The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 352 - 351 The Real Life-Saving Benefactor (second update)

Chapter 352: 351 The Real Life-Saving Benefactor (second update)

According to the message delivered from Ji Shi Tang (Relief Hall or Hall of Healing), not long ago, a group of thieves attempted to break into the Prince’s Mansion at night but were thwarted by soldiers sent by the Houtang Imperial Court.

This was thanks to Yelu Yan, who had previously put pressure on the Houtang Imperial Court to dispatch troops.

Not only that, but Yelu Yan also arranged for people to secretly protect the Prince’s Mansion, doing so much for her without seeking acknowledgement.

How could she continue to be a burden to him?

Yelu Yan rested his head on hers and gently nuzzled it, "Alright, I promise you. However, when you encounter trouble, can you let me share the burden with you? I am truly worried about you."

He had never shown such submissiveness to anyone before, but now he was frequently showing submissiveness in front of Li Xianyun, overly obedient.

Li Xianyun let out a hum, feeling in her heart that it might be difficult to change.

She had always stood on her own, and the idea of suddenly depending on someone was really unfamiliar to her.

Yelu Yan looked up at her, staring at her without blinking.

Li Xianyun knew Yelu Yan was waiting for her response, so she said with a smile, "Actually, the grievance between me and the Ninth Princess is simple. She liked Murong Ce, and at first, she troubled me to vent her anger for Murong Ce. Later, when she realized that Murong Ce had some feelings for me, she acted out of jealousy and opposed me in everything."

She spoke calmly as if telling an ordinary tale, but Yelu Yan knew that her years had been quite hard.

The Emperor of Houtang was extremely fond of his youngest daughter—the Ninth Princess.

The indulgence had reached an astonishing level, well known by all in the land.

Li Xianyun’s family came from humble origins, without power or backing. Besides the late Emperor, they had no one to rely on, and they suffered many humiliations and mistreatments.

It’s hard to imagine how she managed through it all.

Through so many tribulations, she still managed to smile openly and remained pure and kindhearted.

One couldn’t do that without a strong inner spirit.

The distress in Yelu Yan’s eyes was all too evident, and Li Xianyun said with a smile, "My lord, don’t look at me with such pitiful eyes. I’m not as miserable as you think. I was able to escape from Murong Ce’s clutches largely thanks to the Ninth Princess."

"How so?"

Li Xianyun explained, "When I found out that Murong Ce liked me, I tricked him into returning to Houliang to request my hand in marriage."

"During that time, I leaked the news that Murong Ce wished to marry me. At that time, Houtang was losing to the Khitan, and the public sentiment was unstable. I took advantage of the situation and spread rumors that the Khitan and Houtang were discussing a political marriage. To stop me from marrying Murong Ce, the Ninth Princess naturally would seek the Emperor’s permission for me to be the one to marry into the Khitan. What followed is what you saw."

She deliberately omitted the part about Murong Ce trying to assault her while drunk.

Li Xianyun feared that if Yelu Yan knew about it, he might act irrationally.

Even though she knew Yelu Yan was unlikely to act impulsively, she feared the unexpected.

"So what do you plan to do next?" asked Yelu Yan.

Li Xianyun smiled, "Of course, I plan to completely ruin her reputation. I’m going to bring to light her habit of keeping male concubines in Chunying Pavilion."

The Ninth Princess, Li Yumin, although enamored with Murong Ce, could not endure loneliness and kept five or six male concubines.

A given opportunity not to be wasted.

Yelu Yan watched her smile, "So you went to Chunying Pavilion to search for evidence?"

Li Xianyun wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling innocently, "What else did you think I went there for, my lord?"

Yelu Yan’s tiger-like eyes gleamed with laughter, but he remained silent.

Li Xianyun didn’t expect him to answer and instead looked up at him and said, "My lord, I am curious, you said you’ve always kept yourself clean, not indulging in the company of women, so why did you agree to the Houtang’s political marriage?"

