The Aloof Prime Minister is Pregnant with the Rival General’s Child - Chapter 5

Shi Hanshang massaged his aching waist, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

“No! This is my master’s guest room. You are not allowed in!” A-Sheng blocked the door with his entire body, looking at the man before him with intense wariness.

Zi Mo instantly became annoyed. “Why am I not allowed? You say this is your master’s room, but what proof do you have?”

Having said that, Zi Mo craned his neck and began to shout: “General! General, are you in there? General, it is Zi Mo! If you are being held hostage, just give a shout!”

Inside the room, Sheng Yuli remained silent.

Looking at Shi Hanshang, who was practically ready to strangle him, Sheng Yuli looked toward the ceiling and laughed bitterly. His current situation truly did feel like being held hostage. The only difference was that the person “tied up” was actually someone else.

Outside, the argument raged on. Inside, the two men were flushed with anxiety. The hair ribbon used to bind them simply would not snap. It had bitten into Shi Hanshang’s pale wrists, leaving red welts that sat alongside the deep purple marks from the night before. As Shi Hanshang looked at them, his face grew darker.

Sheng Yuli was also anxious. Had it not been for the palace rules forbidding weapons, he would have had his sword or a dagger on him. If he had a blade, a simple flick would have solved this. Why would he need to exert so much effort?

Unfortunately, both of them had overexerted themselves the previous night, and they were still suffering from the lingering effects of the alcohol. After pulling at the ribbon for ages without it breaking, Sheng Yuli could not help but grumble: “Shi Hanshang, what material is this hair ribbon made of? How is it so sturdy? Tell me the secret, and my army will stop using silver and iron for armor. We will just use your hair ribbons instead!”

“Shut up!” Shi Hanshang’s face was clouded with anger. “If it were not for you, why would I be in such a pathetic state?”

Sheng Yuli was utterly shocked. “Wait, you are blaming me for this? You are in a pathetic state, but am I not in one too?”

Caught between his own anxiety and Shi Hanshang’s cold glares, Sheng Yuli could not take it anymore. He let out all his grievances in one go.

“Shi Hanshang, be reasonable, will you? We were both drunk last night! Yes, I slept with you, but it was not as if I did it of my own free will! I,” the rest of his words were swallowed back down the moment he saw Shi Hanshang’s eyes, which were as cold as an icy pond.

If he had not mentioned that, it might have been fine. But as soon as he did, Shi Hanshang’s rage flared.

He remembered vaguely how Sheng Yuli had yanked this very ribbon from his hair, how the man had pinned his hands and bound them tightly. Shi Hanshang felt his blood pressure rise. It had taken everything in him to close his eyes and suppress his murderous intent. Now that Sheng Yuli had brought it up again, Shi Hanshang snapped his eyes open in fury.

“What do you want to do?” Sheng Yuli’s voice faltered. Seeing the murderous glint in Shi Hanshang’s eyes while the man still gripped the cord, he retreated toward the back of the bed in fear.

Before he could finish his sentence, a loud thud rang out. Sheng Yuli, wrapped in the quilt, was kicked off the bed by Shi Hanshang!

The ribbon finally snapped under the force. Sheng Yuli’s ribs slammed into the corner of a table through the quilt, and he let out a cry of pain. At the same time, because the movement agitated a certain sensitive area, Shi Hanshang could not help but let out a muffled groan.

Since Sheng Yuli had taken the entire quilt with him, Shi Hanshang was left completely exposed. Marks covered his body, revealing the aftermath of the night’s passion. Sheng Yuli, who had been about to curse from the floor, froze the moment he saw this sight.

Outside the door, both attendants were startled by the sudden heavy noise. They shouted in unison: “Young Master!” and “General!”

Zi Mo’s expression sharpened. He took a large step forward and shouted: “I heard my General’s voice!”

Inside, both men held their breath. Sheng Yuli lamented in his heart: Good old Zi Mo, why did I never notice this kid had such sharp ears before?

But there was no time for embarrassment now. The two men looked at each other and rose almost simultaneously, beginning a frantic search for their scattered clothing.

A-Sheng was also worried. He knocked quickly on the door and asked anxiously: “Young Master, what happened?”

Before anyone inside could answer, Zi Mo could no longer stand still. He reached out, grabbed A-Sheng’s shoulder, and used his superior size to pull the boy behind him. He began to pound on the door with heavy thuds.

“General! General! What happened? Did that Prime Minister do something to you? General!”

Although A-Sheng had practiced some martial arts, it was only basic training. He was no match for Zi Mo, who had spent years on the battlefield. He stumbled and nearly fell after being pushed. When he turned back, he was so angry he stomped his foot and pointed at Zi Mo’s nose, shouting: “You! You are so incredibly rude! You start screaming in front of my master’s door without knowing the facts! And you have the nerve to slander him! You, you!”

“Me what?” Zi Mo looked confused. “Who doesn’t know the facts? You are the one being vague! Everyone knows your master has always disliked my General. If he took advantage of his drunkenness to do something to him, what would happen to my General?”

These words were truly shameless. Even if Shi Hanshang had slightly neglected his martial training lately, he was not as obsessed with it as he used to be. He still practiced regularly to keep fit. In terms of martial prowess, the two were generally equal. If they truly fought, it would end in a stalemate. Rarely could one truly overpower the other.

If that were not the case, they would not have been rivals for so many years. Yet, according to Zi Mo’s description, Sheng Yuli, who was hailed as the Number One Warrior of Jinling, was a helpless, weak woman, while Shi Hanshang, who spent his days immersed in the scent of ink, was a big bully taking advantage of others!

Under normal circumstances, Sheng Yuli might have smugly agreed with Zi Mo. But in this situation, hearing those words made him feel incredibly guilty. Seeing Shi Hanshang glare at him, Sheng Yuli mouthed: He said it! I didn’t say it!

