The Aloof Prime Minister is Pregnant with the Rival General’s Child - Chapter 2

“Who says I am inferior to you?” “Don’t believe me? Want to compete?” “Let us compete then.”

The wedding banquet arrived as scheduled.

Ten miles of red makeup stretched across the land, winding along the ground. The Grand Princess’s ceremonial procession of robes and insignia dragged all the way from the city gates to the palace entrance, appearing magnificent in the extreme.

Meticulously dressed palace maids stood atop the phoenix carriages, laughing as they scattered wedding candies and coins. This drew cheers from the citizens who followed the procession, throwing flower petals until the entire city was carpeted in vibrant colors.

The current Emperor stood majestically upon the palace walls, watching with a light smile as the newlyweds entered the palace gates. The handsome Prince Consort, adorned with a large red silk flower, sat proudly atop a steed at the front of the line, laughing and thanking the welcoming crowds.

Amidst the deafening sound of gongs and drums, the Emperor ordered a general amnesty for the realm. The whole world joined in the celebration.

Red lanterns hung across every wall and palace hall. Today, the forbidden city was filled with joy. Eunuchs and maids carried a continuous stream of delicacies in and out of the gates. Guests sat on both sides of the massive banquet hall. Not a single official from the court was absent, truly granting the Grand Princess immense face.

Shi Hanshang took a light sip of clear tea. He lifted his gaze toward the door. The lanterns flickered, and the atmosphere was lively. The Grand Princess’s procession was almost here.

When the sound of the gongs ceased, everyone in the hall, except for the sovereign on the high throne, stood up. They lowered their hands in a respectful salute to welcome the arrival of the Grand Princess.

The Prince Consort flipped nimbly off his horse. With a smile, he reached into the red phoenix carriage to take a slender hand, carefully shielding the bride as she stepped down with a fan covering her face. His smile was brilliant.

The moment he saw the Prince Consort’s face clearly, Shi Hanshang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately, he was indeed a graceful and handsome gentleman.

Shi Hanshang had been absent from the final imperial examination for personal reasons. The event had been presided over by his elder brother, Shi Yunhe, the Minister of Personnel. Therefore, he had not seen this new third-place scholar in person and had worried whether he was as handsome as the rumors suggested.

Ever since the day in court regarding the selection of the consort, Shi Hanshang had done everything possible to avoid crossing paths with the Emperor or the Grand Princess. Unless explicitly ordered, he avoided them whenever possible. Thus, the moment he learned the Grand Princess had chosen a husband, the brush in his hand had paused. He felt relieved, yet also somewhat concerned.

After all, the Grand Princess’s former aesthetic tastes were truly something one could not afford to underestimate.

Now that he had seen the man with his own eyes, Shi Hanshang was at peace.

The appearance was genuine. Since the man had placed third in the examinations, his scholarship was likely high as well. However, his specific level of ability would have to be tested at a later date.

As he was contemplating this, Shi Hanshang looked up slightly. He noticed that the man in the silk and sable robes across from him was also lost in thought.

Sheng Yuli was currently calculating how to pick a fight with this Prince Consort to test his martial skills.

He looked up and locked eyes with Shi Hanshang.

Pale eyes met deep ones. Both men froze for a moment.

In the next second, a spark of friction ignited where their gazes met.

“Mutual loathing” was the perfect description for them.

Shi Hanshang looked at Sheng Yuli’s wide-open collar, making no effort to hide the disgust in his eyes.

In public, at a princess’s wedding banquet, to be dressed improperly with an open collar; where was the decorum?

Noticing his gaze, Sheng Yuli rolled his eyes defiantly. He then yanked his collar even wider, revealing more of his proud chest muscles, and glared back triumphantly.

The meaning in his eyes was unmistakable: What are you looking at? You don’t have this, do you?

Shi Hanshang rolled his eyes at him.

It was only when Sheng Yuli’s elder sister, Sheng Yuesheng, noticed the display that she pulled his collar back together. She whispered something to him. When Sheng Yuli looked up again, his face was full of frustration, but he did not pull his clothes open again.

Seeing that Shi Hanshang’s expression seemed much more pleasant, Sheng Yuli was infuriated and glared back fiercely.

