Chapter 390: The Ghost of Acting
Emperor Star.
Yang Ming looked at the planet outside the porthole with a slightly distant gaze.
When he first came here, he was still impressed by the imaginative appearance of this modular planet. The star in the distance that was "enslaved" by it looked so dim.
Later, because of his failure in his first confrontation with the core power of the empire, he was forced to use some dirty tricks and leave the circle of Imperial Star.
Now he is back.
Next to him was the princess who was chosen that year. This time there was no force or coercion, and he had more confidence to chat in a friendly manner with the owner here.
"What are you looking at?"
Daphne asked gently.
Yang Ming raised his head slightly: "Don't you think this planet is very gloomy?"
"gloomy?"
Daphne smiled, and in front of the guards and maids, she took Yang Ming's arm and said softly:
"This kind of evaluation is not suitable for the great Imperial Star. This is the center of the empire and should be sunny and full of human aura."
Yang Ming smiled but said nothing.
He asked, "Shall we go directly to the palace?"
"Well, a banquet has been prepared to welcome you," Daphne said softly, "When you meet my father later, please be respectful to him. The insulting words you used before still haunt him."
Boss Yang's face was suddenly filled with helplessness.
Blame him?
If the old emperor hadn't pressed him so hard last time, why would he have used this method to fight back?
"Okay, I'll pay more attention."
Boss Yang gave a blank check.
…
The atmosphere in the palace was somewhat depressing.
His Majesty the great Emperor is not in a good mood right now. From yesterday to now, three maids have been subjected to random "punishments", including but not limited to physical suffering.
Now, no one dares to approach His Majesty, and no one dares to mention any news about that adult.
At this time, the old maids that His Majesty trusts the most - the administrators of the Tentacle Organization - are needed to appear.
A middle-aged maid appeared in the corner of the bedroom, lowered her head and rushed to the side of the emperor who was lying beside the swimming pool.
"Your Majesty, Director Ino is on his way to the palace. He did not add a memorandum of the incident, so we do not know the specific purpose."
"Well," the old emperor asked with his eyes closed, "where are my precious daughter and that annoying future son-in-law?"
"Your Highness, they are already at the transfer station. They will appear before you in half the galaxy. We pay you our deepest respects."
"Respect? Ha."
The old emperor just sneered:
"How can this hero of the empire still take me, an emperor who can do nothing about him, seriously? Now he has those old guys behind him, and I am just an idler they nominated to occupy the throne, isn't that right?"
"Your Majesty, please don't say that..."
The old maid sighed:
"You are the emperor of the empire and the controller of all resources. If you are not important, why should the elders of the Sherman family follow your opinions on everything? They can just override you. You are the foundation of the imperial system, the root of a tree, and they are the trunk connecting the root with the branches and leaves. You are the most important."
The old emperor opened his eyes and raised his hand to stroke the back of the middle-aged maid's hand.
"Okay, don't comfort me. I am the emperor, but I am only the person in charge of my peers in the family. My elders are still alive, so I naturally have to respect them...
"This Hanton, doesn't he know how to deeply repent for the offense he committed? It's been several years! He didn't even come to me to sincerely apologize.
"Oh, my blood pressure rises when I think of this guy !"
The middle-aged maid smiled and said:
"Doesn't this just prove that the young man you have your eyes on is not an ordinary noble who is obsessed with power and seeking favors, but rather your capable assistant?
“Your Majesty, he has been working hard for the Empire since he left the Imperial Star. The population of Saka Star, the territory you awarded him, has increased by 300%, and the economic index has increased by 100 times. It has become a rising investment area in the region.
“He went on a diplomatic mission to the New Federation on behalf of the Empire and severely humiliated the New Federation’s reformed warriors, thwarting the New Federation’s plan to alienate him from the Empire.
"He has worked hard in the Military Intelligence Bureau for two and a half years. He has not only promoted a group of capable people, but also improved and modified the framework of the Military Intelligence Bureau. Before he was about to be transferred, he completely and unreservedly entrusted these people he promoted to your favorite Major General Atlo. The Military Intelligence Bureau will become your other hand in the future.
"These are all his achievements. When we evaluated him internally in the Tentacle Organization, we gave him a very good evaluation, Your Majesty."
The old emperor glanced at the middle-aged maid and said, "Did you accept his favor?"
"Your Majesty, I belong to you, soul and body."
"I know you're the one I've spent the longest time with, teacher... Do you mean I should let go of my prejudice against him?"
"In fact, Your Majesty," the middle-aged maid sighed, "You have slightly deviated from this matter in recent years. Think about it, if you can tolerate and reuse someone who insulted you in person, how will the history books comment on you? Your bearing and vision will be unmatched by previous emperors."
"Yeah?"
The old emperor slowly sat up, seeming to be thinking about something.
The old lady didn't give much advice, and she wanted to stop at the right time:
She changed the subject and said slowly:
“Even if you don’t like him in your heart, he can still be your helper. His influence within and outside the empire has surpassed that of all the nobles.
“Many ignorant people see him as a savior.
