From cannon fodder villain to beloved heroine

The majestic city gate of Tianshui City resembles a giant beast, silently overlooking the merchants and travelers coming and going.

At the city gate, a group of burly men dressed in exotic attire blocked the caravan's path. They were all strong and powerful, with sharp eyes like hawks, and were clearly not to be trifled with.

The leader, a man with a face full of fat and an upturned nose, looked as if the whole world owed him money.

"This road is mine, these trees are mine, if you want to pass, leave your toll!" the burly man shouted gruffly, his tone full of disdain.

Boss Ma looked at the group of people with a helpless expression on his face.

They had already been robbed several times along the way, and had finally reached Tianshui City, only to encounter another obstacle.

"Brother, we're here in Tianshui City on business. Please do us a favor," Boss Ma said with a forced smile.

The burly man scoffed dismissively: "Doing business? Then you have to follow the rules! If you want to enter Tianshui City, you have to pay the city entrance tax first!"

"Entry tax?" Boss Ma was taken aback. "May I ask how much the entry tax is?"

The burly man held up five fingers and rubbed them together greedily: "Five hundred taels of silver!"

"Five hundred taels?!" Boss Ma gasped in shock; this was an outrageous demand!

Although their goods were valuable, they had suffered considerable losses along the way. If they paid the five hundred taels of silver, they would probably lose money on this business.

Liu Er, hiding in the crowd, watched Boss Ma's predicament with a gloating smile on his face.

He had long disliked Boss Ma, and this was a perfect opportunity to use him as a tool to do his dirty work and make him suffer.

"What? You think it's too much?" Seeing that Boss Ma remained silent, the burly man became even more arrogant. "If you think it's too much, then get lost! Tianshui City isn't a place where just any Tom, Dick, or Harry can enter!"

Just then, Yan Ruyu, who had been silent all along, stepped forward. Her eyes were clear and her tone was firm: "Five hundred taels, we'll give it to you." She took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and waved it in front of the burly man. "However, I want to talk to your master."

The jade pendant shimmered with a warm glow in the sunlight; it was no ordinary item, and the burly man recognized it at a glance as a token of the Western Regions royal family.

He paused for a moment, then put on a respectful expression and said, "Please wait a moment, young lady, I will go and inform Master Batu right away."

The burly man scurried into the city gate, and a moment later, a middle-aged man wearing a brocade robe and sporting a small mustache came out.

He is Batu, the de facto ruler of Tianshui City.

Batu sized Yan Ruyu up and down, a shrewd glint in his eyes: "Miss is..."

"Yan Family Caravan, Yan Ruyu." Yan Ruyu smiled slightly, poised and graceful.

"So you are Miss Yan," Batu said, cupping his hands in greeting. "May I ask what brings you here?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer advice," Yan Ruyu chuckled. "I just feel that a city entry tax of five hundred taels seems a bit unreasonable. Our caravan has traveled a long way, bringing many goods that are not available in the Western Regions. This exchange of goods is beneficial to Tianshui City as well. Perhaps this five hundred taels could be..."

Yan Ruyu didn't finish her sentence, but Batu already understood what she meant.

He pondered for a moment and said, "Miss Yan is right. How about we halve the entrance tax?"

"Deal." Yan Ruyu readily agreed.

Batu had expected Yan Ruyu to continue haggling, but she agreed so readily that he couldn't help but think more highly of her.

This young girl, despite her young age, is so calm and mature; she is destined for great things.

“In addition,” Yan Ruyu paused, “I also want to rent a shop in Tianshui City to sell goods on a long-term basis.”

Batu's eyes lit up – this was a great opportunity for long-term cooperation!

He immediately agreed and promised to give Yan Ruyu some business incentives.

The caravan members were stunned to see Yan Ruyu chatting and laughing, manipulating Batu as if he were a puppet.

They originally thought they would have to pay money to avoid disaster, but they didn't expect Yan Ruyu to resolve the crisis so easily.

Boss Ma was so moved that tears streamed down his face. He grabbed Yan Ruyu's hand and choked out, "Ruyu, you are truly my lucky star!"

Yan Ruyu smiled slightly, silently expressing her gratitude to the person in the distance.

Although he is not here, his support and encouragement have always been her driving force.

Thinking of him, her caravan members felt the power emanating from her and were filled with even more hope.

"Alright, let's go into the city." Yan Ruyu waved her hand confidently, "Tianshui City, here I come!" Unbeknownst to her, in the shadows of the city walls, a pair of eyes were silently watching her…

"This girl is getting more and more interesting." A deep voice drifted on the wind.

The Tianshui City market was bustling with activity, filled with the sounds of vendors calling out their wares, and a dazzling array of goods.

Yan Ruyu moved through it all as if she were in her element.

She would sometimes haggle with merchants from the Western Regions in fluent Western Regions language, and sometimes introduce special products from the Western Regions to merchants from the Central Plains, exuding confidence and competence in every gesture.

Her bright eyes seemed to be able to see through all business opportunities, and she could always get the best goods at the most favorable prices.

"Miss Yan is truly a remarkable woman! The price of this batch of spices is 20% lower than I expected!" A merchant from the Central Plains exclaimed, giving a thumbs up.

"It's been such a pleasure working with Miss Yan! I've never met such a shrewd businesswoman." Another merchant from the Western Regions also praised Yan Ruyu highly.

In just half a day, Yan Ruyu reached cooperation agreements with several businesses, and the caravan's business empire expanded rapidly.

Seeing all this, Boss Ma was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes. He had never imagined that the caravan could achieve such great success in the Western Regions.

His gaze toward Yan Ruyu was filled with admiration and gratitude, as if he were looking at a savior.

As evening fell, the caravan members gathered at the inn to celebrate the day's harvest.

They sang and danced, their laughter filling the air with a lively and festive atmosphere.

Yan Ruyu stood in the center of the crowd, a confident smile on her face. At this moment, she was undoubtedly the focus of attention and the lucky star of the caravan.

"Ruyu, you are truly amazing! The best decision I, Boss Ma, have ever made in my life was bringing you into the caravan!" Boss Ma raised his wine glass and said excitedly.

"Boss Ma, this is all thanks to everyone," Yan Ruyu replied modestly, but her eyes were full of pride.

Just then, a member of the caravan rushed in, his face flushed, and handed Yan Ruyu a letter: "Miss Yan, urgent letter!"

Yan Ruyu opened the letter, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

The letter contained only a few short sentences: Young Master Xu is in danger, return immediately!

She clutched the letter tightly, her heart filled with worry and anxiety.

At the same time, the laughter around them abruptly stopped, and the caravan members looked at each other, the atmosphere instantly becoming tense.

The distant horizon, the direction home, is shrouded in mist, obscuring the path ahead...

"Prepare the horses..." Yan Ruyu's voice trembled, yet remained unusually firm.