Shi Hanshang did not care. He had won this round, and even the tea in his hand tasted more refreshing. He did not like to drink alcohol, so he used tea as a substitute.

Between their locked gazes, the fire never diminished.

Just as a conflict was about to start, a red shadow suddenly appeared. The Grand Princess stepped between them, cutting off the line of fire in the air.

The Grand Princess held a vermilion bird feather fan made of glass, half-covering her lovely face. Her figure was graceful and slender. Led by the Prince Consort, she stepped over the brazier at the palace gate and slowly walked to the front of the hall.

The two released each other’s hands and first performed a salute to the person behind the beaded curtain.

The yellow-clad figure behind the curtain stood up abruptly. His expression seemed somewhat excited as he told them to rise.

After paying respects to the Emperor, the guests took their seats, and the wedding ceremony proceeded as usual.

The master of ceremonies raised his voice in a high pitch: “First bow to Heaven and Earth!”

Shi Hanshang looked away, thinking that out of sight meant out of mind. On the Grand Princess’s wedding day, he would not lower himself to Sheng Yuli’s level.

On the other side, Sheng Yuli suppressed his anger and poured wine from a pot into his mouth. He thought to himself: This Shi Hanshang is putting on that face of a widower who just lost his wife again. The more I look at him, the more annoying he gets!

Wait, Shi Hanshang did not even have a wife. Where would a deceased wife come from?

True, with that expression he wore all day, looking as if everyone owed him eight hundred taels of silver, what noble lady would ever look at him? He would likely be a bachelor for his entire life.

Thinking of this, Sheng Yuli felt much better, and his expression relaxed.

Shi Hanshang watched as Sheng Yuli turned from angry to smiling for no reason. He had no idea what the man was thinking, but it surely wasn’t anything good. He rolled his eyes again in silence.

Shi Yunhe, noticing this, lightly patted his hand, signaling him to remain calm.

“Second bow to the parents!”

“Husband and wife bow to each other!”

“The ceremony is complete! Send them to the bridal chamber!”

According to etiquette, the bride should enter the bridal chamber first to wait, while the groom remains in the front hall to entertain the guests.

Thus, after the Grand Princess was led away by palace maids, the attention of the entire hall fell upon the Prince Consort like a pack of wolves.

The Emperor offered the first toast. After a few rounds of drinks, he departed first, leaving the venue to the guests so they would not be stifled by imperial presence and could enjoy themselves freely.

The next person to offer a toast was Grand Preceptor Jiang, who sat closest.

The old Preceptor grabbed the Prince Consort’s hand, tears and snot flowing freely. “I watched the Grand Princess grow up with my own eyes. Now that I see her find a good match, I am happy. So happy.”

He said he was happy, but the tears at the corners of his eyes never stopped.

This Grand Preceptor Jiang was the tutor appointed by the Late Emperor for the Crown Prince.

Years ago, when the Late Empress gave birth to twins, it was a joyous omen of a dragon and a phoenix. The Late Emperor was delighted and ordered a general amnesty and a global celebration. When the Grand Princess and the Third Prince were six years old, he chose the son of the Censor-in-Chief, Shi Yunhe, and the daughter of the Grand Marshal, Sheng Yuesheng, to be their study companions.

Their younger brothers, Shi Hanshang and Sheng Yuli, also benefited from this connection and were able to enter the Imperial Academy to study.

Their rivalry had started back then.

Seeing the white-haired Grand Preceptor Jiang crying so hard he looked as if he might faint, Shi Hanshang and Sheng Yuli stepped forward at the same time.

Just as Sheng Yuli was about to reach out to help, a pair of slender, bony hands beat him to it. Shi Hanshang supported the unsteady Grand Preceptor and shot a look at him.

The Prime Minister spoke quietly: “Your speed is lacking, General Sheng. Having brute strength is not enough. You should practice more.”

Without waiting for the stunned Sheng Yuli to respond, Shi Hanshang turned and walked away, supporting Grand Preceptor Jiang.

“Shi Hanshang!” Sheng Yuli finally snapped back to reality and shouted, “Who is slow? You are slow! Your whole family is slow!”

Shi Hanshang rolled his eyes, leaving him only with a cold profile.

