Chapter 40

  Yan Yu walked in from outside and whispered to Sima Rui, who was sitting on the edge of the bed: "Fourth Prince, Princess Yalai of Wumeng Country has arrived. She says she needs to see you."

  Simarui didn't even lift his head and coldly said: "I don't have time to bother with that little girl, let her leave my mansion immediately."

  "If I could cure your beloved queen's illness?" Princess Yalili's voice came from the doorway.

  Simarui raised his head and saw Yalai standing at the door, smiling at him.

  Yali looked a bit disheveled, her clothes were messy and there was some dust on her face. Looking at her like this, it's clear that escaping from under Sima Qiang's eyes wasn't easy.

  "Are you a mole or something? What's with the getup?" Sima Rui asked impatiently, "What are you doing running to me like this?"

  Princess Yalai raised an eyebrow, saying disapprovingly: "You don't know how troublesome your brother is. He's been keeping me locked up so tightly, afraid I'll run out and bite people like a mad dog! If he hadn't gone to the city today to pick up his precious wife Hongyu, I wouldn't have had the chance to escape. How annoying, your brother is a stubborn man who won't listen to reason or temptation. Alas, what bad luck. Your precious father actually wants to marry me off to him, heaven, it's better to just stab me to death."

  Simarui smiled, but in his heart he was thinking: Hongyu is back, I wonder if Big Brother knows, it's been so many years, have the rights and wrongs of past events already faded away?

  "Can we talk outside, what's with all these medicinal smells in this room? The imperial physician is really bold, daring to use whatever medicine, and a good person can be treated to death." Yali rolled her eyes. "If it were me, I could guarantee that with just a few doses of medicine, Mu Rongfeng would...I mean, you, the consort, would be alive and kicking. However, I have conditions." Yali smiled slyly.

  Simarui left with her from Murong Feng's room, firstly because she knew that this Yalier princess was a troublesome master, and secondly also afraid of waking up Murong Feng with the sound of talking.

  Two people stood in the courtyard, the autumn wind blowing quietly, with a hint of coolness. Sima Rui did not doubt Ya Li's words, Wumeng Guo was originally a country rich in medicinal materials, if she said that she could cure Murong Feng's illness with just a few doses of medicine, then it must be true, she should have this confidence.

  "Alright, state your conditions and I'll listen. Is it worth my, Sima Rui's, attempt?" Sima Rui smiled lightly, his mouth corners slightly raised, unintentionally intoxicating others in the process.

  Princess Yalü giggled and leaned forward, her petite frame requiring her to tilt her head high when speaking with Sima Rui. As she drew closer, she nearly stuck to Sima Rui's side. Sima Rui remained still, not budging an inch. Princess Yalü's behavior was a far cry from the women of the Daxing Dynasty. If he were to avoid her, he feared she would only become more relentless.

  Her eyes were as beautiful as silk, her voice was like the chirping of insects, and she had an inexplicable charm. "You spend one night with me, and I'll save her life."

  Simarui smiled. "You'd make a deal like this at a loss?"

  "It's a gain for me." Yali also smiled, "The women of our Wumeng country are not as hypocritical as the women of your Daxing dynasty. If we like someone, we like them; if we don't like someone, we don't like them. I don't like Sima Qiang that wooden head, but I like your eyes, they make my heart skip a beat. My father king originally wanted me to marry the emperor of your Daxing dynasty to ensure our Wumeng country's safety and prevent any more conflicts. Now, your emperor doesn't like me, he only likes that seductive woman, Mu Rong Xue, right? Sima Qiang won't marry me either, he only has eyes for Hong Yu. Before I climbed into the emperor's bed, I still liked being with you."

  "Haha," Sima Rui smiled, his smile sending chills down one's spine yet mesmerizing at the same time. "If you want to climb into the emperor's bed, don't provoke me. And I have no interest in Sima Qiang's woman either. If you want to save her, then save her; if not, that's fine too - I naturally have my ways. The Wumeng Kingdom isn't just limited to Princess Yalü being the only one who understands medicine."

  "Why don't you like me?" Yali asked, puzzled. "If we talk about appearance, I may not be as good as Murong Feng, but if we talk about charm, I am still confident. But Murong Feng is always indifferent to you, which means she doesn't care about you, and I'm offering myself to you, yet you don't even bat an eyelid. Moreover, this deal is a win-win for you, why not?"

  As she spoke, her body leaned forward again, softly leaning against Sima Rui's.

  Simarui remained still, saying lightly: "Alright, Princess Yalai, I'm not in the mood to play this game with you. To be frank, the number of women you've met is probably less than the number of women I've been through. This trick won't work on me."

  Yali pouted, leaving Sima Rui's side, saying: "I'll give you a day to think about it. If you're willing, just let me know anytime. Murong Feng's current physical condition is really not good, if he continues eating like this, I'm afraid... never mind, you consider it yourself, so you won't say later that I forced you. As for me, I don't think you're in the mood to care about me now, so I'll just go out and take a look around, see if there's anywhere fun or maybe even try to seduce the Emperor of the Great Xing Dynasty, that Murong Xue, really isn't in my eyes."

  Simarui smiled.

  "Don't laugh." Yalai raised her head, very confidently saying, "I say what I do, now the emperor of the Great Xing Dynasty is in a state of excitement, as long as this freshness passes, I, Princess Yalai, will have the opportunity to replace him. Believe it or not, within a month, if I haven't left the palace yet, the one entering and exiting the Warm Jade Pavilion will definitely be me, Princess Yalai, and not that Murong Xue!"

  "If your freshness has passed, what then?" Sima Rui said lazily, "Yali, you're too full of yourself. That Murong Xue is a bit too young, but she's more beautiful than you, younger than you, and more genuine than you. Even if you've tempted the Emperor, it doesn't mean you can outlast her. This palace isn't just about her being the only favored woman. My mother, Liu Fei, Wu Fei - they're all extraordinary women who have been loved by the Emperor until now. If you think you can secure your position in the harem just with your charm, I'm afraid that's a pipe dream. Moreover, you're the princess of Wumeng State, and your identity dictates that you cannot be favored by the Emperor to the point of entering the Warm Jade Pavilion."

  Yali was taken aback and didn't speak.

  "The Fourth Prince." Wang Bao walked in, "The Second Prince's Consort has arrived."

  Simarui was taken aback, what is Hongyu doing here? "Ask her to come in." After finishing speaking, he looked at Yalai, "If I were you, I would go back to the Second Prince now. You should be more aware of the Second Prince's character than me. If you provoke him, there will definitely be no good outcome, and it is likely that you will be locked up even tighter. If you want to seduce the Emperor again, there won't be another chance."

  With a majestic and angry turn, she walked away, "I don't believe you won't ask me for help. Is your dignity more important or is the life of your concubine more important? You decide yourself!"