The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 514 - 513 He could never coax her (second update)

Chapter 514: 513 He could never coax her (second update)

Li Xianyun rose and looked down.

A stranger’s face reflected in the basin, a woman around forty or fifty years of age, with fine brows and long eyes. Where was there even a trace of her former self?

Murong Ce heard the sound of the door opening, turned to look, but did not see Li Xianyun’s figure; instead, an old hag approached him.

With the medicine powder searched from Li Xianyun’s person held in her palm, she spoke in a low voice with utmost respect, "Your Majesty, this was found on the Empress. Just now, when changing her clothes, this servant discovered the Empress has started her monthly period."

Murong Ce raised an eyebrow slightly. As long as Li Xianyun did not carry Yelu Yan’s child, everything would be easy to handle.

He was never a good person and did not care whether Li Xianyun was pure, only that she was willing to stay by his side.

Murong Ce took the medicine powder, saying, "Help the Empress onto the carriage."

"Yes!"

Murong Ce stepped out of the courtyard.

Outside the doors of the courtyard, which had previously been unguarded and empty, a large group of people and horses had now appeared, as well as two horse-drawn carriages.

Two old hags helped Li Xianyun walk out.

Murong Ce, observing Li Xianyun who had undergone a transformation, noted that everything about her had changed. Yet those black, lacquer-like, autumn water-reflecting eyes remained luminously moist.

Upon seeing Murong Ce, the two old hags let go of Li Xianyun and retreated to the side.

Murong Ce moved forward to take Li Xianyun’s small hand.

Li Xianyun quickly hid her hands tightly behind her back.

Murong Ce withdrew his hand, looking at her he spoke softly, "Get on the carriage."

The surrounding guards were all stunned. Their emperor, known for his decisive kill orders and swift, no-nonsense ways, when had he ever been so gentle?

Li Xianyun climbed the carriage steps and took a seat in the carriage. Just as she settled down, Murong Ce also stooped to enter, seating himself opposite her, gazing at her.

The carriage, originally quite spacious, felt suddenly cramped with Murong Ce’s arrival.

Li Xianyun lifted the curtain to look outside.

Murong Ce did nothing but watch her, not stopping her.

Li Xianyun suddenly saw something that shocked her greatly: a woman who looked exactly like her walked out from the courtyard.

Even she had to praise the likeness - it was strikingly similar, even down to the eyes.

Bai Mengling first glanced at Li Xianyun, then past her to Murong Ce.

Except Murong Ce was absorbed in watching the woman by the carriage window, sparing not a single glance for her.

So this was the woman he cherished in his heart.

Indeed, she was different.

Bai Mengling stepped onto the footstool and took a seat in the other carriage.

Upon witnessing this scene, Li Xianyun’s heart grew colder and sank with heaviness.

With such a look-alike to divert Yelu Yan’s attention, it seemed that she was doomed this time.

Murong Ce, gazing at Li Xianyun, said foolishly, "Xianxian, I’ve long said you were mine, even if you were to flee to the ends of the earth, you’d still be my woman."

Li Xianyun, still looking outside, ignored him.

Murong Ce stretched out his arm, reaching over her to close the carriage window.

Li Xianyun did not get angry. She sat in a corner, leaning against the carriage wall, not looking at him.

Murong Ce wanted to ask her, why, after having agreed to marry him, did she betray him when he returned to Houliang to ask his father for a marriage proposal, turning instead to forge relations with the Khitan?

During the days apart from Li Xianyun, he had asked himself again and again, but now that Li Xianyun was really beside him, he could not ask.

What was the use of asking?

He knew, didn’t he?

He had ordered to have her maid brutally killed, so of course, she would hate him to the point of wanting to drink his blood and eat his flesh.

To ask would only lead to disputes between them once more.

And he cherished the time together with her too much, not willing to engage in disputes with her.

In the darkness of night, two carriages set out from the dilapidated southern estate of Shuozhou City, one heading straight for Houtang, the other towards the heartland of Khitan.

Murong Ce took out a soft pillow and a quilt from a chest beneath the seat and handed them to Li Xianyun, "Sleep if you’re tired."

