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

Chapter 635 The Grandson's Scheme

As night fell, Zhu Xiong Ying sat in his study, holding a battle report that had just arrived from the frontier.

The candlelight flickered gently before his eyes, reflecting his thoughtful expression.

"Although the rebellion on the frontier has been temporarily quelled, the Timurid Empire's ambitions have not been extinguished, and there will surely be even greater turmoil in the future."

Zhu Xiong Ying muttered to himself, feeling a subtle pressure in his heart.

"Your Highness."

Li Jinglong quietly entered the study, holding several memorials in his hand, his expression showing a hint of caution.

"These are reports from various parts of the frontier. Timurid's army has been active on the border recently, clearly with some ulterior motive."

Zhu Xiong Ying took the memorial, glanced at its contents, and frowned slightly.

"The Timurid Empire was indeed unwilling to accept defeat. Taking advantage of the turmoil in the Ming Dynasty court, they attempted to create chaos on the border."

He spoke slowly, a hint of coldness in his eyes.

Li Jinglong nodded and said in a low voice, "Your Highness is absolutely right."

"However, the situation in the court does not seem to be in our best interest as well."

"Recently, Lord Zhang Jing has been frequently criticizing Your Highness's actions in court, seemingly intending to weaken your influence on the frontier."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's heart sank.

He knew that Zhang Jing was not only the Minister of Rites, but also a representative of the conservative forces in the court.

These people were unhappy with his military operations on the frontier and worried that his control of too many troops would threaten their position.

"Zhang Jing appears to be gentle, but he is actually extremely cunning."

“He won’t openly oppose me, but he will undermine my authority in various subtle ways.”

Zhu Xiong Ying said softly, a hint of wariness flashing in her eyes.

Li Jinglong frowned and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness, what should we do next? Should we continue to tolerate this?"

Zhu Xiong Ying pondered for a moment, then slowly shook his head.

"Now is not the time to make trouble for Zhang Jing."

"If I act rashly, it will only unite the opposition forces in the DPRK and China."

"Right now, I need to stabilize the situation and not give these people a reason to attack me."

His voice was soft, but it was full of calm analysis.

Li Jinglong nodded. Although he was somewhat anxious, he knew that Zhu Xiong Ying's judgment was always accurate.

"Your Highness, we can ignore the forces in the court for now, but what about the situation on the border? The Timurid Empire's actions have become increasingly obvious lately. Shouldn't we take some action?"

He asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with urgency.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, his eyes revealing a profound plan.

"The Timurid Empire is indeed stirring, but they will not easily invade."

"They are still testing our reaction."

"If we take the initiative now, it will only make them see our true colors."

"What I want to do is to confuse them and prevent them from seeing our true intentions."

He said this with confidence and composure.

Upon hearing this, a hint of doubt flashed in Li Jinglong's eyes.

"Does Your Highness mean to hold back for now and wait for an opportunity?"

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, his gaze deep.

"good."

"What we need to do now is to maintain the deterrence on the frontier, so that the Timurid Empire will not dare to act rashly, while secretly making arrangements."

"I have instructed General Lan Yu to strengthen border defenses and, at the same time, to set up some feints to create the illusion that we are about to launch a major offensive."

"In this way, the Timurid Empire will be even more hesitant and dare not invade easily."

His tone was firm, clearly indicating that he already had a detailed plan.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong suddenly realized what was going on and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness is indeed far-sighted. I admire you!"

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, his eyes revealing a thoughtful look.

"We need to stabilize both the court and the frontier, and we cannot let the enemy see any weaknesses in us." "Only in this way can I truly control the situation."

He said this with an unwavering determination in his voice.

Just then, there was a soft knock on the door.

"Your Highness, a messenger requests an audience."

Zhu Xiong Ying's eyebrows twitched slightly, and then he said, "Let him in."

Shortly afterward, an envoy dressed in plain clothes entered the study, presented a letter with both hands, and said respectfully, "Your Highness, this is a secret letter from the Western Regions. Please take a look."

Zhu Xiong Ying took the letter and quickly unfolded it.

His gaze swept over the contents of the letter, his expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his composure.

"There's also movement in the Western Regions."

He spoke in a low voice, his tone revealing a hint of contemplation.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong immediately felt a sense of tension and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, what has happened in the Western Regions?"

Zhu Xiong Ying handed the letter to Li Jinglong and said slowly, "Several tribes in the Western Regions have recently been secretly gathering troops, seemingly wanting to take advantage of our Ming Dynasty's internal and external troubles to seek some benefits."

"It seems that the situation on the frontier is more complicated than I imagined."

After reading the letter, Li Jinglong's expression turned serious.

"Your Highness, how should we deal with this? Now it's not just the Timurid Empire, but also the tribes in the Western Regions are starting to stir."

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze remained calm. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly said, "There is no need to worry about the situation in the Western Regions for the time being."

"These tribes are ambitious, but they are not united internally."

"What I need to do is to divide them and make them kill each other."

His tone was incredibly calm and wise, clearly indicating that he already had a solution in mind.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong felt slightly relieved and cupped his hands, saying, "Your Highness is wise."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly and continued, "However, we cannot rely solely on defense."

"I will send people to the Western Regions to secretly instigate conflicts between those tribes, preventing them from forming a united force."

"In this way, the threat from the Western Regions can be temporarily eliminated."

His voice was filled with unwavering confidence, clearly indicating that he had everything under control.

Li Jinglong was greatly impressed and immediately cupped his hands, saying, "I will arrange this matter immediately to ensure that Your Highness's plan is foolproof."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded, then waved for Li Jinglong to leave.

When the study returned to silence, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze fell once again on the battle report on the table.

His mind was filled with deep thought.

"While the struggle within the court is complex, the threats on the border are more pressing."

"I cannot allow either side's enemies to take advantage of the situation."

He pondered silently, his hands gripping the secret letter from the Western Regions tightly.

It was late at night, but the candles in the study were still burning, casting complex shadows on Zhu Xiong Ying's face.

He knew that every step he took in the future would determine the fate of the Ming Dynasty.

He must remain alert and vigilant at all times.

Whether it was turmoil in the imperial court or a crisis on the frontier, he had to deal with them one by one.

"A storm is brewing, and the situation on the border looks set to become even more complicated."

Zhu Xiong Ying murmured to herself, her gaze still fixed on the distance.

The road ahead is full of challenges, but he is prepared.

No matter how much wind and rain lies ahead, he will continue to move forward steadfastly.

Because this is his mission and his responsibility.

As night deepened, the light in the study remained on.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood quietly in front of the desk, silently planning every step of her future.

He knew that the future of the Ming Dynasty would be in his hands.

(End of this chapter)