Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 210 - 209: Picking Up Bad Habits in a Flash

Upon hearing this, the steward beside him instantly changed his expression.

Prince Shuo had always been quite confident, even somewhat arrogant, about his skill in crafting weapons, and he never tolerated any criticism. Over the years, those around him had always praised him and followed his lead.

Who would dare be so disrespectful!

He quickly looked nervously at Zhu Cheng, prepared for him to fly into a rage.

But Zhu Cheng was merely slightly taken aback, a bit disappointed at the response, but not to the extent of changing his demeanor: "Oh? Does my wise son-in-law find anything lacking?"

Lu Qing replied bluntly: "If it’s merely for show, it can indeed be considered excellent, but if used for combat, the blade is too hard and lacks resilience."

"My wise son-in-law speaks truly!" Zhu Cheng’s eyes lit up. This knife was the best he had crafted, balancing hardness and flexibility, and no one else could detect the problem. Only he felt that the resilience was lacking, failing to reach perfection as a weapon.

He hadn’t expected Lu Qing to pinpoint the issue that had long troubled him so precisely.

"I know the knife needs both hardness and flexibility and isn’t perfect yet. The blade needs to be hard, but the spine needs to be flexible. I’ve tried many times but couldn’t find a better way to balance them," he said, sighing, spreading his hands and shaking his head.

When Zhu Yu and Lu Qing first arrived, he had almost forgotten them at Li Garden after another failed attempt.

Lu Qing gently ran his finger along the shiny spine of the knife, speaking to Zhu Cheng: "During my past travels with fellow disciples, I once met a reclusive old man, skilled in sword forging.

He mentioned that during sword forging, using animal fat to quench the blade’s spine can enhance its resilience, allowing it to withstand heavy chopping without breaking easily.

I know little about weapon forging, but this advice left an impression on me. I hope it might help you, Father-in-law."

Judging from Zhu Cheng’s expression, Lu Qing’s words clearly inspired him. Without saying much, he quickly instructed the steward to put away the knives and swords, then hastily left.

Later that evening, Zhu Cheng returned with a cheerful demeanor, followed by several servants holding dishes and wine, filling the whole table.

"Your method truly worked, wise son-in-law!" Zhu Cheng laughed heartily. "I’ve tried many methods before but never thought of quenching with oil. Today, following your suggestion, I finally solved the problem that had troubled me for so long!"

"Father, were you at Weapon Supervision the whole day?" Zhu Yu asked nearby.

Probably because he was in such a good mood or perhaps due to Lu Qing previously using Zhu Yu’s status as Princess Xiaoyao of Secondary First Rank to pressure Zhu Cheng, he responded patiently to his daughter’s inquiry, nodding: "Indeed! My wise son-in-law guided me, and I had to test its feasibility!"

Zhu Yu frowned slightly.

Though the power of a Vassal King can’t compare to the Sovereign of the World, the Emperor Jin, he is the master of this land.

Sending grain to Bai Qihong and the canal construction are significant matters. At this time, Zhu Cheng spending much of his time overseeing weapon crafting is troubling to her.

But, at this moment, she can’t upset him, lest all their efforts be in vain. Bigger issues later will require his cooperation.

So she could only remind him from another angle: "Father, who is overseeing the grain delivery?

This is a serious matter, affecting the livelihoods of the people of Shuo Country. Don’t let bureaucracy interfere before anything is accomplished, stirring up chaos.

The one overseeing it should be a trusted person."

"Rest assured." Still not accustomed to discussing serious matters with his daughter, Zhu Cheng was slightly impatient but restrained himself, considering his capable son-in-law. "I’ve entrusted Ding Qian with overseeing it personally. He reports only to me, ensuring no outsiders interfere."

Though Zhu Yu disliked his demeanor, she was pleased with the answer.

Ding Qian had been a close confidant to Zhu Cheng for years, indeed a trustworthy person.

Fortunately, Zhu Cheng wasn’t foolish enough to entrust it to the Pang Family; she could only be grateful.

During the meal, Zhu Cheng was in high spirits and treated Lu Qing with great warmth.

Lu Qing, however, remained indifferent towards him, neither overly warm nor cold, addressing him politely but not being particularly reverent.

Halfway through the meal, the steward brought a letter to Zhu Cheng, who opened it and, seeing its contents, appeared even more delighted, passing it to Lu Qing.

Lu Qing took it and spread it out between him and Zhu Yu, both craning their heads to see its message.

The letter came from Ding Qian, informing Zhu Cheng that the grain delivery had been completed successfully. They moved a batch of grain to the pass and met Bai Qihong’s people, who paid a fair price for the grain, even slightly above market rate. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

Communication between both parties went smoothly, the canal construction site was determined, and Shuo Country could now begin organizing the excavation.

This way, Shuo Country could resolve its water urgency during critical crop growth, hopefully achieving a better harvest this autumn than in previous years.

Zhu Cheng was very pleased, quickly finishing his meal to meet Ding Qian and instructed him to arrange canal construction.

Zhu Yu was equally pleased; Shuo Country’s people had long suffered from water shortage, unable to live a prosperous life. Furthermore, only with this matter progressing could they focus on the weapons and missing laborer issues.

Zhu Cheng, despite appearing authoritarian and domineering, lacked courage. To ensure success in upcoming matters, the simplest way was to sever his retreat, blocking his escape.

She wanted him cornered, left with no choice.

In recent days, she had pondered frequently and devised methods suited to Zhu Cheng’s temperament, only awaiting the right moment to implement them.

Since becoming Princess Xiaoyao and interacting with Lu Qing, she found herself corrupted by him. Previously preferring straightforward action with quick results, she now learned to plan gradually, setting traps for opponents.

She was no longer that straightforward woman, but instead filled with cunning, like a fox.

Indeed, it’s hard to learn good habits, and mischief comes easily...