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

Chapter 630 Counterattack Strategy
The night was as dark as ink. Zhu Xiong Ying stood in front of the command tent, the distant campfire flickering gently in the cold wind, illuminating his pensive face.

Although the rebellion of the western tribes had been suppressed and the enemy leader had been beheaded and displayed to the public, he still could not completely relax.

"Your Highness, our scouts in the north have reported that the small tribes are still adopting a wait-and-see attitude and have not made any major moves for the time being."

Li Jinglong strode into the tent and respectfully reported.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slowly, his brows still bearing a hint of solemnity.

"Their observation does not mean they lack ambition."

He spoke in a deep voice, his gaze piercing through the tent and looking north.

"Although these tribal leaders do not appear to dare to act rashly, they may not truly submit."

"If we don't take this opportunity to thoroughly deter them, trouble will inevitably arise in the future."

Li Jinglong frowned slightly and asked, "Does Your Highness mean that we should take the initiative?"

Zhu Xiong Ying pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Not bad."

"We cannot sit idly by and wait for them to provoke us; we must take the initiative and nip the threat in the bud."

His tone was firm, and his eyes gleamed with determination.

"Although these small tribes in the north are not as powerful as those in the west, they can still cause us trouble if they unite."

"I want to completely overwhelm them before they have a chance to react."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong immediately cupped his hands and said, "Your subordinate understands. We will immediately organize the troops and be ready to depart at any time."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, his gaze deep.

"However, we cannot act rashly this time."

“These small tribes have a certain advantage in terms of terrain, and if we attack them directly, we are likely to fall into their ambush.”

He spoke slowly, his mind racing as he considered his next strategy.

"Send orders to all troops not to attack rashly."

"We'll first send out scouts and small groups of troops to disrupt their formation and force them to reveal their weaknesses."

Li Jinglong nodded in agreement and then hurriedly left.

Zhu Xiong Ying walked to the map and stared at the distribution of tribes in the north.

He knew that this operation had to be carried out with extreme caution.

Although the northern tribes did not directly rebel, they harbored doubts about the rule of the Ming Dynasty.

If these tribes are not suppressed swiftly and decisively, further turmoil is bound to ensue in the future.

"Your Highness, I have already arranged for scouts to go and investigate."

Lan Yu walked into the command tent, exuding a chilling aura, his face bearing a grim expression.

"Furthermore, our troops are fully equipped and ready to be deployed, awaiting your orders."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, her gaze still fixed on the map.

"very good."

"But there's no need to rush this operation. We need to let these tribes reveal their true colors on their own."

His tone was calm, full of wise insight.

"General Lan, lead a small squad of soldiers and feign harassment."

"The target is the small tribes closest to the border, forcing them to mobilize their troops."

Lan Yu bowed and accepted the order, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"You will finally understand."

"However, if Your Highness deems it necessary, this humble general is also willing to personally go and teach those tribes a lesson."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly and waved his hand.

There's no need to rush things.

"This time, we will let the enemy fall into chaos before striking and crushing them in one fell swoop."

Upon hearing this, Lan Yu, though still filled with fighting spirit, knew Zhu Xiong Ying's brilliant strategy and said nothing more, turning to prepare.

With the deployment of scouts and harassment forces, signs of unrest began to emerge among the northern tribes.

The small-scale harassment didn't really throw them into panic, but it was enough to make their leader uneasy.

A few days later, scouts reported that some tribes had begun to mobilize their forces in an attempt to encircle and annihilate the harassing Ming army.

"Your Highness, the enemy has begun to mobilize their troops, and it seems that their formation is already somewhat chaotic."

Li Jinglong excitedly reported that everything was clearly as Zhu Xiong Ying had predicted.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood in front of the command tent, his gaze cold.

"very good."

"Order the entire army to prepare for a full-scale attack," he gave the order in a deep voice, a cold smile appearing on his face.

"Now that their weakness has been exposed, we can close the net."

With his orders given, the army was quickly reorganized.

Zhu Xiong Ying personally led a main force to launch an attack on the tribes to the north from the front, while the other two forces flanked the tribes from the flanks, forming an encirclement.

The enemy clearly did not expect the Ming army to launch such a rapid counterattack.

Their forces were scattered and lacked unified command, and they quickly descended into chaos.

On the battlefield, Zhu Xiong Ying's command was as smooth as flowing water.

While directing his army to suppress the enemy's counterattack, he also ordered his cavalry to attack the enemy's rear from the flanks, completely disrupting their defenses.

"Your Highness, the enemy is no longer able to resist and is in disarray!"

Lan Yu rode forward on horseback, his face full of excitement.

"It seems these small tribes are nothing special."

Zhu Xiong Ying gave a cold smile, her eyes gleaming with confidence.

"Don't give them a chance to escape."

"Pass down the order: the entire army must pursue them and wipe them out in one fell swoop."

With Zhu Xiong Ying's order issued, the morale of the Ming army soared, and they quickly pursued the fleeing enemy.

Those tribal leaders who had once swaggered around in the north were utterly powerless to resist the powerful offensive of the Ming army.

The battle ended in a short time.

That night, the northern tribes were completely defeated, and their leaders were captured or killed in battle.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood in the center of the battlefield, looking down at the enemy corpses at his feet.

"These tribes will never have another chance to rebel."

He spoke in a low voice, his tone utterly calm.

With the complete annihilation of the northern tribes, the Ming Dynasty's rule on the frontier was finally further consolidated.

Although this battle was not as fierce as the one fought by the western tribes, Zhu Xiong Ying knew that this victory was equally significant.

He not only eliminated the potential threat, but also sent a strong signal to all the unwavering tribes.

"Your Highness, what should we do with these prisoners next?"

Li Jinglong stepped forward and respectfully inquired.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, his eyes revealing determination.

"Although these leaders once harbored rebellious intentions, they were not as devoted as Batula."

"We can choose to divide them."

"Let some people outwardly submit to the Ming Dynasty and bestow upon them the title of tribal chiefs of the Ming Dynasty."

"And those who refuse to obey will be executed."

He spoke slowly, his gaze calm and wise.

Li Jinglong nodded and immediately went to make the arrangements.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood on high ground, overlooking the entire battlefield.

He knew that the war on the frontier was gradually coming to an end.

But the real rule has only just begun.

These tribes need to be reintegrated into the territory of the Ming Dynasty.

Only in this way can the border regions be truly stable, and only then can the future be brighter.

"Pass down the order to reorganize the troops and prepare to return."

Zhu Xiong Ying gave the final order and then turned and left the battlefield.

This time, he proved his strength and wisdom once again.

But Zhu Xiong Ying knew in her heart that the road ahead would still be full of challenges.

He must remain vigilant at all times to ensure the stability of the Ming Dynasty.

With the army's triumphant return, the situation on the entire frontier gradually stabilized.

However, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze remained fixed on the distance.

He knew that more battles and trials awaited him on the road ahead.

All this has just begun.

(End of this chapter)