Shi Hanshang gave him one more fierce look before painfully leaning over to find his clothes. Persistence paid off. After searching for a while, Sheng Yuli finally found a plain white robe. It likely belonged to Shi Hanshang, as it carried a faint, cold scent of sandalwood. He cast a guilty glance at Shi Hanshang.

Outside, A-Sheng and Zi Mo continued their bickering, and it sounded like they were starting to shove each other. Occasionally, they bumped into the wooden door, causing it to creak loudly.

The two inside did not know how sturdy the door was. With every sound, their hearts skipped a beat, fearing the door might accidentally be burst open, revealing the messy aftermath of the night. Shi Hanshang was a man who valued his reputation above all else. He always maintained a cold and aloof persona in public. If anyone saw him covered in these marks of passion, he would rather die on the spot.

He found it difficult to move. He was not as flexible as Sheng Yuli at the moment. Every time he bent his waist or lifted a leg, the discomfort was glaringly obvious. He cursed Sheng Yuli a thousand times in his heart. If there had been a sharp blade nearby, he would have sliced Sheng Yuli into pieces. But they could not even afford to make any loud noises. No matter how angry he was, he had to endure it for now.

Wait for another day. Shi Hanshang massaged his aching waist and took a deep breath. Wait for another day; I will surely tear Sheng Yuli into eight pieces!

General Sheng, unaware of the impending danger, awkwardly rubbed the bridge of his nose. He cautiously moved a few steps toward Shi Hanshang, waited for the right moment, and quickly tossed the white robe over to him. When Shi Hanshang turned around, Sheng Yuli scrambled back to grab his own wrinkled and torn silk robe, assuming a defensive posture.

Shi Hanshang froze as the clothes landed on him. He looked up with a slight frown. Sheng Yuli pursed his lips and pretended not to see the cold glint in the other’s eyes. He gestured between the man and the clothes. The meaning in his dark eyes was clear: put them on.

He did not dare to look for long and hurried to turn his gaze away. The marks he had left on Shi Hanshang’s jade-like body were far too obvious. The image of those flawless long legs hooked around his waist suddenly flashed in his mind. Sheng Yuli felt a rush of blood, and a certain part of him threatened to stir again.

Fortunately, he was quick and covered himself with his robe. Shi Hanshang did not notice anything unusual and simply glared at him again.

“You! Why are you being so unreasonable?” A-Sheng was no match for Zi Mo. He tried several times to stop him, but Zi Mo pushed him aside easily. He only regretted that he had not listened to his master and learned more self-defense. Now he could only be bullied. He was so frustrated he was close to tears as he pointed at Zi Mo, unable to find the words. If his master were here, this man would never dare to be so bold!

Meanwhile, Zi Mo rolled his eyes. He hated these soft, pedantic scholars who cried at the drop of a hat. He waved his hand impatiently, done with A-Sheng. His palm was already on the wooden door. “Who cares who is inside? We will know once we look, won’t we?”

“No! My master is truly in there!” Even though A-Sheng was afraid, he still tried to stop him. He rushed forward to grab Zi Mo’s hand. “My master hasn’t risen yet. If you barge in like this, where is the decorum?”

“Tsk! Let go!” Zi Mo snapped.

“I won’t!” A-Sheng shouted back.

“Are you letting go? If you don’t, I am going to get physical!”

“This is the Imperial Palace! At the foot of the Emperor, how dare you use force?”

“Don’t try to use the Emperor to pressure me! I,” Zi Mo still wanted to say something, but then the closed door suddenly creaked open.

Shi Hanshang, dressed in a plain robe with his long black hair flowing, stood there expressionless. The displeasure in his pale eyes was unmistakable. Zi Mo was startled. He hurriedly retracted his hand and took a step back.

A-Sheng let out a joyful cry and ran over, lifting his robes. “Young Master! You are out! Look at this person! He is distorting the truth and being completely unreasonable! He insists that General Sheng is in our room! He even, he even slandered your reputation!”

Hearing this, the coldness in Shi Hanshang’s eyes deepened. His glass-like gaze fixed directly on Zi Mo, the chill reaching the very depths of his eyes. After a long silence that left Zi Mo sweating, he finally spoke coldly: “Your General is not here. Leave at once.”

After saying that, he turned around and went back into the room. Both A-Sheng and Zi Mo were stunned. That was it? In the past, if Shi Hanshang had caught one of Sheng Yuli’s subordinates doing something wrong, he would have been relentless and punished them severely. One would thank the heavens if he didn’t deal a heavy blow; how could anyone expect him to be lenient?

Yet today, Shi Hanshang simply let it go? It made no sense. It was completely illogical!

A-Sheng watched his master’s departing back, also feeling puzzled. But since his master had spoken, he could not say anything else. He gave Zi Mo a resentful look, stomped his foot, and snorted. He followed his master into the room and slammed the door shut right in Zi Mo’s face with a loud bang!

Inside the room, A-Sheng looked at the empty space, aside from the plain robe Shi Hanshang was wearing. He asked in confusion: “Eh? Young Master, where are your clothes from yesterday?” He glanced at the bed; there wasn’t even a quilt on it.

A-Sheng: “?”

By the window, Shi Hanshang was propping his head up with one hand. His long hair fell like a waterfall over his chest. His eyes were closed as if he were exhausted. Hearing the question, he opened his eyes and looked toward the open window. A breeze brushed his face, and the fragrance of the flowers in the courtyard filled the room. It cleared the lingering scent of the night but could not clear the frustration in his heart.

Shi Hanshang suppressed the awkwardness on his face and said with faked composure: “Oh. Perhaps the palace attendants took them away for washing.”

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