My wife is an immortal black snake.

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......

The unusual behavior of the Imperial Council undoubtedly attracted the attention of almost everyone in St. Arthur's Castle. The common people whispered amongst themselves, and those minor nobles with official positions, the big merchants, and the high-ranking military officers all realized that this would be a day that would change the Ursus Empire.

Those nobles who were not considered confidants by Her Majesty the Emperor, were not invited to carry out this plan, and were not members of the parliament [still alive], began to do everything they could to influence the current state of the Imperial Diet—was something wrong with Her Majesty the Emperor, or with those who had always opposed her? How many people had died? Who were the dead? And so on and so forth.

Their espionage efforts had undoubtedly failed, but what their spies saw were police blocking the roads and the Imperial Guard—the Emperor's personal guard—assisting in the blockade of the Imperial Council. They didn't appear to be fleeing fugitives; they continued their orderly operations, chanting the Emperor's name and ordering lower-ranking officers to complete their tasks.

The winner of this internal parliamentary struggle is then obvious—His Majesty the Emperor has won.

Upon realizing this, the sweating nobles understood the subservient posture they should adopt before His Majesty the Emperor. However, while they certainly needed to lower their stance,... it was one thing for the police to block the roads—after all, they had ample reason to do so at the Imperial Council headquarters where the fire had occurred. But what about the fire department?

Putting out fires is your duty, how dare you—!

...

When the furious powerful figures sent their spies to the fire station to gather intelligence, they received a shocking message: all the firefighters were hospitalized due to diarrhea. They were no longer able to put out fires, and even the strongest fire chief and his deputy had to lean against the wall to walk because of the diarrhea... Could they be blamed for this?

This is definitely something wrong! They immediately wanted to figure out what was causing the firefighters' diarrhea, but after a lot of searching, they gave up because the fire chief had made all his men drink all the water from the water dispensers before leaving, so that the remaining laxatives would not be discovered.

Although the situation was a bit awkward at the time, and it's better to clear the blockage than to block the toilet... but so far, the outcome has been good.

It was just a few unlucky guys who drank so much water that they even had to have their stomachs pumped.

...... ......

Aside from the situation inside Saint-Strong Castle, outside of it, less than two minutes after the devastating burning of the council, His Majesty the Emperor, through his expensive communication equipment, ordered his already-ready officials and soldiers to take action and "take over" the territories of the deceased council members—regardless of the size of the territory or whether it was hereditary property of a nobleman, as long as its owner died in the council, it would now become His Majesty the Emperor's private territory, the private territory of the Ursus Empire.

Her radical action naturally met with resistance, primarily from the private soldiers of the Sherlock Holmes nightclub councilors. But those pleasure-seeking fools, those fattened pigs who ate pig feed with their masters, were no match for His Majesty's Imperial Guard, even with the best weapons—not even if they outnumbered him two or three times over, let alone the fact that their numbers were actually quite small.

In a swift and decisive massacre, the Emperor's Imperial Guard and the officials responsible for accepting the territories stood amidst pools of blood, announcing the return of town after town, city after city, and even village after village to the Ursus Empire. They killed many, but they also restored order to the various territories. They destroyed the mints that the nobles had secretly built because of that inexplicable "contract," burned all their stockpiled but uncirculated Imperial Rubles, and finally, they didn't forget to take all the Imperial Ruble printing plates and destroy them on the spot.

The Imperial Ruble doesn't need so many prints, nor will it need such an outdated and devalued currency in the future—His Majesty the Emperor will, with the help of future men, establish a new currency. By then, the Ursus Empire, having ended its civil war and with its economy gradually recovering, will have a decade or so to stand at the top of the world again—perhaps it already is, but not yet.

His Majesty the Emperor desires to make the Ursus Empire even stronger during his lifetime. Even stronger, much stronger.

...... ......

While His Majesty the Emperor's men were busy, Yang Hao, who had returned to his room to rest and prepare for tonight's "reward," also took the opportunity to relax on his mother Sonia's lap and enjoy her doting affection.

Because he had already burned down the council, the pony and Paul had already started their operation—if nothing unexpected happened, they should begin their operation tonight after receiving his orders, with results expected within a week at the latest. Moreover, he could monitor their progress through the [Puppet Stage], so after thinking it over, sending them a signal now was the best course of action.

