Chapter 533: Who Exactly Has the Problem

After discussing some details, Fu Shuo left in a hurry to make arrangements.

He also suggested that Pei Mianman inspect the three thousand warriors he had brought from his fiefdom, as this would be beneficial for the upcoming campaign.

Zu'an had wanted to go too, but Fu Shuo reminded him to remain in the palace to guard against any disloyal factions.

Pei Mianman gave him a reassuring look, saying, "A'Zu, you don't need to worry. I'll act as the situation demands."

Zu'an remembered that even before she knew him, she had been a favored daughter of heaven, a genius admired by all. His worries, he realized, were indeed superfluous.

After giving her a few instructions, he agreed to let her go.

Seeing Fu Shuo's slightly excited expression at being trusted, Zu'an couldn't help but chuckle. To be honest, if he hadn't known Fu Shuo's background—that he was a loyal minister to Wu Ding, even hailed by history as one of the ancient sages—he might not have felt comfortable letting Pei Mianman leave alone.

He could easily imagine how cautious the previous pairs of men and women must have been upon entering this unfamiliar trial. When they suddenly heard Fu Shuo suggest they separate, they would surely suspect his ill intentions. This would lead them to either confront him, refuse to separate, or for the man to insist on accompanying the woman, inevitably leading the storyline to a "bad end."

Of course, this trial didn't strictly require knowledge of this historical period. Even someone completely ignorant could learn about Fu Shuo and Wu Ding's relationship through dialogue and various channels. However, most people would find it difficult to gather enough information in a short time, which would exponentially increase the difficulty.

No wonder the previous pairs of men and women couldn't pass the trial. He doubted if they could even get past this stage.

Zu'an's mind raced. He had begun to view this trial as an open-world game, pondering various possible approaches.

If the Fu Shuo appearing here was meant to help the trial participants, then there must be an opposing presence...

As he opened the door, Zu'an noticed the maid standing outside. An idea struck him, and he called her over to question her.

"Greetings, Great King, Queen," the maid said, kneeling on the ground, her body trembling slightly. She was clearly still unnerved by Zu'an from before and hadn't recovered, unsure why he had suddenly called her again.

Zu'an carefully observed the young woman. While not breathtakingly beautiful, she was certainly attractive and graceful. Her slender waist and long legs, exposed to the air, and her fair skin with a hint of honey-like translucence gave her an aura of raw, untamed beauty.

"What's your name?" he asked.

The maid was startled, thinking, *How could the Great King forget my name?* But she dared not question him at the moment and quickly replied, "This servant is called Xiao Tuo."

"Xiao Tuo?" Zu'an thought the name was strange, but then he recalled that in ancient times, names were often peculiar, even those of the Shang kings. He felt reassured. "Xiao Tuo," he continued, "where are you from?"

Pei Mianman, who was about to leave, gave him a strange look and transmitted her voice with qi: "A'Zu, at a time like this, do you really have the mind to flirt with a young girl?"

Zu'an chuckled, "What, are you jealous?"

Pei Mianman scoffed, "Anyway, you're the Great King now, so flirt with whomever you wish. Just remember this is a trial; don't mess things up."

As someone from a prominent family, she clearly didn't mind a man's casual dalliances; her only concern was that it might affect the trial.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. This maid has some issues," Zu'an replied via voice transmission.

A flicker of surprise crossed Pei Mianman's eyes. She instinctively glanced at the maid, whose pitiful appearance made it hard to imagine any problem with her.

However, she knew Zu'an wouldn't act without reason. Seeing that he wasn't flirting purely out of desire, she was completely relieved. After reminding him to be careful, she left with Fu Shuo.

The maid softly replied, "I am from Tuo Kingdom."

"Tuo Kingdom?" Zu'an was startled, having never heard of this country. But he considered that many small, oddly named kingdoms from ancient times had indeed been swallowed by the river of history.

He reached out, helped her up, and led her by the hand to a nearby table. "Where is Tuo Kingdom? Could you roughly draw it on the map for me?"

The maid's face flushed slightly, clearly embarrassed by a man holding her hand.

She quickly answered, "Tuo Kingdom is southeast of Shang, roughly in this position."

She circled a spot on the sheepskin parchment where he had just drawn a map, using the action to gently pull her hand away.

Zu'an's smile broadened. "Xiao Tuo, then tell me about some customs of your homeland." As he spoke, he pretended to be lecherous and put an arm around her shoulder.

*What a joke,* he thought. *How would an ordinary maid possess map-drawing skills? She had only taken a quick glance, yet she could accurately pinpoint Tuo Kingdom's former location. Clearly, she had undergone rigorous training to acquire such knowledge.*

He had deliberately taken her hand, feigning lewdness, and indeed, it had flustered her, making her inadvertently expose a flaw.

And it wasn't just this one flaw. As a maid, gaining the emperor's favor would be a golden opportunity, yet she had just tensed up, clearly resisting his touch instinctively.

Later, she had found a reasonable excuse to pull her hand away, but with his suspicions, he could still see numerous inconsistencies.

*This woman resisted the Great King's physical contact. Either she harbored extreme hatred for the Shang King, or she had a lover, which caused her instinctive resistance. Which was it?*

So he wanted to talk to her more to see if he could find any clues.

The maid hadn't expected him to be uninterested in military and state affairs, yet curious about her homeland, and using it as an excuse to embrace her. *He truly is a lecherous, dissolute ruler,* she thought.

Rage points from Xiao Tuo +123 +123 +123...

Seeing this series of rage points received in the backend, Zu'an became even more certain that she was problematic.

It had to be said, her pure appearance was highly deceptive. As the Shang King's personal maid, trial participants would instinctively consider her trustworthy.

The previous pairs of men and women in the trial likely approached her for information at the start and were inadvertently led into a trap by her.

He guessed the trial designers hadn't anticipated that he and Pei Mianman, upon waking, wouldn't rush to question people for clues, but would instead... engage in intimacy right there in bed.

Later, before Fu Shuo arrived, they hadn't had time to question the maid, and thus naturally weren't misled by her information.

It seemed sometimes being lecherous wasn't such a bad thing after all.

Zu'an's smile was peculiar.

At this point, the maid began to answer his questions, describing the customs and scenery of Tuo Kingdom while racking her brain for a way to escape his grasp.

Zu'an listened and nodded. "From your description, it sounds like a truly beautiful place. And it makes sense; how could a homeland that produces a gifted and graceful girl like you be anything less?"

How could women of ancient times have encountered such seductive tactics? Despite constantly reminding herself that this man was a lecherous, dissolute ruler, a smile involuntarily appeared on her face. After all, what woman doesn't like to be praised?

"The Great King overpraises this servant," the maid said with a bow. "I shall take my leave now."

Zu'an quickly stopped her. "Hey, did this King say you could leave? Stay and chat with me. This King is quite vexed at the moment."

*What a joke! How could he let her go, giving her a chance to report back?*

He hadn't realized this just now, which was why he hadn't avoided her when chatting with Fu Shuo and Pei Mianman. Even with a door separating them, she could definitely have overheard if she intended to eavesdrop.

If she were to prematurely leak the plan, everything would go awry.

He could only let her go after Fu Shuo had made all arrangements and Pei Mianman's departure for the campaign was a certainty. Only then would he not fear her leaking information.

*But how could he keep her here for such a long time? Did he really have to play the role of a debauched and dissolute ruler?*