Youlan looked at Li Xianyun with concern and said, "Your Highness."
"It's nothing," Li Xianyun said. "It's just for one night, please tidy up my sleeping clothes."
After Yelu Yan returned to the main hall, he handed the porcelain bottle to Jinwu and said, "Send the antidote to Tuoba Che."
"Yes," Jinwu said.
The Hidden Guard Tuoba Che, on his way to receive medical treatment, suddenly vomited blood and fell off his horse.
The accompanying Yelang hurriedly dismounted and helped him sit up, anxiously saying, "Big brother, hold on a little longer, we are almost at the physician's place."
Clinging desperately to Yelang's hand, Tuoba Che said, "It's no use, I've been severely poisoned, I won't make it, you... please tell the Khan, tell him that I, Tuoba Che, can no longer serve him loyally, I'll repay his kindness in my next life."
Tears rolled down Yelang's cheeks as he said, "Big brother, don't talk like this, I'm going to get a physician for you right now."
As he was about to get up, Tuoba Che tightly grasped his arm and said, "There's no need to go through such trouble."
Choking back tears, Yelang said, "Big brother..."
Just then, the stillness of the dark night was shattered by the strong hoofbeats of approaching horses, as three very robust figures galloped towards them.
Thinking it might be enemies, Yelang's expression turned icy as his hand went for his weapon.
But as they drew near, he recognized it was Jinwu accompanied by two guards rushing over.
Dismounting, Jinwu squatted beside Tuoba Che, took out a small porcelain bottle from his chest, opened the lid, poured out a pill, and handed it to Tuoba Che, saying, "The Khan knows you've been severely poisoned and sent me to deliver the antidote to you."
Overjoyed, Yelang looked at Tuoba Che and said, "Big brother, you're saved!"
Moved to the verge of tears, Tuoba Che took the antidote and swallowed it down.
"I am immensely grateful to the Khan for saving me," Tuoba Che said with utmost gratitude.
Jinwu wanted to say that the antidote was from the princess, but then he thought that the Khan and the princess were as one, so there was no need to be so specific.
Together with Yelang, he helped Tuoba Che to his feet and said, "Let's go, I'll take you back to Yan Manor to rest."
The two of them helped Tuoba Che onto a horse, and Yelang rode with him to the Yan Manor on the outskirts of town.
After taking a bath, Yelu Yan was sitting by the bed without his outer shirt, about to rest when he heard Li Xianyun outside the door saying, "Khan."
"Come in," Yelu Yan said.
After dragging her feet for so long, she had finally come.
Had she not come tonight, he wouldn't have pursued it since she had helped him again today.
Li Xianyun walked in wearing a white blouse and long pants; although the clothes were loose, they made her appear even more delicate and lovely.
Her hair hung down to her waist as she entered the room carrying a pillow and a thin blanket.
Li Xianyun always bathed before sleeping, and she had planned to bring her sleeping clothes with her. But thinking it inappropriate to undress before Yelu Yan, she decided to wear her sleeping clothes and come directly.
She deliberately dawdled, hoping that by the time she arrived, Yelu Yan would be asleep and she could rightfully go sleep in Youlan's room.
So she only tentatively called out softly from outside the door, and when Yelu Yan actually responded, she had no choice but to enter with resolve.
In her heart, she went over the matter she had thought about many times before: Yelu Yan was famously indifferent to women, and he even said on their wedding day that aside from affection, he could provide her with endless wealth and honor, which meant that Yelu Yan must have someone he liked.
If he had someone he liked, it was even less likely that he would do anything to her.
Moreover, though she had only seen Yelu Yan a few times, she could tell that he was a man of clear distinction, a gentleman of integrity, and would not engage in sordid acts.
So tonight was simply about sleeping.
Yelu Yan looked up to see Li Xianyun standing at the door with an obedient and adorable demeanor, quiet and beautiful as an orchid in a deserted valley, and found himself momentarily stunned before deliberately averting his gaze, saying, "Let's sleep."