"Ha... I hope everything goes well for Little Pony and the others." He murmured, his head resting comfortably on Sonia's mother's lap. He opened the [Puppet Stage] interface, sending signals to both Serpent Scale and Creed, and instructing the Templar Knights remaining behind to be ready to provide support at any time. He also made sure to inform Monica and Koschche of his plans...

He was now completely out of work.

Even if he wanted to do something else, he would need to obtain an official position from His Majesty the Emperor first. So he really had nothing to do and could only happily enjoy Sonia's care, while showing a blissful expression as if he were melting.

Perhaps it was because Sonia's mother's care was too gentle? He was now lying limply on Sonia's lap, like a pancake, completely relaxed, showing no sign of distrust towards her.

In return for Yang Hao's trust, Sonia smiled and massaged his shoulders, which had recently become stiff, occasionally stroking his hair as a reward.

"Remember to come back early tonight." While doing this, Sonia's mother whispered this reminder: "Otherwise, if anything happens to you, I'll break into the palace and bring you back."

"Okay, okay, Sonia, you don't need to worry about me so much..."

"The one who asked me to take care of you is yourself, isn't it?"

Sonia gently rubbed Yang Hao's ear, her eyes overflowing with doting affection.

Chapter 32

On the evening of July 10th, after enjoying a homecoming party with his guards and taking a bath and changing clothes in his room's bathroom to be in the best possible condition to face His Majesty the Emperor, Yang Hao left his temporary room amidst Sonia's mother's worries, preparing to go to His Majesty the Emperor's private room alone for the meeting.

"...Can't I really come along?"

"No need, really no need—besides, if you come along, Sonia, I suspect His Majesty will find an excuse not to give me what I'm entitled to right now. Can you just wait for me in the room? I'll definitely come back to rest tonight anyway."

"...I understand now."

She bit her lip lightly, looking at Yang Hao with a mixture of dissatisfaction and helplessness. Finally, under Yang Hao's surprised gaze, she took two steps forward and embraced him, letting him thoroughly enjoy the face wash from Sonia, as well as her intimate kiss on his forehead. After that, Sonia loosened her embrace slightly and took a step back.

"come back earlier."

She gave him her final instructions, then let go of his hand and turned to go straight back to her room—as if she had made up her mind to let Yang Hao go far away. She didn't even look back at Yang Hao, who was still standing there in a daze, for fear that she might not be able to resist secretly following him.

...What a good mother! Yang Hao gazed at Sonia's retreating figure, a thought rising in his mind—he was truly worried that one day his filial piety might suddenly change, after all, judging from his current self-perception, after escaping Monica and Koschke's "exploitation," his desires as a man had returned.

Sigh! Men are like insatiable wolves! They're always thinking about these awful things. How can they possibly manage politics, how can they possibly make the Ursus Empire great again?!

You must exercise self-control!

Yang Hao slapped his cheek hard, inwardly telling himself to "remain calm," yet he could still feel the lingering warmth of Sonia's touch on his face. Realizing there was no point in staying any longer, he decided to turn around and leave quickly, prioritizing his appointment with His Majesty the Emperor.

...... ......

Before long, Yang Hao arrived at the corridor outside Her Majesty the Emperor's private room. Her private bedroom was not far from her private dining room, and even though he had only glimpsed it occasionally while eating, Yang Hao could now easily recognize the way there.

After taking a deep breath and knocking to identify himself, Yang Hao entered at Her Majesty Catherine's summons. And what can I say? It truly lived up to its reputation as a magnificent royal room.

It was huge—absolutely enormous. Much larger than his and Kosiché's bedroom. This wasn't just about the size of the walkable area; more importantly, the room's height and the sheer amount of luxurious decoration were simply overwhelming.

Yang Hao cautiously surveyed everything in the room, gazing enviously at the four ivory-white load-bearing pillars sculpted with countless images of Ursus royalty throughout history. After a long while, he sighed subtly—if he could, he'd like to live in a room like this too, though he wondered if Kosiché would be willing to convert his bedroom at home into a similar space...

"Sit down first—we can talk while we eat."

"Oh, oh..."

For some reason, Her Majesty the Emperor seemed a little strange tonight. She wasn't wearing her usual heavy and luxurious imperial attire; instead, she was wearing a fitted casual dress that, while equally magnificent, didn't appear so bulky.

She smelled of a perfume. Yang Hao sniffed and realized it was the scent of some kind of herb.

