Chapter 531: First Crisis

Soon, the maids' voices rang out from outside, trying to stop someone. "Grand Chancellor, His Majesty and the Queen are resting."

"This is a matter of national military importance; delaying it will lead to serious trouble," a middle-aged man's voice sounded, his tone anxious.

"Grand Chancellor, if I disturb His Majesty at this moment, I won't escape death," the maid was almost in tears.

...

Hearing the commotion outside, Zu An was speechless. He was holding Pei Mianman, whispering sweet nothings; it was a tender moment, and being disturbed was the last thing he wanted.

Pei Mianman quickly pushed him. "Quickly, invite him in. Don't delay important matters. I don't want to become a femme fatale who ruins the court."

Zu An chuckled wryly. He finally understood why there were so many incompetent rulers throughout history; it must not be easy to get out of bed for morning court when you're embracing a peerlessly beautiful concubine all day.

He told Pei Mianman to get up and get dressed. He couldn't possibly let her remain in bed while others entered. He certainly didn't share the peculiar habit of the Last Emperor of Northern Qi, who enjoyed having his women lie naked for his ministers to admire.

As Pei Mianman sat up, her chest rose and fell, causing Zu An's eyes to widen.

"Haven't you had enough of looking?" Pei Mianman's eyes sparkled, radiating an indescribable charm and allure.

Zu An swallowed. "A lifetime wouldn't be enough, no, ten lifetimes wouldn't be enough."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but lean closer, his hands reaching out eagerly.

Pei Mianman playfully spat, her face flushing as she pushed him away. Clearly, there were people outside, and she was in no mood for his nonsense at that moment.

She finally managed to escape his grasp, then found her clothes nearby and put them on. Her expression was extremely peculiar. "These clothes... is this all there is?"

Zu An had previously seen how the maids dressed to save fabric for the kingdom, so he had a general idea. He glanced back casually, and almost had a nosebleed.

As the Queen, her clothing certainly used far more fabric than a maid's, but even that couldn't compare to the advanced textile industry of later generations.

Her outfit would be considered daring even in a brothel of later eras.

Similar to the maid he had seen earlier, she wore a top and a short skirt. However, Pei Mianman's large bust made the top appear quite short, revealing her fair, tender waist, which looked as though it had been bathed in milk. Combined with her well-rounded, firm long legs, the ensemble exuded a wild, primal beauty, creating a powerful visual impact.

Pei Mianman was somewhat unaccustomed to such revealing attire and instinctively stepped back. However, she immediately furrowed her brows and subconsciously bent over slightly.

"What's wrong?" Seeing this, Zu An was alarmed and quickly stepped forward to ask.

Pei Mianman gave him an annoyed glance. "It's all because of what you did earlier."

Zu An then realized that she was still a virgin, and given the intensity of their previous "battle," some after-effects were inevitable.

"Still laughing!" Pei Mianman chided, though she was more worried about something else now. "When someone comes in later, won't this outfit be too revealing?"

"No, it's very beautiful. Everyone dresses like this in this era, so don't worry too much," Zu An smiled. While the outfit might be a bit revealing in Moonbright City, it was incredibly common in his own world during summer, with many women wearing far less.

Every world has its own merits.

With that thought, he also ordered the person outside to enter.

Soon, the main door opened, and a middle-aged man scurried in. "Your servant Fu Yue greets Your Majesty and the Queen."

His eyes were clear, and he didn't cast a second glance at Pei Mianman, making Zu An secretly nod. He was an honest man, and his appearance clearly marked him as a loyal minister concerned for the nation.

"Fu Yue?" Information suddenly surfaced in Zu An's mind. King Wu Ding had once received a divine dream, instructing him to seek a virtuous minister sent by heaven, and he eventually found him.

This man had been a slave laborer in his early life. When Wu Ding chose him, he was working on constructing a rammed earth barrier by the roadside to prevent water damage to the road.

The Mencius mentions "Fu Yue was elevated from among the rammed earth construction workers," and the Book of Documents states "Yue built in the wilderness of Fu Yan," both referring to this event.

