The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 471 - 470 My lord, you should consider it for the sake of Xianxian (second watch)

Chapter 471: 470 My lord, you should consider it for the sake of Xianxian (second watch)

Li Xianyun grabbed Yelu Yan’s arm and continued, "When Master lived in seclusion in our village, she was very fond of children, all because of you. She couldn’t be with you, so that’s why she loved other people’s children so much. I often spent time with Master and frequently saw her gaze at me absentmindedly. At first, I thought she was looking at me, but that look in her eyes was slightly peculiar. Over time, I realized she saw through me and was missing someone, and that someone was you."

"Husband, Master has never forgotten about you. The reason she hasn’t seen you now is that she feels she owes you and thinks you don’t want to see her, just like you feel she hates you and doesn’t want to see you."

Li Xianyun paused and looked intensely at Yelu Yan, "Husband, do you really not want to see your mother consort?"

Yelu Yan’s gaze flickered with a trace of emotion.

Seeing this, Li Xianyun hugged his neck and nestled into his broad chest, her smooth forehead lightly resting on his chin.

"Husband, if not for yourself, then for my sake. If Master hadn’t taught me medical skills all those years ago, I wouldn’t have known how many times I would have been killed by others, nor would I have been able to come to your side. You would have never met Xianxian."

The words that followed caused Yelu Yan’s heart to skip with a few heavy beats, deeply moved, he couldn’t help but murmur, "Xianxian..."

Li Xianyun snuggled in his embrace, "Husband, won’t you go see Master, please? It would be better for the two of you to clear things up rather than not understanding each other’s thoughts and harboring suspicions. If you talk it out, you can avoid regrets in the future."

Seeing Yelu Yan still unmoved, Li Xianyun could only plead softly, "Husband, please do it for Xianxian, alright?"

Yelu Yan couldn’t stand it when Li Xianyun talked to him in a pleading tone, it made his heart ache.

He caressed Li Xianyun’s face tenderly, pondered for a moment as if he had made up his mind, "Alright, your husband promises you."

Li Xianyun sat upright joyfully, "Husband, there’s no time to lose, let’s hurry back."

-

Tia stood by the window for a moment, her heart twisted like a knife, tears falling like pearls off a string.

After a while, she opened the window a crack and looked down the long, bustling street. The carriage carrying Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun was already far away.

Tia wiped her tears with a handkerchief, her eyes blurry as she watched the carriage turn the street corner and vanish from her sight.

She had seen Yelu Yan—her son.

The two people in the world she cared about, she had seen them both.

She had no more regrets in this life.

Wherever she might die in the future, she was now at peace.

Tia stood still for a moment longer, tidied up her makeup, and left the private room.

She had no martial arts skills and was unaware that Jinwu had followed her from afar.

It seemed irrelevant to her martial arts skills; it was mainly her mindset that had changed.

When Yelu Zhang was still alive, Tia was extremely cautious, always afraid of being captured by him.

She knew Yelu Zhang would never kill her.

Tia didn’t fear him; she only hated him.

She hated herself for having saved him, hated why she caught Yelu Zhang’s eye, hated his ruthlessness in slaughtering her clansmen to cut off her escape.

All these years, she had been hiding, been to Houtang, stayed in Houliang, and drifted through other countries.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted and never got caught by Yelu Zhang.

After Yelu Zhang’s death, no one in the world sought her anymore.

She finally lived in peace for two years.

Perhaps it was her growing age, but Tia became increasingly sentimental, and so she came to Shangjing, wishing to see Li Xianyun and Yelu Yan one last time.

Tia returned to the inn and hurriedly packed her belongings.

In fact, she had little to pack—apart from two faded garments, a few bottles of medicine, and a sachet containing her most precious possession.

Tia, with her belongings on her back, hurried down the stairs and walked on the ice-cold, desolate streets.

In the days of fleeing here and there, she had endured every harsh environment, so what was another night’s travel to her?

However, the city gates had already closed at dusk, and now it was almost time for the night curfew. To avoid trouble, Tia decided to find another inn to stay for the night and leave Shangjing early the next morning.

While she was secretly planning her next move, the sound of horseshoes and carriage wheels echoed from behind her.

The horseshoes were rapid and chaotic, clearly in a hurry.

Tia stood aside to let the carriage pass and caught sight of Li Xianyun and Yelu Yan’s carriage as she looked up.

Why had they returned?

Should she hide or not?

The carriage soon stopped beside Tia.

Li Xianyun opened the carriage window and looked at her, "Master, wait a moment, I have something to discuss with you."

Tia stood there in confusion, as if in a dream.

She was about to meet her son, yet although they were related by blood, their memories were still stuck when Yelu Yan was only five years old, and their relationship felt so estranged; she truly didn’t know what to say.

The guards opened the carriage door, and Yelu Yan stepped down from the carriage, giving Tia an expressionless glance.

Despite her gray hair, she looked no different from the woman he remembered.

Yelu Yan’s jaw tensed as he reached out to help Li Xianyun out of the carriage.

Li Xianyun approached Tia and wrapped her arm around Tia’s, saying, "Master, let’s find a place to talk."

Tia looked at Yelu Yan as if to ask for his opinion.

Yelu Yan, seeing her cautious manner, felt an inexplicable bitterness and said, "Xuanyi Pavilion is not far from here; let’s go there."

Li Xianyun gently shook Tia’s arm, "Master, please come with us; Khan and I have a lot we want to tell you."

Li Xianyun had already taken the bundle off Tia’s shoulder and handed it to Youlan before Tia could refuse, then pulled Tia’s hand to get into the carriage.

Yelu Yan had his own mount and had only ridden in the carriage to take care of Li Xianyun.

Now he mounted his horse and rode ahead with a solemn expression.

The carriage was bathed in a warm, orange light, giving Tia a sense of warmth she hadn’t felt before.

Li Xianyun held Tia’s hand and whispered, "Master, I’ve learned about the relationship between you and Khan."

Tia’s eyes flickered, "So, it was you who asked Khan to look for your teacher?"

"Not exactly," Li Xianyun said, "When Khan heard the news about you, he showed a look of surprise and joy, but then he became deeply sorrowful."

Tia focused intently on Li Xianyun, eager to know more about Yelu Yan.

"Khan believes that he is the child of you and your enemy, that you hate him, which is why you refuse to see him."

Tia’s eyes became moist, she did have hatred, but she had never hated Yelu Yan—he was innocent.

She had once wanted to use various methods to abort Yelu Yan.

As a physician, wouldn’t it be easy for her to terminate a pregnancy?

But each time at the last moment, she would relent, ultimately unable to go through with it mercilessly.

"I have never hated him, only felt that I let him down. Other children have their mothers with them, while he was less than a month old when I left. I really don’t know how he made it all these years."