Chapter 40: Hungry Wolf

You’re a complete scoundrel.

Unable to suppress her concern for Emperor Jian, Li Youqing asked, “Then do you know how my Father Emperor’s health is now? When I left, he could barely recognize me, and all the imperial physicians were at their wits’ end…”

At this thought, her eyes reddened, nearly bringing her to tears.

Xuan Rui gently wiped away the moisture at the corner of her eye with his thumb, speaking softly, “Don’t worry. The Imperial Medical Institute has finally found the right prescription this time. His Majesty’s condition has improved, and he has already begun handling court affairs.”

What was perplexing was that the Crown Prince’s arrangements regarding this matter seemed extremely hasty, completely unlike his usual style of doing things.

The little princess’s “death” was clearly suspicious. Once His Majesty truly regained clarity and began investigating this matter, he would inevitably uncover the discrepancies.

Seeing the natural joy in her eyes upon hearing about Emperor Jian’s improved condition, Xuan Rui guessed that she remained unaware of the past between Zhenbei Wang and Shu Fei, as well as the speculation outside the palace about her bloodline.

Just from how she had fled the palace without considering the consequences upon detecting the Crown Prince’s intentions, it was clear that the Prince’s desire for a father-daughter reunion was merely wishful thinking.

As for the Crown Prince wanting to eliminate dissidents, simply revealing that the little princess was born to Shu Fei and Zhenbei Wang would deal a heavy blow to the Sima Family.

When two tigers fight, the one who suffers most is the most innocent young girl before him.

Since confirming her identity that night, Xuan Rui had been pondering these matters.

If she were the true princess, he would personally escort her back to the capital, then strive to accumulate military merits, finally requesting His Majesty’s permission to marry her in a legitimate manner.

But now, her father-daughter relationship with the Prince had become widely known, even reaching the Crown Prince’s ears. He didn’t believe Emperor Jian would be unaware.

To make matters worse, Zhenbei Wang had long harbored rebellious intentions… torn between her biological father and her adoptive father, what favorable position could she possibly find herself in if she returned to the palace at such a time?

What worried Xuan Rui even more was that even if she stayed with him in the northwest, it wouldn’t be completely safe.

After the Prince’s intention to annex Rou Lan, the three armies were all becoming restless.

Although the Border Defense Army wasn’t competent in battle, they were quite shrewd in their calculations.

Seeing the situation turning unfavorable, they were highly likely to pack up and flee back to the capital.

The Red Feather Army was the Prince’s direct force, with many generals whose families had intricate connections to the Prince, remaining unwaveringly loyal to him.

Although his mission was to guard Daliang’s borders and resist foreign enemies, under these circumstances, he also had to consider the brothers who had fought alongside him through life and death for many years.

If Zhenbei Wang rebelled, any ruler could become king.

However, one could become king through extreme cruelty, or through restoring order and righteousness.

Whichever path he chose would be extremely perilous.

If he were still alone as before, it would be one thing, but now he carried this heavy burden of concern.

Seeing him remain silent, Li Youqing tugged uneasily at his sleeve and asked, “Then when does General Xuan plan to escort me back to the capital?”

Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, the man’s expression suddenly changed as he sneered, “Let you go back to pair up with Young Master Jin?”

Li Youqing was taken aback, never expecting him to still remember the letter she had written back then.

Thinking of Jin Cheng waiting for her outside the city walls, and fearing that Xuan Rui might develop hostility toward him if the two were to confront each other in the future, Li Youqing steadied herself and explained seriously, “General Xuan, you are overthinking it. I truly do not like him in the slightest.”

Seeing Xuan Rui’s expression soften and his mood visibly improve, only for him to lean in for another kiss, Li Youqing slapped him hard and said angrily, “I’m discussing serious matters with you. Stop fooling around, will you?”

Xuan Rui took her hand and pressed it to his lips, saying gently, “Alright, I won’t bring up the past again.”

Li Youqing snatched her hand back and retorted resentfully, “Zhenbei Wang Lu Zhan is your adoptive father. Your relationship must be very close. If you also wish to offer me to him in exchange for high rank and wealth, I won’t blame you.”

Xuan Rui sat up straight and nodded solemnly, “Very well. Once matters in Ming City are settled, I will personally escort you to his residence.”

Seeing that his expression seemed genuine, Li Youqing immediately tried to get up and leave, but was pulled back and pinned down on the bed.

The man’s heavy breath brushed against her neck as he lowered his voice and whispered in her ear, “The Wang residence or the General’s Mansion—Qingqing, you choose.”

“Xuan Rui, you’re nothing but a scoundrel!” Li Youqing kicked and hit him repeatedly, but his body was like an impenetrable fortress—striking him only hurt her own hands.

Xuan Rui pressed down on her thighs with both hands and said sternly, “Stay put. I guarantee your safety as long as you remain under my protection. But if you step outside my territory, I cannot promise that what you fear won’t happen.”

“How dare you! Remove your hands at once.” Li Youqing refused to back down, glaring at him. “Since you already know my identity as a princess, you should obediently follow my commands. When I do not permit you to touch me, rein in that lustful demeanor of yours and wait properly by my side. Understood?”

