The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 321 The Princess’s Affair is a Top Priority Matter (First Update)

The assassin said, "I was sent by the Ninth Prince to kill you."

Yelu Yan snorted coldly and said to Jinwu, "Bring in the next assassin."

The assassin heard this and angrily said, "I’ve already told you everything, why do you still want to kill me?!"

Soon another assassin was brought in, and Yelu Yan said indifferently, "You did not tell the truth; I detest being deceived the most."

After he finished speaking, he slightly tilted his chin up.

The guard conducting the interrogation immediately stepped forward, positioning the sharp iron spike precisely atop the assassin’s head, and then the solid hammer was raised high and brought down heavily.

The despairing assassin struggled violently, the veins on his neck bulging, as he roared, "Yelu Yan, you are a man without honor; may you die a terrible death!!!"

As the heavy hammer fell, the assassin writhed maniacally, and the wood tying him made crackling noises.

During this, the corners of Yelu Yan’s mouth curved slightly upward, watching the process with a detached serenity.

Uninformed observers might think he was watching a mundane event.

People often said he was ruthless, but that didn’t do him justice. Ruthlessness involves having a heart, and he, being cold-blooded and heartless, lacked one.

Such a person was the most terrifying; hence Yelu Yan caused people to tremble with fear and seek to avoid him at all costs.

Jinwu couldn’t help but look at his Khan, acknowledging this was his true nature.

That was precisely why everyone was so astonished when they saw the Khan being tender to the Princess—it was like seeing a ghost.

Witnessing the execution scene, the assassin just brought in went weak at the knees, almost fainting, as urine streamed down from between his legs.

The assassin tied to the stake, having suffered the torment of the witches’ cap, endured immense agony and soon lost his life.

Two soldiers roughly took him down from the stake and tossed him aside like a sack of grain.

The interrogation platform was covered in bright red blood, and the entire room was filled with the warm stench of it.

The assassin who had wet himself was then tied to the stake.

The interrogating soldier, holding the bloodied spike and hammer, looked at him coldly and said indifferently, "If you don’t confess truthfully, your end will be the same as his."

The assassin was already wary of Yelu Yan, and now, having seen him in person, he was more terrifying than Yanluo himself. On top of witnessing the horrific scene earlier, he was utterly petrified and said to Yelu Yan in a trembling voice, "I... we were sent by Emperor Murong Ce of Houliang, with the intention of assassinating you."

In fact, interrogating prisoners such as this was a trivial matter, far below the dignity of a sovereign to perform personally.

On the way to the dungeons, Jinwu was full of confusion.

Now he finally understood why his Khan had set aside the pressing matters in the camp to personally interrogate these assassins.

The Khan feared for the Princess’s safety.

Whenever it involved the Princess, the Khan always paid extra attention.

Jinwu couldn’t help but sigh softly to himself; indeed, the most heartless people, once they fall in love, become the most devoted and passionate.

Fortunately, the Princess seemed to have some feelings for the Khan during their time in Tianshui County, so the Khan need not suffer in his unrequited love anymore.

"How many people?" the interrogating soldier asked indifferently.

"Fifty," replied the assassin.

"Are there any accomplices?"

"There shouldn’t be," the assassin said with a defeated look and a whining tone, "I really don’t know about that, please spare my life, I’ve told you everything I know."

He was so panicked his face turned red and his neck thickened, his speech becoming increasingly incoherent.

He was as helpless as a lamb awaiting slaughter.

The interrogating soldier looked toward Yelu Yan.

Yelu Yan made a simple gesture, crisp and decisive, just like his way of handling affairs, swift and without dragging his feet.

Understanding his cue, the interrogator said to the assassin, "You’ve just heard it, our Khan despises liars the most. If we find you’re spewing nonsense, your fate will be worse than your accomplices’."

"Everything I’ve said is true, not a word of falsehood."

Two soldiers untied him from the stake, all the while he was pleading for mercy.

A soldier reminded coldly, "If you disturb the Khan, a hundred heads wouldn’t be enough to chop."

Just a single sentence was enough to make the assassin shut his mouth out of fear.

Yelu Yan personally interrogated the following assassins. Their statements were consistent, all unaware if they had accomplices.

Murong Ce was indeed cautious in his actions.

Yelu Yan looked at the interrogating soldiers and said indifferently, "You keep interrogating them for the next two days to see if you can extract anything new. Once the interrogation is finished, follow the usual protocol."

The usual protocol was to give the assassins a swift end—death by a single stroke.

The interrogating soldiers respectfully bowed and responded, "Yes!"

Yelu Yan walked out with Jinwu and several guards.

Upon leaving the dungeon, the group mounted their horses.

Yelu Yan sat high on his horseback, looking formidable.

He turned to a guard and said, "You go immediately to the Imperial City Division and have someone scrutinize whether any suspicious individuals have been in Shangjing recently."

"Yes!"

After the guard spoke, he sped off like an arrow released from its bow.

Yelu Yan turned to Jinwu and said, "In Tianshui County, the person the Princess Consort caught is a maid of Murong Ce, who has followed him for years, skilled at disguise. She could infiltrate Tianshui County without notice, so she must have some tricks. You go immediately to Yan Manor and have the Hidden Guard thoroughly investigate this person and anyone connected to her."

This assassination attempt served as a wake-up call for Yelu Yan. If these assassins could enter Shangjing this easily, so could others.

Following the rebellion by Yelu Qi, Shangjing was no longer an iron bucket. Strict scrutiny and surveillance were a must to prevent any harm to Li Xianyun.

After receiving his orders, Jinwu quickly spurred his horse and rode away.

Yelu Yan, with the remaining men, galloped rapidly to the military camp. He needed to leave early and return early to keep company with his woman.

He was no longer the same as before, having established a family, he wasn’t without concerns.

Li Xianyun arrived at the Department of Equipment. Sang Yanlin, along with the department’s workers and the soldiers Li Xianyun had sent, had already built three barrel carts.

Seeing Li Xianyun arrive, Sang Yanlin quickly put down his saw, clapped the sawdust from his hands, shook off the white dust from his clothes, and greeted her with a beaming smile.

"My lord, thanks to the fifty soldiers you sent, we would have been overwhelmed just with the Department of Equipment’s few hands. Those brothers from Antler Camp have been a great help."

Li Xianyun, looking at the multitude either carrying wood, sawing, or hammering nails, said, "Everyone has worked hard. Once this is accomplished, I’ll surely have the Khan reward you all generously."

The Khitan people valued martial prowess and greatly admired the strong.

Yelu Yan, with his military exploits in the south and the north, invincible in battle, was already seen as a divine figure in the hearts of the Khitan people.

To receive favor from the Khan was a glory that many sought their entire lives.

Everyone voiced humble refusals, but inwardly felt overjoyed, and they worked with even more enthusiasm.

Under Sang Yanlin’s guidance, Li Xianyun inspected the three finished barrel carts and nodded her approval, saying, "Good, you can apply tung oil now. Once the oil is dry, we can order them to be hauled to the Northern Region."

Applying tung oil was to prevent the barrel carts from rotting after being soaked in water.