The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 525 - 524 Sleep, my dear, I am here (first update)

Chapter 525: 524 Sleep, my dear, I am here (first update)

Jinwu and Bater hurriedly gathered around, bowing respectfully with their arms folded, "We see the Khan."

Yelu Yan turned his head to glance at the door, lowering his voice for fear of waking Li Xianyun.

"What’s happened?"

The sky outside had already begun to brighten when he finally let her rest.

Although the sun was now high in the sky, Li Xianyun had only just fallen asleep not too long ago.

Jinwu immediately understood and also lowered his voice, "Your Majesty, I failed to catch up with Murong Ce, and he escaped."

Murong Ce has excellent martial skills. After leaving the city gates, he was met by a large group of people and fled on horseback.

Those around him who were skilled in martial arts all escaped, leaving only the less skilled ones to be caught or killed.

Yelu Yan did not show much reaction to this news, as it was all within his expectations.

The moment he received news about Li Xianyun, Yelu Yan rushed over, pressured for time, with not many soldiers arranged outside the city gate, whereas Murong Ce was well-prepared.

Choosing this small frontier town as his exit from Khitan, he must have arranged tight security, so his escape is not surprising.

Yelu Yan commanded in a calm tone, "Ensure a thorough interrogation of those captured, have them reveal their accomplices, and present the results to me for review."

He intended to completely root out Murong Ce’s spies hidden in Khitan, and also prevent the criminals from falsely accusing the innocent.

Conviction must be based on substantial evidence to avoid hurting the feelings of loyal and righteous men; that was why Yelu Yan wanted to see the results of the interrogation.

Jinwu complied and withdrew.

Bater said, "Khan, everything needed for the road has been fully prepared, especially the carriage, which has been modified. We’ve laid down five thick blankets to ensure that the princess will not feel any jolts."

This was a task usually performed by the maids, but in Youlan’s absence, he had no choice but to personally ensure the preparations.

Fortunately, the Khan was very attentive to the princess’s needs. Last night when he sent in hot water, the Khan had made detailed arrangements for the food and clothing she would need along the way.

Without such care, Bater truly wouldn’t have known what to do.

Listening to his own Khan meticulously arrange every little detail, Bater was amazed. Soldiers are usually not fussy, and he had never expected their invincible Khan to be so attentive to the finest of details.

Yelu Yan simply hummed in acknowledgment.

Bater muttered to himself that the Khan only ever smiled and showed warmth when he was with the princess.

"Khan, all the officials in the city have been waiting at the post house gate since before dawn. Would you like to take a look?"

Yelu Yan instinctively looked towards the house where Li Xianyun was, "I’m too busy with official duties; let them disperse on their own, to their respective tasks and responsibilities."

Bater replied respectfully, "Yes!"

What official business could be more important than the princess?

"Have hot water and food ready, on standby for orders."

"Yes!"

After giving his instructions, Yelu Yan returned to his room.

All the curtains inside the chamber were drawn, preventing daylight from entering, shrouding the room in shadows, making it hard to distinguish whether it was morning or evening—a perfect environment for sleeping.

Yelu Yan tread softly towards the bed, gently lifting the bed curtain.

Li Xianyun lay flat on the bed, breathing regularly, sleeping soundly.

Her long eyelashes fanned over her delicate skin, her nose was prominent, her full, soft lips slightly parted, revealing round, glossy lips and barely visible pearly white teeth.

Gazing at such a beautiful, delicate face, Yelu Yan’s thoughts began to wander again.

Especially when he saw Li Xianyun’s collar askew, revealing enticing collarbones and several peach blossom petals on her fair skin, marks he had left in his lack of control the night before.

Her figure was excellent. Despite her baby face, she was not the thin and weak type.

This fragile little thing had a tender, wasp-like waist and a full, curvaceous figure. The areas that were meant to be plump were quite so, feeling pleasant to the touch.

Although she was covered with a soft quilt, her chest was bulging, and a strip of pure white skin flowed from the neckline, forming a deep, dark crevice.

Yelu Yan’s Adam’s apple moved; he was always like this when he felt desire, saliva filling his mouth, his throat dry, and the beast within him starting to stir.

Li Xianyun always said that he was a beast in human clothing, and not without reason.

Suppressing the fire within him, he stepped inside the curtain, leaned against the head of the bed, and lay beside Li Xianyun, gazing at her with a tender smile, his eyes brimming with thick adoration and attachment.

Fearing she might catch cold, Yelu Yan gently lifted her arm and tucked it under the quilt, pulling the quilt up a bit more.

Exhausted and overwhelmed by sleepiness, Li Xianyun responded to the movement by drowsily burrowing into Yelu Yan’s embrace, her little face pressing against his chest, murmuring softly, "My Lord."

"Sleep, my love, I am here," Yelu Yan said softly, holding her in his arms.

Li Xianyun seemed to understand and stilled.

The sleep she fell into could be described as deep and oblivious to the world.

Li Xianyun didn’t wake up until the afternoon. Since being taken by Murong Ce, her sleep had been restless. Now, lying beside Yelu Yan, she was relaxed in both body and mind and slept soundly.

Groggily opening her eyes, Li Xianyun’s gaze landed on the distinctively handsome cheekbones.

Yelu Yan’s face was full of smiles, his eyes seemingly alight, shining brightly.

"Awake? Want to sleep a little longer?"

Li Xianyun stretched out her arms to embrace Yelu Yan’s waist and buried her head into his chest, shaking her head, "No, I won’t sleep anymore."

Yelu Yan held her, their necks intertwined as he hugged her, kissing her earlobes and hair, his hand gently stroking her slender and soft back.

Nestled in his embrace, Li Xianyun asked softly, "My Lord, what time is it?"

Her voice carried a languid tone.

Yelu Yan laughed, "It’s still early; you can sleep a bit more."

"Liar," Li Xianyun chuckled, she had a rough idea of how long she had slept.

Yelu Yan laughed along with her.

"Are you hungry? Hmm?" Yelu Yan said, looking down at her little face.

Li Xianyun hummed a reply, her voice muffled.

With her entire little face buried in his embrace, Yelu Yan could only see her delicate side profile, her skin smooth and tender, even more delicate than a baby’s.

Yelu Yan couldn’t resist planting a firm kiss on her cheek, laughing as he said, "Then let’s get up and eat."

Li Xianyun hummed in response but remained wrapped around him, motionless.

Yelu Yan also enjoyed cuddling with her, kissing her cheeks and hair, gently nuzzling her head.

With a smile, Li Xianyun asked, "My Lord, are we to set off for Shangjing after we have eaten?"

"Mm."

Li Xianyun gently pushed him, slightly moving away from his embrace, "Then let’s hurry and get up."

She was eager to see her family again.

After the activities of the previous night, although Yelu Yan had carefully wiped her down, Li Xianyun still felt uncomfortable and requested warm water to bathe.

By the time they finished eating, the sun was already tilting westward.

Yelu Yan helped Li Xianyun onto the carriage.

Seeing the setup inside the carriage, Li Xianyun couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement.

The spacious carriage had been modified: the seats on both sides were removed, leaving only a desk against the carriage wall.

The carriage’s wooden floor was covered with thick, wide quilts and soft rugs, and heavy blankets hung on the carriage walls, eliminating the fear of chill air seeping through the gaps.

On the small desk lay fruits, pastries, and a leather water sack, accompanied by hand warmers and a hand-stove.