??Chapter 16: 016 The Princess is really beautiful and kind-hearted (Second Update)
Chapter 16: 016 The Princess is really beautiful and kind-hearted (Second Update)
Li Xianyun added ice slurry, ice water, and sugar to five or six kinds of peeled and pitted fruits, and quickly made the bowls of ice porridge.
Zhuo Ma and Youlan, along with the maids, brought out the ice porridge and distributed it to everyone.
Everyone got a share.
The Palace Attendants were all teary with gratitude; they were the lowest-ranking servants, and no one treated them as humans.
Now, the high and mighty consort had personally prepared ice porridge for them, treating them as dignified people. Could they not be moved?
“The consort is truly beautiful inside and out. The day before yesterday, she gave each of us a sachet, and now she has made mosquito nets for all the rooms and personally prepared ice porridge for us. She’s just too good to us.”
“Yes, ever since I had the consort’s mosquito-repellent sachet, I haven’t been bitten by a mosquito again.”
“With the consort being so kind, we must serve her well in return.”
“That’s true.”
“You all should try it, it’s really delicious. It’s cold and refreshing, quenching thirst and cooling us down.”
The Palace Attendants had just taken a bite and were unabashed in their praise for the ice porridge Li Xianyun had prepared.
Youlan, watching everyone enjoying it, smiled and said, “The consort said that everyone worked hard today, and you should rest well when you go back.”
“This is all part of our duty; the consort doesn’t need to be polite with us.”
“Yes, thank you for the consort’s concern.”
Zhuo Ma and Youlan returned to the kitchen and found Li Xianyun busying herself again.
Zhuo Ma asked, “Consort, what are you doing?”
Li Xianyun did not look up, but while rinsing rice, said, “I don’t know if Minister Xiao will be accustod to the porridge Huo Dun cooked. I am preparing so to send to him.”
Youlan, looking at another pot simring on a low fla, asked, “Mistress, what is this?”
“This is the lily bulb and glutinous rice porridge I am brewing for the Khan, it’s for nourishing the stomach,” Li Xianyun replied with a glance.
Zhuo Ma smiled and said, “Consort, how did you know that the Khan has a poor appetite?”
Yelu Yan grew up in the army camps, fighting battles without regular al tis, which had damaged his spleen and stomach.
Li Xianyun gave her a smile but did not answer.
That evening, after she finished her al, Li Xianyun had Youlan carry the millet porridge she had made to Minister Xiao’s palace.
This ti, she added white rice and peanuts to the millet porridge, making it taste softer and more glutinous.
When they arrived at their destination, they found Yelu Yan was also there.
He was on the porch listening to a very delicate-looking man reporting sothing.
Yelu Yan’s brows were slightly furrowed, and his tiger-like eyes were deep—his cold deanor made him seem unapproachable.
Yelu Yan saw her too, made a gesture with his hand, Shulu Xi stopped talking, and looking in the direction Yelu Yan was gazing, he froze.
At first glance, Shulu Xi saw Li Xianyun. Compared with her, the beauties he had seen before seed to fade into the crowd.
Li Xianyun’s beauty was gentle, non-aggressive, the kind of beauty that was very comfortable to admire.
Seeing that the two n had stopped, Li Xianyun walked over gracefully with her entourage and saluted Yelu Yan, saying, “Greetings, Khan.”
Yelu Yan glanced at Shulu Xi beside him.
Instantly understanding, Shulu Xi bent his arm and saluted, “Greetings, consort.”
Yelu Yan could clearly see that Li Xianyun only nodded at Shulu Xi without lingering on him too much.
This was indeed different from other won.
You should know that Shulu Xi is a famous beauty in Khitan; which woman wouldn’t look at him twice?
Li Xianyun looked at Yelu Yan and said, “I have brought so food for Minister Xiao. Has he eaten yet?”
Yelu Yan opened his thin lips and said, “Huo Dun made so rice porridge, but not a single bite could be fed to him.”
“Then let
have a look,” Li Xianyun said.
“Hmm.”
Saying this, Yelu Yan moved his large body to make way for Li Xianyun.
Shulu Xi glanced at Li Xianyun’s retreating figure and then back at Yelu Yan, who was watching her intently.
Shulu Xi watched Yelu Yan and said with a suppressed smile, “The consort is very different.”
Yelu Yan withdrew his gaze and gave him a shallow look.
Realizing his presumption, Shulu Xi cleared his throat and said, “Khan, the grain in the Capital City has also been secretly reclaid, and there is not a grain of rice on the market now.”
Yelu Yan said in a quiet voice, “That’s not enough. We need to make these ministers bleed. Issue an order that the citizens in the city are struggling; moved by compassion, each official is willing to donate ten asures of grain.”
