Chapter Nine, it turns out to be the diva convoy

The donkey cart resembles the cart that Wei Luo had seen before, lacking a roof and walls, consisting only of a flatbed. Underneath the flatbed are several wooden wheels, which make a creaking sound when pulled by two or three donkeys. Inside the donkey cart, there are a number of women, some dressed in coarse linen, some of ordinary appearance, and some of advanced age.

The young man kept his head down, trudging along with the group, his steps uneven. After hearing Wei Luo's question, he lifted his pale and composed face and weakly replied, "They put on the chains, naturally fearing that they might escape."

After the young girls, there are those who walk on two feet. These individuals are dressed in tattered linen garments, their faces filled with sorrow, their eyes vacant, and some even bear chains upon their bodies

As soon as Wei Luo spoke these words, several men around her, including the young man, turned to look at her, each with a face full of astonishment and inquiry

Wei Luo blinked and stammered, "Kabuki troupe?"

With a somewhat puzzled expression, she waved her hand and said lightly: "The Marquis is on the side; wait for the donkey cart to pass, and then you can follow."

He shook his head at this point, appearing unwilling to continue the conversation with Wei Luoduo, and turned away, keeping his head down and remaining silent thereafter

She looked nervously at the young man and said softly, "I am just a lone traveler who, out of admiration for the luxury of your convoy, has requested to join. Brother, I won't end up as a slave, will I?"

In the midst of this group, Wei Luo's heart raced with anxiety. She glanced to her left and right, unable to resist taking a step forward. She leaned closer to a pale, beardless, and listless young man and quietly asked, "May I inquire, brother, why are those few wearing chains?"

The woman speaking leaned out of the carriage and gently said, "Child, come here to me."

She looked around and noticed several people observing her, so she chuckled awkwardly and said, "Indeed, the night is dark and the road is long, and wild beasts may appear; in my timidity, I rashly sought to enter." Her explanation was rather dry, and everyone was quite fatigued, lacking the energy to consider whether her explanation made sense, so they all withdrew their gazes and continued to walk forward, taking shallow steps.

Wei Luo saw that they were the last group of the convoy and hurried to catch up

The round-faced young man was noticeably more lively than the previous one. He flashed a friendly grin at Wei Luo, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth, and chuckled, "Indeed. Regardless of gender, as long as one is good-looking, one can ride in a donkey cart. In such a case, one can even wear silk."

Lou Ju and the others took in Wei Luo's relaxed expression, and as a result, they no longer had any doubts about her. Originally, the people in this world were not very suspicious; had it not been for the inappropriate timing and location of Wei Luo's appearance, they likely would not have harbored even the slightest suspicion.

The young man glanced at Wei Luo a couple of times, and seeing that she seemed a bit uncomfortable, he slowly said: "The geisha troupe, naturally, is first in appearance, and second in skill"

After the woman finished speaking, she did not glance at Wei Luo again and retreated back into the carriage. As she pulled down the curtain, Wei Luo faintly heard her muttering, "Her skin is both coarse and dark, and even though she can read, she does not meet my standards; what a pity for such a good pair of eyes"

The round-faced young man shook his head and sighed, "The child is truly ignorant." He naturally continued, "Riding in a donkey cart, being raised in silk, is certainly reserved for serving the nobility in the future." After a pause, he added, "If one grows up exceptionally well and does not wish to serve a single noble, one could also become a performer in song and dance."

Wei Luo saw his appearance and let out a few dry laughs

Whether it is a group of horse-drawn carriages or ox carts, there are corresponding swordsmen riding horses or oxen on both sides. Wei Luo observed with curiosity and noticed that the swordsmen on horseback all carried themselves with an air of arrogance, as if they held a high status

After listening, Wei Luo felt a sudden tightness in her heart and sensed a slight heaviness in her chest. She forced a smile and asked hesitantly, "What next? Riding in a donkey cart, wearing silk, what needs to be done?"

Unable to comprehend this principle, she shook her head and stepped back to the side of the official road, patiently waiting for the convoy to depart

Wei Luo smiled and thought to herself: The rules here are truly strange; does even a servant have to be good-looking?

Wei Luo's heartbeat quickened

The convoy had not stopped at all; during this brief moment of conversation, the line had already passed fifty meters in front of Wei Luo.

Among these women, the majority are young girls. They are laughing and playing with each other, and when they see Wei Luo standing by the roadside, they all curiously glance in her direction, occasionally throwing her a few disdainful looks.

She must have thought to herself, and then curiously asked the young man: "Elder brother, what does it matter if a husband is born into this world and has an ordinary appearance? Why do you all place such importance on it?"

As Wei Luo scrutinized her, the woman was also observing Wei Luo. As they looked at each other, a hint of disappointment flickered in the woman's gaze

A red carriage followed by another, approximately thirty in total, passed by, after which a line of ox carts appeared. These ox carts also stretched for half a mile.

It turns out that one is dissatisfied with one's ordinary appearance

After a pause, Wei Luo leaned closer to a young man who appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with a very thin build and a round face that seemed quite approachable, and asked, "Please forgive me, may I inquire if someone who looks well can sit on the donkey cart and eat rice in this group?"

Could it be that these people are slaves

Kabuki troupe

When she mentioned the words 'rice', she could no longer hold back and swallowed hard twice

The young man glanced at her impatiently and said, "Indeed, this is the renowned group of the famous eyebrow masters in the world. Since the child is unaware, how can he rudely join? Since he has already joined, he should settle down and live his days in peace; what benefit is there in asking too much?"

After these women arrived, they sat upright in the donkey cart, all of them strikingly beautiful young girls. Each of these girls was dressed in splendid silk garments; some had expressionless faces, while others bore faint frowns, and occasionally, the sound of sobbing could be heard. Each girl possessed her own unique beauty, leaving Wei Luo mesmerized. She counted and found that there were approximately fifty to sixty such girls.

After the half-mile-long ox cart convoy passed, there followed a donkey cart convoy, along with swordsmen riding donkeys

Wei Luo steadied herself and replied joyfully, "Certainly." After responding, she looked at the woman with bright, sparkling eyes and added gratefully, "Thank you, miss, for your consideration"

The young man glanced at her and slowly said: "The master of the eyebrows is not a person of power; how can one casually turn good citizens into slaves? Young sir, you travel with us, perhaps due to your ordinary appearance."

The woman smiled gently

Wei Luo hurried a few steps and arrived in front of the woman's carriage. A burning torch, crackling in the wind, was inserted into the red carriage's yoke. In the light of the torch, a beautiful woman with delicate brows, long eyes, and a cherry-like mouth, with a small mole at the left corner of her mouth, clearly appeared before Wei Luo. Judging by her age, she seemed to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, exuding a strong feminine charm. When she turned her gaze towards Wei Luo, there was an alluring quality that seemed to emerge unintentionally.

Wei Luo's fiercely beating heart finally calmed down, and she let out a sigh of relief, secretly thinking: Indeed, it is best not to act rashly before fully understanding this world. I only wanted to avoid traveling at night; it would be too tragic to put myself in danger for such a trivial reason

The round-faced young man was evidently very talkative. Noticing that Wei Luo was staring with wide eyes, he chuckled and asked, "I have heard that the people of Yue, regardless of gender, are exceptionally beautiful and are particularly favored by the nobility. You, coming from the Kingdom of Yue, are you truly unaware of this?"

Due to disappointment, her expression also cooled slightly