Quick Transmigration: Even Extras Want to Be Leading Actresses

Chapter 211 Challenge (6)

It turns out that these people were officials from the Central Plains imperial court, and they came to conduct an inspection.

There was a trade route of extraordinary significance between the Central Plains and the Western Regions.

It should have been an important channel for promoting trade between the two regions and driving economic development in the Central Plains;

However, for many years, this trade route has been like a dangerous place full of crises, never finding peace.

Bandits had long plagued this trade route.

Taking advantage of the treacherous terrain, the bandits often appeared in groups to rob passing caravans, steal their property, and injure or kill people.

Furthermore, some rulers of neighboring small countries, for their own selfish gain, had their soldiers disguise themselves as bandits to rob others.

In this environment, even if law-abiding merchants know there are huge profits to be made, they can only look on with envy and dare not go out to trade.

After all, once you embark on this business path, you face not only the risk of losing everything, but also the possibility of losing your life and fortune.

But in the last two years, the situation has changed unexpectedly.

This once chaotic trade route, rife with bloodshed and violence, has gradually calmed down.

Murder and robbery incidents are becoming increasingly rare, especially in the area where Gu Shijiu lives, which is now as peaceful as the official roads in the Central Plains.

Passengers and merchants can now travel with peace of mind, without having to worry all the time.

The news spread like wildfire, and the merchants who were already eyeing the profits of the business immediately became eager to make their move.

Court officials, who were closely monitoring the changing situation, also took immediate action.

After learning that a bandit group had unified this trade route, they felt this was an excellent opportunity.

Perhaps we can leverage Gu Shijiu's influence to further promote trade with the Western Regions.

So, the officials made careful preparations and, carrying their mission, embarked on the road to the mountain stronghold.

Gu Shijiu was sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), tilting his head to look at the officials in front of him with a puzzled expression.

The officials looked at her like this and pondered to themselves.

She doesn't look like someone to be trifled with. Anyone who's been around the block knows that women and children alone in a foreign land are not to be trifled with.

This woman, despite having ruthless bandits under her command, acts with an air of naivety. Tsk tsk, she's terrifying.

This conversation lasted for an entire afternoon.

On the surface, the officials hoped that Gu Shijiu would continue along the trade route and carry out the great cause of suppressing bandits to the end.

She also promised that all the wealth obtained from suppressing bandits would belong to Gu Shijiu, and the imperial court would pay her a salary every year.

At first glance, this treatment seems quite generous.

But in reality, what they meant was that they wanted Gu Shijiu to take over all the nearby cities as well.

Then, by bringing these cities under their control and submitting them to the imperial court, it was somewhat akin to being granted amnesty.

Perhaps it was because of his many experiences, but Gu Shijiu gradually figured out the true meaning of the imperial court from the long and cryptic dialogue.

She was somewhat pleased, feeling that she had finally become smarter.

The officials secretly breathed a sigh of relief, muttering to themselves.

"This person must have something wrong with her brain. Everyone explained things so clearly and thoroughly, yet it took her three hours to understand."

The leading official thought that Gu Shijiu was definitely pretending to be stupid.

How could someone who could unite a group of rural villagers and unify business practices be a reckless woman with courage but no strategy?

So he invited Gu Shijiu to go down the mountain to the Central Plains to meet their superior.

It was actually a test; even the official himself didn't think the other party would agree.

But the dedicated Gu Shijiu, upon hearing the invitation, immediately remembered that he still needed to find Zeng Daniu and help Li Fang make a living.

Without hesitation, she quickly abandoned the mountain stronghold and followed the officials down the mountain.

The officials clearly hadn't expected that their objective would be achieved so easily.

Looking at Gu Shijiu's calm and leisurely demeanor, one can't help but feel even more admiration for the leader's charisma.

And so the carriage traveled day and night on the official road, stopping and starting, for nearly three months before finally arriving in the capital.

Perhaps it was because they were back in familiar territory and felt more confident that the officials' attitudes changed significantly.

Even Gu Shijiu, whose nerves are thicker than her thighs, noticed it.

However, she didn't care about these trivial matters. She ate when offered food and stayed when asked to, appearing quite easygoing.

Seeing that Gu Shijiu was so sensible, the officials felt even more at ease with her.

He thought to himself that although the leader looked fierce, he was still relatively easy to deal with.

After entering the capital, Gu Shijiu was settled in a well-designed post station.

Before leaving, the officials made sure to arrange for a team of guards to stand outside, ostensibly to protect her safety.

Actually, it was to prevent her from suddenly jumping out of the room on a whim and causing some trouble.

Gu Shijiu didn't feel any ill will towards this.

Anyway, if she really wanted to leave, no one could stop her, and she had no idea that people were trying to keep an eye on her.

But the servants at the post station were not so calm about Gu Shijiu's arrival.

Everyone was terrified when they heard that a ruthless bandit leader was going to move into the inn.

After all, they had all heard the rumors about Gu Shijiu, saying that wherever she went, nothing would grow.

While this statement may be somewhat exaggerated, it is not entirely unfounded.

It is said that whenever this person went to a mountain village, there would be nothing left there, not even grass, when he left.

As a result, rumors began to circulate in the manor that the head of the household had a habit of eating people.

She liked to live in the bandits' strongholds, and only leave when she had eaten everyone.

This legend sounds so horrifying that it sends chills down one's spine.

During the days that Gu Shijiu stayed here, the clerk at the post station carefully counted the number of people every day, for fear that someone would be missing.

Fortunately, no cannibalism incidents have occurred so far.

However, the head of the household's appetite was simply too much for the cooks in the kitchen to handle.

The post station originally had enough food to last a month, but Gu Shijiu ate most of it in just a few days after arriving.

The cook sighed with worry as she looked at the empty rice jar, her stomach feeling like a bottomless pit.

And so new rumors began to circulate at the post station.

The story goes that the leader, unable to find any people to eat, planned to stuff himself to death.

At this moment, Gu Shijiu was sitting in the room, staring blankly out the empty window.

Suddenly, without warning, she sneezed. Immediately, she looked around warily, frowned, and muttered, "Who's insulting me!"

She stayed for a few more days, but no one came to see her.

Gu Shijiu felt a bit bored, so she often went out to play.

She didn't want to cause trouble for the patrolling guards, and she would always sneak over the wall when no one was looking.

But with a living person missing from the room, who could possibly be fooled?

The official who heard the report for the first time was terrified. Only after hearing it several times and learning that Gu Shijiu had just gone out for a stroll to buy things did he feel relieved.

The officials examined her purchases carefully but came to no conclusion.