"All right."
Li Xianyun walked in with the pillow and blanket.
The room of Yelu Yan was cold and unwelcoming, filled with nothing but books and an array of weapons, their sharp blades emitting a terrifying shine under the lamplight.
How could one not feel oppressed and stifled sleeping in such a room?
Yelu Yan sat on the edge of the bed, leisurely watching her.
In just a short while, she had surveyed the room, fit to be a scout in the army.
Li Xianyun noticed Yelu Yan watching her and restrained her gaze, walked to the bedside, and sat down at a spot farther from Yelu Yan. She turned to place the soft pillow and thin quilt on the bed and took off her shoes.
Climbing onto the bed, she stood up, walked to the inner side of the bed, arranged the pillow, spread out the thin quilt, lifted a corner of the blanket, and sat down, covering herself with the thin quilt and obediently lying down.
Yelu Yan actually didn't need to share a bed with Li Xianyun, but the gossip about them sleeping separately in the palace was rampant.
He wasn't bothered by it, but it wasn't the same for Li Xianyun; some people would bully her even more blatantly, though today the Grand Imperial Consort had gained no advantage either.
Despite his busy official duties, Yelu Yan kept a watchful eye on every single movement within the palace.
He took off his shoes, swung his legs onto the bed, and lay down.
Turning his head, he saw Li Xianyun hugging the quilt, her eyes wide open looking at him.
Yelu Yan asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Xianyun said with a bit of guilt, "My sleeping appearance may not be very appealing."
Yelu Yan glanced at her. This bed was big enough for five or six people; wasn't that enough space for her to toss and turn?
"Go to sleep."
"Okay."
After speaking, Li Xianyun covered herself with the thin quilt, turned over, and faced inward.
Such a tiny one.
Yelu Yan glanced at her, turned his head, flicked his sleeve, and extinguished the lamp by the bed, leaving only the two distant illuminating lamps.
Li Xianyun couldn't help but turn her head for a look.
The two bedside lamps were so far away, yet with a flick of his sleeve, he had put out the light. Yelu Yan's martial skills and internal strength were astonishingly profound.
This was the first time Li Xianyun had shared a bed in such close quarters with a man, and she should have been unable to sleep, yet her eyelids were heavy.
Perhaps it was because she had been active all day and had matched wits with the Grand Imperial Consort; she truly was tired and fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow.
Yelu Yan also fell asleep quickly, but because of years spent in the military camp, he had developed the habit of being a light sleeper, awakened by the slightest noise.
All the more so when the movement from inside the bed could not be considered slight.
Yelu Yan finally understood what Li Xianyun meant by her sleeping appearance being unattractive.
He also finally realized why she had been so full of guilt when she mentioned it.
After Li Xianyun fell asleep, her legs stretched onto him, she kicked him once, one moment her head was on the pillow, and the next she had moved to the center of the bed.
She slept in circles, just like a child.
Yelu Yan didn't know how many times he was awoken that night.
The next morning, at dawn's first light with the surroundings still bathed in a dusky blue, two Palace Attendants pushing the Night Fragrance Bucket made their rounds to collect the night's incense.
They first went to the Khan Palace.
The Palace Servants on night duty at the Khan Palace brought out the Night Fragrance Bucket, saying, "Keep your voices down. The Khan and the consort are still sleeping."
The Palace Attendants collecting the incense were gossipy as well, saying, "I heard the Khan and the consort sleep separately?"
"Who told you that? The Khan had the consort attend to him last night."
"Is that true?"
"I never lie," the Palace Servant from the Khan Palace said with boastful confidence, "You shouldn't believe every rumor you hear."
"Of course, the Khan used to not stay much in the palace, but now that the consort is favored, Big Brother seeing the Khan more often means he's sure to rise in rank; just don't forget about your little brother when that happens."
"Naturally."