Chapter 3

From Wu Ding's perspective, the Se woman ultimately has a surname, and her father even held a minor local position as a Se Zheng. It would be completely impossible for him to marry the Se woman as a primary wife; perhaps he could gain the ruler's approval to take her as a concubine. After all, this is not a matter of national importance. Moreover, it is customary for monarchs to have numerous wives and concubines; who can guarantee that each one comes from a noble background?

However, no matter how good a person's subjective will is, and how hard they strive objectively, many things still cannot go as desired. After the woman was captured by the elder as a slave, she was soon sold to another household, and then changed hands several times, eventually losing track of which corner of the kingdom she had fallen into. With the limited energy of a small beast, it is impossible to trace her across a thousand miles. From this perspective, the eventual reunion of Wu Ding and his young lover can also be considered a miracle

"2 'Beast' refers to wild beasts, and the term 'Beast' is an official title responsible for the hunting affairs of the monarch"

The first task assigned to Shouyu was to infiltrate the village by the Qishui River to investigate the current situation of the Seer. However, he did not anticipate that Shouyu would return with such shocking news. In that spring, the Xia people from six villages near the Qishui River initiated a rebellion, killing the foreign officials stationed there. General Qihou led fifty chariots to suppress the uprising, resulting in the deaths of over three hundred young men, while the remaining residents were captured and sold into slavery. Now, the banks of the Qishui River have truly turned into a wasteland; there is not a trace of human life, nor even the sound of chickens or dogs.

After the beginning of spring, Wu Ding became idle. Each day, he only needed to pray to God and his ancestors, then hand over the matters requested by Yin and the ministers to the shamans, and finally convey the results obtained by the shamans back to Yin and the ministers. Even this transmission of information was merely formal, as there were officials to run back and forth; he simply sat in the court or the ancestral temple, nodding his head as if to complete his duties. It was indeed a task, for he could only nod and did not dare to shake his head or even remain silent in protest. Even this transmission of information was merely formal, as there were officials to run back and forth; he simply sat in the court or the ancestral temple, nodding his head as if to complete his duties. It was indeed a task, for he could only nod and did not dare to shake his head or even remain silent in protest.

How wonderful it would be if one could walk far away to hunt, for then one could cross the Qi River to visit the beloved maiden. However, that is impossible; it is not a military expedition, and the sovereign cannot stray too far from the capital. Moreover, Wu Ding is well aware that by the time he can personally take the field and command the troops, it is likely to be a considerable time and a rather arduous journey.

Beast Yu did not understand the monarch's intention in seeking a woman from the various Xia states; with his experience and intellect, he could not comprehend the existence of "love." The royal family had already selected ten noble young ladies to present to Wu Ding, asking him to choose one as his primary wife and to take the others as concubines. Each of these noble ladies was beautiful and graceful, so how could the monarch possibly prefer a rural girl from a foreign tribe? Yet, even without understanding the underlying circumstances, Beast Yu still exerted all his efforts to search for the chosen woman, as this was the task assigned to him by the monarch, and it was his first task. If he could not even complete his first task satisfactorily, how could he maintain the monarch's trust in him?

Wuding understood that it was not uncommon for rulers to inquire about divination, and even to personally engage in it, a practice that had been established since the time of Ancestor Xin. However, the true power holders, such as Ancestor Xin and Wo Jia, could overstep the authority of the shamans. Ban Geng even exploited the results of his own divination to carry out mass killings against the divination clan, while he himself lacked such power. He could not help but curse Ban Geng in his heart, wondering why he had not exterminated all those shamans in power back then

Wu Ding was not a foolish young man; through the knowledge he gained from learning characters, he quickly came to a clear understanding of the completely marginalized environment in which he found himself. In many cases, status and power do not correspond; one can become a nominally supreme ruler overnight, yet be unable to wield the power that is rightfully theirs. If it were not for this awareness, he might have been deposed long ago, or at the very least, imprisoned. The past event of Yi Yin placing Tai Jia in the Tong Palace seemed to unfold before his eyes.

Wu Ding still struggled to uphold his views and those of the books, striving to find a breakthrough. However, the shamans brought forth the divine decree to suppress him. In any case, the results of the turtle divination and yarrow stalk divination were interpreted solely by the shamans. They declared that the deity was angry and opposed to this marriage, thus rendering it absolutely impossible to succeed. Even when Wu Ding wished to examine the cracks in the turtle shell to deduce the will of the deity himself, he was obstructed by the shamans. "The turtle divination is a matter of the Bu clan; the king should not interfere," Bu Kua succinctly and clearly rejected Wu Ding.

