The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 450 - 449 Slowly Picturing It (Second Update)

Chapter 450: 449 Slowly Picturing It (Second Update)

A group of people toured around the West Market, and Li Xianyun noted down several shops that were for sale, comparing their locations and prices and identifying two shops as alternatives that were suitable in all aspects.

However, she did not immediately sign the contract.

Exiting the shop, once they were at a secluded spot, Youlan asked with puzzlement, "Master, you seemed quite satisfied with that shop just now, so why didn’t you buy it right away?"

Li Xianyun’s lips curved into a faint smile.

"When shopping, it’s easy to impulsively make a purchase in the heat of the moment, only to regret it once you’ve calmed down. A purchase is truly worthwhile only after careful consideration. Moreover, a seller will always praise his own wares, saying only what is to their advantage. We can’t just take their word for it; we must send someone to investigate secretly. Once we know everything there is to know, it won’t be too late to finalize the decision."

She had made a fortune through her workshops, the Drying Room, and the Ice Porridge Shop and Ruyi Square. But that didn’t mean she could just squander her wealth. Conserving wealth was just as important as accumulating it.

After taking care of business and with daylight still abundant, Li Xianyun wanted to return to the Imperial Palace to finish sewing a garment that she hadn’t completed.

As the three of them arrived at the spot where they had left their horses and carriage at the West Market, they saw a man walking towards them, who then passed by them.

Li Xianyun said to Bater, "You go fetch the carriage; we’ll wait for you here."

Bater replied, "Yes!"

Once Bater had gone, Li Xianyun gave Youlan a meaningful look, and the two of them headed towards the street the man had taken.

On the narrow street, there stood a young man, his posture broad and upright, making it clear he was a martial artist.

The man approached Li Xianyun as soon as he saw her and bowed with a fist-in-palm salute. "Hall Master, the Deputy Hall Master sent me to deliver a message to you. Everything is proceeding according to plan. Li Yumin and Qin Rou are clashing fiercely, which means that Houtang and Houliang won’t meddle with each other for now."

"Also, our people have set fire to several of Houliang’s armories. Many of Murong Ce’s cronies have also been assassinated."

Li Xianyun looked at him. "Tell Qu Tangzhu that we can postpone the assassination for now."

The man looked puzzled. "Why?"

The situation was favorable; why not strike while the iron was hot?

"Murong Ce is most ruthless and vengeful. As we’ve been continually successful, and Murong Ce has yet to make a move, it indicates that he has cast a Heavenly Net and is just waiting to catch us all in one fell swoop. Therefore, we must quit while we’re ahead, or we’ll suffer severe losses," Li Xianyun explained.

Uncertainty colored the man’s face.

Li Xianyun’s brows furrowed slightly. "Has something happened?"

The man had no choice but to tell the truth. "If we count the days, today is the day that Qu Tangzhu is supposed to assassinate Yuchi Si."

Yuchi Si was Murong Ce’s most trusted confidant. During Murong Ce’s time as a hostage in Houtang, it was Yuchi Si who controlled everything within Houliang.

Killing Yuchi Si would deal a heavy blow to Murong Ce.

Such an important figure warranted Qu Ting’s personal involvement.

The somber autumn wind swept past, lifting the hem of their garments and whistling as it went.

"Hall Master, chances are slim for Qu Tangzhu. What should we do now?"

Li Xianyun wanted to help, but she was powerless to do so.

She pondered for a moment. "Send a pigeon immediately to stop them from acting. Also, did you mention last time that a woman has appeared by Murong Ce’s side?"

The man nodded. "Yes... She bears a slight resemblance to you around the eyes, and Murong Ce has her show her face only while wearing a veil. Hall Master, you’re not thinking of impersonating her, are you?"

Li Xianyun fell silent. She had just escaped the tiger’s den; why would she enter it again?

If she were to impersonate that woman and Murong Ce discovered it, she would never be able to escape from him for the rest of her life.

Besides, if Yelu Yan knew she had such thoughts, he would be furious.

"No, this woman harbors an irreconcilable hatred towards Murong Ce; perhaps she can be of use to us," said Li Xianyun. "You keep a close watch on the situation there, and make sure any information is passed on to me through the pharmacy."

The pharmacy Li Xianyun referred to was Ji Shi Tang (Hall of Healing), a contact point among the Khitans. She had been there a few times.

The man clasped his fist and bowed, saying, "Yes!"

Li Xianyun pulled out a stack of silver notes with a face value of a thousand taels from her sleeve and handed them to the man.

The man hurriedly tried to decline, "Qu Tangzhu said, you shouldn’t take out money again, there is still enough from last time."

"Take it, Ji Shi Tang needs a lot of money." Seeing that the man didn’t accept, Li Xianyun said, "I will speak with Qu Tangzhu, he won’t blame you."

Having no choice, the man accepted it, placing the stack of silver notes inside his robe and bowing to Li Xianyun with clasped fists before quickly leaving.

When Bater drove the carriage over, he saw a young man emerging from the alley, causing his heart to skip a beat. Could something have happened at the princess consort’s?

Bater jumped off the carriage and was about to search the alley when he saw Li Xianyun and Youlan gracefully walking out.

This eased his worries, and he walked up to greet them, "Master, are you alright?"

"I am fine."

"Master, who was that man who just walked by?" Bater asked.

With a smile, Youlan said, "That man was just passing by, how would the princess consort and I know?"

Bater bowed with bent arm, saying, "Please forgive me, master. It’s just that Khan has instructed us to ensure your safety, any suspicious individuals must not be overlooked, so..."

"I am aware," Li Xianyun said, "let’s return to the palace."

"Yes."

Bater followed Li Xianyun to the carriage, looking back towards the direction the young man had left, but his figure was no longer there.

By his instinct, that young man was no ordinary person.

Youlan helped Li Xianyun onto the carriage.

Because of the recent event, Li Xianyun was somewhat distraught.

She had no idea what had happened to Qu Ting and the rest. If they had fallen into Murong Ce’s hands, it was likely that all, except for Qu Ting, would not escape death.

And the reason Qu Ting would be kept alive was because Murong Ce wanted to use him to threaten her.

Li Xianyun’s eyes flickered, hoping that everything would go smoothly for Qu Ting and the others.

The carriage rushed towards the Imperial Palace; on their way through a street, two people hidden in the shadows were talking.

"Is this the Han Ethnic woman’s carriage?"

"Indeed."

Just as the person was about to say something, he suddenly grunted, his eyes wide open and face contorted in pain.

His companion, puzzled, turned around to see a sharp dagger piercing through his skull.

The man turned in terror just as a dart flew towards him, piercing his throat.

As she died, she saw their assassins—two unfamiliar young men—specifically sent by Yelu Yan to secretly protect Li Xianyun: the Hidden Guard.

"We got this close without detecting any anomalies; with this level of skill, they thought to assassinate the princess consort?"

The other Hidden Guard was not self-congratulatory, "You acted too quickly, we should have followed the trail to see who was pulling the strings."

The first speaking Hidden Guard realized, "What should we do now?"

"Clearly, this was a premeditated murder, and they will have contingency plans if the first attempt fails. We will have to ask our brothers to tighten their watch."

The princess consort is Khan’s beloved concubine; not a single mistake can be afforded.