The Aloof Prime Minister is Pregnant with the Rival General’s Child - Chapter 10

“Lan Bie, are you truly alright? Should I ask Imperial Physician Song to come and examine you?” Upon returning to the military tent, Shi Yunhe remained uneasy. However, he saw that the other person acted as if nothing had happened and even had the leisure to appreciate and drink tea.

A surge of coolness moistened his throat, pressing down the sensation of blockage in his chest by a few degrees. Shi Hanshang then spoke calmly. “Brother, you do not need to worry. I have simply been overworked these past few days and failed to rest properly. I experienced a momentary bout of dizziness, which caused me to lose my composure. I am perfectly fine now.”

“Is that the truth?” Shi Yunhe’s brows knitted slightly, and his gentle face still betrayed several hints of worry.

“It is naturally the truth. When has Lan Bie ever deceived his brother?” Shi Hanshang responded without his heart racing or his face flushing.

“Lan Bie, I know you are headstrong, but from childhood until now, have you not hidden things from me frequently?” Shi Yunhe became somewhat anxious. “Lan Bie, tell me the truth. Why exactly did you clash with the Second General Sheng today? It would have been one thing to exchange a few sharp words, but how did it come to blows?”

“Lan Bie, I know you have always been the most stable and mindful of the overall situation. What on earth happened that even you forgot the rules and engaged in a public brawl with Sheng Yuli?”

Shi Hanshang shifted his gaze downward imperceptibly to hide the flash of gloom in his eyes. He said coldly, “Nothing happened.”

“Brother also knows that he and I have harbored resentment for a long time. Today was merely a settling of both new and old scores. I simply vented my past frustrations all at once. It was an accident and happened without a specific cause.”

“Lan Bie!” Shi Yunhe said anxiously. “You! Sigh!”

Shi Yunhe understood that his younger brother’s character was incredibly stubborn. If he was unwilling to speak, then no matter who came to ask or what kind of persuasion was used, even if one were to literally pry Shi Hanshang’s mouth open, they would likely not extract a single word or phrase.

Shi Yunhe had a massive headache but was truly helpless. After a long silence, he could only slap his thigh and say, “Sigh, I know why you dislike General Sheng, but the events of those years passed so long ago. Perhaps it was all just a misunderstanding?”

Shi Hanshang snorted coldly. “I saw it with my own eyes. What misunderstanding could there be?”

Shi Yunhe added, “Then perhaps as the years pass, people also change?”

“Mountains and rivers may change, but a person’s nature is hard to alter. Furthermore, past grievances happened, and they cannot be undone. As long as he is Sheng Yuli, no matter how his temperament changes, it is absolutely impossible to wipe the slate clean,” Shi Hanshang said coldly.

“Is it truly impossible to turn jade into silk and make peace?” Shi Yunhe asked, still unwilling to give up.

Shi Hanshang merely set his teacup down heavily and said word for word, “Where he is, I am not; where I am, he is not. Unless Sheng Yuli takes the initiative to bow his head and admit defeat to me, then as long as we both exist, it will be absolutely impossible for us to make peace!”

“Shi Hanshang!”

Sheng Yuli caught up in a few strides and grabbed the sleeve of the person in front of him!

Shi Hanshang suddenly turned and whipped his arm away, shouting angrily, “What are you doing? Have you not fought enough?”

Sheng Yuli choked on his words and his arrogance diminished slightly, but he remembered his main business for the day. He immediately shook the map in his hand in the air and said angrily, “Shi Hanshang, by what right did you arbitrarily modify my army’s patrol route?”

Shi Hanshang did not even look at him. He adjusted the reins in his hand and said coldly, “The deer herd in the West Mountain was being stalked by wild wolves. Yesterday’s investigation by the troops revealed that not many are left, so the range was expanded to the North Mountain. Your army serves as the guard force. What is improper about changing the patrol route?”

