章 25: 025 Can you plant these things? (First update)
Li Xianyun followed Yelu Yan out of Khan Palace and found a large carriage waiting at the entrance.
Looking at Yelu Yan, Li Xianyun asked, "Aren't we going to ride horses?"
"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Yelu Yan walked up to the carriage and looked at her, asking.
They say that the women of Houtang were made of water, as delicate as porcelain dolls.
From her appearance, Li Xianyun indeed gave off that impression.
"A little," said Li Xianyun.
In reality, it wasn't that she knew just a little; her horsemanship was very good. When playing polo with various noble young masters and misses in Houtang, she was the best player, thanks to her exquisite riding skills.
Palace servants arranged the carriage steps.
Approaching, Li Xianyun saw Yelu Yan extend his hand to help her into the carriage.
She hesitated a moment but did not refuse Yelu Yan's kindness, placing her hand in his palm.
His hand was wide and warm, and she could distinctly feel a thick callus at the base of his thumb, the result of holding weapons over a long period.
With Yelu Yan's help, Li Xianyun boarded the carriage. Although it was just a brief touch, her entire hand tingled, the palm burning and itching.
Once inside the carriage, she found herself clasping her hands together.
Li Xianyun let out a soft sigh and started to look around the interior of the carriage.
The carriage was spacious, with benches on three sides and a table fixed in the middle. On the table were fruits and tea sets, and on the far side, there was a book—a Chinese edition of "The Art of War by Sun Tzu."
Yelu Yan actually knew Chinese characters.
After just a moment, Yelu Yan also bent down and climbed aboard.
Yelu Yan was truly very tall; once he got in, the carriage felt crowded, and even the air seemed to thin out.
Yelu Yan sat across from Li Xianyun and seeing her looking at the book, he asked, "Do you want to read it?"
"Not particularly," Li Xianyun replied as she looked at him.
Amused by her ambiguous answer, the corners of Yelu Yan's mouth curled up slightly. He turned his head and lifted the edge of the curtain to look outside.
"If you want to read it, go ahead," Yelu Yan said.
In the end, Li Xianyun still picked up "The Art of War by Sun Tzu," opened it to flip through, and couldn't help but glance up at Yelu Yan.
The book was filled with dense annotations, clearly not made in one sitting. One could tell how seriously Yelu Yan had read it.
After flipping through, Li Xianyun placed the book on the desk and like Yelu Yan, lifted the curtain to look outside.
In view were the tall palace walls and neatly stationed soldiers.
Each soldier was imposing; they were indeed a people born to the saddle.
For the first time, Li Xianyun examined the environment in which she lived so closely, and she had to admit that the Imperial Palace was truly grand. Although different from the architectural style of Houtang, it had a majestic and domineering presence, imposing a solemn and sacred atmosphere upon those within.
After a long while, they finally exited the palace gates, which were heavily guarded by layers of soldiers.
After crossing the moat's bridge and turning to look at the high palace walls, she saw that every few meters, there stood a formidable and upright soldier on guard.
Yelu Yan poured two cups of water and gently pushed one towards Li Xianyun, saying, "Have some water."
Li Xianyun turned her head and saw Yelu Yan holding a cup of water, slowly drinking, while his deep and penetrating tiger-like eyes were fixed on her.
"Thank you," Li Xianyun said, holding the cup with both hands and drinking, as her gaze wandered elsewhere.
Yelu Yan thought she was as docile as a little cat, as gentle as a little rabbit, never having known a woman to be so tender and quiet.
He took a few sips of water, placed his cup down, and asked Li Xianyun, "What do you plan to plant in the field to the west?"
Li Xianyun's red lips parted gently as she replied, "I plan to plant some rape, bok choy, and also press some garlic, as well as plant some green onions and leeks. Around the edges of the fields, I'll plant roses and night-blooming jasmine."
That way, she could eat the vegetables she grew herself. Plus, with the abundance of fresh flowers, sitting in a hanging chair, reading a book, and smelling the faint fragrance of the flowers while looking at the blossoming flowers and the flourishing vegetables would certainly be a joy for her, delighting the eyes and mind alike—just the thought of it was beautiful.
Yelu Yan seemed to ask casually, "Do you know how to grow these things?"
That was clearly looking down on someone.
Li Xianyun, feeling a bit indignant, said, "Of course, I can not only grow these things but also wheat, corn, and even cotton."
She wanted to let him know that she was capable not just of tending a vegetable garden, but of farming crops as well, lest he looked down on her.
Yelu Yan found her retaliatory attitude somewhat cute as he smiled slightly, saying, "Does the wise Prince allow his daughter to do such things?"
Li Xianyun replied, "When I was young, I lived in the countryside. It was only when I was thirteen that I was brought to Chang'an. I'm accustomed to rural life, and even in the Prince's Mansion, I would engage in farming. My father dotes on me and has never been harsh with me, saying that I should do whatever I wish as long as it makes me happy."
Yelu Yan saw the happiness on her face whenever she talked about the wise Prince, and it was clear that the father and daughter shared a close bond.
They often say that speaking too much leads to errors, and she should not have disclosed so much to the shrewd Yelu Yan. Realizing her mistake, she abruptly stopped speaking and looked up at Yelu Yan somewhat annoyed.
Sensing something amiss, Yelu Yan asked, "What's wrong?"
Li Xianyun was startled. This man was truly terrifying; he could detect even the slightest fluctuation in her emotions almost instantly.
Li Xianyun lifted her cup to take a sip of water, saying, "It's nothing."
Fortunately, Yelu Yan did not press her further, instead picking up a military treatise to read.
Li Xianyun slowly let out a sigh of relief, set down her cup, turned her head to lift the curtain, and decided to take a good look at the surroundings.
The carriage traveled swiftly on the official road. In the time it took for their conversation, they had already covered a great distance and quickly arrived at the market.
The market was bustling with traffic like a stream of horses and carriages, and there were all manner of shops on both sides of the road, creating a lively atmosphere.
The market was quite large, and from the main thoroughfare, many roads branched off, lined with shops on both sides, displaying a dazzling array of goods.
After browsing around, Li Xianyun noticed that the market here was different from that in Chang'an. The goods for sale were mostly coarse cloth and hemp garments; silk and brocade were rare, and the few shops that sold them were bustling with customers.
Besides, there were many shops selling daggers or bronze kettles; there were few porcelain shops, and among the handcrafted goods, most of the items were woolen blankets, with hardly any handkerchiefs or fans used by women.
As for food, the restaurants mainly served naan, milk tea, pilaf, and roast meat. There were no establishments selling ice porridge.
Of course, there wouldn't be because ice porridge was Li Xianyun's exclusive creation. How could it be found in the marketplace?
If she were to sell ice porridge, the market should be good for her—it would be unique, without any competition.
Moreover, amidst the monotonous Khitan cuisine, if there were a Han ethnic restaurant that offered Han cuisine, it was likely to attract many customers. However, it wasn't the right time to open such a restaurant, as the Khitan had great prejudice against the Han. If such a restaurant were opened, it would probably be vandalized within days, so this idea was immediately dismissed.
Then the plan was to open an ice porridge shop. But where?
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