The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 86 - 0 Khan is really approachable (first watch)

Li Xianyun wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.

She looked forward, and for some reason, her small face started to feel hot.

After Yelu Yan finished drinking water, he looked at Li Xianyun’s slightly red face and asked, "What’s the matter?"

"Nothing." Li Xianyun gently bit her rosy lips.

She always did this when she felt shy.

Yelu Yan, who was very perceptive of people’s hearts, of course knew what Li Xianyun was thinking. He put away the water bag, as the smile on the corner of his mouth grew thicker.

All along the way, the vast and boundless grasslands, the babbling rivers, the mountains looming in the distance... Every scene was as beautiful as a painting.

Li Xianyun looked here and there with great pleasure, and a smile was always on her lovely face.

Upon reaching a certain place, Li Xianyun noticed a slight movement in the bushes and looked carefully, only to see a small squirrel no bigger than a fist.

It was nibbling on something round with both its front paws, which seemed to be the fruit of a plant.

Its fluffy tail rested on its back, looking very adorable.

Li Xianyun had only read about such animals in books, and now that she saw one in reality, she was incredibly surprised.

The little squirrel, noticing someone’s approach, dropped the fruit and scurried into the bushes, disappearing in an instant.

Li Xianyun could only stretch her neck to search for its trail.

Yelu Yan watched her childlike and cute demeanor and smiled, "What are you looking at?"

Li Xianyun, still stretching her neck earnestly, said, "A squirrel, a cute little squirrel, right there."

As she spoke, she raised her hand to show Yelu Yan and asked, "Did you see it just now?"

Yelu Yan smiled tenderly as he gazed at her vivid little face.

He had never found these common sights particularly interesting before.

Today, riding horses on the grassland with Li Xianyun, he discovered that the familiar things had a different kind of luster.

Watching Li Xianyun’s cute, astonished reactions, Yelu Yan couldn’t help but laugh, revealing a row of handsome teeth.

Li Xianyun, seeing that Yelu Yan didn’t respond, turned her head to him and said, "Really, Your Concubine truly saw it, it was very cute."

Yelu Yan "Hmm" with an agreement, thinking to himself that the cutest thing was right in front of him, yet she was unaware of it.

Since arriving on the grassland, Li Xianyun, perhaps too happy, talked more, asking what mountains were in the distance, what rivers were nearby, or wondering where the herders on the vast grassland lived? How did they eat?

Her questions were endless and varied.

Yelu Yan, however, showed surprising patience, answering every question and doing so very thoroughly.

Li Xianyun saw Yelu Yan in a new light.

Yelu Yan seemed distant and seldom spoke or smiled, but he had a very good temper, especially approachable.

If Jinwu heard this, Jinwu would certainly not be able to help but retort: frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"My lady, you might have misunderstood the Khan. The Khan is only amiable and extremely caring towards you. Others do not have this honor."

The two of them talked and walked like this, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the Northern Great Camp.

It was a fortress built on the grasslands, covering an extremely vast area.

The sturdy city walls stood tall, easily over twenty meters high, and the city towers were even higher.

Above the city walls, soldiers stood guard at intervals of a few meters.

Their skin was tanned to a dark gleam, but it was an extremely healthy color.

These soldiers, expressionless, stood as straight as poplar trees, not moving a muscle, with very strict discipline.

As soon as Yelu Yan and his party approached, the heavy iron gate thunderously opened.

The iron gate was more than three meters tall, about ten meters wide, and over half a meter thick, very solid indeed.

As soon as the gate was opened, four or five officers came forward to greet Yelu Yan, kneeling and bending their arms in salute, saying, "We pay our respects to the Khan."

Li Xianyun fixed her gaze and among them was Zha Xi, an old master from the armory.

Zha Xi also saw Li Xianyun, his face full of surprise, but he dared not speak without permission.

Yelu Yan looked down at Zha Xi from his elevated position and asked, "How are the preparations?"

Zha Xi bent his arm in salute and replied, "Reporting to the Khan, all preparations have been made; we are just waiting for your inspection."

Yelu Yan, looking at Li Xianyun, said, "Stay close to me later on."

Li Xianyun nodded her head.

Yelu Yan gave a command and at the same time, his long legs tightly clamped onto the horse’s back.

The Fiery Flame Horse shook its strong hooves and moved forward.

The sound of horseshoes striking the stone road was dull and heavy.

Li Xianyun and her companions followed behind.

When they reached the base of the city wall, Li Xianyun couldn’t help but look up.

The walls were indeed tall; the oppressive sense when viewed from below was overwhelming as if the entire wall was going to fall directly on top of her.

After entering the city, Li Xianyun was utterly astounded; this was actually a military camp.

She had a fondness for making weapons and studying armaments, but this was her first visit to a military camp.

Li Xianyun finally understood why Yelu Yan had asked her to stay close.

The inside of the city was very spacious, with living quarters that were neat and uniform, one could say identical.

If one got lost, it would be not easy to find their way.

The city was divided into many different areas, each separated by tall walls and towering gatehouses.

Plaques written in Khitan script hung above the gatehouses, their golden edges gleaming in the sunlight.

Following deeper into the city, Li Xianyun saw various types of training equipment.

There was equipment for field training as well as close combat training, and also many that she couldn’t name, both training areas and apparatuses.

Everywhere was bleak, and in a way that was strikingly impactful to Li Xianyun’s vision.

The soldiers were being led by officers in training on the field.

Each of them was tall and powerfully built, their muscular bodies impressive as they wielded sharp weapons, giving one a chill down the back of the neck.

Li Xianyun’s impression of the Northern Great Camp was that it maintained strict discipline and had strong soldiers and horses.

When she was in Chang’an, she often saw soldiers entering the capital; some were valiant and good at fighting, but not many, most were just postures.

The Houtang had not experienced warfare for many years and due to the incompetence and corruption of those in power, many idle soldiers were maintained.

The soldiers in the camp received high salaries but did not face any risks, and had instead quite a lot of power.

Over time, Houtang’s military gradually lost its original character.

Many children from official families got into the military through connections, neglecting their duties, indolent, which caused the military camp to be in disarray and weak.

This was why, once the Houtang went to war with the Khitan, they were soundly defeated, retreating in disarray.

Even so, the authorities of the Houtang still failed to recognize the crux of the problem.

After a defeat in battle, they did not know to introspect, and instead, delusionally thought they could appease the conflict between the two nations by sacrificing women, what a preposterous and laughable idea.

Seeing Li Xianyun’s solemn expression, Yelu Yan slightly turned his head and asked, "What’s the matter? Are you uncomfortable?"

Li Xianyun shook her head and said, "No."

"Then are you unhappy?" Yelu Yan asked.

"No."