The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 520 - 519 My lord, you’re finally here (Second update)

Chapter 520: 519 My lord, you’re finally here (Second update)

Murong Ce realized he had hurt Li Xianyun and slightly loosened his grip on her.

He coldly looked at Yelu Yan and said, "Let her go? Xianxian is my Empress, how could I possibly let her go?"

"Seeking death!"

Yelu Yan leapt into the air as he spoke, drawing his flexible sword from his waist and charging to attack.

Murong Ce pushed Li Xianyun toward Xu Sheng, "Take care of her."

Xu Sheng immediately grabbed Li Xianyun’s arm, saying, "Your Highness, please forgive me."

Murong Ce pulled out his folding fan to block Yelu Yan’s sword’s edge, and the two started fighting, one with a sword and the other with a fan.

Both being highly skilled in martial arts and filled with towering rage and hatred, they fought fiercely.

As the two men were entangled in combat, Jinwu and Bater led their men in a siege against the guards brought by Murong Ce.

Each side was filled with top-notch experts, and though their martial arts skills were evenly matched, the Khitan side had the advantage of greater numbers.

Murong Ce’s men were quickly defeated and scattered, the wounded were injured, and the dead were dead.

The battle between Yelu Yan and Murong Ce was also nearing its conclusion.

Murong Ce’s martial arts were slightly inferior, and although he could handle Yelu Yan at first, he began to struggle as time passed.

Seeing the inevitable defeat, Xu Sheng took out a dagger, ready to place it against Li Xianyun’s neck to threaten Yelu Yan.

But before he could even lift his dagger, a hidden weapon went straight into his forehead.

Xu Sheng looked in disbelief at Yelu Yan, who, despite being entangled with Murong Ce, had been attentively watching over Li Xianyun all the time.

Such high levels of martial arts prowess were astonishing.

After Xu Sheng fell, Jinwu and Bater immediately shielded Li Xianyun behind them.

Li Xianyun was snatched back by them once again. Murong Ce felt agonizing pain in his heart and wanted to leap toward her, but the dense crowd of soldiers had protected her so thoroughly that he no longer had any chance of reaching her.

The situation was lost.

Murong Ce waved his sleeve toward Li Xianyun.

Thinking that he was about to shoot a hidden weapon at Li Xianyun, Yelu Yan hastily leapt in front of her to block it.

Taking advantage of Yelu Yan’s distraction, Murong Ce glanced at Li Xianyun and took several leaps toward the city gate, escaping.

Many Hidden Guards chased after him.

Murong Ce had just feinted and hadn’t shot out any hidden weapons; he too was afraid of hurting Li Xianyun.

Yelu Yan did not chase after him but threw his softened sword to a guard beside him and quickly walked toward Li Xianyun.

He moved with such urgency and speed, as if afraid that Li Xianyun would vanish into thin air if he arrived too late.

Jinwu, Bater, and the other soldiers automatically stepped back, turned away, and gave the two of them ample space.

Yelu Yan strode over to Li Xianyun, bent over to scoop her into his arms, and held her tightly, his rough cheeks deeply buried in her delicate neck.

His iron arms tightened even more, as if to blend her into himself and become one, never wanting to be parted from her ever again.

Li Xianyun hugged Yelu Yan’s neck tightly, her eyes moistened in his broad embrace, and called out in a delicate voice, "Husband, you’ve finally come."

"It’s my fault, I’ve let you be frightened," Yelu Yan’s throat was hoarse, his voice trembling.

He regretted every day, he should not have returned to Shangjing to arrange official duties, he should not have let her travel to Shuozhou alone.

It was all his fault, all his mistake.

Thinking this, Yelu Yan hugged her even more tightly.

Li Xianyun, unable to bear it any longer, whined, "Husband, you’re hurting me."

Only then did Yelu Yan loosen his arms, straightened up slightly, bowed to meet her gaze, raised his hand to tidy her hair, and looked at her with such an infatuated gaze that seemed to pull at the heartstrings.

