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

Chapter 662 Thunderous Counterattack
The morning sun shone on the streets and alleys of the capital, but the atmosphere in the palace was as cold as winter.

Zhu Xiong Ying sat upright in the main hall, his eyes revealing calmness and decisiveness.

He held in his hand a newly submitted memorial, containing a detailed list of the officials involved in the coup.

"Your Highness, all officials involved in the coup have been arrested and brought to justice."

Li Jinglong strode in, his expression showing a hint of tension and repression.

"Although these officials deny it, we have enough evidence."

"Their crimes are undeniable and there is no possibility of overturning them."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze turned slightly cold, and he slowly put down the memorial in his hand.

"As expected."

"These people indeed dared not confront us directly, but instead chose to secretly collude with local forces, attempting to turn the tables with the help of local power."

"But they underestimated my control over the situation."

His voice was deep and cold, his tone filled with unwavering resolve.

“These people have no chance left; their fate was sealed from the beginning.”

Li Jinglong then said, "Your Highness, now that all the rebels have been brought under control, what should we do next?"

Zhu Xiong Ying frowned slightly, and after thinking for a moment, a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"They think they can shake the foundations of the court with a coup, then let them see the court's swift and decisive methods."

"Issue the order to thoroughly investigate all officials involved in the coup. Regardless of their rank, anyone implicated shall be severely punished."

"Whether they are officials in the court or local gentry, anyone who colludes with them will be severely punished without exception."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed unparalleled decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order, filled with admiration for Zhu Xiong Ying's decisive decision.

"Understood, Your subordinate will immediately arrange for personnel to conduct a thorough investigation of all those involved in the coup."

"This time, we must completely dismantle their power and leave no future troubles."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, her eyes revealing a firm determination.

"These people have betrayed the court and committed treason; there is no room for leniency."

"I want them to understand that the dignity of the imperial court is not to be trifled with."

"Anyone who dares to challenge the authority of the imperial court will pay a heavy price."

He said this with a cold and decisive tone.

***
A few days later, Zhu Xiong Ying sat in the main hall and personally tried the officials who had participated in the coup.

Inside the main hall, the atmosphere was oppressive; all the officials had their heads bowed, their faces filled with fear and unease.

“Your Highness, these officials have repeatedly denied their crimes during interrogation, but I have obtained evidence of their collusion with local forces.”

Li Jinglong stepped forward to report.

"They attempted to launch a coup by uniting local wealthy merchants and gentry to seize control of the imperial court."

"However, we had already uncovered their plan, so their coup was doomed to fail from the start."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze turned icy, devoid of any warmth.

"They thought they were hiding well and that they could turn the tables with the help of local forces."

"But they didn't know that from the very beginning, every move they made had been exposed to the imperial court."

His voice was deep and cold, conveying endless decisiveness.

“These people are no longer of any value.”

"Issue the order to imprison all officials involved in the coup and execute them on a later date."

"At the same time, their families and associates must be thoroughly investigated, and no one should be allowed to escape."

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order and said, "Understood. I will immediately arrange for manpower to thoroughly investigate and punish everyone involved in this case."

"However, Your Highness, the atmosphere in the court has become unusually tense because of this incident. Some officials are filled with fear and have begun to feel uneasy."

“In particular, the attitudes of officials who had dealings with the rebels but did not participate in the coup became ambiguous.”

Upon hearing this, a cold smile flashed in Zhu Xiong Ying's eyes.

"These people are nothing but opportunists."

"They are opportunistic and become hesitant once the situation turns against them."

"There's no need to rush to deal with these people. But they must know that the court will not tolerate any act of betrayal."

"If they want to maintain their position in the court, they must be absolutely loyal to the court."

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

"If these fence-sitters want to continue to wait and see, then let them wait and see."

“We need to make them understand that any hesitation or wavering will only harm them in the end.”

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement and then said, "I will convey Your Highness's orders to ensure that these officials dare not make any further moves."

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

"This turmoil is far from over."

"Those who secretly colluded with local forces are just the tip of the iceberg in this coup."

"The situation in the court may seem to have stabilized, but in reality, undercurrents are still surging."

"We cannot afford to relax at all."

Although his voice was soft, every word he spoke conveyed boundless decisiveness and composure.

***
Following Zhu Xiong Ying's order, a thorough investigation began both inside and outside the capital.

All officials, local gentry, and even wealthy merchants involved in the coup were investigated one by one.

The atmosphere in the entire court suddenly became extremely tense.

Those officials who had previously associated with the rebels, though not directly involved in the coup, dared not make any further moves.

"Your Highness, this coup has completely dismantled the forces of the rebels."

"However, during the investigation, we discovered that some local wealthy businessmen had secret connections with officials."

Li Jinglong came to report again, his expression showing some worry.

"Although these local forces did not participate in the coup, their attitude towards the imperial court was not friendly in secret."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze turned slightly cold, and his brows furrowed slightly.

“Local forces have always been the most difficult part for the imperial court to control.”

"These wealthy merchants and gentry accumulated enormous wealth and power by relying on local resources, and they were not strongly dependent on the imperial court."

"Moreover, they often form a huge chain of interests under the protection of local officials."

His voice was low and calm, revealing endless contemplation.

"If these local forces are not brought under control as soon as possible, they will inevitably become a hidden danger to the imperial court in the future."

Li Jinglong nodded in agreement, and then said, "Your Highness is absolutely right. That is exactly what I was worried about."

"Although these local forces have not yet explicitly shown hostility, their influence has begun to permeate the court's decision-making."

“We must take measures against these local powers to prevent them from becoming too powerful.”

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

"Pass down the order to immediately begin the reorganization of local forces."

“In particular, those places where wealthy merchants, gentry and officials collude must be thoroughly investigated, and we must not allow them to continue to grow unscrupulously.”

"At the same time, control over local officials must also be strengthened."

"Any official who dares to protect local forces or harm the interests of the imperial court must be severely punished."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed unparalleled decisiveness and ruthlessness.

Li Jinglong immediately accepted the order and said, "I understand. I will immediately arrange for manpower to conduct a thorough investigation of the local wealthy merchants and gentry."

"This time, we must completely eradicate these hidden forces."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his eyes revealing endless determination and courage.

"Although this incident has come to an end, the underlying problems are far from being resolved."

"We must remain vigilant."

"Only by completely controlling the situation in the court and the local areas can the future of the Ming Dynasty be truly secure."

His voice was deep and cold, and his eyes revealed endless determination.

The storm has passed.

(End of this chapter)