Chapter 434: Recruiting Lord Du
Lin Mu described the plan with a serious expression.
"I forgot to explain, so I'll just report it now."
"Your Highness knows that there are no farmlands in Shengjing. The nearest fields can only be seen in the suburbs of Beijing."
"Whenever it's his turn to rest, Lord Du will disguise himself as an ordinary farmer and quietly leave the capital, going to the outskirts of the capital or to a nearby county town, working in the fields, teaching the methods of farming, helping the local people, and achieving a good harvest."
"However, she is the prime minister of the Eighth Office. Without the permission of the Imperial Edict, she cannot leave Shengjing. The prince suddenly appeared and caught her off guard. She could have reported him to the emperor, but he was willing to let her go and promised that when the great event was accomplished, she would be allowed to transfer to the position of prime minister of Fengzheng Office."
"Master Du will definitely come to surrender, as he is grateful for your kindness!"
The last sentence was so powerful that Gu Nianting couldn't help but feel his heart surge with emotion.
"Great idea, great idea!"
"Then why do you say that we must invite Lord Su first?"
Lin Mu answered as if it was true.
"Because Lord Su is the only one in the world who knows where Lord Du has been. I only know one side of the story, not the other."
Tao Kangping could hardly bear to listen any longer.
Su Ding would have been fine, but he even arranged for Du Hanping to come and pretend to surrender. This is too much!
Isn't this treating the prince like a fool and making fun of him step by step?
He was helpless and unable to persuade anyone, so he could only complain inwardly to vent his anger.
Su Ding remained calm and waited for the opportunity to speak, then continued the conversation calmly.
"So the prince intends to recruit Lord Du. This is easy to do and there is no need to make so much trouble."
Upon hearing this, Gu Nianting smiled happily and showed his anticipation.
"Oh? Lord Su, what's your plan?"
Su Ding waved his hands, looking relaxed, as if he was chatting normally.
"Why do we need a strategy to pacify Lord Du?"
"Just as Lord Lin said, Lady Du loves farming. Therefore, she has long intended to come here. In the past few years, she has been praising you highly. Even when she was guiding you in farming and the scenery of the farmland, she was praising you with words of love and respect. Your Majesty, please go to Shuying County quickly and take a look from a high place. You will know it at a glance."
The farmland in Shuying County does have the beautiful words of Aijing Gu Nianting, but it was not Du Hanping's good intention, but the spontaneous cultivation of local people.
Last year, in order to win the support of the people that Gu Nianting had always dreamed of, Ning Yunxi saved up money and selected several counties near Shengjing. In the name of Prince Chen, he donated money for farming, increased the total harvest, and solved the urgent needs of the affected people.
Afterwards, farmers from several counties, spontaneously, expressed their gratitude silently through farming.
Ning Fengzhe was passing by Beijing when he accidentally discovered the scene of farmland. He then found out the reason and used it as a strategy.
Gu Nianting had no idea about this and was overjoyed when he first heard it.
"Is this true?"
The fish was easily hooked, and Su Ding smiled deeply.
"No doubt."
"Your Majesty, would you like to go and see it?"
Hearing that he was admired by others, Gu Nianting immediately put on airs, straightened his appearance and clothes, and smiled confidently.
"Don't let the beautiful scenery go to waste. I will go there immediately."
After saying this, he couldn't wait and gave orders loudly.
"Come here, prepare the carriage."
Lin Musheng placed a bowl of porridge in front of Gu Nianting and spoke softly to show his concern.
"Your Majesty, how can you endure a hungry meal? You should wait until you have breakfast before going."
Gu Nianting was in high spirits and ready to go.
"The King is full."
Suddenly understanding what Lin Mu meant, he immediately added a word of concern.
"Did Lord Su have a full meal?"
Su Ding smiled kindly.
"It's also about being full."
Gu Nianting's face suddenly flushed.
"Then let's go see Lord Du."
Su Ding responded modestly.
"Yes."
