Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Due to a single "Good boy," His Majesty and the Queen found it difficult to fall asleep that night.

In a muddle, with affairs brewing.

The next day, during the interstellar conference, the Emperor yawned.

Boredom overwhelmed him.

He only wished to continue delving into the philosophy of life with his obedient companion.

In the conference hall,

A bureaucrat pleaded, "Your Majesty, when did you register?!"

They were utterly astonished when they suddenly realized that Emperor Star had gained a Queen.

The official spoke earnestly, "While it's commendable that you have found someone to carry on your legacy, it doesn't mean you should rush into marriage, especially with a commoner."

"Yes, Your Majesty could appoint him as a servant first. The matter of the Queen requires further deliberation."

"If it comes to marriage, it's proper to choose an untainted and pure-blooded candidate from a collateral branch, then conduct rigorous matching before considering the union."

The canine monarch, who was already exhausted from attending to Lu Wei the previous day, had to endure these chattering individuals early in the morning, making his temper even worse than usual.

"Perhaps Elder Joiceff can suggest which collateral branch we should consider?"

His voice was leisurely yet tinged with sarcasm.

Others quickly picked up on the tone, but Elder Joiceff, assuming he had the king's favor, promptly responded, "Of course, from a reputable collateral family, like Saka for instance. He just came of age this year, and there's no fault to be found in his character or manners."

Before Huo Jin could speak, a noble standing nearby, anxious, interjected, "Why Saka? The Fulo family is already powerful. If they produce another queen, their pride would know no bounds. It seems Elder Joiceff, you've grown biased and don't attempt to conceal it anymore. Such words shouldn't be spoken so directly in an interstellar conference! In my opinion, a young man or woman from the Oren lineage would be more suitable."

Other officials chimed in, "Isn't that just strengthening their position? There are plenty of other excellent children in the collateral branches worthy of selection. How can it only be the two families you mentioned? Your rivalry should take into account the practicalities."

"..."

Huo Jin's head spun from their incessant arguing.

—Actually, it was mainly because Lu Wei's pregnancy symptoms kept him awake last night, leading to his grumpy arrival at work.

A former noble from a collateral branch also interjected, "If it truly comes down to selecting from the collateral branches, then this commoner youth would be more suitable. Don't you think that once those branches gain power, they would taint the pure royal bloodline? Do you think your schemes are hidden from others? Whoever the queen may be, she cannot come from a collateral branch."

"How can you say that the collateral branches pollute the direct royal lineage?!" This struck a nerve with Joyff, a nearly two-hundred-year-old elder, who immediately blustered in anger.

Huo Jin yawned nonchalantly and pointed casually, "I've heard that Elder Joyff's own son is an omega, and he's just the right age. Why not let him accompany His Majesty in the Royal City?"

Joyff was aghast. "Your Majesty, please reconsider. This cannot be done. The child is frail and often falls ill; he wouldn't be able to serve well, let alone stay by Your Majesty's side."

The so-called 'dog emperor' held his chin and said nonchalantly, "Make him the queen."

The elder nearly collapsed onto his seat.

This monarch was notoriously eccentric. How many had entered his court only to meet untimely deaths? It might be acceptable to send outsiders for power struggles, but not his own kin! He only had one precious grandson; how could he bear to throw him into the lion's den?

Elder Joyff immediately dared not speak. "T-T-this, perhaps the young man Your Majesty often brings along is a better match for you."

Praising him seemed to have struck the right chord, as the king's expression improved. "Elder, you're finally showing some wisdom at your old age. Isn't it clear who is a suitable match and who isn't?"

Elder Joif: "..."

He could discern the king's intention, but he dared not question it too much, for he genuinely feared the monarch might take it seriously.

Others still held objections, "But Your Majesty, regardless, a commoner just won't do!"

"Yes, how can someone of lowly birth become a queen? The queen must be a legitimate noble."

"The royal lineage of a cadet branch is closest to the royal family, so the queen should be chosen from there."

"Back to the cadet branches again. Aren't the descendants of other officials more suitable?"

Huo Jin: "It seems the Royal Steward has quite a fondness for cadet branches."

He had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed and, upon opening them, pinpointed the one who appeared to blend in yet was the most provocative.

The Royal Steward had remained silent throughout the meeting, only occasionally echoing others' opinions. He hadn't expected to be called out and immediately felt his knees go weak.

"Your Majesty, t-this...”

He always thought he had concealed his true intentions well, skillfully fanning the flames and diverting conversations to side branches. To his surprise, he was now summoned alone by the King!

The King appeared genuinely exhausted, his eyes half-closed, "Since you have such a fondness for side branches, it so happens that the Chief Minister has always been single. Why not arrange a marriage between Saka from the Fulo family and him? That way, Saka can integrate into the side branch as a groom-in-law."

Chief Minister: "...."

The noble who had been fueling the fire: "...."

"Your Majesty, this... it ultimately depends on fate." In any case, the Chief Minister had learned his lesson and now dared not provoke any further.

Worried that the emperor might indeed act rashly and point randomly, leading to him becoming a groom-to-a-female-lineage family, Huo Jin continued with his deadly roll call, "If Chief Eunuch Wang is unwilling, then let Wolfo send someone. I'll bestow upon you the title of Wolf Cousin and send you to marry into a collateral noble family."

Saka, known for his arrogance and tyranny, would surely suffer greatly if he were to become such a groom. Upon being called out, Wolfo, who had just been putting up a strong front, immediately lowered his head. His eyes fixated on his toes, he dared not utter another word.

"..."

The peripheral branches were all brought up with snobbish attitudes; he didn't want to associate with them in the slightest.

