Chapter 1226: First Volume, Chapter 1226: The Trial of the Imperial Maidens

First Volume, Chapter 1226: The Trial of the Imperial Maidens

The pear seller had assumed that, upon learning of Cao Yun County's "seriousness," these three young ladies would either flee in panic or at least leave the conspicuous street.

But the outcome was unexpected: the three women showed not the slightest fear; instead, their faces wore nothing but smiles.

The pear seller couldn't help but urge them: "Young ladies, you've seen how prosperous Cao Yun County is—many Imperial Consorts have come from here, and the aristocratic gentry are countless; even the Qingzhou Prefect must treat its people with courtesy."

"No matter how illustrious your family, once you enter Cao Yun County, you must bow your head."

Upon hearing this, Xie Yun'er's smile deepened.

Aristocratic gentry?

Her husband excels at eradicating such so-called aristocratic gentry.

Not even Cao Yun County alone could dare defy them—let alone Beijing itself, where no one would dare show disrespect to the three of them.

The reason is simple: behind them stands a man, one whose footstep shakes Shedynasty thrice.

Xie Yun'er took a tael of suiyin from her sleeve and handed it to the pear seller.

"Thank you, old sir, for the warning—but no need to worry. A mere Cao Yun County cannot stir up any waves."

"I am already a married woman; should anyone dare disrespect me, he must first weigh his own worth."

Watching the backs of the three women, the pear seller looked down at the silver in his hand and sighed deeply.

Clearly, these three young ladies came from distinguished backgrounds—but then, what good is even the strongest background?

The aristocratic gentry of Cao Yun County are not comparable to those elsewhere.

Each of them, in some way, carries ties to Imperial Relatives.

Either their ancestors once produced an Imperial Consort, or a clan member now serves within the imperial palace in Jingdu.

It's not just the pear seller who worries—passersby along the street also shook their heads, convinced these three women were utterly ignorant of heaven's height and earth's depth, and would only learn the agony of crying to heaven and earth for help after suffering humiliation.

Meanwhile, inside the Liu family compound in Cao Yun County, two servants rushed in, panting.

"Young Master! Great fortune!"

"Just now on the street, we saw three celestial immortals, hahaha."

"These three women are the most beautiful we've seen in years—Young Master, don't let someone else snatch them first."

Liu Tao, who was playing chess with Wang Li's Young Master, didn't look up, only replied absentmindedly.

"Celestial immortals? That's an exaggeration."

"This is Cao Yun County—what kind of beauties haven't I seen?"

Wang Li, seated across from him, also teased half-heartedly.

"What kind of beauty could be called a celestial immortal in Cao Yun County? Heh—if she isn't breathtakingly gorgeous, she hardly deserves such a title."

Seeing their reaction, the servant hurried to defend himself.

"It's true! I saw them with my own eyes—each of those three women is prettier than Old Zhou's daughter!"

At these words, Liu Tao and Wang Li simultaneously froze their movements and turned sharply toward the servant.

Their shock stemmed from one fact: Cao Yun County had produced no Imperial Maiden for three consecutive years.

And Old Zhou's daughter had been the most beautiful among them in the past three years.

Both Liu Tao and Wang Li had taken great interest in her—but alas, such a rare beauty could only be sent to the imperial court, never to them.

Now, three beauties arrived at once, each more beautiful than Old Zhou's daughter.

How could they not be stunned?

Liu Tao leapt to his feet and demanded loudly: "Are you telling the truth? If you're lying to me, I'll take your life!"

The servant nodded frantically: "Even if you gave me a hundred lives, Young Master, I'd never dare deceive you."

"Those three women went to Xianglai Yizhan—if you hurry now, you'll catch them."

"Also… the Gao Family's Young Master has probably heard the news too."

Liu Tao had always been at odds with Gao Cheng, because that fellow, relying on his family's slightly superior power, constantly vied with Liu Tao for everything.

Now that beauty had finally appeared, how could Liu Tao surrender it—especially not to Gao Cheng?

He immediately exchanged a glance with Wang Li and set out for Xianglai Yizhan with his men.

At the Gao Family residence, Gao Cheng, sipping tea, heard his servant's report and frowned slightly.

"Did Zhang Tao and Wang Li hear the rumor?"

The servant didn't dare hesitate and nodded quickly: "Almost certainly."

Gao Cheng snorted inwardly—those two scoundrels used the imperial selection as an excuse to forcibly seize virtuous women every year.

After defiling them, they'd hand out a few coins and use their family's influence to escape punishment.

Gao Cheng despised their actions, but both families had once produced Imperial Consorts.

Moreover, since they were all from Cao Yun County, his father had repeatedly warned him not to make enemies of these two families; reluctantly, Gao Cheng had resorted to secretly seizing the women under the pretense of competition, then releasing them back home.

Now that his servant said these three women were as beautiful as celestial immortals, he knew those two beasts would surely move.

Just as Gao Cheng rose to head for Xianglai Yizhan to rescue these reckless women, his servant suddenly remembered something and added:

"Young Master, take more men with you—today, Xianglai Yizhan is inexplicably packed; the crowd is chaotic, and something might go wrong."

At these words, Gao Cheng frowned, his steps halting abruptly.

"Xianglai Yizhan is full?"

Since its construction, Xianglai Yizhan had never been full—yet today, the moment these three beauties arrived in Cao Yun County, it overflowed. This could not be coincidence.

Could it be… these three women are not ordinary?

Was the station full not with travelers, but with guards?

He pressed urgently: "What else is unusual about these three?"

The servant strained to recall, then suddenly remembered: "Ah! One of the women mentioned she was already a married woman."

"Her husband's surname seems to be... Qin."

"Yes, it's definitely Qin."

Qin? Gao Cheng pondered for a moment but could not recall any prominent Qin family nearby.

Still, for caution's sake, he asked further: "Did they say where they came from?"

The Servant shook his head: "They didn't say, but it seems they're headed to Beixi County."

Beixi County? Husband's surname Qin? Bad!

Gao Cheng leapt abruptly from his chair, eyes wide with panic: "Oh no, oh no—a tremendous figure has arrived from Cao Yun County!"

"Hurry! Hurry and tell the Master to rush to Xianglai Yizhan to welcome the honored guest!"

"If even a single hair of these three women is harmed, every last worthless noble family and wealthy magnate in Cao Yun County will die without a burial place."