“You!” Sheng Yuli was fuming. Just as he was about to chase after him, he was blocked by someone.

“General Sheng! I have admired your name for a long time! May I offer you a drink?”

Sheng Yuli was in a fit of rage and wanted to wave the man away. But in that moment of hesitation, the figures of Shi Hanshang and the Grand Preceptor had already disappeared through the door, making him even more frustrated.

He looked at the bearded man in his late thirties. The man was holding a wine cup, looking at him with eyes full of anticipation.

Sheng Yuli searched his memory and finally remembered. This man seemed to be a certain Assistant Censor of the Court of Censors. As for whether he was of the Left or Right, he could not remember.

An Assistant Censor monitored all officials, so it was not wise to offend him easily. Furthermore, in terms of seniority, this man was his elder. Even without a close relationship, according to etiquette, it was inappropriate to refuse.

Since Sheng Yuli was feeling incredibly irritated, he simply took the wine and downed it in one go, drowning his sorrows.

But as the strong liquor hit his stomach, his mood did not improve at all. Was there not enough wine?

Sheng Yuli grew even more frustrated and scratched his head.

Little did he know that by accepting one drink, the other low-ranking officials who had been watching from afar and were too afraid to approach gained courage. They swarmed forward, offering flattery and wine.

Sheng Yuli was surrounded. Among these people were many whose identities he was unsure of, so he could not refuse anyone. He steeled himself and accepted every drink offered.

Fine, he was worried about not having anyone to bring him wine anyway!

He usually had a high tolerance for alcohol, but he could not withstand drinking like a tidal wave. After one round, his head was spinning, though he remained conscious.

He wanted to stop there, but at that moment, he heard someone whisper in his ear: “General Sheng is a true hero, and your capacity for wine is immeasurable! They say you and Prime Minister Shi are equal in all things, but if you ask me, the Prime Minister’s tolerance for wine is likely inferior to yours!”

Sheng Yuli usually disliked such obvious flattery, but since he had just suffered at Shi Hanshang’s hands, he did not argue. He snorted: “Hmph, of course. He is not just inferior to me in drinking; he is inferior in everything!”

“Who is inferior to you?”

Just as the words left his mouth, a sharp, cold voice came from nearby.

Everyone present, including Sheng Yuli, was startled.

The low-ranking officials who had been chirping a moment ago were now as silent as cicadas in winter. Especially the official who had just spoken; he did not even dare to breathe. He was terrified, thinking he was finished. He had not managed to cling to General Sheng’s leg, and now he had offended the Prime Minister! He feared his family would be collecting his corpse tomorrow.

Sheng Yuli, however, was not afraid. Looking at that cold, ethereal face, whether it was the alcohol or something else, he tilted his head and repeated every word: “I said your tolerance for wine is inferior to mine. Am I wrong?”

Shi Hanshang looked at him coldly, refusing to be outdone: “Who says I am inferior to you?”

“Don’t believe me?” Sheng Yuli grabbed a cup of wine and handed it over. “Want to compete?”

“Let us compete then.” Shi Hanshang took the wine and downed it in one gulp.

Watching Shi Hanshang’s slender, pale neck move as he swallowed, Sheng Yuli involuntarily swallowed as well. He suddenly felt a surge of heat in his heart.

But when the wine cup was lowered and Sheng Yuli met those icy, emotionless eyes, the fire in his heart was instantly extinguished.

Shi Hanshang held the empty cup out to him and challenged: “Well?”

“Ha!” Sheng Yuli laughed. He picked up the wine pot and filled the cup to the brim. “It was only one cup. Again!”

And so, cup after cup, the two men’s competitive streaks were triggered. Neither was willing to give in.

Pot after pot was emptied. By the end, the officials who had come to offer toasts had all vanished. Only the two of them remained, surrounded by a mess of empty wine cups, drinking without stop.

“You are no good! Hiccup!” Sheng Yuli leaned dizzily over the table, an empty wine bottle dangling from his finger as he burped and sneered.

On the other side of the table, Shi Hanshang propped himself up. His usually neat and tidy clothes were now a bit disheveled. He seemed oblivious to it as he leaned over Sheng Yuli to reach for the wine behind him, mumbling: “Again! Again!”

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