The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 539: The puppet master behind scene 538, who is it? (Second update)

Chapter 539: The puppet master behind scene 538, who is it? (Second update)

Everything had been clearly communicated, and although Yelu Qi was confined in Shangjing Biegong, he was, after all, a man who had once been just one step away from the throne.

His ambition had long grown wildly like weeds—how could he remain content being locked away in the palace?

It was inevitable that Yelu Qi would stir up trouble once again.

If Yelu Yan was still in the dark, it would be far too dangerous.

Yelu Yan looked at Li Xianyun, toning down his casual demeanor, "Who is it?"

Li Xianyun said, "I suspect it’s a close guard of the Ninth Prince. He has a long scar on his face."

Yelu Yan had a slight impression of "Scarface" and immediately realized the gravity of the situation.

"Good, I will dispatch someone to investigate at once."

Li Xianyun uttered a sound of agreement, and seeing that Yelu Yan was still looking at her with no intention of leaving, he really was clingy.

She couldn’t help but sigh softly, wrapped her arms around Yelu Yan’s neck, stood on tiptoe, and kissed his lips, with a small hand placed on his handsome cheek, rubbing it gently.

"My lord, there is no time to delay. You should make arrangements sooner, and I’ll make it up to you tonight."

Li Xianyun spoke with her ears turning red.

Upon hearing this, Yelu Yan beamed with joy. He hugged her slender waist tightly, their necks entwined in embrace. His strong arms wrapped firmly around her back, pressing their chests closely together as if to meld them into one.

After being urged once more by Li Xianyun, Yelu Yan hugged her tighter then let go, took her hand, and walked out of the private room, sending Li Xianyun upstairs before leaving Songhe Tower.

No sooner had he stepped out of the main gate of Songhe Tower, Yelu Yan ordered Jinwu to instruct the Hidden Guard to secretly investigate Yelu Qi and "Scarface."

After their meal, Li Xianyun, accompanied by Li Rui, Qiu Qianyun, and Li Xianyi, strolled leisurely on the street.

They purchased quite a few peculiar and curious trinkets.

Mostly for Li Xianyi—neither Li Rui nor Qiu Qianyun bought much of anything.

Li Xianyun thought that when it was time for her family to return to Shangjing, she would then buy some gifts for Li Rui and Qiu Qianyun.

The group was in a shop, buying painting supplies for Li Xianyi, when Li Xianyun noticed three young men beside her also selecting paints and artwork.

The three of them were choosing items while whispering among themselves.

Li Xianyun was not initially paying attention but found it disdainful that the three men seemed to be gossiping behind people’s backs.

Gradually, she sensed something amiss.

"What are you thinking? A man and a woman together in a carriage for a few days—how could nothing happen?"

Another man, his face filled with shock and a wicked smile, said, "In a carriage? Impossible. In such a cramped space, wouldn’t any movement be noticed?"

"So what if it was noticed? She’s that kind of woman," he said, raising his index finger and pointing upward, "Even if it was noticed, who would dare to gossip?"

"Filthy woman, truly slutty."

"It’s said she’s got that seductive fox-like charm, the Han women are quite loose. Otherwise, how could she have enticed someone known for being indifferent to women to fall for her trick?"

Although the man had intentionally used a guise and breathy voice, Li Xianyun still made out the words "Khan."

They were talking about her.

"Slut." One man, noticing Li Xianyun looking over, whispered, "You see, there are three Han women right there—the older one also looks quite delicate, and the younger two are even more..."

His audacity was shameless—Li Xianyi was only eleven years old.

Li Xianyun glanced at Bater.

Understanding the cue, Bater took two plainclothes guards and dragged the three men out.

Li Rui, Qiu Qianyun, and Li Xianyi were choosing pigments intently and were slightly farther away. They hadn’t heard what the three men had said until Bater captured them, causing a commotion, which made the three of them look over.

Qiu Qianyun looked at Li Xianyun with some concern and said, "Xianxian..."

"Mother, it’s nothing. Your daughter will go have a look," Li Xianyun said, turning to Youlan, "Youlan, stay here with them. I’ll come back soon."

It was clear that she meant for Youlan to watch over the three from the Li Family. How could Youlan not understand? She quickly replied, "Yes."

Li Xianyun left several plainclothes guards to protect Li Rui and the others, while she herself was led by a guard to a dead-end alley.

On the cold ground, three people curled up, writhing in pain. Each of them was beaten until their noses were swollen and their faces bruised, and they could barely open their eyes.

Bater indeed got the job done well.

Li Xianyun walked up to the three men and stood firm, "Who instigated you to spread rumors about the Princess Consort?"

The three men hadn’t named names just now and planned to deny everything to their deaths.

"What Princess Consort, what rumors? We don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Yeah, we were just buying pigments in the shop, had a little chat, and you grabbed us. It’s really a great injustice."

"There must be some misunderstanding in this matter; please don’t take it seriously."

Li Xianyun didn’t have time to waste with them and said impatiently, "Bater, disable one of their arms each."

The crisp sound of bones breaking echoed as the men rolled on the ground, howling in pain.

Seeing that the three of them still had no intention of confessing, Li Xianyun ordered, "Bater, disable another one of their arms."

The three men were overwhelmed; they were only paid to do a job and it wasn’t worth losing their lives over such a small sum of money.

Two of the men said to the other, "Brother, you’ve really made us suffer. Just tell the truth, don’t delay any longer, or we’ll truly become cripples."

"What’s more important, money or your life?" another urged urgently.

"Alright, alright, I’ll talk, I’ll talk. Two nights ago, I was in the gambling house and ran up a debt. I was thrown out by two workers and got a thorough beating. A woman wearing a veil appeared before me, gave me a hundred silver notes, and asked me to spread rumors about the Princess Consort."

Li Xianyun asked calmly, "Did that woman have any distinguishing features?"

She didn’t want to listen to his rambling and evasions and added, "Speak clearly, or don’t count on keeping the other arm either."

That Khitan man was drenched in cold sweat on his forehead. "Alright, I’ll speak, just let me think..."

After pondering for a moment, he said, "That woman had a burn scar on the back of her left hand and moved with a light step, clearly skilled in martial arts."

"Is that all?" Li Xianyun asked with a cold tone.

Frightened, the man quickly raised his head to look at Li Xianyun and said, "Every word I’ve spoken is the truth. If you find even half a lie in my words, you can kill me."

"Good, if it turns out you’ve spoken a half-truth, it will be dealt with as you described," Li Xianyun said. "Also, you three are not allowed to spread gossip and tarnish others’ reputations. If I catch you at it, I’ll beat you each time I see you."

The three men repeatedly agreed and scurried away, clutching their arms.

Bater bowed to Li Xianyun, saying, "Master, should this matter be reported to the Khan?"

"I will speak to the Khan myself."

Li Xianyun suspected the matter was not so simple, it was something that necessitated caution.