“Especially when the Zerg swarm comes, it is expected to bring a disaster to the empire that happens once every few thousand years. He is an ancient god warrior and the nemesis of the Zerg, and he can play a lot of roles.
"If he carried your banner and followed your will to fight against this once-in-a-millennium pest, the number of pages you occupy in history books would inevitably increase by one or several pages.
"This disaster is something that the twenty generations of emperors before you have never encountered."
The old emperor exhaled softly: "You are right, teacher, this is a great opportunity."
"Your Majesty, Director Ino is almost here, I need to step aside."
"Well, go ahead." The old emperor seemed to have thought of something, and a smile appeared on his face. "Modify the previous order for me and ask the protocol team to come here. The highest standard protocol team. Also, notify the bunch of rubbish in the Elders' Council to gather here immediately. The palace will hold the largest banquet tonight to welcome my good son-in-law."
"You finally figured it out, Your Majesty."
"Well, don't flatter me like those people do," the old emperor laughed, "I'm just an emperor, go ahead."
The old maid bowed her head and then left slowly.
Before leaving the palace, the maid showed her watch and sent a message.
【Mission accomplished, sir.】
Outside the palace gate, Director Ino, who was sitting on the floating shuttle bus, took out an Internet access terminal from his arms, glanced at it, and soon smiled.
His beloved nephew, His Majesty, is over a hundred years old, but he is still as innocent as he was back then.
…
Yang Ming was shocked by the reception standards of the imperial palace.
He had already made up his mind to flatter the old emperor today.
When he left the transfer station and got into the main vehicle that welcomed the convoy with Daphne and headed for the palace module, he soon saw projections on various buildings.
There are battle photos of White Ghost everywhere;
There are bright colors everywhere;
Welcome back to the Empire Heroes, the words "Imperial Star", "Ghost Warriors" and "White Wave" can be seen everywhere.
Even after the convoy had traveled for a distance, many semi-automatic mechanical police officers appeared on the road, standing upright and keeping the people on both sides who were waving their hands outside the safety line.
This grand ceremony made Yang Ming mistakenly believe that he had blown up Mingte City.
"What's going on?" Yang Ming asked puzzledly.
Daphne frowned slightly. "This is obviously a welcome for you... But, according to what I heard, my father still has some grudges against you, and today's welcoming ceremony has been ordered to be kept simple... Maybe the people are celebrating for you spontaneously?"
Boss Yang nodded: "That should be it. I'll roll down the window and say hello to everyone."
"be safe."
Daphne came up naturally and took Yang Ming's arm.
Yang Ming rolled down the car window and waved to the people gathered on the road, which immediately aroused cheers.
"White Ghost! Good job, White Ghost!"
"The Empire is proud of you!"
"Ghost! Ghost!"
The crowd burst into astonishing noises, and Yang Ming's vanity was greatly satisfied.
Daphne whispered beside him, "You have more male fans than female fans. How enviable."
"And you?"
"I have more female fans than male fans, about a seven to three ratio."
Yang Ming continued to smile and wave, muttering, "I am one of your male fans. You are much more dazzling on stage than in bed."
Daphne raised her hand and twisted Yang Ming's arm.
The palace guard who was driving almost laughed out loud.
They acted very affectionate, even though nothing actually happened.
The crowd spread to the vicinity of the palace module, and the situation inside the palace was no weaker than that outside the palace.
A large number of ceremonial soldiers directly blocked off the road, and when Yang Ming and Daphne passed by arm in arm, they would raise the decorative guns in their hands.
All the elders of the Council of Elders stationed on the Imperial Star were present, and all the dukes and princes on the surface of the Imperial Star had arrived. They stood on the left and right sides outside the door of the main hall of the imperial palace and gave warm applause to the arrival of Yang Ming and Daphne.
The old emperor was wearing a white suit, with a gentle smile on his face, sitting on the high seat in the main hall that symbolized imperial power.
Director Ino, dressed in a white coat, was standing next to the throne and was also standing up and applauding, highlighting the dignity of His Majesty the Emperor.
Yang Ming was worried in his heart.
But the old emperor, who was called a big idiot by him in the past, has shown such a level of ambition. As a hero of the empire, the White Ghost, the Lord of the Dark Star, the actual controller of the Fallen Wind Alliance, the pioneer of Faya's games, the contractor of Faya's experimental projects, and an ancient god, he cannot be too stingy.
Yang Ming patted Daphne's little hand, gently broke away from her pull, performed a military salute to the old men and women on both sides, then trotted forward and ran straight into the hall.
This group of seemingly the most distinguished nobles in the empire followed into the hall.
Yang Ming stood in front of the throne, his eyes slightly moist, then he straightened his chest and raised his head, and saluted the emperor with a very vigorous shake of the hand.
"His Majesty!"
He shouted with great emotion: "I'm back! Finally, I can see you again!"
Daphne forced herself not to laugh in the back, and a slight tremor appeared on her delicate face.
With this guy Hanton's acting skills, he could definitely become a drama actor!
The old emperor stood up and took the initiative to greet him.
Yang Ming lowered his head and actually squeezed out some... crocodile tears.
