Set up a trap
The Satyadev Palace, also known as the Moon Palace, has a clear and elegant name, but in reality it is magnificent, with carved walls and huge paintings, and is luxurious to the point of being tacky.
Soothing and melodious music filled the Sacramental Banquet Hall, while attendants dressed in fine court costumes moved around the hall, tending to the needs of the guests.
There are a total of twenty-seven legions in the empire. Except for a few commanders guarding the border who could not make it back in time, almost all the legion commanders are here.
Wei Shao was dressed in a dark formal suit, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, and he did not look out of place among a group of strong female soldiers.
But Philo beside him had thin lips and clear eyes, and his skin was so white that it seemed unreal under the bright lights of the banquet hall. In contrast to his dark formal suit, it was actually somewhat thrilling.
Some of the officers present were attending the banquet with the Lord, and Wei Shao could even feel the vague glances those male insects were giving him.
Not to him, but to Philo.
The officers around them probably didn't notice it, or perhaps they noticed it but turned a blind eye. In any case, their reaction could be described as indifferent.
Wei Shao noticed that the clothes of the male insects attending the banquet with the military females were embroidered with patterns of falcons spreading their wings - the symbol of the Satyad royal family.
Political marriages exist in every country, and the Zerg are no exception. This is obviously a way for the royal family to control high-ranking military females.
That……
Wei Shao couldn't help but turn his head to look at Fei Luo again. Their eyes met and Fei Luo gave him a questioning look.
Wei Shao shook his head.
My worries should be unnecessary. Didn’t Philo successfully apply for marriage matching before?
Philo thought he was hungry, so he waved to the attendant, who took out a dessert and handed it to him.
This kind of dessert was originally prepared for male insects. Palace banquets have complicated etiquette and the waiting time before meals is too long. Male insects are not as physically fit as female insects, so this can be considered a special care.
But the bad thing about this move is that now everyone knows that Wei Shao is a male insect, and they all cast inquiring glances at Wei Shao.
The officer on the other side even asked directly: "Philo, who is this?"
This officer had a calm temperament, fine lines at the corners of his eyes and on his forehead, and was obviously much older than Philo. Judging from his position, his rank should be the same as Philo's, but the tone of his voice sounded as if he regarded himself as Philo's elder.
Philo's reaction illustrates this point well.
He bowed his head slightly, and answered the other party's question briefly and clearly with a respectful gesture: "Admiral Otto, he is my friend."
Wei Shao understood.
When they were chatting before, Philo told him that he grew up wandering on an abandoned planet, and was later rescued by an officer and recruited into the army.
This officer was Otto.
Later, Philo's military merits accumulated more and more. Out of some concerns, the emperor separated him from General Otto's Eighth Army and established the Nineteenth Army with its base stationed on the Imperial Star.
After hearing what Philo said, Otto's resolute and calm face flashed a hint of surprise.
"Okay." He sighed.
Wei Shao thought the old general's attitude was a little strange, and asked Philo quietly, "What's good?"
Philo: "I compliment you."
Wei Shao: “…” Are you taking me for a fool?
Wei Shao didn't know what they were talking about, but Philo obviously didn't intend to share it with him, so he could only stare at the dessert in front of him depressedly.
Philo thrust the fork into his hand: "Eat first. There's still some time before the banquet officially starts."
Wei Shao knew that he was worried about his fragile stomach, so he lowered his head to cut a corner and was about to put it into his mouth when a magnetic, low, hoarse voice interrupted his action.
"Admiral Otto, don't you know that Adrian and Admiral Philo had a falling out over this gentleman?"
The person who spoke was a man in luxurious clothes. Wei Shao did not need to guess his identity because this face appeared in political news as frequently as Adrian.
——It’s the eldest prince Fred.
Fred was followed by several princes, including Adrian. After hearing this, he curled his lips and said sarcastically, "You know so much about him, so you like him too? Does the man in the palace have any objections?"
Fred was choked but didn't seem angry. He shook his head and pretended to be helpless: "Adrian, you always have this temper. I was just answering Admiral Otto's question."
Adrian looked utterly disgusted by him, rolled his eyes, and walked straight past him.
Wei Shao felt from the bottom of his heart that watching Adrian being humiliated was actually quite pleasant - if everyone's attention was not focused on him now.
There is no wall that is impenetrable. Adrian has been causing trouble for him time and time again, and the news has reached some ears. Today, Fred has confirmed the truth.
What Fred said was not entirely wrong, but it became a different matter when it fell into other people's ears.
The eyes of the insects around him had become intriguing, and the eyes they looked at Philo seemed to be saying "So this is this kind of Philo you are."
Wei Shao looked at Philo a little worriedly, but Philo shook his head very slightly at him, signaling him not to get involved in the affairs of these two people.
Philo lowered his head and fiddled with his fingers for a while, and then Wei Shao's terminal vibrated and Philo's message popped up.
[Fred and Adrian have never gotten along, so just ignore them. 】
The political rivalry between the two is no secret. Wei Shao replied: [They also have a bad relationship in private? 】
[It’s terrible.] His Majesty favors Adrian, and Fred has been resentful for a long time. In addition, the crown prince has not been decided yet, so he almost regards Adrian as his mortal enemy. 】
No wonder.
