The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 382 - 381 Master, are you hiding from Khan? (Second update)

Chapter 382: 381 Master, are you hiding from Khan? (Second update)

Li Yumin glared at Qin Rou with fury and said coldly, "You must be disappointed that you didn’t kill me, aren’t you?"

Tears filled Qin Rou’s eyes, a pitiable sight to behold.

"Your Highness, why would you say such a thing? How could I ever harbor the intention to harm you?"

Li Yumin snapped, "Still trying to argue your way out? Don’t think I don’t know whose pawn you are. You all conspired to kill me, to frame Yelu Yan, to provoke discord between Houtang and Khitan, benefiting Houliang in the process!"

Qin Rou was horrified. With Li Yumin’s limited intelligence, how could she possibly know all this? There must be a mastermind behind her.

And that mastermind was truly fearsome.

Qin Rou’s face remained expressionless, though the palm mark on her pale skin made her look even more pitiable.

"Your Highness, I know you have always looked down on my humble origins and believe I have ill intentions and have seduced His Majesty. But my love for His Majesty is genuine, and I have always held you in high regard. Having emerged from the mire only by His Majesty’s grace and seeing daylight once more, gratitude is all I’ve yet to express. How could I commit such a rebellious act?"

On the day Li Yumin left Chunying Hall, she had encountered a group of masked men not long after. These masked men were highly skilled with poisons. With a flick of their wrists, thick smoke filled the air, and both she and her entourage collapsed to the ground.

When she awakened, she found herself in an abandoned temple covered in cobwebs, revived by a masked man splashing water on her.

Soaked through, Li Yumin saw a masked man sitting on a chair—it was clear he was the leader of the group.

Li Yumin asked with a cold voice, "Who are you, and what do you want?"

The masked man replied indifferently, "We’ve come to seek a cooperation with you."

"Seek cooperation with me?" Li Yumin retorted coldly, "You kidnap me to seek cooperation? You’re joking, right?"

The masked man stated, "To show our sincerity, I can save your life."

Li Yumin scoffed at this, but since her life was in the hands of others, she dared not provoke them further.

The masked man continued, "Within three days, someone will attempt to take your life in the depths of night within your sleeping quarters."

Li Yumin looked at the masked man in shock. "Who wants to kill me?"

"Qin Rou."

"How is that possible?"

How could Qin Rou, a woman with neither power nor influence, kill her?

The masked man let out a cold laugh and said, "She is a spy from Houliang, aiming to stir up trouble between Houtang and Khitan, incite conflict, and allow Houliang to benefit from it."

Seeing Li Yumin half-believing, the masked man added, "You must have seen the popular paintings spreading throughout Chang’an, Your Highness."

"Are you saying this was her doing?"

"True or false, you can investigate for yourself," said the masked man. "You may go now."

No sooner had he spoken than someone came forward to untie Li Yumin.

Watching Li Yumin walk away, a masked person asked, "Deputy Hall Master, since we have already captured the Ninth Princess, why didn’t the Hall Master let us kill her? Why do we still need to cooperate with her?"

"The Hall Master has his plans, just follow them," came the reply.

"Yes, my apologies for my presumption."

Li Yumin left the dilapidated temple, hardly believing her escape, feeling as if she had been reborn after a calamity.

From the day she returned to the palace, she always had a body double sleep in her bed, never expecting that someone indeed wanted her dead.

Li Yumin watched Qin Rou with a cold gaze and said, "Appearances can be deceiving. You’ve always held a grudge against me. Sending people to assassinate me is not so surprising."

Once Qin Rou heard this, she knew Li Yumin had no solid evidence and cried out, "If Your Highness has any evidence, please present it. Do not sully my innocence on baseless grounds."

"You..." Li Yumin was infuriated, "I will investigate this myself."

