Chapter 534: First Crisis

Soon, the voice of a maidservant trying to stop someone rang out from outside: "Your Excellency Prime Minister, the King and Queen are resting."

"This is a matter of national military importance; delaying it will lead to serious consequences." A middle-aged man's voice, full of anxiety, rang out.

"Your Excellency Prime Minister, if I disturb the King at this moment, I will not escape the death penalty." The maidservant was almost in tears.

Hearing the commotion outside, Zu An was speechless. He was embracing Pei Mianman and whispering sweet nothings, enjoying a tender moment, and certainly didn't want to be disturbed.

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

Zu An chuckled. He finally understood why there were so many incompetent rulers in history; it was truly difficult to get out of bed for morning court when one spent all day embracing stunningly beautiful concubines.

He had Pei Mianman get up and dress. He couldn't possibly let her remain in bed while others entered. He didn't have the peculiar habit of the Last Emperor of Northern Qi, who enjoyed having his women lie naked for his ministers' appreciation.

As Pei Mianman sat up, her chest rose and fell in a captivating way, making Zu An's eyes widen.

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

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

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

Pei Mianman scoffed, blushing, and pushed him away. Clearly, there were still people outside, and she was not in the mood for his antics at that moment.

She finally escaped his "clutches," found her clothes nearby, and put them on. Then, with a very strange expression, she said, "These clothes... is this all there is?"

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

As the Queen, her clothing certainly used far more fabric than that of the maidservants, but even that amount couldn't compare to the developed textile industry of later generations.

Her current attire would be considered daring even in a courtesan house of later eras.

Similar to the maidservant earlier, she wore a top and a short skirt. However, due to Pei Mianman's ample bust, the top appeared quite short, revealing her tender, milk-white waist. Combined with her round, firm, long legs, the ensemble exuded a wild, primal beauty, creating a powerful visual impact.

Pei Mianman was somewhat unaccustomed to such revealing clothing and instinctively recoiled slightly. However, she immediately frowned and subconsciously bent at the waist.

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

Pei Mianman gave him an annoyed glare. "It's all because of what you just put me through."

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

"Still laughing!" Pei Mianman chided, though she was more concerned about something else now. "When outsiders come in later, won't I be too exposed in this outfit?"

"No, it's quite beautiful. This is how everyone dresses in this era, so don't worry too much about it." Zu An smiled. While this attire might be slightly revealing in Brightmoon City, it was very common in his own world during summer, with many women wearing even less.

Every world had its own merits.

After this reflection, he ordered the person outside to enter.

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

His eyes were clear, and he didn't glance at Pei Mianman more than necessary, which made Zu An nod inwardly. He seemed like an honest man, and his appearance suggested a loyal official concerned for the country and its people.

"Fu Yue?" Suddenly, some information popped into Zu An's head. King Wu Ding had once dreamed that a divine being instructed him to find a virtuous minister sent from heaven, and he eventually found Fu Yue.

This man had been a slave laborer in his early life. When Wu Ding selected him, he was working on road construction, building barriers to prevent water from damaging the roads.

Mencius mentioned "Fu Yue rose from among the builders," and the *Book of Documents* stated "Yue built in the wilderness of Fu Yan," both referring to this event.

After being discovered by Wu Ding, he rose rapidly through the ranks, becoming the Prime Minister of the Shang Dynasty and wielding immense power throughout the court.

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

In the end, it was likely because Wu Ding had spent a long time among the common people in his childhood, probably already knew Fu Yue, and deliberately used the "divine dream" as an excuse.

When Wu Ding first ascended the throne, he lacked sufficient 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, who was one of his own, to strengthen his team.

Realizing this, Zu An understood that Fu Yue was a loyal confidant. He quickly returned the greeting. "Your Excellency Prime Minister, what urgent matter brings you here?"

In ancient times, the Prime Minister held a very high status and could sit and discuss matters with the emperor as equals. It was only later, with the development of feudal dynasties, that the Prime Minister's seat was abolished, and eventually, they even had to kneel before the emperor.

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

"What?" Zu An had, in fact, gradually immersed himself in the role of King Wu Ding.

Although he still didn't know what the trial truly tested, since he and Pei Mianman had become King Wu Ding and Fu Hao, doing whatever benefited the Shang Dynasty was undoubtedly the correct approach.

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

The "Fang" in "Qiang Fang" referred to a state or region. The Shang people referred to other surrounding states as "X Fang."

This time, the Qiang Fang had launched a major invasion of the Shang border. The Shang Dynasty had also dispatched a general to lead an army to meet them, but unexpectedly, the entire army was annihilated.

This made the situation for the Shang Dynasty perilous. The Qiang Fang were long-standing enemies of Shang, and their strength was considerable. If not handled carefully, this could easily escalate into a disaster that would destroy the nation.

Zu An fell into deep thought. Could this trial be testing whether they could resolve the Shang Dynasty's crisis?

He quickly asked, "Among everyone in the court, who is the most skilled in warfare?"

Fu Yue replied, "Naturally, Your Majesty."

Zu An: "..."

"At a time like this, stop flattering me. Tell me the truth."

"Flattery?" Fu Yue was confused, clearly not understanding the term. "I'm just stating facts. Your Majesty is the greatest general in our dynasty. The one who was ranked second led troops to face the enemy and has already been completely annihilated."

Zu An: "..."

After a long pause, he sighed. "It seems I will have to lead the campaign myself."

With things having come to this, he could only brace himself and proceed. After all, with thousands of years of historical experience and having played so many war games, it couldn't be entirely useless, could it?

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

Zu An paused. "Why?"

Fu Yue looked at him in confusion. "Has Your Majesty forgotten? For years, you have been trying to reclaim the power of appointing officials, which has affected the interests of many old nobles. They have long been dissatisfied with you. Now, Yin Capital faces both internal and external troubles, and undercurrents are already stirring. It's fine with you guarding the city, but if Your Majesty leaves, the situation might 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 renowned for nothing.

Fu Yue glanced at Pei Mianman, who was standing nearby, and said in a deep voice, "This matter may require the Queen to lead. We cannot afford to lose this battle; we must send out the remaining main forces from the capital. However, there are very few people we can truly trust. If command falls into the hands of those with ulterior motives, even if we win, disaster will arise. Only the Queen will not betray Your Majesty, and she has brought three thousand elite troops from her fiefdom. Combined with Your Majesty's direct forces, she will surely defeat the invading Qiang Fang."

Hearing that Pei Mianman might have to lead, Zu An's face turned pale with shock. "No, absolutely not!"