Today, Shi Hanshang had changed into a set of silver armor and martial attire. His long black hair, which was usually braided with a hairband, was now neatly tied behind his head with a silver crown. This complemented his cold and sharp profile. The tight-fitting martial suit clung to him, outlining his tall and upright figure completely.

Since leaving the training grounds, Sheng Yuli had rarely seen Shi Hanshang dressed this way. Seeing him again after many years, that single moment when he turned his head actually caused Sheng Yuli to daze for a moment.

However, the youth of the past had already shed his innocence. The man standing before him now, who did not crack a smile, was the Prime Minister of the current dynasty.

Sheng Yuli took quite a while to find his voice. He coughed twice to hide his distraction and continued with displeasure. “The North Mountain has its own local garrison. Even if the West Mountain lacks deer, it still has sheep, pigs, and horses! When the Emperor leads the hunt, it will still be concentrated around the West Mountain area! My Sheng family army was assigned from the beginning to clear the path for His Majesty in the North Mountain area. Why are you suddenly changing things and going back on your word?”

Shi Hanshang became impatient and retorted loudly, “The North Mountain guard army consists of local stationed regular troops. The border is far away, and the Emperor’s long arm cannot always protect them. The subordinates have grown accustomed to being idle, and their strength does not match the elite troops of the palace. If His Majesty steps into the North region and no one is guarding it, and an accident occurs, how many of our heads would be chopped off?”

When he spoke the word “chopped,” Shi Hanshang’s phoenix eyes glanced coldly at Sheng Yuli, which actually made his spine feel somewhat chilly.

“But!” Sheng Yuli still wanted to argue.

“Furthermore,” Shi Hanshang interrupted him, “The West Mountain is managed meticulously and is full of excellent soldiers and fierce generals. General Qin is also at His Majesty’s side keeping a constant watch. What do you have to be worried about?”

Shi Hanshang adjusted the armor on his chest with some impatience. For some reason, he felt that the armor was somewhat tight today, especially around his lower abdomen.

Could it be that he had truly been so busy managing the autumn hunt affairs that he had neglected his martial arts practice and actually gained weight?

At this thought, Shi Hanshang’s expression became somewhat unsightly.

This time, Sheng Yuli noticed it. The words at the tip of his tongue stopped abruptly and took a turn. He said awkwardly, “Is your… is your body alright?”

In truth, he had not come today solely to ask about the patrol route. Sheng Yuesheng had also forced him to come to apologize to Shi Hanshang for the previous martial arts match.

Upon hearing this, Shi Hanshang’s originally pale face instantly turned grim. He said crossly, “I thank General Sheng for showing mercy. This Shi’s meager life remains, so there is no need for General Sheng to worry.”

Sheng Yuli was instantly filled with anger. “Hey, Shi Hanshang! Is it necessary for you to speak to me in such a pretentious and sarcastic tone?”

“You clearly do not act this way toward anyone else!”

He had clearly come out of kindness to show some concern for Shi Hanshang! Now, it was a case of the dog biting Lu Dongbin—failing to recognize good intentions!

The sun was high overhead, and the people coming and going were all attracted by the commotion between the two of them. They wanted to pay attention but did not dare to look directly, so they could only act as if they were passing by incidentally while frequently glancing sideways.

The horses beside the two men also seemed to sense their masters’ unease, as they let out low growls from their throats and acted somewhat restless.

Shi Hanshang finally managed to soothe his horse, Zhaoye Yushizi. After the struggle, he felt frustrated and once again felt a bit of nausea in his chest.

Seeing that Sheng Yuli had also just calmed his Red Hare steed and that the autumn hunt was about to begin, Shi Hanshang was unwilling to entangle with him further. He simply flipped onto his horse and left only a single sentence. “If General Sheng has the time to bicker with me, you would be better off looking at the hunting maps more! Do not wait until you are on the hunting grounds and fail to shoot any prey before coming to cry and complain!”

With that, he let out a shout of “Jia!” and galloped away!

Sheng Yuli shouted angrily, “Who says I cannot catch any prey? Shi Hanshang, you just wait! After the autumn hunt ends, I will certainly claim the second-place prize and make you admit defeat to me!”