Yelu Yan smiled, "Want to know? Kiss me first."

Li Xianyun cast him a reproachful glance and leaned in to peck him on the lips.

"That was too perfunctory."

Here we go again.

Li Xianyun lowered her small hands and pouted, "If you don’t want to talk about it, forget it."

Yelu Yan caught her small hands and continued placing them around his neck, letting her embrace him.

He liked the feeling of Li Xianyun hanging on him.

"I was unwilling at first, but when I heard that the marriage alliance involved the eldest daughter of Prince Rui, I agreed," he admitted.

Li Xianyun suddenly remembered that, during her treatment of Xiao Dilu at his residence, Yelu Yan had asked her if she was the eldest daughter of Prince Rui.

"You know my father?" she asked.

"Mhm," Yelu Yan said, "Your father is my life-saving benefactor."

Li Xianyun was puzzled.

Yelu Yan explained, "Five years ago, I, accompanied by Ma Zhaoming, was on a diplomatic mission to Houtang. After leaving the Imperial Palace, I was ambushed. Caught off guard, I was struck by a hidden weapon from an assassin, which was poisoned. After fighting my way out of the encirclement, my strength failed, and I collapsed at the doorstep of a house."

"When I awoke, the poison had been neutralized. Just as I was about to get up, I heard your father’s voice. He was asking his servants about my condition and instructed them to take good care of me. From the servants, I learned that it was your father," he continued.

"I knew that your father was not well-regarded in Houtang, and sending his daughter into a marriage alliance was truly a last resort. Moreover, the Han people value a woman’s reputation highly. If I refused the alliance, it would certainly bring great harm to the woman involved."

"Thus, I agreed to the alliance, considering it a way to repay Prince Rui for saving my life," he concluded.

Seeing Li Xianyun visibly becoming excited, Yelu Yan asked, "Xianxian, what is it?"

"Husband, was your wound on the left side of your chest?" she inquired.

"You... it couldn’t have been you who saved me, could it?" he speculated.

Li Xianyun nodded, her smile beaming, "It was me who found you lying at the door. I was the one who brought you in and treated your poison."

At thirteen, Li Xianyun’s medical skills were already quite advanced.

Yelu Yan was so moved that he was at a loss for words for a moment. They say coincidences make for the best tales, and this was just too coincidental.

"So, my lifesaver was you."

"Why did you leave without saying goodbye? I was worried and lost for such a long time. You still had residual poison in your system, and I truly feared an outbreak of the poison sickness," he admitted, his voice filled with excitement.

Yelu Yan, overcome with emotion, kissed Li Xianyun’s small face fervently, nibbling on her soft, reddened lips.

He was just too passionate, too domineering. Li Xianyun tried to dodge backwards, but he insisted on holding her close, not allowing her to escape.

After a round of playful struggle, both of them were somewhat out of breath.

Li Xianyun lowered her head to straighten her clothes, which were widely open and crumpled from the frolic.

Yelu Yan wouldn’t let her button up, took her small hands away, and laid his down instead, exploring.

Li Xianyun could hardly bear it and bit down hard on her lips. Yelu Yan, however, kissed her, not allowing her to hurt herself.

At the same time, his hands became more audacious in their movements.

After a while, Yelu Yan looked down at Li Xianyun; she lay in his arms like a delicate flowering tendril.

"Xianxian, it stands to reason that I did not recognize you back then since I had never seen you. But you had seen me. Why didn’t you recognize me?" he asked.

"Your hair was disheveled at the time and your face was covered in blood. It was simply impossible to see clearly, so I didn’t recognize you as the same uncle from back then," she explained.

Yelu Yan’s mouth twitched with annoyance, "Uncle... Am I that old?"

"You are twelve years older than me; is that old or not?" she retorted.

"Xianxian, you’re really asking for it. Wait until after your menstrual period; I’ll make sure you learn your lesson," he threatened.

As they became more intimate, his way of speaking also grew much cruder, revealing the rough nature slowly.