The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 246: I’ll wait for my husband to come back.

Chapter 246: I’ll wait for my husband to come back.

Li Xianyun was naturally overwhelmed with shyness and called out, "Flirtatious man," intending to bury her face in the bed to hide her embarrassment, but that person didn’t give her the chance.

Yelu Yan directly supported her slender waist and lifted her entire body up, and Li Xianyun ended up embracing Yelu Yan’s head.

That person then began to act without restraint.

Li Xianyun’s slightly swollen red lips parted to let out a hiss, her delicate eyebrows furrowed with discomfort, and she closed her eyes.

*****

After a long while, Yelu Yan looked up at Li Xianyun beneath him, his gaze filled with infatuation and a hint of pleading, "Xianxian, why not join your husband for a bath?"

What he wanted to do was obvious.

Li Xianyun’s face flushed as she looked at him, her pearly white teeth biting her lower lip, she gently nodded.

Yelu Yan, like a child who had tasted sweets, held her tender little face and kissed it several times, then climbed out of bed and went to bathe, his clothes in disarray. He was in such a hurry that he even forgot to put on his shoes.

He turned back to put on his shoes, glancing at Li Xianyun with a smile while he clumsily straightened his clothes.

Li Xianyun laughed softly, "Idiot."

Yelu Yan’s smile was brilliant. Before leaving, he made a special point, "Don’t sleep, wait for your husband to return."

His voice was loud enough that Youlan and Zhuo Ma certainly heard every word.

Li Xianyun’s face was burning hot, how could she face anyone after this?

She had intended to force herself to stay awake for Yelu Yan’s return, but she was truly too tired and sleepy, and soon fell asleep.

She was drowsily awakened from the blankets by someone’s kisses.

Li Xianyun’s voice trembled with tender reproach, "My lord..."

"...Mm..."

******

The next morning, the warm sun shone all around, and two sparrows chirped noisily on the window lattice.

Li Xianyun had slept drowsily and slowly came to, feeling aches all over her body. That person was full of vigor; if she hadn’t cried and begged for mercy, her small frame might have fallen apart.

She shouldn’t have indulged him with her soft heart.

Li Xianyun struggled to sit up, pulling together the clothing that had slipped off her shoulders, and then saw the mottled marks on her body.

With last night’s events vivid in her mind, Li Xianyun’s face warmed slightly and after a moment, she got up to dress.

After freshening up and having breakfast, Li Xianyun went to the storage room where the preserved fruits were kept, took out one hundred kilograms of apricot and peach preserves, and had Zhuo Ma lead people to deliver them to Xingfang Restaurant.

Li Xianyun instructed Zhuo Ma as she watched her, "When you deliver them, make a round in the Border Market and ensure you make a big procession. If anyone asks, say these preserves are ordered by Xingfang Restaurant and that we plan to cooperate long-term."

Zhuo Ma asked puzzledly, "Why?"

Li Xianyun smiled, "Xingfang Restaurant is quite famous in Houtang, and Houliang’s eateries have heard a lot about it. If they hear that Xingfang Restaurant has ordered preserves, surely many eateries from Houliang will follow suit and seek to cooperate with us. By that time, the initiative will be in our hands, and it will be up to us to decide who we want to partner with."

"Family Head is wise," Zhuo Ma said with a smile.

Li Xianyun looked at her and said, "After the goods are delivered, find a few reliable people to spread the word that Xingfang Restaurant has ordered preserves. Prepare on both fronts to avoid any oversights."

"Yes!"

After Zhuo Ma left with her people, Youlan asked Li Xianyun, "Family Head, should we interrogate Xiang Rong?"

"No need, have you ever heard of ’boiling the eagle’? Right now she has not yet tasted real suffering and is still very emotional. Speaking to her is like playing the lute to a cow, completely pointless. My time is very precious; I don’t have the time to waste on her."

Li Xianyun looked towards Bater and said, "Prepare the carriage, let’s take a trip around the marketplace in Tianshui County."

Bater bowed and replied, "Yes!"

Youlan looked at Li Xianyun and asked, "Master, why are we going to the markets in Tianshui County?"

"To find a reliable escort agency."

Now that she had already signed a contract with Xingfang Restaurant, the issue of transporting the candied fruits arose.

Tianshui County is located at the border area of Khitan, Houtang, and Houliang, where all three countries need to provide for each other’s needs, so the escort agencies flourished accordingly.

Recently, Li Xianyun had taken a carriage to the Border Market and had looked over Tianshui County, discovering more than a dozen escort agencies, big and small.

The conditions of these more than a dozen escort agencies were certainly a mixed bag.

If she wanted to cooperate long-term, she needed to choose her partners well from the beginning to avoid significant losses during the collaboration.

Bater was driving the carriage while Li Xianyun and Youlan sat inside, looking outside, and during the journey, they also spent twenty copper coins to hire a local villager as a guide.

The villager was overjoyed to earn twenty copper coins and happily got onto the carriage.

The villager was quite talkative and knew a lot, and he described the situation of the dozen or so escort agencies.

Li Xianyun only took this as a reference, after all, hearing is believing, but seeing is the truth.

Some escort agencies had young servants loitering lazily at the entrance, which clearly showed lax management; cooperating with such agencies would be very inefficient, and entrusting them with business would be worrisome.

There were also some escort agencies run jointly by families, which Li Xianyun chose not to consider.

Family-run businesses often practiced nepotism and were prone to corruption and misconduct, thus, not reliable partners either.

After visiting a few agencies, Li Xianyun finally decided on one; this agency was newly established with branches along the route from Shangjing to Tianshui County, and their headquarters were in Shangjing, making communication relatively convenient.

After Shangjing, she could start arranging the transport of the candied fruits.

Li Xianyun went to the Border Market again. Yelu Yan wanted to develop agriculture, and it was currently the season for planting winter wheat. Using some of the candied fruits to exchange for plump wheat seeds seemed like an appropriate gift for Yelu Yan.

Zhuo Ma delivered the candied fruits to Xingfang Restaurant where the Shopkeeper glanced behind her, "Did your young master not come?"

"My young master has other matters to attend to, so he did not come," Zhuo Ma said truthfully.

The Shopkeeper seemed slightly disappointed, "Young brother, please wait here for a moment. I’ll go upstairs to inform the Family Head. Perhaps my Family Head has some words for you to take back."

Zhuo Ma nodded.

The Shopkeeper went upstairs and came down shortly after, looking at Zhuo Ma and saying, "My Family Head said that after taking the medicine, his entire being feels at ease. He would like to thank your young master in person."

Zhuo Ma smiled and said, "Alright, I will convey the message to my young master exactly as you said."

After parting ways, Zhuo Ma walked towards the gate of the Border Market and saw Li Xianyun with Youlan and Bater inspecting something at a grain stall.

Zhuo Ma, both surprised and delighted, quickened her pace towards them.

Li Xianyun held some wheat grains in her hand, examined them, picked out a few seeds to squeeze; some were shriveled.

It was said to compare goods from three shops, and Li Xianyun, meticulous and astute, knew how to plan and weigh her options.

After seeing several vendors, Li Xianyun settled on one with plump wheat grains, proposing to exchange candied fruits for them.

Li Xianyun was prepared for both outcomes; if the seller was unwilling to trade for the candied fruits, she would offer money instead.

However, the merchant agreed readily.

He had heard that the apricot and peach candied fruits were exceptionally delicious and that the famed Xingfang Restaurant was also going to sell candied fruits.

There must be something unique about these candied fruits.

The curiosity about the candied fruits grew even more among the people.

The merchant too wanted to have a taste.