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

Chapter 637 A Turbulent Situation

The wind in the capital city began to turn slightly cool.

As autumn deepened, Zhu Xiong Ying felt a persistent undercurrent of pressure in his heart.

He stood in the courtyard of the Crown Prince's residence, gazing into the distance, as if waiting for something.

Zhu Xiong Ying had been back from the frontier for some time, and the turmoil in the court had temporarily subsided, but he knew very well that this calm was merely the calm before the storm.

"Your Highness, Zhang Jing has been making frequent moves in the court lately, and it seems that he has begun to win over some ministers and secretly target you."

Li Jinglong entered the courtyard and reported in a low voice, his tone tinged with worry.

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

"Zhang Jing is a man of deep thoughts and extremely cunning."

"He appears to be acting in the best interests of the country, but in reality he is scheming for his own benefit."

"However, he won't be too blatant about it."

His tone was calm, clearly indicating that he had already become aware of Zhang Jing's actions.

Li Jinglong frowned slightly and said in a low voice, "Your Highness, Zhang Jing has considerable backing. If he continues to win over court officials, it may have a significant impact on your position."

Zhu Xiong Ying turned around, her eyes gleaming with wisdom.

"I know."

"But right now, I can't confront him head-on."

“Zhang Jing has too many senior officials in the court behind him. If we take action against him rashly, it will only provoke a greater backlash.”

He spoke calmly, but he had already grasped the entire situation.

"Your Highness, what should we do next? We can't just sit here and wait to die."

Li Jinglong asked with concern.

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled gently, her eyes revealing a hint of composure.

Although Zhang Jing was making plans in secret, he ultimately dared not be too blatant.

"His current strategy is to steadily weaken my influence in the government."

"But I won't let him succeed."

Zhu Xiong Ying paused for a moment, then continued, "What we need to do now is to quickly strengthen our control over officials in the central government while the situation on the border remains temporarily stable."

"Especially the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue, these two departments wield crucial power."

"I want to make sure that the people in these key positions are completely loyal to me."

His voice was calm, but it conveyed a firm determination.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong was startled and immediately understood Zhu Xiong Ying's intention.

"Your Highness is indeed far-sighted."

"However, given the complexity of the situation in the court, it will probably not be easy to quickly take control of these departments."

He frowned slightly, his tone tinged with worry.

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his eyes filled with deep thought.

"Because it is complex, we must proceed step by step."

"I have secretly sent people to investigate those officials who intend to support me, and once the time is right, I will gradually promote their status."

"At the same time, we cannot let our guard down against Zhang Jing's cronies. Although they do not openly oppose me, they are making frequent moves in secret, and we must be vigilant at all times."

As he said this, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness, these steps will indeed gradually solidify your position."

"But these are all defensive measures. Can't we take the initiative and weaken Zhang Jing's power?"

Li Jinglong asked, clearly indicating a preference for radical action.

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze sharpened slightly, and she slowly shook her head.

"Now is not the time to take the initiative."

"Although Zhang Jing has been scheming, he has not yet publicly stood up against me."

“Acting rashly will only give him a handle to use against us, and may even provoke the resentment of those conservative forces.”

"We must play it safe and not give him any chance."

His voice was steady and powerful, clearly indicating that he had a complete grasp of the situation.

Although Li Jinglong was somewhat anxious, he knew that Zhu Xiong Ying's judgment was always accurate, so he could only nod in agreement.

At this moment, a servant hurried into the courtyard and whispered, "Your Highness, the latest news has come from the frontier. The Timurid Empire's army has been frequently active on the border recently, and General Lan Yu has strengthened the defenses."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's expression darkened slightly.

"Sure enough, these people couldn't hold back any longer."

He spoke softly, a cold glint in his eyes.

"The Timurid Empire's actions are becoming increasingly obvious." "It seems they are preparing to take advantage of the turmoil in our Great Ming Dynasty to undermine it."

Li Jinglong frowned and asked in a deep voice, "Your Highness, if the Timurid Empire were to invade, should we immediately reinforce our troops on the border to guard against any unforeseen circumstances?"

Zhu Xiong Ying shook her head, her eyes revealing calmness.

"We cannot rashly send more troops now."

“If we reinforce the border at this time, it will only escalate the conflict and give the Timurid Empire a reason to start a war.”

"General Lan Yu's troops are sufficient to handle the current situation."

"But we need to prepare in secret, so that we can react quickly if the Timurid Empire really launches an attack."

He said that there was clearly a complete response plan in place.

Li Jinglong nodded, his eyes filled with admiration.

"Your Highness's plan is indeed thorough."

"However, with the situation in the court and the developments on the border both tense, Your Highness will probably need to devote more energy to dealing with them."

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, his eyes revealing unwavering determination.

"Whether it's the central government or the frontier, I will control everything."

"These disturbances are only temporary. In the end, the Ming Dynasty will surely be victorious."

Although his voice was soft, it conveyed immense confidence and determination.

With Zhu Xiong Ying's arrangement, the entire Tai Sun Mansion began to move about in a flurry of activity.

He secretly mobilized resources, gradually placing some loyal officials in key positions, while maintaining close contact with General Lan Yu on the frontier to ensure that every step was under his control.

As night deepened, Zhu Xiong Ying stood alone in his study, pondering every step of the future.

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

Whether it's turmoil in the imperial court or a crisis on the frontier, he has to deal with it all.

"Your Highness."

A soft voice interrupted his thoughts, and Li Jinglong walked back into the study, his face showing some tension.

"Your Highness, news has come from the palace that the Emperor summons you."

Zhu Xiong Ying's heart stirred slightly, and her brows furrowed gently.

"Father summoned me suddenly, has something happened?"

He muttered to himself, then immediately straightened his clothes and prepared to enter the palace.

Throughout the journey, Zhu Xiong Ying felt a vague unease in her heart.

The emperor has rarely summoned him recently, so a sudden summons must be due to new developments in the court.

When I entered the palace, night had already completely enveloped the entire capital.

The palace was silent, with only faint lights flickering between the palace walls, adding to the mystery of this majestic building.

Zhu Xiong Ying was introduced into the Imperial Study.

The emperor sat at his desk, his brows furrowed, clearly deep in thought.

Seeing Zhu Xiong Ying enter, he slightly raised his head, his eyes filled with a complex expression.

"Father."

Zhu Xiong Ying bowed respectfully and said in a low voice.

The emperor waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down.

"I've heard that you've handled some of the recent turmoil in the court quite well."

"However, the situation on the frontier worries me somewhat."

The emperor's voice was low and weary.

Zhu Xiong Ying's heart sank, knowing that this was the critical moment she was about to face.

"Father, although the situation on the border is tense, your son has already secretly made preparations for defense."

"We are keeping a close eye on the Timurid Empire's movements, and General Lan Yu will respond immediately should there be any unusual activity."

He said this with unwavering confidence in his voice.

The emperor nodded, but his brow remained furrowed.

"I am not worried about your abilities."

"What I am worried about is the situation in the court."

“Some senior officials have been exerting pressure behind the scenes recently; they are somewhat dissatisfied with your military actions.”

“Zhang Jing has amassed considerable power in the court, and I do not wish to see these struggles in the court affect the overall situation.”

The emperor's words sent a chill down Zhu Xiong Ying's spine.

(End of this chapter)