The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 344 - 343 finally became a bit more obedient (second update)

Chapter 344: 343 finally became a bit more obedient (second update)

After Ji Xueyuan left, Yelu Yan had someone call Shulu Xi, who was waiting in the side hall.

Shulu Xi performed a respectful bow to Yelu Yan, "Greetings, Khan."

Yelu Yan leaned steadily back in his Taishi Chair, hand resting on the armrest, fingers tapping it lightly, watching him calmly, "The net has been cast. Have someone watch Ji Xueyuan closely. We will wait to close the net."

The time to completely purge the Imperial Court had arrived.

Shulu Xi was delighted, saluting again, "Yes."

He stood up straight and said to Yelu Yan, "Khan, purging the remnants and rabble of the court is truly a great thing, but this humble official feels somewhat uneasy, fearing that you may be acting hastily."

Yelu Yan looked at him with interest and said, "Are you suggesting that this Khan has lost composure because of the matter concerning the Royal Consort?"

Shulu Xi nodded. Yelu Yan’s favoritism towards Li Xianyun was obvious to all.

Whenever it came to matters involving Li Xianyun, Yelu Yan would pay extra attention, and his methods of dealing with those people were exceptionally ruthless.

He was concerned that Yelu Yan’s actions, because of this, could be irrational and detrimental to the overall situation.

Yelu Yan looked at Shulu Xi with an unperturbed gaze, serene and composed.

"Rest assured, each step I take is well thought out. Murong Ce is ambitious and has been unceasingly amassing wealth and expanding his military resources. If things go as expected, the conflict between Khitan and Houliang will erupt soon. If the court is unstable, this Khan will be besieged on all sides. How can I command the battle with peace of mind?"

And how could he protect his Xianxian?

He was not like before; he had someone he truly wanted to protect, and he could not afford to be compromised. Thus, every step he took had to be exceedingly cautious.

He considered the bigger picture and planned far ahead—this was also why Shulu Xi greatly admired Yelu Yan.

At dusk, the lower-class Palace Attendants returned to their quarters, and everyone was stunned.

New tables and chairs, freshly cleaned cabinets, thick soft quilts, and semi-old brazier.

The Palace Attendants were overjoyed at the sight, more so than at New Year’s.

They had never used such fine things since entering the palace.

A few Palace Attendants walked over to the bed, touching the blankets with their hands, soft and thick, very comfortable.

And that semi-old brazier—they had only seen it in their masters’ rooms since entering the palace.

With the world outside frozen and snowy, their masters’ rooms were always cozy and warm because of the braziers.

The masters lived comfortably without caring about the life and death of the Palace Attendants.

As soon as deep autumn came, their quarters would be as cold as an ice cellar, with cold beds and thin blankets, failing to warm up after a whole night, hands and feet frozen to solid lumps, each one of them developing frostbite on their hands.

That frostbite was stubborn. Once it appeared one year, it would return the next, unbearably itchy.

They dared not scratch; if scratched open, with no money to buy medicine, they had to endure it, which was extremely uncomfortable.

The Palace Attendants now looked at the brazier and charcoal in the room and felt their hearts warm.

Smiles overflowed on their faces.

One of the lower-class Palace Maids looked around with a grin so wide she could barely close her mouth.

"How did the Ministry of Internal Affairs think to give us so many good things?"

Another Palace Attendant chimed in, "Don’t you know? Yun Zhu became seriously ill, and Wu Zhu had no choice but to go to the Imperial Medical Bureau to request a doctor. Those Imperial Physicians, always too proud, refused to come and treat her and severely humiliated Wu Zhu."

"When Wu Zhu came out, she happened to run into the Royal Consort. Seeing her in a pitiable state, the Royal Consort not only provided treatment and medicine for Yun Zhu but also personally paid a visit to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. After the Royal Consort left the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they began sending people to inspect each palace."

"Said it was by command of the Royal Consort, to ensure each palace had sufficient supplies."

Another person couldn’t help but say, "The Royal Consort is truly benevolent!"

"Isn’t that so? A fellow townsman of mine serves in the Khan Palace and says it’s absolutely gorgeous there."

"The consort treats her servants extremely well, always with a smile, and even uses her noble hands to make delicious food for them, and she personally teaches them embroidery, instructing the palace servants in carpentry. Her hands are exceptionally skillful; the consort seems to be capable of everything."

Upon hearing this, someone’s eyes sparkled as they clapped their hands and said, "It would be so good if I could go to the Khan Palace to serve."

A palace maid pushed her head lightly and laughed, "Stop dreaming. The Khan Palace isn’t easy to get into. The Khan dotes on the consort so much; it’s very difficult for ordinary people to get close to her."

As night fell, dark clouds shrouded the crescent moon, darkening the sky.

When Yelu Yan returned to the Khan Palace, Li Xianyun was still asleep.

Yelu Yan gently pushed open the door of the inner chamber and walked in; the spacious chamber was illuminated by merely two or three dim lanterns.

A subtle fragrance of flowers wafted through the room.

On the bed, one could see the delicate figure of someone petite, and Yelu Yan stepped forward.

Li Xianyun was lying flat on the bed, her jet-black hair casually spread over the soft pillow, her delicate skin and beauty captivating.

Yel Yan took off his shoes and slowly lay down beside Li Xianyun, his large frame leaning against the pillows at the head of the bed, as he looked down fondly at his woman.

A sense of indescribable contentment and pleasure grew in his heart, lifting the corners of his mouth, his smile hard to hide.

After a long while, Li Xianyun finally woke up, roused by hunger.

The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Yelu Yan leaning against the head of the bed and couldn’t help but smile, her voice soft and lazy, "My lord, you’ve come back."

"Hmm."

Li Xianyun then sat up and nestled into Yelu Yan’s embrace, her little head rubbing against his firm chest, her small hands encircling his strong waist.

Yelu Yan’s smile widened instantly, one hand holding her while the other gently arranged the hair on her forehead, his doting was evident.

"Feeling unwell?"

Li Xianyun shook her head in his embrace, "I’m not unwell."

Yelu Yan kissed her hair gently, "At last, a bit more obedient."

Knowing to rest.

With her cheek against his chest, Li Xianyun looked up at him and said sweetly, "Have I ever disobeyed?"

Yelu Yan chuckled lightly and pecked her lips several times, saying, "Obedient, so obedient."

Li Xianyun "hmphed" and placed her hands against Yelu Yan’s chest, sitting up straight, and said sweetly, "Hungry."

"Alright, let’s eat."

Yelu Yan said and got out of bed, helped Li Xianyun put on her outer robe, and dressed her feet and shoes.

Seeing her hair neatly tied up, he carried her out of the inner chamber, heading straight for the main dining hall.

During the meal, Li Xianyun said to Yelu Yan, "My lord, I would like to leave the palace tomorrow."

"No, rest for a day then leave the palace."

Li Xianyun softly "oh," in acknowledgment.

Seeing her concentrating on eating without minding him, Yelu Yan thought she was upset, sighed quietly, and said, "You may leave the palace tomorrow, but you must come back early."

Li Xianyun’s face was filled with joy, "Okay, I will definitely come back early."

"Feeling better now?"

She hadn’t been in a bad mood at all, but still replied with a "Hmm."

Yelu Yan served her a good amount of dishes, "Eat more, okay?"

"Hmm."