Chapter 87

As the sound of galloping hooves drew closer, the joyful laughter of women could faintly be heard.

Cheng Ruyi finally saw the newcomers clearly. With a single glance, her interest vanished entirely.

It turned out to be a caravan. The men riding horses were all tall and heavily built, radiating a fierce aura from head to toe, but this caravan gave off a pervasive vibe of pink. That was right—pink. Whether it was the flags or the carriages, everything was painted in shades of pink—light pink, deep pink, rose pink—a whole stream of pink. It displayed both soft elegance and masculine strength to the absolute limit. It was an exceptionally bizarre caravan.

“They aren’t bandits…”

Cheng Ruyi patted the triplets’ heads. The triplets instantly deflated like punctured balloons, their faces full of listlessness. Rong Mo found it incredibly amusing. So they had actually been anticipating bandits.

The man leading the caravan had spotted that renowned, eye-catching fish-shaped carriage from afar, and a rare ripple surfaced in his calm, emotionless eyes. He pulled his horse over to the largest and most luxurious rose-pink carriage, where the shapely and enchanting figures of women could be faintly seen behind the pink window curtains.

“Master, there are people ahead,” the man on horseback said in a low voice.

“Are they people we know?” a melodious, soft voice drifted out from the carriage.

“It is the family of the Heir of Prince Rong from the Great Zhou Dynasty.”

“So it’s them… pay no heed, let us go our own way.” The woman’s voice carried a hint of surprise, evidently having heard of or seen Rong Mo and Cheng Ruyi before. After receiving his master’s approval, the leading man continued to ride forward.

After recognizing the flags of the caravan, Rong Mo’s face displayed a trace of eccentricity. He hadn’t expected to encounter the Peony Women’s Caravan from the Western Liang Kingdom. This women’s caravan traveled across various countries, taking in women of exceptional beauty along the way. These women all joined the caravan voluntarily; some beautiful women from low births even secretly anticipated the Peony Women’s Caravan passing through their hometowns.

As the procession drew closer, Cheng Ruyi and the triplets gazed at this unique caravan with great interest. A group of fierce men protecting a group of delicate women looked strange no matter how one viewed it.

“Why is everything pink? I don’t dislike pink, but this is too much!” Third Baby curled her lips.

“I don’t like it either,” Second Baby echoed.

Eldest Baby nodded, his dark eyes looking at the women laughing and playing indistinctly behind the gauze curtains, and spoke in bewilderment. “This caravan is so strange. Why are there so many girls… could it be courtesans out on an excursion?”

“Eldest Brother makes sense. Look at their carriage compartments, they’re all gauze curtains, which resembles the style of courtesans,” Second Baby nodded with an air of gravity.

They were clearly just two toddlers just over three years old, yet they were discussing courtesans with utter seriousness. It truly left one caught between tears and laughter.

Rong Mo looked speechlessly at his eldest and second sons. Are these two stinky brats a bit too precocious… they even know what courtesans are. “Cough, cough, they aren’t courtesans. This caravan is called the Peony Women’s Caravan.”

The moment Cheng Ruyi heard this, her interest was instantly piqued. “Ah Mo, how do you know about this caravan? Is it very famous?”

Rong Mo nodded: “It is indeed famous. This caravan is known as the ‘Path to the Heavens’ for beautiful women. Many women of low birth but striking beauty hope to join them.”

“A ‘Path to the Heavens,’ eh? It seems their targets are all rich and powerful men. To think it’s actually a pimping caravan…” Cheng Ruyi rolled her eyes, thoroughly disappointed in this caravan.

A pimping caravan… this description was truly vivid and incredibly apt. Rong Mo couldn’t help but chuckle. “Indeed, I also feel they are pimps…” This was the consensus among all aristocratic circles.

Every time this caravan arrived in the Great Zhou Dynasty, they would deliver invitations to the dignitaries in the various prefectures and counties they passed, hosting a flower-viewing banquet. As long as a woman was chosen to stay behind, the caravan would obtain a handsome sum of money and implicit connections. “The person who established this women’s caravan is an ambitious princess from the Western Liang Kingdom. This princess possesses remarkable social skills and has connections spanning multiple countries.”

Their carriage was parked beside the woods, and the family of five plus the two guards calmly watched the lengthy caravan pass by. From inside those passing pink carriages, faint voices could be heard. They all seemed to be discussing Cheng Ruyi and her family’s fish-shaped carriage. This eye-catching carriage truly turned heads wherever it went.