“Heh.” Shi Hanshang seemed to find it amusing. He turned his head and called out loudly, “I shall wait and see!”

As for why it was not the top prize, that was because the Emperor personally visited the hunting grounds. Regardless of how much he hunted, the top prize naturally belonged to the Emperor. This was both to show the Emperor’s dignity and a good opportunity to build public morale.

However, Li Yi had always been accustomed to being gentle and did not fight for anything. His archery and riding skills since childhood could only be considered average. If he truly had to compete, he certainly could not beat those veteran generals who had spent years fighting on battlefields.

Even if he could not hunt anything, someone would naturally offer the prey with both hands.

With a whistling sound, an arrow flew like a shooting star and pierced straight into the hind leg of a white rabbit leaping into the air!

The white rabbit let out a cry of pain and suddenly tumbled to the ground. Its front legs flailed as it still thought of struggling to escape, but it was ultimately a futile resistance.

A guard quickly ran forward to catch the white rabbit, placed it into a pre-prepared cage, and respectfully displayed it to Shi Hanshang.

Shi Hanshang merely gave it a casual glance. He had not hit a vital spot, so the white rabbit still had life in it, though it appeared somewhat wilted due to blood loss.

Shi Hanshang waved his hand expressionlessly without saying much. The guard, who was very good at reading expressions, understood immediately. He bowed respectfully, mounted his horse, and went to deliver the prey to His Majesty!

Watching the guard’s figure disappear into the dense and cluttered forest, Shi Hanshang finally breathed a sigh of relief. A drop of sweat fell from his forehead, and his palm unconsciously rested on his lower abdomen as he lightly pursed his pale lower lip.

It was truly strange.

His stomach felt as if it were being stirred, as if something were sinking heavily and pulling tightly at his nerves.

Could he have accidentally eaten something poisonous?

There were many wild vegetables and fungi in the mountains, and the imperial chefs who followed them would occasionally use local ingredients. Wild delicacies were delicious and had a unique flavor, but there were many types of wild plants, and some were poisonous. Perhaps the imperial chef failed to distinguish them and accidentally served a dish with slight toxicity.

Shi Hanshang steadied his slightly swaying body and forced himself to endure the dense, stinging pain in his abdomen. He sighed lightly, thinking that once he returned to the tent, he must investigate thoroughly. If this poisonous item were accidentally served to the Emperor, it would be a capital crime involving the execution of the entire family.

While he was thinking, a dark shadow suddenly flashed past quickly. Shi Hanshang snapped back to his senses and looked up!

A rustling sound sliced past his ears like an airflow. Shi Hanshang saw the bushes, which were half the height of a person, shaking violently. It should be a large prey.

His heart steeled. Shi Hanshang looked up at the sky, which was nearing dusk, and calculated that it should be about time. As long as he caught this last prey, it should be enough.

The light was fading, and he had to catch the prey before the sunlight disappeared!

With no time to hesitate, Shi Hanshang immediately boosted his spirits. His eyes turned sharp, and he instantly cast aside his earlier thoughts of investigating the chef and seeking out Song Qing for medical help. He immediately gripped the reins, squeezed the horse’s belly with his legs, and chased in the direction the prey was fleeing!

The wind whistled in his ears and his clothes rustled loudly. Occasionally, stray thin branches appeared to block his path, all of which were neatly cut down by Shi Hanshang with his sword!

The path ahead became increasingly complex. Shi Hanshang forced his mind to remain absolutely clear, but the pain in his lower abdomen became even more intense. It was truly impossible to ignore, and he even began to feel dizzy and saw his vision spinning, losing track of his location.

On the other side, Sheng Yuli had just used his sword to strike the vital spot of a massive snake. As he turned around, he suddenly saw a bright yellow figure darting through the nearby woods, followed by a flash of a white figure. Immediately, his mind began to buzz.

Shi Hanshang?

Should he not be at the West Mountain? Why would he suddenly appear here?

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