"Youlan," Li Xianyun said to the maid next to her who was nearly closing her eyes.
Youlan quickly opened her eyes and bowed, "Please forgive this servant, Your Highness; I'm indeed very tired."
Li Xianyun did not blame her but stood up and walked to the dressing mirror to sit down. She raised her slender hand and removed a golden hairpin from her head and placed it on the table, saying, "You help me remove the headdress and rest."
Youlan followed her and stood behind her, anxiously saying, "Your Highness, this might not be appropriate. Tonight is your wedding night with the Khan, and he has not yet arrived. If you remove your makeup now, what will happen if he comes?"
Li Xianyun gazed at her reflection in the mirror, replying, "I am but a tool for maintaining the relations between the two nations; I'm not who the Khan wanted to marry in the first place. How could he possibly come?"
Youlan uttered an "Oh," raised her hand and began removing the dazzling gold and silver hair ornaments from Li Xianyun's hair.
Just at that moment, hurried footsteps were heard outside the door.
A man, gasping for breath, asked, "Is the Khan inside?"
A Khitan maid guarding the door shook her head, replying, "No, the Khan left for the camp after the court meeting this morning, dressed in different clothes, and has not yet returned."
The man furrowed his brows and said anxiously, "What to do? Minister Xiao has fainted for some reason, the Imperial Physician is out of options, fearing that we must prepare for the worst. I wanted to ask the Khan what to do?"
That maid also became anxious upon hearing this and said, "Minister Xiao is a respected mentor of the Khan and highly regarded. If anything happens to Minister Xiao, the Khan will surely be extremely saddened."
The man continued, "Yes, and with the Khan not here in the palace, what to do! Nevermind, I'll immediately send someone to find the Khan at the camp; we must let the Khan see Minister Xiao for the last time."
Saying this, he was about to leave.
However, as he heard the sound of a door opening behind him, he couldn't help but stop and turn his head to look.
An ethereally beautiful Han woman who looked like a maid came out from the inside.
The man was utterly stunned; he had never seen such a beautiful woman before.
She had a petite and graceful frame, a delicate and winsome figure cloaked in a red wedding dress, highlighting her shapely body. Her small face with finely chiseled features was as pale and beautiful as snow. She had already removed her makeup and tied her long hair into a ponytail, bareheaded without any hair ornaments, but even so, her charm was undeniable.
She was as beautiful as a fairy descending to earth, or like one who had stepped out from a painting, no, even more beautiful than any woman in a painting.
Li Xianyun looked at the stunned man and said, "I have some knowledge of medicine. Where is Minister Xiao you mentioned? Lead the way."
The four Khitan maids by the door looked at Li Xianyun disdainfully. This woman seemed as if she could be blown away by a gust of wind, incapable of lifting a hand or shouldering a burden, of what use could she be?
One of the Khitan maids mocked, "The Grand Imperial Consort commanded you to stay in your chamber. You cannot wander about without the Khan's presence."
Li Xianyun gave a cold look to the insubordinate maid and said, "Which is more important, rules or a human life?"
The maid was left speechless.
Li Xianyun looked at the man and said, "Lead the way and have someone fetch the Khan as well."
The man, upon hearing this, blurted out, "Yes!"
On the way, Huo Dun finally came to his senses, bewildered by how easily he had obeyed the commands of this Houtang woman.
Following Huo Dun, Li Xianyun arrived at a palace that was heavily guarded.
Seeing Huo Dun, a muscular guard hurried forward and asked, "Where is the Khan?"
Huo Dun replied, "The Khan should still be at the camp; I've already sent for him to return."
The guard asked, "The Northern Great Camp is at least an hour's journey away. Can the Khan make it in time?"
Huo Dun said, "There is no other choice; we can only..."
Li Xianyun, seeing the two men chatting, interjected quietly, "Time is of the essence for saving lives."
Huo Dun abruptly halted.
The guard looked bewilderedly at Li Xianyun and then at Huo Dun, asking, "What are you..."
Huo Dun patted his arm and said, "It's a long story, we'll talk later."
Turning to Li Xianyun, he said, "Please follow me, Your Highness."
With Huo Dun leading the way, Li Xianyun had no trouble entering the palace.
Inside the palace, it was chaos, with more than a dozen Imperial Physicians standing anxiously and helplessly around a bed.
Li Xianyun went straight to the bedside.
There lay an aged Khitan, his large frame had grown thin, lips black and purple, breaths faint and sporadic.
Li Xianyun sat by the bed and placed her hand on the wrist of the Khitan man.
His pulse was weak and erratic, indicating that his life was hanging by a thread.
An Imperial Physician, seeing Li Xianyun taking the pulse, spoke rudely, "Who are you? Who permitted you to take Minister Xiao's pulse?"
Huo Dun was about to explain when Li Xianyun calmly asked, "Do you have acupuncture needles?"