The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan-Chapter 637 - 635 Not Missing Out on a Good Thing (First Watch)

Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun thus strolled and frolicked, frolicked and strolled, until they arrived at Yanzhou.

Yuchi Hong personally led a party out of the city to welcome them.

Yelu Yan had arranged a post for him on the frontier, and having settled the affairs of Yanzhou, he was about to take up his frontier post, unable to return to Shangjing without Yelu Yan’s command.

The carriage Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun rode in slowly came to a stop at the city gates.

Jinwu said from outside the carriage, "Reporting to the Khan, Yu Chi the official is leading other officers to welcome you at the city gate."

Yelu Yan looked at the sleeping Li Xianyun in his embrace.

The two had just intimately engaged, their garments disheveled.

These days, aside from their recreation, they clung to each other shamelessly.

Li Xianyun was also quite accommodating, letting him be whimsical.

The carriage was still the one they had used to come to the frontier, with the seats removed to form a large couch, covered with a thick blanket, like a big bed.

Yelu Yan had an insatiable appetite, causing havoc day and night, and Li Xianyun desperately lacked sleep, so after Yelu Yan spared her, she nestled in the crook of his arm and closed her eyes.

Yelu Yan gently withdrew his arm from underneath Li Xianyun’s neck, sat up, covered Li Xianyun with the quilt, and tidied up her clothing before opening the window and looking outside.

Yuchi Hong and the others knelt on the ground and saluted with bent arms, "We pay our respects to the Khan, to the Queen."

Yuchi Hong lowered his head, his gaze sharp, although he had only glimpsed in haste, he couldn’t spot Li Xianyun.

Yelu Yan said coolly, "Rise."

"Thank you, Khan, thank you, Queen."

Yuchi Hong rose with the other lords, only to see Yelu Yan looking at him with a cold gaze and respectfully lowered his eyelashes.

He harbored some improper thoughts about Li Xianyun, which had been seeded during the Houtang era.

He thought he had hidden them well but Yelu Yan had discovered them.

That was why Yelu Yan made him stay at the frontier, not allowing him to return to Shangjing.

Yuchi Hong felt anxious.

At the same time, he thought this was for the best, for a subject harboring inappropriate thoughts toward the Queen indeed deserved punishment.

Serving at the frontier, where the sky was high and the earth wide, he need not see the couple’s affection, which was also a blessing.

With this realization, Yuchi Hong looked up, and the carriage had already moved some distance away.

Yelu Yan and Li Xianyun’s entourage settled back into the residence they had stayed at before.

That same day, Li Xianyun visited the Official Government and after discussions with the officials, took a government officer with her the next day to the clothier.

As she walked through the expansive yard of the clothier, the sight of her stunned the female workers, who quickly called their friends to spread the word.

In no time, the large courtyard amassed a crowd of female workers.

Someone uttered "We pay our respects to the Queen," and the female workers one after another kneeled and saluted, "We pay our respects to the Queen."

During the battle at Xin Zhou, Li Xianyun’s identity was publicly revealed and quickly spread from ten to a hundred, with people from neighboring states and counties all learning that the kind and fair "Young Master Li" was the Khan’s beloved—the Queen of the Khitan.

As the female workers realized this, their surprise was drowned by disappointment.

If Li Xianyun was Young Master Li, perhaps she would still remember these poor female workers.

If Li Xianyun was the Queen, how could such a lofty personage care for them, life as insignificant as ants?

These days, gloom shrouded the clothier, extinguishing the fragile flame of hope that had been kindled within the female workers.

Hearing that Li Xianyun followed the Khan back to Shangjing, they all fell into utter despair.

Unexpectedly, just when all seemed lost, they saw Li Xianyun.

It was truly a blessing from the heavens.

Li Xianyun had everyone stand up, saying, "I am here today to tell you all about your future destinations."

As she spoke, she looked towards Youlan.

Youlan respectfully handed over a ledger.

Holding the ledger, Li Xianyun said, "This is a ledger found at Kewo’s residence, which details the trafficking of female workers. I have already discussed with the Official Government, and they will provide sufficient funds for these trafficked female workers to go back home."

Most of the female workers in the garment workshop had been trafficked here.

At this moment, their excitement was beyond compare.

"That’s wonderful."

"Finally, I can go home."

"We owe this all to the Queen."

Many began to shed tears of emotion as they spoke.

Some knelt down to express their gratitude to Li Xianyun, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Li Xianyun helped the woman standing before her get back on her feet, but even more female workers knelt down.

She could only say, "Please, everyone stand up."

But no female worker stood until Li Xianyun said, "I still have a lot to tell you, how can I speak with all of you kneeling like this?"

Only then did the female workers stand up, their faces beaming with joy.

A Han Ethnic Group woman timidly asked, "Your Majesty, may we return to our native land?"

These Han women had been trafficked during the times of Houtang or Houliang and had been sold on to the Khitan.

Li Xianyun replied, "That is one of the matters I wanted to discuss. The Official Government will be in touch with Houliang and Houtang to issue you a pass permit, and with that document, you will be able to return to your homelands."

The joy of seeing their loved ones again brought tears to many eyes.

Li Xianyun saw a group of female workers with sorrowful expressions—they were family members of officials who had been punished and whose property had been forfeited.

"As for the family members of punished officials, after spending five years here, they can return to their hometowns. If it has not been five years yet, they will have to wait until the end of that period before they can leave."

In fact, this applied to most family members of punished officials, some of whom had already been at the garment workshop for more than five years.

Even those who hadn’t reached the five-year mark also felt relieved; at least there was hope.

Li Xianyun continued, "No matter the situation, if there are female workers who do not wish to go back, they may continue to stay in the garment workshop and earn a monthly wage. From today on, the workshop will return to its previous operations, recruiting helpers publicly and becoming independent from the Official Government. The clothes produced will not only supply the military, but during spare time, clothes will also be sold to the public."

With this arrangement, the garment workshop could not only accommodate many female workers but also ensure a source of funds.

Hearing this, everyone became very happy. The Queen had truly considered every little detail.

After making arrangements for the garment workshop, Li Xianyun went with the government officers to the Carpenter’s Workshop.

The master carpenter of the Carpenter’s Workshop greeted Li Xianyun from afar, kneeling down to salute before even reaching her, "Greetings to Your Majesty the Queen."

Li Xianyun quickly helped the master carpenter to his feet, "Master Carpenter, there is no need for such formalities."

However, the other artisans of the Carpenter’s Workshop as well as the common folk who came to shop paid their respects properly.

Li Xianyun had them all stand up.

Previously, there had been only a few artisans in the Carpenter’s Workshop; this time, there were more than twenty.

The large workshops had undergone significant changes, turning into a shop selling looms and cotton spinning machines, with the public lingering and browsing.