After being discovered by Wu Ding, he rapidly rose through the ranks, becoming the Grand Chancellor of the Shang Dynasty, wielding immense power in the court.

Of course, Zu An didn't believe in divine dreams. How could it be such a coincidence to find a talented slave by the roadside?

Ultimately, it was likely because Wu Ding had spent a long time among the common people during his childhood, probably having met Fu Yue much earlier, and then deliberately used the "divine dream" as an excuse.

When Wu Ding first ascended the throne, he lacked the experience, prestige, and manpower. That's why, historically, he remained silent for three years, quietly observing the workings of the court. Later, he brought in Fu Yue, someone he trusted, to strengthen his team.

Realizing this man was part of his inner circle, Zu An quickly returned the greeting. "Grand Chancellor, what urgent matter brings you here?"

In ancient times, the Grand Chancellor held a very high position, able to sit and discuss matters with the Emperor as equals. It wasn't until the development of later feudal dynasties that the Chancellor's seat was abolished, eventually requiring them to kneel before the Emperor.

"News from the front line," Fu Yue said with a grave expression, "the army we sent to suppress the Qiang Fang has been completely annihilated."

"What?" Zu An had gradually begun to embody the role of King Wu Ding.

Although he still didn't know what this trial was truly testing, since he and Pei Mianman had become Wu Ding and Fu Hao, doing whatever benefited the Shang Dynasty was surely the right path.

A stream of information flowed into his mind. The Qiang Fang, whom Fu Yue mentioned, was a powerful non-Han tribe to the northwest of the Shang Dynasty, with influence roughly in present-day Gansu and Shaanxi. They frequently sent armies to invade and raid the Shang people.

The 'Fang' in Qiang Fang refers to a 'state' or 'tribe.' The Shang people referred to other neighboring states as "so-and-so Fang."

This time, the Qiang Fang had launched a large-scale invasion of the Shang borders, and the Shang Dynasty had dispatched a general to lead an army to meet them. Unexpectedly, the entire army was annihilated.

This put the Shang Dynasty in a perilous situation. The Qiang Fang were a formidable rival and a long-standing enemy of Shang; a moment's carelessness could lead to the downfall of the kingdom.

Zu An fell into deep thought. Could this trial be about whether they could resolve the Shang crisis?

He quickly asked, "Who among the court and military is most skilled in warfare right now?"

Fu Yue replied, "Naturally, Your Majesty."

Zu An: "..."

"This is no time for flattery; tell me the truth."

"Flattery?" Fu Yue was puzzled, clearly not understanding the term. "I am simply stating the fact. Your Majesty is the foremost general in our dynasty. The one who was ranked second led troops to face the enemy and was completely wiped out."

Zu An: "..."

After a long pause, he sighed. "It seems I must personally lead the campaign."

As things stood, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and proceed. After all, with thousands of years of historical experience, and having played so many war games, it couldn't be entirely useless, right?

Fu Yue, however, quickly stopped him. "Your Majesty, you cannot leave Yin Capital."

Zu An was startled. "Why?"

Fu Yue looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Has Your Majesty forgotten? These past few years, Your Majesty has tried to reclaim the power of appointing officials, which has affected the interests of many old nobles. They have long been discontented. Now, Yin Capital is facing internal and external troubles, with undercurrents already stirring. It's fine with you guarding it, but if Your Majesty leaves, I fear the situation will change drastically in an instant."

Zu An suddenly felt a headache. "Then do you have any ideas?"

Since this man was a famously capable minister in history, he shouldn't be undeserving of his reputation.

Fu Yue glanced at Pei Mianman beside him and said in a deep voice, "This matter will likely require the Queen's intervention. We cannot afford to lose this battle; we must deploy the remaining main forces from the capital. However, there are very few people we can truly trust. If entrusted to someone with ulterior motives, even a victory could lead to disaster. Only the Queen will not betray Your Majesty, and combined with the three thousand elite troops she brought from her fiefdom, merging with Your Majesty's direct forces, they will surely be able to defeat the invading Qiang Fang."

Hearing that Pei Mianman would have to go, Zu An was greatly alarmed. "No, absolutely not!"