The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 443 - 442 My Lord, I Know I Was Wrong (First Update)

Chapter 443: 442 My Lord, I Know I Was Wrong (First Update)

Yelu Yan embraced Li Xianyun as they approached Yaduo, bowing and saying, "Grandmother, I apologize for the fright."

Yaduo reached out to take Li Xianyun’s hand, her voice trembling, "Xianxian, just now I was truly scared to death. Is your neck alright?"

Li Xianyun’s lips curled up in a smile as she responded, "Grandmother, rest assured, your granddaughter-in-law is fine."

After inquiring about Li Xianyun, Yaduo seemed to remember her grandson and asked, "Ayan, you aren’t injured, are you?"

"No."

Yaduo nodded her head, finally putting her mind at ease.

At this moment, Duoduo’s family helped her to kneel before Li Xianyun, bowing and saying, "Thank you, Princess, for saving our lives."

Li Xianyun left Yelu Yan’s embrace and helped them up, saying, "Please, there’s no need for such formalities, rise."

Yelu Yan observed Li Xianyun, his dark eyes glittering with intensity.

She had indeed risked her own safety without hesitation to save another.

Had she considered his feelings when she undertook such a dangerous act?

Thinking this, a shade of darkness passed over Yelu Yan’s pitch-black pupils.

Li Xianyun steadied Duoduo and said to Youlan, "Go and bring a chair."

Youlan quickly brought the chair over.

Li Xianyun assisted Duoduo to sit and, squatting down, took her injured foot in her hands, gently squeezing the ankle. Once she located the injury, she applied pressure and skillfully set the bone right.

Li Xianyun looked up at Duoduo and asked, "Is it better now?"

Gratefully nodding, Duoduo replied, "Reporting to the Princess, it’s much better."

Her admiration for Li Xianyun deepened, as Li Xianyun was her savior.

Li Xianyun stood up and instructed Duoduo’s grandmother, "She needs to rest in bed; do not let her leave it for five days. After five days, she may try to walk slowly."

Duoduo’s grandmother, filled with gratitude, was about to kneel down.

Li Xianyun supported her, saying, "There’s no need for that, please take her home to rest."

The family left, of course, showering her with endless thanks.

On this day, the nobles of Shangjing realized two things.

First, Yelu Yan’s love for Li Xianyun was not merely a fleeting fancy. How could anyone who entrusted their fate and life to another be merely superficial in their affections?

Second, although Li Xianyun was of Han descent, she understood the greater good and was willing to risk her life to save others in danger, which was truly admirable. Everyone’s impression of Li Xianyun completely changed.

After Yelu Yan gave a few more instructions, he and Li Xianyun, supporting Yaduo, made their way to the carriage.

All present knelt and respectfully bid them farewell.

Upon reaching the carriage, the two helped Yaduo aboard.

Li Xianyun picked up her skirt to follow.

However, Yelu Yan wrapped her in his embrace, saying, "You will ride in the same carriage as your husband."

He then commanded Yaduo’s maid, "Close the door."

This act was unmistakably domineering, leaving her no chance to refuse.

Yaduo opened the carriage window to look at the pair.

Li Xianyun complained, "Grandmother, look at him, he’s too overbearing. Your granddaughter-in-law wanted to ride with you in the carriage."

Yaduo laughed and said, "Xianxian, just ride in the carriage with Ayan. When you were held hostage earlier, someone’s face turned completely pale with fear."

"But I still want to be with you," said Youlan.

Li Xianyun knew that if she shared a carriage with Yelu Yan, she would certainly be severely criticized and educated.

She didn’t want to be scolded, didn’t want to share a carriage with Yelu Yan.

Yaduo looked at Li Xianyun’s pitiful expression and couldn’t help but smirk as she dropped the carriage curtain and commanded, "Let’s go."

Li Xianyun tried to follow, but was pulled back by someone and could only watch helplessly as the carriage slowly moved forward, getting farther and farther away.

Yelu Yan said indifferently, "Now you know fear?"

Li Xianyun looked up at him with pursed lips, silent.

A very luxurious and spacious carriage slowly came over and stopped in front of the two of them.

The guard placed the carriage stool properly, and another opened the carriage door.

Yelu Yan bent down, scooped Li Xianyun into his arms, and strode up into the carriage.

Inside the carriage compartment, Yelu Yan settled Li Xianyun onto his lap, his face stern, gazing unblinkingly at her.

Li Xianyun reached out with soft arms, encircling Yelu Yan’s neck, and buried her little face in the crook of his neck, "Husband, I’ve missed you so much."

Yelu Yan gripped her two arms, forcing her to sit up straight, and still with a cold face said, "Sit properly, acting spoiled won’t work on me."

Li Xianyun sat up and began to toy with the lapel of his clothing, speaking in a tender voice, "Husband, I know I was wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Yelu Yan pressed on, wanting to teach her a lesson.

Li Xianyun had no choice but to say, "I should not have put myself in danger in order to save someone."

"You do know," Yelu Yan said with a stern face, "you should only attempt to save others within your means. Look at you, if I had arrived even a moment later, how would you have escaped?"

Li Xianyun said, "Actually, the handkerchief in my sleeve was laced with poison. I just needed an opportunity to wave it in front of someone’s face, and they would have lost consciousness."

Yelu Yan was furious, "But what if you never got such an opportunity? Those men were highly skilled in martial arts and are desperate outlaws; how could they let you find an opportunity?"

"There’s always an opportunity. If you can’t find one, you can create one, like pretending to need a bathroom break or acting injured."

"Fine, let’s assume you did create such an opportunity, and you managed to use your drugged handkerchief to knock out one or two people up close. What about the others? There were so many of them; how could you have protected yourself and escaped?"

Li Xianyun raised her arms to encircle Yelu Yan’s neck, playfully rocking back and forth, "Isn’t there you, husband? You would certainly come to save me."

"You..." Yelu Yan was exasperated. Whatever he said, Li Xianyun always had ten more responses ready, utterly unaware of the seriousness of the situation, "All said and done, you have no consideration for your husband at heart and never care about my feelings."

Li Xianyun looked at his irritated expression, took his handsome face in her small hands, gave it a gentle rub, and said, "Husband, how could I possibly not care about you?"

Yelu Yan’s Adam’s apple bobbed, "If you cared for your husband, you wouldn’t put yourself in danger. Have you ever thought, if you were... if you were... how could I go on living?"

He couldn’t bring himself to utter those ominous words; just thinking about them was enough to suffocate him.

Li Xianyun spoke earnestly, "Husband, don’t worry, I won’t let anything happen to myself."

Yelu Yan scoffed, "Life is unpredictable; who knows what the next moment might hold? What if something happened to you, have you ever thought about your husband then?"

He paused, then continued, "Ever since I’ve had you, I’ve been more careful than ever about preserving my life, considering every decision I make because I know I must not let anything happen to me. If something were to happen to me, what would you do, all alone among the Khitans?"

"Before I make any decision, I think of you. But what about you? When you’re making decisions, do you spare a single thought for your husband?"

Li Xianyun pursed her lips. She wanted to say that she had thought of him.

But in fact, she was only preoccupied with saving people, how could she think that far?

She indeed hadn’t considered him.

Seeing her reaction, Yelu Yan already knew the answer; sadness simmered in his tiger-like deep-set eyes.