"Xianxian, let’s go home, shall we?"

He didn’t say "return to the palace," but "go home," which felt especially intimate and sweet.

"Okay."

Yelu Yan cupped Li Xianyun’s delicate face and planted a firm kiss on her forehead; he then carried her horizontally and boarded the horse carriage that was prepared in advance.

In the carriage, Yelu Yan settled Li Xianyun on his lap, wrapped his arms around her, and gazed at her unblinkingly with affection, his hand gently caressing her small face.

He had finally found her again.

The tumultuous emotions made it feel almost surreal, as if it was all a dream.

Pain was evident in Yelu Yan’s eyes, "Xianxian, you’ve lost a lot of weight."

Her palm-sized face, though still slightly chubby, had a much sharper chin.

"My lord, you’ve also lost weight."

The handsome contours of his face had become more pronounced, with a high nose bridge and deep-set eyes, his gaze profound like an ancient well.

"Xianxian, you have no idea how much I’ve missed you," he said.

As Yelu Yan moved to kiss her, Li Xianyun avoided him.

A hurt expression filled Yelu Yan’s eyes.

He had never met Murong Ce until today, and on seeing him, the man was truly like a dragon among men, extremely good-looking, the kind that was beloved by all.

Having grown accustomed to such beautiful men, did she find him undesirable now?

Soon, Yelu Yan ridiculed himself for such a ridiculous thought.

How could Li Xianyun possibly like Murong Ce, who had killed her maid, almost like a sister to her?

Li Xianyun explained, "My lord, I haven’t bathed or changed clothes for several days; I am quite filthy. Let me bathe first before we can be intimate."

So that was the reason.

Yelu Yan, knowing that Li Xianyun usually loved cleanliness and that he also hadn’t bathed or changed for many days, feared that she might dislike him and refrained from insisting.

He just kept gazing at her intently, fondly caressing her small hand as if he was enchanted.

Li Xianyun lifted her hand to caress Yelu Yan’s cheek, the stubble on his chin feeling somewhat prickly, "My lord, how many days has it been since you shaved?"

The stubble made him look rough, like a rugged man.

Holding her, Yelu Yan said, "It is said that a woman dresses for the man who pleases her, and a man dies for the confidante who understands him. Without you by my side, how could I care about such things?"

"You have such a slick tongue," Li Xianyun said with a smile.

"But what your husband says comes straight from the heart."

"I understand," Li Xianyun replied. "My lord, how did you find this place?"

Yelu Yan lifted her small hand and kissed it, "It’s all because Murong Ce was too clever for his own good. Who would abduct someone only to travel via the usual route? Clearly, that troop heading towards Houtang was a decoy, indicating that you were not in that carriage. It also indirectly told me to search in the opposite direction."

"So, you didn’t see the woman who looks like me?"

"I did see her."

"Then were you fooled by her?"

Yelu Yan shook his head and smiled, "Having shared the bed with you for so long, how could I fail to recognize even your figure? Nevertheless, I played along with the ruse, chasing them for a day to make Murong Ce lower his guard, thus leaving behind more clues to help me find you quickly."

While saying this, he took a leather water bag from the tabletop, opened the lid, and passed it to Li Xianyun.

Li Xianyun took it and had a sip.

Yelu Yan then sat across from her, lifting her legs onto his knees, and began gently massaging them.

"Xianxian, have you not been resting well these days?"

Li Xianyun hummed in agreement and closed the leather water bag, placing it back on the table.

"My lord, what shall we do next?"

"We’ll rest at an inn here in the city for a day, and set off for the Capital City tomorrow."

"Have my father and mother improved in health?"

Removing her shoes, Yelu Yan began to knead her feet.

"Father and mother have recovered quite a bit, and the epidemic in Shuozhou City has also been controlled. By now, they should have already set off for the Capital City, and we will reunite with them there."