Shulu Xi smiled and said, “Khan, you really know how to draw the water from under the cauldron. But what if so people adamantly claim they have no grain?”
“Then let them donate the equivalent in Silver Taels. After staging such a big drama, we have to involve their personal interests.”
Shulu Xi bent his arm and saluted, “I will go and handle it imdiately.”
Upon entering the inner room, Li Xianyun saw Huo Dun looking frustrated and helpless.
Scratching his head, Huo Dun muttered to himself, “I did exactly as the consort instructed, so why didn’t Minister Xiao eat any of it?”
Li Xianyun smiled and said, “Let
take a look.”
Huo Dun’s eyes brightened when he saw Li Xianyun arrive as if he had seen a savior, and he said, “Greetings, Princess Consort.”
Li Xianyun looked at the porridge in Huo Dun’s hand, which had more water than rice, thin and watery, with not a strong rice flavor, no wonder it could not be fed.
“I have brought so porridge.”
Huo Dun sighed in relief and said, “Thank you, Princess Consort.”
Li Xianyun sat down on the chair beside the bed and took over the porridge.
Wu Mu skillfully helped Xiao Dilu sit up.
He was the most modest and diligent one in the Imperial dical Bureau.
Xiao Dilu could still only eat liquid food, and though Li Xianyun had added peanuts to the porridge she made, she had left them all behind when she scooped it.
Li Xianyun stirred with the white spoon and scooped up a spoonful of the porridge.
On the way, the porridge had gone from hot to warm; now it was just the right temperature to feed.
Huo Dun watched in amazent as Li Xianyun easily fed the porridge, impressed beyond asure.
Li Xianyun said, “From now on, I will make porridge for Minister Xiao.”
Upon hearing this, Huo Dun expressed his imnse gratitude, “Thank you, Princess Consort.”
After finishing a bowl of porridge, Li Xianyun planned to increase the quantity slightly the next day, gradually and step by step.
She handed the bowl to Youlan, and inadvertently her gaze swept across to Yelu Yan, who was standing at the doorway, unnoticed as to when he arrived.
Seeing Li Xianyun looking over, Yelu Yan walked towards her with long strides.
Li Xianyun raised her hand to take Xiao Dilu’s pulse, and it was getting stronger by the day.
Yelu Yan approached and asked, “How is it?”
“He has improved a lot; he woke up twice today, but each ti he didn’t stay awake for long. With continued treatnt and care, he will slowly get better.”
“Good.”
Li Xianyun stood up and said to Yelu Yan, “Your consort will take her leave first.”
“I, the Khan, will go back with you,” Yelu Yan said as he gazed at Li Xianyun.
Li Xianyun was taken aback and said, “Alright.”
Yelu Yan gave a few instructions to Huo Dun and then proceeded to walk out.
Li Xianyun followed behind him.
Upon exiting the inner chamber, the two walked side by side.
Yelu Yan said, “The ntor has woken up twice, and I did not manage to be there either ti.”
His tone was filled with lancholy.
“Once Minister Xiao feels a bit better and stays awake longer, you will catch him awake,” Li Xianyun said softly.
Yelu Yan gave her a deep look, but did not speak.
It had gotten dark, but one could still vaguely discern the shapes of people.
The two walked silently on the stone-paved path, surrounded by the tall buildings of Khitan.
The moonlight was clear, casting their shadows on the ground – one large and imposing, the other petite and dependent, a matched pair.
Occasional sounds of birds and the passing flight of bats could be heard, everything around them quiet and beautiful.
Just then, a sharp scolding broke the silence.
“Move!” a guard scolded.
Then, two guards were seen dragging out a struggling palace servant.
Seeing Yelu Yan, the guards froze for a mont, then quickly knelt down with the palace servant and saluted, “Greetings to the Khan and Princess Consort.”
Yelu Yan said indifferently, “Rise.”
The escorted palace servant pleaded, “Khan, spare my life, I am innocent! Khan, please…”
Before he could finish, a cloth ball was ruthlessly stuffed into his mouth, silencing any sound.
Yelu Yan turned to Li Xianyun and said, “Let’s go.”
“Alright.”
They encountered several more such incidents along the way.
Without guessing, Li Xianyun knew what was happening; Minister Xiao had been poisoned over a long period, which certainly indicated a problem with the palace attendants.
Yelu Yan would surely conduct a thorough investigation of the harem, from top to bottom.
Back at the Khan Palace, Li Xianyun asked, “Khan, have you eaten?”
Yelu Yan answered, “I’ve eaten a little.”
“I have had sticky rice and snow fungus porridge prepared for you, would you like to have so?” Li Xianyun asked.
“That would be good,” Yelu Yan said as he looked at her.
Li Xianyun bowed to Yelu Yan and then went with Zhuo Ma to the pantry to get it.
Each palace had its own pantry, so they did not have to go too far.
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