Hmm... what's going on here? Yang Hao inwardly warned himself that something was wrong—did His Majesty the Emperor really need to wear that kind of perfume for this award ceremony?! You rascal, are you trying to take advantage of my momentary lapse in attention and do something underhanded?!

He became somewhat wary... but still obediently sat in the chair prepared for him by His Majesty the Emperor, gazing at the dinner on the table and falling into deep thought.

His first concern was whether there was anything wrong with the dishes... but as it stands, it's nothing more than ordinary royal cuisine—there's nothing strange about it, which made Yang Hao breathe a slight sigh of relief.

“Starting tomorrow morning, I will announce you as the Speaker of the new Imperial Council—but how many members do you think would be suitable for the new Imperial Council?” His Majesty the Emperor asked Yang Hao with a smile, elegantly cutting the fried bacon on his plate with his knife and fork. “Personally, I intend to retain fewer members, and they must be capable of serving the Ursus Empire wholeheartedly—but I am worried that too few members might cause administrative problems.”

"What did you mean at the beginning?"

"Five people, making six including you. Apart from your position as speaker, the other five will be responsible for military, diplomatic, administrative, public welfare, and intelligence work respectively—but this is not absolute."

"So you mean that there will occasionally be conflicts and then collaborations between the responsibilities we share?"

"To be precise, after someone steps down, others will share that burden of pressure until a new legislator takes office."

"Now I understand..."

The parliamentary system that Her Majesty Catherine envisioned now looked more like a cabinet system, with six cabinet members responsible for her empire and each holding different functions. Without special appointments, they had no strong power to oppose the emperor—but this was an unexpected turn of events for Yang Hao.

Perhaps it was because Yang Hao hadn't found the work he was supposed to be responsible for as the "Speaker"? He blinked, picked up a piece of crispy bacon with his fork, placed it on a piece of toast, spread some mayonnaise and royal caviar on it, and then stuffed it into his mouth.

The alluring flavor of the mayonnaise and the savory aroma of the caviar instantly captivated Yang Hao, leaving him unable to tear himself away from the deliciousness.

"Then, regarding your position as speaker—I would like you to help me choose a suitable candidate. A suitable candidate for member of parliament."

"what?"

Oh, Your Majesty?

Are you really sure? Yang Hao blinked dryly at Empress Catherine, who was elegantly eating bacon and bread—Your Majesty, are you really not joking?

You're putting me in charge of selecting your cabinet members? I'm not saying this to be mean, but what if everyone around you, besides yourself, turns out to be spies and traitors... you know what I mean?

Although I don't mean it that way right now, are you really not going to reconsider?

He blinked, and Her Majesty Catherine, seeing his strange expression, simply smiled:

“I know my reign is destined to be short-lived. I am just a mortal, and I might die in an accident in ten years or so—and you are more suited to making Ursus better than I am. Am I right, Mr. Puppet Master?”

"hiss..."

"Although I've been studying the contents of the phone, and I've been wondering why your title is this strange name... but after thinking about it, you must have an ability like controlling a puppet, right? Although I'm not sure about the scope of your ability, I think you need a position that is second only to the emperor... that's the limitation of your ability."

She put down her knife and fork, propped her chin on her hand, and looked at Yang Hao, who was sweating profusely, with great interest, and smiled.

Yang Hao was naturally nervous when His Majesty Catherine suddenly guessed several key aspects of his abilities—after all, his abilities could only be viewed in two extreme ways.

One type is those who trust him, are willing to give Yang Hao the utmost trust, and then let him do whatever he wants, leaving him to his own devices.

Another type is those who distrust him—they wish they could skin him alive right now to prevent him from threatening their rule.

So... which one are you, Your Majesty Catherine?

He wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and just as he was about to say something, he heard Her Majesty Catherine say this:

"However, I don't want to delve into your secrets; it's better for both of us. So let's leave it at that... Come over here."

"Huh? Oh..."

He obediently stood up from the chair and, led by Her Majesty Catherine, walked to the open space to the side. She was sitting on the bed, and in her hands, she had somehow acquired, a pair of gavels, and a small crown representing the rank of duke.

“This is the medal and gavel representing the new Empire’s Speaker—and this is the crown representing the Duke. Although I’m not quite sure which title you prefer, let me think… a title on par with Koschei, you’d probably like very much.” She smiled, gesturing for Yang Hao to stand in front of him, bending down so she could place the crown on his head: “The title of a duke who was once annexed by Koschei—formerly called [Delvin], but now, it should be called [Duke Yang].