Li Xianyun originally didn’t want to accept it, but if she kept defying him, he would eventually explode.

Thinking this, Li Xianyun took the soft pillow and quilt from his hands, placing the pillow behind her back and covering herself with the quilt.

It was very cold after nightfall, and she had been chilled by the wind during her frenzied horse ride here, feeling quite cold at the moment.

Li Xianyun wrapped herself up, but there was a corner of the quilt that wasn’t tucked in.

Murong Ce leaned over and carefully tucked the corner in.

Li Xianyun huddled pitifully against the carriage wall, like a wounded, frightened little animal.

Seeing this, Murong Ce let out a bitter smile and said, "Xianxian, are you really that scared of me? If I truly didn’t cherish you, you wouldn’t have come out of Houtang in one piece."

Li Xianyun glanced at him before directing her gaze elsewhere.

Murong Ce wanted to raise his hand and stroke her hair, but she was so stubborn that if she got agitated, he wouldn’t know how to appease her.

He had never been good at soothing her.

All those who had insulted or defied him from a young age, which one of them had met a good end?

Yet he simply couldn’t do anything about Li Xianyun.

Murong Ce sighed softly and sat back down in his original spot.

Li Xianyun leaned against the carriage wall, looking ahead, the tall and strong figure appearing in her mind.

Yelu Yan should be nearing Shuozhou City by now. What would his reaction be if he knew she was gone?

Li Xianyun blinked her eyes. Why did she feel so aggrieved at the mere thought of him, her nose tingling with sourness?

And her parents, the king and queen, would surely be distressed if they knew she had been abducted.

But she was helpless to do anything about it.

Li Xianyun sat in the shaky carriage, intending to stay awake, but she was truly too sleepy and ended up falling asleep.

The wagon wheels rolled over stones, jolting heavily.

Li Xianyun’s eyebrows furrowed slightly, then slowly opened her eyes, realizing something, and suddenly looked toward Murong Ce.

He had fallen asleep against the carriage wall.

Fortunately, he hadn’t done anything to her.

Li Xianyun looked at him with hatred. If only she had a dagger or something hard, she would have taken his life right then.

But she had nothing now.

Li Xianyun soon closed her eyes again. Being particularly prone to sleepiness, she easily felt drowsy.

What Li Xianyun didn’t know was that the moment she closed her eyes, Murong Ce opened his and stared at her with those beautiful phoenix eyes, infatuated.

Though her appearance had been changed, her breathing and sensibility remained the same.

After so many days apart, he had finally gotten to stay with her; how could he bear to sleep?

While Li Xianyun slept, Murong Ce just watched her motionlessly with infatuation.

...

Although Murong Ce and Li Xianyun rode in the same carriage, he did not behave inappropriately towards her.

He treated her quite well, providing her with a variety of food and drinks, and worried that sitting for too long would swell her legs, even accompanied her to stand outside the carriage for a while.

They traveled through unfamiliar and remote places, encountering no checkpoints or soldier’s inspections. The sky was vast, the land was open, and Murong Ce was not worried about her running away.

Upon reaching populated areas, Li Xianyun wanted to take the opportunity to escape under the guise of needing a restroom break, but two old women were watching her too closely, not leaving her side for a moment.

Moreover, besides being skilled in disguising, the two women were also skilled in medicine, making it exceedingly difficult to hit their acupoints.

After traveling for four or five days, the carriage entered a dilapidated small town.

The town was filled with low and disorderly houses and filth, a backward and secluded place. Only in such a place could she be easily overlooked, allowing Murong Ce to take her out of the Khitan territory.

In the town, Khitan and Han people lived together, and Li Xianyun felt extremely anxious and uneasy.

This must be a borderland of the Khitan; it wouldn’t be long before leaving Khitan lands.

Li Xianyun let down the curtain and said to Murong Ce, "I have a stomachache and need to relieve myself."

Murong Ce pushed open a crack of the carriage window, looked outside, and said, "We’re almost at the inn; just hold on a little longer."

All this time they had been eating and sleeping in the carriage, but now she was actually going to stay in an inn, which was quite unusual.