She had once overheard The Eldest Princess scolding her male concubines in this manner and decided to borrow the same rhetoric.

This man had been far too arrogant since their first meeting, and Li Youqing was determined to humble his pride.

Xuan Rui hadn’t originally intended to do anything, but seeing her haughty attitude ignited a fire within him—hot and restless. He knelt on the bed, looking down at her, and said, “From what Your Highness says, it seems there are times when I am permitted to touch you.”

Though Li Youqing was extremely nervous, she refused to lose face in front of him and forced herself to remain calm. “You are the first man I have been intimate with. When the time is right, I will summon you.”

“The first?” Xuan Rui frowned, gently biting her lip. A low, stifled groan escaped his throat as he said slowly, “I guarantee you will never lay hands on another man again.”

“What do you mean by that?” Li Youqing disliked his words, her expression darkening.

The education she had received since childhood had never included the notion of lifelong fidelity.

As a princess, she was the most noble woman in all of Daliang. Besides her consort, it was only natural that she could have other men.

Whether she wanted them was one matter; whether she could have them was another.

How could he dare to dominate her when nothing had even been settled between them?

“If anyone dares to lay a finger on you, I will chop off his hand… no, I will take his head directly.” Though nothing had happened, the mere thought of such a scenario filled Xuan Rui with murderous intent.

Seeing her face pale, Xuan Rui suppressed his anger, pressing his forehead against hers as he said slowly, “Just remember this—the northwest is no place for you to wander recklessly. Trust no one, understand?”

Li Youqing recalled her previous betrayal by Bai Cha, her defiance shrinking by half. She took a deep breath and asked in a faint tone, “Then will you really send me to Zhenbei Wang?”

“I won’t give you to anyone.” Xuan Rui knelt with his legs straddling her sides, lowering his gaze to look deeply at her.

Li Youqing felt his stare might burn right through her and instinctively turned her head away, pushing at him. “Alright, get up now.”

Xuan Rui didn’t press further. Sitting up, he pulled her up along with him, carefully smoothing her tangled hair as he said gravely, “I don’t mind your usual restlessness, but in two days I’ll be leaving the city to face the enemy. Be good and don’t cause trouble at a time like this.”

“What do you mean? Is King Bai leading troops to attack?” Li Youqing grew nervous, looking up at him in a daze.

Xuan Rui replied, “It’s the Red Feather Army. They want to reclaim control of Ming City.”

“Rou Lan was conquered by the Zhenbei Army to begin with. Now you’ve come to cure the plague for the people, and they just want to swoop in and reap the benefits? How unreasonable,” Li Youqing sat to the side, fuming.

Her words, and her unwavering stance on his side, took him somewhat by surprise.

A faint smile touched the corners of Xuan Rui’s eyes as he pulled her into an embrace, his tone softening involuntarily. “Why get angry over this? Do you think this General would lose to them? They’re just rushing to their deaths.”

Having said that, he kissed her cheek.

His shifting demeanor—sometimes fierce and unruly, sometimes tender and doting—made Li Youqing’s emotions seesaw wildly, as if he had completely pinned her down. Her heart raced so fast she could barely catch her breath.

Remembering Jin Cheng, who was still waiting for her at Ten-Mile Slope, her anxiety only deepened.

Stripped of his outwardly dignified facade, the Xuan Rui she knew was truly a ruthless villain.

Li Youqing had grown up surrounded by people with duplicitous faces and had become accustomed to presenting various false fronts herself.

But this man never fell for any of it, insistently peeling away her disguises and mercilessly exposing her pitiful little schemes.

Seeing her sullen silence, as if aggrieved, Xuan Rui stroked her head and coaxed gently, “When you first arrived in Ming City, you set aside your status to help the soldiers rescue the city’s people. You cared wholeheartedly for those sick, filthy children. From that moment, I decided I would protect you for life. Qingqing, whether you’re a princess or not, in my heart, you are the kindest, most wonderful woman in this world.”

Over the past couple of days, he had struggled too. If one day she were to reunite with the Prince as father and daughter, would she blame him for acting willfully and disobeying the Prince’s orders?

But he himself had crawled out of dark, muddy depths. He never believed in the charity of the powerful—what he wanted, he had to seize firmly with his own abilities.

If he died, so be it. But if he succeeded this time, he believed he could still treat her birth father well.

They talked for a while longer until Aunt Chen came in to ask if the General would stay for a meal.

Li Youqing tugged at the hem of his clothes and whispered, “Don’t go. It’s so dull eating alone…”

Yet she hadn’t expected that although he stayed, his eyes remained fixed on her, repeatedly lingering on her lips, still looking as though he wanted to devour her.

Li Youqing said somewhat helplessly, “Is there nothing else in your mind all day besides these thoughts?”

Xuan Rui smiled, serving her rice and handing it over: “Just taking a small advantage. If you don’t like it, forget it.”

His words were blunt and shameless, but by nighttime, it was nothing like that at all. Several times, his intensity made her too overwhelmed to move.

This man was truly a scoundrel. Li Youqing felt she had ended up with a starving wolf—the kind that couldn’t be shaken off.