The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 266 A Mess (first update)

Chapter 266: 266 A Mess (first update)

Li Xianyun and her entourage disguised themselves as an ordinary merchant caravan, just as they had come.

She instructed Jinwu and the others to raise their vigilance and observe closely, and to inform her promptly if anything abnormal occurred.

The journey back to Shangjing was surely fraught with danger and full of hardships.

Actually, during the days in Tianshui County, Li Xianyun often felt that someone was following her, but the prickling sensation quickly disappeared.

Those following her were probably dealt with by Yelu Yan’s Hidden Guard.

The Hidden Guard under Yelu Yan was vast in number, moving tracelessly and possessing great skills.

After Li Xianyun boarded the carriage, she spread out the soft cushions and curled up on them to sleep.

She still had many important matters to attend to and needed to conserve her energy.

After the troop traveled for a day, and twilight neared, Jinwu approached the carriage with respect and reported, "Your Highness, it will be dark soon. Shall we continue on our way or find a place to rest?"

After half a day’s sleep, Li Xianyun felt much refreshed. At the time Jinwu asked, she was leaning against the carriage wall, reading a book.

Upon hearing Jinwu’s question, Li Xianyun closed the book and spread out the route map she had drawn on her way to the Border Market.

"Let’s find a place to rest."

Night was always fraught with danger.

Traveling through the vast grasslands at night was risky, as it was easy to encounter ferocious wolves. If they were all skilled martial men, it would be no big issue, but Youlan and she were both delicate and lacked martial skills, unable to fully protect themselves, and would only become a burden to the others.

Moreover, if they were to travel across the vast grasslands, without any place to take cover, they could easily be surrounded and trapped.

"There is a solitary fortress to the northwest. Let’s rest there," Li Xianyun said.

Jinwu respectfully bowed his arm in salute, "Yes!"

Li Xianyun stopped Jinwu, who was about to leave.

"Guard Jin, pass the order that we are likely to encounter an attack tonight. Tell everyone to remain vigilant after arriving at the resting place, ready for combat at a moment’s notice."

"Yes!"

Suddenly, Jinwu realized that Li Xianyun was not as frail as she appeared on the surface. She had a clear mind, could accurately grasp reality, and make decisive decisions.

Jinwu certainly knew that the journey back to Shangjing would not be smooth, but he was unsure why Li Xianyun was so certain that they would be attacked that night.

However, he still relayed Li Xianyun’s orders as instructed.

The party moved northwest and soon arrived in front of the solitary fortress.

Li Xianyun had passed this place on her way there and had treated the sick people of the fortress.

But people are inherently more inclined to exploit the weak and fear the strong. At that time, Yelu Yan was by her side, and various demons and ghosts did not dare to stir trouble because of Yelu Yan’s power. Now that she was alone, those people followed the scent and came.

The fortress was isolated; travel to and from it was inconvenient, with no villages in front nor shops behind, leaving the city quite dilapidated.

The last time she treated patients in the city, Li Xianyun learned from them about the origin of the place.

Initially, it was built to imprison the extremely vicious criminals. With each emperor came a different court, and with different emperors, measures varied; thus, the fortress gradually transformed into a resting place for travelers.

This led to the emergence of some business opportunities, with those selling mules and camels for travel, inns for travelers to stay, and markets...

Although the fortress was not large, it had everything one would need for various professions.

The people living here came from all corners of the country, and the local customs were quite unrestrained.

Li Xianyun chose a relatively secluded inn to stay in.

As they were unloading a small amount of luggage, Zhuo Ma couldn’t help but ask, "Young Master, this place is too remote, why choose to stay here?"

Li Xianyun chuckled lightly, "Secluded places are quiet."

The remote location also spared the innocent from calamity.

The shopkeeper was overjoyed to see such a large crowd come in; he hadn’t seen so many guests at once all year long.

The shopkeeper hurriedly greeted them and said to Li Xianyun with a smile, "Young Master, are you here for a meal or for lodging?"

He immediately recognized Li Xianyun’s distinguished status from among the crowd.

Although she wore commoner’s clothes, her every move was filled with grace that her noble air could not be concealed.

"Both dining and lodging."

Upon hearing this, the shopkeeper was delighted and shouted, "Welcome our honored guests!"

Several waiters came out from the kitchen and the tea house, both surprised and pleased to see such a large crowd.

With the inn not located in a strategic position and few customers, the waiters had been extremely bored; now, they finally had something to do.

Li Xianyun looked around and saw indeed there were pitifully few customers inside; there were only two others dining in the main hall.

Those two customers looked at Li Xianyun’s party as they entered, observing her.

Li Xianyun pretended not to see and followed the shopkeeper to the upstairs premium room. Zhuo Ma and Youlan shared a room with her, while Jinwu and the other hundred-plus guards stayed five or six to a room.

Jinwu arranged the guards’ rooms on both the first and second floors, encircling Li Xianyun’s room, ensuring that they could protect the princess well should any assassins come.

The Khan valued the princess more than his own eyes; if something happened to her, none of them would expect to leave alive.

Li Xianyun and her party ate their meals in their rooms.

Feeding such a large group in the dining hall would definitely cause a stir; it would be too conspicuous.

In the middle of the night, several figures dressed in black, like ghosts, emerged swiftly from the darkness and silently entered the inn.

They had been prepared to kill anyone they saw, but to their surprise, they didn’t encounter a single person, not even a waiter from the inn; the whole place was as quiet as a tomb.

The figures in black felt they had been duped, but they had already signed a death pact and failure to complete their mission would endanger their families.

Steeled with resolve, they scaled the high columns to leap up to the second floor to Li Xianyun’s room. However, as soon as the first figure in black climbed up, he was kicked down and crashed heavily to the floor.

At the same moment, torches flared to life, illuminating the inn as bright as day.

The figures in black realized they had fallen into a trap and charged at the fragile figure standing in the middle of the second floor.

But they were delusively foolish, for the guards were not permitting anyone near Li Xianyun.

Li Xianyun watched the group of figures in black coldly; they clearly wanted her dead and were obviously not sent by Murong Ce.

Murong Ce would likely have wanted to capture her, not kill her.

She had that much understanding of Murong Ce.

She felt like one of Murong Ce’s playthings; he wouldn’t let her die easily before he tired of her.

While the figures in black and guards were fiercely fighting, another group of people, all wearing black veils, broke through the windows from outside and leaped toward Li Xianyun.

The figures in black were baffled, unable to distinguish friend from foe.

However, the enemy of an enemy could be a friend.

The figures in black and those in veils seemed to have the same objective, and the accompanying guards began to struggle.

Just then, several men in commoner’s clothes rushed in from outside and started fighting with the figures in black and those with veils.

Li Xianyun, like a queen, looked down from on high at the scene below, "Are they the Khan’s Hidden Guards?"

Standing beside her, Jinwu respectfully said, "Yes."