"......Thanks."

"This is what you deserve—I will give you the two corresponding official documents in court tomorrow. But that's not enough."

Her Majesty the Emperor pinned the new Speaker of the Imperial Council's medal to Yang Hao's clothes, then gently placed the gavel aside. She shyly opened her arms to Yang Hao, and before he could react, still looking down at the ground, Her Majesty the Emperor embraced him and pulled him onto the bed.

"?! Your Majesty, Your Majesty?!"

Yang Hao was stunned for a moment, his mind went blank—why did this award ceremony have to end so suddenly? No, I was prepared for something like this, but why did you do this so suddenly?

Logically, shouldn't you have waited until everything was settled before telling me this in a suitable atmosphere?! You haven't told me this yet! How come you're just doing it yourself—and I...I...I didn't ask you to do this—

"This is your reward." The 30-year-old woman, with her strong Ursus physique, pulled Yang Hao into her arms. She clung to him like a ravenous bear, just awakened from hibernation and dizzy with hunger, refusing to let go. "But I've thought about it. I've already handed over the position of Imperial Speaker to you, and this position doesn't explicitly grant you authority to manage the Ursus Empire—so, I'll have to make you my King Consort, adding the title of 'King' to your Duke title."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty—! Please have some self-respect! I...I...I didn't—"

"Who asked me for the position of 'second only to the emperor, above all others'?"

.....

Yang Hao was stunned for a moment.

Then, his consciousness returned to the night before...

Upon learning that the trouble in the Ursus Empire was orchestrated by a psionic entity through a contract, he was furious. In a moment of impulsiveness and after careful consideration, he petitioned His Majesty the Emperor for the position, solely focused on resolving the chaos within the Ursus Empire and restoring its strength...

But then again, being second only to the emperor... why the hell didn't I think of that back then?! I've already secured the position of Speaker of the Imperial Council, a position ostensibly only two ranks below His Majesty the Emperor. The only other position I could advance to is becoming the Crown Prince or marrying into the royal family, right?!

Damn it! Your Majesty, please calm down! Although I might be a little too old to be your son, but... but that's negotiable—

....... .....

But perhaps because he was too far removed from Koschke and Monica and hadn't experienced the daily life of a married couple, he no longer viewed his surroundings with a worldly perspective. In addition, the care Monica's mother had given him before had made him feel stifled for a long time.

And then there's His Majesty the Emperor's soft, fragrant body, and her firm, erect breasts...

All Yang Hao could smell was the Emperor's body odor and perfume. His vulva, Yang Hao's weakness, became shamefully erect.

but--

"Your Majesty..." Yang Hao pleaded, "Please, please reconsider—this, this will damage your prestige—"

"Your Majesty, consider your own dignity before doing such a terrible thing to a married man!" At this moment, although he also felt excited, he knew that doing so might make Kosiché hostile to the Emperor, and then plunge the Ursus Empire, which was finally about to be at peace because of the impending civil war that was destined to be won, into chaos again. Yang Hao could only come up with this last reason for running away.

Faced with Yang Hao's pleading in her arms, Her Majesty Catherine paused for a moment, then smiled charmingly:

"My future husband—do you know what my views on prestige are?"

"No, I don't know..." Yang Hao shook his head hastily, then he felt a softness on both sides of his cheeks...

"Then let it go to hell. As long as the country is strong, who cares what the rulers have done?"

She smiled as she looked at the embarrassed Yang Hao in her arms. At that moment, it was 8:20 p.m.

Chapter 33

January 10th, 10:20 PM.

At this moment, Yang Hao was dressing in a daze. On the large bed behind him, the empress who had just been displaying her domineering and domineering aura, as if she wanted to take Yang Hao into her possession, was now lying paralyzed on the bed, motionless, like a girl who had been played with and looked pitiful.

He wasn't quite sure what was going on—but all in all, it seemed like he had won? Yes, the desire he'd been holding back for days had all been released at once, and while Her Majesty the Emperor was a woman of fierce appetites, she was also an inexperienced woman—so, it seemed like he had won?

Huh? Hmm? That's it? I thought I'd be like when I first met Koschke, not wanting to move all night after it was over?

And that's it?

Yang Hao scratched his head, still feeling somewhat bewildered. Just as he was almost dressed, Her Majesty Catherine, who was sprawled on the bed, finally snapped out of her daze.