The triplets nibbled on meat jerky out of sheer boredom, muttering in low voices. This meat jerky served as little snacks that they favored immensely; there was a snack cabinet inside the carriage stocked with plenty of meat jerky and dried fruits.

“Oh? Ah Mo, I see someone familiar.” Cheng Ruyi used her spiritual energy with great relish to ‘look’ at the beautiful women behind the gauze curtains of each passing carriage. She hadn’t expected to discover a massive ‘surprise.’

Rong Mo was immensely startled. The familiar acquaintances his little wife knew seemed to consist only of the daughters of officials in the capital. Could it be that a noble lady had actually joined this caravan… it was truly hard to believe. “Who is it?” Rong Mo asked.

“It’s Yan Zixuan, the one who was kicked out of the Marquis Mansion by the Marquis of Huaiyang. I didn’t expect this crazy woman to actually join this caravan. It looks like she wants to marry into another country.” Cheng Ruyi giggled.

Rong Mo let out a knowing smile: “So it’s her!”

After Yan Zixuan was kicked out of the Marquis Mansion, her life had been difficult. Her reputation in the capital was too foul; even if she were offered as a concubine, nobody wanted her. It was said that the head of the Sun family planned to send her as a concubine to a merchant with powerful backing, but that merchant was the same age as her father. No wonder she wanted to join this women’s caravan. The rule of the caravan was that the women had to marry into another country; whether they became a concubine or a primary wife depended entirely on their own methods.

Speaking of Yan Zixuan, Rong Mo recalled her biological mother, Concubine Sun, who had repeatedly gone to the Changle Marquis Mansion to find Rong Ting, even spreading rumors to force Rong Ting to recognize her as his mother. Unfortunately, nobody believed her. Meanwhile, Rong Ting had long since gone traveling with the returned-to-layman monk, Huiyuan. Concubine Sun’s days in the Sun family were exceptionally miserable, and Yan Zixuan fared even worse; with her proud and arrogant nature, how could she willingly become an old man’s concubine?

Yan Zixuan, who had been recognized by Rong Mo and Cheng Ruyi, was currently glaring fiercely at them through the gauze curtains, her gaze incredibly venomous, her beautiful face distorted and hideous. The other three beautiful women in the same carriage compartment couldn’t help but distance themselves from her.

“Ah Mo, Yan Zixuan is glaring at us. Her gaze is savage, as if she wants to eat us alive,” Cheng Ruyi raised her eyebrows and whispered.

Rong Mo’s gaze turned cold: “Merely a grasshopper in autumn; she won’t be able to hop for much longer.” With Yan Zixuan’s temperament, even if she managed to latch onto a powerful figure, she would likely court her own death before long.

Cheng Ruyi agreed completely. “Ah Mo, when we have time in the future, let’s take a trip to the Western Liang Kingdom. I’m quite interested in that pimping princess of theirs.”

Rong Mo: “…Alright!”

By the time the lengthy caravan departed, a wave of fragrant wind still drifted in the air. This chance encounter with the Peony Women’s Caravan was merely a tiny piece of scenery in Cheng Ruyi and her family’s travels.

Once they had rested enough and fed the four fine steeds, Cheng Ruyi and her party resumed their journey, heading toward the next town. The fish-shaped carriage sprinted furiously through the mountain forest. Before long, it caught up to the Peony Women’s Caravan, and the four horses pulling the fish carriage dashed past. Like the wind, they overtook the caravan’s procession, eliciting whispers and murmurs from the women inside the carriages. Soon, the beautiful women of the caravan all learned of Cheng Ruyi and her family’s identities, their eyes flashing with brilliant colors while their hearts filled with wistful regret.

When they arrived at Jiangling City in Anyang County, the sun was already setting behind the western hills. The pale yellow light shone upon the fish-shaped carriage, looking as though it were plated with a layer of golden light, making it even more eye-catching. After entering the city, the party checked into an inn under Rong Mo’s name—the Jixiang Inn.

They had arrived at a truly opportune moment. They heard that the second legitimate daughter of Chen Dagui, the wealthiest man in Jiangling City, was throwing a silk ball to choose a husband, and it had already been ongoing for several days.

