Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun, although both residing in the main building, lived separately.
Yelu Yan lived in the main hall, while Li Xianyun lived in the side hall, with a long corridor separating their sleeping quarters.
After returning to his sleeping quarters, Yelu Yan changed out of his court attire and slipped into a light grey robe.
He felt incredibly refreshed.
Approaching his desk, he picked up a report and began to read.
Zhuo Ma spoke respectfully from outside the door, "Khan, the princess has sent you some glutinous rice and silver ear mushroom porridge."
"Come in," Yelu Yan said in an indifferent tone.
Zhuo Ma entered, gently placed the silver ear mushroom porridge in front of Yelu Yan, and spoke, "The princess personally prepared this for you. She said that with your busy official duties, you surely hadn't dined on time. This porridge is nourishing for the stomach and very suitable for you. The princess simmered it over a low flame for an hour."
Yelu Yan glanced at Zhuo Ma and remarked, "You seldom speak so much for others."
Zhuo Ma was momentarily startled, fearing Yelu Yan was angry, and so she performed a curtsey and said, "This slave spoke out of turn, may the Khan forgive me."
Without a word, Yelu Yan lifted the spoon and tasted half a spoonful.
The silver ear mushroom porridge was fragrant, tasty, and carried a fresh sweetness; it was very delicious.
He then scooped up a large spoonful and drank it down.
The flavor was indeed very good.
Zhuo Ma took out a sachet and offered it to Yelu Yan, saying, "The princess also asked this slave to give you this, for repelling mosquitoes."
Yelu Yan looked up, and a black sachet with gold lotus patterns presented itself.
It was clearly made for a man.
The craftsmanship was fine and it looked quite nice; indeed, she had put her heart into it.
Yelu Yan accepted it and said to Zhuo Ma, "Thank her Highness for me."
Zhuo Ma was overjoyed, she gave Yelu Yan a bow and said, "This slave will take her leave."
Just as Yelu Yan spoke up, "The gauze curtains were also made by the princess?"
He had noticed something different as soon as he returned.
Zhuo Ma replied, "Yes, the princess had gauze curtains made for both the main building and the servants' quarters, and gave each of us a sachet as well. They are very effective at keeping mosquitoes at bay."
So everyone had one, thought Yelu Yan, with an indescribable feeling passing through his heart.
He gave a slight wave of his hand, and Zhuo Ma immediately withdrew, sensing something odd about the Khan.
No sooner had Zhuo Ma left than Yelu Yan tucked the sachet into his sleeve and said softly, "Come out."
Instantly, a shadow appeared at the window, the person knelt down and said, "Reporting to the Khan, the fugitive I have been chasing has fled into the princess's quarters, I..."
He stopped abruptly because Yelu Yan had already stood up and was striding towards the side hall with the sound of the chair moving loudly.
After preparing the glutinous rice and silver ear mushroom porridge for Yelu Yan, Li Xianyun returned to the side hall with Youlan, only to smell a heavy scent of blood and a spicy medicinal herb aroma upon entering the inner chamber.
Li Xianyun, who dealt with medicinal herbs all year round, had a sharper sense of taste and smell than most people.
She grabbed Youlan's hand and squeezed tightly, whispering, "Youlan, I left something in the kitchen; come with me to retrieve it."
Youlan, seeing something amiss in Li Xianyun's expression, immediately caught on and promptly said, "Alright."
The two turned around and walked outside.
The fugitive who had intruded did not react at first, but realizing his presence had been discovered, he thought to take a hostage.
Li Xianyun sensed the movement behind her, pushed Youlan out the door, and turned towards the sound, raising her arm to shoot a dart.
At the same time, a strong arm pulled her into an embrace from behind.
Believing there was an accomplice of the thief, Li Xianyun shot an arrow at the newcomer.
The person dodged swiftly, and the arrow hit the pillar with a loud 'thwack.'
Now that Li Xianyun could see who it was, she gasped, "Khan."
Yelu Yan only gave her a glance before shielding her behind him, drew his flexible sword from his waist, and with a single flick, the fugitive collapsed to the ground with a loud thud.
Li Xianyun looked at the body on the ground, a long, narrow wound on the forehead oozing blood, eyes wide open, dead with unseeing stare.
He had died from a critical hit, and from the knife technique and the dead man's shocked and terrified expression, one could tell that Yelu Yan's blade was extremely fast.
Yelu Yan said in a deep voice, "Go in and search carefully."
Jinwu and Zhuo Ma immediately entered to investigate, while another guard went in to take care of the body.
Li Xianyun opened her mouth and said, "Be careful with the blade, it's been coated with poison."
Yelu Yan fixed his gaze and saw a smear of fresh blood on the convict's blade, which had turned black, indeed poisoned.
"Do as the princess said."
The guard promptly bent his arm in salute and said, "Yes!"
Yelu Yan turned to look at Li Xianyun, sized her up, and asked, "Are you injured?"
Li Xianyun shook her head and said, "No."
She paused for a moment, then said, "But I will need the sleeve arrows from his body."
The guard lifting the body heard this and pulled out the sleeve arrow from the fugitive's left arm, handing it to Li Xianyun.
Li Xianyun was about to reach out and take it.
But Yelu Yan beat her to it, catching it as someone handed him a soft cloth.
He wiped off the bloodstains and casually handed it to Li Xianyun.
Li Xianyun hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful, she unintentionally pursed her delicate red lips and said, "Thank you."
"Could you also get down the sleeve arrow from the column for me?"
Since she had already troubled him once, she might as well do it a second time.
Yelu Yan looked up to where the sleeve arrow had been, lodged an inch deep into the column; had he not dodged in time earlier, he surely would have been injured.
He had thought she was a fragile, willowy girl, but she turned out to be more like a little hedgehog.
Yelu Yan lightly touched the ground with his toes, leapt up, and plucked out the sleeve arrow, all his movements seamless and graceful.
"Here."
Li Xianyun took it, rolled up her sleeve, and tucked both sleeve arrows back into their case.
Yelu Yan took her wrist.
Li Xianyun was slightly flustered, but seeing that Yelu Yan was only looking at her arrow case, the ripples in her mind calmed down.
"Did you make this?"
Li Xianyun hummed in affirmation and said, "It's for self-defense."
Yelu Yan let go of her wrist.
Li Xianyun put her hands behind her back, feeling the spot he had held on her wrist growing warm.
"Khan, wait for me a moment." Li Xianyun glanced at Yelu Yan and said.
She went inside the room, opened a cabinet, took out a small porcelain bottle from a box, and handed it to Yelu Yan, saying, "Khan, his blade was coated with bamboo viper venom; without an antidote within an hour, one would bleed to death from all seven orifices."
Yelu Yan held the porcelain bottle and said, "Thank you."
He glanced behind her; the body had already been removed, maids were cleaning up the large pool of blood, and the room was filled with the stench of blood.
"You can't sleep here tonight, come sleep in my quarters," he stated.
Li Xianyun's face flushed hotly as she said, "There is no need, I will sleep at Youlan's for tonight."
Yelu Yan gave her a look, then turned and walked toward the main hall, saying, "Don't forget that you are the princess."
The message couldn't be clearer.
Zhuo Ma stepped forward and said, "Princess, shall I pack your night clothes?"
She couldn't wait for Li Xianyun and Yelu Yan to share a room.
Even though they had known each other for just a couple of days, Zhuo Ma had taken an extreme liking to Li Xianyun.