The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan -
Chapter 389 - 388 What’s wrong (second update)
Chapter 389: 388 What’s wrong (second update)
The boy cried, "Aside from my sister and me, there were three other children."
"Are you willing to lead people to rescue your sister?"
"Yes, yes!" The boy was overjoyed.
Interrogating the woman and the captured man could yield results, but that method was time-consuming and laborious.
Li Xianyun, fearing that delays might lead to complications, sent five or six plainclothes guards to rescue the children, carrying the boy with them.
Li Xianyun ordered her men to gag the two captives and lock them up in the inner courtyard, while also sending someone to inform the officials.
Li Xianyun advised everyone to stay calm and wait for the arrival of the official government personnel.
She returned to her consultation room and continued to treat patients.
After a while, Youlan came in.
Li Xianyun looked at her, puzzled.
Youlan whispered in Li Xianyun’s ear, "My lady, Bater instructed me to tell you that the inner courtyard is filled with plainclothes guards, all to ensure your safety."
Li Xianyun pursed her lips, revealing a slight dimple, and thought about herself being considered defiant in public, wasn’t Yelu Yan doing the same?
He had openly agreed to her request to bring ten people, yet in secret, he had dispatched so many to protect her.
However, she still felt warm inside and also guilty for involving him in her affairs.
It had not been long since the plainclothes guards had taken the boy when they returned with five children—the oldest about seven or eight and the youngest around four or five—dirty, skinny, and with fear-filled eyes, clearly traumatized.
In addition, they had captured three suspicious-looking men, tightly bound.
Li Xianyun ordered the plainclothes guards to lock up the three child traffickers in the inner courtyard.
With Yelu Yan’s men there, nothing was likely to go wrong.
The boy’s poisoning had been resolved, and his health was recovering; he was holding the hand of a little girl about four or five years old, presumably his sister.
Seeing Li Xianyun, the boy knelt down with his sister and said, "Thank you, sister, for saving our lives."
The other children also knelt down and said the same.
They obviously did not know Li Xianyun’s identity.
Li Xianyun helped them up and said, "Are you hungry? Your sister will have someone take you to eat."
But the boy clung to Li Xianyun’s hand and refused to let go, showing how dependent he had become, probably scared and distrusting of everyone else.
Li Xianyun squatted down, looked up at him, and said, "Follow the brother who rescued you just now to have a meal, and after you have eaten your fill and taken a bath, put on clean clothes, your sister will help you look for your family, alright?"
When the children heard that she would help them find their families, they were elated.
One child could not hold back and started crying, and soon, the others also wept.
The commoners visiting Xuanyi Pavilion for medical consultations felt compassion for the children, and at the same time, they were overjoyed.
Most of them were parents themselves and could not bear to see such young children in tears.
Even those without children had siblings or young children in their families.
The most detestable crime to them was child trafficking.
That the Princess Consort had saved so many children all at once—how could they not feel joy?
People were filled with admiration for Li Xianyun.
There were rumors that the Princess Consort was beautiful, kind-hearted, and clever, and indeed, her reputation was well-deserved.
Many people’s perception of Li Xianyun had changed.
So what if she is Han? Han people can be good people too.
Meanwhile, the government officials had also arrived.
They knelt down to Li Xianyun, greeting her, "Greetings to the Princess Consort."
"Please rise," Li Xianyun said.
She soothed the weeping children and said to the official government officers, "This child has been poisoned by human traffickers, and the traffickers have been apprehended. Take them away for a stern interrogation, dig out their accomplices, and see if you can get any information about other kidnapped children, so that more children may be saved."
Even if Li Xianyun didn’t say anything, the officers would have tortured the masterminds behind the scenes.
However, these people were desperadoes and easily swayed by money; it was likely that even under severe torture, they would not divulge any useful information.
What Li Xianyun was more concerned about was whether they had any other accomplices; it was essential to uproot them completely to eliminate a threat to the public.
As for the children who had been trafficked, saving even one more was a success.
"Yes," the officer bowed with a bent arm.
The traffickers were led away in restraints, but the five children were reluctant to go with the government officials and wanted to stay at Xuanyi Pavilion with Li Xianyun.
Li Xianyun wasn’t comfortable letting five such young children go, so as previously instructed, she had Youlan take them to the second courtyard for a meal, a bath, and to change into clean clothes.
Everyone present was grateful for Li Xianyun’s kindness.
After the major uproar, there were continuous minor disturbances.
For those who couldn’t afford medical treatment and ran up debts, Li Xianyun had someone take down their address.
The person then rattled off a random address.
However, after the recent event, the public’s heart was with Li Xianyun.
Someone who lived at the same address asked, "I’ve grown up there but have never seen you; what family do you belong to, and who are your elders?"
The person hemmed and hawed, unable to answer.
"So you’ve come to make trouble."
"The Princess, along with the Divine Doctor from the Imperial Medical Bureau, is treating and saving people, yet here you are causing trouble, which is really unconscionable."
"Causing trouble over and over must mean someone is pulling the strings behind the scenes."
"Who could be so evil?"
"If someone dares to do something detrimental to Xuanyi Pavilion and the Princess, we won’t stand for it."
"Right, we absolutely cannot let the wicked act with impunity."
Hearing this, the person muttered something and slunk away.
No sooner had they reached a remote spot than someone covered their mouth and snatched them up.
Although minor disturbances kept happening, because Li Xianyun had made such a good impression beforehand, no further trouble arose, and nothing went awry.
On the first day of opening, Xuanyi Pavilion attracted many patients, and the number of people kept growing.
As evening approached, Ge Lei, dressed as a young servant, notified the palace servants to tell the people to stop queueing and come back the next day.
Other medical establishments would also close at nightfall, so the people did not make a fuss; they only felt it was a shame they had been skeptical and hadn’t come earlier—now they could only return the next day.
Li Xianyun and the Imperial Physician, along with the medical officers, continued treating patients until nightfall, finally clearing the queue inside the pavilion.
The number of patients was overwhelming; Li Xianyun ate only a little at lunchtime, and by now, she was ravenously hungry.
Just as Li Xianyun stretched with a yawn, Yelu Yan walked in with deliberate steps.
Feeling somewhat guilty, Li Xianyun looked at him; Youlan had said that it was by the Khan’s orders to supervise her eating properly at noon.
Li Xianyun had used the excuse that decrees from afar could not be followed and had eaten very little.
With a smile, she greeted him, "My lord, you’ve arrived."
"Hmm."
Yelu Yan’s expression was indifferent, clearly showing that he was upset.
Li Xianyun approached, reached out her arms, tiptoed, wrapped her arms around his neck, and clung to him coquettishly.
Despite his verbal complaints, Yelu Yan wrapped his strong arms around her waist, enclosing her in his embrace.
Li Xianyun looked up at him and pouted, "What’s the matter?"
"You tell me," Yelu Yan continued to speak facelessly.
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