Chapter 536: Career or Love

The maid stood speechless. Although the other person's voice was low, her words hit the maid like a bolt from the blue. She had never imagined that her childhood sweetheart, the man she loved, would push her into the arms of another man and even instruct her to use all her charm to entangle him. For a moment, she questioned whether her choice had been right or wrong.

As if sensing her change in mood, Lian's voice softened. "Xiaotuo," he said, "I know this is a great hardship for you. If you're unwilling, then leave the palace. I won't be the High Priest anymore. We can wander the world together, living a carefree life. I doubt Wuding would find it easy to catch us."

The maid had been swayed for a moment, but the last sentence brought her back to reality. "Brother Lian," she replied, "how could I be so selfish as to let your many years of hard work go to waste? You are the revered High Priest; how could I bear to have you live a life of hiding with me? Besides, the throne was always rightfully yours, so why should you flee? Brother Lian, I love you, and of course, I will help you."

A flicker of triumph crossed the man's mind, but his face contorted into an expression of profound sorrow. "But this is too much to ask of you," he insisted. "No, we'll simply find another way."

The maid reached out and pressed her fingers to his lips. "How can we change the plan at such short notice?" she murmured. "Don't worry, as long as it's for you, Brother Lian, I am willing to do anything."

Lian passionately clasped her hands. "It's all my fault for being so incompetent," he said, "that I must sacrifice my own woman to achieve my goals."

Hearing him call her "my woman," a blush of delight spread across the maid's face. Brother Lian was usually so reserved, never openly acknowledging their relationship. Now, hearing those words, she felt any sacrifice was worth it.

"It's not your fault," she assured him. "It's Wuding and his son who disregarded all rules by secretly passing on the throne, leaving you in this passive position."

"Xiaotuo..." Lian was deeply moved to see his childhood sweetheart so utterly devoted to his cause, so completely selfless in her consideration for him. Even with his calculating mind, for a fleeting moment, he couldn't bear the thought of sending the woman he loved away. After all, the High Priest was second only to the king; why contend for the throne? It might be better to live a life of contented companionship with the woman he loved...

The maid's heart pounded as her lover held her hand, and her pretty face slowly flushed. A warm, intimate atmosphere began to fill the air. As the two drew closer, for some reason, the maid's mind flashed back to the previous night, recalling how the King had held her. Her body stiffened for a moment.

This subtle reaction jolted Lian back to reality. He quickly released her hand, cold sweat trickling down his back. "Lian, Lian," he chastised himself, "you bear the heavy responsibility of your family. How can you let personal affections distract you from your grand ambition, allowing so many years of everyone's efforts to go to waste?" If Xiaotuo's virginity were compromised, Wuding would certainly notice the anomaly, and any suspicion would spell the end of their plans.

"Xiaotuo," Lian said, his eyes regaining their calm clarity, "you've been out for quite a while now. It's time for you to return."

A flicker of resentment crossed the maid's eyes, but her mind was in turmoil. Without another word, she bid him farewell and left.

Watching her youthful, graceful back, a flicker of pain crossed Lian's eyes. Having grown up as childhood sweethearts, how could he not harbor deep feelings for her? His fists clenched tightly, and his eyes burned with pure hatred. "Wuding," he vowed, "one day I will tear you limb from limb!"

Upon returning to the palace, the maid felt a surge of apprehension, wondering how she was supposed to seduce such an idiotic monarch. But given that debauched and shameless ruler, I probably won't even need to initiate anything; he'll likely make a move on me himself. Recalling the scene with the King and Queen in the room yesterday, and how he later carried her to bed, she felt even more certain of this.

Meanwhile, Zu An was in no mood to consider the maid; he was about to attend a grand sacrifice. For a nation, the most important matters were sacrifices and warfare. For the Shang Dynasty, ritual sacrifices and warfare were paramount. This time, both were converging.