However, he still encountered irresistible resistance, primarily from the shamans and the royal family. The most esteemed shaman, the leader of the Bu clan, Bu Kua, opposed the marriage on the grounds that: "Although Ban Geng permits intermarriage between the Yi and Xia, this is ultimately a detrimental practice that pollutes the orthodox bloodline, which God would not approve of. As a king, you should not take a daughter of the Xia as your wife or concubine." The Shaoshi, who is a senior relative of Wu Ding, presented another reason for opposition: "A monarch must marry noblewomen as wives or concubines to pass on refined and composed virtues and demeanor to the heirs. As a king, you should not take a daughter of the Xia as your wife or concubine." The Shaoshi, who is a senior relative of Wu Ding, presented another reason for opposition: "A monarch must marry noblewomen as wives or concubines to pass on refined and composed virtues and demeanor to the heirs. Commoners, especially daughters of the Xia, do not possess these noble qualities; they are unworthy to serve the monarch."

Only once did he attempt to make a decision for himself, when Yin and the ministers suggested that the young monarch must marry early to continue the lineage. Wu Ding tentatively mentioned whether a woman of similar status to a seer could become the informal wife of the monarch—during these months, he had been constantly thinking of his lover, who lived in the countryside, waiting for his return. Yet, he could not even command the servants by his side, nor could he gather news about the seer, let alone send a message to her. Wu Ding tentatively mentioned whether a woman of similar status to a seer could become the informal wife of the monarch—during these months, he had been constantly thinking of his lover, who lived in the countryside, waiting for his return. Yet, he could not even command the servants by his side, nor could he gather news about the seer, let alone send a message to her.

Wu Ding was not a weak man, but neither was he an impulsive fool who disregarded the consequences of his actions. On one hand, he temporarily retreated and compromised, no longer discussing the issue of marrying a commoner from the various Xia states with the shamans and royal family. On the other hand, he seized the opportunity to cultivate and recruit trusted allies within the inner palace. Ultimately, he established a connection with Shou Zheng and Shou Yu. This was made possible by Wu Ding's habit of going hunting in the outskirts whenever he had free time—hunting was a semi-political, semi-entertainment activity commonly held by the rulers of the Shang Dynasty. He initially intended to use this opportunity to avoid the faces of those annoying individuals in the capital, but unexpectedly, he ended up recruiting a trusted ally like Shou Yu.

In summary, under immense pressure, Wu Ding had no choice but to comply with the wishes of the royal family, selecting the eldest daughter of the Yu Marquis as his primary wife and taking the remaining nine noble ladies as concubines. However, this matter ultimately had a profound impact on the young monarch, who fell ill from a mix of shame and anger. The illness was extremely severe, with a high fever persisting for over ten days, and the shamans even began to consider candidates for the throne in the event that the monarch did not recover. After lingering on the brink of life and death for a full half month, Wu Ding finally regained consciousness, but it seemed that the high fever had damaged his throat, rendering him mute from that point onward. The illness was extremely severe, with a high fever persisting for over ten days, and the shamans even began to consider candidates for the throne in the event that the monarch did not recover. After lingering on the brink of life and death for a full half month, Wu Ding finally regained consciousness, but it seemed that the high fever had damaged his throat, rendering him mute from that point onward

This does not have much impact on the national governance; originally, he only needed to nod symbolically and did not need to say anything or issue any verbal instructions. Although the monarch suffers from a disability, resulting in a significant loss of royal dignity and face, there is no need to consider the abolition or establishment of a new ruler. Moreover, a mute monarch actually aligns more with the sentiments of the sorcerers.

The brief yet magnificent life of the frugal woman is, in itself, a miracle

Certainly, Wu Ding was unable to initially grasp the power that was rightfully his, nor could he covet the authority that the deity had originally bestowed upon the shamans. Upon his ascension, he was forced to exhaust himself daily in various ceremonial rituals, yet he could not even decide what food to eat. By the time the funeral of Xiao Yi was completed and the political situation had stabilized, winter had already passed.

From then on, when Wu Ding prayed to the deity, he no longer needed to utter any sound. As for whether the matters he prayed for were the same as those entrusted by Yin and the ministers or suggested by the shamans, no one could know—no, perhaps the beast nurturer would know, and the wise man found through the beast nurturer had long been aware of it.

The term "1 'Zhong'" refers to a cluster of social classes; in singular terms, it denotes free citizens, and the term "duozhong" is synonymous with it.