The Canine Emperor yawned again. "Then it's Second Lieutenant Kote."

Second Lieutenant Kote: "Your Majesty, I-I am already betrothed."

The Canine Emperor: "Second Lieutenant Kote's fiancé is also a commoner. A commoner is not worthy of you. I revoke the engagement and elevate you to nobility."

Silence.

More silence.

After this Khan's call to arms, the entire assembly fell quiet.

By singling out these provocative individuals for punishment, the king was sending a clear message.

The astute had already perceived the monarch's stance and thus dared not speak out of turn.

Huo Jin opened his eyes, narrowing them slightly. "After inquiring around, it seems your Saka can't even find a suitable match. Look how poorly educated he is as a noble. How can someone like that be fit to be my queen?"

The minister who had just fervently recommended Saka as the queen was now drenched in sweat.

He shouldn't have let his enthusiasm cloud his judgment and forget the terror of the king, a ruler known for exploiting situations to his advantage with unpredictable mood swings.

"The fault lies with me, Your Majesty. I failed to consider all aspects."

Huo Jin's eyes, dark as obsidian, conveyed understanding. "Your Excellency is advanced in years, and such lapses in judgment can occur. It might not be too late to seek help at a general hospital, lest you don't live to see the day of my wedding with the queen."

"…Yes, indeed." The man was now covered in cold sweat.

Huo Jin's lips curved into a genuine smile. "Since there are no objections, we must hasten to set a date for our wedding."

Only at this point did the king's smile seem sincere.

No one dared to comment further. Whether the queen would come from the common folk was beside the point; their own heads were more important.

This marriage, blessed by all without any objections (?), would proceed with an official selecting an auspicious date, followed by a grand ceremony to coronate the queen.

The interstellar summit concluded, and the monarch left in high spirits.

This was an unprecedented sight for the king's usual demeanor.

Whispers began to circulate among the crowd: "Where is His Majesty in such a hurry?"

The corners of the king's lips curled up slightly: "To pick up the Queen."

"..."

What was the newly crowned queen doing at this moment?

He was engaged in preparatory childcare activities.

A damn exhaustive curriculum, arranged by that damn dog of a king.

With a ridiculous yoga ball-like object, he was supposed to follow the instructor's lead.

But how on earth could a normal human being entertain themselves with a measly ball all day??

The imperial dog was greeted with a thousand deadly glares from Spicy Chili, but he was used to it.

In his eyes, this was simply Lu Wei's way of being coquettish.

Drenched in sweat, Lu Wei suddenly recalled, "Speaking of which, I haven't seen the adjutant for quite some time. Where is he?"

He realized that he hadn't come across the adjutant since the day he returned. Normally, they would bump into each other casually every day, yet now, there wasn't even a glimpse of him for several days.

How peculiar.

The imperial dog's face darkened, clearly displeased, "You're asking about him again."

"You and Baby both belong to me."

Wow, a shady octopus.

Lu Wei replied, "He wanders around like an unemployed person, seemingly living off his salary without doing any work. I've been unhappy with him for a long time."

Brimming with jealousy, his heart ached until it seemed to bleed!

The Canine Emperor's mood finally improved: "He's on a business trip to an alien planet."

Lu Wei sneered: "So he still remembers he has a job. The sight of such a parasite of the people infuriates me."

With his eyes fixed on Lu Wei's movements, the Canine Emperor casually added, "He went to Espolia to plant potatoes."

Espolia... Potatoes!

Lu Wei's eyes lit up. "He really started planting potatoes?!"

The Canine Emperor replied, "Didn't you say you wanted that ancient seed? I saw a similar crop on that planet, so I sent him there to cultivate it."

He won't be allowed back until he plants them across the entire planet.

Goodness gracious! Potato Gate!

That was the origin of all things, a treasure to humanity!

Lu Wei is the pivotal figure in the pre-cooked food industry chain!

Lu Wei's eyes shimmered with excitement. "Are they really that similar?"

His Majesty the Dog: "The plant biologist confirmed an 80% similarity to that potato."

Before His Majesty could modestly boast about his achievement, Lu Wei took his hand.

Those hands were warm, a stark contrast to his own perpetually cold skin.

Lu Wei was moved to exclaim, "Damn, you're a god."

Even this lousy planet looked more appealing now.

---

In an incredibly remote, uninhabitable planet.

On this distant Esperia planet, an aide said, "...

He gazed at the barren earth and let out a sorrowful sigh.

How on Emperor Star could one possibly make 'potatoes' sprout in this godforsaken place!

The aide cried out in despair, "Mr. Lu is actually carrying the Emperor's child!"

Who could have guessed, who would have dared to imagine that it was truly the royal bloodline! This was royalty, this was the Emperor!

It was inconceivable for Lu Wei to consider that possibility while being pregnant.

He couldn't fathom how shocking this news would be if others were to find out. The royal family, believed to be on the brink of extinction, now had an heir, and one born even earlier than the interstellar average age of conception.

Those daydreaming old fools would probably go mad upon learning this, and the entire Emperor Star would tremble with the revelation.

He, the aide, was the first to bear witness to this secret.

With a hoe in hand, he found solace in this bitter yet amusing thought.

The adjutant roared in exasperation, "This planet is far too primitive!"

His voice echoed through the air.

Due to its primitiveness, the soil had not evolved enough to support high-tech cultivation methods, leaving only manual farming as an option.

He strongly suspected that His Majesty had deliberately sent him here for this very torment!

The adjutant wailed, inwardly mourning. Being exiled to an alien planet to grow potatoes was one thing, but the most heartbreaking part was the stark realization—

Even that sovereign had children!

He, still, was, unbelievably, single.

How unjust was this world!!