Throwing a silk ball to choose a husband? Cheng Ruyi felt rather excited; she had never witnessed a silk ball marriage selection before, so she immediately dispatched Ah Da to gather information. This news had already spread across the entire Jiangling City. The silk ball marriage selection was personally proposed by Chen Dagui’s second legitimate daughter, Chen Shuangshuang. This Chen Shuangshuang possessed a beautiful appearance and was said to be a talented woman, causing many young scholars and young masters to flock to her like ducks. The only strange thing was that this Miss Chen Shuangshuang had been holding the silk ball in her hands for several days now, yet she still hadn’t thrown it down.

“Eldest Baby, Second Baby, Third Baby, tomorrow morning we will go watch the excitement together,” Cheng Ruyi spoke enthusiastically.

“Alright!” The triplets, just like their mother, had exceptionally bright eyes and shouted with ringing voices, clearly eager to join the crowd. Rong Mo shook his head and chuckled.

A good night’s sleep passed.

The next day, the entire Jiangling City became bustling and lively. Cheng Ruyi and Rong Mo took the triplets and followed the flow of people to the venue of the silk ball marriage selection. The raised high platform and embroidery tower were exceptionally conspicuous. The surrounding commoners were discussing animatedly; a portion of the unmarried young men had faces full of hope and anticipation, while some of the more anxious individuals were muttering curses.

“It seems this Miss Chen Shuangshuang has extremely high standards; up until now, there hasn’t been anyone she fancies.” Listening to the whispers of the people around her, Cheng Ruyi smilingly drew a conclusion.

Rong Mo was entirely indifferent to this. In his view, no matter how wealthy Chen Dagui was, he was still a merchant, and Chen Shuangshuang was merely waiting for the highest bidder. Her beauty and talent were her greatest confidence.

On the high platform, an exquisitely beautiful woman stood there dressed in a silk pink skirt. Her figure was elegant and shapely, and her expression was cold and detached. Her delicate hands cradled a large red silk ball, her beautiful brows slightly furrowed as she stood there looking down at the crowded mass of people below. When her gaze swept past the magnificent, tall, and handsome Rong Mo, it visibly brightened for a moment. However, upon seeing the gorgeous and moving woman in red standing beside him, the light in her eyes dimmed.

“Father, that woman is looking at you.” Eldest Baby was very sensitive to gazes and quickly captured Chen Shuangshuang’s look. He tugged at Rong Mo’s sleeve, speaking displeasedly.

Rong Mo swept a cold, indifferent glance at Chen Shuangshuang, frowning slightly, and said to his eldest son: “Merely a woman wishing to climb onto dragons and attach herself to phoenixes, pay her no heed.”

Hearing this, Eldest Baby felt his father’s words made sense. He glared at that Chen Shuangshuang, then stopped looking at her.

“Ah Mo is correct, we just need to watch the show!” Cheng Ruyi snorted triumphantly. Ah Mo belongs to me; that Chen Shuangshuang can go stay wherever it’s cool. Rong Mo let out a light chuckle, affectionately pinching her tiny nose.

The position where they stood was relatively far from the high platform. Dressed in silks and satins with an extraordinary bearing, the temperament of their party made it clear at a glance that they were no ordinary people. The onlookers among the commoners consciously avoided crowding near them.

At this moment, Chen Shuangshuang moved. She walked to the front of the high platform, poised to throw the silk ball in her hand. The crowd below erupted into a frenzy.

“Miss Chen, over here! This scholar has been well-read in poetry and literature since childhood, possessing immense talent!”

“Miss Chen, over here! My father is the Governor of Anyang County!” This was a man whose body had been hollowed out by wine and women.

“Miss Chen, over here! My family has money, lots of money…”

“Miss Chen, I am the most handsome, we are a match made in heaven, a perfect pairing!”

“Miss Chen, this gentleman has not yet taken a wife and is still a pure, virgin bachelor!” a somewhat ugly, thin-as-a-bamboo-pole man shouted.

“Miss Chen, my entire family has died out completely! If you marry me, I will listen to you in everything—if you tell me to go east, I won’t go west; if you tell me to chase the dog, I won’t shoo the chicken!!” a tall, thin man shouted at the top of his lungs.

The moment these words left his mouth, the scene grew quiet for an instant, followed by a burst of roaring laughter from the crowd. The place became lively once more.

Cheng Ruyi burst out laughing with a pfft . “Ah Mo, these people are too hilarious!”

The corner of Rong Mo’s mouth twitched: “…” He was entirely speechless as well; these people were truly too bizarre.

Eldest Baby and Second Baby sat upon the shoulders of the two guards, while Third Baby was hoisted onto Rong Mo’s shoulders. The three little rascals watched with immense relish.

