Chapter 536: Who Exactly Has the Problem

After discussing some details, Fu Shuo hurried away to make arrangements.

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

Zu An originally wanted to go as well, but Fu Shuo reminded him to remain in the palace, to guard against any rebellious intentions from various factions.

Pei Mianman gave him a reassuring look and said, "Ah Zu, you don't need to worry. I will act as the situation requires."

Zu An recalled that before she met him, she was already a prodigy, a genius admired by all. His worries were indeed unnecessary.

After a bit more back and forth, he agreed to let her leave.

Seeing Fu Shuo's excited expression, touched by the trust placed in him, Zu An couldn't help but chuckle. To be honest, if he hadn't known Fu Shuo's background—that he was a great loyal minister to King Wu Ding, even hailed by historical records as one of the ancient sages—he might not have felt at ease letting Pei Mianman leave alone.

It was easy to imagine that the previous pairs of men and women, upon entering this unfamiliar trial, would have been cautious at every turn. Upon suddenly hearing Fu Shuo suggest they separate, they would surely suspect him of malicious intent. They might then confront him, refuse to split up, or the man might insist on accompanying her, all of which would inevitably lead the story to a bad ending.

Of course, this trial didn't strictly require knowledge of this historical period. Even someone completely unaware could learn about the relationship between Fu Shuo and Wu Ding through dialogue and other 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 even made it past this stage.

Zu An's mind raced. He had already started treating this trial like an open-world game, pondering all possible strategies.

If Fu Shuo, who appeared here, was meant to help the trial participants, then there must be an opposing presence…

As he opened the door, Zu An noticed a maid standing outside. A thought struck him, and he decided to call her in for questioning.

"Greetings, Great King and Queen." The maid knelt on the ground, her body trembling slightly. Clearly, she had been startled by Zu An earlier and hadn't fully recovered, wondering why he had suddenly called for her again.

Zu An carefully observed the young woman. He had to admit that while not stunningly beautiful, she was certainly pretty and delicate. Especially her slender waist and long legs exposed to the air, along with her fair skin, which had a slight honey-like translucence, gave her an overall aura of raw, wild beauty.

"What's your name?"

The maid was taken aback, thinking, "How could the Great King forget my name?" However, she didn't dare question him at this moment. She quickly replied, "My name is Xiaotuo, Your Majesty."

"Xiaotuo?" Zu An thought it was a very strange name, but then remembered that in ancient times, people often had peculiar names. Even the names of successive Shang kings were very casual. He then felt relieved. "Xiaotuo, where are you from?"

Pei Mianman, who was about to leave, gave him a strange look. She transmitted her voice using elemental energy, "Ah Zu, at a time like this, do you still have the mind to flirt with young girls?"

Zu An chuckled, "What, are you jealous?"

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

Clearly, being from a prominent family, she wasn't overly concerned about a man's casual dalliances. Her only worry was that it might affect the trial.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. This maid has a problem," Zu An replied via voice transmission.

A hint of surprise flashed in Pei Mianman's eyes. She instinctively glanced at the maid. With her pitiful appearance, it was really hard to imagine there was anything wrong with her.

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

The maid softly replied, "I am from the country of Tuo."

"The country of Tuo?" Zu An was surprised; he had never heard of this country. But he recalled that in ancient times, there were indeed many small, strangely named countries that had long since vanished into the river of history.

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

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

She quickly replied, "The country of Tuo is southeast of Shang, roughly in this position."

She circled a spot on the parchment where he had just drawn a map, and in doing so, gently pulled her hand free from his grasp.

Zu An's smile deepened. "Xiaotuo, tell me about some of the customs and traditions of your homeland." As he spoke, he pretended to be lecherous and put his arm around her shoulder.

What a joke. How could an ordinary maid possess map-drawing skills? She had merely glanced at the map and yet could accurately pinpoint the former location of Tuo. Clearly, she had undergone rigorous training to acquire such knowledge.

He had deliberately taken her hand and feigned lust, which indeed flustered her, preventing her from realizing she had inadvertently revealed a flaw.

And it wasn't just this one flaw. As a maid, gaining the emperor's favor would be an instant path to power. Yet, she had just stiffened all over, clearly instinctively resisting his touch.

She then found a reason to pull her hand away. Although the reason was plausible, with his suspicions, he still found numerous inconsistencies.

This woman resisted the Great King's physical contact. Either her heart held extreme hatred for the Shang King, or she still had a lover in her heart, which led to her instinctive resistance. Which one was it?

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

The maid hadn't expected him to be unconcerned with state affairs but instead curious about her homeland and using it as an excuse to embrace her. She thought, "He truly is a lecherous and foolish ruler."

Rage points from Xiaotuo +123,123,123...

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

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

The previous pairs of trial participants probably approached her for information right from the start, and were unwittingly led into a trap by her.

Presumably, the trial designers hadn't anticipated that after he and Pei Mianman woke up, they wouldn't rush to question people for clues, but would instead indulge in some personal intimacy first.

Later, before Fu Shuo arrived, there was no time to question the maid, so they naturally wouldn't be misled by her information.

It seemed being lustful wasn't always 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 local conditions of Tuo, while simultaneously trying to figure out how to escape his grasp.

Zu An listened, nodding, "From your description, it sounds like a truly beautiful place. And it makes sense; how could a homeland that produces such an exquisite and spirited girl like you be anything but wonderful?"

Women from ancient times had rarely encountered such charming tactics. Although she kept reminding herself that this man was a lecherous, foolish ruler, a smile still involuntarily appeared on her face. After all, what woman didn't like to receive compliments?

"Your Majesty flatters me." The maid curtsied. "I shall take my leave now, Your Majesty."

Zu An immediately stopped her. "Hey, did this king say you could leave? Chat with me for a bit. This king is feeling quite troubled right now."

What a joke. How could he let her go, giving her a chance to report back and tip off others?

He hadn't realized this just now, which was why he hadn't avoided her while talking to Fu Shuo and Pei Mianman. Even though there was a door between them, if she intended to eavesdrop, she surely could have heard.

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

He could only release her after Fu Shuo had completed his arrangements and Pei Mianman's departure for the expedition was a certainty. At that point, he wouldn't fear her leaking information.

But how could he keep her for such a long time? Did he really have to play the part of a debauched and foolish ruler?