Chapter 1225: Land of Beautiful Women

First Volume, Chapter 1225: Land of Beautiful Women

The deep and vast Qilian Mountains demand immense effort from anyone hoping to survive here.

Even hunters who rely on the mountains for their livelihood avoid venturing deep into the Qilian interior unless absolutely necessary.

In Qin Feng's view, Wu Heli had already been sentenced to death; if even this could not eliminate Wu Heli, it could only mean his fate was not yet sealed.

But so far, Qin Feng could think of no reason why Wu Heli could escape this deathtrap.

This mountain pursuit battle had granted Qin Feng invaluable mountain warfare experience, mapped out the eastern foothills of the Qilian Mountains, and driven Wu Heli into a corner—fulfilling its strategic objective.

Now withdrawing from the Qilian Mountains is undoubtedly the wisest choice; there is no need to continue wasting time chasing Wu Heli.

Just as Qin Feng began his military retreat, Cao Yun County in Qingzhou welcomed a group of distinguished guests.

Liu Hongyan, Xie Yun'er, and the Princess of Qiyang, escorted by elite soldiers, arrived at Cao Yun County for a brief rest.

To avoid causing unrest, the main army remained camped outside the city, while only a small contingent of elite soldiers disguised themselves as attendants and accompanied the three women into town.

Cao Yun County was Qingzhou's premier county, and far removed from the war, making it utterly unlike other county towns.

Whether the bustling streets or the passing merchants, everything thrilled the three women, making them momentarily feel as if they had returned to Beijing.

"Second Sister, look! Who would've thought such a small county town could be this lively and prosperous?"

Xie Yun'er linked arms with Liu Hongyan, her eyes sparkling—she had even forgotten when she had last left Beijing for a trip.

Compared to Xie Yun'er, Liu Hongyan was even more exhilarated; since entering the city gate, her smile had never faded.

Although Cao Yun County could not compare to Beijing, everything here felt utterly fresh and fascinating to Liu Hongyan.

The three women walked together down the street, Liu Hongyan occasionally raising her hand to point at vendors along the roadside.

"Yun'er, look—these cosmetics and powders, I've never seen anything like them before."

"Beixi County lies on the Northern Border, where the temperature is much colder than here. Princess Qiyang, didn't you say you wanted to buy a warm coat? Why not try the craftsmanship here?"

Although Princess Qiyang had seen countless grand scenes, being in this small town filled her with unusual delight.

Just as the three women were excitedly exploring, discordant voices suddenly arose from both sides of the street.

Only then did the three women realize something was amiss—the streets were lined with numerous residents, pointing at them and whispering among themselves.

Considering the guards behind them and the fact that Cao Yun County was not far from the Northern Border, the three women paid no mind and continued their stroll.

"Look! These three women are incredibly beautiful."

"Not just beautiful—they're celestial immortals! Just by their attire, you can tell they're no ordinary folk, no wonder they dare parade through town."

"Hehe, so what if they're not ordinary? Daring to walk the streets in broad daylight—how presumptuous."

Princess Qiyang's ears were sharp; she naturally heard the crowd's murmurs.

She looked around and confirmed the oddity: though the streets of Cao Yun County had many women, they were either young girls or elderly maids—no young women at all.

That was strange—Liang valued propriety, but never imposed such strict restrictions on women.

Any unmarried woman could go wherever she pleased; even married women only avoided rowdy places to preserve their husband's reputation.

How could such a prosperous and lively county be worse than some remote, desolate villages?

Liu Hongyan also noticed the anomaly; she paused slightly, then turned to an old man selling pears by the roadside.

"Old sir, why are there no young women on the streets of Cao Yun County?"

"And why are those people on the roadside pointing and whispering about us?"

The pear seller did not mind; he spoke with solemn concern: "Ladies, you're not from around here, are you?"

"You probably know nothing about Cao Yun County?"

This question stumped Liu Hongyan—until now, her knowledge of Cao Yun County was nearly nonexistent, so she had no idea what made this small county special.

Seeing Liu Hongyan's confusion, the pear seller stopped beating around the bush.

"Qingzhou produces beautiful women, and nine out of ten are from our Cao Yun County."

"This land is blessed with talent and spirit—its women are beautiful, and its men are handsome too."

Beside her, Xie Yun'er glanced around.

Indeed, now that she looked closely, the people of Cao Yun County were noticeably more handsome than those in the other county towns they had passed.

As the saying goes, the land shapes its people—Cao Yun County's residents were naturally beautiful, which was not surprising.

The more handsome one was, the more one should take pride—so why were all the women of Cao Yun County hiding away?

The crowd continued listening to the pear seller's explanation.

"Since the founding of the Liang Dynasty, we've produced at least eight or ten imperial consorts."

"Whenever the imperial court holds its selection of maidens, the Qingzhou Prefect always prioritizes screening girls from Cao Yun County."

"Logically, that should be fine—once a girl enters the palace, her entire family rises in status."

"But when the court holds its selection, the wealthy gentry hold their own selection too."

Gentry selection…

The three women exchanged glances and immediately understood the implication.

As the saying goes: above, policy; below, countermeasures—whenever the higher-ups issue orders, the lower ranks always find ways to profit personally.

Normally, these gentry dared not openly bully men or seize women, fearing the law.

But during the imperial selection, they could use "selecting maidens for the court" as an excuse to forcibly abduct beautiful women.

Whether these women ended up at the yamen for official screening or were taken straight to the gentry's mansions was anyone's guess.

Once seized by the gentry, they were inevitably violated; then, through a mix of coercion and flattery, the gentry easily claimed them as their own.

That was precisely why Cao Yun County so fiercely resisted the imperial selection—whenever the selection neared, any girl with even a hint of beauty hid indoors and dared not step outside.

No wonder the people of Cao Yun County were so astonished to see Liu Hongyan and her companions parading through town.

They had no ill intent—only pure bewilderment: what madness had possessed these three women? Were they reckless, or simply ignorant of the world?

At that moment, the pear seller kindly warned: "Ladies, if you have no business here, please return home quickly."

Don't wander around the streets; even if you're not locals, your looks and features will surely attract the lust of those scoundrels and beasts.

When trouble comes, you won't even make it out of Cao Yun County...