At this exact moment, Chen Shuangshuang raised her jade-like hand, and the large red silk ball—held for several days without being released—was finally thrown out! An unexpected turn of events occurred; the silk ball actually flew straight toward Rong Mo.

Cheng Ruyi was furious, and Rong Mo’s handsome face turned thoroughly cold. The triplets were fit to burst with rage. Third Baby snorted, taking direct action. Seeing the silk ball flying toward her father, her eyes spun as a wicked idea cropped up. Raising her short little leg from her father’s shoulders, she kicked the silk ball squarely onto the scholar who claimed to be a pure, virgin bachelor.

“Third Baby, well done!” Cheng Ruyi happily praised her daughter.

Rong Mo also nodded approvingly. “Third Baby is the best!”

Third Baby was overjoyed.

Eldest Baby and Second Baby felt a bit jealous. “We are very formidable too.”

“Mm, you are all formidable!” Cheng Ruyi and Rong Mo simultaneously patted their heads.

That somewhat ugly, thin-as-a-bamboo-pole man hadn’t expected such a good thing to fall into his lap. Stretching out both hands, he firmly caught the silk ball, the joy on his face plain to see! “Haha, fantastic! Miss Chen, I’ve obtained the silk ball, let us marry tonight!” After speaking, he tightly clutched the silk ball to his chest to prevent others from coming to snatch it away.

The crowd hadn’t expected that this ugly, tall, thin man would ultimately snatch the silk ball. On the high platform, Chen Shuangshuang was both furious and enraged, feeling immensely wronged on the inside. Her bright, alluring eyes stared straight at Rong Mo. Unfortunately, Rong Mo didn’t even look at her, pulling Third Baby into his embrace.

“Ruyi, the excitement is over, we should head back.”

Cheng Ruyi happily followed Rong Mo to depart.

Chen Shuangshuang’s father, Chen Dagui, came out and announced that the silk ball thrown just now didn’t count; it was merely his daughter testing her grip. He then ordered people to forcibly confiscate the silk ball. The crowd erupted into a chorus of boos. Nobody was blind; how could they not see Chen Shuangshuang’s intentions? Anyone with clear eyes could see that the man of extraordinary bearing already had a wife and children. However, Chen Shuangshuang was beautiful, and there were plenty of men who pitied lovely women, so they all agreed to let Chen Shuangshuang throw the silk ball anew. Only that tall, thin man felt indignant.

Coincidentally, the Peony Women’s Caravan entered the city at this time, happening to pass by the venue of the silk ball marriage selection. A portion of the carriage compartments had exceptionally thin gauze curtains; whenever the wind blew, they were swept open, revealing the flower-like faces of the women. A whole line of beautiful women caused a massive sensation in Jiangling City. More than half of Chen Shuangshuang’s silk ball marriage selection venue emptied out; a vast majority of those who remained were young men of plain appearance. Those wealthy young masters had nearly all run off to gawk at the beauties of the Peony Women’s Caravan.

Cheng Ruyi’s family of five, who hadn’t yet walked far, couldn’t help but be immensely surprised upon witnessing this situation. They hadn’t expected the Peony Women’s Caravan to also come to Jiangling City.

“Ah Mo, babies, let’s go eat delicious food. I hear Jiangling City has quite a lot of good eats…” Cheng Ruyi paid no further attention to that caravan; her goal was the delicacies here.

“Eat delicious food, eat delicious food!” the triplets shouted happily.

The party began eating their way from the head of the street. The street was exceptionally lively with a heavy flow of people. The two guards followed the triplets the entire way. Yet, halfway through eating, Cheng Ruyi and the others looked up only to find that the triplets and the two guards had all vanished.

Rong Mo’s eyes turned red with anxiety. He had seen the triplets just a moment ago; how had they disappeared in the blink of an eye?

“Ah Mo, don’t worry, let me look for them!”

Cheng Ruyi released her spiritual energy. In an instant, the entire Jiangling City was enveloped by her massive spiritual aura. Before long, she located the triplets.

“Ah Mo, I found the babies! They are currently pulling off a massive operation, and I also discovered Yan Zihao, bound hand and foot!” Cheng Ruyi spoke excitedly.

She hadn’t expected this Peony Women’s Caravan to actually harbor a hidden, shady secret. The babies were truly a credit to them! They had managed to unearth such a massive secret in one go.

Rong Mo: “…”