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Chapter 210 Persuading someone to drink
The next day, Zhu Cheng came over at dinner time again and had a sumptuous meal brought to the Liyuan for them to eat together. He also specially invited Yan Daoxin to have dinner at the same table to thank him for the miraculous effect of the prescription he prescribed for Pang Yuzhen.

The person who had been having trouble eating and sleeping, now has a better appetite in the past few days and can sleep well at night. Not only does Pang Yuzhen feel much more comfortable, but even Zhu Cheng, who has been in a lot of trouble recently, feels relieved.

Ding Qian was indeed very efficient in his work. Zhu Cheng gave the order the night before, and the next day he organized some craftsmen to go to that area to prepare for the construction of the canal.

I heard that the people around here also rushed over after hearing the news and took the initiative to participate in the construction of the canal. They were all very happy.

After all, they work as hard as others in the fields every year, but in the end they can only get less than half of the harvest as others. They have suffered this kind of hardship for many years from generation to generation. This time, there will finally be a canal, and the people can see the future of life.

Zhu Cheng was extremely pleased with this. During the meal, he personally poured a glass of wine for Lu Qing to thank him for making such a good thing happen.

Lu Qing was very considerate and did not refuse. They poured a few more glasses with each other. Zhu Cheng gradually became a little tipsy and his eyes became a little blurry.

Zhu Yu saw that the time was almost right, so he found an opportunity and said to Zhu Cheng, "Father, why don't you come with us tomorrow to check on the progress of the canal construction?"

"Why not!" Zhu Cheng's recent happiness was now magnified by the alcohol. In his hazy state, he didn't see anything wrong with Zhu Yu's request and agreed readily. "Tomorrow morning, I'll have someone prepare a carriage. You all come with me to check it out."

"I'm afraid it's not appropriate to take the palace's carriage." Zhu Yu said to Zhu Cheng with a smile, "Father has done such a great thing for the people of Shuo this time. Since Ding Qian has said that the people are extremely happy, doesn't father want to go and see how happy they are in person?
If I were to ride in the palace's carriage, the people would know it was Prince Shuo himself, and they would naturally line the streets to welcome me respectfully. But then, how would Father be able to see their genuine joy and gratitude?

Zhu Cheng felt confused and thought that what Zhu Yu said made more and more sense the more he thought about it. If he went to check openly, the people would be respectful and polite. No matter how happy and enthusiastic they acted, he didn't know if it was because they were afraid of the powerful that they had to pretend to be excited. In that case, he naturally wouldn't feel happy at all.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could do this without alarming the people and instead see them sincerely praising us for loving the people like our own children and doing great things for them?

The more Zhu Cheng thought about it, the more he felt that this was the way to do it, so he immediately called the manager and asked him to make arrangements. He asked him to prepare horses for them early tomorrow morning and also prepare a few sets of ordinary coarse cloth short shirts, just like the clothes that ordinary people would wear when they went out to make a living. He would go to the place where the canal was being dug with Zhu Yu and the others to check it out in person, and remember not to disturb anyone.

It was already late, so the manager didn't dare to delay and hurried to make arrangements.

Zhu Cheng and Lu Qing continued to clink glasses until they began to stagger as they walked. Only then did they stagger back to rest with the help of the servants outside the yard.

After seeing Zhu Cheng off, Zhu Yu came back to see Lu Qing.

Lu Qing was just like he was when he went to Yunyin Pavilion before. He reeked of alcohol, but his eyes were exceptionally clear, and he didn't seem drunk at all.

He took out the water bag from his sleeve and casually poured the wine inside onto the ground, while retracting his gaze that was originally looking outside: "Although your father often seems to lack consideration in his actions, I have to admit that there are still many people in the palace who are on the same page with him.

We've been here for a few days, and Princess Shuo and your mother are completely unaware of your identity. This shows that the palace steward and the old servants your father sent to serve are very strict. This is not only a good thing for your father, but also for us.

If the Shuo Palace has been planted with countless spies by the Pang family, like a sieve with a thousand holes, then it would be harder than climbing to the sky for us to secretly grasp anything."

Zhu Yu nodded and said, "I knew before that the maids around Pang Yuzhen were all her confidants. No matter what she needed to communicate with her family, she would definitely let those maids do it.

She probably doesn't trust the other people in the palace, so she hasn't tried to win them over, nor has she entrusted them with important tasks. So as long as we don't let those around her find out, we don't have to worry about anything."

"Come to think of it, you asked me to get your father drunk tonight just to persuade him to go out incognito to check things out when he was a little tipsy?" Lu Qing only now had time to confirm his previous doubts with her.

Just now, when Zhu Cheng was in a good mood and poured him some wine, Zhu Yu beside him gave him a look. Although he guessed what Zhu Yu wanted him to do at that moment, he didn't really understand why he did that until Zhu Yu spoke to Zhu Cheng later.

"My father, although not very ambitious, is very concerned about his reputation. His obsession with creating a unique weapon is also due to his own pride.

Under normal circumstances, he would definitely not be willing to go to a place to dig canals, looking dusty and dirty like an ordinary old man.

Especially since I'm a daughter, if I were to make such a suggestion to him while he was sober, he would definitely not accept it. Only when he's slightly tipsy will he become intoxicated and not care about so many things when he's proud."

"In that case, wouldn't it be possible that he would change his mind tomorrow morning after he sobers up?"

"No," Zhu Yu smiled and shook his head, "He has already given orders for everything tonight. Tomorrow morning, when he sobers up, even if he feels regretful, he will not let himself go back on his word for fear that the servants in the mansion will laugh at him for making drunken promises and breaking his promises.

But when he sobers up, he'll feel regretful and probably take his anger out on the person who suggested it to him."

As she spoke, she pointed to her nose with a smile, and didn't seem to be very worried.

The next morning, Zhu Cheng's reaction was exactly as Zhu Yu expected. After he realized what he had arranged the day before, he did not regret it, but he kept a gloomy face throughout.

The only time he showed a slightly different expression was when he saw Zhu Yu, whose original appearance had been changed with fake skin.

Seeing that his daughter had turned into a strange man, Zhu Cheng didn't care about taking his anger out on her and stared at her for a long time.