Gu Nianting turned his gaze to Lin Mu and gave careful instructions, trying his best to take everyone's feelings into consideration.
"You go to the outskirts of Beijing to do things, so remember to be careful about everything."
Lin Mu obeyed obediently.
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Your Majesty."
Looking at the familiar face with a strange expression, Tao Kangping was secretly shocked.
So the prince knows how to be considerate of others? !
So, although the relationship between him and Lord Lin seems strange, they are actually close friends.
Otherwise, the prince can't do the same to Lord Su...
But when did he change his temperament?
How come you suddenly become sensible?
Thinking of this, Tao Kangping smiled with relief.
The prince can be so considerate to people he doesn't know well; then, he should be even more considerate to me...
Before he could finish his thoughts, Gu Nianting's concern had ended there.
They stood up one after another and prepared to leave, and Tao Kangping couldn't help but call them to stop.
"Your Majesty!"
Gu Nianting glanced back, just like usual, looking superior.
"Is something wrong?"
Tao Kangping laughed at himself as he was suddenly pulled back to reality.
"Nothing, I'll see you off, Your Majesty."
The directions were different. Gu Nianting and Su Ding rode in the same carriage, while Lin Mu rode in a carriage alone, and they acted separately.
Tao Kangping could not go with them, so he let Lin Mu go first. He then returned to Fengzhengtai and used the excuse of selecting Prime Minister Feng Zhengzhong to go with him, but in fact he did so to explain the situation and discuss with Qi Lei how to get rid of Lin Mu quietly.
Gu Nianting's carriage headed straight to Shuying County.
Along the way, Su Ding was reporting the situation to the Secret Office, finding a good balance between gaining Gu Nianting's trust and not leaking secrets and damaging his own interests.
As they were talking, the carriage left Shengjing and entered Shuying County.
Su Ding calmly talked about Lord Du's matter.
"In Shuying County, there are six farms under the guidance of Lord Du. Whenever she goes there, she will go back and forth, not only doing farm work, but also cooking in person to comfort the farmers. At this moment, she is probably distributing breakfast to various places."
"According to your Highness's wishes, where should we go first?"
Gu Nianting made a quick decision.
"From near to far."
According to the locations provided by Su Ding, the coachman searched one place after another, from near to far.
Gu Nianting chose a mountain road from which he could look down upon. Every time he passed a farmland, he could see beautiful words praising him. He could indulge in the sights and his vanity became more satisfied.
The fragrance of osmanthus and orchid made one feel happy and relaxed. Unfortunately, after searching five farmlands, there was still no sign of Du Hanping.
A hint of worry gradually covered Gu Nianting's face.
"Master Du has not returned to the capital, has he?"
When Ning Fengzhe devised the plan, he had already anticipated that Gu Nianting would choose to go from near to far, so he asked Lin Mu to arrange for Du Hanping and others to stay at the sixth farmland.
He understood Gu Nianting's character very well. The more he accumulated expectations, the more pleasantly surprised he would be when they met. It was not easy to get it, but one would know how to cherish it when he needed it.
Just like Mr. Qi and Mr. Tao, they get it effortlessly, but discard it like a worn-out shoe after using it.
Just like his Xier...she was bewitched by the fragrance and got married in a daze, but Gu Nianting treated her with indifference.
Knowing where Lord Du and others were, Su Ding was not worried.
"Your Highness, you don't know that she will never return to the capital unless it's late at night."
"Lord Du must still be in Shuying County."
The journey to the sixth farmland is a little longer.
Gu Nianting was waiting anxiously, and even wondered, could it be that Lord Du received the news and was deliberately avoiding him and didn't want to meet him?
With a sense of danger in his heart, Gu Nianting came to the sixth farmland and still looked down from above.
I saw a round and smooth figure gradually becoming clear among the fields, just like a blooming peony, delicate and beautiful yet steady, plump yet graceful, and standing right in the center of the beautiful words.
With his worries at ease, Gu Nianting was filled with joy.
"It's Master Du!"