After the reconciliation between the emperor and his subjects, a grand banquet was held in the palace. Yang Ming and Daphne were arranged to sit beside the emperor. The inseparable appearance of the two made many nobles understand Yang Ming's current status.
Especially the elders of the Senate.
Before today, they had been following the Emperor's wishes, holding back their determination to attack the White Ghost on the Imperial Star. Even if they couldn't sentence the White Ghost, they would at least make him suffer.
But now, His Majesty the Emperor is fully expressing his love for the White Ghost.
This reminded the elders of... the incident in which the former chief elder led the elders to force the emperor to abdicate, but was killed by the white ghost...
The elders quickly found their positions and hurriedly sent messages to their offline nobles, asking them to send more resources to Sakaar.
By the way, when the banquet gradually reached its climax under the catalysis of singing and dancing, the new chief elder and the archbishop of the Empire Development Religion came together to toast Yang Ming, and said many words of praise such as thanking Yang Ming for his contributions to the empire.
With the Grand Elder and Archbishop taking the lead, this group of nobles stepped forward to show their goodwill.
Although Yang Ming welcomed everyone who came, he did not get too close to these nobles. He was just polite to them briefly.
The emperor was very satisfied with Yang Ming's performance.
An Imperial Blade should look like an Imperial Blade.
The banquet lasted for more than two hours. Director Ino wanted to go back to rest and said goodbye to His Majesty the Emperor.
Director Ino glanced at Yang Ming before leaving. Yang Ming understood and took the initiative to stand up and follow him. He sent Director Ino out of the hall and walked towards the nearby special elevator together.
"Hanton."
Director Ino's hair on the temples has turned completely white.
He put his hands in the outer pockets of his white coat, admiring the gorgeous night view of the palace, and whispered: "Did the Faya people tell you about the coming of the insect tide? Tell the truth."
"No," Yang Ming said, "They didn't show up to see me. So far, the only time I defeated the Valkyrie was when a fragment of the Faya civilization's mind appeared and communicated with me directly. He asked me to let the Valkyrie go."
"Where is Posa now?"
"The empire's border has been sealed off by me," Yang Ming said with a smile, "With me here, there's no need for Posuo."
Director Ino turned his head and stared at Yang Ming, who responded with a faint smile.
Director Ino asked: "Then how did you know that the Zerg tide was coming? I mean, you seemed to have known the news several months in advance before we explored the border of the galaxy and confirmed that the Zerg were gathering on a large scale."
"A kind of induction," Yang Ming said in a deep voice, "When I close my eyes, or when some strange feelings arise in my heart, I can see a starry sky, the green light representing the Zerg, and the fire of human civilization in the Milky Way. This fire is so fragile."
Director Ino nodded: "Yes, this flame is so fragile that it cannot withstand a small fluctuation in a large galaxy cluster."
"This insect swarm may cause many civilian casualties."
Yang Ming's eyes were extremely sincere:
"No matter how you see me, I want to play my role as much as possible in this insect tide. This may be the reason why the Fayya people urged me to get the cell cluster."
Director Ino whispered, "Do you know why I suddenly gave you the cell mass?"
"A little note?"
"Yes."
Director Ino narrowed his eyes slightly:
“The Fayyas are preparing for their game.
"They are adjusting the power of polities between galaxies.
"I have privately contacted similar organizations such as the Guel Alliance and the Free United States, and they gave me a definite answer. They joined this war in accordance with the will of the Fayya people in order to weaken the military power of the empire to a certain extent and preserve the strength of the top three powers in the New Federation."
Yang Ming frowned and asked, "The insect swarm is about to hit , and the Queen is about to ascend to a higher dimension. Why do we need to weaken the Empire? Shouldn't the Empire be given a stronger force to fight against the Queen?"
"Because the Queen is no threat to the Empire at all," Director Ino chuckled, "We have at least three secret weapons that can repel the Queen on the edge of the dimensional ascension."
Yang Ming: …
Fortunately, he did not choose to turn against the empire directly.
This background is really terrifying.
"Hanton, the empire's secret weapon cannot be tampered with at will."
Director Ino looked at Yang Ming:
“But I still hope that the empire can lose fewer people.
"As you said, every citizen should have the right to survive, and I respect this right.
"I have paved the way for you. Next, you will participate in the preparations to fight against the insect swarm. You will temporarily gain great authority to mobilize the empire's war resources.
“I predict that the Faya game will probably begin around the time of this insect swarm, although I don’t quite understand what the Faya people are waiting for.
"As long as you don't let the Empire down, the Empire will not let your home planet down. We have prepared 30,000 places for the Imperial Nobles and 10 billion places for Imperial Citizens for your home planet. This is what you deserve."
Yang Ming clenched his fists slightly, and nodded vigorously with a determined look: "Even if it costs me everything I have!"
Director Ino smiled and patted his shoulder: "Go back, don't let our emperor think too much, you are too intimate with me, he will be jealous."
Yang Ming stood still and saluted.
After Director Ino boarded the shuttle bus, Yang Ming watched him for a distance before turning around.
At a certain moment, the old and the young had an extremely faint, but very similar smile.
It was a smile of slight disdain.