Upon hearing this, Li Mu felt a twinge of pity for Qin Rou and said, "Minmin, you can’t just make accusations without evidence. The Empress Consort has always wanted to make peace with you, and for your marriage alliance with Houliang, she has spoken highly of you in front of me."

Li Yumin snorted coldly and muttered, "Who knows what she’s up to, but it’s definitely nothing good."

Qin Rou, upon hearing this, leaned into Li Mu’s embrace with tear-filled eyes.

Li Mu’s face darkened, "I will investigate today’s events myself; do not target Consort Rou."

Having said this, he wrapped his arms around Qin Rou and left.

Li Yumin called out, "Father Emperor!"

But Li Mu did not turn his head back.

Li Yumin stomped her feet in anger, determined not to let that despicable woman, Qin Rou, get away with this.

-

Li Xianyun spent two days arranging the Xuanyi Pavilion and another day purchasing the necessary medicinal ingredients from various pharmacies.

The strong scent of medicinal herbs wafted through the room.

Li Xianyun, along with Youlan, Bater, Ge Lei, and over ten palace servants, categorized the herbs and put them in different drawers.

The names of the medicinal ingredients were labeled in Khitan script on the outside of the drawers.

These labels were all handwritten by Li Xianyun herself in graceful and beautiful calligraphy.

Seeing that it was getting late, Youlan spoke up to remind her, "Master, it’s getting dark, we should head back."

Li Xianyun paused for a moment and said somewhat absently, "I need to be prepared today since I’ll start seeing patients tomorrow."

To attract the public to seek medical consultation, Li Xianyun planned to bring along Wu Mu, other medical officers, and Imperial Physicians.

She had already notified the Imperial Medical Bureau in advance.

Wu Mu and the others were very excited. As medical officers and Imperial Physicians of the Imperial Medical Bureau, they rarely saw patients. Now that they were going to treat common folks, they would encounter more cases, which was an excellent opportunity for practicing and improving their medical skills.

Without a doubt, Youlan casually remarked, "This servant thought you were delaying your return to avoid the Khan."

As she spoke, Youlan picked up the sorted medicinal ingredients and walked towards the medicine shelf.

Therefore, she did not notice that her mistress’s face flushed red at this comment.

Li Xianyun was, indeed, trying to avoid Yelu Yan.

Ever since her monthly period had ended, Yelu Yan would look at her like a starving wolf spotting food, eyes gleaming, and he would drag her into the inner chamber whenever he saw her, with no end in sight.

During the days of Li Xianyun’s period, Yelu Yan had only come to her once while still clothed, enduring it at other times. The pent-up passion was bound to erupt in an overwhelming battle.

She had thought that the relentless foolishness of the first night would suffice, but the next day was no different, and perhaps even more excessive than before her period.

When they first became intimate, Yelu Yan took her body into consideration, always holding back and imposing restrictions on himself.

As their intimacy grew over time, his true nature gradually revealed itself. Although he still considered her feelings, a certain part of his body was indeed imposing, and her small frame simply couldn’t bear it.

In fact, it was not entirely Yelu Yan’s fault. She gave in too easily to herself; that extreme pleasure was always so tempting.

Li Xianyun was also too indulgent with him, spoiling him out of any reasonable shape.

Only after she pleaded with him desperately would Yelu Yan finally let her go.

Afterwards, Li Xianyun always felt as if she had been washed over by water, completely drained of strength.

In her sleep, Yelu Yan would disturb her, shamelessly saying, "Xianxian, you just lie there, no need to move; let your husband do the work."

But how could she not move when he was rousing her?

During the day, Li Xianyun would appear listless, wanting to sleep anytime and anywhere. She’d fall asleep as soon as she got into the carriage. But for someone like her, who was particularly fond of sleep, it was never enough.

Li Xianyun knew what awaited her upon returning to the palace, and she had a soft ear for such matters. Yelu Yan was good at coaxing people and knew exactly how to make her comply. She simply couldn’t resist, so her only option was to hide outside the palace and rest for a while.