Almost all high-ranking officials of the state had gathered at the altar. Around its perimeter, rows of warriors wielding long ge spears stood in dense formation. Three thousand of them were elite troops from Fu Hao's fiefdom, and another ten thousand were Wuding's direct forces, all exceptionally robust. In ancient times, this was an exceptionally large army. While past campaigns often involved thousands of troops, deploying over ten thousand was truly unprecedented. Everyone was solemn and apprehensive, uncertain of the battle's outcome.

Lian arrived here shortly after parting ways with Xiaotuo. The intelligence Xiaotuo provided was too late for him to make any arrangements, so he could only proceed according to Wuding and Fu Shuo's plans. In any case, Fu Hao's deployment wouldn't disrupt his schemes; in some ways, it would even facilitate their execution. He understood the battle's immense significance to everyone. Although he secretly wished for the King's army to suffer a humiliating defeat, he showed no outward sign of it, lest anyone suspect him of sabotage in the future.

He respectfully conducted the sacrificial ritual. After burning the tortoise shells, he interpreted the cracks, declaring that the will of the heavens favored victory for this expedition. Everyone erupted in cheers upon hearing this. Naturally, he employed a subtle trick: he didn't make an absolute declaration. Instead, he cleverly wove in linguistic traps, ensuring that if the campaign failed, he could deflect the blame onto the King. Common people naturally couldn't discern the subtlety, but Zu An, already suspicious of him, detected the anomaly through his vigilance. Nevertheless, he said nothing. He trusted Pei Mianman and the course of history, believing that she would undoubtedly return victorious from this battle, and all the High Priest's machinations would come to naught.

He carefully studied this potential adversary. He observed his robust physique, a head taller than those around him. Despite the heavy paint on his face, he exuded an aura of handsome power—hmm, almost comparable to himself. To Zu An, the entire sacrificial ceremony seemed like a shamanic dance, holding no interest for him. Instead, he communicated various pieces of intelligence with Pei Mianman through spiritual energy transmission from beginning to end.

However, when the sacrificial offerings began, both of them instinctively frowned. Because this sacrifice was unprecedentedly important, the offerings naturally included the most significant human sacrifices: a dozen captives from the Qiang tribe were brought forward. Seeing these captives about to be beheaded and disemboweled, Zu An quickly intervened, ordering that pigs, cattle, and sheep be used as substitutes. It wasn't an outburst of saintly compassion on his part, but rather his utter unwillingness to have these human sacrifices steamed and then served on his plate. He had previously learned from Yazhang that offerings made to the gods would later be consumed by high-ranking officials, a tradition he had also confirmed with Fu Shuo and Xiaotuo. Furthermore, he understood that the captives' true value far surpassed their worth as mere human sacrifices.

Historically, how was Huo Qubing able to lead a lone army across thousands of miles in the Hexi Corridor, striking fear into the hearts of the Xiongnu? At that time, Han people had never ventured into those regions, yet he seemed to possess an innate GPS. Beyond his military genius, a significant reason was his utilization of a large number of Xiongnu captives. Their guidance enabled him to achieve a miracle in military history. The current situation was remarkably similar. The Qiang forces were based in the Shaanxi and Gansu regions. While he had drawn a general map for Pei Mianman, it was only a macroscopic overview; the specific terrain details were known only to the Qiang people themselves. How could he bear to kill these living maps?

He shared his thoughts with Pei Mianman, and she immediately agreed. Together, they saved the captives. However, the others were in an uproar. How could they offer sacrifices to the heavens without using human offerings, which were the highest standard? What if it angered the gods? Lian, however, almost let out a laugh. This way, any unforeseen mishaps in the upcoming war could be squarely blamed on Wuding, saving Lian considerable trouble. Thus, he also fueled the argument, ensuring the decision was made.

And so, the Shang army, filled with apprehension, marched northwest, towards an unknown fate. Meanwhile, Zu An and Fu Shuo managed various state affairs in the palace, rooting out potential rebellious elements in Yindu, all while agonizingly awaiting the war's outcome.

One evening, Xiaotuo stood outside the bedchamber door, taking a deep breath. She knew she could no longer delay. Some of Brother Lian's forces had suffered setbacks recently, and she had to quickly gain the King's trust to relay crucial intelligence in advance.