Plotting with You: The Forensic Scientist in Ancient Times!-Chapter 223 - 222: Thorough Planning

After Zhu Jie and Zhu Feng parted the previous night, they must have done quite a bit of preparation. Now, with Zhu Yu and the other two joining Zhu Feng, there was no sign of being caught off guard; he simply instructed the servants to bring a few more woolen blankets and such to put on the carriage.

"Risun Ridge is colder than the capital. After all, our second sister is a lady; it’s still important for her to stay warmer at night in the tent," Zhu Feng explained when he noticed Zhu Yu observing the additions.

"Second brother, you are indeed considerate," Zhu Yu replied gratefully with a smile, pointing towards a few empty carriages behind them, "What are those empty carriages for?"

"Risun Ridge is the driest and most water-scarce area in Shuo Land. The people there often face the situation of no harvest. If we wait until we arrive there to start arranging for grain, although Prince Shuo’s troops could requisition it, the local people wouldn’t dare refuse. But that would undoubtedly increase their burden."

Zhu Feng pointed at the empty carriages, saying, "I brought several empty carriages in advance so we can purchase grain bit by bit along the way. This way, the amount bought in each region won’t be particularly large, and it won’t have much impact on the local people’s lives; yet, we can still gather enough grain."

Zhu Yu nodded knowingly, secretly observing Zhu Feng.

In the past, she only knew that although her second brother and eldest brother were not far apart in age and resembled Zhu Cheng greatly in appearance, their temperaments were completely different.

The eldest brother is assertive and dominant, often having an authoritarian air about him and displaying a vigorous and resolute demeanor. In the past, she heard he was also extraordinarily high-profile in front of the teachers, easily capturing everyone’s attention no matter what he did.

On the other hand, her second brother Zhu Feng was much more gentle and meticulous, but he didn’t like to put everything into words. Most of the time, he quietly went about his business without stepping forward unless their father Zhu Cheng happened to inquire about something or asked who authored a particular document.

Zhu Yu previously knew only that Zhu Feng was a cautious and thorough person, but she hadn’t realized that he considered matters so comprehensively, taking into account whether the lives of the Shuo Country’s people along the way would be affected by their actions.

This was a quality she had never had the opportunity to discover before.

Soon, the necessary preparations were all complete, and the group finally set off more than an hour after Zhu Jie had left, embarking on the journey to Risun Ridge.

Along the way, apart from stopping to rest and purchase grain, they traveled swiftly the whole way. Often, in order to save time, they would bypass nearby towns and spend the night at a post station or set up a tent in the wilderness.

The closer they got to Risun Ridge, the colder it became, especially in the mornings and evenings. When they needed to camp outside for the night, Zhu Feng would have someone gather firewood to start a fire, both to ward off nearby wild animals and to keep warm and cook food.

At the outset of the journey, Zhu Feng was somewhat reserved towards Lu Qing.

It was understandable, given what he had heard about this brother-in-law’s reputation being so starkly different from the person himself.

He originally thought his half-sister had been married off to a fop—oily, slick, and smooth-tongued. However, upon actually meeting Lu Qing, he realized this man exuded an innate proud demeanor from head to toe, an entirely natural aura that couldn’t be compared to his elder brother Zhu Jie’s "dominance," which was more of a facade.

As they traveled and interacted more, Zhu Feng gradually discovered that, despite Lu Qing’s initially arrogant demeanor, he was actually quite affable in private, showing great concern for Zhu Yu and being quite amiable towards him.

Thus, during rest breaks, they gradually became more acquainted, allowing Zhu Feng to relax somewhat around Lu Qing.

After three or four days, they finally arrived in the area around Risun Ridge.

Upon arrival, Zhu Feng began setting up camp and dispatched people to gather the craftsmen needed for the canal construction.

Like the people around Black Stone Mountain, the Shuo people near Risun Ridge were overjoyed to learn that Prince Shuo had tasked the second young master with initiating the canal construction. Before long, ample water would be diverted from Jin Kingdom into Shuo Land, allowing them to irrigate their fields without worry. They eagerly participated in the effort.

The local people were full of enthusiasm. Many who weren’t selected initially still volunteered to help. They didn’t ask for wages, or even food, often bringing nothing more than a flatbread in their pockets as they rushed to join.

Even though the site where the canal was to be dug was remote and without a village or shop nearby, people continued to volunteer at an increasing rate day by day.

The construction site was bustling. Lu Qing and Zhu Yu also pitched in, helping while keeping an eye on the proceedings.

Unlike the area around Black Stone Mountain, it seemed Risun Ridge wasn’t lacking in able-bodied men. However, they noticed another issue: none of the locals working seemed to have decent tools, resulting in slow progress despite the number of workers.

Zhu Feng quickly realized this. Picking up a broken hoe from the ground, he weighed it in his hand and examined its broken edge closely, his frown deepening.

Zhu Yu approached and looked at the broken part of the hoe he was holding: "Why is this hoe so roughly made and not durable?"

"Second brother, I don’t see anyone here with decent farming tools; they’re all very crudely made..." Zhu Yu asked Zhu Feng with concern, "Could there be an issue with Shuo Country’s iron mining?"

"Could it be that the iron mines have been exhausted, and Shuo no longer has iron ore to use?"

"No, our Shuo Country, let alone iron mines, even our Black Iron reserves are enough for several generations of mining. There’s no such problem as you suggested.

Moreover, just last month, my maternal grandfather’s side, the Pang Family, delivered a large batch of weapons to the court as required. Both their quantity and quality adhered perfectly to the specifications; everything was normal," Zhu Feng quickly dismissed Zhu Yu’s suspicion but with equal puzzlement on his face. "However, I’ve never seen craftsmanship this poor!

In Shuo, most people have lived off mining and metallurgy for generations. Even the ordinary blacksmiths in the county towns have far superior skills compared to those elsewhere.

In all my travels with father, in various places, I have never seen such inferior iron goods."

As they were speaking, a sudden sound startled everyone. They turned to see a middle-aged man holding a broken pickaxe, sighing in frustration.