The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 571 - 569 Empress of Houliang? (Second Update)

Yelu Yan had always been stoic, his emotions seldom reflected on his face. After Li Xianyun married into the Khan Palace, despite his undisguised fondness for her, others still couldn’t decipher his true thoughts.

Over time, as Li Xianyun got to spend more time with him, she noticed slight changes in his expressions that hinted he was in a slightly bad mood today.

Yelu Yan asked with a smile, "Is it that obvious to my wife?"

Li Xianyun smiled and nodded.

Yelu Yan had always been open with Li Xianyun, and since the matter concerned her too, he decided not to hide it.

"I will be leading the troops personally in a few days, and I want to bring you with me."

"So, the court officials are against it?"

Li Xianyun had already guessed as much.

Women on the battlefield were traditionally seen as bad omens, but it seemed people forgot how many women had earned distinguished military merits, their prowess no less than men’s.

"I have made a decision, and it’s not up to them."

Naturally, the court officials wouldn’t dare openly object, but Xiao Dilu’s advice was what troubled him.

In fact, Yelu Yan had been hesitant about taking Li Xianyun with him to the battlefield.

He didn’t want to be separated from Li Xianyun and wanted to keep her by his side, yet he worried about the hardships and dangers of war, the toiling and suffering she would endure.

During a time of hesitation, Xiao Dilu came to the Hall of Diligent Governance one evening to discuss this very matter with Yelu Yan.

"Khan, are you planning to take the Queen with you when you lead the troops personally?"

Yelu Yan naturally responded with a "Hmm."

Hearing this, Xiao Dilu hurriedly said, "Khan, your personal leadership is meant to boost morale, but having the harem accompany you might make the soldiers think you are indulging in pleasures and cause disloyalty, which could destabilize the military spirit."

Yelu Yan disagreed, "The trebuchet and repeating crossbow that the Queen improved are very popular among the soldiers, who do not stop praising the Princess Consort’s intelligence. Having the Queen accompany the army will surely convince them completely. Moreover, the Queen is skilled in medicine and proficient in weaponry, which is very beneficial for the warfare."

Although Yelu Yan mainly wanted Li Xianyun to accompany the army to avoid the pain of separation, he presented the idea very grandly.

"Khan, that’s not the issue—Houtang initiated this conflict to reclaim their Queen from Houliang. If our Queen is present on the battlefield, it will surely deepen their animosity. Isn’t this just boosting Houliang’s morale?"

Yelu Yan spoke indifferently, "Houliang’s Queen? I urge my teacher to be cautious with his words."

Xiao Dilu realized that he had misspoke, which could annoy Yelu Yan, as it indeed did.

"Forgive me, Khan, but—"

Yelu Yan interjected, "My teacher, these are just rumors, and when the Khan and the Queen are seen together, such rumors will naturally be dispelled. My mind is made up, no need for further discussion."

Xiao Dilu sighed lightly and said no more, turning instead to go and persuade Yaduo in the Cirui Palace.

With many eyes and ears, Yelu Yan was well aware of these developments, and his mood was understandably not very good.

Yelu Yan thought he had hidden his emotions well, but it turned out that Li Xianyun could easily see through him.

Li Xianyun said with a smile, "My husband, I do not understand the matters of the battlefield. I would rather stay in Shangjing and wait for the news of your triumphant return." ƒrēenovelkiss.com

Yelu Yan looked at Li Xianyun, "Xianxian, don’t you want to come with me to the frontier?"

While he had firmly declined Xiao Dilu, he was still torn and unsettled.

"I don’t. I’ll wait for you in Shangjing."

The thought of being separated from Li Xianyun again made Yelu Yan feel an emptiness inside, a corner of his heart slowly sinking.