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

Cool, aloof Chancellor Bottom vs. unruly General Top

Everyone in court knew that His Majesty and his two closest confidants, Chancellor Shi Hanshang (Lan Bie), born to a family of civil officials, and Great General Sheng Yuli (Zhi Ge), born to a family of military officials, had grown up together and shared a close bond... Or rather, the Emperor and each of them shared a close bond...

As for the relationship between those two officials...

From the moment he first saw Sheng Yuli at a palace banquet when he was seven, Shi Hanshang knew he didn't like him.

Sheng Yuli rolled his eyes. "What a coincidence. I don't like you either."

Their gazes met, and battle was about to break out.

From then on, Shi Hanshang would use his silver tongue to corner Sheng Yuli in scholarly debates, while Sheng Yuli would catch Shi Hanshang off guard and get the better of him in martial contests.

Whether in the classroom, at poetry gatherings, or on the training grounds, the two could always be seen competing.

Shi Hanshang: "Admit defeat!"

Sheng Yuli: "Why should I? If anyone's admitting defeat, it'll be you!"

Shi Hanshang: "I won't admit it!!!"

Sheng Yuli: "Then neither will I!!!"

The two of them: "Hmph!"

And so the two men, each a king in his own field, were pushed into becoming well-rounded talents, accomplished in both letters and arms. Then the Crown Prince ascended the throne, and the two were once again separated by their offices. Before long, the entire court had split into Shi and Sheng factions, locked in bitter opposition...

In court, the two factions were arguing fiercely over the matter of the eldest princess's marriage.

The Emperor, "peacemaker" that he was: "Enough! Stop arguing! I already have someone in mind!"

(The officials all looked toward the Emperor.)

The Emperor gave a light cough and looked at the two men secretly sizing each other up below the dais. "Minister Shi? Minister Sheng? Would either of you...?"

The two said in unison: "Your Majesty, we are unwell! We beg leave to withdraw!"

The Emperor: "...You two certainly know how to be in sync when it suits you."

At last, on the day the eldest princess was married, both men breathed a sigh of relief. They drank a little too much and accidentally stumbled into the same private room...

Two months later, the Chancellor suffered a dull ache in his lower abdomen and nearly fell from his horse during a royal hunt, only to be saved by General Sheng, who had just happened to be "passing by."

The old court physician trembled as he finished taking Shi Hanshang's pulse, then fell to his knees in shock. "M-My lord, you... you have a pregnancy pulse!"

The two men in the tent: "?!!!"

Remembering what had happened, Shi Hanshang flew into a rage, drew his sword, and thrust it at Sheng Yuli. "Sheng Yuli! Prepare to die!"

Sheng Yuli was horrified. "Don't get worked up! Be careful, you'll upset the baby!"

"You... get out of here!!!"

[Reader's Guide: 1. This is a fictional setting, with little emphasis on court intrigue. The pregnancy and childbirth elements have no scientific basis, so please don't overthink them. Just enjoy the story.

2. One-on-one romance, both leads are each other's only partner, happy ending.

3. 80% of the story takes place during pregnancy, childcare accounts for just 15%, and the remaining 5% is backstory and worldbuilding. Readers can decide for themselves if that suits them.]

Theme: Reject the rat race, put your health first