Emperor Satyad V entered the venue in his best attire, and began his speech with a manuscript in his hand, speaking at an astonishingly slow pace.
The content of the speech was more official than official, and more cliché than cliché. The gist of it was to thank the civil servants and generals for their dedication to the empire and for their vision of a glorious future for the empire.
Wei Shao stood there for the fortieth minute and was almost drowsy. He finally understood why Ludel was unwilling to come.
Finally, as the Fifth Emperor uttered the last word, elegant music sounded again in the main hall. Everyone toasted the high seat and then sat down together.
...Wei Shao's legs were numb.
When he sat down, Philo put his hand behind his waist, as if he was afraid that he would fall.
Wei Shao silently pressed down Philo's hand.
It's not that weak.
…
…
"Fei Luo, you have done a great job in pacifying the Northern Territory this time." The Fifth Emperor smiled warmly, his eyes gratified. "Come to think of it, I haven't rewarded you yet. What do you want?"
"Your Majesty, protecting the peace of the empire is my duty and mission," Filo stood up, "I don't want anything."
The emperor was very moved.
"You are too young, I cannot grant you the title of marshal, and the law does not allow me to grant you a title. I deeply regret it." The emperor sighed.
He looked at Philo and said, "I heard you are applying for a marriage match?"
Wei Shao had a bad feeling.
Philo nodded: "Yes."
The emperor paused for a moment and said, "I remember that the Duke of Kevly is still unmarried and has no female servants in his manor. Philo, what do you think of him?"
The name floated into his ears but hit Wei Shao's head hard, and he almost lost the expression on his face.
Who is Kwieyi?
He is the emperor's nephew, the prince's only son, the world's...
Although Wei Shao really didn't want to compare this trash with Philo, Kweiyi was indeed another protagonist of "Zerg".
He took so many precautions and successfully prevented Philo from meeting this guy in the bar, but he failed to prevent the emperor from setting up random couples.
Can this be ordered? Is the attraction between the top and bottom protagonists destined?
Wei Shao tightened and loosened his hands hanging on his legs, suppressing the urge to reach out. He stared at Philo's profile, waiting for Philo's answer.
If Philo agreed, it would mean that the plot of the novel was doomed to be unchangeable...it would probably be futile for him to try to stop it.
There was still a buzz of toasts in the hall, but he felt that the space was uncomfortably quiet.
Finally, Philo made a move. He tilted his head and lowered his eyelashes. After briefly staring at the nervous Wei Shao, he pursed his lips, raised his head and replied, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, this is inappropriate."
Before Wei Shao could breathe a sigh of relief, he heard Fred interrupt:
"Father, you probably don't know that Philo already has a male insect he likes."
The emperor was surprised and asked, "Oh? Really?"
Fred smiled and looked at Wei Shao: "Of course, it is this Excellency."
Wei Shao:?
Are things moving a little too fast?
The emperor looked at Wei Shao. Perhaps because he rarely saw a male insect that looked so much like a female insect, his expression became even more surprised. So he asked Philo, "Is this what Fred said?"
Philo frowned slightly: "Your Majesty, I..."
Fred put his fist to his lips and smiled softly, interrupting him: "Father, Admiral Philo will be embarrassed if you ask this. I think you might as well arrange a grand wedding for this Excellency and Admiral Philo as a reward for Admiral Philo."
After he finished speaking, he glanced at Adrian casually, "This way, there won't be any more bugs causing trouble for Admiral Philo."
Adrian, who was almost named, gave him a sinister look.
The emperor seemed unaware of the undercurrents beneath his feet, and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table: "This is not a difficult matter. If you want, Philo, I will not only hold a wedding for you in the palace, but also confer the title of Viscount on this gentleman beside you."
For a moment, all eyes in the hall were focused on Philo, including Adrian.
Wei Shao felt that this Fred was really fucking insidious.
Fred obviously knew that Philo and Adrian had been having a bad time because of him some time ago, and he took this opportunity to intensify the conflict between Philo and Adrian.
If Philo agreed and held the wedding in the palace with great fanfare, Adrian would lose face and would definitely not be very happy.
If I refused, it would seem that my previous attitude was intended to compete with Adrian. And everything will return to the starting point - Wei Shao will be stared at by many eyes again.
Neither rejection nor agreement is a perfect answer, so it depends on Philo's wishes.
"Your Majesty, thank you for your kindness, but I am afraid I will fail you." Philo bowed to the emperor.
A meaningful smile suddenly appeared on Adrian's lips, and his eyes flickered over Wei Shao, like a victorious hunter looking at his prey.
This development was within Wei Shao's expectations. He sighed that today's banquet was really terrible. He should have not come if he had known.
But given Fred's mean character, he couldn't escape this even if he didn't come. The most he could do was avoid experiencing this suffocating scene in person.
The emperor raised his eyebrows when he heard this: "Is what Fred said not true?"
"Your Highness did not lie to you," Philo shook his head and gave an unexpected answer.
Wei Shao was stunned and raised his eyes hesitantly.
Philo's voice was clear and calm amid the gentle and slow music: "It's just that I haven't been able to gain the approval of this Excellency yet."
The implication is: It’s not that I don’t want to get married, it’s that I haven’t caught up with the girl yet.
"bite--"
Wei Shao's hands trembled and the fork hit the bowl directly.
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