and then shouted, "Archers, prepare to fire!"

The soldiers immediately sprang into action, arrows raining down across the dark sky as they hurtled towards the approaching enemy.

Caught off guard, the enemy's formation was thrown into chaos by the sudden barrage of arrows, and many soldiers fell in pain, forcing them to retreat temporarily.

Seeing the enemy retreating, Zhu Xiong Ying breathed a sigh of relief. He keenly realized that continuing the stalemate was not a good strategy and that more radical measures were needed to break the deadlock.

"Burn their ladder trucks!"

Zhu Xiong Ying decisively issued the order.

The firelight flickered, and the soldiers moved swiftly, throwing torches at the enemy's ladder trucks.

In an instant, flames erupted everywhere, thick smoke billowed into the sky along with sparks, and the scorching heat brought cheers from the defenders on the city wall.

They shouted victory slogans, their morale soaring.

Seeing all this, Li Zhi felt a surge of hope. He turned to Zhu Xiong Ying and said, "Your Highness, your brilliant plan is truly inspiring." Zhu Xiong Ying smiled with satisfaction. "This is the result of our joint efforts. General Li, I believe in your exceptional abilities and hope you can shoulder even greater responsibilities."

"Your Highness, thank you for your trust."

Li Zhi firmly declared, "I will continue to follow you and fight to the very end for the future of the Ming Dynasty."

After confirming that the enemy would not attack again in the short term, Zhu Xiong Ying realized the importance of rest and reorganization, and decided to further boost the morale of his soldiers.

"Prepare some treats for everyone to boost their morale so we can be in top condition for the next battle."

After all the arrangements were made, Zhu Xiong Ying climbed the city wall and carefully observed the enemy situation.

After confirming the impenetrable defense, he relaxed slightly and sat down to plan the next steps.

Although he closed his eyes to rest, the sound of the wind in the distance still surrounded him. He knew that the temporary peace was precious, but he had to remain vigilant at all times.

However, the good times didn't last long. In the middle of the night, urgent shouts suddenly came from the camp.

Zhu Xiong Ying immediately stood up, and in an instant all her fatigue and weariness vanished. The curtain of this war was indeed about to be raised again.

He quickly assembled his soldiers, preparing to meet the new challenge.

Night fell over the camp, the campfire crackled, and soldiers were scattered around the fire in twos and threes, some joking with each other, others silently organizing their equipment.

At this moment, a conflict was quietly brewing between Xiao Li, a new recruit full of opinions, and Zhang, the gang leader.

"You greenhorn, it's your turn to work in the kitchen today."

Old Zhang stared, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.

He was an old man who held absolute authority in the camp, having served as a squad leader his entire life, and he had a condescending sense of superiority over all the new recruits.

Xiao Li didn't back down. He spread his hands, a hint of humor in his voice, "Foreman, it's not that I'm not doing my job, but I'm really exhausted today. I promise I'll get my share tomorrow—"

Old Zhang couldn't tolerate it and interrupted directly, "Don't try that on me! If you don't go, don't blame me for being impolite."

Before he could finish speaking, several soldiers from the kitchen had already surrounded him, ready to teach Xiao Li a "lesson".

.

However, Xiao Li was prepared. Although he was not particularly burly, he was exceptionally agile.

He nimbly dodged the attack, like a slippery fish.

The soldiers watching from the sidelines were initially worried for Xiao Li, but seeing how skillfully he deflected the attack, they couldn't help but burst into laughter and applause.

Old Zhang was furious and about to unleash a torrent of curses when a messenger soldier named Xiao Qiu came running back, panting, "Old Zhang! His Highness has returned and we need to prepare dinner!"

This news was like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head. Old Zhang swallowed back the anger that was about to spill out and could only wave his hand, "Clean everything up for me, don't let His Highness see this mess."

Seeing this, Xiao Li put away his carefree smile, nodded to Xiao Qiu as a thank you, and then quickly helped tidy up the campsite.

Although the matter was resolved, Xiao Qiu could still sense that Xiao Li was different from others, and secretly remembered the name of this resourceful soldier.

Meanwhile, Zhu Xiong Ying sat in a corner of the camp, completely unaware of these minor conflicts.

He was focused on the map in front of him, his brush moving across the paper as he outlined the next battle plan.

Even amidst the minor turmoil outside, his composure and calmness remained unaffected.

Ultimately, this minor internal strife subsided before it escalated into a major incident.

Zhu Xiong Ying listened to the faint laughter coming from afar, and a sense of interest arose in her heart for the new recruit named Xiao Li.

He had a hunch that this junior soldier might have greater potential and achievements in the future.

In the early morning, the campsite was shrouded in a thin mist, with sunlight filtering through the clouds and dappling the ground.

Xiao Li stood in the center of the camp, gazing thoughtfully into the distance.

He had been thinking about it for a long time and finally made up his mind.

He turned to look at Xiao Qiu, who was listlessly dealing with the mess left over from the previous night.

"Xiao Qiu,"

Xiao Li's voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet morning light: "I've made up my mind. I'm going to the border on behalf of our camp."

He paused for a moment, his gaze firm, "I hope you can come with me."

Xiao Qiu looked up, seemingly unable to believe her ears.

(End of this chapter)